WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order allowing it to strip legal protections from more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants
The Justice Department asked the high court to put on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that the administration wrongly ended Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans.
The federal appeals court in San Francisco refused to put on hold the ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen while the case continues.
In May, the Supreme Court reversed an order from Chen that affected another 350,000 Venezuelans. The high court provided no explanation at the time, which is common in emergency appeals.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued in the new court filing that the justices’ May order should also apply to the current case.
Flights snarled at Dallas airports over equipment
DALLAS Hundreds of flights in and out of Dallas were delayed or canceled Friday as telecommunications equipment issues disrupted one of the nation’s busiest airports, federal officials said The Federal Aviation Administration said it was slowing flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport because of a “reported local telephone company equipment issue.” The same problems were also impacting Dallas Love Field, according to the agency, which said the issue did not involve FAA equipment.
According to FlightAware, as of late Friday afternoon, nearly 700 flights in and out of DFW Airport were delayed while about 200 canceled. About 160 flights were delayed in and out of Love Field while one flight was canceled.
As of late Friday afternoon, departures from Love Field were delayed by an average of about 30 minutes, according to the FAA website. At DFW Airport, a ground stop was in place for American Airlines and flights on other airlines were being delayed by over an hour
Administration proposes $6B in weapons to Israel
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has told Congress it plans to sell nearly $6 billion in weapons to Israel, a fresh surge of support for the U.S. ally as it faces increasing isolation over its war in Gaza.
It includes a $3.8 billion sale for 30 AH-64 Apache helicopters, nearly doubling Israel’s current stocks, and a $1.9 billion sale for 3,200 infantry assault vehicles for Israeli army according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the proposal who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been made public. The weapons would not be delivered for two to three years or longer
The huge sales come as U.S. plans to broker an end to the nearly two-year war between Israel and Hamas have stalled and after Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, drew widespread condemnation among U.S. allies in the Middle East.
The U.S. has kept up its support despite growing international pressure on Israel and attempts from a growing number of U.S. Senate Democrats to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.
Estonia: 3 Russian jets in its airspace
BY GEIR MOULSON and ANDREW WILKS Associated Press
Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said. It happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia violated Estonian airspace four times this year “but today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen.”
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur also said the government had decided “to start consultations among the allies” under NATO’s article 4, he wrote on X, after Russian jets “violated our airspace yet again.”
The North Atlantic Council, NA-
TO’s principal political decisionmaking body, is due to convene early next week to discuss the incident in more detail, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said Friday Article 4, the shortest of the NATO treaty’s 14 articles, states that: “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
Russian officials did not immediately comment. Russia’s violation of Poland’s airspace was the most serious cross-border incident into a NATO member country since the war in Ukraine began with Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022. Other alliance countries have reported similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory
The developments have increasingly rattled European governments as U.S.-led efforts to stop the war in Ukraine have come to nothing.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called Friday’s incursion “an extremely dangerous provocation” that “further escalates tensions in the region.”
“On our side, we see that we must show no weakness because weakness is something that invites Russia to do more,” she said. “They are increasingly more dangerous — not only to Ukraine, but also to all the countries around Russia.”
Estonia, along with fellow Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia and neighboring Poland, are staunch supporters of Ukraine.
The Russian MIG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace in the area of Vaindloo Island, a small island located in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, the Estonian military said in a separate statement.
The aircraft did not have flight plans and their transponders were turned off, the statement said, nor were the aircraft in two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic services.
NATO fighter jets scramble hun-
Mexico City remembers deadly 1985 earthquake
BY MARÍA VERZA Associated Press
MEXICO CITY Every Sept. 19, residents of Mexico City ask themselves an unsettling question: “Is the ground shaking?”
On that day 40 years ago, at 7:19 a.m., a 8.1-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks left the Mexican capital devastated Official counts put the death toll around 12,000, but the real number remains unknown. The earthquake was a watershed moment for the city A new culture of civil defense evolved, better warning systems developed, building codes changed and, since 2004, there have been annual earthquake drills held on that day
Then, on that very same day in 2017, things changed again. Barely two hours after the annual drill, a 7.1-magnitude temblor began shaking the ground; its epicenter was so close to the capital that the warning alarms didn’t even sound. Nearly 400 died this time and word spread in an instant on social media, but the destruction showed some lessons still hadn’t been learned, as many deaths could have been prevented
Whether the ground shakes or not, Sept. 19 continues to rattle residents of the capital, because for many there are symbols across the city that have not been forgotten.
Screams of the seamstresses
First came the screams from the seamstresses buried under one of the capital’s collapsed textile plants, recalled Gloria Juandiego, now 65. Soon after, the screams were from people like her outside the rubble, who shouted that others were trapped inside The soldiers did
nothing, she said.
“The bosses got the equipment out, the raw materials, their safe boxes, they prioritized that,” she said. They didn’t let them tear up the salvaged clothing to make tourniquets. Then came the smell and the image of how “the bodies were tossed into trucks, even as more and more women came out to demand authorities rescue their colleagues. In the end, hundreds of seamstresses, normally holed up working 12-hour days without breaks, died.
“Our submission was buried under the rubble,” a popular sign at the time read. It was the start of the Sept. 19 seamstress union to fight for decent working conditions.
‘The Moles’
“We were digging with sardine cans and our hands,” recalled Francisco Camacho, now 66. In 1985, he was one of the young people looking for survivors of a collapsed apartment building on Tlatelolco Plaza, where today a sun dial marks the time of the earthquake.
A woman organized a chain of volunteers removing buckets full of debris. Children brought water Camacho recalled the tenor Plácido Domingo, who was also helping, saying the volunteers were making holes and crawling into them “as if they were moles.”
And so a volunteer rescue group known as “Los Topos” (The moles) was born. The organization has grown from 20-some amateurs to a diverse force of some 1,200 people today Now, a powerful symbol of Mexican solidarity, they have traveled to 32 countries to assist at times of catastrophe. They continue training every Sunday for what could happen next
Grammy-winning songwriter James dies in plane crash
BY KATHY MCCORMACK and JOSH FUNK Associated Press
Grammy award-winning country songwriter Brett James whose string of top hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in North Carolina, authorities said Friday
The small plane with three people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon “under unknown circumstances” in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report. There were no survivors,
the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement. It was not known if James was the pilot The patrol confirmed his death. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol confirmed. A native of Oklahoma City James, 57, left medical school to pursue a music career in Nashville, according his biography on the Hall of Fame’s site. His first No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which he co-wrote for
dreds of times most years to intercept aircraft, many of them Russian warplanes in northwest Europe flying too close to the airspace of its member countries, but it’s rarer for planes to cross the boundary Dozens of NATO jets are on round-the-clock alert across Europe to respond to incidents such as unannounced military flights or civilian planes losing communication with air traffic controllers.
The Russian charge d’affaires was summoned and given a protest note, a ministry statement said. Earlier Friday, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency said there is “absolutely no evidence” that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine.
Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6 as it is more commonly known, said Putin was “stringing us along.”
“He seeks to impose his imperial will by all means at his disposal. But he cannot succeed,” Moore said.
Senate confirms Waltz as Trump’s U.N. ambassador
BY FARNOUSH AMIRI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, filling the last vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet after eight months of delays and the withdrawal of a previous nominee. The bipartisan vote for Waltz came after a recent procedural hurdle sent his nomination back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where it had to be voted on again on Wednesday
The Senate did not vote on a separate matter that would formally designate Waltz as a representative at the General Assembly, due to objections from
Democrats, according to a person familiar with the Senate deliberations. It is unclear how or whether Waltz would be able to participate in the annual U.N. gathering in New York next week The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. It is unclear why Waltz wasn’t advanced before Democrats employed the procedural move last week, given that his nomination moved out of committee last month with bipartisan support. A State Department spokesperson said they had worked closely with the White House “to advance every one of our nominees as quickly as possible,” including Waltz. But a Democratic congressional aide said this week that the administration officials had shown “no urgency” in getting Waltz confirmed before the U.N. General Assembly, which kicks off Tuesday
Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors. James had more than 500 of his songs recorded, for albums with combined sales of more than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online. Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last Night” by Chesney and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.
James
Waltz
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY JON ORBACH
People bring flowers to the site where seamstresses died inside a textile plant that collapsed in the 1985 earthquake on the 40th anniversary of the quake in the Obrera neighborhood of Mexico City on Friday.
House approves resolution honoring ‘legacy’ of Kirk
Dozens of Democrats oppose, abstain
BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press
WASHINGTON The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday, but a significant number of Democrats voted against it, highlighting the deepening political divide in the wake of his assassination
The resolution, which praised “the life and legacy” of Kirk, passed the Republican-controlled House with 310 votes in favor While 95 Democrats supported the resolution, 58 voted against it and 38 voted “present,” effectively abstaining. Republicans had warned ahead of the vote that no one should oppose the measure, but many Democrats said they felt Kirk’s death had been politicized and that the resolution elevated views they disagreed with.
“Today’s resolution underscores the majority’s recklessness by choosing to author this condemnation and honoring on a purely partisan basis,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
of New York, a high-profile Democrat who voted against the resolution “We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was.”
Speaker Mike Johnson said that there was “no partisan language” in the resolution and that there was “no excuse” for anyone not to vote in favor of it
“We are honoring someone who contributed greatly to the free marketplace of ideas and public discourse and who died in a disgraceful, horrific manner,” Johnson told reporters. The vote capped a week of heightened tensions in Congress and across a nation grappling with Kirk’s assassination and the legacy he left behind. Many on the right have blamed the left for fostering a political climate that led to his death, pushing for more than condemnation and allowing little room for criticism of his views. In the days since, backlash to such criticism has led to firings — ranging from teachers to journalists as conservative activists have launched aggressive pressure campaigns.
“No single member of the House Democratic caucus, not a single member, condones political violence in America,” House Demo-
cratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday
Earlier this week, the House narrowly declined to punish one of its own over commentary in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The Republican effort to censure Rep Ilhan Omar came after she criticized Kirk’s views of gun ownership and race relations in the aftermath of George Floyd’s 2020 death in Minneapolis. After the vote fell short, President Donald Trump responded by calling Omar “terrible.”
While Friday’s resolution aimed to honor Kirk and denounce political violence, many Democrats took issue with its language. The text described Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, as someone who was “seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding, and strengthen the Republic,” and that he stood “as a model for young Americans.”
Many Republicans in Congress are set to travel to Arizona on Sunday for Kirk’s funeral. Johnson, who plans to attend the funeral, gave a long tribute on the House floor on Thursday, saying that the best way to honor Kirk was to “advance the principles that he advanced, and to adopt his approach.”
Trump says U.S. carried out fatal strike targeting alleged drug-smuggling boat
BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. military has carried out its third fatal strike against an alleged drug smuggling vessel this month.
Trump in a social media posting said the strike killed three and was carried out against a vessel “affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.” He did not provide more precise details about the location of the strike, and the White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage
enroute to poison Americans,” Trump said in the post.
Trump on Monday announced the U.S military had carried out a strike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela
That strike also killed three on board.
That followed a Sept 2 military strike on what the Trump administration said was a drug-carrying speedboat that killed 11.
Trump claimed the boat was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang, which was listed by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organization earlier this year
Several senators as well as human rights groups have questioned the legality of Trump’s action. They view it as a potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes
Senate rejects competing bills to fund government
It’s unclear how shutdown Oct. 1 will be avoided
BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Senate rejected competing measures on Friday to fund federal agencies for a few weeks when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, increasing prospects for a partial government shutdown on that date.
Leaders of the two parties sought to blame the other side for the standoff.
Democrats accused Republicans of not negotiating with them to address some of their priorities on health care as part of the funding measure, even though they knew Democratic votes would be needed to get a bill to the president’s desk.
Republicans said Democrats were making demands that would dramatically increase spending and were not germane to the core issue of keeping agencies fully running for a short period of time while negotiations continued on a full-year spending package.
It’s unclear how the two sides will be able to avoid a shutdown. Republicans are planning on what amounts to a do-over vote on their proposal close to the deadline in the hopes that more Democrats will have second thoughts. Democrats are repeating their demand that Republicans sit down with them and work on a compromise.
“The theater must end,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the vote. “Let’s sit down and negotiate.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., gave no indication of a change in course. “All it takes is a handful of Democrats to join the Republicans in keeping the government open and funded, and to ensure we have a chance to get the appropriations process completed in the way it was intended,” Thune said.
The Senate action came after the House earlier in the day passed the Republicanled funding bill. The measure would extend government funding generally at current levels for seven weeks. The bill would also add about $88 million in security funding for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and executive branch in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The vote was 217-212. Rep Jared Golden, of Maine, was the lone Democratic member to support the bill. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., also said
she tried to vote for the bill but was not recognized by the presiding officer She was listed officially as not voting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said he knew he had few votes to spare as he sought to persuade fellow Republicans to vote for the funding patch, something many in his conference have routinely opposed in past budget fights. But this time, GOP members saw a chance to portray the Democrats as responsible for a shutdown.
“The ball is in Chuck Schumer’s court. I hope he does the right thing. I hope he does not choose to shut the government down and inflict pain on the American people,” Johnson said.
President Donald Trump had urged House Republicans to pass the bill and put the burden on Democrats to oppose it. GOP leaders often need Trump’s help to win over holdouts on legislation “Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES!” Trump said on his social media site
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., said that in opposing the continuing resolution, Democrats were working to protect the health care of the American people. He said that with Republicans controlling the White House and both branches of Congress, “Republicans will own a government shutdown. Period. Full stop.”
The Senate moved quickly after the House vote to take up the measure plus the Democratic counter Both bills fell far short of the 60 votes required for passage. The Democratic proposal would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, plus reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in Republicans’ big tax breaks and spending cuts bill enacted earlier this year
The Democratic measure actually received more votes than the Republican one due to absences. The 47-45 vote went strictly along party lines.
The Republican measure gained 44 votes, including from Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania But 48 voted against it, including two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul, of Kentucky; and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska. Both chambers of Congress are out of session next week because of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year Senators will return on Sept. 29. House Republicans don’t plan to be back until October They were advised by leadership Friday that no votes would take place on Sept. 29-30, as previously scheduled.
The move by House GOP leadership essentially forces the Senate to approve the House-passed measure or risk a shutdown.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY J SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, right, joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, center left, leads a memorial Monday night at the Capitol in Washington to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed in Utah last week.
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wascrucial in allowing it to obtain loans needed to improve its facilities. Charter schools arepublic schools run privately via contracts.EastBaton Rougecurrently has contracts with 13 charter schools, teaching more than 6,000 students, or about 16% of all district enrollees.Inthe past two years, East Baton Rougehas closedtwo low-performing charter schools and replaced the operators of twomore. Afterthe proposalwas pulled Aug. 7, aplan was discussedto hold aspecial workshop to address
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said Ceara Labat, aspokesperson for the Sewerage &Water Board Farther south in Plaquemines Parish, the water supply also remains safe to drink, officials said. While salt water could pose a risk to water treatment plants in Pointe alaHache on the Mississippi River’seast bank,and in Belle Chasse on thewestbank, thereisnoimmediaterisktoeither one, according to PatrickHarvey,
concerns of certainboard members, but the board was unable to getenough members to settle on adate.
At the most recent boardmeetingThursday, board membersin favorofthe charterpolicy update tried to force theissue.
Board member Nathan Rust made amotion to compel the board to change its agenda Thursday to addthe update to thepolicy “I think it’simportant that the policy not onlycomply withthe law,which the updatedoes, but that it also be in place so that organizationsconsidering applying here know what rules they will be heldtoinadvanceofwhentheyapply,”Rust said Agendasfor mostpublic meetings in Louisiana are supposed to
Plaquemines Parish’sdirector of homeland security and emergency preparedness.
The parish plans to take precautions, however,toensurethat the Pointe alaHacheplant stays up an running by bringing in areverseosmosis filtration system, which can removesalt from water
“We’vemade significant improvementssince 2023,” said Harvey. “This year, we’reprepared for it.”
At this pointin2023 —a year in which Louisiana suffered arecordbreaking drought —the Corps had already completed the construc-
be nailed down and released publicly24hours ahead of themeeting. To add an item to the agenda requires aunanimous vote of boardmembers in attendance.In this case thatwas eightvotes board member Dadrius Lanus was absent The motion ended up failing by a 4-4margin. Rust was joined in support by board members Mark Bellue, Patrick Martin Vand Emily Soulé. Votingnowere board members Mike Gaudet, Cliff Lewis, CarlaPowell-Lewisand ShashonnieSteward. Powell-Lewissaid she won’t support avoteuntil thepolicy is considered by theboard when it meets as acommittee of thewhole, known as “the COW”: “Wewant all items to go beforethe COWand
tion of the sill. Salt water overtopped it on Sept.20, 2023.
“We’re starting alittle bit later thanwehave in the previous couple of years,” said Matt Roe, aspokespersonfor the Corps. He noted that it’stoo early to make comparisons to the 2023 saltwater wedge, butsaid that the current drought is expected to last for another month, allowing salt water to continue to move farther upriver
In 2023, local officialsdetaileda plantobuild apipeline to source freshwater from farther upriver had the saltwater wedge threatened New Orleans’ water supply.
thenhave open discussion,” she said. The next meeting of the committee of the whole is Oct. 2. Gaudetsaid he still has issues with part of the policychanging how charter schools are renewed and student transportation requirements. The board’sinaction on the proposedchanges prompted a complaint from Adonica Duggan, president of Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. The Alliance is an influential education-oriented nonprofit that spent nearly $1 millionin2022 to help elect many members currently serving on the board.
In an online post, Duggan said the charter policyupdate has been in the works formonths, but continues to be stalledbyboard
That plan proved unnecessary; rain returned to the Mississippi River Basin andflushedthe salt water downstream.
Drought in the Ohio River Basin since early August has reduced the amount of water flowing into the MississippiRiver. Normally,the Ohio supplies about half of the water in thelower Mississippi, butright nowitcontributes onlyabout 8% Waterisjust 3feet deep at the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans, andithas dropped by about 4inches in the last 24 hours.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts
members whom she speculated maybedriven by anti-charter bias. “The very mention of the term‘charter’school leadssome members of the board to prioritize politicsover service to students andfamilies, whichisdisappointing,” she said.
Duggan noted many local charters have outpaced district schoolsinacademicgrowth coming out of theCOVID pandemic, “meaning students who enter school behind are making up more ground.”
“Ignoring the role of charters in the overallsystemisshortsighted and fails to keep the focus on children,” she said.
Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.
above-average temperatures through the end of the month, which could make the drought worse. Water levels in the lower Mississippi are expected to drop further,and, already,much of Louisiana is facing amoderate risk of wildfires.
Still, any impacts on water supplies due to the saltwater wedge,if theymaterialize,are weeks away
TheCorps’latestestimateputs the saltwater wedge near Port Sulphur,about 20 miles downriverof where it will build the sill.
Construction on the sill is expected to be complete by late October
or appearing to make light of his death. On Wednesday JimmyKimmel’slate-night show was taken off the air after he commented on Kirk’skilling.
Conservative activists and Republican politicians have demanded that people whomockKirk’sdeath face professional consequences, with Vice President JD Vance saying professors who celebrate the assassination should lose their jobs or their universities lose federal funding. Some schoolleaders have urged educators to be especially cautious in this volatile political climate, with the Ascension Parish superintendent reminding employees in a recent email that “professionalism extends beyond the school building.”
But critics argue that the crackdown amounts to an assaultonfree speech, and that public schoolteachers have aright to voicetheir personal opinions unlessdoing so interferes with their work.
“The governm en t shouldn’tbeable to punish you for addressing atopic (that’s) uncomfortable,” said Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech CenteratMiddleTennesseeState University.“Youcan’tlimit speech just because it makes you uncomfortable.”
In at least two Louisiana parishes, teachers’ social media posts about Kirk were flagged by members of the public.
An Ascension Parish teacher was cited in apost on Tiger Droppings, an online discussionboard dedicated to LSU sports, politics
and other topics. The Sept 11 post featured ascreenshot of aFacebook comment allegedly made by the teacher saying,“Gun violence happenstoeveryone” with ashrugging woman emoji above aphoto of Kirk. The userwho postedthe screenshot wrote, “She(teaches) some of yourkids.”
The following day, Ascension Parish Public Schools Superintendent Edith Walker sent district staffers an emailurging them to use “goodjudgment” and display “professionalismin everysetting.”She didnot reference thecontroversy around Kirk’s killing but saidthat staff members are seen as representatives of the school system whether they are “in public or engaging on social media.”
Eventually four staffers were placed on leave pendingdistrict investigations into their online comments, theunionrepresentative said.
In astatement, Walker said shecannot commenton personnel matters, but added that district officials carefully review any concerns brought to their attention
“The trustplacedinusto educate and care for studentsisa responsibilitywe take very seriously,” she said, “and we will continue to uphold thestandards that keep that trust strong.”
In Caddo Parish, someone last week shared images in alocal Facebook group of postsshe said were madeby ahigh school teacher.One of the posts said, “I don’twish anyone dead, but Idobelieve in Karma.” Theperson whoshared thepostscalled them “disgusting” andsaid: “Caddo parishschool board get RIDofthisproblem! Separately, School Board member Don Little asked on
Facebook for members of thepublic to send images of any district employees “celebrating assassination.”
During aCaddo Parish School Board meetingthis week, Shreveport resident FloraLevels said that school employees who follow ethical guidelines anddonot condone violence should be allowed to express their views.
“Their righttospeak out should not be taken from them,” she told theboard.
In an interview,Little said thatwhile he strongly supports theFirst Amendment, there are reasonable limits to free speech such as inciting violence. He added that school employees are subject to the district’spolicies on professional conduct, politicalneutralityand social media use.
He saidhereceived reports about adozen or so social media posts, several by the same staffer, but only three were“questionable” enough to forward to districtofficials for review None of the posts explicitly celebrated Kirk’sdeath,he added.
“The vast majority of our employees had extraordinary conduct during this event,” he said.
Caddo Parish Public Schools spokesperson Mary Nash-Wood said that no employees were put on leave due to their social media comments.
“However,wecontinue to caution our employees to be vigilant in what they post,” she added.
Larry Carter,president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, thestate’s largestteachersunion, saidin an email Thursdaythat the union was awareof“fewer thanfive” educators across the state who hadbeen placed on leaveduring in-
vestigations of their social media posts related to Kirk He noted that is atiny fractionofLouisiana’smorethan 52,000 public schoolteachers.
“Educators across Louisiana are focusing on their noble calling:fostering learning, promoting understanding, and engaging citizens in amultifaceted democracy,” he said.
The online posts by educatorsand others have ranged from criticisms of Kirk’s paststatements, which some critics have calledracist and sexist,tomore inflammatory comments mocking or even celebrating his assassination.
The content of theposts
makes adifference when it comes to educators’ free speech rights, experts said.
Under Pickering v. Board of Education, alandmark 1968 ruling by the U.S.Supreme Court,public school employeeshave aconstitutionalright to commentor reflect on mattersofpublic concern,explainedAlex Morey,a First Amendment specialist forthe Freedom Forum, anonprofit organization dedicated to fostering First Amendment rights. But school districts can still discipline teachersifthey consider theirspeechtobe inflammatory to the point of interfering with their duties as public workers, she added. Social media adds another layer of complexity when it comes to what kindof speech can be considered disruptive, experts said. Even if ateacher posts an opiniontoaprivate page, that post can be screenshot andsharedwidely,giving employers room to argue that the teacher cannot effectively do their job. Still, “it’sincumbent upon aschool system to establish that real and actual disruption will occur,”saidPaulson, the free speech expert. Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate. com.
Vaccinepanel changesCOVID shot guidance
RFKJr.’s advisers say it should be achoice
BY MIKE STOBBE and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press
ATLANTA— HealthSecretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’snew vaccine advisers added confusion Friday to this fall’sCOVID-19 vaccinations —declining to recommend them for anyone and leaving the choice up to those who want ashot.
Until now,the vaccinations had been recommended as aroutine step in the fall for nearly all Americans —just like ayearly flu vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration already had placed newrestrictions on this year’sshots from Pfizer,Moderna and Novavax, reserving them for people over 65 or younger ones who are deemed at higher risk from the virus.
In aseries of votes Friday,advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took the unprecedented step of not recommending them even for high-risk populations like seniors. Instead they decidedpeople couldmake individual decisions after talking
with adoctor,nurse or pharmacist.
The panel also urged the CDC to adopt stronger languagearound claims of vaccinerisks, despite pushbackfrom outsidemedical groups who said the shots had a proven safetyrecord from the billions of doses administered worldwide.
The divided panel narrowly avoidedurging states to require aprescription for the shot. The move came after protests from someofthe advisers that the extra step would blockaccesstovaccination
“I have to wait ayear” to seehis primary care provider,said panelist Dr.Cody Meissner of Dartmouth College. “It’sessentially goingtobeabarrier.”
The meeting represented the latest example of Kennedy’s monthslong effort to reshape the nation’svaccine policies to match hislong-standingsuspicions about the safety and effectiveness of well-established shots.
Independent public health expertsreacted with relief that the paneldidn’tadd more roadblocks to vaccination, but they saidthe lack of arecommendation will prove confusing for people who don’tknow if ashot might benefit
Senate confirms N.O. lawyer forCIA job
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON New Orleans
lawyer Peter Thomson was confirmedThursday to be the Central Intelligence Agency’s inspector generalasthe U.S. Senate Republican majority used the “nuclear option”to break apartisan logjam in confirming President Donald Trump’snominees.
Thomson, who is amember of the Stone Pigman law firm, was among the first theSenate confirmed on a voice vote. He also is one of ahandful of Trump’snominees from Louisiana who have cleared committee hearings, then languished on the calendar awaiting afinal confirmation vote by the full Senate. The vote was 51-47.
The three Louisiana nominees on the Senate Executive Calendar who are still awaitinganenbloc confirmation vote under the “nuclear option” rules are:
n James S. Baehr,ofNew Orleans, to be general counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs
n David A. LaCerte, of Baton Rouge, to be amember of the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission for the remainder of aterm expiring June 30, 2026
n Kurt L. Wall, of Livingston, to be U.S. attorneyfor the Middle District of Louisiana based in Baton Rouge.
Thomson wasamong the first tranche of 48 nominees confirmed simultaneously under aprocedure known as the“nuclear option” that the Senate’s Republican majority imposed to move along Trump’snominations.
The Democratic minority insisted on strictly following Senate rules, which slowed the process, as away to protest what they called ex-
treme ideological positions taken by some of Trump’s nominees andfor Republican refusaltoallow Democratic input on other issues.
Changing the process,for the first time,allows the Senate toconfirm groups of nomineeswith asimple majority rather than by 60 votes.
Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would use thenew process on differentgroups of nominees as soon as practical tofinish the confirmation process and getthe candidatesonthe job.
ANew Orleansnative, Thomsonattended Tulane University for his undergraduate and law degrees. He was an assistant U.S. attorney for23years and served on special assignment at theNational Security Agency As inspector general, Thomson will oversee audits to detect fraud, waste, abuse andother formsofmisconduct within theCIA.
Thomson told members of theSenateIntelligence Committee that he would notbebullied.Hewas criticized by some senators for ducking the issue by saying he didn’thave enough informationtoopine on whether the CIAwhistleblowerwho prompted thefirst impeachment proceedings against Trump should have gone to Congress with theinformation about the president’s dealings with Ukraine.
The post has been vacant since the end of the Obama administration. Thomson was nominated for the post in 2020 andcleared committee hearings,but neverreceived afloor vote after Trump lost the presidentialelection.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate com.
them. “The good news is anyone can get this vaccine. The badnews is that no one is encouraged toget it even if you’re in ahigh-risk group,”said Dr.Paul Offit, aChildren’sHospital of Philadelphia, avaccine researcher and former government adviser who has sparred withKennedy for years.
Dr.Sean O’Leary of theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics said the panel’sdaylong debate involved clear efforts to sow distrust about vaccines that would have “real-time impacts on American children.”
Buthesaid people could instead follow guidelines from his and other medical groups that still make specific recommendations forthe vaccines.
“It was avery, very strange meeting,” O’Learysaid.
Several states have announced policiestotry to assure that access, worried aboutFriday’sdecision. And agroup representing most health insurers, America’s Health Insurance Plans, saidearlier this week that its members will continue covering the shots through 2026.
The panel’sdecision still must go to the CDC’sinterim director,Jim
O’Neill, for sign-off. Aformer investor,critic of health regulations and Kennedy’sdeputy at HHS, O’Neill recently took the lead at the agencyfollowing the firing of its Senate-confirmed director,Susan Monarez.
COVID-19 remains apublic health threat. CDC data released in June showsthe virus resulted in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and morethan 250,000 hospitalizations last fall and winter.Most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and young children, especially those who were unvaccinated.
TheCOVID-19 vaccines are not perfect, but CDCdata shows they provide the strongest protectionagainst severe infection and death, even if people stillbecome infected. Likewise,people canget COVID-19 repeatedly as thevirus continues to evolve.
Like flu vaccines, COVID-19 shots now are being updated yearly,but only about 44% of seniors and 13% of childrenwereup-todate on the coronavirus vaccinationslast year,the CDCsaid. The meeting wasmore freewheeling and chaotic than in the past. Many committeemembers challengedCDC’s data, and raised questions aboutstudies in mice or
other concerns that the agency’s ownsafety surveillance hadn’t deemed credible.
The panel did recommend that theCDC addmoreinformation about risks and uncertainties to vaccine sheets that are given to patients.
Oneriskthatalready is on the vaccines’ label is arare side effect called myocarditis, akind of heart inflammation, that wasdiscovered in the early days of vaccination in 2021. On Friday,ascientist studying whether people with certain genes are uniquely susceptible to that risktoldthe panelthe Trump administration had canceled his grantbefore theresearch could be finished.
The advisers postponed adecision on whether to end alongstanding CDC recommendation that all newborns be vaccinated at birth against aliver virus, hepatitis B.
The panel had been considering whethertorecommend delaying that initial vaccination —something doctors and parents already can choose to do —but pulled back amidcriticism from independent pediatric and infectious disease specialistswho saythe vaccine is safeand hashelped infant infections drop sharply
ICEmakes 550arrests in Chicagoarea
BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press
PARK RIDGE,Ill. Immigration enforcement officials have arrested almost550 people as part of an operationinthe Chicagoarea that launcheda little less than two weeksago, the DepartmentofHomeland Securitysaid Friday
Theupdated figure came hours after asenior immigration official revealed in an interview withThe Associated Press thatmore than400 people had been arrested in the operation so far
Thefiguresreleased by Homeland Security includearrests by Immigrationand Customs Enforcement as well as other federal agencies assisting in theoperation.
ICE launched its Chicago area operation dubbed “Midway Blitz” on Sept. 8, drawing concern from activists andimmigrant communities who say there’sbeen anoticeable uptick in immigrationenforcement agents. That hasdeepened dread in communities already fearful of the large-scale arrests or aggressive tacticsused in othercities targeted by President Donald Trump‘shardline immigration policies.
Theoperation has brought allegations of excessive forceand heavyhandeddragnets that have ensnaredU.S.citizens, while gratifying Trump supporters whosay he is delivering on apromiseof massdeportations
The Trump administration has promised to send an influx of immigrationagents and National Guard troopstoChicago, over the fierce of objections of local leaders and residents. Amilitary de-
ployment toChicago has yet to materialize.
Officials andactivistsin the Chicago area opposed to the enforcement surge argue theapproach is dangerous and imprecise, pointing to accountsoftwo U.S. citizenswho were briefly detained this week by federal officers focused on immigration enforcement.Advocates also have protested the death of aman shotby an ICE officer on Sept. 12 afterauthorities saidhetried to flee during atrafficstop, dragging theofficer
Marcos Charles, theacting head of ICE’sEnforcement and Removal Operations, said in an interview withthe Associated PressFriday that as of Thursday roughly 50% to 60% of the Chicago opera-
tion arrests weretargeted arrests, meaning they were specific people that ICEwas trying to find because they had committed acrime, had afinal order of removal or had done something that put them on ICE’sradar
The rest were what’soften referred to as “collateral arrests,” meaning people that ICEcomes across during their operations who aren’t the personthey’re looking forbut areinthe country illegally,soICE can arrest them
Collateral arrests were not allowed during the Biden administration but the Trump administration threw out those restrictions almost immediately after coming into office as part of Trump’sefforts to beef up deportations. TheDepartmentofHome-
land Security launched “Midway Blitz” after months of Trump administration criticism of Chicago and Illinois over state and local policies that restrict law enforcement cooperation with ICE. ICE says these policies mean thatimmigrants who’ve committed crimes in theU.S.and canbedeported as aresult are instead released into the community ICE says it then hastogoout intothe community andtrack them down to remove them Many local officials and activistshavesaidthatimmigration enforcementisafederal responsibilityand that if they cooperate with ICE, it makes it less likely that immigrants whoare victimsor witnessestocrime will come forward to work with police.
PresidentofTexas A&Msteps down
He won’tsay if controversialclass recording wasfactor
BY JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
HOUSTON The president of Texas A&M University,roiled by an onlinevideo of aconfrontation between astudent and professor in aclass that discussed gender, said Friday that now is the time to leave, but he did not offer aspecific reason. Mark A. Welsh III and theschool had faced political pressure and criticism, includingfrom the governor,after the video was posted on social media. Colleges and universities aroundthe country have beenweathering controversies
over gender identity,sexual preference and diversity,issues derided as part of a“woke” agenda.
The videowas posted last week by Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison andshowed aconfrontation during achildren’s literature course. The professor was later fired after Harrison called the professor’sactions “DEI andLGBTQ indoctrination.”
Welsh’sresignation, announced Thursday by university system leaders, took effect Friday
“President Welsh’sdecision to resign comes at acritical moment, andweagreewithhim that now is theright timefor change in leadership,” Robert Albritton, chair of theboard of regents, saidina statement.
When Welsh departedthe administration building Friday,he was met by hundreds of cheering
students, faculty and others as he and his wife Betty left thecampus
But Welsh had lost the support of many students andfaculty over firing theprofessor, Melissa McCoul, said Leonard Bright, aprofessorat Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service.
“I think we all wish that he would have recognizedthatcapitulating to these political requests was never going to end wellfor him,” said Bright, interim president of theAmerican Association of UniversityProfessors A&M chapter
The video was taken by astudent heard debating withMcCoul about genderidentity.The student said those discussions in class were illegal because of President DonaldTrump’sexecutive order that recognizes two gendersand that thetopic was against her religious beliefs.
TrumpasksSupreme Courttoallow itspolicyonpassports fortrans people
BY LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press
WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump’sadministration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to let it enforce apassport policy for transgender and nonbinary people that requires male or female sex designations based on birth certificates.
The Justice Department appealed alower-court order allowing people use the gender or “X”identification marker that lines up with their gender identity
It’sthe latest in aseries of emergency appeals from the Trump administration, many of which have resulted in victories amid litigation, including on banning transgenderpeople from the military
The government argues it can’tberequiredtouse sex designations it considersinaccurate on official documents.
The plaintiffs, meanwhile, say the policy violates the rights of transgenderand nonbinary
Americans.
TheState Department changedits passport rulesafter Trump handeddownanexecutive order in January declaring the United States would “recognize twosexes,male and female,”based on what it called “an individual’simmutable biological classification.”
Transgender actress Hunter Schafer,for example, said in February that hernew passport hadbeen issued witha malegender marker, even though shesubmitted the applicationwith the female gender marker she’s usedfor years on herdriver’slicense andpassport.
Ajudge blockedthe Trump administration policy in June after alawsuit from nonbinary and transgender people, some of whom said they were afraid to submitapplications. An appeals court left the judge’sorder in place
The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to put the order on hold while the lawsuit playsout.
“The Constitution does not prohibit the government from defining sex in terms of an individual’sbiological classification,” SolicitorGeneral D. John Sauer wrote.
He pointed to the high court’srecentruling upholding aban on transition-related health care for transgender minors. The courts conservative majority found that law doesn’tdiscriminate on the basis of sex, and Sauer argued that finding also supports the Trump administration’sdecision to change passport rules issued in 2021.
An attorneyfor the plaintiffs, on the other hand,saidthe passport rules are discriminatory
“This administration has taken escalating steps to limit transgender people’s health care, speech and other rights under theConstitution, and we are committed to defending those rights,” said Jon Davidson, seniorcounselfor the LGBTQ &HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
DOJseeks at least30years forassassination plot
BY RYAN TARINELLI CQ-Roll Call (TNS)
WASHINGTON— Federal prosecutors on Friday said aman who pleaded guilty in aplot to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh should receive aprison sentence of 30 years to life.
Nicholas Roske, who was arrested after authorities saidthey found himnear Kavanaugh’sMaryland residence in June 2022, has pleadedguilty to attempting to assassinatea justiceof the United States. Roske, according to an af-
fidavit, told adetective he was upset about the school shooting in Uvalde,Texas, and the leak of adraft Supreme CourtdecisionoverturningRoe v. Wade Federal prosecutors, in a filing Friday in theU.S. District Court for theDistrict of Maryland, said the court’s sentence must be significant “to send the message that the consequences for these acts—nofewer than 30 years to lifein prison— are not worth the perceived ideological ends.”
Thesentence,according to theprosecutors, must
send astrongmessage that condemns Roske’s actions and deters others from turning to violence and threatsbased on disagreementwith rulings from thejudiciary.
“The defendant’scrime wasconsidered,planned, targeted, and callously indifferenttoothers’ lives and the impact on their families,”according to the filing.
Accordingtoauthorities, Roske said he flew from Los Angeles to theWashington, D.C. area in June 2022 with theintent tokill Kavanaugh and then himself.
Trumpimposes $100K
BY BARBARA ORTUTAY and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday signed aproclamation that will require anew annual $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, among other changes to the program for highly skilled foreign workers that has come under scrutiny by the administration. H-1B visas aremeant to bringthe bestand brightestforeignersfor high-skilled jobsthat tech companies find difficult to fill with qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The program insteadhas turned into apipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to workfor as little as $60,000 annually.That is far less than $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to U.S. technology workers.
TrumponFriday insisted that the tech industry would not oppose the move. “I thinkthey’re going to be very happy,” he said. Representatives forthe biggest tech companies,including Amazon,Apple Google and Meta, didnot respond to messagesfor comment on Friday.Microsoft declined to comment.
Trump also announced he will start selling a“gold card” visa with apotential pathwaytoU.S. citizenship. The “Trump Gold Card” will be available for aprocessing fee anda $1 million contribution after vetting. For companies, it will cost $2 million. The “Trump Platinum Card,” meanwhile, will be available fora $5 millioncontribution and will allow foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being subject to U.S. taxesonnon-U.S. income. Trump announced a$5milliongoldcard in February to replace an existing investorvisa —this is nowthe platinum card. The H-1B program was created in 1990 forpeople withabachelor’sdegree or higher in fields where jobs are deemed hard to fill, especially science, technology,engineering and math Criticssay they allowcompanies to pay lower wages with fewerlabor protections. Critics say H-1B spots often go to entry-level jobs, rather than senior positions with unique skill requirements. And while the program isn’tsupposed to undercut U.S. wages or displace U.S. workers, critics say companies can pay less by classifying jobs at the lowest skill levels.
Seattle Times (TNS)
SEATTLE The four soldiers aboard aBlack Hawk helicopter that went down near Summit Lake on Wednesday night likely died in the
crash,the Army said Friday Recovery effortscontinued Fridayfor thefourservicemembers,who wereassigned to the160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, aunit known as the
“Night Stalkers.”
The Army has not yet identified who was the MH60 BlackHawkthatwent down about 40 milesfrom JointBaseLewis-McChord around 9p.m. Wednesday
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO BY JAYJANNER
TexasA&M University President Mark A. WelshIII, accompanied by his wife, Betty,exits the administration building in CollegeStation, Texas after resigning Friday
BR school employees to get stipends
Accelerated pay for educators approved unanimously
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Baton Rouge public school employees will soon get two checks totaling $4,000 for teachers and $2,000 for support workers. And they will have it all to spend before the Thanksgiving holidays.
East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent LaMont Cole announced the accelerated pay cycle on Thursday as the parish School Board unanimously approved the special payouts. Now, state-funded stipend checks are being paid Oct. 28, followed by identical district-funded stipend checks Nov 17 The original plan was to send out the checks a month later, Nov 26 and Dec. 23.
“Teachers want their cash injection, and they want their injection before Black Friday,” said board member Carla Powell-Lewis. Board members, responding to complaints from some employees, asked Cole at a Sept 4 meeting if he could pay this money earlier Cole soon followed up with a survey asking the district’s nearly 6,000 employees for their pay
preferences. A total of 3,852 employees completed the survey, which was kept open until right before Thursday’s board meeting. Cole said the “overwhelming result” was what he ended up recommending: two checks paid a month earlier. The second check date, Nov 17, is a special pay date, created so
LOST IN THOUGHT
Pausing in time, a pedestrian takes a moment to themselves along the walking path that follows University Lake in Baton Rouge on Wednesday
Build Baton Rouge plans transformation efforts
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
that school employees could get paid before they leave for the holidays. The last school day before Thanksgiving break is Nov 21, and Thanksgiving Day is Nov. 27. It is the third year in a row that the state has stopped short of approving permanent pay raises for school employees, opting instead for this one-time payment. In previous years, districts had more time to pay the stipend, but
BR man pleads guilty to fatal shooting
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
Tyrus Dewayne Watson pulled up to the La Playa apartment complex last summer and emerged from his vehicle carrying his 2-year-old daughter, with a pistol in the front pocket of his shorts. Prosecutors said Watson walked up a stairwell and burst into an apartment, where he shot Kedrick Glasper, the 31-year-old boyfriend of his exgirlfriend. Watson carried out the fatal shooting while holding his daughter in his arms, according to court records. On Tuesday morning, Watson stood before a Baton Rouge judge to accept an offer from state prosecutors and pleaded guilty to manslaughter In doing so, the 23-year-old Baton Rouge man avoided the second-degree murder charge he was indicted on and removed the possibility of a mandatory life sentence.
District Judge Gail Horne Ray can send Watson to prison up to 40 years when he returns to court for sentencing on Nov 13.
The shooting happened the morning of Aug. 15, 2024, at the apartment complex in the 6500 block of Hanks Drive, just east of Airline Highway East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies found Glasper dead on a second-floor breezeway of the apartment building with multiple gunshot wounds. A trail of blood led from his body to his nearby apartment. Investigators searched the apartment and found a 9 mm cartridge and a bullet projectile inside, according
Watson shot ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend while carrying child ä See GUILTY, page 2B
BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer
Cole
ä See STIPENDS, page 2B
Lawsuit filed over work zone crane wreck
Incident triggered multiple crashes
BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer
After being injured in an Aug. 16 crash involving a hijacked crane, a 30-year-old man is suing the driver of the crane, the company that owns the equipment and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for damages Matthew Vincent, 37, allegedly stole a crane sitting in a work zone
on Interstate 10 and triggered multiple crashes around 5:30 a.m. Aug. 16. He left the key fob for his own truck in the crane’s operator cab, leading police to him, according to a news release from Louisiana State Police.
Peredio Mentor, 30, was in the process of moving from North Carolina to Houston for a new job when his car was flipped during the hijacking, according to the Shamieh Law Firm. A release from the company states that Mentor suffered life-altering injuries.
On Tuesday, Mentor filed a law-
Baton Rouge police investigating homicide
Baton Rouge police have opened a homicide investigation after a man’s body was found behind a Scenic Highway convenience story Friday
The department got a call shortly after noon Friday about the body found behind the Triangle Market store at the corner of Scenic and Chippewa Street, according to a police spokesperson. No further details were immediately available.
Madisonville woman dies in Livingston Parish crash
A Madisonville woman died Friday morning when her car crossed the center line and went into the path of a tow truck on La. 444 in Livingston Parish, according to Louisiana State Police.
Sarah Stone, 23, was driving east in a 2002 Honda Civic near Acosta Lane shortly before 9 a.m., when, for reasons still being investigated, she failed to make a right curve, crossed the center line and struck a tow truck head-on, according to State Police Stone was properly restrained,
but died at the scene.
The driver of the tow truck, who was also properly restrained, received minor injuries.
Impairment isn’t suspected to be a factor in the crash, according to State Police.
Man caught in
State Police sting
A Denham Springs man was arrested Friday after allegedly engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with someone he believed to be 15 years old.
Patrick McManus, 27, was booked into the Livingston Parish jail on a count each of computer-aided solicitation of a minor and indecent behavior with juveniles after being arrested by the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit.
The unit first began an investigation into McManus related to solicitation of a minor in late August in collaboration with the FBI.
McManus previously had been arrested in 2023 in connection with possession of pornography involving juveniles under the age of 13.
A statement from the unit said the public plays a crucial role in identifying suspects and reporting criminal activity
Cleaning process begins at new River Road plant
Routine work to create loud noises
BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer
A routine cleaning process that is part of the future opening of a $750 million electric plant on River Road in Plaquemine will produce some unusual sights and sounds over the next week, beginning Saturday, but there is no risk to the public, officials said.
website.
The cleaning process for the Iberville Parish site, which will continue through Sept. 27, involves what’s called a “steam blow,” a process that will clean the plant’s new piping system.
Each steam blow is brief, but the process is carried out in short cycles over several days, officials said.
During those cycles, residents can expect:
n Loud, intermittent jet engine-like sounds.
suit against Vincent, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and Johnson Bros. Corp., a Southland Company
Mentor’s legal team is arguing that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and its contractor, Johnson Bros., failed to secure and supervise construction equipment at the I-10 construction site near milepost 9.5, which created dangerous conditions for the traveling public, according to attorney Ramez Shamieh.
Shamieh said Mentor suffered
a traumatic brain injury and has been relocated to live near family in Maryland. “(Mentor’s) entire life just got derailed,” Shamieh said “He hasn’t made any decisions on where he’s going to be long-term, but he made a decision to go back to where his family is to have them help him.”
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development public information officer John Guidroz told The Advocate that the department cannot comment on pending litigation.
The Advocate also reached out to
State auditor to review
Council seeks budget clarity
BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer
The New Orleans City Council is planning to ask the state’s top auditor to examine the city’s finances and provide clarity on the size of its budget deficit after a city budget hearing this week left council members with more questions than answers.
The 2025 budget deficit the difference between the budgeted expenses and revenue and the actual spending and collections that accrue over the year — is more than $100 million, according to council member Joe Giarrusso and the Bureau of Governmental Research. That amount includes a $73 million personnel cost overrun and a $30.5 million reduction in estimated revenue.
Johnson Bros. Corp. but did not receive an immediate response.
“If we allow businesses to do whatever they want and fail to implement proper safety procedures and also implement disciplinary actions against their employees, our society as a whole is going to suffer,” Shamieh said. “It’s not only about our client, Mr Mentor, it’s about the entire country knowing that we have checks and balances to ensure businesses like this and departments like the (DOTD) provide us with a safe workplace, so this doesn’t happen.”
N.O.’s finances
council members Helena Moreno, JP Morell and Giarrusso.
Waguespack said Moreno called him Friday morning to request his assistance and he told her he’s happy to help. He said his office plans to start compiling records next week and could have a report ready as early as the following week.
Moreno, who shared the draft resolution with The TimesPicayune, said she and Giarrusso decided to ask for Waguespack’s assistance after they reviewed numbers provided by the Cantrell administration and realized they “didn’t calculate right.”
“I think it’s a really important step so that we finally end all this confusion and have a full understanding of the problem and can move forward on finding a solution,” Moreno said.
“We need a common set of facts,” Giarrusso said.
a shaky one.
Chief Administrative Officer Joe Threat said he will soon propose a package of revenue and savings measures, some of which will require council action. Those measures could include overtime restrictions, a more expansive hiring freeze and furloughs, though officials say they want to avoid furloughs if at all possible.
But officials with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration, while reporting the cost overrun and certifying the reduced revenue estimate, have not provided a number for the budget deficit, and at a budget committee meeting Wednesday, offered a different measure of the city’s financial health that council members said was a separate issue.
On Thursday, the council is expected to vote on a resolution asking Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack “to determine the existence and extent of any budget deficit” and, if necessary, offer recommendations for digging out of its shortfall, according to draft legislation sponsored by
PLANS
Continued from page 1B
Road Master Plan in 2019 and Scotlandville Community Development Corporation rolled out a plan in 2011 to spruce up commercial development and transportation by 2030. Robert said the North Baton Rouge Strategic Plan will encompass a larger footprint
Cantrell’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday
Hiring freeze, furloughs?
Council members and administration officials have argued since January about the condition of the city’s finances, and the argument continued at some length at Wednesday’s committee meeting. Council members said they’ve received mixed messages, while Finance Director Romy SchofieldSamuel said her warnings had been written off. By the end of the meeting, however, council members and administration officials agreed city finances needed urgent attention and seemed to reach a truce, albeit
food sources and workforce training opportunities will drive the community forward.
Strategic plan partners include the East Baton Rouge Parish government, Southern University, Baton Rouge North Economic Development District and Capital Region Planning Commission.
“When we talk about infrastructure, it’s not just infrastructure in the ground,” Robert said. “It’s infrastructure for a successful community.”
The proposals notably did not include any new fee proposals, which have been publicly contemplated in other recent meetings. They do include new debt: Cantrell’s administration is considering bond sales to dig out of the budget hole.
The budget deficit has emerged as a frequent subject of debate on the campaign trail among candidates, including Moreno, vying to succeed Cantrell in the Oct. 11 primary State Sen. Royce Duplessis, another candidate for mayor said he’d order a “hard audit” of the budget within his first 60 days of taking office. He also criticized Moreno in a social media video Thursday for not attending the budget committee meeting the day before.
“I don’t know why Helena Moreno was not at the meeting, but I think somebody that is running to be a ‘24/7 mayor’ should at least be at a meeting to talk about a budget deficit that we’re facing,” Duplessis said in the video. Asked to respond to Duplessis’ criticism, Moreno said she’s been in frequent contact with Giarrusso “for quite some time” over budget concerns and will continue to work on finding solutions.
“Ultimately it’s about who is doing the work and who is finding solutions,” Moreno said.
STIPENDS
Continued from page 1B
CRIME BLOTTER staff reports this year the Legislature gave them until Dec. 15. Many districts across the state have agreed to pay the latest state stipend in September or October Locally, those ranks include Livingston Parish on Oct. 8; St. James Parish on Sept. 10; Tangipahoa Parish on Oct. 10; and West Baton Rouge Parish on Oct. 17. Several other local districts have yet to finalize their pay dates for this stipend.
“The noise and visible steam are expected and are a normal part of preparing the plant’s equipment for safe operation,” the parish and city governments said in online notices this week.
The Magnolia Power Generating Station, at 26620 River Road, will provide electricity to five rural utility cooperatives in the state, according to the Louisiana Economic Development
GUILTY
Continued from page 1B
to prosecutors. Glasper’s bedroom was also destroyed, deputies noted when they entered the apartment. Deputies detained several people who were in the apartment, and investigators questioned two witnesses who identified Watson as the man seen on video surveillance in the parking lot. The video showed a white sedan backing into a space and a man emerge from the vehicle carrying a small child in his arms with a black pistol protruding from the front pocket of his shorts. The gunman went up a stairwell and came running back down about three minutes later, still carrying the child with the weapon in his waistband. The man got in his car and drove from the scene.
n A large, visible plume of steam. “This is not smoke or a safety hazard,” officials said.
Construction on the plant, owned by New Jersey-based Kindle Energy, began in 2023 and was expected at that time to be completed this year, according to Louisiana Economic Development.
Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate.com.
A witness who lived in the complex told detectives they heard a fight around the time of the shooting followed by the sounds of gunshots fired in the breezeway The neighbor said they went outside to see what was going on and saw a man that matched Watson’s description running down the stairs carrying a child in his arms. The witness saw the man escape in a white sedan.
Detectives determined Watson and his ex-girlfriend the woman the victim was dating at the time — were parents of the child Watson was carrying when he shot and killed Glasper, according to reports.
Glasper’s relatives sat in court Tuesday and watched as Watson pleaded guilty to manslaughter Prosecutors said they are pushing for the judge to issue the maximum 40-year sentence.
Email Matt Bruce at matt bruce@theadvocate.com.
With a 7.6% unemployment rate about 3% higher than the parish and national averages and more than 40% of residents living below the poverty line, Robert said adding affordable housing, healthy
SAFETY
Continued from page 1B
warranted,” according to a news release.
“By working side-by-side with our federal and state partners to perform this vital work, we are ensuring that the people of Louisiana receive transparent, science-based information about the safety of our waterways and seafood,” said Courtney J. Burdette, secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality
The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is also involved.
Greg Langley a spokesperson for DEQ, said shrimp, crab and fish species commonly sought for food will be tested. Alligators, turtles and snakes won’t be tested.
Testing in Lake Pontchartrain will focus near the mouth of the Tangipahoa, which empties into the lake
The fire at the complex off U.S. 51 on Aug. 22 sent up a large black plume that rained soot up to 15 miles away, forced a 1-mile evacuation for a few days and spilled millions of gallons of chemicals.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contractors and staff have put in place more than 4.4 miles of protective boom to try to halt the oily runoff and collect it along
Robert said Build Baton Rouge is in the midst of planning their organization’s strategic plan which is set to launch at the beginning of next year
nearly 50 miles of the river They had recovered nearly 3.5 million gallons of oily material through midday Friday, EPA officials said. Government officials haven’t said yet what chemicals burned or spilled at Smitty’s, but state reports say the complex could have been storing up to 8.7 million gallons of liquids, including motor oil, lubricants and hydraulic fluid. EPA officials said Smitty’s inventory showed naphthalene, xylene, ethylene glycol and phosphoric acid at the time of the fire.
Some people living along the lower river said they saw dark oily waste running down the Tangipahoa in the first days after the fire. State officials have said they received only one report of an animal killed by the contamination — an oiled turtle.
Some residents and environmental groups have complained about the scope of air and water testing done since the fire — for instance, not testing for heavy metals in the air — though EPA officials say they are following standard protocols. For the seafood testing, contractors will look for heavy metals, such as arsenic, chromium, lead and barium, along with petroleumrelated hydrocarbons Heavy metals can become more concentrated thus more of a risk — as they “bioaccumulate” in
animals such as fish that feed on other contaminated organisms in the food chain.
“The sampling will be conducted in multiple rounds to evaluate potential bioaccumulation of contaminants over time,” DEQ officials said.
To ensure accurate results, “control samples” of the same species will be taken from Bayou Lacombe for comparison. That river wasn’t affected by the Smitty’s spill, according to the DEQ.
Results from the first round of testing are expected in two weeks. All results will be made public when available, DEQ officials said. Jerry Lang, DEQ assistant secretary for the Office of Environmental Compliance, said the seafood sampling was the product of “long days and nights of coordination and fieldwork.”
“Responding quickly and comprehensively to environmental incidents is what our teams are trained to do,” Lang said.
Waguespack
Freeman,Freddie St.Paulthe Apostle Catholic Church 3912 GusYoungAvenue,at10a.m
Gaudin, Frances
SaintThomas More Catholic Church 11441 Goodwood Boulevard, at 11 a.m.
Harbin,Fannie Shekinah GloryChristianFellowship Church at 11 a.m.
Harp,Bennel
AscensionofOur Lord Catholic Church, 716 Mississippi Street in Donaldsonville,at11a.m
Hawkins, Hattie
NewRisingBaptist Church,16444 HighlandRoad, at 10 a.m.
Jenkins,Pennie Ministry of NewLife, 951 Eddie Robinson Drive, at 10 a.m.
Johnson,Anita Second BaptistChurch,24830 RailroadAvenue in Plaquemine, at 11 a.m.
McPherson,Audrey
MorningStarBaptistChurch,101 BruleRoadinThibodaux, at 11 a.m.
Pearl, Maurice Star Hill BaptistChurch,1400 N. Foster Drive, at 10 a.m.
Pierson, Wilma
OursoFuneralHome, 13533 Airline Highway in Gonzales,at11a.m
Powers,Brenda
TheGreater PilgrimRestBaptist Church, 23030 Talbot Drivein Plaquemine, at noon.
Raby,Minnie
TheChristian Assembly,42158 Highway 941inGonzales, at 11 a.m.
Aloving husband, father, son, and brother, Jerry Richard Daffin Jr., 67,of Baton Rouge, LA, passed away peacefully, with family present, at Our Ladyof the Lake Hospital on August 30, 2025. He was born on April 18, 1958, in New Orleans, LA. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Kathleen Cook Daffin of Baton Rouge, LA; his son, Jacob Cook; his mother, Eleanor Soniat Hutzler; his father, Jerry Richard Daffin Sr. (Gretchen); brothers Terry (Mary), Joel (Kim), and Tim (Melinda); and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial Service will be held on Sept. 27, 2025 at Seale Funeral Home (11am -12pm) with pre-service gathering (9am -11am).
Fazende, BettieJoe Perry Bettie JoePerry Fazende,91years
a dearlyloved,lifelongresi‐dentofClinton, LA went hometoher Lord andSav‐ior,Jesus Christ on Thurs‐day,September 18, 2025 Funeralserviceswillbe heldatBluff CreekBaptist Church, Clinton, LA,on Monday, September 22, 2025. Visitation is 9:00 to 11:00 with funeralservice tofollow. Arrangements being handledbyCharlet FuneralHome, Zachary. www.CharletFuneralHome. com
Ronald Bryant Hernandez,January 8, 1978September 4, 2025.
Ourdearly belovedson Bryant passed peacefully September 4. He wasa member of Chapel on the Campus sincea young age. He acceptedJesus Christ as hisLordand Saviorduringa mission trip.Bryantis now with hisHeavenlyFather,family andfriends whohave gonebeforehim Bryant enjoyed boating, fishingand gardening, especially garden beds of flowers.
Bryant is predeceased by hispaternalgrandparentsPearlFletcher Faser andChris Faser,and Ray J. Hernandez.Alsopredeceased by hismaternal grandparentsJoyce N. Speckand FrancisP Naquin, Sr.and Lena Naquin.
Bryantissurvived by his parentsNancy N. and Ronald P. Hernandez; daughterCamrynand husbandChristian Buvens; brother Blake and wife Anna and newbornson Donavan BryantHernandez; numerous aunts, unclesand friends
Prayers forBryant's family andfriends will be greatly appreciated
Thefamily respectfully suggestdonations maybe made to achurch or cause of choice
AcelebrationofBryant'slifewill be held at alater date
Kiper, Lisa Shirley Lisa ShirleyKiper passedawayonMonday, Sept. 15,2025, at herhome inZachary,surrounded by her family.She was67 years old. Visitation will be atFirst BaptistChurch in Zachary on Friday,Sept. 19, 2025, from 9amuntil ser‐viceat11amconducted by Dr. EddieWren. Burial will beat2pm at LouisianaNa‐tionalCemetery, Zachary. She is survived by herde‐voted husband of 45 years, Malcolm Kiper. Her mother, BobbieGrace Coo‐ley Shirleyand hersister, LynnetteShirley Allemond and husband,Chris.She is precededindeath by her father, WilliamEarlShirley Jr. PallbearerswillbeChris Allemond, AltonTeekle, Bob Knight,GlenAllemond GerardChristand Kenneth Butler. Honorary pallbear‐ers will be Daniel Alle‐mond, Gary Metcalfand MurphyClark.Lisawas a 1975 graduate of South BeauregardHighSchool.In lieuof flowers, donations may be made to FirstBap‐tistChurch ZacharyBuild‐ing Fund,4200 Main Street Zachary,LA70791. Share sympathies, condolences, and memories at www.Cha rletFuneralHome.com.
ManshipJr.,Douglas
Lewis'Doug'
Douglas“Doug”Lewis Manship,Jr.,a beloved husband,father, grandfa‐ther, brother, andfriend, passedpeacefullyon Wednesday,September 17, 2025, surrounded by family after alongand coura‐geous journey. Born into the fourth generation of Baton Rouge’s firstfamily ofmedia,Doughelped steward thelegacyofCapi‐tal City Pressand Manship Media,the familyenter‐prise that shaped local journalismthrough TheAd‐vocate, WBRZ-TV, and WJBORadio.Manship earneda degree in radio/televisionspeech fromthe University of SouthwesternLouisiana now knownasthe Univer‐sityofLouisiana at Lafayette.Heservedased‐itorofthe school newspa‐per,The Vermilion, during his senior year.Duringhis career at TheAdvocate, Douggainedexperience acrossthe breadth of the newspaper’s operations Heworkedinadvertising, the pressroom,and as di‐rectorofpromotionsbe‐forebecomingthe paper’s firstfull-time Washington D.C., correspondent. He later served as news fea‐tures editor,spent more thana decade as an editor‐ial writer,and became the firstdirectorofonlineop‐erationsinthe late 1990s In 1999, he wasnamed publisher of TheAdvocate, a role he held until hisre‐tirementin2007. Underhis leadership, thepaper mod‐ernized itsproduction, re‐placing itsold presseswith a computerized center on BluebonnetBoulevard that later movedtoits current homeonRiegerRoad. Doug’ssteadyhandand forward-lookingapproach helpedensurethatthe familynewspaper kept pacewithtechnological changewhile remaining truetoits journalistic mis‐sion. Alongsidehis broth‐ers Richardand Davidand his sister Dina,Dougcar‐riedforward atradition of civic responsibility and community servicerooted inthe vision of hisgrandfa‐therand father.Heand his siblingsextendedthis legacythrough atransfor‐mationalgifttothe LSU Manship School of Mass Communication,establish‐
ingthe DouglasManship, Sr.–DoriJ.Maynard Chairin Race, Media, andCultural Literacy, andthrough manyother philanthropic endeavors.Dougissur‐vived by hislovingwife, Di‐anne Manship; hischer‐ished daughter,Julia Man‐shipGay,her husband Cameron,and theirson Logan; hisstepson,Kirk Fisher, andwifeMichelle and theirchildrenClaire FisherHebertand husband Christian,SydneyFisher, and GrantFisher. He is also survivedbyhis brothers David Manshipand Richard Manship andwifeClaire, and hissisterDinaMan‐shipPlanche andhusband Patrick.Inaddition,heis survivedbyhis sister-inlaw MargoDelaune and husband Owen;his grand‐childrenJeremyBeasley and wife Samantha,Lauren Masserekand husband Collin; andbyhis nieces and nephewsJakeMan‐ship, LeighEllen Planche, DennisPlanche,Hunter Manship,and Paul Kadair Hewas preceded in death byhis parents, DouglasL Manship,Sr.,and Jane FrenchManship.The fam‐ily offers specialthanksto his extraordinarycare‐giversLizzy Pooleand Rosie Whitefor theirre‐markablecareand sup‐port. Beyond hispubliclife, Dougwillberemembered mostasa quiet, thought‐ful,and generous man. An avidreaderand lifelong lover of music, he found joy in thesongs of Willie Nelsonand JimmyBuffett In hisyounger years, he ex‐ploredthe depthsofthe ocean as amasterscuba diver,drawn to discovery and adventure, andpaired his journeys with apassion for photography.Doug’s greatestdevotionwas to his family. Hiswife, Dianne, was hisunwaveringcom‐panionand caregiver, em‐bodying alovethatonly deepened as hishealthde‐clined. Doug’s selflessness, generosity, andgentle spirittouched allwho knewhim.Hegavefully of himself to hisfamily, friends,and community His legacy will endure not onlyinBaton Rouge’scivic and cultural life butalsoin the hearts of allwho were fortunate to love him. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend theVisita‐tionfrom11:00 a.m. until 2:00p.m.onSaturday, Sep‐tember20, 2025, at Resthaven FuneralHome, 11817 JeffersonHighway in Baton Rouge. Privateser‐vices will be held forthe family. In lieu of flowers, the familykindlyrequests thatmemorialcontribu‐tions be made to theLSU Manship School of Mass Communication,LSU Foun‐dationfor ManshipExcel‐lence Fund,3796 Nicholson Drive,Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, in honor of Doug’s life andlegacy.
Family andfriends may signthe online guestbook orleave apersonalnoteto the familyatwww.resthav enbatonrouge.com.
Reilly, Robert Ward
Born January18, 1954 in Chicago,Illinois, and moved to Baton Rouge in 1963. Abeloved husband, father, brother, anduncle he passedaway Saturday, September 13, 2025. He leaves behind his loving wife Melissa, 2sons, Jeff anddaughter-in-law Jade, Markand daughter-in-law Sara, and1 daughterAnne, husband, Floriann,and grandchildrenEliah andAlba. Post retirement Ward became heavily involvedin theanti-war effortwith various groups,especially Vietnam Veterans Against the War.Heenjoyedplayingthe guitar andrecordingmusic with hisfriends. Most importanttoWard wasspendingtimewith his family. Hisloving andgenerousnatureendeared him to everyonethatknewhim. He will be sadlymissedby hisfamilyand friends. A celebrationofWard'slife will be held at atimeTBD at hishomeinBaton Rouge,and aheadstone will be placed in thePort Hudson NationalCemetery in Zachary, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Veterans for Peace.
Idon't like measuring the passage of time. In fact, I resent it. But today, Ican't ignore it. Because it's September 20, 2025 and that marks exactly five years without you.
Roberts,
Gary
Well-knownamongjazz musiciansinBaton Rouge Gary performedliveona variety of instruments: notably drums, vibes, and flute.Whetherfor afestival,local brunch,corporateeventorwedding reception, Gary always laid down an appropriate groove with astylistic touch gainedfromextensivelistening and playing experience.WhileattendingLSU and earninga Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Gary played drums with theCopas Brothers before movingtoBoston duringthe 1980s to study jazzatthe Berklee College of Music.Hereturnedto Baton Rouge to play with a variety of groups,includingthe Will JamesBand, theExpanded Trio, Betsy Braudand theJazz Nurse Prescription,the BillKimbrellTrio, the JazzSouls, and In Harmony Jazz. A voracious reader and avid movie/concertgoer,Gary enjoyed long walks and travelled extensively through Europe andthe US In addition to his manytalents andeasygoing manner, Gary is remembered as atruefriendindeed.A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, October1st, 5-8pm at the MidCity Ballroom in Baton Rouge Gary was preceded in death by hisparents, Murphyand Jean Roberts. He is survived by his brother, Dr.Russell Robertsand DebraRoberts (wife),and theirthree daughters: KellyStarkey, KatyPolk, andClaire Eddy (nieces); Kay Couch, Cary Couch, andKennethCouch (cousins); Wayneand Jane Herrington (uncle and aunt) andtheir children: ReneeSmith, StevenHerrington, andTim Herrington (cousins).
Iremember it like it was yesterday, the day our beautiful mother Ramona "Mackie" lost her bout with Dementia. It rocked our family to its core as she was our mother, our father, the caregiver of our family! She loved us uniquely and completely unconditionally.
This year, the reflections of our childhood did not bring tears, but smiles and pure joy. It still hurts every single day, but it has become more manageable with time. The way we have decided to preserve her memory is by telling her stories and jokes to our kids. She was the sweetest, kindest, funniest, and wittiest person we ever knew. We are very lucky to have those memories etched in our minds and inscribed in our hearts. The measure of agood life, we've learned through yours, is that it holds value even when it's over. Five years.... and we still think about you every day. Your strength. Your poise. Your graciousness. Your love for God and your family. As we cherish life the way you taught us, we also realize your legacy will never be gone. It will live and flourish in our stories.
Moma, your death has taught us as much as your time on earth did. About life. About family. About ourselves. About you. Everything we thought we knew to be true has been questioned or disproved by the mere fact of your passing. Maybe that seems dra-
matic, but it's true. We've been forced to look under the hood and figure out how this whole thing —this whole life without you works.
Moma, our heart aches with your absence, but it is also filled with love, strength, wisdom, and endless gratitude you always gave to Brooke and I. We feel your guiding light everyday, and we see your kindness in our own actions. You taught us well! You are, and always will be,
BUSINESS
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Wall Street coasts to latest record-setting week
NEW YORK Wall Street tacked on some more gains Friday as it glided to the finish of its latest record-setting week.
The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to close out its sixth winning week in the last seven. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 172 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%.
FedEx helped lift the market after delivering stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It rose 2.3%, thanks in part to strength for its domestic package business. Newmont rallied 4.3% after the gold miner sold its investment in Canada’s Orla Mining for $439 million.
American Airlines hit with $9.6M judgment
A federal California jury ruled that Fort Worth-based American Airlines should pay $9.6 million for neglecting a passenger who suffered a stroke onboard a flight from Miami to Madrid, failing to report his midflight symptoms.
The San Jose-based jury found that when Watsonville, California, resident Jesus Plasencia suffered a stroke after takeoff on Flight 68 in March 2021, flight crew did not follow American’s policies and procedures, according to a statement from his attorneys.
Plasencia, a chef, suffered a short transient ischemic attack, sometimes referred to as a mini stroke, while at the gate in Miami, according to evidence presented at the six-day trial, the statement said. Plasencia was unaware that the attack had happened. However, Plasencia’s wife alerted a flight attendant that her husband temporarily lost motor control and began speaking “gibberish,” according to the statement.
Instead of reporting the incident to medical personnel, an American Airlines pilot cleared Plasencia for takeoff, in contradiction with the carrier’s policies, the statement said. After Plasencia began displaying stroke symptoms after takeoff, the flight crew asked other passengers to watch him but did not inform the pilot about the incident, according to the statement.
N.C. judge orders $50M for helicopter crash death
CHARLOTTE,N.C.— A North Carolina judge has ordered $50 million be paid to the family of a Charlotte TV station meteorologist who was killed in a helicopter crash three years ago after finding the companies that owned and operated the aircraft liable in his widow’s wrongful death lawsuit.
Following an evidentiary hearing earlier in the week, state Superior Court Judge Forrest Bridges issued a judgment order Thursday directing insurers for the Total Traffic & Weather Network, iHeartCommunications and iHeartMedia to make the payment within the next two months.
WBTV meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag died in November 2022 after the Robinson R44 helicopter crashed along a Charlotte-area interstate.
The flight’s purpose was to provide Myers video training over a simulated news scene, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Jillian Myers initially sued the companies and a maintenance facility in March 2023 for the death of her 41-year-old husband, with whom they had four children. The maintenance facility was later removed as a defendant. A National Transportation Safety Board report last year determined the probable cause of the crash was inadequate inspections, resulting in an eventual loosening of hardware and subsequent loss of helicopter control. A postcrash examination of the flight controls showed hardware that should have been connected to a part on the main rotor was disconnected and the connecting hardware was missing, the final NTSB report says.
BY CURT ANDERSON Associated Press
ST PETERSBURG, Fla.
— A Florida
federal judge on Friday tossed out a $15 billion defamation lawsuit
filed by President Donald Trump against The New York Times.
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ruled that Trump’s 85-page lawsuit was overly long and full of tedious and burdensome” language that had no bearing on the legal case. The judge gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint that should not exceed 40 pages.
“A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally,” Merryday wrote in a
four-page order “This action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner.”
Trump’s legal team plans to continue the lawsuit “in accordance with the judge’s direction on logistics,” spokesman Aaron Harison said
The lawsuit named four Times journalists and cited a book and three articles published within a two-month period before the last election.
The Times had said it was meritless and an attempt to discourage independent reporting. “We welcome the judge’s quick ruling, which recognized that the complaint was a political document
rather than a serious legal filing,” spokesman Charlie Stadtlander said Friday Merryday noted that the lawsuit did not get to the first defamation count until page 80. The lawsuit delves into Trump’s work on “The Apprentice” TV show and an “extensive list” of Trump’s other media appearances. “As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective not a protected platform to rage against an adversary,” wrote Merryday, an appointment of former President George H.W Bush. “Although lawyers receive a modicum of expressive latitude in pleading the claim of a client, the complaint in this ac-
tion extends far beyond the outer bound of that latitude.”
The lawsuit named a book and an article written by Times reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig that focuses on Trump’s finances and his pre-presidency role in “The Apprentice.” Trump said in the lawsuit that they “maliciously peddled the fact-free narrative” that television producer Mark Burnett turned Trump into a celebrity — “even though at and prior to the time of publications defendants knew that President Trump was already a mega-celebrity and an enormous success in business.”
The lawsuit also attacked claims the reporters made about Trump’s early business dealings and his father, Fred.
Trump says he will go to China in '26
Trump, Xi speak on wider trade issues
BY DIDI TANG and JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON
U.S. President Donald Trump
said he would meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit taking place at the end of October in South Korea and will visit China in the “early part of next year,” following a phone call between the two on Friday
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Xi would come to the United States “at an appropriate time” and that they had made progress on “the approval of the TikTok Deal” to allow the popular social media app to keep operating in the U.S., though he didn’t give details.
A statement from the Chinese government did not mention the visits, nor did it offer clarity on what Xi had agreed to regarding a sale of a controlling stake by TikTok’s Chinese parent company to avoid a U.S. ban.
But Xi told Trump to avoid imposing trade restrictions to keep trade ties from getting worse, according to the statement.
“The call was a very good one, we will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!” Trump wrote, referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group of 21 economies on the Pacific Rim.
Efforts to finalize the TikTok deal
ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company, expressed interest in ongoing negotiations to ensure the app’s services continue for U.S users, without providing much insight into how the ownership question would be resolved.
The Trump administration said earlier this week that a framework deal for the app’s ownership was reached with Chinese officials during trade talks in Madrid.
Trump, who has credited the app with helping him win another term, several times has extended a deadline for it to be spun off from ByteDance. It is a requirement under a law passed last year seeking to address data privacy and national security concerns.
U.S officials have been concerned about ByteDance’s roots and ownership, pointing to laws in China that require Chinese companies to hand over data requested by the government. Another concern is the proprietary algorithm that populates what users see on TikTok.
Chinese officials said Monday that a consensus was reached on authorization of the “use of intellectual property rights,” including the algorithm, and that the two sides agreed on entrusting a partner with handling U.S. user data and content security Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank, said there does not appear to be a done deal over TikTok.
“Beijing frames market-based talks under Chinese law, keeping a de facto veto, while Trump casts himself as the final approver,” he said.
Trump and Xi speak on wider trade issues
Top U.S. and Chinese officials have held four rounds of trade talks between May and September, with another likely in the coming weeks. Both sides have paused high tariffs and pulled back from harsh export controls.
They are yet to reach any deal however on tech export restrictions, Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products or fentanyl.
The Trump administration has imposed additional 20% tariffs on Chinese goods linked to allegations that Beijing has failed to stem the flow to the U.S. of the chemicals used to make opioids.
China responded by levying additional 10% to 15% tariffs on U.S. farm goods.
Trump’s second-term trade war with Beijing has cost U.S. farmers one of their top markets. From January through July, American farm exports to China fell 53% compared with the same period last year
The damage was even greater in some commodities: U.S. sorghum sales to China, for instance, were down 97%.
Race to make smart glasses relevant heats up again with new tech
BY QUEENIE WONG Los Angeles Times (TNS)
More than a decade ago, pricey smart glasses that allowed people to snap photos, text and browse the web generated a lot of buzz but also resistance People who wore Google Glass in 2014 faced backlash over fears that the smart glasses, priced at $1,500, would secretly record people or make human interactions socially awkward. Two years later, the company behind the disappearing messaging app Snapchat tried selling sunglasses equipped with a camera in vending machines, but the wearable gadget also flopped. Today, major tech companies — including Facebook’s parent company Meta, Google and Snap — are racing once again to entice more people to wear a computer on their face, competing to build what they view as the next big computing platform.
Apple, the maker of the iPhone, and e-commerce giant Amazon are reportedly working on hightech glasses too. And ChatGPT maker OpenAI this year teamed
up with Jony Ive, a former Apple executive known for designing the iPhone, to build new AI devices that will “completely reimagine what it means to use a computer.”
The race to develop wearable technology that could become as ubiquitous as smartphones is intensifying as AI assistants become increasingly integrated into people’s daily lives. The use of smart glasses, however, is still niche and may take several years to become more mainstream, analysts say
“We’re heading in the right direction. It seems like 2025, 2026, even 2027 will be the years of inflection in the growth trajectory for smart glasses,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager at the International Data Corporation who covers wearables. Consumer adoption of smart glasses is growing. In the U.S., roughly 17% of online adults indicate they’ve used smart glasses, up 4% compared to last year a survey Forrester released this year shows.
“While Meta has a head start on AI glasses, competition is champing at the bit,” wrote Mike Proulx, a vice president and research di-
rector at Forrester in a blog post about Meta’s AI-powered glasses. Samsung, HTC and Apple are expected to release smart glasses next year
Snap, the Santa Monica-based tech company behind Snapchat, is also positioning itself as a contender Snap plans to sell more powerful augmented reality glasses in 2026. The company announced this week that it updated the operating system that powers its AR glasses.
Augmented reality technology overlays computer-generated images over the physical world and is used in games like Pokémon Go. It is also used for face filters on apps like Snapchat where people wear digital dog ears or change their hair color Meta, which already sells RayBan smart glasses and virtual reality headsets, showcased its latest smart glasses in Menlo Park, Calif., on Wednesday night.
The lineup: a more advanced pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses starting at $379 with a longer battery life, AI assistant and the ability to capture more vivid videos; Oakley
Meta Vanguard glasses starting at $499 designed for workouts; and Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with a high-tech wristband starting at $799 that makes it possible for people to send text messages and complete other tasks using subtle hand gestures.
“Glasses are the only form factor where you can let an AI see what you see, hear what you hear, talk to you throughout the day,” said Meta’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday night at Meta’s developer conference. “So it is no surprise that AI glasses are taking off.”
During the event, Zuckerberg showcased how donning smart glasses allows him to capture video while walking and running at the same time. He showed how the smart glasses, when paired with a smart wristband, could be used to write and send text by subtly moving one’s fingers. He played music and even tried to take a WhatsApp video call — though that live demo failed.
“We’ll debug that later,” Zuckerberg said on stage after he couldn’t answer the WhatsApp call using the wristband and glasses.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO BY SUSAN WALSH
President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019.
AP FILE PHOTO BY DAMIAN DOVARGANES
The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif. in 2023.
OPINION
Abitter moment of national division
Recent events have not brought the nation together, as many had hoped, buthave torn us further apart. We all know Democratsdon’tlike the Republican Party and Republicans don’tlike the Democratic Party That’sunderstandable. But anew national poll from the Economist/YouGov lays out evidenceofthe deeper, more scorching, temperofour times.
Majorities of voters in eachparty describe the opposing sideas“evil,” “extreme,” “intolerant” and “corrupt.” Mind you, these areAmericans talking about one another, including neighbors, friends and family members.
The poll finds that 88% of voters believe the nationhas become more “politicallydivided” during the past five years. More ominously, nearly nine out of 10 voters believe there is greater politicalviolence now than there was 10 years ago. These numbers paint apicture of Americashaped by internal discord,a conditionthatwill become more hateful, more distrustful— and, heavenforbid, more violent —aslong as commonvalues and shared beliefs fall away.
Based on the poll, 10% of the nation’selectorate which includes 16% of Kamala Harrisvoters and 5% of Donald Trump voters— sayit’s“justified for citizensto resort to violence in ordertoachievepolitical goals.”
At first glance, you maythink this is somewhatgood news, that only one out often Americans thinkviolence can be justified. But consider whatthisnumber really means: The equivalent of 10% ofU.S. adults is 27 millionpeople. That’salot of peoplewho see political violence as an option.
Overall, 65% of voters are concernedabout left-wing extremism (including 90% of Republicans) and 62% are concerned about right-wing extremism(including 88% of Democrats). Among independents, who eschew both party labels, 56%are concerned about extremism on the left and 57% aboutextremismonthe right. Not surprisingly,awhopping 73% majority ofconservatives think most politicalviolenceinthe U.S. is committedbythe left, andahuge 69% of liberalssay most is committed by the right. Independentssplit nearlydownthe middle.Mostmen,Whitesand those 45 and olderperceive the left as the culprit; mostwomen, Blacks and those youngerthan45view theright as the culprit. Hispanics are closely divided.
From awider perspective,72% of votersbelieve thecurrent momentinAmerican politics feels likea “significant turning point.” This is howself-fulfilling prophecies come true.
The recent assassinationofconservativeactivist Charlie Kirk wasboth anationaltragedy and apainfulcatalystfor much of this moment. While millions of Americans across the spectrum mournhis death and pray for his family, the entire electorate is evenly divided on Kirk himself: 39% favorable,39% unfavorable. The partisan differenceisstark: 75%ofRepublicans are favorable toward him and only 5%are unfavorable; in the reverse,just 4%ofDemocratsare favorable toward him and 68% are unfavorable. That’sabout as polarizedasyou canget
While 68% of Republicans believe Kirk’skiller was motivated by left-wing beliefs,only 10% of Democrats agree. Fifty-three percent of Democrats believe other beliefs motivated the killing. As we often see, it’sbecoming harder to get agreement across party lines on thefacts forany issue.
For years, political scientists argued that the nation needed a“responsible” two-party system, which meant parties marked by cohesionwithin their ranks and clearly opposing viewsbetween them. Well, they got it. And it’satleast partlyresponsible forthe slow-motion collapse of American democracy.
When you add together technology,social media, unlimited money and ideologically rigid parties,the result is apolitical system that breeds extremismand corruption. It also pushesindependent thinking out of the process and forces unpleasant Election Day choices.
Today’spartisans and politicians don’tnecessarily want the system to be thisway —the founders gaveus fair warning —but they have walkedbackwardinto the morass. While they pursue honestly-held beliefs, they tend to only blame the otherside,and notthe system itself, for its ills. This means no common ground, only killing fields of political combat. Andthat, more than anything, has led to this moment. Is this what it feels like whenacountry is on the vergeofbreaking apart? Let’s hope not.
RonFaucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writerbasedinLouisiana.
Help keep olderLouisianans on their feet with access to physical
We don’toften think of slips and trips being public health concerns, but falls andfalls-related injuries are some of the most pressing health risks facing olderLouisianans. Theseaccidents often lead to serious injuries, aloss of independenceand substantialhealth care costs —all figures that will keep risingunless lawmakers intervene. My colleaguesatPhysiofitPhysical Therapyand Irecently hadthe opportunity to welcome staff from the office of Sen. Bill Cassidy,where we shared more information aboutthe keyrole physical andoccupational therapists play in reducingfall risks.
Thegood news is that falls are preventable.The badnews? Medicare doesn’t currently cover fallsrisk assessments providedbyphysical andoccupational therapists —falls experts whoare trainedto assess balance, strength andmobility and help individuals developpersonalized plans to avoid falls. That’s
why I’m encouraging Sen. Cassidy to support the bipartisan Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act. This common-sense legislation would allow Medicare beneficiariestoreceive ano-cost falls risk assessment during their annual wellness visit by the very professionalstrained to prevent falls: physical andoccupational therapists. Passing the SAFE Act would help reversethe trends of the costly,deadly andgrowing problem facing adults 65 and older,asfalls are the leading cause of injury for this population.
Older Louisianans deserve access to the preventive care that will keep them on theirfeet and out of the hospital. Iurge Congress to take action to safeguard the health, safety and qualityoflifeofour aging population by improving access to physical therapy.
Ihave traveled extensively throughout theU.S., Europe and Israel. There are only four places in which Iencountered armed military troopsonthe street: New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, Jerusalem and TelAvivin1991 and communist-occupied Prague in 1969.
Now,President Donald Trump’s solution to crime is thedeployment of military troops on U.S. streets, beginning in Washington, D.C. He
In arecent letter,areader implied thatthose who recite the Pledge of Allegianceand yet advocate to house “nonviolent immigrants” at Angola may be hypocritical. The Pledge says, “with liberty and justicefor all,” yet some politicians advocatefor incarceration in Angola The reader seems to believe that such apolicy is cruel, inhumane and even “ungodly.”
threatensthat Chicago is on the list.
From what I’ve read, Adolf Hitler showed his power in Nazi Germany by sending paramilitary forces into German cities as early as 1933.
TheRepublican Party has always stood for less federal government involvementinour lives. Is this really the way to make America great?
MARYSCULLY NewOrleans
Iwonder if the reader believes that those who are convicted of robbery, assault and even murder shouldstill enjoy liberty. If not, then whatabout those who break this country’s laws by entering illegally? Shouldtheyremain at liberty? Would that servejustice? Immigration is greatly to be desired, but only when done lawfully
Our elected representatives here in Louisiana never disappoint in their ability to defy reason or decency Rep. Clay Higgins’ recent call to defund the New Orleans Health Department is anew low in idiocy Why would we listen to pediatricians who have hadabachelor’sdegree, followed by four years of medical school and then athree-year pediatric residency? After which, they must become licensed by passing the appropriate exams. Instead, we should follow the latest social media posts by our Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr alawyer and vaccine skeptic who hasaworm in his brain? Aman who wasconfirmed in his post due to the idiocy of Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is nowhaving buyer’sremorse. Higgins, along with other flat-earth science deniers and “their band of sorcerers,” should stay out of the way of the dedicated health professionals doing their jobs to keep us healthy PATTY SPINALE NewOrleans
Murrillwilling to play gameswiththe lawin opposing Caddovote
Iwonder if Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill would be as concerned about avote by the Caddo Commission to welcomeSen. Bernie Sanders to Shreveport that wastaken by machine instead of by avoice vote (viva voce) if the resolution had been to welcomeAttorney General Pam Bondi or Vice President JD Vance. Is she going to ask ajudge to declare all votes by public entities in the state not taken by avoice vote null and void? Doesn’tshe have more important issues to occupy her time? PAUL MAJOR Livonia
Ron Faucheux
BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer
Afewgames into his first season as atight end, Bauer Sharpcalled hisdad “I’m neverplayingquarterback again,” Sharp’sdad recalled himsaying. “I love this.”
Sharp hadbeen recruited to Southeastern Louisiana as aquarterback, but after spending his freshman year so far down thedepth chart that he remembersbeing fifth string, he changed positions
Four years later,Sharp is thestartingtight end for No. 3LSU.Everyone in his family has gotten tattoos on their wristsoncethey’re old enough thatsay “our story,” and Sharp’sstands out on ateam filled withformer blue-chip recruits. He’s the onlystarter at LSU this season whose career began at an FCS school.
Sharpwas an unranked, zero-star prospect coming out of Dothan (Ala.) High. Hisone scholarship offer came from Southeastern. He has thought alot abouthow far he hascome since then, especially this week. LSUplays Southeastern at 6:45 p.m. Saturday inside Tiger Stadium “That’ll probably be alittle emotional forme,” Sharp said.
SoutheasterngaveSharpachance whenno one else did, and it began his development into a tight end. He hadplayedthe positiononce before hisredshirtfreshmanyear.But he gotgood enough to transfer to Oklahoma, then come to LSU for his final college season,hoping to prove he can playinthe NFL.
“His story was one offer,” saidSharp’smom, Amy.“He’s like,‘With thisone offer,whatam Igoing to do with it?’ And he is doing exactly what the Lord has written out. He puts in the hard work. He’sgoing to showwhat he can do.”
Through three games, Sharp is LSU’sthirdleading receiver withnine receptions for 97 yards,including a65-yard catch-and-run in a winagainst Florida. Lined up as afullback on the final drive against theGators, he helped spring running back Caden Durham for a51yard gain that letLSU drain the rest of the clock.
“You don’twant atight end that can’t hold his own in the run game, and he certainly can do that,” LSUcoach BrianKelly said. “Catches the ball, is accountable, is agreat teammate and at the end of the day,he’sgoing to compete his tail off for youfor fourquarters.”
Looking back, there were signs thatmaybe Sharpalwaysshould have playedtight end. He was aphysical childwho likedtowrestle with hisdad andbox in the front yard with the neighbor. Therewas atimewhenhefelt timid playingfootball,but once thatwentaway, he lovedcontact. He once toldhis momhewanted to playdefense so he could hit people. He never slid as aquarterback
“He played quarterback likehewas alinebacker,” said Sharp’sdad,Jason Sharp didn’tcomefromafootballfamily
His dad had played second baseatAuburn University at Montgomery.Sharp was alsoa talented baseball player,starring as ashortstop andcenter fielder,and he didn’t play football in ninthgrade becausesummerbaseballhad run long. The arm strength he needed to makethose
STAFF PREDICTIONS
WILSON ALEXANDER
LSU 38,SLU 0
Afterholdingits firstthree opponentsto10pointsor fewer, LSUwillrecordits firstshutout of theseason. Southeastern hasscored101 points over itspasttwo games, butitgot shut outinits season opener against LouisianaTech. LSUhas an even better defense, andit’s hungry fora shutoutafter lettingone slip away against LouisianaTech. Andyes,the offensewilllookbetter againstanovermatched opponent
REED DARCEY
LSU 35,SLU 7
Note that Southeastern hasatop-20FCS scoring defensethrough threegames,but don’tforgetthe caveat that it shouldn’tmatter. TheLions areanFCS team.The LSUoffense should roll.Ifitdoesn’t,then GarrettNussmeier mightbefurther away from full health than BrianKelly hasindicated,and theTigers’ offensiveissuesmight be more ingrainedthanwethink they are. Expect four or five touchdowns
throwswas the reason he played quarterback. “I had one speed: just slinging it as hard as I could, just because of baseball,” Sharp said. “I’d runaround, throwitwhere theopenguy was. I wasraw.I wasn’tagood quarterback.” Sharp was home-schooled untileighth grade, when his parents enrolled him at Northside Methodist Academy. He impressed as the starting quarterback, but if he wanted to play college football, he needed to go to ahigherlevel.He transferred to Dothan High, a6Aschool at the time, andplayedmultiple positions during his junior year
Thefollowing spring, former Alabama coach Nick Sabanvisited Dothan High to check on afour-star runningback. He talked to Sharp while he was there. Sharp, whogrew up rooting forAlabamabecause his dad’s side of the family was from Tuscaloosa, felt stunned. “But in the back of my mind,”Sharp said, “I didn’thave confidence that Icould go to Alabama and play football at quarterback.”
Afew weeks later,the COVID-19 pandemic began. Normal recruiting shut downasSharp became Dothan’sstarting quarterback. He was tall andlanky at the time,sohejoineda CrossFitgym. His parents also gothim aspeed coach The pandemic wrecked his recruitment, but in hindsight, it gave him time to develophis body “I was moreathleticcoming outofCOVID than Iwas before,”Sharp said.“That setme up for life, honestly.”
During his senioryear,Dothan went 2-7after moving up to the 7A classification. South Alabama, his mom’salma mater,showedinterest in Sharp, but it never extended acommittable offer after the NCAA gave every player an extra year of eligibility because of COVID.
“That broke his heart,” Sharp’sdad said. At the same time, then-Northwestern State assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Anthony Scelfo was looking for aquarterback in the2020 class. Using asoftwarethatlet him find every high school quarterback within driving distance, he compiled alist of names from around the South and watched their film. Scelfo identified Sharp and aquarterback out of Arkansas. Northwestern State planned to take the first one that joined the class. The other player got the spot, but Scelfo called his dad, Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo, to recommend Sharp. Though then-Southeastern offensive coordinator GregStevens said the team wasalready recruiting him, Sharp credited Anthony Scelfo with getting him an offer.Ifnothing had come, he would have played junior college baseball.
SCOTTRABALAIS
LSU 41,SLU 3
I’mgoing to go outonashort limb here andsay theTigers finallyget theiroffense untracked… to a reasonable degree.Yes,Garrett Nussmeierdoesneedto play in this game despitehis naggingtorso injury.Such is thestate of theLSU offense— no time fortimeoff.The Tigers at long last buildsomeoffensive momentum and haveNussputting hisfeetupshortly afterhalftime.
KOKI RILEY
LSU 49,SLU 7
LSU’soffensive issues havebeendocumentedatlength, andnewsofGarrett Nussmeier’storso injury adds to theconcerns.But Southeastern Louisianaiseasilythe weakestteamonLSU’s schedule.The Lionswereshut outbyLouisiana Tech back in Week 1, andthey’re the only FCSschoolLSU faces. If LSUdoesn’t jump outto abig lead by halftime,the groans will grow louder
STAFFPHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU tight end Bauer Sharp races upfield after making acatchagainst Florida in the fourthquarter of their game on Sept.13atTiger Stadium.
“If he didn’twork out at quarterback,” Stevens said, “he was big enough and athletic enough that we could move him to another position.”
As Sharp redshirted his first season, the coaches noticed his training in the weight room and began to talk about hisposition.Hewasn’t ready to play quarterback anytime soon, and Sharp wanted to do whatever he could to geton the field. They had conversations about turning him into adefensive end/outside linebacker. But listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds at the time with his experience on offense, tight end made the most sense.
It took time for Sharp to learn anew position after he switched during springpractice. He understood the offensive scheme from playing quarterback, which he thought gave him an advantage, but his technique needed alot of work. As raw as he was, he did everything at full speed.
“He had no idea what was going on,” Stevens said. “He was like awildbuck running everywhere.”
As he began to figure things out, Sharp played in every game and started twice as a redshirt freshman. He caught 11 passes for78yards anda touchdownand ran 10 times for 83 yards. He became known for the hits he delivered on kickoffs.
doing? Why are you still in thebuilding?’ ”
This time, manyteams wereinterested. Sharp narrowed them down to Oklahoma, Utah andTennessee. He committed to the Sooners during an in-homevisit with tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley and then-offensive coordinator SethLittrell.
“They weregreat at figuring out what to do with thatintensity,thataggression, howtohelp himkind of point it in the right direction and use it to his benefit,” Sharp’sdad said.
In his first year in the SEC, Sharpled Oklahoma in receptions (42) and yards receiving (324) whilestarting every game. But guttedbyinjuries, theOklahomaoffense was a mess. Littrell got fired in the middle of the season.
They were greatatfiguring outwhat to do with that intensity, that aggression, how to helphim kind ofpointitin the right direction and useitto his benefit.”
JASON SHARP
Bauer’sdad, on Oklahoma football
Ayear later,Sharpimpressed in aseason-opening loss to Mississippi State. He caught only two passes for 20 yards and ran once for 13 yards, butphysically, he looked like he belonged witheveryone else on the field. After the game, someMississippi State players talked to him.
“Bro, our coach saidhewantsyou to playfor us,”Sharp rememberedthem saying.
Sharp began to think about transferring after that.
“I know Icould play somewhere big,” Sharp said. “There was always this feeling like, bro, I’m meant for something so much bigger.”
Over the rest of the 2023 season,Sharp played in every game and made eight starts. He caught29passes for288 yards andthree touchdowns, and he added 133yards and five touchdownsonthe ground as awildcatquarterback. His dad got phone calls before the season ended from teams that wanted him to transfer.
“When he walked in and tolduswhat was happening,” said Anthony Scelfo, whojoined Southeastern’sstaff in 2021, “and theoffers that were coming in, we’re like, ‘What areyou
With uncertainty around the coaching staffand quarterback situation,Sharp beganto thinkabout transferring again for his last year of eligibility
He needed morefilm to reach theNFL, andhis family was concernedOklahoma would not use the tight end position theway he needed it to.He and his parentsthought about it for weeks before he entered thetransfer portal.
“It smelled like arebuilding year coming,” Sharp’sdad said.
“Andwith oneyear left to really show theNFL scouts what he can do, we didn’twant to be part of arebuild.
“Now, Oklahomahas done a great job,and we had no doubt that they would spend whatever it took to get that team back to whereitneedstobe. It’s Oklahoma,soyou knowtheywould getback.But there wasn’ta guarantee, and thereweren’tenough pieces in placeatthe time.”
Sixdays later,Sharp visited LSU. Auburn had called, too. It’s closer to home, andhis sister goesthere.But LSU offered him everything he wanted. He committed before he left campus, making him the first transfer to join theteam in the offseason.
On Saturday, Sharp looks forward to seeing theformer Southeastern coaches and teammates who helped him get this far.Hehas told hisdad he wishedhecouldhave gone to one school and stayed there for four years.
But that’s not his story
“It blows my mind,” Sharp said. “You really can never take it for granted, what God does.
Formore LSU sports updates, sign up for ournewsletterattheadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
St. (1-2) at Uconn (1-2), 2:30 p.m. Howard (2-1) vs.Hampton (1-2), Md., 3p.m. Youngstown St.(2-1)atTowson (2-1),5 p.m.
Lehigh(3-0) at Bucknell(2-1), 5p.m.
Cornell (0-0) at Albany (NY)(0-3), 6p.m.
SOUTH SC State (2-1) at South Florida(2-1), 11 a.m.
Bowling Green (2-1)atLouisville(2-0),11a.m.
Arkansas (2-1) at Memphis(3-0),11a.m. Syracuse (2-1) at Clemson(1-2), 11 a.m.
LSU tight end Bauer Sharpstiff-arms Florida defensivebackJordan Castell in thesecond half of their game on Sept. 13 at TigerStadium.
THENATION
THINGS TO WATCHINWEEK4
Who, what andwhere to keep an eyeoninthisweek’sgames around thenation
GAMECOCKSHEADTOCOLUMBIA
QB ARNOLD RETURNSTOOKLAHOMA
Auburn quarterbackJackson Arnold revisits his old stomping groundsinNormanwhenNo. 22
Auburn (3-0)visitsthe 11th-rankedSooners (3-0) on Saturday.The Tigers offense averages 37 points and415.7 yardsper game.JeremiahCobb hasrushedfor 314yards and four touchdowns andaverages 6.8yards percarry,and Eric Singletonand CamColeman lead thereceiving corps. OU counters with oneofthe nation’s best defenses.The Soonersranksecond nationally in fewest yardspassing allowedper game (84.7),fourthintotal defense(181.0) and fourth in points allowedper game (6.3).
RANKED BIGTEN SQUADS TO BATTLE
1. GEORGIA
Record: 3-0overall, 1-0 SEC
Previous rank: 2
Bret Bielemaand Curt Cignetti havebuilt budding powers in theBig Ten, BielemaatNo. 9Illinoisand Cignetti at No.19Indiana.Bothhave3-0 marks headingintoSaturday. Last year, Cignetti brokethe Hoosiers losing legacy with theschool’s firstCollege Football Playoff appearance.Illinoishas followed asimilar trek up thepolls.The Fighting Illinihavetheir highest rankingsince Dick Butkus finalcollege season in 1964 andheadintothisweekend seeking their firstroadwin as atop-10teamsince 1990 Indiana is lookingfor asignature wintoput itself back in themix foranother playofftrip.
No.23Missouriplays host to SouthCarolina(2-1) on Saturday.The Tigers (3-0)feature arobust ground game ledbyrunning back AhmadHardy, whohas 462yards on 57 carriesand five touchdowns Senior QB Beau Pribulahas 791 passingyards,seven TDsand oneinterceptioninthree games. Mizzou hasthe nation’s fifth-best defensethisseason, allowing 191.3yards pergameand only 100passing yards pergame. QB LaNorris Sellersand theGamecocks look to bounce back from last week’s 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt.Sellers haspassedfor 431yards,two TDsand an interception this season 2 1 3
Forasmuch anticipation as there is for every LSU footballseason,from the action on thefieldto the bandstoMikethe Tiger prowling and growling in his habitat, every campaign has itslow point. Its“Hit the snooze button and wake me when things start cooking again” week.
Typically,Saturday’sWeek 4encounter between No. 3LSU and theSoutheastern Lions in Tiger Stadium (6:45 p.m.,SEC Network) would qualify
But this has not been a typical week.Thishas not been atypical team, thefirst potential powerhouse LSU team of the transfer portal/ NIL era, stuffed as it is with atalented roster compiled for $18.5 million, per coach Brian Kelly
Normally,everyone around here would like to hit the fast-forward buttonona game like this and get to thefinal score, then get on with the preparationsand chatter leading up to an always heated and hated rivalry game with Ole Miss As Grand Moff Tarkin said in “Star Wars” before he and the DeathStar were blown to smithereens,3-0 LSUwill have timeto“deal with your Rebel friends soon enough.” For now,there is pressing business and pressing things to prove against the 2-1 Lions.
There has been alot more drama and intrigue this week for LSU thannormal for your garden variety in-state game. The Tigers have won 38 straight against in-state opposition since fallingin1982toTulane Unless asinkhole opensupbeneathKelly’s heroes coming down VictoryHill beforethe
game, that streak is certain to run to 39 It’simportanthow LSU plays against SLU,not just thatitplays. Afterscoring just 53 offensive pointsintheir first three games —albeit against good to very good defenses from Clemson, Louisiana Tech and Florida —the Tigers absolutely have to get the engine revved up against the Lions LSU’splayersappear to have grasped that concept coming off a20-10 win against Florida in which the Tigers scored only 13 offensive points.
“I feel as if we didn’tplay our best,” starting left tackle Tyree Adamssaid Tuesday. “Everyonecould see that.Wehave to focus now on dominating practice, and that will carry us through thegames.”
Kelly indicated that Adams’ attitude was one that pervaded theteam, declaring Thursdaythat the Tigers had agreat week of preparation. They needed it. No one inside that locker roomwants to see arepeat of the Nicholls Stategame from ayear ago, agame LSU won 44-21 but one that the Tigers only led 23-21 in the third quarter.OrLSU’slackluster 23-7 victory over LouisianaTech two weeks ago. LSU simply has to get going offensively or it risks squandering avery realistic opportunitytowin awide-open Southeastern Conference and get intothe CollegeFootball Playoff.
All this talk circles back to thedebate over whether Garrett Nussmeier should play quarterback for theTigers on Saturday.Kelly revealed Monday that his star slinger has been battlinga“torso injury” (thinksome kind of muscle pull or strain that has limited his throwing ability) since preseason camp. Kelly said Nussmeier will
play,adamant that he feels better than he has in weeks and is “returning to health,” as aformer LSU coach used to say For Kelly,parking theNuss bus this week to vastly increase theodds of having him healthy for the season’snext big showdown at Ole Miss apparentlyhas not entered into the equation.
“Let’s play Garrett, see how it goes and makeadjustments during the game,” Kelly said Thursday,hinting that if the Tigers get far enough ahead of the Lions you could see backup quarterback Michael VanBuren get his first on-field action in this one.
That has to be LSU’shope, not needing to have Nussmeier take aknee in victory formation as he was at the end of the Florida game.
That was Florida. No offense to the folks from Hammond, but this is SLU.LSU has got to show something positive offensively against the Lions, who are arespectable team on the FCS level. If not this week, when? If Nussmeier’sinjury situation has indeed limited the offense as Kelly suggests, we should start to seesomesigns.
Not that scoring 40, 45 or 50 points against SLU with 200 yards rushing and 300 yards passing will prove LSU’s offense is ready to be an upper-echelon unit in the SEC. Butitwould be astart. An important, perhaps confidence-building start. Don’t thinkfor asecond LSU’soffensive players and coaches aren’twondering the same thingsabout themselves that everyone on theoutside is wondering.
So don’tsleep through this LSU non-con contest. There is plenty to watch for, and plentytoevaluateonthe other side.
LSU running back Caden Durham dives forward forextra yards over Louisiana Tech defensivebackJacob Fields on Sept. 6atTiger Stadium. LSU looks to getits offense revved up
Relentless drive
Saintsdefensive endGrandersonoff to anotherfaststart
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
SEATTLE To understand why Saints pass rusher Carl Granderson is tied for the NFL lead in sacks, start with aplaythat wasn’tasack at all.
In the Saints’ seasonopener, Arizona Cardinals running backTreyBenson broke containment down the right side. This, admittedly, was terribledefense from the Saints. But as Benson ran down the 25, the 35 and the 45, Grandersonsuddenly entered the frame. The defensive endsprinted past cornerback Kool-Aid
McKinstry and linebacker Pete Werner to bring down the running back. He limited the damage to 52 yards instead of a touchdown.
Want to knowwhy Carl Granderson leads the NFL in sacks?
Hustle. Effort. Grit.
“He’sgot arelentless motor that’sobvious on the silent tape,” defensive coordinator BrandonStaleysaid.
Granderson’srelentlessness hasresult-
ed in 31/2 sacks to beginthe season,tying him with Cleveland’sMyles Garrett and New England’sHarold Landry at the top of the leaderboard.
Granderson’ssacksare very much a reflection of his effort. Against the Cardinals, he chased Kyler Murray out of bounds behind the line of scrimmageand then took Murray down again forahalfsack after teammate Cam Jordan made the initial hit. Aweek later againstthe San Francisco 49ers, Granderson cleaned up on an initial pressure generated by Bryan Bresee. Then on hissecond sack, Granderson sprintedovertogreet quarterback
Mac Jones after aWerner blitz forced himtostepupinthe pocket
The plays aren’t necessarily the result of near-perfect technique or Granderson overwhelming his manwith pure brute strength.
But they don’thavetobe. Granderson justhas to getthe jobdone. “That’s thekey,justtoplay fast andplay together,”Granderson said.
“A lot of my sackscame from effort and not giving up on the play.Ifitwasn’t for my teammates and the whole D-line
GRANDERSON, page 6C
PittsburghPirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers against the ChicagoCubs on Tuesdayin Pittsburgh. The former LSU star is aheavy favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH Paul Skenes is not thinking about the Cy Young speech he’ll likely be asked to make the week beforeThanksgiving. ThePittsburgh Pirates ace isn’tthinking about the elite company he’skept through hisfirst two bigleague seasons,either The 23-year-old from LSU doesn’tpitch to win awards, but games. And neither Skenes though largely through nofault of his own —nor his team have done
enough of that to avoid another last-place finish in the NL Central. So no matter how much Skenes believeshe’sgrownprofessionally during his first full season in themajors —and he’sanear lock to become the first player in four decades to win the Rookie of the Year one year and theCyYoung the next —he’smore concerned abouthow thePirates respond over thewinter “This is awasted year if we don’t learn what we need to do andwe don’tknowwhy we didn’tgoout thereand do what we wanted to
do,” Skenes said Friday. “Ifthose things happen, thenit’sa wasted year,inmyopinion. Idon’tthink that’shappening. Ithink —individually,asateam and as an organization —weknow theadjustments we need to make. Now we’ve just got to do them.” Aseason that began with the club hoping to return to contention for the first time in adecade quickly disintegrated during anightmarish 12-26 start that led to manager DerekShelton’s firing. While Don
See SKENES, page 7C
BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP pro football writer
EAGAN, Minn. Ja’Marr Chase wasasked this week whether he felt emboldened enough to use Justin Jefferson’ssignature touchdown celebrationshould he score forCincinnati in Minnesota’s stadium, and the Bengals star had no hesitation in stating his desiretotaunt his Vikings counterpart.
“If he doesn’twant me to do it,” Chase said, “then I’mgoing to do it now purposely.” Jefferson introduced theNFL to “The Griddy” as arookiein 2020, the leg-hopping, arm-swinging, eye-circlingdance he does as an ode to his home state of Louisiana. Chase actually picked it up first from achildhood friend and showed it to Jefferson and the rest of the team when they were together at LSU.
Now they’re friendly rivals of sorts, jockeying forunofficial position as theleague’sbest passcatcher.Their teams will meet Sundayfor just the third time, playing in opposite conferences.
Chase Jefferson
The Bengals won the first two games, both at homeinovertime by 27-24 margins.
“Who knows what I’ll do when Iget in the end zone? Maybe I might getafine this week.Who knows?” Chase said.
Overthe four-plus seasons since Chase was drafted by Cincinnati with the fifth overall pick in 2021, Jefferson has the most receiving yards (6,157) in the league with Chase (5,616) three spots behind him.Jefferson has thefifth-mostreceptions(414) and Chase is sixth (411).Last year,Chase won the receiving triplecrownbyleading the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns while joining Jefferson on The Associated Press All-Pro team. Not that sharing such an honor made much of aripple in their relationship.
“I just think we’re immune to
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE
Saints defensiveend CarlGranderson reacts aftermaking astop against the SanFrancisco 49ers on Sunday in theCaesars Superdome. Granderson has 31/2 sacks
PHOTO BY GENE J. PUSCAR
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noon Atlanta at DetroitMLBN
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Saints won’tsweat Grupe’searly misses
BY LUKE JOHNSON and MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers
With only four opportunities to judge his performance intwo games, theNew OrleansSaints aren’tlosing any sleep over kicker BlakeGrupe
Grupe has lined up for fourfield goals and missed two of them both coming from relatively easy range by his standards. In the opener,itwas arushed operation on a38-yard attempt thatresulted in amiss to the left. Last week, he pushed a40-yard attempt to the right after the Saints’ opening drive,a missed opportunityto take an early lead.
He’smade his other two attempts, both coming from inside 40 yards, but the two misses were asurprise after Grupe turned in an extraordinary training camp. Asurprise, but not anything that is causing the Saints anxiety “He hit high on the ball, his toe was up alittle bit, and that’swhy the ball spun to the rightonhim,” special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said. “Wewent and kicked yesterday,hehit the ball great, he hit 100% of his kicks, and he’ll go make thenextbunch in arow for us. Not aconcern.”
Galiano said he approached Grupe right afterthe miss and asked what happened. When Grupe explainedit, Galianosaid he told him, “Do me afavor:Don’t do that again.”
“He’shad amiss two weeks in a row,right? The world’snot coming to an end,” Galiano said. “He had one miss in all of training camp, so it averages out. Ihave full confidence that he’sgoing to go out this game and every time he’sput on the field he’sgoing to go make his kick.”
Breesadmires Rattler
Spencer Rattler hasone very important admirer Making an appearance on WWLAM Thursday evening with Bobby Hebert,New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees said he really likes what he’sseen out of Rattler thisseason.
“Spencerisareallydynamic player,” Brees said. “Stature wise, he’salot like me from the perspective of you’re not the tallestguy, but you’re athletic, you can move. Ilove the way he throwsthe ball
GRANDERSON
Continued from page5C
playing together,itwouldn’thave been able to happen for me
“I’m just going to keep myfoot on the gas and keep going.” Granderson has been here before. Not as the NFL’s sackleader, butthe 28-year-oldhas started strong in each of the last three seasons. Granderson recorded 21/2 sacks after the first two weeks of the 2023 and 2024 campaigns
But Granderson didn’talways keep his foot on the gas. Last year, despite playing all 17 games, he finished with only 51/2 sacks. The year beforethat, Grandersonhad 81/2 —a respectable number,but he cooled off in the middle of the season before heating up again in December Players andcoaches liketosay sacks come in bunches, so perhaps Granderson’sdips are anatural partoffootball. But 59 players surpassed Granderson’ssack total last year
Thirty-two did so in 2023.
How does Granderson make the jump from good to great?
“For him, it’sjust getting more and more confident in his technique,”Staley said, adding the caveat that Granderson also has to stayhealthy.“Getting more and more confident in the scheme. Carl’swired the rightway.” Granderson believes the scheme can go along way toward helping him take that leap.The pass rusher said he likes how fast the unit is playing.
He’s made some plays running thefootball that have been really impressive over the last couple of weeks, getting some key first downs, breaking tackles.
“Justsomegutsyperformances. It hasn’tresulted in wins,but we’vebeen rightthere.”
Rattler earned the Saints starting quarterback jobout of training camp, beating out secondround pick Tyler Shough
He is one of eight quarterbacks who have starteda game for the Saints since Brees retired after the 2020 season Afifth-round pick in last year’s draft,Rattler isstill looking to lead theSaints to his first win as astarting quarterback. New Orleanswent0-6 with him as a starter last season, albeit with an extremely depletedroster, andis off to an 0-2 start this season.
Brees stressed to be patient with the young quarterback, emphasizingthe competitiveness theSaints have shown to start the season New Orleanshas hadchances to tie or take the lead in theclosing minutes of each of their two losses.
“They’re right there, Imean lit-
erally right on the cusp,” Brees said. “They just have to find away to break theseal,get that first win, start developing someconfidence and momentum.”
Rattleriscompleting 65% of his passes withthree touchdowns against zero interceptions this season. As arunner,he’sadded 43 yards on eight carries.
“WhenIwatch Spencer play, he’sgot all the traits,” Brees said.
“He’sgot some moxie, he plays with some swagger,kind of achip on his shoulder. The guys seem to like him and play hardaround him. He can make all the throws, he canmakeplays with hislegs, he’snot afraid to take off and run and lower his head to go getthe first down.
“For all those reasons, Ithink we have to be patient withhim and recognizethat,man,it’sgoing to happen, and hopefully it happens soon.”
Game-timedecisions
The NewOrleansSaintswill have severalplayers whowill be game-time decisions for Sunday’sgame against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Saints listed four players Fridayasquestionable:tackle Taliese Fuaga (knee/back), guard Trevor Penning (toe), and wide receivers Trey Palmer (hamstring) and Devaughn Vele (hip).
The team also ruled out defensiveend Chase Young (calf) and guard DillonRadunz (toe),the latter of whom did not make the road trip. Fuaga had yet to practice this week, butcoach KellenMoore left it open-ended about whether he would play.Penning is seeking to make hisseason debutafter missing the last five weekswith turf toe. If Fuaga can’tgo, then AsimRichards is expected to start at right tackle. The Saints acquired the offensive lineman on cut-down day in atrade with the Dallas Cowboys.IfPenningissidelined, the Saints likely will start Torricelli Simpkins,who madethe roster as an undrafted free agent after displaying theflexibility to play center and guard Young will miss histhird straight game.
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
In Staley’sdefense, Granderson has generated aquarterback pressure rate of 14.3%, which wouldbe acareer high. To playfast,Granderson also slimmed down. Afterplaying between 280-285 pounds last year,he lost 10-15 pounds. He worked with anutritionist— “shoutout to chef Ash,” he said —who helped him cut down on carbs and emphasized lean meats andveggies. Grandersonhas helped the Saints rank second in sacks this season, but New Orleans also wantsmorepressure on opposing quarterbacks. According to Next GenStats, the Saintshavethe fifth-fewestpressures(19) andthe third-lowest pressure rate (23.5%). Thelack of disruptionhas contributed to NewOrleans’ ineffectiveness on third down, with the Saints allowing a50% conversion rate. But the Saints are optimistic that those numbers willimprove. “He’sgot really goodburst,” coach Kellen Moore said, “but I thinkhis effort andfinishare really special.” Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
CommandersQBDaniels
will miss game vs.Raiders WashingtonCommanders quarterback JaydenDaniels will sitout Sunday’sgame against the Las Vegas Raiders because of an injured left knee, the first start he’llmiss since entering the NFL last season.
For athird consecutive day, Daniels wasunabletopracticefully on Friday He was not on thefieldwiththe rest of theteamduringthe portion of the workout open to the media, and the Commanders officially listed him as “limited.”
Marcus Mariota will replace Daniels in the lineup and makehis first start since 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons. Mariota, the No. 2overall pick in the 2015 draftafter winning the Heisman Trophy at Oregon, came in during three games in relief of Daniels last season.
Heat GHerro has ankle surgery, to miss campstart
All-Star guard Tyler Herro underwent surgery Friday to repair an issueaffecting hisleft ankle and foot, meaning the Miami Heat will be without their leading returning scorer when training camp starts later this month. The 90-minute procedure to alleviateposteriorimpingementsyndrome in the ankle wasperformed by Dr.Thomas San Giovanni, assistedbyHeat team physicians in Miami.
Herro is expected to be outfor eight weeks, though amore exact return-to-play plan likely won’t be finalized until he begins rehabilitation and gets through the surgery The issue had been bothering Herro throughout offseason training andevidently worsenedinrecent weeks.
Astros activate Paredes, put Alvarez on injuredlist
The Houston Astrosactivated infielder Isaac Paredes off the injuredlist andplaced left fielder Yordan Alvarez on the10-day injured list prior to their series opener against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. Paredes sufferedaright hamstring strain in Seattle on July 19 while running to first base on a single. He began running, doing fielding work and hitting at the beginning of September
Paredes was hitting .259 with 19 home runs and50RBIs thisseason before the injury Alvarez, who was placed on the injured list retroactive to Tuesday,suffered aleft ankle sprain after scoring in thefirst inning of agameMonday night against the Rangers.
Italy defeatsUkraine at Billie Jean King Cup semis
Defending champion Italy reached the Billie Jean King Cup final forathird straight year after coming from behind to beat Ukraine 2-1 in the semifinals on Friday French Open champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won the deciding doubles against Marta Kostyuk and Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-2, 6-3. In the second set, Kostyuk and Kichenok led3-1 and had a point for4-2 but double-faulted. It wasthe second point earned by Paolini, who wasaset and 4-2 downtoElina Svitolina but recovered to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second singles. Kostyuk gave Ukraine astrong start by beating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-2, 6-3. Ukraine was playing in the semifinals forthe first time.
Football player at Miss. college dies after game
AMississippi community college
football player died from medical complications after afootball game, according to astatement released by Mississippi Delta Community College on Friday
EmanuellCooks of Elba, Alabama, was afreshman offensive lineman, according to his profile on MDCC’swebsite.
Cooks died after playing agame against Hinds Community College in Raymond on Thursday.The college’s statementdoesnot specify Cooks’ cause of death.
“Our entire Trojan family is devastated by this loss,” MDCC President Steven Jones said in apress release. “Wewill come together as acommunity to support one another through this tragedy.” Thecollegeisoffering support services to students and staff.
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Saints defensiveends CarlGranderson and CamJordan celebrate asack against the Arizona Cardinalson Sept.7 in the Caesars Superdome.
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
reacts after NewOrleans Saints kicker BlakeGrupe misses a
PHOTO BY JEVONE MOORE
Southern running back Trey Holly carries the ball during the Jaguars game against Fresno State at Valley Children’s Stadium in Fresno, Calif., on Sept 13.
Jackson State firmly stands at the top
BY RASHAD MILLIGAN and TOYLOY BROWN III
Staff writers
We are approximately a quarter of the way through the 2025 football season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and positions are starting to be solidified. Here are our latest SWAC power rankings.
1. Jackson State
Record: 2-1 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 1
Last week: 30-0 win vs. Tuskegee
This week: Bye
Extra points: The Tigers go into the bye week with two convincing wins and a competitive road loss at Sun Belt foe Southern Miss. JSU has the top-rated defense in the conference, allowing only seven touchdowns in 2025. Coach T.C. Taylor wants to tighten up the team’s penalties, where the Tigers lead the SWAC with 32 for a total of 294 yards.
2. Alabama State
Record: 2-1 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 2
Last week: 37-9 win vs. Miles College
This week: at FAMU, 2 p.m. Saturday Extra points: The Hornets have the best offense in the SWAC, with a conference-leading 13 touchdowns and six field goals. Alabama State also has the No. 2 defense in the SWAC. Coach Eddie Robinson Jr.’s main concern with the team has been to keep it consistently focused.
3. Alabama A&M
Record: 2-1 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 3
Last week: 31-21 win at Tennessee
State
This week: vs. Lane, 6 p.m. Saturday
Extra points: Running back Maurice Edwards leads the SWAC with 308 total rushing yards and four touchdowns on 79 attempts. Coach Sam Shade said the Bulldogs are still working on putting together a complete game and learn how to win. Despite having the No. 2 offense in the conference, AAMU has the No. 7 defense in the SWAC.
4. Prairie View
Record: 1-2 overall, 1-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 4
Last week: 38-17 loss at Rice
This week: vs. Northwestern, 6 p.m. Saturday
Extra points: Prairie View has the best pass defense in the conference, allowing only 43 completed passes for 509 yards. On offense, the Panthers have allowed only two sacks. The team has a quar-
Young gets homecoming for Ryder Cup at Bethpage
BY DOUG FERGUSON
AP golf writer
SWAC POWER RANKINGS
terback situation where the starter could be either Tevin Carter or Cameron Peters. Despite facing FBS opponent Rice, coach Tremaine Jackson was disappointed with last week’s loss.
5. FAMU
Record: 1-2 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 8
Last week: 33-25 win vs. Albany State
This week: vs. Alabama State, 2 p.m Saturday
Extra points: The Rattlers picked up their first win of the season against Albany State in the home opener last weekend. FAMU currently has the No. 3-rated passing offense in the SWAC in an attack led by QB RJ Johnson. Kenari Wilcher is the fifth-leading receiver in the conference with eight catches for 170 yards and a touchdown
6. Southern Record: 1-3 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 6
Last week: 56-7 loss at Fresno State
This week: Bye
Extra points: Southern might have found its quarterback in Ashton Strother, but the field goal issues are still concerning. The Jaguars have made 2 of 6 attempts this season and also have had two field goals blocked — one in each of the last two games.
7. Grambling
Record: 2-1 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 9
Last week: 37-31 win vs. Kentucky State (OT)
This week: vs. East Texas A&M, 6 p.m Saturday Extra points: Grambling bounced back from its blowout loss at No. 1 Ohio State with a gritty overtime victory over Kentucky State. Defensive back Tyrell Raby won the game with an 83-yard fumble recovery touchdown in the extra period. The Tigers have the No. 2 offense in the conference, scoring 13 touchdowns through the first three games and a total of 92 points.
8. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Record: 1-2 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 10
Last week: 34-8 win vs. Lincoln (Calif.)
This week: Bye
Extra points: UAPB is feeling good heading into a bye week after getting its first win and getting healthy before the Southern Heritage Classic against Alcorn State on Sept 27. Among the re-
turning players after the bye are preseason All-SWAC second-team running back BJ Curry Curry will join Jaylen Jennings in the backfield. Jennings leads the SWAC with five touchdowns.
9. Alcorn State
Record: 0-3 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 5 Last week: 63-0 loss at Mississippi
State
This week: Bye Extra points: Alcorn State leads the SWAC in time of possession, and that’s about where the positives end for the Braves. Coach Cedric Thomas wants the team to clean up its turnovers. Alcorn State is fourth in the conference with four interceptions. The team is also No. 10 in the SWAC in third-down conversions.
10. Texas Southern
Record: 0-3 overall, 0-1 SWAC
Previous rank: 7
Last week: 31-7 loss vs. Lamar
This week: Bye
Extra points: Texas Southern has the worst-rated offense in the SWAC with 655 total yards through the first three games of the season Coach Cris Dishman said the team also needs to improve defensively One area Texas Southern does shine is in kickoff returns. The Tigers lead the conference with 355 kickoff return yards.
11. Bethune-Cookman
Record: 0-3 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 11
Last week: 55-41 loss at South Carolina State
This week: vs Edward Waters, 3 p.m. Saturday Extra points: Bethune-Cookman has the second-worst scoring defense in the conference, giving up an average of 47.3 points per game. The Wildcats also have given up a league-worst 1,560 yards through the first three games. It appears the team has a new quarterback in Cam’Ron Ransom, who has stepped in for Timmy McClain.
12. Mississippi Valley State
Record: 0-3 overall, 0-0 SWAC
Previous rank: 12
Last week: 56-3 loss at Southeastern Louisiana
This week: Bye Extra points: The Delta Devils have the worst rushing offense in the SWAC with only 231 yards through the first three games. The team also is last in the conference in defensive efficiency, allowing 12 touchdowns so far this year The team is also last in kickoff returns and second-to-last in punts
NAPA,Calif.— Bethpage Black is a big ballpark on Long Island that made the boy feel even smaller He was holding his father’s hand on Father’s Day in 2002 as they watched the U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods. It was Cameron Young’s first glimpse of golf at the highest level. He was 5, already hitting a pyramid stack of range balls until his tiny hands were sore, able to hit a wedge into a 55-gallon drum from 30 yards away Young has a much clearer memory of the day in 2013 when the PGA of America announced golf’s rowdiest event, the Ryder Cup, would be played in 2025 at Bethpage Black with its notoriously loud New York fans who felt ownership of the state-owned course. By then he was a junior in high school, good enough and old enough to dream, even if it felt so far away
“That golf course is where our state Open was every year That was the big tournament for me at that point,” Young said, who in 2017 became the first amateur to win the New York State Open with a courserecord 64 at the Black. “I knew that golf course was a major championship golf course, and that was my route to play it.”
But a Ryder Cup?
“At the time it was like, ‘That’s where I’d like to be in 2025 in September,’” he said, pausing to smile.
“So it’s been a long time coming.”
New York homecoming
Young is every bit of New York. He is the son of Sleepy Hollow’s longtime professional. He took the train to school at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was all about the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as a kid who played hockey and baseball when he wasn’t pounding golf balls.
“We’re very proud to have a New Yorker on our team and represent his country at Bethpage Black,” Keegan Bradley said when he announced Young as one of his captain’s pick. It might have been 12 years in the making, but this really transpired over three months. Young was at No. 67 in the world at the start of May not even eligible for the final two majors of the year
He was nowhere near the conversation to be in the Ryder Cup, yet no less determined for his one shot at a Ryder Cup in his native New York
SKENES
Continued from page 5C
Kelly steadied things after replacing Shelton and Skenes has been the most dominant pitcher in the game, Pittsburgh entered its final home series against the Athletics this weekend having dropped 11 of 12 to assure the franchise of its 29th losing season since 1992.
The worst offense in the majors — Pittsburgh is last or near last in every major offensive category, from runs to home runs to OPS — has also put Skenes on the cusp of making some unwanted history Despite an MLB-leading 2.03 ERA to go with 209 strikeouts and a .199 batting average against, Skenes holds just a 10-10 record heading into what will likely be his final start of the season early next week in Cincinnati. No starting pitcher has ever captured the Cy Young with a record of .500 or worse. Skenes is a heavy favorite to hear his name called when the award is announced on Nov 20. By then, Skenes will already have begun his preparations for 2026. He’s hoping and expecting those around him to do the same.
“There’s room to get better in this locker room,” he said. “We just need to do it. I’m sure we’ll get some pieces and do all that, but my mind right now is ‘What can we do within the locker room to get better, now and for next year?’ There’s urgency to it, and we need to understand that and act on it.”
To Skenes, whose combination of talent, work ethic and charisma has already thrust him into a leadership role despite having been in the majors all of 16 months, that means being willing to challenge yourself in ways you haven’t before.
“It’s going to take a lot of guys taking a look in the mirror, figuring out what it is that they need to get better at, and making sacrifices to do that,” he said.
Kelly who seems likely to stay on as manager for his hometown
Big pressure required small steps.
“Break par for a couple of days in a row hit some good shots, put together a week,” Young said. “We started doing those little things better and better and built some belief.”
He had his first top 10 in four months in May at the Truist Championship. A month later as a U.S Open qualifier, he birdied three of his last four holes to get into a 5-for-1 playoff and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his way to Oakmont, where he tied for fourth.
He also tied for fourth in Canada to earn a spot in the British Open
And then came his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August when he won by six shots.
“I had to win something just to put myself in the question,” Young said. The answer became increasingly obvious when Young followed that win with three strong performances in the postseason. Then came that call from Bradley with the best news of his career, better in his mind than winning for the first time on tour
“This Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me,” Young said the day he was chosen. “I’ve been picturing the moment that I can possibly get a call to play on the team for a very, very long time.”
Family matters
This is truly a family celebration.
David Young, his father, recently retired as the golf director at Sleepy Hollow
He is the only coach his son ever had, a patient voice during frustrating times, such as seven runner-up finishes without doing much wrong. Young averaged 66.7 on Sunday in those losses. It was always someone else’s turn.
His mother, Barbara, grew up around golf at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey and ran the Central Florida Challenge mini-tour for women for 13 years in the Orlando area.
The father taught the swing Mom provided the support, often as his caddie.
“The first tournament we took Cam to he was 9,” she said. “There was a practice round and he was paired with a father and son, and the father was micromanaging this kid. I took him aside and said, ‘Cam, I’m your caddie. You’re the player This is how it will be. Every decision is on you, but you can ask me what I think.’”
This was never about grooming an only child for greatness.
His mother saw enough talent that she thought Young could enjoy the game wherever it led.
team in 2026, credited Skenes for being unafraid to have “tough conversations” despite his relative inexperience. Being willing to constantly walk the walk helps.
“(It’s) just the way that he leads himself first, and then carries himself that way, works like that, dominates on the field, it gives him that voice to be able to have those conversations with other people,” Kelly said.
Pittsburgh figures to have one of the better rotations in baseball next year behind Skenes, Mitch Keller and 23-year-old Bubba Chandler
There is reason for optimism, but Skenes pointed out the team thought the same thing at the end of last season, and yet here the Pirates are playing out the string in late September once again.
Pittsburgh’s quickest path to contention may be parting with some of its young pitching talent if it wants to upgrade an offense that has been woeful regardless of who is starting even Skenes, who has an ERA of 1.74 in his 11 no-decisions.
While Skenes allowed “the book is out on him” now, he’s found a way to stay a step and in some cases two or three — ahead of most opponents. He believes he’s a more complete pitcher than he was a year ago, and he credited the Pirates for helping him successfully navigate 31 starts and 181 2/3 innings and counting.
Amid the losing, Skenes has tried to remain upbeat. He’s also been firm in his commitment to the team and the community He spent a portion of a rare Thursday off day by delivering meals to firefighters and first responders at a station in the suburbs, joking it was kind of a bummer he didn’t get to blare the horn on one of the trucks. Though he remains under team control for the rest of the decade, general manager Ben Cherington has faced questions on whether Skenes — who will likely command record-setting numbers once he becomes eligible for salary arbitration should he stay on his current path could one day be traded.
St. Charles rides two pick-sixes to beat Dunham
BY WILLIAM WEATHERS
Contributing writer
With each lateral Dunham executed on the game’s final play, the lump in the throat of St Charles coach Wayne Stein enlarged Triggered by a short pass from quarterback Elijah Haven from his own 29, the Tigers worked their way downfield with several laterals until BrannonCohnwasrunoutofbounds at the 15-yard line, preserving a 2721 victory Friday for St. Charles at Central’s Wildcat Stadium “I’m a Dunham fan every other week except this one,” said Stein, whose 3-0 team was led by senior
running back Skylar Edwards with 38 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns. “This was a heck of a game.”
The St. Charles defense snapped a 14-14 deadlock with consecutive pick-sixesofHaven,openingitslargest lead of 27-14 with 3:48 to play
Linebacker Jireh Hall perfectly read Haven’s pass attempt on first and 10 and returned it for a 31-yard touchdown at the 6:17 mark of the fourth quarter. Two plays later while under duress, Haven tried to throw back across the field where linebacker Brooks Monica took the interception for a 34-yard score. “I wish we would have just kept
St. Michael defense answers coach’s call in win vs. Istrouma
BY PATRICK WRIGHT
Contributing writer
As the usually efficient St. Michael offense struggled in the first half against a stout Istrouma defense, the Warriors defense and special teams made big plays to turn the game around and spark a 16-14 win in a District 6-4A game Friday night at Istrouma
St. Michael (3-0, 2-0) recovered a fumbled punt and had two interceptions in the final 6:33 of the first half to turn an 8-0 deficit into a 16-8 halftime lead. The second half was dominated by the defenses.
Istrouma (2-1, 1-1) scored the only points on an 8-yard touchdown run by quarterback Isaac Jackson with 4:22 remaining to cut the Warriors lead to 16-14, but St. Michael stuffed Indians running back Carmello Daigre well short of the goal line on the two-point conversion try to preserve the lead.
St. Michael answered with a drive that got it deep into Istrouma territory before the Warriors turned the ball over on downs with just 39 seconds remaining. The key play was a 48-yard run by quarterback Boogie Levingston.
“The last drive, we said we need to move four minutes,” St Michael coach Zachary Leger said “We plugged away and plugged away, and our quarterback made a good pull (on the option), ran down the sidelines and stayed in bounds and allowed us to run the clock down”
St. Michael scored a total of 83 points in its first two games, but Leger knew the Indians would provide a challenge to his offense.
“We knew coming into this that Istrouma had a very big defensive front, a very aggressive front, and that we were going to have to fight upfront with that,” Leger said. “In the second quarter, I got in the defensive huddle and I told them that I was going to need them a little more tonight and that I needed them to tug on the rope and hold the line and help the offense, and that is what happened”
The first big play was a recovery of a fumbled punt at the Istrouma 20. The Warriors had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Ben Jones after the turnover, but they quickly followed that with two interceptions that led to touchdowns.
Seth Darsam picked off a deflected pass from backup quarterback Elijah Parker at the Indians 24 with 1:48 remaining in the half, and Nathan Contine scored from 1 yard out three plays later to put St. Michael up 10-8.
On the second play of the next drive, Johnny McCarty stepped in front of a Parker pass on the sidelines and raced 49 yards untouched for the touchdown to put the Warriors up 16-8.
“We got a little aggressive at the end of the half and it backfired on us,” Istrouma coach Brian Glover said. “Offensively, we did not play well at all. Credit to St. Michael, they played great defense. Both teams played great defense. But we had a lot of selfinflicted wounds Too many presnap penalties and we couldn’t get a rhythm going”
Istrouma outgained St. Michael 242-152, and the teams combined for 11 punts.
Fast-starting Central stays unbeaten, outlasts Walker
Staff report
Central and Walker high schools traded scores on the game’s first sevenpossessionsinabattleofWildcats, but Central stayed perfect.
Central (3-0) scored touchdowns on six of its first seven drives and beat Walker 48-37 on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium in Walker Central rolled up about 520 total yards behind quarterbacks Jacori Platt and Max Gassiott, who alternated drives. Platt threw for 133 yards and a touchdown and added two 1-yard scoring runs. Gassiott completed 8 of 12 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns and was Central’s secondleading rusher with 80 yards on seven carries.
“We plan on both those guys playing, and we repped them, within their own strengths throughout the course of the week,” Central coach David Simoneaux said. “It was less of going with who had the hot hand, it was more of just personnel packages. They both did a good job of executing at a high level.”
Two minutes into the game, Platt finished a six-play, 69-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge, and a successful two-point conversion made it 8-0. Walker answered less than two minutes later when Jayden Wilson broke free for a 61-yard touchdown on fourth and inches to make it 8-7.
Gassiott’s 10-yard pass to
it,” Dunham coach Neil Weiner said of Hall’s interception. “But you’re trying to make a play in the fourth quarter Elijah tries to make plays and usually does.”
Haven had Dunham (2-1), the No 2 team in Class 2A, back in the end zone in three plays. His longest run of 58 yards was the catalyst. Then after a 5-yard loss on first down, Haven threw his third touchdown of the game of 23 yards to Trevor Haman with 4:37 showing. Andrew Bardwell added his third extra point to make it 27-21.
St. Charles, the No. 8 team in Class 4A, chewed up all but 14 seconds before punting back to Dun-
ham, which began at its own 24.
The first hook and lateral gained 5 yards. Then on the final play with seven seconds to go, another short completion from Haven led to five laterals and wound up at the 15.
“It was a really dominating performance when you think about it,” Stein said. “I thought we stopped the run. We made everything tough. I thought it was a great plan by our guys.”
Haven had 189 of his team’s 376 total yards in the first half, but until his 58-yard burst with less than five minutes left, the Comets were successful in containing the nation’s top-rated quarterback in the
Class of 2027. Haven was 15-of-28 passing for 329 yards and three touchdowns and had 114 yards on 23 carries on the ground. South Alabama commitment Jarvis Washington, who had a team-high six catches for 141 yards, gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead at halftime with a 41-yard touchdown catch.
“It’s become a rivalry, but it’s clean,” Stein said. “The kids were getting after each other It was a physical game. Hats off to their defense as well. They played extremely physical We tried to ground and pound them, and they were up to the task.”
DISCIPLINED DEFENSE
Catholic High shuts down U-High to snap two-game skid vs. Cubs
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
Catholic came into its matchup against University High with one goal in mind: play disciplined.
The defense clogged running lanes, forced quarterback pressures and disrupted the Cubs offense all night long. The Bears shut out UHigh for three quarters and used their strong defensive play to build a 28-0 lead heading into the fourth.
Keithon Womack on the next drive pushed the lead to 14-7, but Walker cut it to 14-10 on an Aaron Stern 25-yard field goal with 4:19 left in the first quarter
Platt found Brody Diel for an 8-yard score, but Walker answered with Jonathan Musso’s 27-yard touchdown to pull within 22-17. Early in the second quarter, Gassiott hit Diel for a 29-yard touchdown. Diel later scored on a 13-yard reverse, sending Central to halftime up 36-24. Diel finished with four catches for 87 yards and two receiving scores. Womack added seven receptions for 71 yards.
Shane Brown’s 91-yard run with 1:18 left in the third gave Central its largest lead at 48-24. Brown paced the team with 126 yards rushing on five carries.
Wilson scored a minute later on a 15-yard run to make it 48-30 and finished with 168 rushing yards on 15 carries. Walker quarterback Jace Evans went 17 of 29 for 233 yards and a touchdown that came late for the final margin.
“No complaints with our fight and our effort and trying to keep answering and battling, but just execution-wise, to beat a really good team like that, we had a few things that we could have hit on or we needed to convert on,” Walker coach Chad Mahaffey said. Central will stay on the road next Friday with a matchup against Cecilia. Walker will host Live Oak
“Limiting big plays, that has to come from consistent, assignment-based football,” Catholic coach Hudson Fuller said. “That is a testament to the disciplined football we played tonight.”
Catholic (3-0) defeated U-High (1-2) 28-14 on Friday night at the Cub Complex. On the offensive side of the ball, junior running back Jayden Miles ran for 113 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. In the third quarter, Miles also added a passing touchdown on a direct-snap jump pass As a team, Catholic rushed 40 times for 224 yards. Fuller said the best trait his running back group has is its unselfishness sharing the ball.
“They feed off of each other,” Fuller said. “That’s hard to do. It’s a gift as a coach to get to coach those guys.”
The first quarter ended scoreless after the Bears were forced into two turnover on downs on their first two possessions. Catholic did manage one turnover on U-High’s first drive when Bears senior defensive back Taylor Goldsmith picked off Cubs senior quarterback Ethan McGlynn.
The Bears got on the board first after leaning heavily on the run game to start the second quarter On a 14-play drive, Catholic ran it 13 times. Miles punched it in on a 4-yard carry to make it 7-0.
After the Bears stifled the Cubs offense again, Catholic came back with a more balanced offense. Senior quarterback Turner Goldsmith went 3-for-3 passing for 32 yards on their last drive of the second quarter Senior quarterback Baylor Graves entered the game and finished the drive off with an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Catholic led 14-0 at the break. While both teams shared similar time-of-possession totals in the first half, the Bears outgained U-High 190-95
The Bears relied on some trickery on their
Catholic defensive back Taylor Goldsmith celebrates after intercepting a pass intended for U-High running back Corbin Odell right, in the first quarter of their game on Friday.
first possession of the second half. Catholic drove down the field to the U-High 1. Miles received the direct snap and leaped up for a jump pass touchdown to sophomore tight end Hayes Schramm to push the lead to 21.
The Bears went up 28-0 before U-High scored two late touchdowns in the fourth. U-High failed to recover two onside kicks as time ran out on its comeback.
Catholic held U-High to just 3.3 yards per carry Bears senior safety Blaine Bradford credited the team’s mentality heading into the game after Catholic fell to the Cubs the previous two seasons.
“The past results influenced a lot,” Bradford said. “Looked at it as another game. We brought that mentality to practice, to the locker room, to the school, and that really impacted how we played.” Bradford also credited the team’s chemistry for the Friday win.
“That honestly comes from the love that we have for each other,” Bradford said. “I think that showed tonight. I wouldn’t want to play with anybody else for my senior year.”
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
U-High quarterback Ethan McGlynn tries to get a pass off as Catholic defensive lineman Jayden Vessell, left, tries to make a stop in the first quarter of their game on Friday at the Cub Complex.
THE VARSITYZONE
St.Amant defenseholds offKennedy
BY CHARLESSALZER
Contributing writer
On anight whenoffensiveconsistency was hard to come by,St. Amant got just what it needed from its defense Friday night.
Aweek after allowing 56 points in anarrow win over Cecilia, the Gators defense pitched asecondhalf shutout as St. Amant pulled away from John F. Kennedy for a 28-12 win at The Pit
The Gators (3-0) came up with two second-half interceptions, both on their own side of thefield
The St. Amant offense, which struggled behind abarrage of penalties, put up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to salt the game away “I was very proud of the defense,” St. Amant coach David Oliver said. “They got gouged last week, but tonight they onlygave up one touchdown. When we challengedthem, theydidn’tgiveupa scoreinthe second half.Itwas a hugely different game for them.”
St. Amant limited JFK(1-2) to 284 yards of offense. It crossed midfield four times in the second half but came awayemptyeach time. Cam Clouatre and DJ Schonberg came up with interceptions to halt two of the drives,another wasstopped on downs andthe game clock ran out on the Cougars’ fourth drive.
“Wecame out and provedsomething,” Clouatre said. “Wewere planning on that all week. We hadto come out and get our identity back.” Gatorsquarterback Cooper Babin connected on 5of13passes for 124 yards with one intercep-
tion.Despitebeing sacked four times,hefared better on the ground with 64 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Alsopicking up two touchdowns was Gators running back Jourden Hickerson.Hecarried 26 times for
116 yards, and his 2-yard TD with 2:07 left to play put the game out of reach.
Babin’slongest completion was a47-yardertoHickerson early in the third quarter.That led to Babin’s 7-yard touchdown run and
a14-6 Gators lead.
The Cougars came right back as JaylorMorganreturned the ensuing kickoff71yards foraTD.
“(St. Amant) controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part in the early going, but my guys fought hard,” JFK coach Lynaris Elpheage said. “We’re taking our lumps right now,but Ithink we’re going to be OK.”
St. Amant spent mostofthe first half in JFK territorybut only had onescore to show forits efforts. After scoring on their first drive of the game, the Gators hurt themselves with penalties.
JFKquarterback Dunham Dorrian completed 7ofhis first 8passes, including a19-yard touchdownto Ronald Cash early in the second quarter.The Cougars had failed kicks on both of their extra-point tries.
Dorrianfinished thegame 15 of 32 for 184 yardswithtwo interceptions. IncludingKenneth Chelsea’s 51-yard first-half run, JFK had16 rushes for100 yards. The Cougars werepenalized 18 times.
St. Amant took the opening kickoffand drove 60 yards in 14 plays to take a7-0 lead. Hickerson was the workhorse, carrying 10 times for 39 yards. He finished off the series with a1-yard TD carry,and Paxton LeBlanc added the extra point.
Passes (C-A-HI) 10-12-0 15-28-3
Avoyelles 6 Calvary Baptist 33, Franklin Parish 30 Captain Shreve42, Natchitoches Central 36 Church Point46, Rayne 16 ClaiborneAcademy56, Franklin Academy8 Covington 56, Booker T. Washington 0 Crowley 42, East Beauregard26 DeQuincy52, Oberlin 20 Delcambre28, Beau Chene6 Easton 50, Slidell 35 Erath 35, Eunice 16 Evangel Christian 43, C.E. Byrd36 Ferriday69, Delta Charter 24 Franklinton 29, Pine 14 Hahnville 28, E.D. White 7 Hamilton Christian 48, Vinton 22 Hammond 37, East St. John 7 Haynesville 54, Homer 6 Holy Cross 23, Chalmette 6 Holy Savior Menard7,St. Mary’s 6 Jeanerette 50, White Castle 0 Jena 42, St. FrederickCatholic 7 Jennings 26, Welsh 14 Jesuit 52, Bonnabel 6 Jonesboro-Hodge 42, Delhi Charter 27 Kaplan 48, North Vermilion 16 Karr 63, McDonogh #35 0 Kentwood 46, St.Helena 30 LaSalle 30, Merryville 22 Lafayette 49, Mamou 6 LakeArthur def. Bolton, forfeit Lakeshore28, Northshore13 Lakeside 52, Plain Dealing0 Leesville 48, Many15 Lena Northwood 14, Pickering 6 Loyola Prep 64, Cedar Creek 13 Mandeville 39, Carver 14 Marksville 20, Iota 8 Newton,Texas 36, DeRidder 16 North Central 46, PinePrairie 0 North DeSoto 39, West Monroe 28 North Iberville 20, Ben Franklin 14 North Webster 21, Minden 20 Oak Grove 42, RedRiver 36 Oak Grove,Miss. 36, Neville 7 Ouachita Christian 56, Delhi 0 Parklane Aca.,Miss. 42, Bowling Green 0 Pointe CoupeeCatholic 36, Hannan 35 Rayville 44, Bastrop 0 Rummel 29, Shaw0 Ruston 38, Longview,Texas 35 Sacred Heart 38, Basile 15 Saint Paul’s24, De La Salle 7 Salmen 42, Bogalusa 6 Shreveport Northwood 62, Mansfield 26 South Lafourche 42, Central Lafourche 41 South Terrebonne 50, Hanson Memorial 0 Southside 35, Madison Prep 22
St. Thomas More39, Acadiana 35 Terrebonne 28, St. James 8 Teurlings Catholic 24,NDHS 20 Thibodaux 40, Assumption 0 Thomas Jefferson 48, Centerville 28 Tioga 56, Pineville 14 Vandebilt Catholic 44,Sulphur 14 Vermilion Catholic 29, Loreauville26 Vidalia 42, Block20 West Ouachita 57,Winnfield32 West St. Mary 58, Thrive 0 Westlake34, Washington-Marion 6 Westminster Christian 49, Westminster Christian (LAF) 7 Woodlawn (SH) 62,Lakeview 0 Wossman 28, Richwood 14 Catholic-BR 28, UniversityHigh 14 TeamCatholic-BRU-High First Downs 16 17
YardsRushing 40-224 35-117
YardsPassing 128 135 Passes(C-A-HI) 12-18 15-24-1
Punts-avg.4-27.5
Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards3-35 4-25
SCORING SUMMARY Catholic-BR014140—28 University High00014—14
CHS: Jayden Miles 5run (Tanner Forbes kick)
CHS: Baylor Graves11run (Forbes kick) CHS: Miles to HayesSchramm 1 pass (Forbes kick) CHS: Miles 2run (Forbes kick)
UHS: Ethan McGlynn to Charlie Pettit
5pass (Mason Melancon kick)
UHS: McGlynn to Pettit10pass (Melancon kick) Southside 35, Madison Prep22
STA: Hickerson 2run (LeBlanc kick) St. Charles 27, Dunham 21 TeamSt. CharlesD
Pacific NW rivalries trudge on in new era
BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter
There’s still nostalgia for the Pacific Northwest’s former Pac-12 rivalries, even if the realities of college football mean the gap between the teams involved is growing wider Washington visits Washington State in the 117th Apple Cup on Saturday and Oregon State visits Oregon in a rivalry that dates back to 1894.
The rivalries used to be the highlight of the year for many fans in both states, and the games were played on the last weekend of the season, adding to the tradition and drama. But realignment changed everything. NIL money and the transfer portal added to the divide between programs.
Oregon State coach Trent Bray pointed to some of those things ahead of the Beavers’ game Saturday against the No. 6 Ducks at Autzen Stadium, while saying it was still a growth opportunity for his players.
“The Oregon versus Oregon State (rivalry) for a player, yeah, it’s not what it used to be Conference alignment. Guys are moving from here to there, so that’s part
of it for the players. Now the fans are different,” Bray said. “But for the players, it’s a game against a top-level opponent, and that’s the exciting thing in an environment that’s going to be great.”
The Pac-12 began to fall apart in 2022 when USC and UCLA announced they were bolting for the Big Ten, with Washington and Oregon later following suit. After a final season in 2023, the Pac-12 essentially dissolved and the only
teams left in the once-proud Conference of Champions were Washington State and Oregon State.
The Beavers and the Cougars struck a temporary deal last season to play in the Mountain West. They are operating as independents this season and will play each other twice before the Pac-12 is revived next season with new members Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State and Texas State. Gonzaga is also joining
the league as a non-football member
While the Apple Cup will continue for the foreseeable future, the rivalry game between Oregon and Oregon State won’t be played next year but could be revived in 2027.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said despite the disparities, the rivalry still has meaning.
“I think all of college football feels different the last few years, but this game still means a lot to us, for sure. It’s the opportunity to play a team in state, it’s just down the road A lot of fans grew up either Ducks or Beavs, right?” Lanning said. “So this game means a lot to a lot of people, and certainly means a lot to the people on our team.”
It’s been obvious that the demise of the Pac-12 has stung the two remaining members.
Both teams lost coaches and notable players to Power Four schools, and the programs have found it difficult to compete in terms of NIL opportunities.
Oregon State lost coach and former quarterback Jonathan Smith to Michigan State ahead of the 2024 season and promoted Bray another alum. But the Beavers have struggled. They’ve gone 0-3 this season and they’ve lost nine of 10 dating back to last season.
SCOREBOARD
STATE FOOTBALL CAPSULES
First Quarter Mia_Gordon 2 run (Patterson kick), 8:31. Buf_Kincaid 20 pass from Allen (Prater kick), 4:04. Second Quarter Buf_Hawes 5 pass from Allen (Prater kick), 11:54. Mia_Waddle 3 pass from Tagovailoa (Patterson kick), :08. Third Quarter Buf_Cook 2 run (Prater kick), 10:23. Fourth Quarter Mia_T.Hill 5 pass from Tagovailoa (Patterson kick), 12:17. Buf_Shakir 15 pass from Allen (Prater kick), 7:17. Buf_FG Prater 48, :22. A_70,641. MiaBuf
First downs 19 23 Total Net Yards 276 360 Rushes-yards 25-130 27-157 Passing 146 203 Punt Returns 2-22 2-15
Kickoff Returns 5-152 3-95
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-24
Comp-Att-Int 22-34-1 22-28-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 2-10
Punts 4-50.0 2-47.5
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties-Yards 6-57 3-35
Time of Possession 28:13 31:47
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_Miami, Achane 12-62, Gordon 9-38, M.Washington 2-20, Tagovailoa 2-10. Buffalo Cook 19-108, Allen 4-25, Ty.Johnson 3-13, Moore 1-11. PASSING_Miami, Tagovailoa 22-34-1-146. Buffalo, Allen 22-28-0-213. RECEIVING_Miami, Achane 7-29, T.Hill 5-49, Waddle 5-39, M.Washington 3-12, Conner 1-13, J.Hill 1-4. Buffalo, Kincaid 5-66, Shakir 4-45, Coleman 3-20, Cook 3-10, Moore 2-30, Shavers 2-24, Ty.Johnson 1-8, Hawes 1-5, Palmer 1-5. MISSED FIELD GOALS_Buffalo, Prater 39. Major League Baseball
Bray has remained outwardly optimistic.
“We’ve got good players,” he said. “I feel confident about our players and what they can do. And I feel confident in our coaches to get them ready to play and go out there and execute.”
Washington State fared well last year, going 8-5 and playing in the Holiday Bowl, but coach Jake Dickert left the Cougars for Wake Forest, taking a number of players with him. Quarterback John Mateer transferred to Oklahoma.
The Cougars hired Jimmy Rogers from FCS-level South Dakota State, where he led the undefeated Jackrabbits to a national title in 2023. At Washington State, he had 75 new players on the roster heading into this season.
While he’s been realistic about what he’s up against in rebuilding the program, he hasn’t used it as an excuse. Asked about the gap in resources as the Cougars prepared to face the Huskies, he wouldn’t bite.
“I’m not going to talk about the lack of resources, I’m just not that way,” Rogers said. “There are things that we don’t have that other schools have, I’ve been at that level. We have to execute.”
it. We expect it from each other,” Chase said. “We’ve been pushing each other for so long.”
With Jefferson and Chase and a whole bunch of other future pros, LSU won the College Football Playoff national championship in the 2019 season The quarterback, of course, was Joe Burrow, who became the first overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Bengals. Jefferson went 22nd. Burrow just had toe surgery
and won’t get to catch up on the field this weekend with Jefferson, leaving Chase to lead the way for backup Jake Browning. Jefferson knows all about that type of turnover, with Carson Wentz stepping in this week after J.J. McCarthy sprained his ankle. Wentz will be the seventh different quarterback to start for the Vikings in the last 30 regular-season games. Those absences will make the Chase-Jefferson competition more than just a sideshow
“It’s always extra when you have a player like that that’s top in the league just as well as I am,” said Jefferson, who has just seven
catches for 125 yards through two games. “Of course that competitive aspect is there, but at the end of the day it’s about our team and it’s about winning. So as long as those two things are done, then I’m happy leaving that building.”
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was listed as questionable by the Vikings for the game after being ruled out ahead of time last week, raising hope of his return from reconstructive knee surgery Both the team and the player have made clear in this case that the weekly decisions have been collaborative and not simply a matter of the coaching and medical staffs exer-
cising caution. Darrisaw’s unorthodox stance puts his legs lower to the turf, which he acknowledged on Friday might put more stress on his knee. He said he’s comfortable wearing a brace, but in the overall picture of his agility, confidence and strength he hasn’t been quite there yet to declare himself back Darrisaw said he feels like his status for the game on Sunday is truly a 50-50 situation. “I’ve just got to trust my body, really be smart with it. It’s early in the year When I’m ready, I know I’ll be ready, and I’ll be back out there,” he said.
Left tackle Justin Skule and center Ryan Kelly were both ruled out with concussions, though each player returned to practice Friday on a limited basis. If Darrisaw is again inactive, the Vikings would likely start either Blake Brandel or Walter Rouse with Bengals All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson looming on the other side. The Vikings also listed safety Harrison Smith and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel as questionable to play.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Oregon coach Dan Lanning gives instructions during the first half against Oklahoma State on Sept. 6 in Eugene, Ore.
this be La.’s
New season begins Monday
BY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer
After 27 seasons, Louisiana is still minus a winner of “The Voice.” With the NBC singing competition series’ 28th go-round set to premiere on Monday, fans have their fingers crossed once again. Meanwhile there have been several “almosts,” with state contestants reaching the finals, and even the top three. Here’s a look back at some recent successes: Karen Waldrup, Mandeville, fifth place, Season 25 (2024) Releasing her breakout single, “Blue Cowboy Boots,” in May, the now Nashville-based Waldrup, a country/ soul artist, is on a national tour and will be performing in her hometown on Oct. 26 for the Festival of the Lake. She’ll also have tour stops on Feb. 6 and 7 for a Mardi Gras concert and parade in Metairie.
Gyth Ringdon, Singer, runner-up, Season 16 Yes, Ringdon hails from the small southwestern community of Singer The country singer-songwriter also leans into soul and Southern rock on his debut album, “Where I Began” (2016) and follow-up, “When I’m Gone.” (2018) He’s performed with Jake Owen, Andy Grammar and Chase Bryant.
A union of perspectives
A
Meghan Linsey, Ponchatoula, runnerup, Season 8 (2015) Also based in Nashville now, Linsey’s latest single, “Humble Again,” dropped in April. Her songs have been featured in episodes of “Station 19” and “Queer Eye.” Koryn Hawthorne, Abbeville, fourth place, Season 8 (2015) — A contemporary Christian and gospel singer Hawthorne received Grammy nominations for her songs “Won’t He Do It” (2019) and “Speak the Name” (2020). Her album “On God” was released in early 2024 with a deluxe version with five more songs dropping later that year Here are some details about the new season of “The Voice”: FIRST EPISODES: 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, NBC; streaming on Peacock the following day THE COACHES: Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé THE HOST: Carson Daly THE FORMAT: Six episodes of blind auditions, four episodes of battles, five episodes of knockouts, two episodes of playoffs, and then the live shows.
MORE INFO: nbc.com/thevoice.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate com
BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer
DiGiulio Brothers Italian Cafe is upping its patio game. The restaurant at 2903 Perkins Road recently expanded its outdoor area with
tiny screech owl and a dud of a cow become heroes in LSU Vet Med artist-in-residence’s work
TBY
ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
he screech owl was tinier than Pippin Frisbie-Calder expected, which made him all the more perfect.
Then he winked at her.
Technically, it’s more of a blink that happens when an owl’s eyelids fall out of sync, but Frisbie-Calder didn’t care.
To her, it was a wink, and she lifted her camera just in time to catch it through the habitat window in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s raptor enclosure.
“This is my first screech owl,” said Frisbie-Calder, who is the school’s artist-in-residence. “I just love him.”
The best part of her discovery is knowing that this winking owl is not only native to Louisiana, but he’s being rehabilitated in the very place that is inspiring her artwork.
Art is the reason why FrisbieCalder readily enters the raptor enclosure’s stuffy heat on stifling August days. She brings the owl’s image, along with the experience of meeting him, to her studio within the cool comfort of the Stephenson
Pet Clinic, where she’s spent the past month working as the artistin-residence.
She’s the fourth artist to work in this position, the first from Louisiana.
For now, her work in progress hangs in the makeshift studio. The artwork is a collaged swampscape
of Frisbie-Calder’s drawings and block prints layered onto a tablesized canvas to highlight native Louisiana birds mingling among the fauna. Will the screech owl become a part of it? Maybe. Still, none of the finished works
JOY HOLDEN
STAFF PHOTO BY ROBIN MILLER
LSU Vet Med artist-in-residence Pippin Frisbie-Calder shows a drawing of the school’s resident cow MilkDud, along with photos on which she based the drawing
PROVIDED
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2025. There are 102 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On Sept. 20, 1973, in their so-called“Battle of the Sexes,” tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in the Houston Astrodome.
Also on this date:
In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival, lasting 16 days, opened in France.
In 1962, James Meredith, aBlack student,was blockedfrom enrolling at the University of Mississippi by DemocraticGov Ross R. Barnett.
In 1964, The Beatles concluded their first full-fledged U.S. tour by performing in acharity concert at the Paramount Theater in New York.
In 1967, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2was christened by Britain’s Queen ElizabethIIin Clydebank, Scotland.
In 2011, therepeal of the U.S.military’s18-year-old “don’task, don’ttell” compromisetookeffect, allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly.
In 2017, HurricaneMaria, the strongest storm to hitPuertoRico in more than 80 years, struck the island, wiping outas much as 75% of power distribution lines and causing an islandwideblackout.
In 2019, Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania,the 1979 site of the nation’sworst commercial nuclear power accident, was shut down by its owner after producing electricity for 45 years.
Today’sBirthdays: Actor SophiaLoren is 91. Author George R.R. Martin is 77. Actor Gary Cole is 69. TV news correspondent Deborah Roberts is 65. Actor MaggieCheung is 61. Actor Kristen Johnston is 58. Rock singers Gunnar andMatthew Nelson are 58. Race car driver Juan PabloMontoyais50. Actor Jon Bernthal is 49. Actor Aldis Hodgeis39.
RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS
Inclusive Louisiana holds Eucharist event
Inclusive Louisiana, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, invites all to aspecial EucharistCelebration and reception from 6p.m. to 8p.m.Monday at St. Margaret’sEpiscopal Church, 12663 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge. Hosted as part of Inclusive Louisiana’smission “to proclaim and embody God’sall-inclusive love for LGBTQ+ persons and their allies,” this evening gathering is open to everyone,no exceptions.
She SOARS Women’s Conference 2025 New Covenant Christian
Center,6515 E. Myrtle Avenue, Baker,will host theShe SOARS Women’s Conference 2025, atwoday gatheringdesigned to empower women torise above limitations and soar into their purpose. The conference begins at 7p.m. Friday,Sept.26, with adynamic worshipservice featuring guest speaker Regina Martin and worship led by the Nixon Sisters. Guests will experience a“Panel &Prophetic Impartation” from 9a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday,Sept. 27, with theRev.Tilesha Warren, Terrica Jackson and Shanika Stewart offering real conversations and prophetic insight. Admission is free. All are welcome. Visit eventbrite. com for more information
FLAU’JAE
Continued from page1D
The athlete is posed in front of asoft mauve background, sitting on avintage pink couch with flowers at her feet. In the spread, she’s also seen in looks from Baton Rouge native and designer Christopher John Rogers, Gucci, Loewe and more. Johnson, ahighly touted guard and arecording rap and R&B artist,hintedat
aspecial event happening on her Xaccount Sept. 15. She posted that something very bigwas happening the next day.
Thecover story,entitled “No OrdinaryGirl,” is filled with high fashion photography,and Johnson shines as amodel.She sharesbits about her last season at LSU and whirlwind scheduleas arapper,businesswoman, athlete andphilanthropist.
Email Joy Holden at joy. holden@theadvocate com.
ARTIST
Continuedfrom page1D
at the vet school —officially known as theLSU VetMed —willberevealed until Nov. 10, when theschool hosts a show of the residency’s works in its library.The show includesbothworks completed at theschool and pieces thatFrisbie-Calder will completeinher New Orleansstudio.
Either way,the artwork will be areflection of her interaction with theschool’s clinicians, researchers, studentsand animals,which shehas approachedwith joy. Theresidency
The LSU vet school launched the artist-in-residence programin2022. It’s the nation’sfirst at any vet school andisdesigned to explore theintersection betweenart andveterinarian medicine.
So far,artistshave explored this subject through visual art, musiccomposition and poetry by spending time with the school’s personnel and the animals for which they are studying and treating.
Frisbie-Calder,the program’s second visual artist, is known for herinterdisciplinary workatthe intersection of artand science. She not only maintains a personal studio, but she’san adjunct professor at Tulane University in both the Newcomb Art Departmentand theuniversity’sDepartment of Ecology andEvolutionary Biology.
TheHammondnative’s passionfor nature began in childhood, when shewas home-schooled aboard a boat built by her parents, which sailed through Cuba, the Caribbean andCentral America. She is represented by AnnConnelly Fine Artin Baton Rouge and LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans. Her LSUresidency ran from Aug. 4toAug. 29.
Frisbie-Calder’s work is a mix of printmaking, woodcutting, silk screening and large-scale installation that oftencenters on such bioindicators as birds. Her mis-
sion is to raise awareness of endangered species and environmental challenges. Her practice alsoembodies the VetMed’s“One Health” philosophy,which emphasizesthe deep connection between human, animal and environmental health.
“Weare delighted to attract artists of Pippin Frisbie-Calder’scaliber to our growing Artist-in-Residence Program,” Dean Oliver Garden said. “Her keen observations and interpretations of the natural world lay the groundworkfor not only creating beautiful art but also posing questionsthat are vital to thehealth of animals,humans and the natural world.”
Frisbie-Calder added that she hopestoinspire environmental stewardship through educational and interactive art, “tasking each viewer to consider how artand science together can solve manyof the issues facing us today.”
MilkDudinspires
Birds aren’tthe only animals inhabiting theartist’s vet school studio. Acow named MilkDud seemsto have carved outher own space in Frisbie-Calder’s heart
MilkDud is the star of a small drawing that FrisbieCalder is considering for a painting. And deservedly
so. Thecow is abeloved vet school resident,and herstory is the perfect illustration of Frisbie-Calder’sresidency
The cow is not only agentle spirit but plays an important role at the vet school.
“MilkDud isn’tjust acow, sheisalifesaver,” said ClareScully, theveterinarian in charge of the cow.“As afistulated cow at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine,she plays avital role in transfaunation,aprocess that transfers healthy rumenmicrobes from her digestive system to animals suffering from ruminal dysfunction. Thanks to her, thousands of cattle, sheep andgoats have recovered from life-threatening conditions and returned to productive lives.”
Frisbie-Calder points to a place in herpicture,where
MilkDud appears to have a hole in her left, back quarter.Inreality,the hole was purposely placed there and is maintained with care.
“It’slikea port,” theartist explains. “So, cows basically have four stomachs, and they need rumen for digestion.”
The rumen allows cows to regurgitate theirfood so it canbereswallowed,thereby breaking down coarse material for digestion. But some grazing animals have trouble in this department.
“And so they put asurgi-
cal implant in MilkDud to access this part of her stomach forthe rumen,” FrisbieCalder said.
So, healthy rumen is taken from MilkDud and injected into animals with depleted rumen, thereby saving their lives.
“MilkDud’sjourney began witha challenge,” Scully said.“She wasbornwith a mild wry nose,a congenital condition that can range from cosmetic to life-threatening. While hers is notsevere,itmeantshe wasnot a candidate for breeding,as her offspring could inherit amore seriousform of the condition. Additionally,her anatomymade her unsuitable fordairy production.” So, she was labeled a “dud,” the origin of her name, MilkDud. In Frisbie-Calder’sart collection, MilkDud is depicted looking straight at the viewer in her grazing pasture.
“What somesaw as alimitation,” Scully said, “became her superpower.” MilkDudhas earned a place of honor in this collection, but what of the screech owl?Well, if Frisbie-Calder’s wide smile is any indication, thelittleowl is adefinite shoo-in.
Email RobinMillerat romiller@theadvocate. com.
AP FILE PHOTO BY YOUNG KWAK
LSU’sFlau’Jae Johnson stands on the courtduring the end of an Elite Eight game against UCLA in on March 30 in Spokane, Wash.
Frisbie-Calder shows amold of adog’smouth made by clinicians during treatment of the canine. The artist will
the mold in her work.
CanIdecline to be introduced to someone?
Dear Miss Manners: Ienjoy having friends and acquaintances from different walks of life, and have found unexpected kinship with people who hold beliefs very different from my own. In other words, I try not to be judgmental My natural inclination whenmeeting someone is to find common ground. However,Irecently found myself in asituation where amutual friend introduced me to someone whose public statements and actions are so reprehensible to me that I had no desire to find whatever redeeming qualities the person may have. Iwas, in fact, ashamed at theconnection with him that the
introduction foisted upon me. Is it ever permissible to refuse aconnection as the introduction is occurring? And howwouldone do that?
Judith Martin
MISS MANNERS
Gentle reader: Refusing an introduction is not only impolite to the person being introduced, but, more importantly,tothe friend introducing you. All you have to do is say,“How do youdo?”and thenmove on.
Notice that Miss Manners does not suggest saying any version of the common (but not etiquette-sanctioned) “It’s nice to meet you,” because she knows it is not. But even if youslipand accidentally say that —and you should
saysomething, out of respect to your friend —simply meeting someone does not asocial connectionmake. Still, MissManners will understand if you move along quickly enough tomake sure that no pictures are taken as evidence.
Dear Miss Manners: Arewhitepainted fingernails and toes out of line as awedding guest?
Gentlereader: Yes, if your plan is to upstage the bride withyour hands and feet
Dear Miss Manners: Arethe rules for attending operatic concerts relaxed when the venue is apublic place, such as apark? Today at thelocal opera’sannual concert Igritted my teeth and said nothing to the sotto voce chatterers beside me. Butwhen someone
Trythiscutting boardtechnique
Dear Heloise: Ihave acutting board hint. Iuse the juice groove around the edges to hold roundish vegetables or fruit and cut them. They don’t slip or move around becausethe groove anchors them. Iuse this hack for cutting olives, carrots, radishes and even potatoes. My second hint is that Isave all the packaging that bed linens (sheets, duvets, blankets, etc.) come in. Iwashmy linens, thenput them back in the zippered packages and store them under the bed for the next time I needtochange the bedding. Ihave everything from double to king-sized beds in my home, and the sheets don’tget mixed up.
started loudlysinging along, I turned and said, “Excuse me, but we want to hear him,not you.” Wasthis a“draw”inrelative rudeness?
Your booksand columns have given me much pleasure.
Gentlereader: But not much tact, Miss Manners notices. Your sentiment was valid,but the words abit harsh, makingitindeed adraw.Next time, perhaps you could politelytellyour vocalistthat you are havingtroublehearing the singer you came to see.
Dear Miss Manners: Ihave just gone back to workwith abroken wrist. How do Istop people, in apolite way,from trying to grab at my arm? Iclearly have acast on; how-
ever,several people think it’sOK to try and grab my cast. Gentle reader: “Ouch.”
If that, or swiftly dodging out of the way, does not work, Miss Manners suggests you try some protective padding —anarm cozy,ifyou will. It will be abonus if it also protects you against those whodid not get the urge to write crude things on casts out of their systemsinhigh school.
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.
addingnew vegetables or spices. Inever eat out; leftovers become my lunch. Also, sometimes because we are each so busy,we each makeupour own meal out of whatever we can find in the fridge andjust call it “snacking for dinner.”Infact,in our house we have acatchphrase: “Leftovers are our friends.” Andbythe way my husband cooks about 50% of ourmeals! It is all in one’sattitude. —Hedy Williamson,inLaguna Woods, California
Shelfliner
—Carol Pritchett, in Friendswood, Texas
Change your attitude
Dear Heloise: Ihad to laugh when Iread about the husbands who won’teat leftovers. My retired husband and my semiretired self take our leftovers and combine them into new dishes all the time by
DIGIULIO
Continued from page1D
probably five years now since COVID,” said manager Skylar Johnson. “We justfound way to kind of do amore affordable way to close in the patio.
In 1987, the DiGiuliofamily opened the restaurant in BatonRouge. Sincethen, the ownership has passed down from generation to generation.
The building’sfront wall has been replaced by arow of mahogany French doors thatcan prop open on days with beautiful weather Air conditioning and heat-
Dear Heloise: Idiscovered an inexpensiveand effective way to lineshelves Purchasearubber carpet pad (they come in many sizes) and cutittofityour shelves. It is very similar to rubber shelf liningand works well. —Alison Spencer, via email
Keep your GI tracthappy
Dear Heloise: Thereare anynumber of things that upset the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but among the
DIGIULIO
BROTHERS ITALIANCAFE
2903Perkins Road,Baton Rouge l Open 11 a.m to 2p.m. and5 p.m.to 9p.m. Mondayand Tuesday; 11 a.m.to2 p.m.and 5p.m. to 10 p.m.Wednesdayand Thursday; 11 a.m.to2 p.m and 4p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.to10p.m. Saturday; and 10:30a.m. to 2p.m. Sunday.
ing units have been added in theceiling as well.The whole process took about three weeks, Johnson said. Outside,the old umbrellas were replaced by bright
worst are some chemical food additives. They affect thebacteria in our system, which leads to irritable bowel syndrome. Whenever possible, eat fresh and unprocessed foods. —SandraL Hartford, Massachusetts Snackattack
Dear Heloise: My grandkids are spending some time with us, and Ineed ideas for healthy snacks. Care to chime in on this one? —RobertP., Elgin, Illinois Robert, kudos for keeping the grandkids healthy! Here are someideas: For sweet snacks, you can give them yogurt with honey or fresh fruit, chocolate-covered nuts or seeds, and unsweetened applesauce. Other snacks might be celerywith peanut butter,carrots and hummus,ordried kale chips and string cheese. Think low sugar and low fat. If any of my readers have moreideas, please send your hint to Heloise@ Heloise.com —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
red umbrellas,matching the main sign’s color palette atop the building. New cement potsseparate the picnic tables from theparking lot, which will soon hold more greenery and small trees
No seating hasbeenadded, but Johnson hopes to change that in the near future.They also may eventually add anew barroom attached to the patio.
“When thefootball season gets alittle bitmore colder,we’ll have thegame on,and we’llopenupall thedoors,” Johnson said.
“I think that will be really nice, just to have people walking in and outina good temperature.”
Friendssquirmout of planstheyagreedto
DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife and I, along with afew family friends, needed to travel to Canada for afuneral. We decided it would be more economical to drive, so Ibooked the rental vehicle. Our friends let us know that they’d send us their contribution before we hit the road. The day before our departure, they called, saying they might just takeabus because it’s moreaffordable, despite us choosing the rental car together and agreeing on pricing. My wife and Idecided to invite them to join us in the carpool anyway because thecar was already paid for,but Ifound all the back and forth to be anuisance; we had checked in with them every step of the way, and we had all agreed. I ended up doing all the driving and covered gas, tolls and the cost of thecar.My wife wants to say somethingtoour friends, but I thinkthat may be awkward. What do you think? —Carpool
you feel and ask forthem to makeacontribution to defray someofthe costs.
DEAR CARPOOL: Emotions were likely high, given that you and your friends were going to afuneral, but your friends were wrong. They broke an agreement that you madetogether and took advantage of you by not contributing at all to the cost of thetrip. They should be ashamed of themselves! Youhave every right to speak tothem about this. Remindthem that you all agreed on the travel plans and the sharing of costs. They reneged. When you offered to let them ride with you anyway,they should have at least contributed to gas and tolls. Toobad you didn’task them straight up to pay their share anyway Youcan tell them now how
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’manexecutive assistant with 12 years of experience under my belt. I have been with my current company for the past three years, exhibiting growth and leadership, and I’ve even been trusted to conduct interviewsand training fornew hires. Iwas originally hired to be an assistant foradirector at my company.Early this year,one of the C-suite execs lost their assistant, and Iwas asked to pull that weight and offer full-time support along with my existing workload. It has been difficult, but honestly, I’ve enjoyed the challenge. Working with the C-suite can be difficult, and it has been, but Ienjoy learning through adifferent lens in the company.Despite enjoying this new role, Ibelieve my efforts are worthy of proper compensation. This new role alone often makes anywhere between $20,000 and $30,000 more
than Iamcurrently earning, and Iamhandling both jobs. How do Iremind my higher-ups of my value at the firm and respectfully request awell-deserved raise? —Two Jobs in One DEAR TWOJOBS IN ONE: Do you have amentor at work? If so, talk to that person about strategy.Ifnot, request ameeting with your direct supervisor.Describe how you have been enjoying the challenge over the past fewmonths. Share what your long-term goals are at the company.Don’t be afraid to dream big out loud. Ask what they are thinking about forthe future of this role. Point out that you have been doing twojobs forseveral months and would appreciate being compensated forthe additional role as you also hope they will consider you for arole that is in alignment with your vision.
Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.
Harriette Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITY
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept.22) Put safety first where health, wealth, rules andregulations comeinto play. Do your research and proceed with common sense. Be the onetoenforcechange,not the onewho must succumb to others' demands.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Takeaslowlook around and consider what worksbest foryou.Sticking closetohome willgive youtime to fine-tune your surroundings to bettersuit your needs.
scoRPIo (oct.24-nov. 22) Keep life simple,yourplans doable andyour conversations pleasant. Personal gain, physical fitness, updatingyourlook or enjoying time with someoneyou love is in your best interest.
sAGITTARIus (nov.23-Dec. 21) Weighthe prosand consbefore you act. Leave nothing to chance or up to athird-party player. Call the shots, say no when necessary anddowhat's best for you.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll face conflictsbetween whatyou want to do andwhatyou must take care of today. Trust your instincts, not what someone else tells you or tries to convince you to do
AQuARIus (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Sizeup your financial situation. You may feel inclined to alter your domestic space or relationship with someone, but a wait-and-see approach is in your best interest.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Social events will provide an opportunity to gather information. Gravitatetowardthose who have expertise regarding some-
thing that interests you, and you'll gain insight.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Let your imagination wander and your creativity soar. It's time to embark on something engaging that helps you fulfill your needs. Don't overreact or turn aminor setback into an unmanageable disruption
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Be mindful of whatyou ingest andhow youtreat your body.Keeptrack of indulgentorexcessive behavior to prevent the risk of illness or injury. Work toward ahealthy lifestyleand ahappy home.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) You can change the world around you if you participate. Air your concerns;useyour voice to make adifference. Do your research andrefrain from making costly domesticupgrades.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Discipline and hardworkwill pay off. Invest time and money in yourself, your home andyour future. Assess howyou look and live, and establish afitness and diet regimen thatleadstoimproved health.
LEo(July 23-Aug. 22) Takeanenergetic approach to domestic chores, butbe mindful not to infringe on aneighbor or local regulations without obtaining approval first.Aslight mistake can lead to abig disaster.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, pastand present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
ToDAy's cLuE: AEQuALsK
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Kate Adie OBE, an Englishjournalist whowas known for reporting from war zones forthe BBC, said,“If I’mindanger, then it’s usually my fault and it’s up to me to getmyself outofit. Iamnot in it just to get an adrenaline rush.”
At the bridge table,adrenalinerushes can make players rush,when they should bestopping to look for potential dangers
In this deal, forexample, howshould South planthe playinsix spades after West leads the hearttwo?Also, how would you have bid with thatNorthhand after partner opened twono-trump? In this auction, North transferred into spades, then bid the contract he hoped hispartnercouldmake.Amodernsuperscientist would have jumpedtofive diamonds over three spades, Exclusion RomanKey Card Blackwood. It would have asked South for key cards excludingthe diamond ace. Manyplayers would win the first trick andimmediatelyplayatrump.However, East would winwithhis ace and return aheart forhis partnertoruff and defeat thecontract. Slightly unlucky, it is true. Andmany Souths would then ask their partners whythey had not bid sixno-trump, which is impregnable. But these declarersshouldhavepausedforthoughtwhen
wuzzles
thedummycamedown.Especiallygiven that Southcan see every heart honor, the opening lead has all theaura of a singleton. To avoidgoing down, declarer shouldtake the first trickinhis hand anddiscard dummy’s remaining hearts on the diamondace andking. Then it is safe to draw trumps.
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 four or more letters.2.Wordsthat acquire four letters by the additionof“s,” suchas“bats” or “dies,” are notallowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. Proper nouns,slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are notallowed.
ToDAy’s WoRD EPonyMous: ih-PON-ih-mus: Relating to the person or thing for whom or which something is named.
yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —REJoInDER
Average mark 34 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 51 or more words in EPONYMOUS? redo redone reed rein reined rejoin rejoined rend render ride rider rind rode eider erne erode erred jeer join joinder joined joiner
order inro iron ironed need nerd nerdier node noir nori deer denier dine diner dire doer done donee drier drone
today’s thought
“And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.And Jesus said to him,Truly Isay to you, To day shall you be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-43
