Patrick Cochran, director of inmateprogramming at East Baton RougeParish Prison,
Hurst walk down acellblocktogether on Wednesday. Conditions at the prison have long raisedconcerns about humaneness.But now, theburden to taxpayers is surging with no solution in sight.
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER |Staff writer
Each month, East Baton RougeParish taxpayers spend$368,000 to send inmates to prisons in otherparishes, almost four times the $96,000 they spent just six years ago.
While the COVID-19 crime spike and new laws have played arole, many parish officials say the main problem is simple: The nearly 60-year-old parish prison is falling apart.
Rusted bars andceilings, crumbling sewage pipes and long-obsolete parts often fail, taking sections —sometimes entire wings—out of commission and leavingthe jailwith too few beds.
keep what beds open that it can.
Some leaders nowquestionwhether the constant patchworkrepairsare wasting taxpayer dollars. They wonderifbuilding anew prison—with enough beds and abetter setupfor rehabilitation —mightsave money in the long run. Butthose officials face the same problem as someonewho would rather buy anew car than keep shelling out for repairs: Where are they going to get that much money all at once?
Thousandsofold oilwells, many unplugged andleaking, pock state’sdisappearing coast
BY ALEXLUBBEN |Staff writer
Mikeal BerthelotJr. was navigating the mouth of the Mississippi River in his shrimp boat, a stretch of water he’d traversed manytimes before.The waterwas calm.The sun beat down. His deckhand wasmaking apeanut buttersandwich. Thenthe boat slammed intosomething they couldn’tsee. The crash threwBerthelot forward. As he grasped forsupport, hishand shattered a glass pane in front of the steering wheel. “My boat is stuckonsomething,” he told his fatheroverthe phone.“It went through the bottom of the hull.”
Within minutes, the engine room filled with water. Within an hour,the boat hadsunk. Berthelotdidn’tknowitatthe time, but he had struckanold oilwell, drilledmorethana halfcentury ago. Back then, the site was surrounded by marsh. Today, it’sinnavigable open water
There are thousands morelike it.Ananalysis by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate, independently reviewed by researchers at Tulane
ä See SINKING, page 4A
On topofsending inmateselsewhere, in recent years theparish has spent millions annually on repairs to
Throughout any of thejail’swings, long ceiling cracks —some stretching nearly 20 feet—are acommon sight. They’re more than just signs
ä See JAIL, page 10A
Nominating petition requiredfor non-majorparty
BY ALYSE PFEIL |Staff writer
That’s because, under new rules for Louisiana’sclosed party primary races that begin in April, candidatesfor U.S. Houseand Senate whoaren’t Democrats or Republicans have more work to do to get on theNovember ballot.
and Republican
to
didatescan
office in January by
cy form andpaying the qualifying fee for the race. It’s$3,500 forthe Senateand $1,500 forthe House. All other candidates forthose races —for example, unaffiliated “no party” candidates, Green Party members andLibertarians —are required to qualifythrough thestate’s little-used nominating petition process.
To qualify by nominating petition, acandidate goes out and collects handwritten signatures and identifying information from a required number of voters. Senate candidates need at least 2,500 signatures, with 250 of those coming from each congressional
Multiple people shot at N.H. country club
NASHUA, N.H. A shooting at a country club left multiple gunshot victims, police in New Hampshire said Saturday night. Nashua police said video surveillance confirmed there was one shooter, and they are the person being detained by police
They said the scene is still an active investigation, but there is no further danger to the public. The shootings happened at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua. Information on the conditions of the victims was not immediately available.
An aerial view of the scene from WMUR-TV showed multiple emergency responders heading to the scene. Nashua police said on the social platform X to “not respond to the area of Sky Meadow at this time.”
U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander said in a statement that she was “closely monitoring the tragic reports of a shooting tonight at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua” and that her heart was with the victims, their families and the entire community.
Officials: TikTok deal will give Americans control
WASHINGTON — An emerging TikTok deal with China will ensure that U.S. companies control the algorithm that powers the app’s video feed and Americans will hold a majority of seats on a board overseeing U.S. operations, the White House said Saturday A central question to the tug of warbetweenWashingtonandBeijing has been whether the popular social video platform would keep its algorithm after the potential divestment of Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Congress passed legislation calling for a TikTok ban to go into effect in January, but President Donald Trump has repeatedly signed orders that have allowed TikTok to keep operating in the United States as his administration tries to reach agreement for ByteDance to sell its U.S operations
White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt said tech giant Oracle would be responsible for the app’s data and security and that Americans will control six of the seven seats for a planned board. Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We are 100% confident that a deal is done, now that deal just needs to be signed and the president’s team is working with their Chinese counterparts to do just that,” Leavitt told Fox News’ “Saturday in America.” A day earlier Trump and China’s Xi Jinping discussed a TikTok deal in a lengthy phone call.
Leavitt said “the algorithm will also be controlled by America as well,” offering more detail about how the deal, at least in the eyes of the White House, is taking shape.
TikTok’s algorithm fuels what users see on the app. American officials have warned the algorithm is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect.
Large WWII-era bomb found in Hong Kong
HONG KONG
— Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Hong Kong overnight so experts could defuse a large U.S.-made bomb left over from World War II that was discovered at a construction site
Police said the bomb was nearly 5 feet in length and weighed about 1,000 pounds. It was discovered by construction workers in Quarry Bay, a bustling residential and business district on the west side of Hong Kong island
“We have confirmed this object to be a bomb dating back to World War II,” said Andy Chan Tin-Chu, a police official, speaking to reporters ahead of the operation. He said that because of “the exceptionally high risks associated with its disposal,” approximately 1,900 households involving 6,000 individuals were “urged to evacuate swiftly.”
The operation to deactivate the bomb began late Friday and lasted until about 11:30 a.m. Saturday No one was injured in the operation.
PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA
ground and air operations are engulfed by smoke Saturday after an Israeli strike in the northern
southern Israel.
Some countries prepare to recognize Palestinian state
BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
CAIRO Scores of Palestinians, many pushing carts of belongings or carrying their possessions on their backs, fled
Gaza City on Saturday as Israel ramped up its offensive, including with strikes that health officials said killed at least 14 people overnight.
Later in Israel, thousands joined the families of hostages still being held by Hamas to demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiate an end to the war
There were protests in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv where a large black banner was unfurled imploring U.S. President Donald Trump to help end the war, with “SAVE THEM!” in yellow letters.
The latest military strikes come as some prominent Western countries prepare to recognize Palestinian statehood at the gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly next week. They include the U.K., France, Canada, Australia, Malta, Belgium and Luxembourg.
In a statement Friday, Portugal’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it will recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday The Iberian country had previously announced its plans to do so but now set an official date
The latest Israeli operation, which began this week, further escalates a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire further out of reach.
The Israeli military, which says it wants to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure” and urged Palestinians to leave, hasn’t given a timeline for the offensive, but there were indications it could take months.
Israeli bombardment over the past 23 months has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza, destroyed vast areas of the strip,
displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.
Dr Rami Mhanna, the managing director of Shifa Hospital, where some of the bodies were brought, said the dead included six people from the same family after a strike hit their home early Saturday morning. They were relatives of the hospital’s director, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiya, he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said five others were killed in another strike close to Shawa Square.
Israel’s military said it couldn’t comment on the specific strikes without more information, but that it was “operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” and “takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Israel has been urging hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City to move south to what it calls a humanitarian zone and opened another corridor south of Gaza City for two days this week to allow more people to evacuate.
Palestinians were streaming out of Gaza City by car and on foot, though many in the famine-stricken city are unwilling to be uprooted again, too weak to leave or unable to afford the cost of moving.
Along the coastal Wadi Gaza route, those too exhausted to continue stopped to catch their breath and give their children a much-needed break from the difficult journey
“No water, electricity, or internet. People are forced to leave with nothing,” said Seif Abu Oomsan. “They target us with things you wouldn’t imagine, like science fiction. They target us with missiles that we have never heard of.”
“We are headed toward the unknown. Nobody knows where they are going,” said Faris Swafiri.
Aid groups have warned that forcing thousands of people to evacuate will exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis. They are appealing for a ceasefire so aid can reach those who need it
Russia launches a large-scale attack on Ukraine, killing 3
BY HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine Russia launched a largescale missile and drone attack targeting regions across Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks took place across nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava Kyiv Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv
“The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multistory building in the city of Dnipro.
“Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on his official Telegram account.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones overnight slammed into an energy facility in Samara southwestern Russia, according to the local governor and Ukraine’s General Staff.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday said its forces intercepted 149 Ukrainian drones during the night.
Zelenskyy said he expects to meet President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week. He also said the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States would likely hold separate talks focused on hu-
Democratic leaders want to discuss looming shutdown
BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent
WASHINGTON As a possible federal shutdown looms, the Democratic leaders of Congress are demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump to negotiate an end to what they call “your decision” to shutter government offices if no action is taken by the endof-the month deadline.
Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said Saturday that Republicans, at Trump’s insistence, have refused to enter talks.
Democrats are pushing to preserve health care programs as part of any deal to keep government running past the Sept. 30 funding deadline.
“We write to demand a meeting in connection with your decision to shut down the federal government because of the Republican desire to continue to gut the health care of the American people,” the two New York Democrats wrote.
“Democrats have been clear and consistent in our position,” they said. “We are ready to work toward a bipartisan spending agreement that improves the lives of American families and addresses the Republican health care crisis.”
Trump, in an exchange with reporters on Saturday evening, suggested that he remains open to a potential meeting but was dismissive of the Democratic leadership.
“I’d love to meet with them, but I don’t think it’s going to have any impact,” he said.
Congress, which is controlled by Republicans, failed to address the funding issue before lawmakers left town Friday for a break
The House approved a Republican proposal to
keep the federal government funded into November, but the measure failed in the Senate. A Democratic proposal that would have boosted health care funds also failed. It all leaves Congress and the White House with no easy way out of the standoff that threatens a shutdown in less than two weeks when the current budget year and funding expires. Trump’s first term in office saw a monthlong shutdown, the longest in federal history in 2018-19.
Trump predicted Friday that there could be “a closed country for a period of time.” He said the government will continue to “take care” of the military and Social Security payments in a closure.
Republicans have insisted they are not to blame for any possible shutdown, turning it back on Democrats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have put forward the short-term measure, which is a typical way that Congress resolves such logjams. That would keep government operations running at current levels as talks get underway While the House was able to narrowly pass the temporary funding measure on a mostly party-line vote, in the Senate the process can require a higher 60-vote threshold that means support is needed from Republicans and Democrats. Democrats are working to protect health care programs. 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 break and spending cut bill enacted earlier this year
Republicans said the Democrats’ demands to reverse the Medicaid changes are a nonstarter but they also said there is time to address the health insurance subsidy issue in the months ahead
manitarian issues involving children.
At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local Gov Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro. In the Kyiv region, local authorities reported strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, Gov Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down. Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s air force said, of which 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles were shot down or neutralized.
University,estimates more than 3,600 wells once drilled on land or in wetlands are now in open water —aresult of decades of erosion, sinking land and rising seas
Some leak. Many endanger boats. Hundreds may fall to taxpayers to clean up
As land peels away from oil and gas wells along Louisiana’seroding coastline, they become increasingly difficult and expensiveto plug, inspectand maintain The state has not fully contended with the growing costs of plugging afleet of wells in open water and keeping them plugged permanently— norwiththe environmental hazards that these wells maypose.
As aresult, Louisianais left with agraveyard of old wells pocking its disappearing coasts, sinking into the Gulf with the rest of the once-vibrant marsh.
“It’salot more expensive to plug awell in water as opposedtoonland,” said Mark Agerton, aresearcher at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University in Houston, who has studied the costs of plugging oil and gas wells in Louisiana. “The environmental risks are high in theseecologicallysensitive areas along the coast.”
While decades of drilling have helped fuel the economy of the state and the nation, the industry has also played an importantrolein coastal land loss and climate change, which is causing rising seas.
Louisiana’scoastal wetlands contain moreoil and gas wells than anywhere else in the U.S. The prospect of plugging them has long been aconcern for the state, butless attention has been paid to what is disappearing under the tides.
Neither the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, which represents smaller oiland gas companies, nor the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, representing the majors, responded to requests for comment.
The Louisiana Oil and Gas Associationhas previously supported federal funding to plug oil and gas wells
Louisiana has 7,583 unplugged wells in its offshore andinland statewaters,according to astudy published in Nature —morethanTexas, Alabama and California combined. The total does not include offshore wells in federal waters, which begin three miles off Louisiana’s coast.
Louisiana has relied heavily on federal aid, particularlythroughthe Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which has funded the plugging of hundreds of wells. But the state only has about $246 million in state funds earmarked to plug wells in its waters, according to theDepartment of Energy and Natural Resources. That’sonly enough to plug about 850 wells —roughly 11% of the total number
Spills in coastal waters, particularly in wetlands, are hazardous and costly
The analysis is likelyan undercount of thenumber of wells that were drilled on land and are now in water
The mostrecent coastal map is from 2020, andland loss hascontinued sincethen. Theanalysisalsoexcludes wells that are very near to land, and manywells exist right at the edge of land or marsh.
Still, the best-available data shows what’salready happened and makes clear what’stocome. It isn’thard to find hazardous wells. Just afew miles north of where Berthelot’s boat sank, Well 307 rusts above the waterline in Quarantine Bay
“It’scoated in oil,” Eustis noticed as he inspected it in early June. It was leaking. It hadbeen drilledin1980 andtemporarily plugged on Aug. 27, 2005, “an auspicious date,” Eustis said —just two days before HurricaneKatrina made landfall less than five milesaway
Twenty years later,Well 307 hasn’tbeen turned back on.
to clean up. Oil suffocates plants, accelerating land loss and harming ecosystems.
PatrickCourreges,a DENR spokesperson, said that the agency has no system for tracking whether wells along the coast were drilled on land but arenow in open water,though the department began to log whether wells are on land or in water in 2021.
Tracking wells
Using archived maps from theU.S.Geological Survey and historical records,The Times-Picayune analyzed wellsdrilled between1932 and2016 across two dozen coastal parishes.
Of nearly 84,000 wells drilled over that period, 3,654 were likely drilled on landorinmarsh and are now in open water.Most are permanently plugged— their wellhead has been removed and the wellbore is plugged with cementcasings —but hundreds are not. Only12ofthe 3,654still
produceoil.
These figures are rough estimates, constrained by gaps in state records and thelimitations of historical coastline maps, the oldest of which are based on grainy aerial photographs fromthe 1930s.Locationsdata for older wells can sometimes be off by morethan 1,000 feet, accordingtoScott Eustis, thecommunity science director at Healthy Gulf, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization and coauthor of an upcomingstudy aboutabandonedoil andgas infrastructure.
Thestate haslost 610 wells that couldn’tbelocated and so could notbeplugged. Still more are likely completely undocumented, drilled before modern rules went into effect, accordingtothe state’slegislative auditor Mead Allison, aprofessor in Tulane’sDepartment of River-Coastal Science and Engineering, reviewed The Times-Picayune’smethodologyand called it “scientifically valid.”
Birds rest on partially submerged oilpipes
of
on June 5.
Thecompany that owns the well, Cox Operating, is going through bankruptcy proceedings in Texas. Another company may buy up Cox’s assets, including Well 307. If no one does, the well will likely become orphaned, and responsibility for plugging it will fall to the state.
Rising costs
Paul McKimdescribed how he maneuvered his small barge through the swamp to awell he was hired to plug, where he found abotched job: Instead of poured cement,someone hadstuffed afew bags of powdered cement into the borehole.
“That’show they plugged them back then,” he said. “Wehad to drill themout” to plug the well properly
Plugging awell in water can cost four times as much as plugging oneonland. In about4feet of water,itcan cost about$400,000,said McKim, theowner of CrescentEnergy,acompanythat plugs wells in Louisiana and
Texas. On land, the same job might cost just $100,000. McKim’sclients are mainly oil companies; he also plugs orphan wells, funded by federal dollars.
The average cost across all wells in Louisiana is $113,000, accordingtothe state’slegislative auditor.The state’sDENR said that its orphan well program hadplugged 70 wells on water since 2014 at an average cost of $287,000. Plugging wells properly is highly technical. Crews removeany remaining parts of the wellhead above ground, puncture the casing with dynamite, and inject high-pressure cement to seal the well deep underground. That allows them to place multiple cement plugs at precise depths inside the wellbore.
The goal is to prevent oil or gas from migrating into groundwaterorthe surface andisolate it deep underground, ideally forever
Many older wells were never plugged to modern standards. In the early 20th century,companies sometimes sealedwellswith “well-seasonedpine wood,” according to a2023 report prepared for the Environmental Integrity Project. It wasn’tuntil1941 that Louisiana began requiring cement plugs.
The Times-Picayune iden-
tified 437 wells that appear to have been drilled on land, are now in open water,and were likely plugged before thatrequirementtookeffect, according to DENR data. Those older wells are more likely to leak, and may need to be monitored or replugged. But the DENR said thatitdoes not reinspect plugged wells unless it receives areportindicating the need.
A financialgap
When awell is drilled,oil companies legally must set aside money to plug it once it runs dry.But state law requires companiestopost far less money than it actually costs to plug awell, especially forolderwells now in water
When awell is drilled on land, oil companies often set aside less than 10%ofthe cost of actuallyplugging the well. And many operators are covered by “blanket” policies —lump-sum guarantees for entire fields that can be as low as $50,000 for dozens of wells, accordingto the legislative auditor Forsomeofthe oldest submerged wells, there may be no money set aside at all
“Financial security wasn’t even athing until 2000, said Courreges, the DENR spokesperson. “Industryhad a100-year head start with no financial security requirements.”
Pluggedbut stillrisky
Pluggingmay ultimately not be enough in ashifting, sinking landscape.
“Damn nearevery coastal oil field hassunk twoor three feet due to fluid withdrawals of the oil and gas,” said Greg Miller,aformer oil industry professional and founder of ICON Environmental, aconsulting firm.
That slow movement underground can stress a well’sstructure, even if it was sealed correctly
Louisiana law requires well casings to be cut at least 10 feet below the mudline in state waters. If the casing is cut too shallow or if the well was on land
OF Sources: Department of Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Geological Survey
Thousands are permanently plugged, but could still leak. Hundreds are unplugged or inactive.
Only 12 wells are still producing
Permanently plugged UnpluggedTemporarily plugged Active
when it was plugged and so was cuttoa shallower depth —the pipe may still protrude, posing anavigational hazard. That may have beenwhat happened with the well that sank Berthelot’sboat Buteven aproper cut and deep cement job offers no absoluteguarantee.
“There is ahighprobability,but not acertainty thatitwon’tleak for,quote, ‘some time,’ unquote,” said AnthonyIngraffea,a professor emeritus of petroleum engineering at Cornell University
‘Wehad nightmares
Whilethe state wrestles with theburdenofold coastal wells, theBerthelots have beenlefttoshoulder aburdenoftheir own. Afterthe boat sank,they
spent about$40,000 hiring divers and abarge with acrane to fish it out of the Gulf. He and his son hoped to rehabilitateitand make it seaworthy again, but it cleaved in two during the salvage process.
They tried, unsuccessfully,toget compensation from acompanythatonce owned thewell.
“Wewentthrough all this trouble. We had nightmares,” Berthelot Sr.said “But the boat just blewup like abomb.”
To learn more about this how we found oil wells drilled on land that are now in water,visit nola.com/ news/environment/coastaloil-wells-methodology
Email Alex Lubben at alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.
BY TRÂN NGUYEN and MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press
California became the first state to ban most law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill signed Saturday by Gov Gavin Newsom.
The ban is a direct response to recent immigration raids in Los Angeles, where federal agents wore masks while making mass arrests. The raids prompted days of protest across and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to the area.
Newsom said California is unique in that 27% of its residents are foreign born.
“We celebrate that diversity It’s what makes California great It’s what makes Amer-
ica great. It is under assault,” he said at a news conference in Los Angeles. “This is the United States of America.”
The Democratic governor said the state is pushing back against the practice of masked agents without identification or badge num-
bers detaining people on the streets.
“The impact of these policies all across this city, our state and nation are terrifying,” Newsom said. “It’s like a dystopian sci-fi movie. Unmarked cars, people in masks, people quite literally
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MEG KINNARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would be nominating senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan to serve as the top federal prosecutor for the Virginia office that was thrown into turmoil when its U.S attorney was pushed out Friday
In a social media post just after he departed the White House for an event at Mount Vernon, Trump wrote he was nominating Halligan as U.S attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, writing that she “will be Fair, Smart, and will provide, desperately needed, JUSTICE FOR ALL!”
The announcement came as Trump pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to move forward with pursuing cases
against some of his political opponents, part of a vow for retribution that has been a theme of his return to the White House. The nomination would place one of the president’s legal defenders in charge of an office in tumult over political pressure by administration officials to criminally charge New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of Trump, in a mortgage fraud investigation. Erik Siebert, who had been the office’s top prosecutor, resigned amid a push by Trump administration officials to bring charges in the investigation, which stems from allegations of paperwork discrepancies on James’ Brooklyn town house and a Virginia home. The Justice Department has spent months investigating, and there’s been no indi-
cation that prosecutors have managed to uncover any degree of incriminating evidence necessary to secure an indictment. James’ lawyers have vigorously denied any allegations and characterized the investigation as an act of political revenge.
Halligan has been part of Trump’s legal orbit for the last several years, including serving as one of his attorneys in the early days of the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mara-Lago estate in Florida. She has more recently been enlisted in a White House effort to remove what the administration contends is “improper ideology” from Smithsonian properties.
In announcing Halligan’s nomination soon after on social media, Trump said that Bondi was “doing a GREAT job.”
disappearing. No due process, no rights, no right in a democracy where we have rights. Immigrants have rights, and we have the right to stand up and push back, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”
But it’s unclear how — or whether — the state can enforce the ban on federal agents. A homeland security official called the legislation “despicable” in a statement last week, adding that the ban would put officers in danger
The Department of Homeland Security said it sent letters Friday to the attorneys general in California, Illinois and New York reinforcing previous instructions that the Democratic-led states honor detainers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “criminal illegal aliens within their
jurisdictions.” DHS said in a statement Saturday that if the states fail to comply, it would pursue “all appropriate measures to end their inadvisable and irresponsible obstruction.”
There was no immediate response to messages seeking comment from DHS and ICE after the law was signed by Newsom in Los Angeles, flanked by state lawmakers and immigrant community members.
The new law prohibits neck gaiters, ski masks and other facial coverings for local and federal officers, including immigration enforcement agents, while they conduct official business. It makes exceptions for undercover agents, medical masks such as N95 respirators or tactical gear It doesn’t apply to state police.
Trump administration of-
ficials have consistently defended the practice, saying immigration agents have faced strident and increasing harassment in public and online as they have gone about their enforcement in service of Trump’s drive toward mass deportation, and hiding their identities is for their and their families’ safety Federal agents are already instructed to identify themselves and wear vests with ICE or Homeland Security markers during operations, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said this week. “The men and women at CBP, ICE, and all of our federal law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” she said in a statement.
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s latest plan to overhaul the American immigration system has left some immigrant workers confused, forcing the White House on Saturday to scramble to clarify that a new $100,000 fee on visas for skilled tech workers only applies to new applicants and not to current visa holders.
The president on Friday, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick by his side, signed a proclamation that will require the new fee for what are known as H-1B visas — meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill.
“Those who
2025 SouthernUniversityFootballGameDay Traffic,Parking,and StadiumRules
Southern UniversityAthletics urgesfanstoarriveearly before kick-off forall Southern Universityhomefootball gamesatA.W MumfordStadium to help with theeaseoftrafficflow
Driverswho parkinthe paid/reserve lots must have their hang tags visible on thevehiclesorriskbeing towedand/orticketed Contraflowmay begin earlierthandesignated if need be Additional reserveparking will be available at theMLK Catholic Center.Call theSUticketoffice at 225-771-3171 fordetails Also,the areasonIsabelHersonDrive,nearthe Southern UniversityLaboratory School, will be available forparking Generalparking,which is $20, will only be madeavailable on Saturday
Designated limited mobility parking areaswillbeavailable on a first come basis. Shuttles will be available in certain areastobring fans to thestadium.Pleasesee theLimited Mobility/ReservedLot manifestfor acomplete list of lotsand availableshuttle locations SouthernUniversityFootballGameTrafficPlan ALLHANGTAGSMUSTBEHUNG FROM REARVIEWMIRROR BEFORE ENTERING CAMPUS ANDREMAINVISIBLYDISPLAYED AT ALLTIMES.VEHICLESPARKEDINRESERVEDPARKING LOTS WITHOUT DISPLAYING RESERVED HANG TAGS FORTHATLOT WILL BE TOWED. Thereare alimited number of game dayRV andtailgatingspotsavailable,call225-771-3171for more info Individualvehicleswillnot be allowedtoparkinRVlots. Allmotor homesand fifth wheelersmustparkinthe areasdesignated for motor homes. If youwillbetowingavehicle,you must purchasea parking permit forthe vehicleand park it in thedesignatedlot that correspondstothe permit
Traffic on Campus during Normal Traffic Flow
Traffic onto campus by wayof HardingBoulevard
•The rightlaneofHardingBoulevard is forDecal Reserved ParkingLotsA,B,C,D,G(Mini Dome andStadium Parking), Tailgate Dome
•The left laneofHarding Boulevardisfor DecalReservedParking Lots, E, V, Uand MLK
•Gameday busparking should enteronHardingand proceed to E.C. HarrisonDrive.Parking is $250 forall non-SU Alumni/ Booster Clubs.
•General parking should enter throughHardingBoulevard,Mills Avenue or Swan Avenue.Parking is $20per car.
Anydecal entering theMiniDomemay be allowedtopassthrough theMiniDomeparking area if it is notLot Dtoget their designated decalparking area. Traffic ontocampusbyway of Swan Avenue
will be able to gettoLotsA,B,C,D,F,G,H,and I.
Traffic ontocampusbyway of B. A. LittleDr. from MillsAvenuewill
be able to gettoLotsA,B,C,D,F,G,H,and I.
Alltrafficthatisnot goingtoareservedlot must park in ageneral
parking area
Traffic onto HardingBoulevard
•BradfordHall ParkingLot
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Traffic onto Swan Avenue
•The grassareaeastofIsabelHersonStreet
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•The grassareanorth of IsabelHersonStreet.
•TrafficontoB.A.LittleDr. from MillsAvenue.
•The grassareatothe southofMills Ave. andwestofB.A.Little Drive.
•The grassareatothe southofMills Ave. andeastofB.A.Little Drive.
HardingBlvd. Contra-flow Traffic
•All lanes will be inbound.
•Contra-flow traffic will startthree hoursprior to kickofforearlier if necessary.For example, fora6p.m.kickoff contra-flow traffic will startat3p.m
LimitedMobility
Bradford Hall andSUPoliceStation Parking
A.W. Mumford
StadiumPolicies
•NoAlcoholic beveragesfromoutside will be allowedinside A.W. MumfordStadium
•SouthernUniversityreservesthe righttorefusethe sale of alcoholic beverages
•FansCannotStore Prohibited Bags &ItemsNearStadium
Entrances
•All Unattended ItemswillbeRemoved &Discarded
•Full details listed at www.gojagsports.com
•All Persons&ItemsEntering areSubjecttoInspection
•NoRe-entry-AnyoneLeaving theStadium Must Havea New, Unused Ticket to Re-enter
•Tickets MayNot be Re-sold on Stadium Premises &Surrounding Grounds(IncludingParking Lots)
•All PersonsMustHaveaTicketfor Admission- Regardless of Age(children under 2years old do notneedaticket)
•Smoking &Use of AllTobacco Products(Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes,Cigars, Pipes,Smokeless Tobacco,Snuff,Chewing Tobacco,Vapes,etc.) is Prohibited Everywhere on Southern University’sCampus
•Inall sports, access to thecompetition area shallbelimited to participating student-athletes,coaches,officials, support personneland properlycredentialed individualsatall times.
•AtNotimebefore, during or after acontestshallspectators be permittedtoenter thefieldorplaying surface.
•Accesstothe field is reserved forparticipating student-athletes, coaches,officials, supportpersonneland properlycredentialed individuals.
BY MELINA WALLING Associated Press
NEW YORK Thousands of activists marched down Park Avenue and turned down Billionaires’ Row toward Trump Tower in New York Saturday to “Make Billionaires Pay,” calling for climate justice, democracy,free speech, gender equality,astop to the Trump’simmigration crackdown and aceasefire in Gaza
Their signs and reasons for taking to the streets were diverse, but many said the march highlighted acommon theme behind the issues they stood for: thatasmall, elite class of the wealthy and powerful consistently prioritized profits over people’slives
“I don’tsee them as movements. Idon’tsee them as organizations. Ijust see humanity.Weare all on this Earth. This is our mother,” said Mahaishuwea, whose name means Eagle Woman in thelanguage of theHidatsa tribe,which is based in North Dakota.
As marchers gathered, she spoke about her personal experiences growing up on the Fort Berthold Indian reservation, where she survived cancer.Standing in front of
investment management company Blackstone’sheadquarters, she connected the violenthistory of colonization and resource extraction on Indigenous lands to thepresent-day greed of the powerful. “Theyhave asickness,” she said.
Demonstrationshave been planned aroundthe world this week aheadofthe United Nations General Assembly andNew York Climate Week
Despiteyears of international conferences,negotiations and treaties, countries have continuedtoincreasetheir emissions of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhousegas emissions, fueling more frequent and intense extreme weather events. 2024 was thehottest year on record,and the Trumpadministration has been working to roll back foundational environmental
rules. This has freed theway foroil andcoalindustries to pollutemorewhile presenting moreroadblocks to wind and solar energy development Tamika Middleton, managing director of the Women’s March, saidthat although it sometimes can be challenging to bring together people who are passionateabout different causes, this year the intersectionsbetween
themfeltclearer.“The climate crisis,economicfights and immigrantfightsare all really one big fight,” she said.
The crowdstretched for over four city blocksand passed by luxury stores like Louis Vuitton,Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co. Some carried enormous papier-mache puppets of ElonMusk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.Several grabbedthe edgesofa 160foot “climate pollutersbill” calling out the economic damages wrought by extreme weather events made worsebythe carbon emissions of major polluting companies.
Others dressed as the Statue of Liberty,rangcowbells and waved flags with the Star Wars character Princess Leia or homemade signs inkedin sharpie and paint. One simply read: “Free Kimmel.”
TatianaCruz was oneofthe people holding up the puppet of Elon Musk. “Eat the rich, that’sthe mainmessage,” shesaid, smiling. Butshe also explained that this was herfirst year actively protesting more after two of her friendsweredeportedafter being detainedbyU.S.Immigration and Customs En-
forcement.Since then,she hasgotten more involved in movements for migrant rights, Palestinian liberation and fighting climate change. “The monster up top is similar in alot of different scenarios,” she said. Julia Donahue-Wait had come out from the South Bronx with agroup of families whohad started organizing together andalso described the manycauses present at the march as interconnected. Her young daughter Eurydice has grown up on picket lines and helped with the poster painting. Behind her,another protester held asign: “Our work is love,” it read.
“It’sall peoplewithout power taking it back,” Donahue-Wait said. “What we say to thekids is,wehave safetyand we need to stand up for people who don’thave safety.”
Mahaishuweasaidalthough many people are scared, she thought it was important to show up.
Her 12-year-old daughter is back at home. But she wants to teach future generations howtospeak up, and “to show people we’re not afraid,” she said.
BY PANPYLAS and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
LONDON Acyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems disrupted air traffic and caused delays at several of Europe’smajor airports on Saturday
While the impact on travelers appeared to be limited, experts said the intrusion exposed vulnerabilities in security systems
The disruptions to electronic systems initially reported at Brussels, Berlin’s Brandenburg and London’s Heathrow airports meant
that only manual check-in and boarding was possible.
ManyotherEuropean airports said their operations were unaffected
“There was acyberattack on Friday night19September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systemsaffecting several Europeanairports including Brussels Airport,” said BrusselsAirport in a statement, initiallyreporting a“large impact” on flight schedules.
Airports said the issue centeredaround aprovider of check-inand boarding systems —not airlines or
theairports themselves.
Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselvesin, print boarding passesand bag tags anddispatchtheir luggage from akiosk, cited a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at “select airports.”
It was not immediately clear who mightbebehind thecyberattack,but experts said it could turn out to be hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors.
Travel analyst Paul Charles said he was “surprised andshocked”bythe
attack that hasaffected one of the world’stop aviation and defense companies.
He said “it’sdeeply worrying that acompanyof thatstature who normally have suchresilient systems in place have been affected.”
“This is averyclever cyberattack indeed because it’saffected anumberof airlinesand airports at the same time —not just one airport or oneairline,but they’ve got into the core system that enables airlines to effectively check in many of theirpassengers at different desks at differentairports
around Europe,” he told Sky News
As theday wore on,the falloutappearedtobecontained.
Brussels Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli told broadcaster VTM that by midmorning, nine flights had been canceled, four wereredirected to another airport and 15 faced delays of an hour or more. She said it wasn’timmediately clear how long the disruptions might last.
Axel Schmidt, head of communications at the Brandenburg airport, said that by late morning, “we don’thave
any flights canceleddue to this specific reason, but that could change.” The Berlin airport said operators had cut off connections to affected systems. Heathrow,Europe’sbusiestairport, said the disruption has been “minimal” withnoflight cancellations directly linked to the problems afflicting Collins. A spokesperson would not providedetails as to how many flights have been delayed as aresult of the cyberattack. The airports advised travelerstocheck theirflight status andapologizedfor any inconvenience.
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We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, ahusband andwifeteam, that ownLeBlanc Spine Center.Wehave helped thousandsofpatientsget outofpainwithSpinalDecompression therapy treatments,and we love what we do.Discissues arecommon, andpatientssufferingare usually givenlimited optionsoftreatment.Werun these bignewspaperadvertisementstolet people in thecommunity know thereisanotheroption of treatmentfor pain-without medication, injections,orsurgery!
NON-SURGICALSPINAL DECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasivetreatment that has been proventoreverse disc herniationsand relieve nervepaininthe neck andlow back.Duringthe procedure, aspinaldiscisisolatedand aseries of distractionand relaxation phases occurata very specificangle,targeting thesourceofpain.
Avacuumcan be createdinsidethe disc andthe negative pressuredeliversnutrients,oxygen, and fluidfromsurrounding tissues,toassistwith repair of thedamaged disc Thetreatment is not painfulatall,and most patients read or even take anap whileontreatment!
PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’s plenty of research to backupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapyand itseffectiveness.Here arejustafew of thepublished scientificstudies
•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvement in backpainand betterfunction. No patient required anyinvasivetherapies (e.g.epidural injections,surgery).”-AmericanAcademy of Pain Management
IcametoLeBlancSpine Center because Ihad been suffering with extremebackpainand legpainfor severalweeks.I hadtriedother treatments, massage, NSAIDs andTylenol, butIwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments andnow Ifeel100% improved! What Ilikemost aboutmytreatment is that it is non-invasive anditeliminated my pain.Mytreatment appointments are notlong, andthe treatmentispain-free Sincebeginningtreatment at LeBlancSpine Center, Iamnow able to do allofmyprevious activities andworkwithout pain.I also have morerange of motion Iwould highly recommend LeBlancSpine Center!
Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) HometownBatonRouge,LA
I first came to LeBlancSpine Centerwithnumbness in my arms andlegs. Iwas also experiencinglower back pain andneckpain. Ihad been suffering with this forover10 years. Ihad previouslytriedone epiduralinjection in my lower back andphysicaltherapy,an Iwas stillsufferingwiththese symptoms.Since beginning Spinal Decompression treatments,Ihavehad consistentimprovement in my back condition,and Iam now70% improved!Iamlifting withoutpain, sleeping better, andInow have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommendDr. LeBlanc andLeBlancSpine Center!
L. J. Dupuy (College Baseball Coach) Hometown -Addis,LA
•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesasurgicalprocedure which permanentlyaltersthe anatomyand function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.”-Journal Of Neuroscience Research
•“86%ofthe 219patients whocompleted thetherapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms.” -OrthopedicTechnology Review
•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successfulin71% of the 778cases”-Journal of Neurological Research
•“Good to excellentrelief in 86%ofpatientswith Herniateddiscs”- The American JournalofPain Management
•“Decompression Therapy reported a76.5% with complete remission and19.6% with partial remissionofpainand disability”-Rio Grande Hospital,Departmentof Neurosurgery
At LeBlancSpine Center, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-cleared technology that is provento effectively alleviatepain. It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is acandidate for
Iwas sufferingwithlower back pain foryears, anditwas gettingworse andworse.It wassopainful that Icould not function.I couldnot get outthe bedwithout fallingtothe floor. Ihad triedorthopedicdoctors medication,scans,physical therapy- alltonoavail IcametoLeBlancSpine Center, andI startedSpinal Decompression treatments in August…and Inow feel 100% improved! Iamnow sleeping better,driving withoutpain, walkingfurther –all of these activities Ican nowdo, andI have energy that Ionlyhad when Iwas young. Iamtreated wonderfully by thestaff at LeBlancSpine Center. They are so polite and caring.Dr. Scottand Dr.Dana are unbelievably helpful. The treatmentisnot painful, and Ienjoy themusic whileIam theretoo!
If askedtorecommend LeBlancSpine Center, Iwould saythatIamconvinced that youwillimprove abig amount if not100%. Decompression therapyisthe waytogo!
RonnieHebert (Civil Engineer) Hometown -Plaquemine, LA
Ihad beensuffering with lowerbackpain, sciaticpain, andnumbnessinmyfeet. I began Spinal Decompression treatments at LeBlancSpine Centerand Iamnow 80% improved! Ican nowstand and sitfor longer periods without anypain, andIamabletowalk longer distances. Iamfeeling so much better Thestaff here treats me excellent. Oneofthe best things aboutmycare at LeBlanc SpineCenteristhatIamshown care andconcern. Iwould recommendLeBlanc SpineCenterand thetreatmenteveryone here is so nice andit hasbeensohelpful!
TessaGuerin (Bus Driver) Hometown -Maurepas, LA
Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athorough individual assessment foreachpersonwho walks throughour doors. Ourhighsuccess rate in pain relief stemsfromour commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help
Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:
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At LeBlancSpine Center,weare honest with our patients andwegivepersonalizedattention and analysis to each case.Wetruly enjoymeeting with patients to answer theirquestions andtohelp find outifSpinalDecompressiontreatmentscould be theanswertotheir pain
Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything.You have nothingtolosebytakingus up on this specialoffer andyou will getanswers to what is causingyourpain. If youhave seenour adsinthe past andhave thoughtabout calling, don’thesitate. Youdon’t have to go on living in pain,missing outonactivitiesand otherpartof life that youenjoy.Callustoday!
of decay: rain seeps through the gaps to create standing pools of water throughout the areas where inmates live, prison officials say Many of the thousands of bars throughout the facility are covered in rust.
Warden Cathy Fontenot says a facility that is falling apart is dangerous.
In her office is a box that is added to regularly It is filled with weapons made from the crumbling structure’s walls, wire fencing, rusted metal doors, piping and more — a growing museum exhibiting how the decaying facility threatens officer and inmate safety every day The costs of deterioration are becoming increasingly apparent in the city-parish’s budget.
A recent weekly count showed 481 adult prisoners and 17 17-year-olds being held outside of East Baton Rouge Parish.
The city-parish pays $29.39 a day to house an adult elsewhere. Seventeenyear-olds cost much more $175 — due to the increased services that nonadults are required to receive.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office is responsible for staffing and running the jail, while the city-parish is in charge of maintaining its physical condition.
As the facility’s deterioration has ramped up in recent years, other factors also contributed to the surge in inmates being held outside of the prison. The return to normalcy after COVID-19 also played a major part in the rising costs associated with housing inmates, according Chief Administrative Deputy and Public Information Director for the Sheriff’s Office Casey Rayborn Hicks.
Transfers were put on hold during the pandemic, Hicks said, and the oldest areas in the most need of repairs and maintenance were forced to be opened temporarily to hold these inmates. But after operations returned to normal, units needed to be shut down and repaired, so the population was sent to facilities in the northern parishes of Louisiana.
“Once we could obtain more options to house elsewhere, we shut down those units and returned to utilizing the beds opening in the northern jails,” Hicks said. As pandemic restrictions eased from 2021 into 2022, the amount spent on holding inmates in other parishes nearly doubled from $1.3 million a year to $2.5 million. And it has only increased since then.
Because city-parish maintenance projects were slowed during the pandemic, jail projects were also neglected, Hicks said. When the world began to open back up officials closed parts of the jail down, which meant more prisoners being sent elsewhere.
“City-parish maintenance projects were also picking up, which results in us
having to clear living areas so that work can proceed,” Hicks said.
In 2023, the city-parish spent $3.7 million to house inmates in other parishes. In 2024, that number rose to $3.9 million.
The city-parish is on pace to spend $4.4 million to house inmates elsewhere in 2025 a total cost of more than $12,000 each day
The money comes from the city-parish’s general fund, which taps the 2% sales tax collected parishwide. Taxes from Baton Rouge and the parish’s unincorporated areas go into the general fund, but those collected in Baker, Central, St George and Zachary stay in those cities. As has been pointed out in past debates, that means those cities do not help cover the costs of maintaining the jail or housing inmates elsewhere.
Cracked walls, soaring bills
Sending inmates out of the parish is just one part of the equation when it comes to soaring costs.
Metro Council member Darryl Hurst, a member the East Baton Rouge Jail Task Force, compares the situation to someone being able to afford parts for a 20-year-old car but not having enough money for a down payment on a new one, even though a purchase might make the most fiscal sense. According to the cityparish finance department, spending on jail maintenance and repairs this year is expected to more than triple the $1.38 million spent in 2020. A steady year-overyear increase has led to $4,703,709 in maintenance and repair costs for 2025. Between maintenance and inmates housed elsewhere, the city-parish is on track to spend $9,119,661 this year.
“We’re looking at a lot of ways to explore this and get this done, but we’re not at the finish line,” Hurst said “We want to ensure that we have the least amount of impact on the taxpayer financially and the greatest amount of impact on the taxpayer with a return on investment where whatever we do decreases crime in our city.”
Cost estimates for a new jail have varied widely in recent years. There is no current plan
or cost estimate for a new jail and officials declined to say what the potential cost would be. About a decade ago, Metro Council rejected a $250 million bond package that would have funded a new jail and juvenile justice center, though a current price tag would likely be larger due to increased construction costs.
Crowded, stressed-out
For Hurst, the living conditions for prisoners are as much of a problem as the ever-increasing financial burden. Crowded inmates are stressed-out inmates, Hurst says, which can lead to more altercations.
“It’s identical to claustrophobia, right?” Hurst said.
“If you really want to see how somebody is, let them get stuck on an elevator with 10 other people.”
Rats are common throughout the jail, even in areas where food is served.
“I would not let my dog eat there,” Hurst says.
The vast majority of the inmates are being held pretrial, meaning they have not been convicted of the crimes they are accused of.
Modern jails hold prisoners behind safety glass, not bars, Hurst says, which makes them feel less like caged animals. Newer facilities are also better set up to offer education and programming like drug and mental health counseling. He says countless studies show those services directly result in lower crime rates because the former inmates are less likely to reoffend once back in society
“It’s about programming. It’s about reentry,” Hurst said. “It is about, ‘How do I take somebody’s misfortune, which puts them in jail, and turn that around into something that’s different and positive for society?’”
Part of the solution
Jail conditions have long been an issue for local leaders, corrections officers and inmates and their families.
While East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards is currently focused on a tax rededication plan to bolster the cityparish budget, his administration says addressing the financial problems related to the jail is still a priority
“Mayor Edwards recog-
nizes the significant costs associated with both maintaining the jail facility and housing inmates out of parish,” said city-parish spokesperson Falon Brown “At this time, the administration continues to evaluate these expenses in the context of public safety needs, legal requirements and longterm financial planning.”
Edwards has personally visited the jail and has discussed potential solutions with Gov Jeff Landry Brown said.
Council member Jen Racca agrees the jail is an issue but does not see many options readily available to build a new facility
“I do not believe that the public wants to be taxed to better house prisoners that have committed crimes,” Racca said. “I may be wrong, but I can’t imagine many of my constituents wanting to do that.”
She says the previous mayoral administration un-
der Sharon Weston Broome missed the opportunity to address the issue when $165 million federal dollars flowed to the city-parish through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“The whole purpose of ARPA dollars was for infrastructure improvements,” Racca said. “I made recommendations to the previous administration to either build a new juvenile detention center or to build a new prison, or at least put a portion of those funds to do so. But that was obviously not a priority Money went elsewhere.”
Instead, some of that money was given to initiatives like low-income housing projects — some of which still haven’t broken ground four years later and violence prevention groups and programs.
Hurst says that if a solu-
tion is finally implemented, it will require taxpayers to act selflessly, putting Baton Rouge first and making sacrifices to help make Louisiana’s most populous parish safer
“A lot of times, people who are affluent or people who are well-connected never see themselves looking like the people that are behind bars, so they cannot have a direct image in their mind’s eye that anything dealing with the jail will impact them until it happens to them,” Hurst said. “Well, I see how it’s affecting other people. I see how it’s affecting our community And we are part of the solution or part of the problem, and I want to be part of the solution.”
Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate.com.
BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press
NEW YORK Luigi Mangione’slawyersurged ajudge on Saturdayto bar federal prosecutors fromseeking the death penalty in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEOBrian Thompson, arguing that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his arrestinto a“Marvelmovie” spectacle and by publicly declaring their desire to see him executed. Fresh from alegal victory that eliminated terrorismcharges in Mangione’sstate murder case, his lawyers are now fighting to have his federal case dismissed, seizing on U.S. Attorney GeneralPam
Continued from page1A
district.House candidates need 750 signatures from within the district. Instead of paying afee to qualify, candidates submit the collection of signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office.
But before they do, those signatures need to be certified by the local registrarof voters in the parish where the signatorieslive. That could mean trips to the Registrar of Voters’ Office in multiple parishes.
The window for non-Democratic and Republican candidates to collect signatures opened Sept. 16 and closes Dec. 17.
Also, under the new system, only the Democratic Party and Republican Party areallowed to hold closed primary contests in spring, allowing the two partiesto narrow down thefield to a single preferred candidate That will likely result in oneRepublicanand one Democratonthe general election ballot in November, at which point the two majorparty candidates will compete against each other and against any other candidates that qualified earlier in the year by nominating petition.
The November general
Bondi’sdeclaration before his April indictment that capital punishment is warranted for a“premeditated, coldblooded assassination that shockedAmerica.”
Bondi’sstatements and other official actions —including ahighly choreographedperpwalkthatsaw Mangione led up aManhattanpierbyarmed officers, and the Trump administration’sfloutingofestablished death penalty procedures— “have violated Mr.Mangione’sconstitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” his lawyers argued in acourt filing
election can bewon with a plurality rather than amajority of the vote.
Louisiana state lawmakers, with thebacking of Gov Jeff Landry, createdthe new closed partyprimary system shortly after taking office in Januarylastyear Republican and Democratic candidates will have to go through an “extensive process” of fundraising, campaigning and voter outreach to win theparty nomination in spring elections, said state Rep. Julie Emerson, RCarencro, whosponsored the legislation setting up thenew system.
“Byengaging in the nominating petition process, minor party or no-party candidateswill not have as extensiveofaprocessbut willstill have to engage in some type of votercontact like themajor party candidates,” Emersonsaid
Louisiana secretary of state records show the last time acandidatefor major office qualified vianominating petition was in 2014, when Bryan Barrilleaux ran for the 3rd Congressional District.(Charles Boustany wonina landslidewith79% of the vote.)
Under the old rules, which did notrequire third-party candidates to use nominatingpetitions,adozen or more candidates could endupcompetingin asingle race, with
Mangione’sdefense team, led by former Manhattan prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo, implored U.S. DistrictJudge MargaretGarnett, an appointee of President Joe Biden, ”to correct theerrors made by the government and prevent this case from proceeding as adeath penalty prosecution.” Bondi announcedin April that she was directing Manhattan federal prosecutors to seek the death penaltyfor Mangione. It was the first timethe Justice Department said it wasbringing acapital case after President Donald Trump returnedtooffice
few winning asignificant share of votes
In 2022, when Sen. John Kennedy,R-Madisonville, won 62% of thevote, he competed against 12 other candidates on the November ballot
In 2020, whenSen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge,won his seat with 59% of the vote, there were 14 othercandidates listed on the ballot
Beryl Billiot, who ranasa no-partycandidate for U.S. Senate in 2022, 2020 and 2016, acknowledged the new nominating petition requirementwill ensure the field is limitedtoserious candidates.
“Thatcleans up thefield a little bit,” he said. “It helps keep thepeople that really aren’tinterested in the race out of the race.”
At thesame time, Billiot said there arebetter ways to achieve that outcome without preventing working-class people from running foroffice.
“It limits the abilityofthe average American to be part of the political system,” he said of the new rules.
Howard Kearney,aLibertarianfromMandevillewho has run multiple timesinthe 1stCongressional District, said the nominating petition requirement is part of why he isn’trunning in 2026.
“I do find it unfortunate, butnot surprising, that both partiesare so concerned
Jan. 20 with apledge to revive federal executions, which his predecessorBiden had put on hold.
Mangione’slawyers arguethat Bondi’sannouncement —which she followed with Instagramposts anda TV appearance —showed the decision was “based on politics, not merit”and, they said, herremarks tainted the grand jury process that resulted in hisindictment afew weeks later Trump, whooversaw an unprecedented runof13executions at the endofhis first term,offered hisown opinionsabout Mangione on Thursday —despite court rules that prohibit any pretrial publicity that could interfere with adefen-
about holding power that they force aduopoly,” he said. “Itisobvioustheydo nottrust theirmessage and policies to keep theminoffice.”
The secretary of state this month launched astatewide campaign to educate voters
dant’sright to afair trial.
“Think aboutMangione.Heshot someone in the back, as clear as you’re looking at me or I’m looking at you. He shot —helooked like apureassassin,”Trump told Fox News. “There is ahigh bartodismissing an indictment due to pretrial publicity,”Mangione’s lawyers wrote in their 114-page filing. “However, therehas never been asituation remotely like this one where prejudice has been so great against a death-eligible defendant.” Federalprosecutors have until Oct. 31 to respond. Mangione is due back in court in the federal case on Dec.5
about the transition to closed party primaries in April.
Along with U.S. House and U.SSenate, races for Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana Public Service Commission,and theBoard of Elementary and Secondary Education will use the closed
primary rules. Races for all other elected offices will continue under the so-called jungle primary system, where all candidates competeagainst each other on thesame ballotfollowing the same rules, regardless of party affiliation.
The East BatonRouge ParishSchool System’smagnet programs continue to standout as some of thebrightest offerings in thedistrict. Serving students from prekindergarten through high school, magnet programs provide rigorousacademics,unique themes and enriched learning environments thatattract families from acrossthe parish. The programshaveevolved into some of thedistrict’smost sought-after programs,drawing thousands of applicants each year With themes ranging from STEM andmedical sciences to the arts, digital media and foreign languageimmersion,magnet programs in East BatonRougeParish givestudents the opportunitytopursue theirpassions while preparing forcollegeand careers. With 30 innovativetheme-based programs, students canlearn in environments thatreflect their personal interests –building invaluable lifeskills and fostering alifelong love of learning. Regardlessofthe grade levelorprogram theme,magnet students experience hands-on learning, real-worldapplications of lessons
clear linksbetween theirstudiesand futurecareers. Entryintomagnetprogramsisopentoall students acrossEast BatonRouge Parish.However, admissioniscompetitiveand based on acombination of factors, including academic performance, interest in theprogram themeand space availability.Upcoming keydatesand events are: Magnet Showcase Week, Sept. 29-Oct. 3: Schools will host showcases and on-sitetours forfamiliestoexperience aday in the lifeofamagnetstudent MagnetMania,Oct.5,10a.m.to2p.m.: Held at theLouisiana Art& Science Museum,thisrecruitment eventincludesfree parking andmuseum admission,and achance foreligible students to wina magnet seat at theirschoolofchoice if they meet all programrequirements. Familieswillalsohavethe opportunity to meet school staff,student ambassadorsand communitypartners to learn moreaboutmagnetprograms.
TheFirstAmendmentguidesusandforgesourbelief thatreportingthetruth–forourreaders,forourcity–isa responsibilitywemustfulfillnomatterthecost.
Publicservicejournalismisn’t amoneymaker,butthanksto yoursupport,we’reableto fulfillourjournalisticmission.
Achildwelfaresystemfallingapart
How the state’sDepartment of Children and Family Services failed Louisiana’smost vulnerable children
Thetollofsoaringhomeinsurancerates
Ever-rising ratesofproperty insurance are forcing residents of south Louisianaout of their homesand communities
SolvingLouisiana’schronicinfantmortalitycrisis
Louisianaloses nearly 200babies ayear from being born too early,too tiny or from pregnancy complications
IgnoredinfrastructureproblemsgripNewOrleans
WhyNew Orleans failstostaydry and functionaldespite billions in funding
LongingforJustice
ThetollofwaitinginNewOrleans’criminalcourt
It takeslonger to resolve amurder case in the New Orleanscourt than nearly anywhere else in the country
BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press
At first, Clemson University took astand for free speech. It condemned employees’ remarksthatmade light of Charlie Kirk’sdeath on social media, but the school said it was committed to protecting the Constitution. Three days later,under pressure from conservatives in the Statehouse, it fired one of the employees.
As an outcrygrew andthe White House took interest, it fired two more.
The swift developments at the public universityin South Carolina reflect the intense pressure on college leaders nationwide to police insensitive comments about the conservativeactivist’s assassination, which leaves them with no easy choices.
Colleges can defy the Republican backlash and defend their employees’ speech rights, risking the kind of federal attention that has prompted billions of dollars in cuts at Harvard and other universities. Or they can bow to the pressureand risk what some scholars see as ahistoric erosion of campus speech rights.
Acampaign among the right to punish those disparaging Kirk has cut across industries, with some conservatives calling for the firing of private sector employees,journalistsand others they judge as promoting violence. But the stakesare especiallyhigh for colleges, which are already under intense scrutiny from an ad-
ministration that has sought to reshape campuses it describesas“woke” andoverrunbyleftist thinking.
The White House coordinated acallwith federal agencies Monday to discuss “funding options” at Clemson and other universities, accordingtoaperson with knowledge of the call who spoke on condition of anonymity to discussthe private meeting. TheWhite House didnot providedetails.
Thefederal government’s increasing appetite to dictate what can and can’tbe said on campuses —from protestsoverthe IsraelHamas war to commentary on Kirk’sdeath —violates the First Amendment, said Lara Schwartz, an American University scholar on constitutionallaw and campus speech.Distasteful as they may be,she said,many commentsprovoking outrage areclearly protected speech.
“Thiscould very much signalthe end of free expression in the United States,” Schwartz said. “People shouldbereading this not as likea littlesocial media battle, but as afull-on constitutional crisis.”
Over theweekend, Clemson became the epicenter in abattle between thosewho reveredand thosewho reviledKirk. Republicansat all levels rushed tosupport acampusGOP clubthat shared social media posts from campus employees mockingKirk’sdeath.State lawmakers showed up on campus with signs demandingthe employees’firing.
One screenshot circulated by college Republicans showed aprofessor of audio technologyreposted amessage on Xthe day of the killing that said:“According to
Kirk, empathyisa made-up new-ageterm, so keep the jokes coming. It’s what he would have wanted.”
In Congress,Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee responded to Clemson’s statementdefending free speech with atwo-word socialmedia post:“Defund Clemson.” Statelawmakers threatened to cut funding, including one whose post was circulated by President Donald Trump. SouthCarolina Republican Rep.Nancy Mace, who’s running for governor,sent a letter to the Education DepartmentonMonday urging it to pull allfederal funding from schools and universities that failtoswiftly terminateemployees “whowould celebrate or justify political violence.”
Ahead of an emergency meetingbyClemson’sgoverning board Monday,the state’sRepublican attorney general sent aletterassuring leaders the firings would be permitted under statelaw.Alan Wilson said fired employees can challenge the dismissals in civil cases, but Clemsonorother universities would not be prosecuted undera state law that forbids firings based on political opinions.
“Fear of criminal prosecution should not deter the Presidentofa state university, such as Clemson, from taking the appropriatecorrective action againstuniversity employees for such vile and incendiarycomments on apublic platform,” Wilson wrote. Oneemployee was fired
prior to themeeting, and Clemson announced Tuesday it had dismissed two others, both faculty members. Conservativescallingfor the firings have said glorifying and celebrating violence also incites it, crossing into speech not protected by the Constitution.AttorneyGeneral Pam Bondi vowed to go after those whose speech threatens violence in the wakeofKirk’skilling.
“For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations and cheer on political violence,” she said.
“That era is over.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday encouraged schools and collegestocrack down on anyonecelebrating thekilling. In avideo statement, she
said suchcomments are the productofuniversitiesand schoolsthatbreed “divisive ideologies.”
“I commend the institutions andleaderswho have acted swiftly to condemn and hold accountable those who have crossed this ethical line,” she said.
Several colleges have fired or suspended employees over comments on Kirk, including the University of Miami, the University of Tennessee, Auburn University andthe University of California, Los Angeles. Others have warned they are investigating social media posts. Iowa’sBoard of Regents, forone,empowered the state’spublic universities to take immediate action, including termination. President Sherry Batessaidposts made last weekwere “offensive, inappropriate, and above all, unacceptable.”
“Weexpect more from those who work at our institutions,” she said.
Some university leaders have soughttofind abalance, condemning callous commentswhile pledging commitment to First Amendmentprinciples. In Georgia, Columbus State University’s president, Stuart Rayfield, saida professor’spost that received attentiononline was regrettable but faculty and students are “entitled to their own personalviews under the First Amendment.” University of Missouri leaders on Wednesday said they respect the rights of employees to speak as citizens, but theyencouraged staff “to use those freedomsresponsibly,especially when engaging on social media.”
Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
-Freda
WASHINGTON —The photo of an escaped enslaved personwith scars covering his back has been oneofthe most influential images in American history, almost since the moment it was taken in BatonRouge during theCivil War.
Hundreds of thousands of 21/2 by 4inch cartes de viste, the social media platform of the 1860s, were credited with helping persuade the North to make ending the South’s peculiarinstitution awar goal.
Florida Street and Interstate 110 where the photograph likely was taken.
“It tells the truth of apeople who built this nation, endured itsgreatest injustices, and still rise to shape its future with brilliance, faith and resilience,”
Mark Ballard
Alargely oblivious Northernpopulation saw for the first time the brutality described in books like the fictionalized “Uncle Tom’sCabin,” which took place on the Red River,and “Twelve Years aSlave,” anonfiction account that took place in Avoyelles Parish.
Since then, “The Scourged Back,” also called “Whipped Pete,” has been used on magazine covers, in movies and as part of protests.
The famed photograph came to the forefront again last week with reports in The Washington Post and The New York Times, citing internal memos and agency sources, that the Trumpadministration ordered its removal froma national monument.
The Interior Department disputed that specific artifacts had been taken down.But the agency acknowledged areview of such materials in adherence to President Donald Trump’s March order to remove artifacts that “inappropriately disparage Americans.”
“These materials, this history, is not ‘divisive,’”said Democratic Rep. Troy Carter,whose district once included the Baton Rouge neighborhood —around
Louisiana chief justice gets artexhibit
John Weimer,chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, is quick to use humor to downplay hisabilities with apaintbrush
An upcoming exhibit to display his work at the George Rodrigue Gallery in the French Quarter will feature the “amateur” hand of someone who is “obviouslyaself-taught painter,” Weimer said.
But he allowed that anyone viewing his art might just give it agood review “You be the judge,” he said. The public opening for the show will take place on Nov.14from 5p.m. to 7p.m., and his more than 100 paintings willremain on displayfor at least the following month.
Carter added. Cartes de viste were distributedbyabolitionists and frequently referred to in speeches by Frederick Douglassand Sojourner Truth, both of whom had been enslaved.
Theimage was published in The Liberator,anabolitionist newspaper,then picked up in the July 4, 1863, edition of Harper’sWeekly,from which many Northerners got their news.
Initially,anti-war Democrats called the photoa fake, which led eyewitnesses to publish their accounts.
Scholars have tried, though not totally successfully,tocobble together theeventssurrounding the famousphotograph.
Theman in the picture, named Peter,was interviewed by Massachusettssoldiers while William D. McPherson and his partner, J. Oliver, of New Orleans, took three photos, each with adifferent angle to better show the welts.
Gordon, as Petersubsequently wascalled,primarily spoke French to troops who did not,so hisaccountattached to the back of thephoto is somewhat jumbled. Whatisclear,and documented, was that Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks issued an order onJan. 29, 1863,that affirmed theEmancipation Proclamation andinformed Louisiana plantation owners that, while troops would not assist theenslaved from escaping, the Union would free whoever cametotheir lines.
mostly painted rustic scenes in hishome area —inand around Thibodauxand Lafourche Parish.
Duringarecentdinner,hetook abreak from the conversation to quicklysketchalive oak tree on a scratch pieceofpaper
Weimer said he paintsinfits and starts, depending on his work schedule and mood.
Weimer said he became interested in painting as an undergraduate of Nicholls State decades ago. It was there that he took his only art class.
His more experienced classmates, he said, “were kindenough to give me afew pointers. That was the extent of my training,if you will.”
Over the years, Weimer has
He has been so busy after becoming chief justice in 2021 —aposition he holdsbecauseheisthe longest serving justice on the seven-member court —that he has completed only two paintings since then, hesaid. None of the paintings at the upcoming exhibit are for sale because Weimer doesn’twant to sell his work to anyone who might appear before his court one day.Heeventually planstodonatemost of thepaintingstocharity.
Asked whyhepaints, Weimer offered another self-deprecating remark.
“I’ve really gotten agreat deal of satisfaction from doing the paintings,using therudimentary skills I’ve been blessed with,” he said. “I’m apainter and let everyoneelse be the judge if this really qualifies as artornot. I’m not go-
River,between what is now Krotz Springs and Melville.
Chased by slave catchers and rubbing onions on his body to throw off his pursuer’sdogs, Gordon said he walked barefoot through the swamp for10days now traversed in about half-hour on elevated U.S. 190 —before running into Union troops near Port Allen whoferried him across the Mississippi River
On April 2, 1863, Gordon entered the Provost-Marshal’s office, about where the federal courthouse’sfront parking lot now stands. He wanted to enlist in aBlack regiment and was examined by physicians whose tents were nearby Yankee doctors —Samuel Knapp Towleand J.W.Mercer, to nametwo —were shocked by the sight of his back, though one wrote that he had seen dozens that were just like it.
In May 1863, Gordon joined African American soldiers in attacking Port Hudson, the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi. Then his story falls from history
Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields, whose district now includes where the photograph likely was taken, sees “The Scourged Back” as one of Louisiana’smost important artifacts from the Civil War.
“There is amisconception that preserving these exhibits is about division, but Iamofthe belief that they are essential to understanding whoweare as anation. This attempt to erase that is deeply troubling, and simply unnecessary,” Fields said. “Wecannot pretend the struggles of the past don’texist, nor can we deny the lessons that history continues to teach us.”
EmailMark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.
ing to flatter myself by calling it art.”
Shane Guidry nabs marlin trophy
Shane Guidry wields enormous power for aprivate citizenasGov Jeff Landry’sbehind-the-scenes power broker on matterslarge and small in metroNew Orleans
He’splayed akey role in negotiating anew leasefor the Saints to play at the Caesars Superdome for at leastthe next 10 years, adeal thatisexpected tobeannounced any day
Guidryisalso themajority owner of Harvey Gulf International Marine, abillion-dollar business thathas 50 transportvessels delivering construction materials, food, fuel and drilling materials to offshoreplatforms.
But as anyone who follows his Team Harvey Instagram feed knows, Guidry’strue passionis deep-sea fishing. And he takes it very seriously
Guidryisfeeling pretty good these days because he emerged as the topangler earlier this monthat thefinal tournament of the season sponsoredbyMarlin Magazine. The event took place at Scrub Island in the British Virgin Islands. Guidrycaught and reeled in the mostblue marlin among the13
boats competing. He wasaboard his 82-footViking sport fishing yacht. In all, he caught 13 of the giant fish. Underthe rules, he released all of them
Team Harvey has five other men on the boat performing various roles, including changing the bait and looking for fish on underwater sonar. “Whenthe fish bites, Igrab the rodand reel, and Ifight the fish,” Guidrysaid. “You have to video thatyou grabbedthat rod, got in the chair,caught the fish and brought it in yourself.”
Team Harvey wona$65,000 prize. And his performance means thatGuidry and Team Harvey will be able to participate at the Rolex Championship in Costa Rica in April, acompetition of the top 30 teams worldwide.
Noting that the angler reels in the big fish, Guidry said he returnedtothat role after losing 70 pounds.
“It ain’teasy to fight those fish,” said Guidry,55. “I didn’twant to be the reason why we lost. Now I’m back in good physical shape.”
Carolyn Hill calls it going from politics to pageantry Hill was elected to the Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education from Baton Rouge in 2014, lost her reelection in 2018 after opposing the so-called “Common Core” education curriculum and lost a2025 race forthe state Senate. She has also worked as apolitical consultant forindependent and Democratic candidates. On awhim this year,Hill entered the contest to be Miss Louisiana forAmerica Strong. It’s organized by Mrs. America Inc. Hill, 43, said she had never previously entered abeauty pageant.
In an eight-woman field in June in Hammond, Hill won.Each of the contestants were interviewed and judged in competitions while wearing aswimsuit, an evening gownand acostume representative of Louisiana. Hill dressed as the state insect, awestern honeybee, although she added heels. Hill also competed in the national pageant in Las Vegas in August but did not win.
Back in Louisiana, she is looking forward to the role that calls forher to assist others.
“Whether through public policy or pageantry,mymission remains the same: to uplift others, inspire womentoembrace their leadership potential, and continue serving my community with purpose,” she said.
BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer
As aBay St. Louis native who is newishtoliving in NewOrleans, it’s easy to see how the Mississippi Gulf Coast hasbecome one of the fastest growing areas in the South.
Although devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, signs of destruction are now few and far between.
Cities that dot the manmade beaches along Highway 90 have re-developed their downtowns. New housing —subdivisions, apartments and waterfront homes —istaking over vacant lots. And people are moving there from Louisiana, Texas and other states.
But growing up in a“tourist town” also means locals may overlook how much there is to do on the Coast. I’ve visited the brown, murky beaches more times that Ican count, but until recently had never taken ashort boat ridetothe barrier islands.
In many ways, the islands are ahidden gem and mostly visitedbylocalswithboat access. But they are nothing short of extraordinary.
There are four barrier islands on theMississippi Coast: Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands.Cat Island is the most developed, and Shipisapopular beach option with ferry service. But both Horn and Petit Bois are remote wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service, except for 96 acres of Horn Island that are currently for sale.
Horn Island is also famously the inspiration behind the work of Walter Anderson, an eccentric painter and Mississippi’smost renowned visual artist,who would often row the 12 miles out there in asmall wooden skiff.
Acouple of weekends ago, agroupoffriendsand IwenttoHorn Island,about 30 minutes offthe coast of Biloxi and only accessible by boat
We went on asunny Saturday and enjoyed asmooth ride out tothe southwest sideofHorn Island,welcomed by aremotestretch of white sand,driftwood andwater so clear it rivaled Florida beaches.
Our group spent four hours on Horn Island, and becausewewent earlyinthe morning there weren’tmany other boaters out andabout We were able to swim in the Gulf, watch dolphins, chase crabsalong theshorelineand explore theisland and unique driftwood left behind. Thewaves crashing
at high tide were peaceful, and Iwound up laying under atent for ashort nap.
We brought snacks and sandwiches foralunchby thewater before packing up and leaving the island as we found it. We waved goodbye to apack of dolphins and the crystal clear water,already making plans forour next trip out.
Howtoget to Horn Island
If you’re visiting the Mississippi Coast, or alocal with no boat,the best way toget to the islands is through a charter service. These businesses are equippedwith boat captainswho will shuttle you and asmall group toany nearby island on avessel. My friendsand Ihaveused
IslandHopperCharters multiple times, and our captain,Dan, is friendly,knowledgeable and always gets us there and back safely
On this most recent trip, ourfriend was theboat captain. He has aboater’s license anddoes amonthly boat rental membership. What to know
n Book acharterservice, and tip your captain with cash at theend of the ride.
n If youwanttosee the clear water,goonthe Gulf side of the island.
n Pack atent, towels, and sunscreen.
n Don’tbring glass bottles —stick to cans or plastic.
n Bring atrashbag and take your litter withyou. Leave the island as you
found it. And abide by all of the park rules.
n Phoneservice is spotty, so be prepared to go on Do NotDisturb forawhile.
n Adry set of clothes will do you wellwhen you arrive back on shore. n Take lots of photosand videos,and try to live in the moment. Email JustinMitchell at justin.mitchell@ theadvocate.com.
n Beware of jellyfish.
BY JOCELYN GECKER Associated Press
The book report is now a thing of the past. Take-home tests and essays are becoming obsolete.
Student use of artificial intelligence has become so prevalent, high school and college educators say, that to assign writing outside of the classroom is like asking students to cheat.
“The cheating is off the charts. It’s the worst I’ve seen in my entire career,” says Casey Cuny, who has taught English for 23 years. Educators are no longer wondering if students will outsource schoolwork to AI chatbots. “Anything you send home, you have to assume is being AI’ed.”
The question now is how schools can adapt, because many of the teaching and assessment tools that have been used for generations are no longer effective As AI technology rapidly improves and becomes more entwined with daily life, it is transforming how students learn and study and how teachers teach, and it’s creating new confusion over what constitutes academic dishonesty
“We have to ask ourselves, what is cheating?” says Cuny, a 2024 recipient of California’s Teacher of the Year award. “Because I think the lines are getting blurred.”
Cuny’s students at Valencia High School in southern California now do most writing in class. He monitors student laptop screens from his desktop, using software that lets him “lock down” their screens or block access to certain sites. He’s also integrating AI into his lessons and teaching students how to use AI as a study aid “to get kids learning with AI instead of cheating with AI.”
In rural Oregon, high school teacher Kelly Gibson has made a similar shift to in-class writing. She is
also incorporating more verbal assessments to have students talk through their understanding of assigned reading.
“I used to give a writing prompt and say, ‘In two weeks, I want a five-paragraph essay,’” says Gibson. “These days, I can’t do that. That’s almost begging teenagers to cheat.”
Take, for example, a once typical high school English assignment: Write an essay that explains the relevance of social class in “The Great Gatsby.” Many students say their first instinct is now to ask ChatGPT for help “brainstorming.” Within seconds, ChatGPT yields a list of essay ideas plus examples and quotes to back them up. The chatbot ends by asking if it can do more: “Would you like help writing any part of the essay? I can help you draft an introduction or outline a paragraph!”
Students uncertain
Students say they often turn to AI with good intentions for things like research, editing or help reading difficult texts But AI offers unprecedented temp-
tation, and it’s sometimes hard to know where to draw the line.
College sophomore Lily Brown, a psychology major at an East Coast liberal arts school, relies on ChatGPT to help outline essays because she struggles putting the pieces together herself.
ChatGPT also helped her through a freshman philosophy class, where assigned reading “felt like a different language” until she read AI summaries of the texts.
“Sometimes I feel bad using ChatGPT to summarize reading, because I wonder, is this cheating? Is helping me form outlines cheating? If I write an essay in my own words and ask how to improve it, or when it starts to edit my essay, is that cheating?”
Her class syllabi say things like: “Don’t use AI to write essays and to form thoughts,” she says, but that leaves a lot of gray area. Students say they often shy away from asking teachers for clarity because admitting to any AI use could flag them as a cheater Schools tend to leave AI policies to teachers, which
often means that rules vary widely within the same school. Some educators, for
example, welcome the use of Grammarly.com, an AIpowered writing assistant, to check grammar Others forbid it, noting the tool also offers to rewrite sentences.
“Whether you can use AI or not depends on each classroom That can get confusing,” says Valencia 11th grader Jolie Lahey She credits Cuny with teaching her sophomore English class a variety of AI skills like how to upload study guides to ChatGPT and have the chatbot quiz them, and then explain problems they got wrong.
But this year, her teachers have strict “No AI” policies. “It’s such a helpful tool. And if we’re not allowed to use it that just doesn’t make sense,” Lahey says. “It feels outdated.”
Schools go gradually
Many schools initially banned use of AI after Chat-
GPT launched in late 2022. But views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically
The term “AI literacy” has become a buzzword of the back-to-school season, with a focus on how to balance the strengths of AI with its risks and challenges.
Over the summer, several colleges and universities convened their AI task forces to draft more detailed guidelines or provide faculty with new instructions.
The University of California, Berkeley emailed all faculty new AI guidance that instructs them to “include a clear statement on their syllabus about course expectations” around AI use. The guidance offered language for three sample syllabus statements for courses that require AI, ban AI in and out of class, or allow some AI use.
BY KANIS LEUNG, CHAN LONG HEI, ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and KATIE TAM Associated Press
HONG KONG Critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos found an unexpected sanctuary among Hong Kong’s towering skyscrapers, but like their human neighbors they now face trouble finding a place to call home.
Native to Indonesia and East Timor the snow-white birds, their crests flashing like yellow crowns, squawk through the urban parks of the Asian financial hub. They make up roughly 10% of the species’ global wild population, which numbers only up to 2,000 mature birds.
Research shows the city’s cockatoo population has stagnated as the birds, which live in tree cavities, are losing natural nesting spaces in old trees due to typhoons and government tree trimming for public safety That’s adding to global pressures on cockatoos such as the illegal pet trade and climate change.
Hong Kong’s conservationists have stepped in with a solution: installing artificial nest boxes that mimic these natural hollows.
Astrid Andersson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hong Kong who led the project, said a pair of birds already settled in a nest box her team fixed onto a tree on her campus, the city’s oldest university She aims to install 10 boxes by year’s end and ultimately boost that figure to 50 in the next few years across Hong Kong Island.
“And then they can continue to live in the city,” she said.
Species on the brink
Once widespread across island chains from central to eastern Indonesia and East Timor the yellow-crested cockatoo has vanished from many islands and clings to survival on others.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says as much as 90% of the population is thought to have disappeared since
1978, mainly due to trapping for the pet trade.
Weak enforcement of a 1994 export ban by Indonesia has allowed the trade to persist, including targeting chicks. In 2015, Indonesian police arrested a man on suspicion of smuggling about 20 birds by stuffing them inside water bottles.
Deforestation from farming and logging is another problem.
Indonesia lost 107,000 square kilometers (41,300 square miles) of its original tropical rainforest between 2002 and 2024 — an area about the size of Iceland — accounting for about a third of all tree cover loss during that time, according to Global Forest Watch.
Climate change is making things worse. Rising temperatures dry out forests leaving them more vulnerable to fires. Many birds live on volcanic islands, where eruptions can spark wildfires in the parched landscapes.
“The fires are humongous,” said Bonnie Zimmermann, director of the Indonesian Parrot Project, a nonprofit organization.
Sales raise concerns
The wild cockatoos in Hong Kong’s urban parks could be from escaped or released pets, Andersson said. One urban legend says they descended from pet birds released by a British governor before he surrendered to invading Japanese troops in 1941. Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese control in 1997.
Hong Kong bans commercial trading in wild-caught cockatoos, but allows captive-bred sales for operations registered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. However, there is no such breeding operation registered in the city.
In August, a three-month-old chick was priced at $1,800 in the city’s bird market
A 2017-2018 survey by Andersson found 33 cockatoos for sale, triple the number of birds imported since 2005. They could be from home breeding, trafficking
from abroad or Hong Kong’s wild population, the university said in a statement.
Andersson has developed a forensic test to help distinguish between those who live in the wild and those bred in captivity, and she hopes it can be applied in the market one day
Many Hong Kongers do not know the birds are critically endangered. Dreamy Cheung said she was unaware when she bought her pet, Mochi, in 2021 for $2,570. She felt anxious after learning of her intelligent bird’s endangered status, especially given its missing identification leg ring and possible illegal origins.
“It’s like taking away someone else’s baby,” she said.
In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department said the government was committed to protecting endangered species, with regular inspections at markets and shops. It has no record of cockatoo poaching in the past five years, but it will investigate any reports, it said.
It added that it will provide advice on bird conservation for any tree trimming that may affect wild birds.
Creating space for coexistence
Hong Kong’s cockatoos symbolize how humans and wildlife can coexist in a highly urbanized environment, said Andersson.
Local birds also may carry some distinct genetic lineages missing in their native range, helping to sustain their genetic diversity
“Hopefully, Hong Kong’s population will be able to contribute to
saving this species from extinction,” she said.
Her team plans to use cameras installed inside the nest boxes to collect data about cockatoo reproductive behavior, a topic that has not been extensively studied.
Cockatoos squawked in the upper branches of a tree in a park in the city’s Causeway Bay area as conservationist Harry Wong installed a wood chip-filled nesting box.
Wong tried a similar project a decade ago without success. This time, watching cockatoos occupy a nest box at the University of Hong Kong just two months after it was installed, he was excited and surprised.
“We can create small things in the city that allow the animals who live here to coexist with us,” he said.
BY CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press
Later this year, the National Toy Hall of Fame could induct snow — yes, the cold, white stuff that falls from the sky But only if it ices out enough of the competition a group that features hugely popular board games, outdoor favorites and giggling plushies.
The Hall of Fame announced its 12 finalists for the Class of 2025 Wednesday and opened voting to the public and a panel of judges who will choose which few will be honored in November Along with snow, the contenders include tabletop favorites Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, Spirograph and Trivial Pursuit, as well as crowd-pleasers — scooters, slime and cornhole.
The “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo round out the finalists chosen from among the thousands of nominees the Toy Hall of Fame receives each year
“This year’s contenders present some playful matchups,” said Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections and chief curator Along with a slate of board games and tactile materials like snow and slime, he said “There’s also Tickle Me Elmo and Furby — two technological icons of the 90s toy world — battling it out.”
“I’m always excited to see where the judges and public come out in their votes,” Bensch said. “At the end of the day, the playful debates just go to show how much personal and cultural relevance these toys have for us all.”
The public has a week, until Sept. 24, to vote for their favorites. The three
top vote-getters will make up a “Player’s Choice” ballot to be counted alongside 22 other ballots from a panel of historians, educators and other experts.
The winners will be announced in November by The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester New York, where the Hall of Fame is located While anyone can nominate a toy, the ones that make it into the hall have to be considered icons, have engaged multiple generations, fostered creativity or profoundly changed play or toy design
Last year, My Little Pony, Transformers action figures and the Phase 10 card game were honored, bringing to 87 the number of toys inducted since the Hall of Fame was established in 1998
This year’s nominees
n Battleship: Milton Bradley has sold more than 100 million copies of the strategy game since introducing its plastic warships and pegboard version in 1967. Originally a pencil-and-paper game, Battleship was among the first board games to be computerized in 1979.
n Catan: Known earlier as Settlers of Catan, the game first published by Kosmos in Germany was one of the first German-style board games to achieve popularity outside of Europe. More than 45 million copies in 40 languages have sold since it was introduced in 1995 It has inspired dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions, and even a cookbook.
n Connect Four: Players drop discs into a grid in hopes of being the first to get four in a row Spoiler alert: The game has been mathematically solved, meaning the first player can always win with the right moves.
n Cornhole challenges players to throw bean bags though a hole in a slanted wooden board to score points. The nominee stands out for a simplicity that has made it a staple at picnics, on bar patios and while tailgating.
n Furby debuted in 1998 and within the first three years, 40 million of the drowsy-eyed robotic creatures were sold. An enhanced version was reintroduced to a new generation of kids in 2023.
for generations, evolving along the way to incorporate lightweight materials and innovative technology
n Slime, whether commercially produced or homemade, is on the list for its ability to encourage messy and experimental play. Since it’s commercial introduction in 1976, it has become an element of other playthings and a featured player on television shows.
n Snow is recognized for its versatility, allowing children and adults to make snowballs and sculpt the cold, wintry stuff into forts and figures, while also serving as a base for sledding, skiing and snowboarding. The nominee would join the ranks of other back-to-basic inductees like the stick, sand and cardboard box.
for 60 years. Users place the tip of pen into a hole of a gear and rotate it around or within other gears to create intricate, geometric drawings.
n Kenner released the first “Star Wars” lightsaber in 1978 on the heels of the 1977 “Star Wars” movie. An arsenal has followed, with lights and sound, demonstrating the influence of popular culture on play n Tickle Me Elmo, with its contagious laughter, was the must-have toy of the 1996 holiday season. The “Sesame Street” character wasn’t the first stuffed animal to get electronics, but the giggling Muppet took the concept to another level.
n The scooter has provided riders with low-tech, two-wheeled transportation
n Spirograph, with its plastic gears, rings, triangles and bars, has entertained and educated the masses
n Trivial Pursuit debuted more than 40 years ago with a challenging mix of trivia questions on geography history, sports and other topics. More than 100 million copies were sold by 2023.
BY CURT ANDERSON and CODYJACKSON Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. They look, move and even smell like the kind of furry Everglades marsh rabbit aBurmese python wouldloveto eat. But these bunnies are robots meant to lure the giant invasive snakes out of their hiding spots.
It’sthe latest effort by the South Florida Water Management District to eliminate as many pythons as possible from the Everglades,where theyare decimating native species with their voracious appetites.In Everglades National Park, officials say the snakes have eliminated 95% of small mammals as well as thousands of birds.
“Removing them is fairly simple. It’s detection. We’re
having areallyhardtime finding them,” said Mike Kirkland, lead invasiveanimalbiologist for thewater district. “They’re so well camouflaged in the field.”
The water district and UniversityofFlorida researchers deployed 120 robotrabbitsthis summer as an experiment. Previously, there was an efforttouse live rabbits as snake lures but that became too expensive and time-consuming, Kirklandsaid
The robots are simple toy rabbits, but retrofitted to emitheat,asmell and to make naturalmovements to appear like any other regular rabbit. “They look likea real rabbit,” Kirkland said. They are solar powered and can be switched on and off remotely.Theyare placed in small pens monitored by avideocamera that sends out asignal when apython is nearby “Then Ican deployone of our many contractors togo outand remove the python,” Kirklandsaid
Thetotal cost per robot rabbit is about $4,000, fi-
Geological Survey recently reported aballpark number of “tens of thousands,” while other official estimatesrun as high as 300,000 snakes. They have few natural enemies, although there are occasional confrontations with alligators, andotherpredators, such as bobcats and coyotes, will eat their eggs.
Since 2000, morethan 23,000 of thesnakeshave been removed from the wild, the wildlife commission says. Therobotrabbits are the latest attempt to tackle snakes that average between 10 and16feetin length when fully grown.
lands and on lands managed by the wildlife commission across the state. Each year the commission holdsa “FloridaPython Challenge” that carries cashprizesfor most pythons caught, the longest snake and so forth. This year,934 people from30statestook part in theeffortinJuly, capturing 294 pythons with atop prize of $10,000 to a participant who bagged 60 of the reptiles.
It’stoo early to determine how successful the robot rabbit project will be, but officials say initialresultsare acause foroptimism
nanced by the water district, he added.
Pythons are not native to Florida, but have become established in the swampy, subtropical Everglades by escaping from homes or by people releasing them when they becomeovergrown pets. Afemale python can lay between 50 and 100 eggs at atime with agestation period of 60-90 days, according
BY PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
SCARBOROUGH, Maine Rick
Clough spent some four decades fishing for lobsters and sea urchins off the Maine coast before spotting one of the ocean’smost recognized predators —a great white shark.
The approximately 8-foot shark, seen off the beach town of ScarboroughinJuly, surprised Clough, but didn’t make him fear the ocean though he admitted, “I’m not sure I’d want to go urchin diving now.”
Boaters, beachgoers and fishermen like Cloughwho spend time in the chillywaters of New England and Atlantic Canada are learningto live with great white sharks, the creatures made famous by the 1975 film “Jaws.”
Sightings of the apex predators are up in places like Maine, wherethey wereonce very rarely spotted.
Scientists link the white shark sightingstoincreased availabilityofthe seals the sharks feast on, and say beachgoers are generally very safe from shark bites. The sharks can grow close to 20 feet long,thoughmost don’tget that big.
David Lancaster,acommercial clam digger in Scarborough, used adrone to get alook at an approximately 12-foot shark near the town’sfamed beaches earlier this month. He described the animal as “magnificent” and “reallyamazing” to see. Buthealso said the shark’s presencereminded him that swimmers need to lookout for the big fish. Sightings of greatwhites
off CapeCod,Massachusetts, have become increasingly frequent in recentyears, and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has documented hundreds of the animals over more than adecade. But new data shows thesharks are heading even farthernorth into New Hampshire,Maine and beyond, said Greg Skomal,asenior fisheriesbiologist with the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheriesand aveteran white shark researcher
Thenumberofwhitesharks detected offHalifax,Nova Scotia, increased about 2.5 times from 2018 to 2022, accordingto a paperpublished by Skomal and others in May in thejournal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Even farther north, thenumberdetected in theCabot Strait that separates Nova Scotia and Newfoundlandincreasednearly fourtimes over, the paper said Skomal said the average residencyinthesenorthern waters has alsoincreased from 48 days to 70 days, suggesting that white sharks appear to be increasingly comfortable farther north.
Akey reasonfor theshift seemstobethe successful conservationofseals off NewEngland and Canada via laws such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which has allowed sealsto thriveand provide afood sourcefor thepredatory sharks, Skomal said “Itcould be afunctionofa growingpreybase,”Skomal said. “And that wouldbe seals.”
Great white sharks also benefit from protections, including aban on fishing for
them in U.S. federalwaters thathas stoodsince 1997. They are still considered vulnerable by theInternational Union for theConservation of Nature.
In Massachusetts, the marine fisheries department said it strengthened itsfishing laws after fishermen in 2024 chosetotargetwhite sharks anyway.The state prohibitedthe use of certain kinds of heavy fishing gear in shoreline areas wherewhite sharksare mostcommonly found.
“Webelieve here in Massachusetts that targeting white sharks from the beach is not asafe practice,”Skomal said. “Not only because it could result in the death of the shark, but because it could be apublic safety issue.”
Despite the sizeand strength of the sharks, dangerous encountersbetween whitesharks and humans are vanishingly rare. Worldwide, there have been fewer than 60 fatalgreat white shark bites on humans in recorded history,according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History
The first recorded fatal shark attack in Mainehappened in 2020 when agreat white shark killed 63-yearold Julie Dimperio Holowach off Bailey Island.
“It’sanexceedingly rare event.But we’re providing allofthis information to mitigate human behavior and hopefully reduce any negative encountersbetween humans and sharks,” saidAshleigh Novak, research coordinator with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy
to theFlorida Fishand Wildlife Conservation Commission.
It’snot easy to find definite estimates of thenumberof pythons in Florida. The U.S.
“Every invasive python that is removed makes adifference for Florida’senvironment and its native wildlife,” said Ron Bergeron, a memberofthe waterdistrict governing board.
Pythons can be humanely killed year-round on private
“This part of the project is in its infancy,”Kirkland said. “Weare confident, though, thatthis will work once we are given enough time to workout someof these details.”
Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida.
Humans could haveinterbred with Neanderthals earlierthan thought
BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
TEL AVIV,Israel Modern humans and Neanderthals were interacting 100,000 years earlier than previously thought, accordingto researchers who used CT scans and 3D mapping to study the bones of achild they believe was the result of interbreedingbetween the two distinct groups
The child, described in a recent study publishedin the peer-reviewed journal L’Anthropologie, was buriedinacaveinIsrael some 140,000 years ago. Because no ancient DNA wasextracted from the fossilized remains, it’simpossible to confirm the child’sorigins, but scientists say microscopic details in the bones indicate the child had traits of both groups.
When the boneswere first excavated from SkhulCave in northern Israel in 1931, archaeologists recognized that the child belongedto neither Homo sapiens, who had arrived in the region from Africa, nor Neanderthals, who arrived from Europe. They concluded it was aseparate species indigenous to the area.
But the new 3D mapping allowed researcherstostudy small details of the skull that had previously been difficult to see or decipher.Researchers were able to examine distinctive traits such as the construction of the inner ear and the imprintofblood vessels that supplied the brain By comparing known characteristics of both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, the researchers concluded the childwas the result of interbreeding.
Previously,the earliest known exampleofinterbreeding between the groups wasaround40,000 years ago in central Europe, explained Israel Hershkovitz, the lead researcherof the study and aprofessor of archaeology and human evo-
lution at TelAviv University
Ancientrelations
Thenew research helps shedlightonwhen thetwo groups began interacting and offers clues abouttheir relationships
“Whatwe’re saying now is that there was an extensive relationship between Homo sapiensand Neanderthals that startedaround 140,000 years ago,” and thetwo groups “managed to live side by sidewith no evidence for hostileencounters,”Hershkovitz said.
Theinterbreeding and shared cultural practices, including burials and tool construction,challenge the notion of Homo sapiens as “intolerant”tootherhuman groups duetotheir eventual dominance, Hershkovitz said. Without DNA, it will be impossible to prove that the child was ahybrid human, said Pascal Gagneux, an evolutionary biologist studying human origins at the University of CaliforniaSan Diego who was not involved in the research. Still, he said, the details revealed by the mapping, including the internal structure of some bones and several features, support the hybridhypothesis
Ancientskull
Researchers tookthou-
sands of isolated scans of the skull and jawofthe child and thencreated avirtual 3D model of the fossil.
The model allowed them to analyze tiny detailsthatare impossible to see on thefossilized bones, including delicate parts inside theskull. Bloodvessels,for example, makeasmall imprint on the inside of askull.
While some of thegrooves are visible to thenaked eye, the 3D scans allowed researchers to see the blood vessels like “tributaries of a river,” Hershkovitzsaid.
The patterns aredistinct between the two groups, because Neanderthals and Homo sapiens have different brain shapes that require different blood delivery
The virtual mapping created amore accurate reconstruction of the child’s skull than could be built from the bones and plaster when the remains wereoriginally excavated. The new reconstruction is much more elongated, which is more typical for Neanderthals, Gagneux said.
However,the detailed reconstruction does not answer many of the questions surrounding the discovery, Gagneux said. Were the parentsofthe child also interbred? Or wasone Neanderthaland the other Homo
sapien? Why was thechild, or anyone else, buried in the cave?
Thomas Levy,a professor in cyber-archaeology also at the University of California San Diego, said he was impressedbythe study’suse of 3D models. The advances in scientific visualization allowmoreaccuratemeasurements and comparisons of specimens, said Levy,who was not involved in theresearch.
The technology also offers archaeologists afresh opportunity to review conclusionsfromobjectsexcavated many years ago.
Living in harmony
SkhulCaveisone of three caves in the region that represent some of the oldest known intentional burials in the world, dating to more than 100,000 years ago, in themiddle of the Paleolithic era. Multiple sets of remains were found at each site, and some are still beingpainstakingly excavated with tiny
drills, which could provide moreclues in the future.
In ancienttimes, Israel was aland bridge andpoint of interaction between Neanderthals andHomosapiens.
Because Homo sapiens eventually replaced Nean-
derthals in the region and across the world, many people speculate thattheir interactions were violent and hostile, with Homosapienseventually responsible forthe “total elimination” of Neanderthals, Hershkovitz said.
BY BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press
Muhammad Ali’srefusal to sign his Vietnam-era military draft card upended the boxing champ’slife and added apowerful voice to the anti-war movement. Now that piece of history is coming up for sale.
There’sablank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967but refused to do so —apolarizing act of defiance as the Vietnam Warraged on. It triggered achain of events that disruptedhis storied boxing career but immortalized him outside the ring as achampion for peace and social justice.
“Being remindedofmy father’s message of courage andconviction is more important now than ever,and the sale of his draft card at Christie’s is apowerful wayto
sharethatlegacywiththe world,”
Rasheda Ali Walsh, adaughter of Ali, said Thursday in astatement issued by theauction house.
The auctionhouse said it will hold the online sale Oct. 10-28, adding thecard cametoitvia descendantsofAli.Apublic display of the card began Thursday at Rockefeller Center in New York andwill continue until Oct. 21. The document couldfetch $3 million to $5 million,Christie’sestimated.
“This is asingular object associated with an importanthistorical event that looms large in our shared popular culture,” said Peter Klarnet, aChristie’ssenior specialist.
Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion, died in 2016 at age 74 after along battle with Parkinson’sdisease. An estimated 100,000 peoplechanting, “Ali! Ali!” lined the streets of his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky,asa hearse carried his casket to alocal cemetery.His memorialservicewas packed withcelebrities,athletes
and politicians
The draft card, typewritten in parts, conjures memories from when Aliwasn’tuniversallybeloved but instead stood as apolar-
izing figure,reveredbymillions worldwide and reviled by many
For refusing induction into the U.S.Army,Ali was convicted of draft evasion, strippedofhis boxing title andbanned from boxing. Aliappealed theconviction on grounds he was aMuslim minister.Hefamouslyproclaimed: “I ain’tgot no quarrel with them Viet Cong.”
During his banishment, Ali spokeatcollegesand briefly appeared in aBroadway musical
He was allowed to resume boxing three years later
He was still facing apossible prison sentence when in 1971 he fought Joe Frazier,his archrival, for thefirst time in what was labeled “The Fight of the Century.” Afew months later the U.S. SupremeCourt overturned theconviction on an 8-0vote.
The draft card was issued the day the draftboard in Louisville ordered Ali to appear for induction, Christie’ssaid Thursday in a news release. The card wassigned
by the local draft boardchairman but pointedly not by Ali.
The card identified him by his birth name— Cassius Marcellus ClayJr. —but misspelledhis given middle name. Upon his conversion to Islam, he was given aname reflectinghis faith, theMuhammad Ali Center in Louisville says on its website. Meanwhile, the top of the draft cardreads: “(AKA) Muhammad Ali.”
The Ali Center features exhibits paying tribute to Ali’simmense boxing skills. But its main mission, it says, is to preserve his humanitarianlegacyand promote hissix core principles: spirituality, giving, conviction,confidence, respect and dedication.
Now an artifact reflecting how Ali personified someofthose principles will be up forauction. “Thisisthe first time collectors will be able to acquire avital and intimate document connected to one of the mostimportantfigures of the last century,” Klarnetsaid Thursday
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
A panel of East Baton Rouge Parish appellate judges has upheld the conviction of a woman who killed her former live-in boyfriend with poison over a decade ago.
Meshell Hale, 57, is about three years into a life term in Louisiana state prison. A 19th Judicial District Court judge deemed her guilty of second-degree murder at the end of a two-week bench trial in December 2022. According to testimony from the trial, Hale used barium acetate, a highly soluble and toxic compound, to poison her ex-lover Damian Paul Skipper Hale and her attorneys challenged the conviction and mandatory life sentence, arguing that the evidence prosecutors used against her was insufficient. In an order affirming the conviction Friday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal rejected notions from Hale’s legal team that Skipper may have ingested the poison accidentally or been exposed to the toxin environmentally “A thorough review of the record shows that the state presented ample evidence to establish that Mr Skipper’s death was consistent with barium poisoning and the
Cleared bayous allow water to drain faster
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
A plan to dredge five Baton Rouge bayous, designed in the 1990s and implemented only after the deadly flooding of 2016, is now successfully protecting homes from floodwater — and it is only 15% complete.
The Five Tributaries Project involves clearing foliage from the banks and snagging obstacles along the bottoms of five bayous in East Baton Rouge Parish each of which empties into the Amite River With these bayous cleared, their water can drain more quickly into the Amite instead of rising over their banks and threatening homes.
“If you imagine the trapezoidal channel (of the bayou), we’re pretty much
ä See FIVE, page 2B
CRIME BLOTTER staff reports
A man found dead Friday morning after a shooting near Scenic Highway has been identified, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Authorities say they found 25-year-old James Lee Critney dead with a gunshot wound in a bushy area behind a business in the 2700 block of Scenic Highway Detectives believe Critney was involved in an altercation before the shooting. Police say the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the BRPD Homicide Division at (225) 389-4869 or Capital Area Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867. Man shot by police in stable condition, authorities say
A New Roads police officer shot and wounded a man who was causing a disturbance Friday evening behind a business in the 1200 block of Hospital Road, according to Louisiana State Police. John Sexton, 45, of New Roads, was shot multiple times by an officer after police were called to a report of Sexton causing a disturbance just after 5 p.m. Sexton was taken to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition No officers were harmed in the incident.
ä See BLOTTER, page 2B
defendant’s identity as the person who administered the barium to Mr Skipper,” the appeals court determined in its 23-page ruling. First Circuit Judge Blair Edwards penned the order She reviewed Hale’s appeal alongside fellow judges Steven Miller and Wilson Fields. The trio upheld the guilty verdict originally rendered by 19th Judicial District Court Judge Raymond Bigelow, who listened to eight days of testimony during a felony bench trial. When he announced his verdict,
Bigelow said there was little direct evidence against Hale, but cited “an abundance of circumstantial evidence” that pointed to her, such as searches regarding barium poisoning on her cellphones, computers and tablets, as well as three purchases of the substance made with her credit card and PayPal account. Four days later when he sentenced Hale to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the judge took note of the
20-year-old church event sparks hope for community renewal
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Roads was once a lively, multigenerational community hub. But now it’s a little worse for wear Water has stained the cathedral ceiling, mildew has begun to creep over the siding, and parts of the tile floor have chipped away. Its congregation, like the population of the city of New Roads surrounding it, is dwindling.
Residents and parishioners hope to reverse the decline by calling upon a nostalgic and festive form of community building: the church bazaar
“We’re resuming this festival because the church is still in need, more than ever,” church bazaar committee chair Tonya Scott Wyandon said. “The mountain that we’re having to climb is against all odds.”
It will be St. Augustine’s first fair in 20 years. For many, the bazaar harkens back to the New Roads of their childhood, with a sense of togetherness and neighborly commitment to the good of the town that some feel is diminished now Driving through the city, on the northern side of the train tracks, boarded-up houses and vacant businesses offer shadows of the town in its heyday
“Little by little, the economic staples that once maintained this primarily African American church community began to disappear,” Wyandon said “This is where we stand right now.”
New Roads has lost over 1,000 residents since 1995, or almost 20% of its population, according to U.S. census
data. Many businesses in St Augus-
tine’s neighborhood, from ice cream parlors to grocery stores, have shuttered.
Residents are optimistic about revitalization, starting with the revival of the church fundraiser Donations will go toward basic repairs of the building, which is over 100 years old and has mostly relied upon patchwork fixes throughout the decades.
Those organizing the fair also see it as an opportunity to invigorate the community and pass down their love of the church to younger generations.
“One of the goals among many other goals of bringing back the fair this year is to help bring the church family and the entire community together, to share love, enjoy the company of each other,” the Rev Joseph Gbenga Benjamin wrote in an email.
Lifelong church member Mary Jackson recalled attending the fair as a girl, indulging in Creole gumbo,
CHURCH FAIR DETAILS
WHEN: Oct. 4-5
WHERE: St.Augustine Catholic Church, 809 New Roads St., New Roads TICKETS: $2 at the door Guests 12 years old and under get in free. A COMPLETE SCHEDULE IS LISTED ON THE ST
cotton candy and popcorn.
“People were happy to donate whatever was in their yards and gardens,” Jackson wrote. “It was refreshing to see how people were so generous and how much they were willing to give of what little they had.”
Pointe Coupee historian Brian Costello said the church is central to the city geographically and culturally It has weathered the challenges felt by the larger community, he said.
See CHURCH, page 2B
UNO student left paralyzed in 2022
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
The man who shot and paralyzed a University of New Orleans student in a 2022 armed robbery was sentenced to 50 years in state prison on Friday, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court records show Cruz Matute, 18, was convicted by a jury of aggravated assault with a firearm and attempted armed robbery in July He and co-defendant Tata Say had “gone out hunting” for “prey” in the wee hours on Aug, 21, 2022, the victim’s mother told The TimesPicayune in a 2023 interview.
In the 6400 block of Paris Avenue, they happened across UNO naval engineering student Noah
Continued from page 1B
“overwhelming” evidence proving Hale’s guilt.
She was also heavily implicated in the suspicious death of her exhusband Arthur Noflin Jr. The 42-year-old man died under suspicious circumstances in March 2016 — less than nine months after Skipper’s death. In the months leading up to his demise Noflin was hospitalized multiple times with symptoms similar to those that killed Skipper Following Friday’s decision by the 1st Circuit, East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors celebrated the victory of Hale’s conviction in Skipper’s killing holding strong
“We appreciate the courts’ thorough review of this matter and their unequivocal affirmation of this verdict,” District Attorney Hillar Moore said in a statement. “We are happy for both the Skipper and Noflin families that the verdict and sentence are now final.”
Meanwhile, Julie Tizzard, the New Orleans attorney who argued for Hale’s conviction and sentence to be overturned, said she was “very surprised” by the appellate court’s decision. And said she plans to file a writ to the Louisiana Supreme Court challenging their ruling. A murder plot
Meshell Hale is purported to have dated Damian Skipper and Arthur Noflin at different times
Continued from page 1B
clearing all vegetation off the side slopes coming down to about 2 inches above the ground, and then any obstructions or hindrances in the water itself, stumps, branches anything sticking out, we’ll remove those as well,” said David Bradley, project director with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
While the dredging plan was funded in 2018, it wasn’t until February 2023 that the first portion of the first bayou had been successfully cleared and snagged.
Fred Raiford, transportation and drainage director for the parish, admitted delays slowed the start of the project, but says now that the lower portions of Bayou Fountain, Ward Creek and Jones Creek have been cleared, he is already seeing results
“Those areas have always had problems with flooding and drainage, and once we’ve done that work I’ve had very, very, very, very few calls about water,” Raiford said. “The reason I know that is because I go look out. I mean, I watch when it rains at night. I get up because I know I’m gonna get phone calls, I’d like to at least know I’ve looked at it.” Raiford said the completed work on those three bayous has been a “tremendous plus for us with reducing the flood risk for people in our parish.”
The clearing and snagging of lower Jones Creek was finished in February 2023, Bayou Fountain’s lower few miles were done in September 2023, and Ward Creek’s part was completed in May 2024.
In total, 11.2 miles of waterway have been cleared, with roughly another 55 miles to go.
Those completed areas were all from the lowest and deepest portions of these bayous, where they bottom out into the Amite River and
Continued from page 1B
Hansard as he took his nightly lakefront walk, robbing him of his phone at gunpoint, according to the NOPD.
When Hansard tried to fight back with a knife, Matute shot him and fled with Say in a vehicle.
“I was told by NOPD it was an execution-style shooting and it is a miracle he lived,” Elisabeth Hansard, Noah’s mother, said in 2023.
Say was arrested in July 2023 on counts of attempted firstdegree murder and armed robbery He was acquitted in July Matute, who was 16 at the time of the shooting and had faced attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery counts, was convicted of the lesser charges.
Elisabeth and Noah Hansard testified before Criminal District Court Judge Simone Levine on Friday, who sentenced Matute to 50 years at hard labor
But the periods when both men showed apparent signs of barium poisoning overlapped, according to testimony in Hale’s murder trial.
Skipper had to be hospitalized four times in the eight days leading up to his death. What began with low potassium levels progressed to abdominal pains nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, court records state. By the time Skipper was rushed to the emergency room at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center early the morning of June 30, 2015, he had no pulse, wasn’t breathing and was in cardiac arrest.
Still, medical examiners didn’t suspect foul play when he died.
The coroner initially ruled it a natural death from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to Friday’s ruling.
The parallels didn’t begin to unravel until late the night of March 18, 2016, when Noflin’s body was found charred beyond recognition in the back seat of his torched pickup truck in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. New Orleans investigators learned that Noflin and Skipper were hospitalized with similar medical emergencies around the same time and both men had romantic relationships with Hale, according to trial testimony That raised suspicions and prompted authorities to exhume Skipper’s body in April 2017. Toxicologists reexamined his remains nearly two years after he died and found unusually high concentrations of barium acetate in his system. East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner William “Beau” Clark re-
BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer
A cyberattack on the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office is still disrupting the Orleans Parish Civil District Court’s ability to handle some pleadings, and there is no timeline yet on a resolution, a court spokesperson said Friday evening.
The civil system has been down since Sept. 4, leaving the court unable to confirm whether defendants have been properly served, Public Information Officer Walt Pierce said in a news release.
But as of Saturday morning, Docket Master, an online repository of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court records, was back online.
“We recognize that there may be additional limitations or impacts that arise as we navigate this situation, and we are awaiting further clarification from the Sheriff’s Office regarding a timeline for resolution,” the release said.
classified Skipper’s cause of death homicide by poisoning.
That set off a murder investigation that ended with Hale being arrested for killing Skipper in June 2018. No charges were ever filed in Noflin’s death His burn wounds were so extensive, medical examiners couldn’t even rule his death a homicide — the cause of death remains unclassified.
Hale was indicted and tried for first-degree murder in connection with the poisoning of Skipper. Bigelow, the presiding judge, said he disregarded evidence from Noflin’s death investigation that prosecutors relied heavily on at trial. He found her guilty of the less severe crime of second-degree murder Appeals court’s decision
In their appeal, Hale’s attorneys offered different theories of possible innocence They argued the barium levels may have come from embalming fluids used to preserve his body when he died. Or he may have accidentally been exposed to the toxin at the various petroleum plants where he worked, cleaning up hazardous materials, the defense team argued.
But the 1st Circuit determined trial evidence showed Skipper’s exposure was “more than fleeting, indirect, accidental, or work related.” Dr Patricia Williams, a forensic toxicologist, testified as an expert in pathology and anatomy at Hale’s trial and opined that Noflin and Skipper both exhibited symptoms of barium
overlooking
where the water is deep enough to support barges with excavators used for clearing. The barges won’t be an option for the remaining waterways and Bradley expects the Corps instead will be using amphibious excavators, sometimes called “marsh buggies.”
To get these machines to the water and to store the collected debris, the parish floodwater authority will need to pay residents to use their land.
These right-of-way parcels could be as small as 25-foot strips along the bayous’ banks or up to an acre plot on which to pile whatever is pulled from the water
Raiford estimated the remaining work will require more than 300 temporary land acquisitions, none of which has been made.
Once all five bayous have been cleared and snagged, the Corps will also construct concrete riprap on the banks of portions of Jones Creek and look to make channel enlargements to parts of Beaver Bayou and Blackwater Bayou in Central.
Sheriff Susan Hutson said Monday that her department is working with cybersecurity partners “around the clock” to address the breach, which disrupted bail processing and shut down the public’s access to case records in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and continues to affect the civil system.
A ransomware group called Qilin has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, saying it stole more than 840 gigabytes of data from OPSO. Qilin has already leaked several OPSO financial and administrative records online, though they don’t appear to include sensitive personal data.
Judges said they’ve developed a plan to keep cases moving, but urged attorneys and litigants to double-check service with OPSO before hearings or trials.
The Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (504) 289-4074 or in Room 403 of the Civil Courts building at 421 Loyola Ave.
poisoning, after reviewing both men’s medical records. She said Skipper could have ingested the concentrated levels of barium in his system only while he was alive.
But attorneys questioned the lack of direct evidence, saying other people had access to Hale’s electronic devices as well as her credit card and PayPal account. Tizzard argued investigators never tested a bottle of pills found in the home Hale’s daughter shared with her lover Those pills could have been the source of Skipper’s poisoning, the defense attorney speculated. But the appellate panel said there was a “mountain” of other evidence that incriminated Hale They noted she was the caretaker for both men and had enough access to poison them.
Hale received a $10,000 life insurance payout following Skipper’s death, and Noflin changed his $750,000 life insurance policy in July 2015 — making Hale the sole beneficiary and her granddaughter the successor
The appeals court agreed with the theory of trial prosecutors, determining that similarity was relevant and could have showed motive and pattern.
“In reviewing the evidence presented at trial, we cannot say the trial court’s determination was irrational under the facts and circumstances presented,” the court ruled in rejecting Hale’s argument of insufficient evidence.
Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.
to pay 25% of the costs of the total project, or roughly $64 million of that $255 million total.
So far, the parish has needed to pay only around $10 million, Raiford estimated, with roughly another $40 million being matched by a capital outlay from the state.
In addition to sharing costs, the parish and the Corps have other responsibilities in regards to the project.
The parish must acquire land and relocate utilities, while the Corps must develop environmental impact statements and award construction contracts.
As for what is immediately next: the Corps has completed environmental surveys for the upper portions of Jones Creek and has ongoing surveys for upper Bayou Fountain and upper Ward Creek.
“We’ve had floods and crop failures and socioeconomic injustice, and the same families have attended St. Augustine through all the years,” Costello said. “It’s been a symbol of hope and faith, not only for the families themselves but for the community as a whole.”
For longtime church members, the decline in volunteering and donations, and the end of the annual bazaar in 2005, reflects the loss of the elders.
Wyandon remembered, for example, how her grandmother would iron the church linens every week.
“We don’t have as much exposure to community anymore because we have kids that have grown up not being as social, not being as involved,” she said.
But Wyandon and others believe the bazaar will reignite that fellowship. She’s been putting up signs, taping flyers on doors and spreading the word any way she can to get people to come out.
“People here also want to have something to look forward to,” Wyandon said. “They want to have something to do and look forward to.”
Continued from page 1B
State Police are investigating, but details are slim. It is unclear at this time if Sexton was armed.
Man arrested after pedestrian killed near I-10
A Greenwell Springs man was arrested after reportedly fatally striking a pedestrian with his vehicle Friday night near the Dalrymple exit on Interstate 10 and then leaving the scene while impaired, Baton Rouge police report. Paul LeDuff, 56, was westbound on I-10 when he struck a person who had been walking on the highway shoulder just before 11 p.m., according to police.
LeDuff was allegedly impaired at the time, and fled the scene following the accident, police said.
He was booked into the parish jail on counts of hit and run, reckless operation of a vehicle, second-offense driving while intoxicated, switched license plates and lack of insurance.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released, a police spokesperson said.
A charge of negligent homicide is often used in cases of a pedestrian being hit and killed by a drunken driver, but Sgt. L’Jean McKneely with BRPD said it is unclear if LeDuff will face that charge since the pedestrian was on the highway shoulder when they were struck.
again?
Larry Galloway, former president of the Sagefield Homeowners Association, which lies on the other side of Burbank Drive from Bayou Fountain, said his neighbors experienced bad flooding during both 2016 and 2021.
On Friday, standing on the edge of a long ditch where Longwood Plantation Road turns to nothing but grass, Galloway gestured out at where a clogged culvert had to be pulled from the ground after flooding in August 2021.
“Some of them got it in their homes and these down here, they got it real bad. They couldn’t get out,” Galloway said from his neighbor’s backyard. “And boy, some houses that way, most of them it was up to the mailboxes.”
So, how much longer?
Bradley, with the Corps, said he is waiting to get a better idea of the estimated time for completion for the project.
Raiford has estimated the end of 2031. Both pointed to the unknown variables of ongoing environmental surveys, construction timelines delivered to the directors from contractors, and the specter of hidden utilities needing to be relocated.
Raiford was the parish’s public works director when the Five Tributaries plan was first considered in 1995 and 1996. He said despite approval from the Water Resources Development Act for the project to begin construction in 1999, the lack of federal money was a hurdle.
The Five Tributaries Project was given an estimated cost of $255 million, with the federal money being allocated in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
But that allocation also requires the Corps’ “non-federal partners”
In areas where work has been completed, Raiford said in the past he might have gotten calls about flooded ditches during a 2- or 3-inch rain. Now, the complaints have grown quiet
“It may not be ideal for everybody yet, but it takes a lot of money to do what needs to be done,” Raiford said.
Waiting for the next flood
In a meeting room of the South Branch library, behind a wall of paintings depicting waves, rivers and other watery imagery, the Greater Federation of Baton Rouge Neighborhood Associations held its annual stormwater summit.
The residents had each lived through the flooding of 2016 and returned to their own slices of Baton Rouge to rebuild. Throughout the summit, the homeowners peppered parish and state officials with questions about their particular backyard bayou and the possible work being done there. But most of the homeowners shared a similar fear: If floodwaters come, will we be forced to rebuild
Galloway isn’t sure if he has noticed less water backing up in the Bayou Fountain outlets that surround his subdivision, but he hopes Raiford is right that the snagging has helped. Mostly, he is concerned about new development in the area, especially in places that were underwater in 2021, and how those new homes might push water into Sagefield.
The real test, he says, will be when the next flood hits.
Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.
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Affordable senior housing bolsters former Algiers Navy base
BY JONAH MEADOWS and STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
A new four-story apartment building officially opens this week on the former Navy base in Algiers known as Federal City, the first of two residential projects on a site where developers say they are now making progress in creating a community of businesses, recreation, retailers and affordable housing.
The 70-unit building known as Riverside Retreat is the first of two residential projects that when completed will total more than 130 apartments.
Riverside Retreat, which is earmarked for low-income older residents, along with a market-rate apartment complex slated to open in the next 18 months, represent a major step in the efforts to revitalize Federal City, a task that has taken 12 years, seen two failed development deals and has frustrated public officials in their quest to add affordable housing in neighborhoods across the city
But housing advocates noted that New Orleans needs thousands more units that working people can afford, and pointed to other stalled projects around the city as evidence that a renewed political effort is needed to spark real progress.
“(Federal City) is significant for those 70 people, but in the overall scheme, less so,” said Andreanecia Morris, executive director of the advocacy group Housing NOLA “This is a volume game. I’ll take your 70 Now, we just need 100 more projects like this.”
From naval base to Federal City
Federal City was vacated by the Navy in 2011 but continues to house several mostly government tenants, including the headquarters of the Marine Corps Reserves, a U.S. Coast Guard base, a Delgado Community College building that opened in 2021, and the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy charter school.
The site is overseen by the Algiers Development District, a special taxing entity created in 2003 later tasked with redeveloping the shuttered base It is funded by upward of $1 million a year generated by sales taxes from a Walmart complex nearby, which covers the cost of its three-person staff and maintenance of the grounds, and it still owns most of the land in the former base.
Riverside Retreat has been designed and built to the highest re-
silience standards, including reinforced walls, waterproof materials on the first floor and an emergency generator, to minimize the need for residents to be forced to evacuate for a major storm.
Across the street from the complex, construction is underway on the next phase of residential development the conversion of a 120-year-old former machine shop on the base into 60 market-rate apartments that will be called the Lofts at Federal City.
Brown-Taylor, the Shreveportbased project developer, plans to complete the second building in late 2026 or early 2027 and has committed to building still more apartments, both affordable and market-rate units, on the base on an 8.1-acre parcel between the Marine Corps support facility and Harriet Tubman Charter School. They also plan to build single-family homes on several acres adjoining the remaining military housing.
“We’re working through methodically,” said Edward Taylor, of Fairfield Property Management, one of the partners in the Brown-Taylor joint venture. “Each of these processes, each development takes an extraordinary amount of time, planning, resources, and then orchestration to unfold them.”
‘You need a subsidy’
Area residents say they have watched progress proceed at a languid pace, with the former base attracting little private investment and severing its relationships with the first two developers it selected.
The district’s leaders have previously attributed the delay in redevelopment to the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida which made it harder to find investment at a time when construction costs were surging.
It’s a similar story at other projects around the city
In Mid-City, neighbors of the Lindy Boggs Medical Center, abandoned since Hurricane Katrina, have dealt with years of halted progress on turning that building into senior housing.
So too with the Bywater Naval Station, which after its abandonment in 2011 drew squatters and sporadic violence until 2022, when it was fenced off and security installed. That area is now slated to be turned into 300 apartments with subsidized rents after securing a key federal loan guarantee earlier this year
Developers with experience in the arena say there are multiple reasons ambitious projects get bogged down. But they all boil down to money.
“With mixed use projects, each one has its own challenges,” said developer Paul Flower, of Woodward Interests, who has been trying to redevelop the former Lindy
Boggs site since 2021. “In the end, there has to be concessions to make the numbers work, subsidies.”
All the major candidates in the upcoming mayor’s race have acknowledged the need for more affordable and workforce housing in a city where high housing costs have contributed to more than than 28,400 people moving out of Orleans Parish since 2020.
At recent forums and debates, they have offered solutions that include helping homeowners install stormproof roofs to drive down insurance premiums, rehabbing blighted properties and streamlining the process of approving new projects.
All those ideas, if implemented, could make a difference, according to advocates, developers and others involved in creating more housing, though there remains the fundamental funding problem.
“The basic challenge of largescale affordable housing is finite sums and subsidies in a climate where construction costs have skyrocketed and operating costs have increased,” said land-use attorney Mike Sherman, who was a member of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration and has advised on major redevelopment projects.
“With affordable housing, there is no way to pass the additional costs along to tenants,” he added. “You need a subsidy.”
At Federal City, developers were able to secure federal grants because of the resilient design and focus on affordability, according to the developers.
The $20 million complex has 56
Lawmakers asked about legislative proposals
BY JOEL THOMPSON
Contributing writer
A community town hall hosted by several Acadiana GOP lawmakers turned contentious Thursday evening when the topic focused on various immigration proposals in the state Legislature.
The town hall at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church was coordinated by several elected officials representing the Lafayette area, including state Sen Brach Myers, state Reps. Annie Spell and Josh Carlson, and Lafayette City Council member Liz Webb Hebert.
The elected officials were asked about whether they supported several immigration proposals in the Louisiana Legislature, including HB436, which would limit nonlegal residents from certain legal remedies in car crashes
“If someone is not of legal status, they are not legally driving around, in the field of insurance it’s a hard argument to say that that person should be awarded damages the same way that a person who has legal status is,” Spell said. Carlson echoed the statement saying, “If you’re not in the country legally, and you hit someone, then I think it’s perfectly reasonable to say that you don’t have the right to recover.”
These comments drew pushback from attendees.
“Any human being in this country and in this state has human dignity,” said Brooke Arceneaux, one of several community members in attendance to challenge statements made by the legislators on the topic. Arceneaux went on to compare the legislation to alleged human rights violations at an immigration detention center in Basile.
“At the Basile detention facility there are documented cases of abuse from the warden He sexually abused them, allegedly Just because someone isn’t a legal citizen of Louisiana, do they have no rights?”
Spell pushed back
“I see sexual assault as very different from a car accident,” she said. “In statute, if a sexual act occurs to any human being, legal status or not, there’s prosecution.”
This led to a tense exchange between Spell and an attendee that segued into the town hall’s abrupt end.
“You’re denigrating them (nonlegal residents) by calling them an economic issue
We’re talking about human beings here and what rights and responsibilities we have towards them as a society We’re asking you for your opinion on that, and what we’re hearing back is talk about insurance,” the attendee said.
Spell responded: “The bills that were addressed were specifically regarding access to services, and so I was speaking to that.”
one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom units. All are reserved for renters 55 and older who earn $50,000 a year or less, which is 80% of the area median income.
Already, there is a clear demand for the new units. Within the first month, 56 of the 70 apartments had been leased.
More than $10.5 million of the total construction cost was covered by federal disaster recovery grants, with another $800,000 coming from low-income housing tax credits.
“You see a lot of it, the generators and the plugs and the quality of finishes,” Taylor said. “What you don’t see is where a lot of the costs are incurred — the structural components of the building.”
Beyond being fortified against extreme weather, each unit is designed with accessibility in mind, with the ability to configure its kitchen to be fully functional while sitting in a wheelchair According to the developers, getting residents onto the site is key to making the planned proposals around office space, retail and other amenities tenable.
“In order to develop this community, you need people,” said Wayne Brown, one of the developers. “You have a lot of people working here — and room for more — but the development needs to have people living here.”
Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.
Car insurance was also a focus of discussion.
One attendee, who was involved in an automobile crash with an uninsured driver earlier this year asked about the possibility of requiring insurance agents to let policyholders know about the existence of Collision Deductible Waivers that can be added onto their policy whenever significant changes are made to the plan Those are waivers in which automobile insurers will cover deductibles in cases where the party at fault is uninsured.
“I was called to public service to solve problems like this,” said Myers, who serves on the Senate Insurance Committee. “When I hear from you that that’s an issue, to me that’s an issue now that we’re going to solve.”
On the question of lowering auto insurance rates, Hebert touted various LCG policies aimed at reducing the number of crashes, which she said will lead to lower rates.
“We ran a campaign at various intersections within my district,” she said. “We’re installing more and more flashing speedometers These are effective ways of slowing people down.”
The legislators were also asked about gerrymandering in the state in light of the ongoing Supreme Court case over Louisiana’s current congressional district map, which features two majority-minority districts, and whether the current map in their view is gerrymandering along racial lines.
“Where the Constitution provides guidance, where the Supreme Court provides guidance, that’s the guidance we need to follow,” Myers said.
In addition to questions and public comments, the legislators used the opportunity to tout several recent changes to the structure of Louisiana government, as well as promote an upcom-
ing constitutional amendment on the ballot in April which will allow $2 billion across multiple trust funds to be used for teacher pay raises.
“This is a way to take money that’s generated very little each year for education, and say, ‘Let’s pay off debt, let’s free up money at the state and local level, and higher ed, and pay our teachers $2,000$2,500 more a year,’” Carlson said. The town hall comes as the Louisiana Legislature is in between sessions and could possibly meet for a special session. All four elected officials are eligible for reelection in the 2027 state general election. For more information on how to get in touch with your state legislators and city council members, visit legis.la.gov and lafayettela.gov/council.
4B
Roberts, Gary MidCity Ballroom in BatonRouge at 5p.m
Obituaries
Funerals Today and many lovingnieces and nephews. The family wouldliketogive special thanks to the dedicated staffofClarity Hospice of Baton Rouge forthe compassionate and attentive care they provided. Aspecialthanks to Nina and Sylvia,her dedicated care teamwhose exceptional care and unwaveringcompassion brought comfort and love in her final days. The family would also like to thank Patricia's sitters, Ashlyn Tisdale andBrenda Johnson. The familyhas requested private services. Familyand friends may signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal note to the family at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com.
Bourgeois, Alfred Richard 'Big Al'
Alfred "BigAl" Richard Bourgeoispassed away peacefully at West Towne
Assisted Living on Thursday, September 18, 2025,at the age of 87. He was aretiredpostal carrier and a Brusly Volunteer Fire Chief, resident and native of Brusly, LA. Visitation will be held at Wilbert Funeral Home, Port Allen on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 5to8pm andat St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Brusly on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 9am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10am, celebrated by Father Jerry Martin. Entombment will follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Cemetery, Brusly. Alfred is survived by his sons, Andy Bourgeois and wife Kym, Tony Bourgeois and wife Elizabeth, Russ Bourgeois and wife Denise, and Alec Bourgeois and wife Amelia; grandchildren, Bryon Bourgeois, Alexander and Josie Bourgeois, and Eleanor Bourgeois; and sister, Barbara Vincent. Preceded in death by his parents, Bruce and Mildred Aubert Bourgeois; and brother, Bruce Bourgeois, Jr. Pallbearers will be Andy, Tony, Russ, Alec, and Bryon Bourgeois and Brad Marionneaux. Alfred was a1956 Brusly High School graduate. While growing up Alfred worked at his father's pharmacy Brusly Drugstore for many years. He had apassion for trains, planes, drag racing cars, cigars, and body building. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Please share memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.
Fazende, BettieJoe Perry
Bettie JoePerry
Fazende,91years old, a dearlyloved,lifelongresi‐dentofClinton, LA went hometoher Lord andSav‐ior,Jesus Christ on Thurs‐day,September 18, 2025
Funeralserviceswillbe heldatBluff Creek Baptist Church, Clinton, LA,on Monday, September22, 2025. Visitation is 9:00 to 11:00 with funeralservice tofollow. Arrangements being handledbyCharlet FuneralHome, Zachary. www.CharletFuneralHome. com
Ficklin, Patricia Ann Daigle
Patricia Ann Daigle Ficklin, anative of Carville,LA and aresident of Pride, LA, passed awayonWednesday, September 17, 2025,at the age of 84. She was a graduate of St. Gabriel High School.She wasa homemaker andamember of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She enjoyed spending time with family at the hunting/ fishing camp on Big Alabama. Patricia was an avid bowler who found joy both in the game and in the friendships she made at the lanes. She loved her great grandchildren dearly, even when their playful havoc left her pictures a little crooked or her towel drawer out of order so baby dolls wouldn't be cold. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Guy Dwain Ficklin; parents, Sidney Justin Daigle &Ura Mae Sanchez Daigle. Patricia is survived by herdaughter,Kelli Ficklin Cruze (Jimmy); grandson, SamCruze (Emma); great-grandchildren, Luke Cruze and Lena Cruze; Gail Ann Daigle Sutton (Frank);
Floyd Sr., Charles L.
CharlesL.Floyd, Sr.,age 95, died September18, 2025 in Allen, TX. He was born on December17, 1929, in St. Augustine,FLtoLeslie F. and Genevieve Paris Floyd, the first of five children. He graduatedfrom FloridaState University wherehemet and married Myrna Barbara "Bobby" Jones. Both were members of theFSU Flying High Circusand he was also chosen for the 1950All-American Volleyball 2nd team. He and Bobby settled in Baton Rouge in 1964where he had alongcareer in finance and banking. There theyraisedfourchildren and lived until her passing in 1993.Aftermoving to the Dallasareain1994,hemet and marriedMaryMartin and theybecame real estate agents in Plano, TX for ten yearsuntil her death. He was precededindeath by his parents, asister,his first wifeBobby, hissecond wifeMary, and asonin-law, Lee Jones. He is survived by hischildren, Barbara Lee Jones of Springdale,AR, Myrna Rabalais (Brad)ofZachary, LA, Patti Brooks (Greg) of Kentwood, LA, CharlesL Floyd, Jr. (Yvette) of Oakland,CAand adearand lovingcompanion, Peggy McCoy of Allen, TX.Heis also survivedbyhis grandchildren, Jennifer Yoho (Mark) of Baton Rouge,LA, CharlyLeger (Tori) of Springdale,AR, Eric Rabalais(Angie)ofCentral, LA, Amanda Brunson (Josh) of Zachary, LA, Tyler Brooks (Kimmy)ofHarvey, LA, and Kati Trepagnier (Travis) of LaPlace, LA. He also leaves behind 3sisters, 16 greatgrandchildren, and 3greatgreat-grandchildren.He donatedhis body to the Willed Body Program at The University of Texas SouthwesternMedical Center.A private family memorialwillbeheldata later date. He never managed to purchase thatwinninglotteryticket, but he had alongand happy life and willbemissed.
Hillman, Judith LoBue 'Judy'
"Godsaw yougetting tiredand acurewas not to be.So, He putHis arms around you and whispered 'Come with me'. With tearful eyes we watchedyou and saw you passaway Althoughweloved you dearly,wecouldnot make you stay. Agolden heart stoppedbeating, hardworkinghandsatrest. God broke our heartstoprove to us He only takesthe best."Judith "Judy" LoBue Hillman, lovingly known by her grandchildren as "Mimi,"passed awaypeacefully on September15, 2025,inPrairieville Louisiana,atthe age of 85. Judy was born on December 29, 1939,inPlaquemine, Louisiana.She was a devoted wife,mother, sister, and grandmother whoseunwaveringlove and quietstrength shaped the livesofthose around her.A woman of deep faith, Judy was adevout Catholicwho livedher life with grace, humility, and kindness. Judy is preceded in death by her beloved
husband, Carl HillmanSr., with whom sheshared a lifetime of love and partnership; andher parents, Anna Mae LoBue and Guy LoBue Sr. She is survived by her children, Carl HillmanJr. (Anita), Mark Hillman(Sue), and Eric Hillman(Angela); grandchildren, Brooke Hillman Nassif (Chris), Tanner Hillman (Alanna), JasonHillman, Carson Hillman, and Amy Hillman; siblings, Guy LoBueJr. (Anne), Leah Seneca (David),and David LoBue (Linda); and many other cherished relatives andfriends. To her family, Judy was more than just a matriarch, she was a source of comfort, wisdom, and unconditionallove Her legacy of faith, compassion, and family devotion will live on in each of them. Amemorial service will be held at alaterdate Pleaseshare memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.
Landry,MarySusan Coletti 'Sue'
“Giveher of thefruit of her handsand lether own works praise herinthe gates.” Proverbs 31:31.Itis withdeepsorrow and muchlovethatwemourn the passingofour beloved wife, mother,grandmother and great-grandmother, MarySusan “Sue”Coletti Landry, whopassedaway peacefullyintothe arms of her Heavenly Father on Sunday, September14, 2025, at 9:45 am,atthe age of88. Surrounded by her lovingfamily, sheleftthis world as shelived in it –withgrace andanunwa‐veringtrust in God’sdivine plan. Shewas born on De‐cember12, 1936, to Salva‐tore“Sam” Colettiand Agnes FerachiColetti.At birth,she weighedonly two anda half pounds. Her survivalwas amiracle that reflectedthe courageand determination shecarried throughouther life.Sue was awoman whoselife was atestament to the power of faith and the beautyofaheart devoted toGod.She wasbornand raisedinPlaquemine. Sue was blessedtoshare her lifewithtwo loving hus‐bands,Dudley, for50years and laterA.J.for 9years She wasa dedicatedstay athomemothertoher 3 children. As agrand‐mother, shebrought warmthand joyintoevery room sheentered,her gen‐tle spirit lighting up the lives of hergrandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sue wasa devout Catholic and livedher life guided by her faith,prayerand devo‐tiontoGod.After thepass‐ing of herson anda reli‐gious pilgrimage to Medju‐gorje,she found comfortin recognizingGod’s signs around her, especially her connectionwiththe num‐ber “7”throughouther life which inspired genera‐tions.She beganher morn‐ingswithspecial prayers, sayingthe rosary and watchingthe mass on her favoritereligious program. Sue found joyinthe simple blessings of life –spending timewithher family, cook‐ing mealsthatbrought everyonetothe table, shopping, travelingand dancing on Sunday after‐noons. Herhomewas a place of comfortand laughter– always open to anyoneinneedofa listen‐ing earora warm hug.Sue had agiftfor making peo‐ple feel seen,heard and loved.She wasthe heartof her family– awoman of great strength,wisdom, patience, endlesskindness and unconditionallove. Al‐
of love will live on in the morals, values and Catholic faithshe instilled and lovingly passeddown toher children,grandchil‐drenand great-grandchil‐dren. Visitation will be held atSt. John theEvangelist Catholic Church,Plaquem‐ine on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, from 9amuntil MassofChristian Burial at 11amcelebratedbyFather Jason Palermo. Interment willfollowatGrace Memo‐rialPark, Plaquemine.Sue issurvivedbyher loving family, husband,Alvin “A.J.”Dugas,Jr.;daughters, Susan Landry Jacksonand Sandy Landry Rome (Clarence); daughter-inlaw,RosemaryLandryLan‐glois; five grandchildren, Kirsten JacksonClebert (Corey),KynleeJackson Cunningham(Rocky),Lan‐don Landry (Caci),Korey Rome(Megan),and Alex Rome(Brenden);ten greatgrandchildren Cullen, Cooper andColette Cle‐bert, Claire,EllaGrace and HarrisCunningham, Annie Beth, Levi andLukeLandry; and Kolt Rome;numerous niecesand nephews. Pre‐ceded in deathbyher hus‐band, Dudley “T-Dud” Landry; son, Ronald “Coop Landry; grandson,Brendon Landry; parents, Salvatore and AgnesFerachi Coletti; maternalgrandparents, Josephand Lucy Leggio Ferachi;paternalgrandpar‐ents, Joseph andSusie Im‐bornne Coletti,Jr.;baby sister, Tina AgnesColetti; aunt andgodmother,Tina Ferachi Loyacano;and uncle andgodfather,Vin‐centFerachi.Pallbearers willbeClarenceRome, LandonLandry, Korey Rome, CullenClebert, Cooper Clebertand Harris Cunningham. Honorary pallbearers will be Corey Clebert andRocky Cun‐ningham,Jr. Specialthanks toDr. J. DavidWest, his nurses, TrudyPorcheand ChavezFord, hercare‐givers, SuzetteEngolio Wallace and Trudy Badeaux,and allofthe staff at ComfortCareHos‐pice. Please sharesympa‐thies,condolences,and memoriesonlineatwww wilbertservices.com
Moore, Margaret Anna
MargaretAnna Moore left her earthlyhome to be with her Lord and Savior JesusChriston9/14/2025. Shefought the goodfight finishedthe race,kept the faith. Margaretwas born on 11/25/1932inManhattan, Kansas.While in college, on April 4, 1954, she marriedThomasWesley Moore. She graduated from Kansas State University with aBSdegreein Home Economics and Nursing in 1955. She then transferredtoKansas University and graduated with honors from The University of Kansas School of Medicine with adegreein Nursing in 1955.After moving to Baton Rouge with her husband, Tom she worked forseveral decades at Baton Rouge Generalasa Charge Nurse managing 27-bedunits on Medical and Surgical floors. She also managed the Burn Unit, Pediatrics, I.C.U., Urology,Orthopedics, Neuro, EyeUnit, and Telemetryfloors. Margaretwas asocialbutterfly. Shewouldlight up the room whenshe walked in. Shealwaysfocused on others, ratherthan herself. Margaret was alifetime active member of the Disciples of Christ, attending First Christian Churchin Baton Rouge.She and her husband, Tom, raised all three childreninthe
sions, and volunteered for many years in many charitable activities. She was activeinOchsner Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Margaret Moore was married to Thomas Wesley Moore in 1954 and had three children. In their 70 years of marriage, they enjoyed extensive travelto 116 countries and territories.Wecelebrate her life and her legacy and appreciate the92years God gave her to us. She exemplifiedMatthew25:21 which states, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." She is survived by her threeloving children;Stephen Christian Moore (Tina), Michael HarlanMoore (Brenda), and Lorraine Marie Moore Pitre (Scott); her sister Mary LouAnderson; grandchildren CameronMoore,Tyler Moore (Kelbie), Savanna Margaret Deynzer Matthews (Dylan), Shelby Deynzer, and Kaylee Deynzer, Blake Cason (Amanda), ErinSullivan, Brigid Davidson(John Tyler), OliviaPitre, Paden Pitre; greatgrandchildren Kiera Moore, Aliyah Moore, Kennedy Moore, Holland Matthews, TorinDavidson, Ada Davidson, Coral Ford, Iris Davidson, and Camp Thomas Moore. She is preceded in death by her husband, Col.Thomas Wesley Moore; and her parents, ChristianHeinrich Ficke and BelleViers Ficke. The family is grateful forthe professional loving care of Doctor Jose Mendozaand thebridgeway Hospice staff. Expressions of your loving administrationare deeply appreciated and instead of flowers or food a Memorial Fund to honor Margaret Anna Moore may be sent to First Christian Church, 8484 OldHammond Highway, BR, LA 70809. Privatefamily burial service willbeheldat Green Oaks Memorial Park.
JosephNelsonPope,Jr. 71, passed away on September 6, 2025 in Spring Hill, FL. Joe grew up in Angie,LAand spent much of his adult life in Florida. He was born on August 30, 1954, graduated fromBogalusa High School in May, 1972 and graduated fromLSU in 1976. Following graduation, he became aCPA and CFE.Joe is survivedbyhis son, Andrew (Drew) KobelPopeof Tampa, FL and Drew's mother, BarbaraKobel. He is also survivedbyhis sister, Susan Pope Artell (Michael),nieces Stephanie Artell Marshall (Samuel)
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An In Memory Of”ad, is away to paytribute to your lovedone This remembranceisoften printed on theanniversaryofaloved one’s death. The deadline is twodayspriortothe day youwant your ad to appear TO PLACEA MEMORIALAD GO TO: obituaries.theadvocate.com clicksubmitanobituaryand select create amemoriam.
and Joanna Artell Harvey (Noel) and numerous great nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded in deathby his parents, JosephN.Pope and Anna "Sue" Rankin Pope and asister,Janet ElizabethPope allofAngie, LA.A celebration of Joe's life will be held in Largo, FL on Sunday, September 21, 2025. Amemorialservice willalso be held in Angie, LA at afuturedate. In lieu of flowers,the family requests that donations be madetoCaptains forClean Water or your favorite charity.
Roberts, Gary
Well-known among jazz musiciansinBaton Rouge, Gary performed live on a varietyofinstruments: notablydrums, vibes, and flute.Whether for afestival, local brunch, corporateevent or wedding reception, Gary always laid down an appropriate groovewitha stylistic touch gainedfrom extensive listening and playing experience. While attending LSUand earning a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Garyplayed drums with theCopas Brothers before moving to Boston during the1980s to study jazz at theBerkleeCollege of Music. He returnedto Baton Rouge to playwitha
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).
Lifelong spouse of Robert E. Tillery. Motherof Laura,Rob,Alison, Rebecca.Grandmotherto
Matthew,Sarah,John Robert,George and Camille.Distinguished graduate of Centenary College andLouisiana State University Law School, teacher,lawyer, pilot. Xeniawas born in Austin, Texas and grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. She andher belovedRobert raisedtheir familyand practicedlaw togetherin Baton Rouge,LouisianauntilRobert'spassing in 2006. In herlater years, Xenia lived with herdaughter Laura in Potomac,Marylandand theircherished Scottie andWestie. Shaped by herlifeexperiences, she wasa practical realist marriedtoa dreamer.Xenia lived herlifeunafraid to conquerthe challenges in front of her. She taughther childrentotake on thenecessarytasks in life, inspired alove of learningand an energetic work ethic. Shewill be rememberedlovingly.
In football, almost the worst mistake imagin-
able is afumble on the one-yard line.
Yet, as the negotiations grind on to extend the Saints’ lease at the Superdome beyond 2030, we fear that could happenifall parties don’tcome to the table with afocus on gettingtothe goal. We urge the Saints, the state and Superdome management to recognize whattheymeanto this state and region and come up with adeal to extend the team’slease without further delay
Slightlymore than aweekago,reliefseemed the order of the day when reportsemerged that the Saints were expected soon to sign anew long-term lease for the Caesars Superdome. On Wednesday,though, those feelingsturned into considerable concern when negotiators missed akey deadline to finalize thedeal, thus putting in jeopardy New Orleans’ bid to host the 2031 Super Bowl.
Because conflicts with conventions and Mardi Gras probably will kill chances of the cityhosting Super Bowls between 2032 and 2037, this could mean no return of the big game to Louisiana until at least 2038. Coming off such asuccessful Super Bowl this year,that 13-year delay (at least) before another one would beamajor disappointment.
Momentum canbejust as much aforce in civic affairs as it is on the playing field. Yetonce lost, it can be exceedingly difficult toregain.
Obviously, the Saintsand the state aremutually beneficial partners. The Saints are arallying point and akey locus of civic unity,along with being afont of charitable action –and the state and indeed entire Gulf region in turn reward the Saints with love and dedicationto afamous degree.
The Saints also must recognize thatLouisiana has put up hundreds of millions of dollars through the years in economicbenefits for the team and in makingtheir Superdome home a world-class facility
Everybody knew well in advance that the official deadline for a2031 Super Bowl bid was coming. And the basics of the Superdome lease itself reportedly are in place. So the wrangling to wring out every lastdollar negotiating side issues such as rentalagreementsfor the nearby Benson Tower seems frivolous and superfluous. Both Saints spokesman Greg Bensel and businessman Shane Guidry,who has beenworking with state officials on the lease, say they believe New Orleans’ Super Bowl bid can be revived if thelease deal is signed before league owners meet to vote on the 2031 site.Todoso, owner Gayle Benson apparently would need to use her storied persuasive powers to convince CommissionerRoger Goodell to put the Saintsbid back in play despite the missed deadline. But every further day of deferral creates ahigher bar against such persuasive efforts. Come on, everybody: Get this done.
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Louisiana is astate with a unique culture and aresilient, caring spirit It’s also aplace where journalism can save lives.
At TheTimes-Picayune |The Advocate | NOLA.com, ourmissionofpublic service demands that we dig deep into issues, tell the truthand spark change. Today,we’re launchingour $100K in 100 Days campaign to supportthe LouisianaJournalism Fund. We’re asking you— our readersand neighbors— to be part of this vital work. Everyweek, our journalists arestriving to shine light on seriouscommunity problemsand help pointthe way towardsolutions Our2022 reporting project ”Suffering So Young” revealed deadly failures at Louisiana’schild welfare agency.Inresponse, the state created anew watchdog, the Department of Children and Family Services hired more staff andfoster childrenfiled afederal lawsuitcitingour reporting. In one case,our
follow-up story forced DCFS to providemoreresources to ateen in need.
In 2023, our series ”For Dear Life” exposed why Louisianahas some of thehighest infant and maternal death rates in the developed world. Sincethen, the state has launcheda plan to cut overdose deathsamong mothers by 80%, Woman’s Hospitalopeneda rare perinatal mental health unit andlawmakersrequired Medicaid and insurersto cover doulaservices Families like Amber andJonathan Davis, wholost theirinfant, remind us daily how much these stories matter.
Our 2024 series ”Breaking Point” investigated soaring property insurance coststhat aredriving families acrosssouth Louisiana from their homes. Lawmakershave since expanded tax credits to help residents build fortified roofs and tightened regulation on insurers Homeowners nowregularly seek us out for advice.
That same year,the series ”BrokenCity” showed how slowly NewOrleans fixes potholes and delivers basic services compared to many other cities. Within months, Mayor LaToya Cantrell boosted the public works budgetby35%, and our findings are central to the debate in this year’s mayoral race.
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This is the power of local journalism. It holds leaders accountable, drives policy andgivesvoice to people who would otherwise go unheard But it only happens when communities like ours invest in it. As we close out 2025, we’ve set agoal to raise $100,000 in 100daysfor theLouisiana Journalism Fund. Every dollarsupports public service reporting that strengthens our communitiesand protects the most vulnerable among us. We cannotdothiswithout you. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Together, we can ensure Louisiana has the journalism it deserves. Joinus. Visit louisianajournalismfund.org.Bea stakeholder in Louisiana’sfuture. Donate today
Kevin Hall is president and publisher of the TimesPicayune |The Advocate | NOLA.com. Rene Sanchez is the news organization’s executive editor
We make dozens of decisions perday when we put out anewspaper and put storiesonline. What stories should make the front page? How big should the headline be? What should thepicture be? What stories should dominate our homepage online? What should be thetext sharedonsocial media? What about captions, graphics, audio and video? Sometimes during big breaking news, we don’thave alot of timetomake those decisions. But we recognize thattoour readers, each decisionsays something about our priorities,and thosepriorities areoften scrutinized.
Ican’tsay we always make the right decision, but know thatthese decisions arenot made lightly by editors, page designers, digital editors or photo editors. And thedecisions arecomplicated by the fact thatweserve awide audience. We arenot ascientific journal or asports websiteorfood blog. We aremany things to many people, so we have to make decisions based on what might be relevant to the widestpossible audience each day It’s never an exact science. Sometimes we choose to highlight stories thatare important, but perhaps not as familiar to readers. At
other times, we feel that even though some maynot feel a story is important, it’ssomething alarge segment of our audience is talking about, and we want to be apart of that conversation. We also try to deliver amix of topics. We know the news can be heavy at times, and so we try to highlight the good things that are happening in our community,our nation and the world as well. So please let us know if you have good news stories to share. Turning to our letters inbox, for the weekofAug. 14-28, we received 59 letters. The immigration debate continues to generate interest from all sides. We received five letters on the topic, most focused on condi-
tions at ICE detention centers. The next most popular topic was the deployment of National Guard troops to cities in the UnitedStates to combat crime. Opinion was almost evenly split on this issue, with some saying cities should welcome the help while others saw using the military for domestic policing as setting adangerous precedent. Lastly,our newly revamped weather page was the subject of four letters. We recognize that change is sometimes hard to get used to, and we are listening to your feedback.
Arnessa Garrett
Twoyears ago this fall, Jeff Landry won huge in his bid for Louisiana governor,beating 14 primary opponents so handily that he was able to avoid arunoff. He pulled that off with very little support from New Orleans, where the Republican candidate took just 10% of the heavily Democratic city’svote. If any result wouldseem to set up acontentious relationship, this was it. So it was pretty remarkable last week to hear the three Democrats running to be the city’smayor applaud one of Landry’s major initiatives: Troop NOLA, the Louisiana State Police troop that has been on the ground since 2024.Crime stats in the city started improving even before Troop Nolaarrived, but the steep reduction that has continued leaves no doubt that the partnership between local and statelaw enforcement has been fruitful. All three candidates —state Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Coun-
cil Vice PresidentHelena Moreno andCity Council member Oliver Thomas —have significant political differences with Landry, including over some policies that directly affect the city. Yetata forum Imoderated for the paper, all three deemed theTroop Nola experimenta success.
out in about two weeks.”
Never mind that the characterization directly conflicts with thegood news that Landry,one of his eager acolytes, has proudly claimed as ahighlight of his term so far
It’sall created avisibly awkward situation for the governor
Trump’sshow of blunt force in thecapital’stourist-heavy center
Last week, The Washington Post published details of a draft plan to put 1,000 troops in various Louisiana cities, under Landry’scontrolbut paid for with federal money.
done already by bringing state police to NewOrleans, and said Louisiana could use federal help to expand that initiative, including to other cities.
“You need National Guard in neighborhoods? Probably not,” Guidry added.
And that leads to the real paradox here.
Whichwould be theend of this story,ifnot for an unreliable narrator up in Washington throwing in histwo cents.
That, of course, would be PresidentDonald Trump, who has ignored notable drops in urban crime nationwideand maneuvered to send armed troops into cities under Democraticcontrol, from LosAngeles to Washington, D.C., to Memphis Forreasonsthat aren’tentirely clear,New Orleansisinhis sights as well. Trumphas called it “a very nicesection of this country that’sbecome quite, you know, quite tough,quite bad,” and claimed that “we’ll straighten that
As thepresident’s followers almost always do, Landry has contorted himself to agree with Trump’stake.
Federalized National Guard membersunder his command would be welcome in the city to help fight crime, he says. Even though these troops have no police training for authority.Even though the move would likely blow up thecooperative spirit that he and city leaders have against all odds maintained.Even though many New Orleanians would interpret themove as a hostile invasion, which is what’s happened withNational Guard troops deployed in Washington —including, under Landry’sorders, from Louisiana—toadd to
Local and state officials say that they’ve been told little and that no decisions have been made. But thereaction from Landry and those close to him is telling. In one recent appearance, the governor talked up the National Guard’swork as a“force multiplier” to secure the area after the New Year’sDay terrorist attack on Bourbon Street. But he also reeled off awish list of federal resources —“prosecutors, more FBI agents,more ICEagents, moreHSI agents” —that would be far more helpful than the militaryindoing the real work of combating crime.
Andwhile he said he wasonly speaking forhimself,Landry’s close unpaidadviser Shane Guidry cheered what Landry has
We’ve got Democrats and Republicans at the city and state levels, all rightfully proud to have come up with acollaboration that’sworking. But collaboration doesn’tmake forgood TV, certainly not the type that Trump seeks to create by sending swaggering soldiers past restaurants, coffee shops and jeering locals. So then the question of the day is just what the real goal is, to makegovernment work, or to put on ashow?
With Trumpincharge, Ithink we all know the answer to that one.
Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.
Never mind all those American news reports that Russian drone attacks are successfully weakening Ukraine and frightening Poland. The realityisthat Ukraine actually is winning its defensive, existential war,and it just needs the United States to stop tying its hands.
That is the message from perhaps the United States’ most knowledgeable expert on Russia, who happens to be an adoptive New Orleanian of long standing —and he makes acompelling case
S. Frederick Starr is perhaps best known as the founder and leader of the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, as aprolific author on history and culture, as co-founder of the Greater New Orleans Foundation and as a former vice president of Tulane and president of Oberlin College. His academic field and decades of practical experience, though, always has involved Russian and central Asian affairs. He is the cofounder of the Kennan Institute for advanced Russian studies, and he has advisedthree presidents and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Basically,bluntly,Russiais definitely and unquestionably losing this war,” Starr told me last week. “And that’swhy you see desperate acts like this attack by dronesagainst Poland.” Starr said the war has broken Russia’seconomy,wreckedits military,greatly exacerbated its “huge demographiccollapse” and weakened Russian President Vladmir Putin’slong-term hold on power “On the eve of Russia’sinvasion,” Starr said, “Russia was riding high. It had $160 billion in its rainy-day fund; it appeared to be booming; and Putin had already seized part of Georgia…and he had also claimed Crimea.” Now,
Charlie Kirk has been called many things, including an influencer,especially of young people. Abetter label might be “converter.” The power to speak truth in away that changes apolitical mindset is better than influencer.Kirk possessed that power which led to his murder by a22-year-old man who wanted to rob him of it. Written on one of the shells recovered at the scene was “Hey fascist! Catch!”
though, Russiahas “completely spent that $160 billion …and the Russian state is literally bankrupt.” Some 1,200,000 young Russian men either have been killed in the war or “wounded to the extent that they can’t work,” and Putin “long since ran out of trained military …(In addition to the dead and wounded), tens of thousandsare goingovertothe Ukrainian side.Meanwhile, he has had no money to repair roads, to keep the railroads going andsoon…and there’sahuge gas crisis in Russia, enormous.”
With Russia’strained troops mowed down, Putinhas had to empty Russian prisons to feed the killing fields. If andwhen those criminalsreturn from the front, they are resuming their bad ways and fomenting“mayhem” with a huge spike in Russian crime. Meanwhile, Ukraine is inflictingseriousdamage, often unreported in the West,onRussian infrastructure. Prohibited by both theBiden andTrumpadministrationsfrom using mostU.S. arms to strikelegitimate military targets inside Russia, Ukrainians “designed their own missiles, and they are very good: The latest one (was) just released aweek ago, calledthe ‘flamingo,’ and it’supto the highestworlds standards for long-range missiles.” Ukraine has used those missiles successfully “deep in Russia” in “extraordinarily subtly planned attacks” to hit all themajor refineries, andthe Russian oil supply is down “profoundly.”
With all this occurring, Starr said the U.S. should change its policies to help Ukrainewin more quickly— andhesaid we should not worry aboutPutin’snuclear “bluffs” because Putin’smilitary leaders and the Russian business class know that would lead to the
for help and couldn’tanswer.It appearedhehad simply repeated what he had read on theinternet, or heard from others.
utter destruction of the Russian military.
Starr said theU.S. should be takingaseries of steps. Provide morearmsfor Ukraine to defend itself. Lift all the“hand brakes” on how those arms can be used. Significantly rampupsanctions on Russian energy exports, including putting any country that buys from Russia on ablacklist. Directly seize Russian financial assets in theWest. Andcompletely cut Russia off from the Societyfor Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication system, theworld’smost important network for making international
financial transactions. He said if Russia were fully evicted from SWIFT “tomorrow morning, it would change the game180 degrees …with the stroke of apen.” Starr also said correct U.S. messaging is crucial.The U.S. should “make clear that ourobjective is thefull restoration of Ukraine’s sovereign territory,” Not alandfor-peace deal, but full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine’sinternationally recognized borders. Putin,Starr said, is “no spring chicken,” and there are credible leaders in Russia whocould replace Putin’sgeneration. Many
of them are better educated than Putin’sentourage, and while he doesn’tbelieve the U.S. should meddle in Russia’sinternal affairs, Starr says “weshould me making contact with them,wishing them well.”
“There is aRussia beyond Putin,” Starr said. It can be abetter Russia, and the U.S. should be poised to befriend that better Russia if it emerges.
Ibelieve Starr is right on all counts. Now we just need President Donald Trumptolisten. Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com
Among the many videos of Kirk debating studentswho disagreed with his conservative philosophy and Christian faith was ayoung man who asked about some of what he called Kirk’s“fascist statements.” Kirk challenged him to name one.The student appeared flustered, looked around
Theinternet andits social mediapages are asewer.The Left is always blaming conservatives for any acts of political violence, but just Googling Kirk’sname reveals comments from presumablyliberals, that are disgusting at best and vile in the extreme. Here are just afew.An elected English Councilor, Fiona Wild, posted on Facebook that Kirk had “brought this upon himself so good riddance to anot very niceman! America need (sic) to get rid of the other tit now!”(angry face emoji). Wild resigned her position after heavy criticism. Manyother postings echoher statement.
Twouniversities —The UniversityofMississippi and Middle StateUniversity in Tennessee fired employees for posting negativecomments on social media about Kirk’sdeath. That’sa start since someofour once-great universities have allowed professors to teach and promote hatred of various political philosophies and religions. Anyone celebrating Kirk’s murder on social media —or promoting any violence against anyone —should be banned on all platformsfor life. This isn’tabout free speech. It’sabout incitement Social media has kept too many Americansfrom knowing each other.Weare identified by labels which say nothing about our humanity and intrinsic value. We speak of someofour fellow citizens as being on the “other side.” China, Russia, Iran and North
Korea are on the other side. Their dictators are opposed to what we stand for.Doweneed enemies among us? If so, we will become out of one, many, the opposite of our unifying national motto. When Iwas moreactive on the college lecture circuit in the ‘80s and ‘90s Iparticipated in civil debates. Afterward, Iwould occasionally have dinner with my political opposite, one of whom was liberal Sen. George McGovern (D-S.D.),aWorld WarIIveteran, as was my father.McGovern and Ibecame friends because we got to know each other beyond politics
It was the samewith the late Bob Beckel, whoran Walter Mondale’s1984 campaign (he used to say “I managed Mondale to the greatest loss in political history, now I’m on TV as an expert. It’s agreat country”). Bob became
my best friend and we grew to love each other.Weeven changed the other’sminds on afew issues because we took timetolisten to what the other had to say This is supposed to be aspecial year leading up to the 250th anniversary of our nation’sbirth. Instead, it is rapidly becoming something else. We had better re-examine the values and virtues that initially contributed to this unique nation or,like other nations before us, America will implode and cease to exist. That waspart of Charlie Kirk’s message to the young. Ayoung man whodidn’twant them to hear it killed him,but his ideas will find other voices because manyof those ideas are true and truth has apower of its own.
Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
BY WILSON ALEXANDER
Staff writer
GarrettNussmeierdropped back, and with his feet planted at Southeastern Louisiana’s40-yardline, he launched athrow toward the back of the end zone. Though wide receiver Nic Anderson could not makethe leaping catch, it was thekindofpass that had been missing from the LSU offense. If you wanted proof that Nussmeier has turned acorner after playing through atorso injurythe first three games, he providedsomein No.3 LSU’s56-10 win Saturday night inside Tiger Stadium.
Coachtossedout what former OC Kubiak ranlastyear
BY MATTHEW PARAS
Staff writer
When the Los AngelesChargers hired himasoffensivecoordinator in 2023,Kellen Moore was determined not to bea wrecking ball and held oversome of theteam’s previousconcepts for afew reasons.
First, Moore knew predecessor Joe Lombardi’sscheme well after playing underhim as aquarterback in Detroit More importantly,Moorerecalled, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert already had worked with a“million” coordinators to start hispromisingcareer. So Moore wanted to maintain some semblance of
Nussmeier completed 81% of his throws (25 of 31) for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He also scrambled for the longest run of his career and scored on aquarterback sneak LSU (4-0) took out Nussmeier and the rest of the starters after taking a42-0 lead in the third quarter
“He feltgood running thefootball, andweknew during theweek that he was healthy just by theway he was throwing the football,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “I would saythat that’sthe version you’ll get therest of theyear.” Through thefirst three games,
ä See LSU, page 4C
Early in thethird quarter Saturday night,The Killers’ millennial anthem “Mr. Brightside” boomed out in high fidelityover what were by then mostly empty stands inside Tiger Stadium
continuity,evenwith hisfresh approach. Twoyears laterwhenhewas hiredto coach the New OrleansSaints, Moore brought outhis ax. “Wejust clean-slated it for the mostpart here,” Moore said. With the Saints, Moore installed his offense and tossed out what former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiakran last year. Thedifferences will be on full displaySunday when the Saintsface the Seattle Seahawks, the team that nowemploys Kubiakasits play-caller. The clash in styles marks howdifferent teams can go about attacking adefense.
Death Valley —can we now say that this is THE Death Valley after Clemson’s moon crater of a1-3 start? —was not sparsely occupied because of indifference or LSU’slackofsuccess. It was because Tiger Stadium’s eponymous occupants had just gone up 42-nil on willing but woefully outclassed Southeastern Louisiana. While thousands of LSU fans were
heading hometocatch the end of “Wrestlepalooza” on the new ESPN app, Garrett Nussmeier was on the sideline reaching forhis robe and slippers. After three weeks of struggle —aided and abetted by Nussmeier’sstill rather vague “torso injury” —the LSU offense was coming out of its cage and doing just fine on this night. The opening drive looked like moreofthe samefor the Tigers from the first three weeks: a
By The Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. — John Mateer passed for 271 yards, and No. 11 Oklahoma beat No 22 Auburn and former Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold 24-17 on Saturday Mateer who transferred from Washington State to replace Arnold, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 9-yard run with 4:54 remaining.
The Sooners (4-0, 1-0 SEC) now head into their bye week unbeaten.
“Proud of our players: the determination, the resolve, the grit, the ability to overcome, keep fighting back, keep striking,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said.
Arnold led Oklahoma during last year’s upset of Alabama before transferring. He couldn’t replicate that magic against the Sooners, in part because they set a school record by sacking him 10 times. He passed for 220 yards and a touchdown, but rushed for minus-11 yards on 21 carries.
“It obviously sucks losing the game and I know we wanted to win. But it was good to see them after the game,” Arnold said of his former teammates. “People that I haven’t seen in around nine or 10 months.”
Oklahoma pass rusher R Mason Thomas missed the first half after being called for targeting last Saturday against Temple. He got a sack on his second play back in the third quarter, then later sacked Arnold for a safety with 1:06 remaining to close the scoring.
With Venables calling the defense Oklahoma held the Tigers to 287 yards. Defensive linemen accounted for 8.5 of Oklahoma’s sacks. Malcolm Simmons’ 4-yard touchdown run tied the game, and Alex McPherson’s extra point put the Tigers up 17-16 with 7:08 to play Mateer came right back and led the Sooners down the field for the go-ahead score.
“We lost a tough one on the road in a very good conference against a highly ranked team,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “And we didn’t play our best and had a chance to win it.” No. 7 FLORIDA STATE 66, KENT STATE 10: In Tallahassee, Florida, Tommy Castellanos passed for 205 yards and had two of Florida State’s eight rushing touchdowns in a rout of Kent State Gavin Sawchuk had 11 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns as the Seminoles (3-0) ran for a single-game school record 498 yards and surpassed last season’s win total.
Florida State had as many touchdowns against Kent State as it did in 12 games in 2024
Castellanos left in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury, but he ran down the sideline in the third quarter With the Seminoles in front 45-7, Castellanos did not play in the second half.
No. 21 MICHIGAN 30, NEBRASKA 27: In Lincoln, Nebraska, Justice Haynes rushed for 149 yards and broke one of Michigan’s three long touchdown runs in a win over Nebraska, extending the Cornhuskers’ losing streak against Top 25 opponents to 28 games. Freshman Bryce Underwood was just 12-of-22 passing for 105 yards in his first Big Ten road game but scored the Wolverines’ first touchdown on a 37-yard run and extended his team’s last scoring drive with a key third-down pass and a scramble.
Dylan Raiola’s 52-yard Hail Mary to Jacory Barney Jr. for a touchdown to end the first half tied it 17-all and gave the Cornhuskers (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) momentum heading into the third quarter. They managed just a field goal after that until Raiola led them on a 75-yard drive to make it a three-point game with 1:34 left.
No. 17 TEXAS TECH 34, No. 16 UTAH 10: In Salt Lake City, backup quarterback Will Hammond stepped into a stagnant Texas Tech offense in
the third quarter and put together four scoring drives to lead the Red Raiders to a win over Utah.
Hammond threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 61 yards He entered the game in relief of Behren Morton, whose helmet slammed on the turf after he slid head-first into contact with Utah linebacker
Johnathan Hall during the Red Raiders’ (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) opening drive of the third quarter Morton was ruled out after the hit with his team leading 10-3. He threw for 142 yards and two interceptions before exiting
No. 6 OREGON 41, OREGON STATE 7: In Eugene, Oregon, Dante Moore threw for 305 yards and a careerhigh four touchdowns, and Oregon rolled to a victory over former Pac-12 foe Oregon State before the rivalry goes on a break next season.
Moore was 21-of-31 passing and spread his scoring strikes to four different receivers for the Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who had 585 yards in total offense.
Anthony Hankerson ran for 38 yards on 14 carries and the lone touchdown for the 0-4 Beavers.
Oregon freshman Dakorien Moore scored on the Ducks’ first drive of the game with a 22-yard touchdown reception.
No. 15 TENNESSEE 56 UAB 24: In Knoxville, Tennessee, Joey Aguilar threw for 218 yards with three touchdowns and an interception to lead Tennessee over UAB.
The Volunteers (3-1) recovered from their overtime loss to Georgia last week with a dominating performance over the Blazers (22). The win was coach Josh Heupel’s 40th at Tennessee.
Mike Matthews had a 39-yard touchdown reception and Chris Brazzell II hauled one in from 19 yards. Star Thomas ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass. Aguilar played just one series in the second half after Tennessee led 42-7 at halftime. Tennessee’s run game, which Heupel called “important to our identity,” accounted for 235 yards and four TDs after sputtering last week.
No. 18 GEORGIA TECH 45,TEMPLE 24: In Atlanta, Haynes King threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, Malachi Hosley ran for two touchdowns, and Georgia Tech raced out to a quick three touchdown lead and beat Temple.
The Yellow Jackets (4-0), playing their first home game as a ranked team since 2015, scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, gaining 199 yards on 16 offensive plays for a 21-0 firstquarter lead.
King opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown run, and threw touchdown passes to Malik Ruth-
erford and Isiah Canion.
No. 24 NOTRE DAME 56, PURDUE 30: In South Bend, Indiana, Jadarian Price scored four touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return, and Notre Dame beat Purdue for its first win of the season.
The Irish beat the Boilermakers for the 10th straight time, including last season’s 66-7 blowout. Notre Dame leads the series 6126-2.
Coming off losses against No. 4 Miami and No. 10 Texas A&M to start the season, Notre Dame (1-2) took command with three touchdowns in the third quarter to break away from a 35-23 halftime lead Price scored three touchdowns rushing (21, 9 and 1 yards). He carried the ball nine times for 74 yards and finished with 216 allpurpose yards.
No 23 MISSOURI 29, SOUTH CAROLINA 20: In Columbia, Missouri, Ahmad Hardy bounced his way for 138 yards rushing and a touchdown, Beau Pribula led downfield for a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter and the Tigers beat South Carolina.
Pribula threw for 171 yards with a touchdown pass, and Jamal Roberts had a nifty touchdown jaunt of his own with 9:32 left to give the Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) the lead, ultimately helping them to their 14th consecutive home win.
LaNorris Sellers had 302 yards passing and two touchdowns for the Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2), but their star quarterback missed a couple of open receivers in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. South Carolina twice went three-and-out down the stretch, giving the powerful Missouri ground game the chance to close out the win.
No 13 OLE MISS 45, TULANE 10: In Oxford, Mississippi, Trinidad Chambliss threw for two touchdowns, Kewan Lacy added a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs and Ole Miss handed Tulane its first loss with a victory Ole Miss (4-0) dominated the Green Wave, building a 23-3 halftime lead, after earning consecutive close wins over SEC foes Kentucky and Arkansas.
Chambliss, confirmed as the starting quarterback on Thursday, provided a second consecutive strong performance with 17-of-27 passing for 307 yards while adding 112 yards on 14 rushes.
No 19 INDIANA 63, No. 9 ILLINOIS 10: In Bloomington, Indiana, Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes and D’Angelo Ponds scooped up the punt he blocked and returned it 11 yards for a score, leading Indiana past Illinois for its first win over a top 10 foe in five years — and easily the most lopsided. Indiana’s previous best was a
Mariners All-Star Woo listed as day-to-day
Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo has “minor inflammation” in his pectoral muscle and is listed as day-to-day, manager Dan Wilson said Saturday
“The MRI revealed some minor inflammation in his pec and it’s really just kind of a day-to-day thing,” Wilson said “We’ll continue to assess him each day We’ll know a little bit more in the next 24 to 48 hours depending on how he responds, and that’s really what we know at this point.”
Woo exited the Mariners’ 4-0 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night after throwing a couple of warmup pitches in the sixth inning.
Shortly after Woo started warming up, a team trainer and coaches came out. After a brief discussion, the All-Star exited with the trainer
U.S. to take on Italy in finals of King Cup
SHENZHEN, China Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro each came from a set down to win their singles matches and the United States defeated Britain 2-0 on Saturday to reach the Billie Jean King Cup final.
The U.S. will face reigning champion Italy in Sunday’s final.
The seventh-ranked Pegula rallied past Katie Boulter 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to seal it for the Americans after the 18th-ranked Navarro beat Sonay Kartal 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula is coming off a run to the U.S. Open semifinals.
The BJK Cup was formerly known as the Fed Cup, and the U.S. is the most successful team as an 18-time winner but hasn’t won since 2017.
The best-of-three contests feature two singles matches followed by a potentially decisive doubles match.
Dream’s Hillmon gets WNBA’s top reserve award
31-10 victory at then No. 9 Ohio State in 1987. It marked the first time since 1950 the Hoosiers and Fighting Illini squared off with each ranked. Elijah Sarratt caught nine passes for 92 yards and two scores while Omar Cooper Jr had six receptions for 78 yards and one TD. Khobe Martin rushed for 107 yards and two TDs and Kaelon Black added 89 yards rushing and one TD. No. 8 TEXAS 55, SAM HOUSTON 0: In Austin, Texas, Arch Manning passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns in his sharpest game of the season so far as Texas cruised to a win over Sam Houston.
Manning was 18 of 21 passing and also ran for two first-half touchdowns. He connected with Ryan Wingo for touchdowns of 53 and 13 yards in the third quarter before leaving the game with Texas (3-1) leading 45-0.
Manning needed a confidence builder after a poor start to the season and got one against the overmatched Bearkats (0-4). His passes looked crisp and decisive, and his first touchdown run saw him stand and flex over a defender before a game official broke them up. No 4 MIAMI 26, FLORIDA 7: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Mark Fletcher Jr rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, Marty Brown rushed for a pair of scores and No. 4 Miami struggled at times before beating Florida.
Brown had a 2-yard rush to cap the first drive of the game for Miami (4-0), then had a 1-yard plunge with 4:08 left to seal what became the Hurricanes’ ninth win over the Gators in the teams’ last 11 meetings.
Fletcher scored from 1 yard out with 1:57 left.
Jadan Baugh had a 7-yard touchdown run for Florida (1-3), off to its worst start since 1986. The loss sent embattled coach Billy Napier’s record with the Gators to 20-22, and came on a night where Florida had its fewest total yards in a game in more than 25 years.
No. 20 VANDERBILT 70, GEORGIA STATE
21: In Nashville, Diego Pavia threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, and Vanderbilt scored its most points in 107 years while romping to a victory over Georgia State.
The previous time the Commodores rolled up 70 points in a game was a 76-0 win over Tennessee on Nov 19, 1918, at Dudley Field in Nashville.
Pavia also rushed for 86 yards and a TD as Vanderbilt (4-0) remained one of eight undefeated Southeastern Conference teams. Running back AJ Newberry scored twice on the ground.
Atlanta forward Naz Hillmon was named the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year on Saturday, making her the first Dream player in franchise history to win the award. Hillmon averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Dream and made 53 3-pointers after hitting just one across her first three WNBA seasons.
Hillmon came off the bench in 27 of the Dream’s 44 games and set a franchise record by appearing in 150 consecutive contests.
Hillmon, who played college basketball at Michigan, was second in the league in plus-minus (+7.6 per game) and helped Atlanta earn the No. 3 seed and win a franchiserecord 30 games. She won the AP Sixth Woman of the Year award earlier this month.
Fever star Clark says WNBA fined her for tweet
Caitlin Clark said referees couldn’t stop her Indiana Fever
The WNBA made her pay for it.
The Fever’s All-Star guard, who is sidelined for the postseason with a right groin injury, posted on social media Saturday that she was fined $200 for tweeting “Refs couldn’t stop us” after Indiana’s Game 2 win over Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs.
“Got fined $200 for this lol,” she wrote on X, adding a series of crying laughter emojis “BENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The Fever open the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday
The WNBA typically doesn’t announce when players are fined.
Koepka looking to snap yearlong winning drought PARIS Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka rattled off five straight birdies on the back nine Saturday and had a 6-under 65, giving him a share of the lead in the French Open as he tries to win for the first time in more than a year Min Woo Lee shot 68 and was tied with Koepka at 11-under 202. They were one shot clear of a trio that included Michael Kim, another American in Paris during an off week on the PGA Tour This is Koepka’s third straight week playing on the European tour, after missing the cut in the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Koepka’s last victory was in August 2024 in the LIV Golf League.
PHOTO By JEVONE MOORE
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
Terrence Graves is grateful for the bye week.
The second-year Southern coach had his team take the field early in Week 0, losing to North Carolina Central in Atlanta. The Jaguars then went to Itta Bena, Mississippi, for the first time since 2012 to beat Mississippi Valley State 34-29. The next two weeks, they lost 30-7 at home to Alabama State and 56-7 at Fresno State, where they were a 35.5-point underdog.
Southern (1-3) isn’t pleased with how most of the games have played out. The same is true for a fan base that saw the program voted to finish first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division.
Graves has stated throughout the season that everything his group wants to accomplish is still well within reach, as no result has counted toward its SWAC record
That changes in Week 5. Southern’s first SWAC game is against Jackson State (2-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday at A.W Mumford Stadium.
There are four areas Southern must improve upon to not only beat what many think is the best HBCU team in the country but also have a chance at winning the SWAC West again.
Starting quarterback
A tumultuous quarterback situation is why the Jaguars are among the worst offenses in the SWAC, sitting ninth in points (15.5) and 11th in passing yards per game (130.5).
Junior quarterback Cam’Ron
McCoy started the season opener and was the backup in the second game of the season to Jalen Woods, who left in the second quarter after a hit to the head that has kept him in concussion protocol. McCoy started and played inconsistently the next two games, completing 50% of his passes.
Finding a definite starter who can manage the offense is what Southern needs. That decision became even more interesting recently as junior Ashton Strother completed 9 of 14 passes for 127 yards in his three quarters against Fresno State.
Limiting turnovers
Ball security has been one issue that has disappointed Graves as much as any That weakness was spotlighted against Alabama State when McCoy had four turnovers — two interceptions and two lost fumbles. His two fumbles in the third quarter contributed to the Hornets’ scoring 17 unanswered points.
Even in the team’s win over Mississippi Valley State, running backs Mike Franklin and Trey Holly each lost a fumble. The Jaguars have seven turnovers already and are only outpaced by two SWAC teams, Alcorn State and MVSU, with eight turnovers. Southern didn’t lose the ball against Fresno State, which could be a sign of the team solving that problem.
Field goal kicking
Unreliable field goal kicking is another source of Southern’s low scoring. The team is averaging 5.4 points less than last season (20.9).
Freshman kicker Nathan Zimmer is 2 of 6 on field goals, making attempts from 24 and 32 yards both in the win over MVSU In each of the last two games, the team had a field goal blocked.
Graves, who has been more hands-on in coaching special teams recently, hasn’t seen his team attempt too many field goals from short distances. Southern has attempted one field goal under 30 yards and is 1 of 3 from between 30-39 yards and 0 of 2 from between 40-49 yards.
Give Givens help
Attacking opponents’ backfields has been a strong suit of Southern, which is first in the SWAC in sacks with eight. That is largely because of its star defensive end Ckelby Givens, who has had a sensational first quarter of his senior season.
Givens has 18 total tackles and is leading the FCS in both tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (6.5) He is also one of 14 players in the FCS with at least two forced fumbles.
The coaching staff expected elite production, but it will want other defensive linemen to support Givens. Southern saw a glimpse of what it looks like when strong, experienced offensive lines like North Carolina Central limit its star When conference teams double-team the reigning co-SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, Southern will need more players to reach the quarterback.
So far, defensive end Jerome Wallace’s two tackles for loss are the most by a lineman other than Givens.
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Former LSU women’s basketball guard Last-Tear Poa now can move forward with the first-of-its-kind lawsuit she filed in 2024 to challenge her NIL earning restrictions.
On Friday, U.S District Judge Brian Jackson denied a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) motion to dismiss the suit, which has raised questions about the financial opportunities available to international athletes in the modern age of collegiate sports. College athletes born in the U.S. can earn compensation both directly from their schools and from any endorsement deals they sign. It’s unclear, however, if international athletes such as Poa are afforded that same earning potential. Current U.S. policy places tight limits on the employment opportunities they can pursue without jeopardizing their immigration status.
“I think (the ruling) is a step in
the right direction,” said Ksenia Maiorova, one of Poa’s lawyers USCIS does not have a policy tailored specifically to international college athletes. So Poa is trying to obtain a P-1A athlete visa, a classification that’s typically reserved for professionals who move to the U.S. “solely” to compete in their respective sports or amateurs who play at an “internationally recognized level of performance.”
In June, USCIS lawyers argued that the “plain language” of the rule did not apply to Poa. The former LSU guard, according to U.S. attorney Alexandra McTague, did not move to the U.S. only so she could play basketball She’s also there to attend a university and work toward a degree — two requirements she needs to meet so she can retain her NCAA eligibility
Poa’s lawyers disputed that argument, saying that she did, in fact, move to the U.S. only so she could play college basketball.
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
A furious September of recruiting has netted LSU gymnastics arguably its best group of commitments ever Five-star prospect Josie Lynch of Yarrow Point, Washington rated as the nation’s No. 2 gymnast for the Class of 2027 by CollegeGymNews.com — announced her commitment to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. The back-toback SEC champions have seven gymnasts committed for 2027, including three five stars and a quartet of four stars.
“I am so happy to continue my gymnastics career at one of the top programs in the country!”
Lynch posted on her Instagram account. “I can’t even put into words how excited I am to be a part of the LSU family, and couldn’t think of a better place to be.”
Lynch joins five-star commitments Reese Esponda of Helena, Montana, and Jada Oliver of Gainesville, Florida The fourstar commitments are Sage Bradford of Flower Mound, Texas, Zoe Cadrin of Montreal, Lia Redick of Oakville, Ontario, and Myla Ruck of Wisconsin.
LSU fans will have to wait a while to see the commitments compete for the Tigers. They would enroll in the fall of 2027 and compete starting in January 2028.
Some of the class may defer until after the 2028 Los Angeles
Olympics. The same is expected of 2026 commitment Hezly Rivera, a 2024 U.S. team gold medalist in the Paris Olympics and winner of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships all-around title in August at the Smoothie King Center For that reason, LSU may still add another prospect. Four-star prospects Tatum Drusch of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Kiari Sparks of Boise, Idaho, also visited for the LSU-Florida football game on Sept. 13.
Lynch won the all-around competition in May in the 2025 Junior F division at the Women’s Development program Level 10 nationals. She also visited Alabama and reigning NCAA champion Oklahoma.
Oliver and Ruck also visited LSU for the Florida game and committed last week. Oliver, whose mother Kourtney was a gymnast at Florida, won the Junior E division all-around title at this year’s Women’s Development Program championships. Ruck also competed in that event. Esponda, Bradford, Redick and Cadrin all visited the weekend of the Louisiana Tech game on Sept. 6 and committed shortly thereafter Esponda was 16th in the senior women’s all-around behind Rivera in the U.S. championships in New Orleans. Bradford was 17th in the all-around in the U.S. Classic and 14th in the all-around at the American Classic this year, while Cadrin and Redick are members of the Canadian senior national team.
Kershaw soaks in applause in his last regular-season start at Dodger Stadium
BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter
LOS ANGELES Clayton Kershaw pitched the final regular-season home game of his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, welcomed and sent off with standing ovations a day after announcing his decision to retire at season’s end.
Kershaw’s longtime warmup song, “We Are Young” by Fun, blared as fans held up camera phones to capture the moment as the game began and he took the field by himself at first. The cheers quickly turned to boos when San Francisco Giants leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos turned on an 86-mph slider for a 431-foot home run.
“I was grinding out there, working way too hard to get people out,” he said. But the cheers returned after Rafael Devers took a called third strike leading off the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts came to the mound and hugged Kershaw as his teammates on the field, in the dugout and in the bullpen joined the sellout crowd of 53,037 in applauding the 37-year-old lefthander as he departed.
Kershaw kept the ball and got no argument from Roberts.
“I said, ‘You can do whatever you want, it’s your night,’” the manager said.
Kershaw left with the Dodgers trailing 2-1. He gave up two runs and four hits, struck out six and walked four in 4 1/3 innings on 91 pitches, 56 for strikes.
Ohtani’s No. 17 was prominent as usual.
Kershaw was surrounded by teammates, his pregnant wife Ellen, who was in tears, their four children, friends and fans who’ve watched him work his way through the Dodgers’ farm system to reach the majors at age 20 and go on to win three Cy Young Awards as well as two World Series championships and throw a no-hitter in 2014.
“Having things to celebrate is only as good as the people you have to celebrate with,” he said. Also on hand were former teammate Russell Martin, who caught Kershaw’s major league debut in 2008, and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was Kershaw’s high school football teammate in Texas.
“This is one of those moments that people are going to look back and go, ‘I was there for the last time he started a home game at Dodger Stadium,’” Roberts said before the game.
Kershaw, a Dallas native who lives there in the offseason, has spent his entire 18-year career in Los Angeles.
“In a world that people take the easy way out, chase short money, the grass is greener kind of adage, the loyalty part of it is just not what it used to be,” Roberts said. “Clayton lives by those values and it means something for him to wear the same uniform. That’s where I gained a lot of respect for him.”
“That prerequisite,” Maiorova said, “is not necessarily indicative of her purpose.”
Poa’s lawsuit is believed to be the first legal challenge tossed at the immigration policy at the heart of the case since the NCAA began allowing its athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness in 2021. David Weber — a Creighton law professor who specializes in NIL issues that affect international collegiate athletes — has said that Poa’s filing could lead USCIS to create a new policy
In April, Poa transferred to Arizona State to play her final season of eligibility She spent three seasons at LSU and helped the Tigers win their first national championship in 2023. “Poa has bravely taken up the task of being the representative of other international student-athletes in the same position,” Maiorova said, “and we’re obviously very, very happy with the outcome, but the battle is not over.”
“It wasn’t his best,” Roberts said, “but like he does, he just finds ways to compete, get outs and put us in a position to win a ballgame.”
The defending World Series champion Dodgers rallied for a 6-3 victory to clinch their 13th consecutive postseason berth.
“We got a win, we clinched a playoff berth, I got to sit on that mountain one last time,” he said “I just can’t be more grateful.”
Kershaw waved as he walked off, blew a kiss toward his family and then wrapped his arms around himself in a hugging gesture to the crowd. Twoway superstar Shohei Ohtani stepped forward to hug Kershaw, one of many he received from everyone in the dugout. With fans clamoring, Kershaw came out for a curtain call, slowly turning around and soaking in the scene.
“I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “Perfect night.”
Fans donned No. 22 jerseys in a salute to Kershaw, although
Among Kershaw’s milestone moments in the city was reaching 3,000 career strikeouts in July
The Dodgers added a Kershaw bobblehead to their promotional schedule in July after he reached the milestone and the item will be given out Saturday He will address the fans before Sunday’s game.
“Everybody who is just a fan is going to wrap their arms around Clayton Kershaw,” teammate Freddie Freeman said. “He deserves everything he’s going to get from the fans.”
While his velocity has dipped in recent years, Kershaw’s famed competitive fire still burns brightly
“Winning is always my favorite thing,” he said.
Kershaw has battled injuries in recent years that made getting to this point all the harder He missed the entire postseason last year, when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
“Not a lot of people get this opportunity,” he said “so I’m just super grateful for it.”
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Before Saturday, only three FBS teams had not converted a fourth down this season. LSU was one of them.
Then coach Brian Kelly decided to leave his offense on the field for a fourth and 11 from Southeastern Louisiana’s 35-yard line. It was the second quarter of a Week 4 tuneup, and the Tigers had a 7-0 lead.
RUSHING—Southeastern, Smith 2-40, Lowe 6-20, B.Hayes 2-15, Henry 5-12, Jackson 3-3, Prejean 1-1, Graham 1-1, (Team) 2-(minus 2), Camp 5-(minus 3). LSU, Johnson 8-43, Berry 7-28, Durham 7-17, Van Buren 4-16, Nussmeier 5-10, Ba.Brown 1-9, Z.Thomas 1-6, K.Jackson 2-6. PASSING—Southeastern, Camp 8-13-0-87, Lowe 3-8-0-29. LSU, Nussmeier 25-31-0-273, Van Buren 10-12-0-122. RECEIVING—Southeastern, Jackson 3-36, J.Williams 2-34, Domingeaux 2-16, Besh 1-14, Prejean 1-6, Goodly 1-5, B.Hayes 1-5. LSU, Sharp 5-73, Ba.Brown 5-54, Parker 4-52, A.Anderson 3-46, K.Jackson 3-23, Durham 3-7, D.Green 2-40, Z.Thomas 2-26, Watkins 2-21, Hilton 2-19, N.Anderson 2-18, Johnson 1-14, Wright 1-2. MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.
his
before making a throw for a touchdown against Southeastern in the second quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Continued from page 1C
Nussmeier’s longest pass attempt traveled about 34 yards, and that was an under-thrown ball down the left sideline against Louisiana Tech that got intercepted. He was 4 of 13 on passes more than 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.
That changed against Southeastern (2-2), the only FCS opponent on LSU’s schedule. Nussmeier attempted two passes that traveled roughly 50 yards in the air
Although both were incomplete — one drew a pass interference penalty — they had plenty of distance. He went 1 of 2 on throws of more than 20 yards downfield.
“This is only scratching the surface,” sixth-year senior defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory said. “Garrett still hasn’t played his best brand of football. I think when he does that, LSU is going to be on top. This was a great start. But now, it’s go time.”
Kelly acknowledged LSU did not face a tough opponent, but he thought Nussmeier played better He said Nussmeier improved his efficiency, saw the field well and showed “his ability to get the ball out in the vertical seams.” Other than one missed comeback route to Nic Anderson, he liked Nussmeier’s accuracy
“You can see there was a higher level of comfort in terms of him throwing, and then certainly running the football, as well,” Kelly said. “We’re not saying that we beat the No. 1 team in the country, but it still requires the technical development that we hadn’t seen, and now that he’s healthy he’s able to do a lot more.”
Once Garrett Nussmeier found receiver Zavion Thomas over the middle for a 17-yard gain, the Tigers had set themselves up to score their second touchdown of the night — a 2-yard run up the middle by sophomore tailback Ju’Juan Johnson
LSU likely would have kicked a field goal had it faced that situation last week or next. But the Tigers are trying to improve their offense before they dive into the thick of their eight-game SEC schedule.
Opportunities to progress can’t go to waste, especially in Tiger Stadium against an overmatched FCS opponent.
So Kelly decided to take an aggressive tack, breaking from the strategy he used to manage the first three games of the season.
“This year, I’m playing it a little bit different based upon the strength of our defense,” Kelly said on Monday “Last year, we needed to score more points.”
The aggression may have helped unlock a more dangerous version of the LSU offense.
On Saturday, the Tigers punted on their first drive, then rolled right past Southeastern, rattling off five straight touchdown marches to close out the first half. Nussmeier completed 19 of 25 first-half pass attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Tigers picked up 5.3 yards per carry, with sacks removed.
The first-team offense also converted both of its fourth-down tries, picked up 6 of 9 third-down attempts, and turned each of its first five red-zone trips into touchdowns
Reliford exits
LSU sophomore edge rusher Gabriel Reliford exited Saturday’s game against Southeastern with a right shoulder injury
Reliford left with 3:41 left to play in the first quarter after forcing a 2-yard tackle for loss on third and 3. He was then examined in the medical tent before leaving for the locker room.
LSU led Southeastern 7-0 when he exited the game.
Reliford had four tackles and four quarterback pressures through the first three games of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He along with fifthyear senior Patrick Payton, senior Jack Pyburn and fifth-year senior Jimari Butler have made up LSU’s deep rotation of edge rushers.
Among LSU edge rushers, Reliford is third on the team in snaps, according to PFF, trailing only Payton and Pyburn.
A new right tackle?
Even though LSU led 35-0, it still brought its offensive starters out for the first drive of the second half — with one exception.
DJ Chester was playing right tackle in place of Weston Davis, the redshirt freshman who started each of the Tigers’ first three games.
Davis, according to Pro Football Focus, surrendered nine hurries and 11 pressures through LSU’s first three contests. No other LSU lineman allowed more than four
hurries or pressures over that stretch.
Last season, Chester started 12 games at center This year, he’s LSU’s sixth offensive lineman the plug-and-play reserve who can fill in for a starter on either the interior of the line or at one of the two tackle spots.
Sharp scores
On LSU’s first drive of the second half, tight end Bauer Sharp caught a pass from Nussmeier over the middle and hurdled into the end zone, scoring a memorable touchdown against his former team.
Sharp, a fifth-year senior, began his career with the Lions as a lightly recruited quarterback. He then converted to tight end and played three seasons in Hammond before transferring to Oklahoma for his junior year He wound up leading the Sooners in receptions (42) and receiving yards (324) before hitting the transfer portal and landing at LSU for his final year of eligibility
Green, Weeks sit
Two LSU starters missed the game against Southeastern with injuries.
The Tigers decided to sit both
Nussmeier had been limited in practice until this week, Kelly said, affecting LSU’s ability to work on the vertical passing game. SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers said on the broadcast that Nussmeier aggravated a muscle in his abdomen early in preseason camp and it “flared up” in the season opener against Clemson. After revealing the injury Monday, Kelly repeatedly said Nussmeier was “on the other side” of it. So instead of sitting, he thought Nussmeier needed more reps. Nussmeier declined to answer any questions about the injury
“I’m just keeping out of that right now,” he said. After LSU went three-and-out on its opening possession, Nussmeier led six straight touchdown drives. He capped the first with a sneak at the goal line Ju’Juan Johnson also ran for two touchdowns, the second of which Nussmeier set up with a 26-yard scramble on third and 11. It was the longest run of his career
“Maybe I should have tried to cut
back and try to score,” Nussmeier said. “Everybody was telling me I should have scored. But it is what it is. I said baby steps.” Meanwhile, the LSU defense made three stops on third and 2 and another on fourth and 1 within Southeastern’s first three possessions. The Lions gained 30 yards in the first half. Their only touchdown came against LSU’s backups in the third quarter
tight end
Trey’Dez Green (knee) and linebacker West Weeks (calf). Weeks, a senior, strained his calf in the third quarter of LSU’s win over Florida. Green, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, sprained his MCL in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ Week 2 victory over Louisiana Tech. He also sat out against the Gators.
Before LSU faced Southeastern, Kelly listed Green as questionable. The tight end then took part in pregame warm-ups with a bulky brace on his right knee before he changed out of his pads and into sweats.
Bucking tradition
LSU traditionally wears purple jerseys in its second nonconference home game of the season, but not on Saturday against Southeastern. Instead, the Tigers sported gold helmets, white jerseys and white pants — their first alternate uniform combination of the 2025 season LSU last rocked that set on Sept. 28 when it defeated South Alabama 42-10 in Tiger Stadium. That combination was the first of six alternate sets the Tigers wore last season. Koki Riley contributed to this report.
The LSU offense still had issues. It punted on its first drive. There were some drops The offensive line gave up two sacks. Redshirt freshman right tackle Weston Davis struggled, and he was replaced by redshirt sophomore DJ Chester at the start of the second half. Chester was later ejected for targeting when Southeastern tried to return a missed 59-yard field goal, so he will miss the first half against No. 13 Ole Miss. But Nussmeier guided LSU out of the mistakes. After he got sacked at the end of the first quarter when Davis didn’t handle a stunt, Nussmeier hit Zavion Thomas over the middle for 17 yards on fourth and 11. Johnson scored his second touchdown a couple of plays later Near the end of the first half, Nussmeier was sacked for the second time when Southeastern got pressure up the middle. But on second and goal from the 17-yard line on the next play, he threw a touchdown over the middle to Barion Brown.
On the next possession, LSU faced third and goal at the 9-yard line with 24 seconds left in the half. Davis got beat inside, but Nussmeier escaped the pocket. As he rolled out to his left, he flipped his hips and threw an off-platform touchdown to Thomas that gave LSU a 35-0 lead.
Nussmeier threw one more touchdown before his night was done. He watched the backups play out the rest of the game with a towel draped over his shoulders, believing the offense had improved
“There are teams that click in August and September, and then it folds and falls in November and December,” Nussmeier said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing for us to be hitting our stride starting now.”
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OFFENSE FINDS ACCELERATOR
After an opening three-and-out, LSU reached theend zone on its next six possessions to obliterate anyrazorthin hopes SoutheasternLouisiana had of an upset. By halftime,the Tigers held a271-30 edgeintotal offense and a17-2 edgein first downs.you’dexpect thatagainst an outmatched FCS opponent, but after just 53 offensivepoints in their first three games, it was still something theTigers had to prove theycould do.
HOWDID NUSSLOOK?
2
There was serious debate during game week whether quarterbackGarrett Nussmeier shouldplayafter coachBrian Kelly revealed he was battling a“torso injury.” Playhedid, and Nussmeierlooked the best he has all season. Not onlydid Nussmeier put the ball on target, he tried some deep throws and threwinhis longest career run(26 yards). By the third quarter,Nussmeier and historso were on thesideline with 283 net yards and four total touchdowns.
Former QB scores two touchdowns in win
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
Ju’Juan Johnson wasn’tarunning back in high school; he played quarterback.
But whenever the ball was in the formerLafayette Christian quarterback’s hands, he often ran with it
“I wasn’tapocket passer,” Johnson said Tuesday.“Iwould sayinhighschool,I was running and going through holesand stuff. So it’sdefinitely natural forme.”
That experience in high school has served Johnson well as he has transitioned to running backat LSU. After starting preseason camp at quarterback, Johnson shifted to the backfield and has emerged as one of LSU’stop ballcarriers.
Saturday night at Tiger Stadium was his best night yet out of the backfield.
Johnson had seven carries for 39 yards and two touchdownsbyhalftime, finishingthe night with eight carries for43 yards in LSU’s56-10 win over SoutheasternLouisiana.
“I just think he sees the game really well,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said Saturday.“Ithink his natural instinctstook over at that position. And Ithink we all saw the same things, very impressed with the way he played.”
Hisbig performance included a16yard run in the first quarter —his longest run of the night —that set up first and goal at SLU’s2-yard line.Hethen punched in hisfirst touchdown on the next play,handingLSU a14-0 lead
Johnson’snext carry was hissecond score, a10-yard run that stretched the Tigers lead to 21.
“He’sareally good football player, andweknew that, right?” Kelly said. “I think we all knew about him comingout of high school in terms of what he could do, and we saw abunchofthattonight.”
Because ofhis experience readingdefensive fronts andunderstanding concepts as aquarterback, Johnson believes his time at quarterback directly led to his early success at running back.
Despite his relativelack of experience, Johnson is second on the Tigers in carries —trailing Caden Durham and led the team in rushingattemptson Saturday
“Wealways talk aboutthisinthe room that (with) certain fronts, you’llhave
Continued from page1C
blown-up safetyvalve pass from Nuss to Caden Durham that lost7 yards;a 1-yard carry up themiddle by Durham; and an 11-yard pass from Nussmeier to Bauer Sharp that was well shortofthe line to gain.
Three-and-out, punt. Youcould have stamped that phraseonTiger Stadium’s green grass next to the Venture Global logos bracketingeach 25-yard line.
Then, just as quickly,the Tigers turned the corner andflat ran over the Lions. Their next six drives read likeabrokenbut catchy hit record:
ONWARDAND UPWARD
SLUwas LSU’sonly true breather of theseason other than the Clemson opener(What,too soon?).Now the schedule resumes in earnest witha bona fide SEC showdown next week at Ole Miss. Did theTigersprove anything other than the fact that they’re alot more talented than the Lions? youcould make that argument. But considering how much mudthe LSUoffense wasstuck in, it wasproduction that wasgood forthe Tigers’ soul.
LSUrunning back Ju’Juan Johnson scores atouchdown in the first half against SoutheasternonSaturday at TigerStadium Johnson had eight carries for 43 yards and twotouchdownsinLSU’s 56-10 win.
peoplewithcertain gap responsibilities,”Johnson said. “Soitdefinitely helps knowing wherethere’sa gap.
“That(quarterbackexperience) definitely helped (me understand that) a lot.”
LSU’s running back room wasina precariousposition roughly aweek into preseason camp Freshman JT Lindsey was arrested on an accessory after the fact to second-degree murdercharge on Aug. 8. Lindsey wasn’taccused of the alleged crime, but instead was charged withhousing both suspects in the case.
The arrestresulted in Lindsey’ssuspension from the team, leaving the Ti-
It was what everyone waited for from LSU butwere not entirely sure the Tigers could deliver, even against an FCS sacrificial lamblike SLU (Lions? Lambs?
I’m moving on).
More than the win, which was never in doubt,orthe score, which was predictably lopsided, theTigers gifted themselves a cleansing,good-for-the-soul 56-10 romp.
“Tonight we felt we moved in theright direction fromanoffensive perspective,” acalm, even jovial LSU coach BrianKelly said afterward
Howmuchstockcan you put in a runawaydemolitionofateam that hadnothing in the bank account even closetothe $18.5 million LSU spent to build its roster? Perhaps too much. LSU could have kept Nussmeier in an armored truck with theNIL money all night, startedbackup Michael VanBuren (he playedquite well over the last quarterand ahalf, by the way) and
gers with just threescholarship running backs: Durham, HarlemBerry andKaleb Jackson.
Johnson spent time at running back last season —hehad seven carries for14 yards —but he’d moved back to quarterbackbythe start of the preseason. Lindsey’ssuddensuspension, however, opened up aspot in the running back room
Johnson said he started camp at quarterback to help improve his versatility He also played safety at thestart of his freshman campaign before moving to running back.
“I thinkgoing from (defensive back to runningback) wasthe hardest (transition),because Iwas on the defensive
still won in arout
Butthat’s not what Kelly chose to do. Second-guessed as he was, it was the right play.LSU needed to flex itsmuscles on itsoffense against someone. Open up the throttle. Perhaps even exorcise a demon or two.
By scoring 56 offensive points morethanthey scored on offense (53) in the first threegames combined —the Tigers got afeel-good victory at precisely theright time.
“Just seeing us score that many pointswill definitely give us that confidence going into thefuture,” running back Ja’Juan Johnson said. It may turn out tobeapresent that keeps on giving through the next eight games of this season, aschedule strewn with seven remaining“could go either way” SEC games. Fiveofthe Tigers’ final eight opponentscurrently reside inside theAPTop 25. That startsnext week with No. 13 Ole Miss, which was scary impressive
side, and you’ve got to move to the offensiveside,” Johnson said.“Andthen (transitioning) fromrunning back to quarterback, it waskindofeasier because (I) already knew the scheme and whowehad.
“And then from quarterback to running back is even easier,because now you know the whole offense, and you know everything that’sgoing on.”
Johnson now realizes that his best position is at running back. Saturday’sperformance proved that he’sright.
“This wasalong process formetounderstandwhat Iwanted to do,but Ithink it should be (playing) running back,” Johnson said.
Saturday against upset-minded Tulane in a45-10 romp. SLUcoach Frank Scelfosaw enough to believe the Tigers can run withthe best of what is in store for them.
“Obviously,weplayed agreat football team,” Scelfo said. “I told coach Kellyafter the game Ihope theywin anational championship.”
LSUwill need to be at its best to beat the Rebels on their turf next Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC). The Tigers defense once again looked the part,grudgingly giving up 30 yards of total offense to the Lions before amostly backup-filled second half led to 10 SLU points. The offense finally looked productive, not pacifist. That was especially true for Nussmeier. He was on target, threw some deep balls with elan and (cue the gasps) even had a career-best 26-yard scramble. Nuss left with aseason-best 25-of31 passing performance for273 yards and three touchdowns, plus
a1-yard keeper forascore. “Itlooked like we wereout there having fun,” Nussmeier said. “Itwas not alack of stress, but just kind of releasing that stress.”
Noteverything wasfun for LSU.Durham limped off with what Kelly said was initially diagnosed as asprained ankle, but somewhat ominously the coach said the starting tailback will undergo an MRI on Sunday.Even though Johnson (eight carries, 43 yards, twotouchdowns) looked terrificinDurham’s stead, it’snot something you want to have to deal with going into the season’s latest, greatest big game. Destiny is calling LSU, urging the Tigers to open up their eager eyes. Will they be all “Mr.Brightside” after playing Ole Miss?
For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
After an action-packed Week 3, here are some notes from the past week’s slate of games in the Baton Rouge area.
Lutcher QB getting comfortable
The Bulldogs are one of the younger teams in the Baton Rouge area. The youth movement starts under center with freshman quarterback Terron Charles Charles guided Lutcher (1-2) to its first win of the season against Liberty in a 27-20 victory He went 10-for-17 for 100 yards. He also ran the ball 18 times for 102 yards, including a 45-yard rushing touchdown on the first drive of the game. The young quarterback credited the first win to a shift in mindset heading into the game.
“I kept my head up,” Charles said. “I didn’t get down just because of one play.”
With junior runner back Jaimylon Joseph behind him, the two combined for 198 rushing yards on 31 carries. The read option between the duo could be a recipe for success for Lutcher to keep stacking wins.
Catholic rushing attack soars
It’s difficult to find a team with a running back group better than the Bears. Catholic ran the ball 40 times for 224 yards in a commanding 28-14 win on the road against University High.
The team’s average of 5.6 yards per carry was split between three running backs and one quarter-
back.
Jayden Miles, who is a four-star recruit for the Class of 2027, led the team with 113 yards on 15 carries. Junior Justin Batiste had 67 yards on 10 rushes.
The Bears ran for 250 yards on 39 carries in their win against St. Thomas More in Week 2, and 251 yards on 40 carries against Destrehan in a Week 1 victory
Their 725 total rushing yards on 119 rushes is good for 6.1 yards per carry Regardless of who totes the rock, it’s hard to bring the Bears down.
St. Amant defense gets it done
The Gators entered the 2025 season as a preseason favorite for District 5-5A.
St. Amant won its first game in
Thibodaux, 16:05.80. 10. Noah Boudreaux, Central Lafourche, 16:08.67. 11. Jacob Sruk, Catholic High, 16:09.18. 12. Bradyn Wilkerson, Catholic High, 16:15.85. 13. Jackson Delahoussaye, Teurlings Catholic, 16:20.02. 14. Blake Bordelon, John Curtis, 16:26.73. 15. Jacob Ruiz, Mandeville, 16:32.71. Swimming Capital City Swim League
Saturday
250. 8. Chapelle, 260. 9. Central Private, 265. 10. Haynes Academy, 270. Individuals: 1. Emma Aldana Huelga, Willow School, 17:57.59. 2. Hannah Schneider, St. Joseph, 18:27.72. 3. Hope Lemoine, St. Joseph, 18:45.46. 4. Olivia Crews, St. Joseph, 18:56.92. 5. Charlotte Beck, St. Joseph, 18:57.33. 6. Audrey Manda, St. Joseph, 19:09.81. 7. Lauren Bradford, Episcopal, 19:10.21. 8. Cate Barbier, St. Joseph, 19:10.51. 9. Adele Adjmi, Ben Franklin, 19:13.67. 10 Kaitlyn Garidel, St. Joseph, 19:19.45. 11. Alivia Tassin, David Thibodaux, 19:19.45. 12. Sidonie Bayard, Baton Rouge High, 19:21.95. 13. Ella Willoughby, St. Amant, 19:22.09. 14. Noelle Fields, 19:33.07. 15. Tiana Khuri, St. Joseph, 19:38.85. Boys Team scores: 1. Central Lafourche, 73. 2. Catholic High, 105. 3. Dutchtown 152. 4. Teurlings Catholic, 155. 5. Belle Chasse, 187. 6. Mandeville, 198. 7. Zachary, 200. 8. David Thibodaux 222. 9 St Paul’s, 229 10. East Ascension, 253. Individuals: 1. Emerson Cullen, David Thibodaux, 15:28.25. 2. Brayden Berglund, Mandeville, 15:36.85. 3. Trevin Lebouef, Central Lafourche, 15:44.73. 4. Carson Dietz, Dutchtown, 15:55.11. 5. Trey Detillier, Central Lafourche, 15:56.25. 6. Kaleb Weber, Dutchtown, 15:58.30. 7. Dylan Fay, Belle Chasse, 15:59.70. 8. Max Newman, Mandeville, 16:03.44. 9. Barrett Richard, David
Girls
50 freestyle: 1. Keira Carmichael, Baton Rouge Magnet, 25.06. 2. Audrey Lemoine, St. Joseph’s, 26.38. 3. Emilie Farah, St. Joseph’s, 27.23. 100 freestyle: 1. Keira Carmichel, Baton Rouge Magnet, 54.85. 2. Samantha Johnston, Parkview Baptist, 54.95. 3. Molly Watson, St. Joseph’s, 56.20 200 freestyle: 1. Elise Gray Bennett, Episcopal, 1:58.11. 2. Molly Mayo, St. Joseph’s, 2:01.27. 3. Mary Claire Roberts, St. Joseph’s, 2:06.70.
500 freestyle: 1. Elise Gray Bennett, Episcopal, 5:23.53. 2. Audrey Lemoine, St. Joseph’s, 5:30.79. 3. Isabella Vargas, St. Joseph’s, 5:47.26.
100 fly: 1. Faith Kubricht, Parkview Baptist, 59.49. 2. Riley Roedel, St. Joseph’s, 1:00.24. 3. Lydia Talley Parkview Baptist, 1:02.75.
100 backstroke: 1. Samantha Johnston, Parkview Baptist, 1:00.73. 2. Molly Mayo St. Joseph’s, 1:00.92. 3. Riley Roedel, St. Joseph’s, 1:01.62.
100 breaststroke: 1. Grace Roussel, St. Joseph’s, 1:14.44. 2. Kinsley Smith, University High, 1:18.18. 3. Amelia Hartdegen, St. Joseph’s, 1:19.01.
200 IM: 1. Faith Kubricht, Parkview Baptist, 2:13.87. 2. Lydia Talley, Parkview Baptist, 2:14.96. 3. Molly Watson, St. Joseph’s, 2:22.83. 200 Medley Relay: 1. St. Joseph’s, Relay A,
a 49-6 blowout against Byrd. Week 2 ended in a 60-56 shootout, where the Gators offense outlasted Cecilia. But in a crucial Week 3 game against Kennedy, the defense stepped up to keep St. Amant undefeated.
The Gators clung to a slim 1412 lead in the third quarter St. Amant held the Kennedy offense to 284 yards of offense and forced two second-half interceptions. The Cougars crossed midfield four times in the second half but failed to score points each trip. St. Amant scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win. The Gators defense passed a critical test Friday night on the team’s journey toward a district title.
1:53.36. 2. St. Joseph’s, Relay B, x2:01.43. 3. University High, Relay A, 2:02.25 200 freestyle relay: 1. Parkview Baptist, Relay A, 1:43.41. 2. St. Joseph’s, Relay A, 1:48.06. 3. St. Joseph’s Relay B, 1:51.21. 400 freestyle relay: 1. St. Joseph’s, Relay A, 3:50.70. 2. St. Joseph’s Relay B, x3:50.95. 3. University High, Relay A, 4:02.06.
Boys 50 freestyle: 1. Blake Talbert, Catholic, 22.81. 2. Hayden Cowen, Dunham, 23.51. 3. Ziang Zhuang, Baton Rouge Magnet, 24.18. 100 freestyle: 1. Jack McConnell, Episcopal 49.53. 2. Blake Talbert, Catholic, 49.55. 3. James LeBlanc, Catholic, 53.07. 200 freestyle: 1. Van Nguyen, Baton Rouge Magnet, 1:47.54. 2. Austin Landry, Catholic, 1:54.99. 3. Dean Kolb, Catholic, 1:57.69. 500 freestyle: 1. Cooper Webb, Catholic, 5:05.91. 2. Jack Cannon, Catholic, 5:10.09. 3. James McIlwain, Episcopal, 5:45.71.
100 fly: 1. Van Nguyen, Baton Rouge Magnet, 54.04. 2. Noah Vargas, Catholic, 54.60. 3. Khoa Nguyen, Catholic, 54.91. 100 backstroke: 1. Doruk Sayal, Baton Rouge Magnet, 55.57. 2. John Kirk, Catholic, 55.59. 3. Dean Kolb, Catholic, 58.51. 100 breaststroke: 1. Jack McConnell, Episcopal, 1:00.89. 2. Doruk Sayal, Baton Rouge Magnet, 1:02.54. 3. Max Williams, Catholic, 1:02.60. 200 IM: 1. Noah Vargas, Catholic, 2:02.35. 2 Cooper Webb, Catholic, 2:03.00. 3. John Kirk, Catholic, 2:03.19. 200 freestyle relay: 1. Catholic, Relay A, 1:31.09. 2. Baton Rouge Magnet, Relay A, 1:32.96. 3. Catholic, Relay B, 1:39.13
200 medley relay: 1. Catholic, Relay A, 1:39.87. 2. Catholic, Relay B, x1:47.60. 3. Episcopal, Relay A, 1:52.25. 400 freestyle relay: 1. Catholic, Relay A, 3:25.86. 2. Catholic, Relay B, 3:32.17. 3. Baton Rouge Magnet,
(2-1)
St. Augustine (2-0) vs. Legacy School, Tex., Saturday
Alexandria (3-0) def. Destrehan, 27-21 8. John Curtis (2-0) Open
Destrehan (1-2) lost to Alexandria, 27-21
10. Zachary (3-0) def. Carencro, 34-20 Others receiving votes: Carencro (1-2) lost to Zachary, 34-20, West Monroe (2-1) lost to North DeSoto, 39-28, Acadiana (0-3) lost to St. Thomas More, 39-35, Brother Martin (3-0) def. New Hope, Miss., 38-26, Terrebonne (3-0) def. St. James, 28-8, Evangel Christian (2-1) def. Byrd, 43-36, Jesuit (3-0) def. Bonnabel, 52-6, Airline (3-0) def. Union Parish, 34-19, Archbishop Rummel (2-1) def. Archbishop Shaw, 29-0, Ouachita (3-0) def. Sterlington, 33-22, St. Paul’s (2-1) def. De La Salle, 24-7, Holy Cross (3-0) def. Chalmette, 23-6, Covington (3-0) def. Booker T. Washington-NO, 56-6. Class 4A
1. Franklin Parish (2-1) lost to Calvary Baptist, 33-30
2. North DeSoto (3-0) def. West Monroe 39-28
3. Teurlings Catholic (3-0) def. Notre Dame 24-20
4. St. Thomas More (1-2) def. Acadiana, 39-35
5. Archbishop Shaw (1-2) lost to Archbishop Rummel, 29-0
6. Franklinton (2-1) def. Pine, 29-14
7. Lakeshore (3-0) def. Northshore, 28-13
8. St. Charles (3-0) def. Dunham, 27-21
9. Plaquemine (2-1) def. Belaire, 38-6
10. E.D White (0-3) lost to Hahnville, 28-7
Others receiving votes: Iowa (3-0) def. Parkview Baptist, 42-13, Westgate (1-2) lost to Lafayette Christian, 45-21, Lutcher (1-2) def. Liberty, 27-20, Cecilia (1-2) def. Northside, 41-21, Vandebilt Catholic (3-0) def. Sulphur, 44-14, Rayne (2-1) lost to. Church Point, 46-16, Tioga (2-1) vs. Pineville, 56-14. Class 3A
1. St. James (2-1) lost to Terrebonne, 28-8 2. Sterlington (2-1) lost to Ouachita, 33-22 3. Madison Prep (2-1) lost to Southside 35-22
Jewel Sumner (3-0) def. Loranger,
Hunting and Fishing Day events available across state
BY JOE MACALUSO
Contributing writer
Louisiana’s celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day takes center stage this week.
Waddill Wildlife Refuge
steals the show around Baton Rouge. Combined with its education center, Waddill will feature fishing ponds for youngsters, canoeing and kayaking, the shooting sports, live animals, fly fishing, and casting instruction and displays by conservation and environmental organizations.
Waddill, 4142 North Flannery Road in Baton Rouge (between Choctaw Drive and Greenwell Spring Road), will be open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. It’s free and open to the public just like the other three sites across our state.
So if you’re in another corner, or darned near in the middle, there will be NHFD activities at the Woodworth Shooting Range (8 a.m.1:30 p.m.); the Tom Merrill Recreation Area at Bodcau Wildlife Management Area in Haughton (9 a.m.-2 p.m.); and Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe (9 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Last week/The Basin
Sharing the spotlight with Saturday’s celebration was Thursday’s public meeting on the status of the Atchafalaya Basin fish, especially bass.
Attendance and public comment paled when compared to Wildlife and Fisheries’ initial public gathering earlier this year
Yet this latest gathering provided more information on the status of the basin’s bass populations water-
quality issues and the results of the department’s springtime survey of freshwater fishermen. There was a lot of sobering news coming from Wildlife and Fisheries’ Lafayette district biologist Brac Salyers most of which Basin anglers already knew A succession of hurricanes and storms, a severe drought, hot summers, increasing areas with low water quality, varying degrees of winter and spring water levels in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, and a staggering decline in the amount of water in the vast basin have left freshwater fishermen searching for answers about a place that was once a fish-rich area, one that swallowed up tens of thousands of fishing trips annually
Late in Salyers’ presentation pointed out what might be the biggest problem — the Atchafalaya Basin’s open water is shrinking. Salyers’ note about a comparison of 1850 and 2005 maps that showed 190 square miles of open water 175 years ago to 73 square miles was alarming.
While not spelled out in that one-minute notation, it’s the procession of tons of silt carried by the Atchafalaya River into the basin all the while knowing this largest overflow swamp in our country was converted into a spillway nearly a century ago to prevent downriver flooding
Exacerbating this problem are Corps of Engineers projects over the last 40 or so years that prevent sheetwater flow across the basin and leave an increasingly larger area of backwater places incapable of supporting most any fish species because of low dissolved oxygen levels, called “hypoxia” areas by biologists.
Low numbers of prized largemouth and spotted bass, bluegill and other panfish species and sac-a-
lait over the last 10 years bothered enough fishermen to move the needle on getting attention for the Basin
With the dwindling amount of available water — yes, the more water in an area, the more fish a viable ecosystem can hold — Salyers said hurricane-wrought fish kills, one year of a severe drought, one year in a moderate drought, and unstable water levels in the major rivers during the spawning season contributed to a progressive decline in gamefish numbers.
Salyers said the best scenario is water levels increasing slowly in the Atchafalaya River in December and rising into a January through March run to maintain water levels high enough for a successful spawn. Then the rivers need to go on a slow fall in April and May, slow enough to give adults and their offspring enough time to find oxygen-rich water to survive the harsh, summer heat.
Salyers concluded his presentation by telling the assembled anglers that 2025 might be a turning point after 10 years of less productive conditions.
“We are seeing this year the right amount of water at the right time for a successful spawn,” Salyers said. “We are seeing a good number of young-of-theyear bass, both spotted and largemouths.”
He also noted further sampling trips found good numbers of catfish, bluegill, goggle-eye, chinquapin (redear sunfish) and sac-a-lait.
Snapper count
Through Sept. 7, the LA Creel survey estimate for the private recreational red snapper catch totaled 805,453 pounds, or 90% of our state’s 894,955-pound annual allocation. That’s a one-week increase of 17,439 pounds from the Aug. 31 estimate.
Avid outdoorsman Sims Regard has maintained a tradition
MONDAY
RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY
TYING: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to public. Hands-on clinic covering basics of fly tying. Materials and tools provided. Website: rsff.org
TUESDAY
LA. SHRIMP TASK FORCE MEETING:
10 a.m., Terrebonne Parish Council Chambers, 8026 Main St., Houma. SOUTHWEST MISS. GUN BLAST/NATIONAL DEER ASSOCIATION: 6 p.m Lincoln Civic Center, 1096 Belt Line Drive NE, Brookhaven, Mississippi. Call Bruce Gray (601) 754-5592.
THURSDAY
ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to the public. Website: packpabble.com
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. Call Kevin Gobert (504) 628-5191 or Ryan Lavigne (225) 921-9332.
BASSMASTER OPEN/COLLEGE KAYAK SERIES: Toledo Bend, Hemphill, Texas. Website: bassmaster.com HUNTING SEASONS
DOVES: South Zone: through Sunday; North Zone: through Sept. 28. First of three splits both zones. TEAL/RAILS/GALLINULES: Through Sept. 28, statewide
DEER/ARCHERY: Oct. 1-Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, bucks only
BY NATE RYAN Associated Press
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is back in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the first time in eight years, which means Ryan Blaney is back in his happy place.
The Team Penske star is hoping the omnipresent foliage around the track nestled in the countryside of Loudon, New Hampshire, might dovetail with a turning of the tide in the 10-race run to the Cup championship. Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the first round of the playoffs with wins by Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. In the
“I love the area itself, and there’s something about the northeast that I really enjoy,” Blaney said. “You get into September, and the leaves are changing, so I always enjoy the looks of it driving to the racetrack And the crowd atmosphere there is always fantastic.”
three-race sweep, JGR’s Toyotas led a combined 757 of 1,107 laps at Darlington Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway
“Certainly, we’re feeling good,” Bell said Saturday “Joe Gibbs Racing has asserted themselves as the powerhouse team in the sport right now, so we’re loving life. We know we’re in a good spot, and we’re just trying to keep the ball rolling.”
40TH GUN RIGHTS POLICY CONFERENCE: Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Salt Lake City. Second Amendment Foundation event. Website: saf. org/2025-amm-con
SATURDAY
LA. HUNTING & FISHING DAY:
9 a.m.-2 p.m., Waddill Outdoors Education Center, 4142 N. Flannery Road, Baton Rouge. Also Minden, Woodworth, Monroe. Kids fishing, fly casting, fly tying, shooting, canoeing, archery birding, game tagging, game cooking. Free admission.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
LA. B.A.S.S. NATION QUALIFIER:
DEER/ARCHERY: Oct. 1-Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2 & 4. Either-sex take allowed. RABBITS & SQUIRRELS: Oct. 4-Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. Eithersex take allowed. HUNTING LOTTERIES SEPT. 30—YOUTH WATERFOWL DEADLINE: For ages 10-17 on Sherburne Wildlife Management Area Fee $8.50. Application website: louisianaoutdoors.com/lotteryapplications. Email David Hayden: dhayden@wlf.la.gov SEPT. 30—WATERFOWL DEADLINE: On White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (Vermilion Parish). 2
SAINTS
OUT: OL Dillon Radunz (toe), DEChase young (calf)
QUESTIONABLE: OT Taliese
as the fleur-de-lis on the side of their helmets.
“In my mind, I’m playing every game of my existence,” Jordan said. “Unless they hide my bags, I’m playing.
When Jordan plays his229th game against the Seattle Seahawksand moves to the top of thefranchise list, it’ll be his latest bulletpoint on astacked résumé.
He’salready the team’sall-time leader in sacks (123 and counting). In the season opener,hemoved into the top 20 of the NFL’s all-time sackslist. Hisname will be in the rafters of the Superdome in the Ring of Honorsomeday.And basedon what he’s done andhow longhe’sdoneit, he’s earneda spot on theSaints’Mount Rushmore, alongwithBrees andRickey
getolder, those weeks become longer to prepare for andlonger to recover between games. So Camgoing into Year 15 is notsurprising, because it’shim. He has little kid energy. Nobodyknows that more than Nikki Jordan.Theyhavefourkids.
“But people alwaystell me Ihave five kids when youinclude Cam,” she said. “For the life of him, he can’tsleep in. He hasanatural alarmclock and will be up at 6or6:30 every morning. He always has to do something. Evenonhis off days. Just ask Elicia Broussard Sheridan, who handles community relations for the Saints.
“Once the season starts, you can just put it on your calendarthat something
the Green Bay Packers. That game was an indication of what was to come. The rookie played with abrace on his knee that day after aminor injury two weeks before in apreseason game. “I’ve never been one for butterflies,” Jordan said about that day.“But Iwas definitely determined and highly focused just in terms of being zoned in.” He’sbeen at it ever since. How many more games will he add to the record he will set Sunday? He’ll think about that at the end of this season. “I’ve always said that Iwant
Continued from page1C
Moore and Kubiak both have been lauded for their offensive prowess, butthe different ways these men scheme plays couldn’t be more glaring.
Kubiak emphasizes stretching the field with zone-based runs, mixing in agood doseofplayaction and utilizing condensed formations to keep defenses off guard. Moorewantsto spread it out, push the pace and mixinRPOs (run-pass options) to createaguessinggame.
One idea isn’tautomatically better than the other.They’re just distinct.
That’sfootball.
“That’sthe beauty of it,” Moore said. “There’s alot of different ways of approachingthis. There’snoright wayorawrong way. It’s the fun challenge of this.
“That’swhat we allenjoy.This job is problem solving and helping the guys become the best versions of themself. And that’swhatweget to do each week.
Shotgun, shotgun, shotgun
Erik McCoy rarely has paid this muchattention to how he snaps the ball.
Last year, the Saints center primarily was focused on reading the opposing coverage before the play so that he could communicate necessary adjustments to theprotection. Kubiak, in particular,tasks the centerto handle protection calls in his offense to help ease the burden on the quarterback. But whenitwas timetorun the play,moreoften than not, McCoy would just hand it off to the quarterbackunder center
This year,McCoy is still involved with protections, but he said he’shad to be on his “P’sand Q’s” because of howoften the Saints snap out of the shotgun formation.
“You’ve gottoget these things on the money,” he said.
Moore has made the Saints a shotgun-first team.
In simple terms, the coach uses formations that spread out his receivers and keeps the quarterback standing severalyards behind the center.While there is still variety to how the Saints line up within those looks, no team in the NFL has run more playsout of shotgun than New Orleans.
weeks last season,but Kubiak’sfingerprints are all over the offense.
TheSeahawks have run the fifth-most snaps under center —one spot above where the Saints finishedin2024. They have apass-run ratio of 52-48, closer to what Kubiak likely wanted to run in NewOrleans before consistentlytrailing skewed that split (57-43). Anditwouldn’tbea Kubiak offensewithout an overload of pre-snap motion, doing so on 59.6% of Seattle’splays, aslight uptickfrom last year’s57.8% in New Orleans.
“Yeah, it’ssimilar,” cornerback Alontae Taylor said, noting Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is “basically” playing Chris Olave’srolefrom last year.
If there is one overlap between Moore and Kubiak, they seem to share aloveofmotion Moore not only has theSaints running motion on 69.1% of theirsnaps but he also ran it at asimilar rate (57.5%)asKubiak lastseason with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Most of the parallels endthere Philosophically,Kubiak and Moore attack defensesindifferent ways. In the passing game, quarterback Jake Haener said Kubiak really tries to emphasizethe middle of the field by “layering things on top of each other.” Moore, at least to start theseason,has worked theperimeter moreoflate, Haener said. Nearlyhalf(37 of 80) of Rattler’s attempts have come on outroutes or hitches.
That’s the beautyofit, there’salot of differentways of approaching this.There’s no rightway or awrongway It’sthe fun challenge of this.”
KELLENMOORE, Saints coach
Through two games, according to Next Gen Stats, the Saints have run 113 shotgun snaps. Last year’steam didn’treach that mark until Week 5.
Moore likes these looks becausethey allow the quarterback to see the field “a little bit cleaner”, and that’suseful since starter Spencer Rattler is only 6feet tall.
There are deeper explanations.Mooresaid he’s“tied” the run game around theseformations to avoidbeing as one-dimensional. Out of the shotgun, theSaintshave theseventhhighest rushing rate at 31%.
The Saints have put aheavy emphasis on RPO, which requires the quarterback to make asplit-second decision whethertopass or run the ball based on how thedefense reacts. In this setting, according to ProFootballReference, the Saints’ 28 RPOs are tiedfor aleague high ahead of Week 3. Because the Saints are still spread out wide, defenses aren’tstackingthe box as muchas they would in obvious run situations.
Alvin Kamara, forinstance, has faced a light box (six or fewer defenders) on73.1% of his rushing plays, the highest rate in the league, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s punished such looks, running for 113 yards on 24 carries.
Kubiak wasn’tallergic to the shotgun last year,but the Saints ranked 27th on total shotgun plays. 3s andlayups
The Seahawks haven’texactlylit theleague on fireasthe Saints did through the first two
Moore, too, loves agood basketball analogy. In theoffseason, he showed his players the Indiana Pacers as an exampleofhow fast he wants theSaints to play— and it shouldbenosurprise that New Orleans’ 38 no-huddle snaps rank second this season.The coach also harps on his quarterbacksto stick to “3-pointers andlayups” —either passes that result in big gainsoreasy completions.
“Ifthe 3-pointeristhere,take it,” Rattler said. “Ifnot, getyour layup.”
To borrow another basketball term, Mooreisalsocognizant of themid-range shot —which has been largely phased out in the NBA because of its inefficiency Mid-range shots, thesedays, are reserved for superstars or specialists, suchasKevin Durant or DeMar DeRozan whoshoot well above average on those looks.
So what’sthe NFL equivalent of amid-range jumper?Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said they’re the plays that are “firstdown-oriented” —a6-to-12-yard play,hesaid —rather than being designed to be explosive.
“Threes addupquickerthan2s,” said Staley,noting that checking it down can still pickupthe same amount of yardage as firstdown-oriented plays. “It’s just that simplicitytoit, as well. But Ialso think there’s an efficiencyaspect to it foroffenses. …It’s less risky
“Sometimes in that first-down-oriented area, there’sa lot of people in the way.And so if there’sa lot of people in the way,more risk.”
Moore understands thattradeoff, even though the Saints haven’tconsistently hit on explosives. New Orleans has just nine explosives to start the season, the NFL’s fifth-fewest total. Only three of thosenine have gone for at least 20 yards.
But the logic is there. Staleysaidthe “simple” approach is how every great offense has functioned,adding it also helps thatplayers play fast.
“It’sasign of who Kellen is and what makes him such an effective coach,” Staley said.
Moore said he has a“ton of respect” forKubiak. He said he recognized there was a“lot of good stuff” thatKubiak brought to the Saints, but the franchise ultimately made achange after adisappointing 5-12 season. The offense, hamstrungbyalitany of injuries, wasn’taseffective as it needed to be.
So, Moorebrought hisown system— onethat is unlike anything the Saintshad seen before.
Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com
JEFF DUNCAN
SEAHAWKS 27, SAINTS13: LumenField is no placetotry to snap alosingstreak, especially when you’re as hurt as theSaintsare.Coach Kellen Mooreand quarterback SpencerRattler will need to be creative to carveout points against astingy, aggressive defense. The Saints mightneeda boostfrom defenseand specialteams to spring theupset
LUKE JOHNSON
SEAHAWKS 26, SAINTS16: This game will boil down to the trenches. TheSaints are taking a banged-up offensiveline into a hostile road environment to face one of the tougher defensivefronts in the NFL. That doesn’t sound like ideal conditions for abreakout offensiveperformance. The Saints open the Kellen Moore era0-3.
SEAHAWKS 28, SAINTS 17: Maybe the Seahawks will have aletdown aftera big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that’shard to count on. The NewOrleans offensiveline is in store fora tough afternoon, and I’m not confident the defensecan stop the plays KlintKubiak wants to run, evenafter seeing them in practice last year
RODWALKER
SEAHAWKS 24, SAINTS 10: To Kellen Moore’scredit, the Saints have been competitive, but those twogameswere at home (although Sunday’sgame against the 49ers didn’t feel likehome). Nowtheygo into ahostile environment to face a stiff
Lions try to break Ravens’ grip
The Baltimore Ravens haven’t lost to the Detroit Lions since 2005 The Lions have dropped five straight games in the series, including a couple on long field goals by Justin Tucker — and a 2023 blowout in which the Ravens gained more than 500 yards. The teams play Monday night in Baltimore. The Ravens are 22-3 in prime-time home games under coach John Harbaugh. With CB Marlon Humphrey nursing an injured groin, the Baltimore secondary could be vulnerable, and it may fall to S Kyle Hamilton to help keep the damage by Detroit QB Jared Goff and the passing game to a minimum.
Early AFC West clash set The Denver Broncos (1-1) face the Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) in a key AFC West showdown Last week, the Broncos lost to the Colts while the Chargers defeated the Raiders. Key players include Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins, who has been impressive this season, and Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Dobbins, a former Chargers RB, has found his rhythm in Denver, carrying the ball 30 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Broncos QB Bo Nix has struggled with turnovers Injuries could affect both teams with several key players sidelined or limited in practice The Chargers have not started a season 3-0 since 2002.
RB Robinson a threat to Panthers The Carolina Panthers’ defensive game plan against the Atlanta Falcons starts with stopping running back Bijan Robinson, who combined for 265 yards on the ground and four touchdowns in two games against them last season Robinson averaged 6.2 yards per carry in those games He hasn’t run for a score yet this season, but he has 167 yards on 34 carries and also nine receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 143 yards against the Vikings last week The Panthers defense had allowed seven straight 200-yard games on the ground before
GAME OF THE WEEK
Cowboys aim to build off victory Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys look to build on a wild win when they visit Caleb Williams and the winless Chicago Bears. Dallas beat the New york Giants 40-37 last week when Brandon Aubrey kicked a 46yard field goal as time expired in overtime after making a 64-yarder at the end of regulation to tie the contest That gave Brian Schottenheimer his first win as a head coach. Chicago coach Ben Johnson is searching for his first victory after a 52-21 blowout at Detroit The 52 points allowed to Johnson’s former team were three shy of the franchise record.
BY DAN GELSTON AP sports writer
PHILADELPHIA Fired up and with a point to prove, the Eagles are pushing back on the tush push hate.
There’s plenty of criticism around the NFL these days about the play — loathed just about everywhere but Philadelphia — and the Super Bowl champion Eagles have had enough.
“This is my official plea to all the teams out there,” offensive lineman Jordan Mailata said. “You can run the tush push just like we can.”
Fact check: He’s right. More teams complain about the tush push than actually try and run the rugby-style scrum deemed so unstoppable that the Green Bay Packers proposed banning it. Their effort fell two votes short at the NFL’s spring owners meeting. With a reprieve, the Eagles are running up the tush push play total with little regard for what anybody says. Jalen Hurts scored a touchdown on a tush push and the Eagles used the play seven times to help
send the Kansas City Chiefs to their first 0-2 start since 2014. The next chance for the Eagles (20) to use the tush push comes Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (2-0) in a playoff rematch from last season.
“They’re such a damn good team and it’s such a successful play for them,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino blasted the play on national television last weekend. Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher said this week in a talk radio appearance: “It’s not a football play It’s a scrum.” Other prominent NFL personalities took turns bashing the tush push, in large part because officials struggle to catch false starts and the Eagles are seemingly getting away with offensive linemen moving early
“Any time that you see certain things, you have conversations with the league office to just make sure you’re understanding how’s it officiated, how can we coach it,” McVay said “I’m sure they’ll have the same ones and operate within
the confines of not getting a little bit of a rolling start before the ball is snapped.”
No example summed up how much the tush push can be a pain in the butt to the opposition quite like when the Eagles used it to maddening perfection against Washington in the NFC championship game last season. The Commanders jumped offside four times in a sequence of five plays while trying to stop the tush push — earning them a warning from the referee that he could award the Eagles a touchdown if the Commanders did it again.
ESPN reported the Eagles converted 96.6% of the time when running the play in fourth-and-1 situations and have attempted it 116 times overall since 2022.
That’s the incredible part: Teams know the tush push is coming, fans at Lincoln Financial Field go wild when the Eagles line up for it, and yet defenses still can’t stop it.
“It’s a lot of coordination. A lot of organized mess,” Mailata said.
“Any other team can do it.”
Packers lose WR Reed for 4 games
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed has gone on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four games. The Packers (2-0) announced the move Saturday the day before playing at Cleveland (0-2). Reed got injured while making a diving touchdown catch that was nullified by a penalty on the opening series of Green Bay’s 27-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sept. 11. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after that game that Reed had separated his shoulder
Ravens to play Lions without DL Madubuike
Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike has been ruled out for Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions. Madubuike has a neck issue. His absence, along with that of Kyle Van Noy (hamstring), means Baltimore will be without two key pass rushers The Ravens also ruled out tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) and fullback Patrick Ricard (calf), neither of whom has played yet this season. Detroit D-lineman Marcus Davenport (chest) is out. Linebacker Jack Campbell (ankle), offensive lineman Taylor Decker (shoulder) and cornerback D.J. Reed (knee) are questionable.
Niners QB Purdy ‘unlikely’ vs. Cardinals
Quarterback Brock Purdy is “highly unlikely” to start on Sunday for the San Francisco 49ers as he deals with a toe injury that already has sidelined him for one game. Purdy was officially listed as questionable for the game against the Arizona Cardinals with a final decision on his status still to come. Mac Jones would start his second game for San Francisco if Purdy isn’t ready Jones threw for 279 yards and three TDs in his first start last week against New Orleans.
Falcons cut longtime K Koo, turn to Romo
The Atlanta Falcons have turned to kicker Parker Romo on a full-time basis. The Falcons released Younghoe Koo on Friday and signed Romo to the active roster, presumably for the foreseeable future.
The Peachtree City, Georgia, native was elevated from the practice squad last week and hit all five of his field goal attempts in
69-68-67—204 -9
Germany 69-68-68—205 8
Netherlands 68-70-67—205 -8
Clements, England 70-67-69—206 7
Lindberg, Sweden 69-67-70—206 7 Antoine Rozner, France 68-72-66—206 -7 Jens Dantorp, Sweden 67-69-71—207 6
Trustisn’t given.It’searned. Just like athletes on the field, our doctors earn it every day through commitment, precision and passion.Whether you’repushinglimits or recovering from them,you can trustthe team that understandsboth.
From championship athletes to everyday champions, Our Lady of the LakeHealth is wheretrusted carebegins.
When my son graduated from amaster’sprogram in Pittsburgh last May,Iwanted to be fully present during the long weekend our family had scheduled to celebrate. Iwas afraid I’d miss importantmoments because Iwas glued to ascreen filled with the latest headlines.
As our plane lifted from the runway in Louisiana, Iput away my phone, resolved to go on amedia fastfor thenext few days.
We’d barely reached cruising altitude when aflight attendant began strolling the aisles, her arms filled withheadphones for the onboard TV programming.
“In case you’re interested,” she announced, “they’ve just named the new pope.”
Phones lit up throughoutthe cabin, and most of the screens attached to each seat popped on, too. Iquickly abandoned my resolution to avoid the news. But my viewing station didn’twork, and my smartphone service was spotty,too.
Icraned my head over the seat ahead of me and glimpsed an image of the newly elected PopeLeo XIV entering the balcony over St. Peter’s Square
My neck quickly tired,soI leaned back into my seat and pondered whether the little news desert in which I’d found myself might have been exactly whatI’d asked for.Asa longtime journalist, Iavidly follow current events as an occupational necessity
But I’m not apapal correspondent, and neither my career nor the world would suffer if Iwaited awhile to catch up on developments at the Vatican.
As most of my fellow passengers watched the announcement of the new pontiff, Igazed at abrilliant field of clouds beyond the window and remembered other times when big news broke during my vacations. Iwas in aParis cafe in 1991 after President George H.W.Bush developed an irregular heartbeat at Camp David,prompting nearby customers to proclaim “désastre” at the thought that the leader of the free world mightbeinperil.
Later that year,Iwas on a rural Alaskan road outside Anchoragewhen plotters staged an ultimately unsuccessful coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.Itfelt strange to be at such aremove from things as superpowers trembled all those decades ago. Slowly,Icame to understand the futility of waiting for the news cycle to calm down so that Icould step away from it without fear of missing out The very nature of the news is its relentlessness,which is precisely why we all need respitesfrom currentevents. It’s something I’m trying to keep in mind this autumn as the churn of urgent news bulletins continues at high pitch. I’m glad to live in aworld where the hard work of news gatherers makes it possible to stay abreast of what’shappening. I’m also glad that Iput the news away long enough toenjoy my son’sgraduation. Pope Leo wouldprobably say thatI made the right call.
Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com
SBY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
ome afternoons, when things are at their quietest, someonewill drift through thefront doors and pick up aguitar
Bradley Bates has plenty of guitars behind the counter in Bates &Thigpen, the men’s storehis grandfatheropened100 yearsago
Musically inclined customers usually askpermission to use the instruments, then pick atune or two.
“There was aguy who came in whowas in his20s,” Batessaid. “And he said, ‘I just need apair of socks.’ Iwent behind the counter and wrote them up, and he looked over and said, ‘Is thatyour guitar?’ Isaid,
‘Yeah, would you like to play it?’
“Yes sir,”the young man answered, alreadyreachingfor the instrument,strumming thestrings. He gazed at the guitarinthe same awe he wouldalove interest.And he played the music, as Bates would laterlearn, that was his birthrite.
The manripped through one tune, then another.Some notes were anchored in thebluegrasstradition as if channelingBillMonroe, Lester Flatt or one of the Dillards —the bluegrass family that portrayed the nonverbal, music-playingDar-
ling family on “The Andy Griffith Show.” The family was legendary in the bluegrass world, known for their progressive style.
Bateswould soon learnthatthis young man had aconnection to the family.This wasn’this first rodeo.
In fact, he was settoplay at Baton Rouge’sShawCenter forthe Arts thatnight.Bates doesn’tremember the man’s name, just that he was probably two generations removed from Andy Griffith’sDarlings.
BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer
“He wassuch anice kid, and Iget alot of people like him,who just go over there andpickupthe guitars and sit downfor just 30 minutes to pick,” Bates said.
Opened in 1924
Musicalinterludesprobably weren’tJewel Bates’ intention when
Krewe of Romany
New members for 2026 are, back from left Megan
Jessica LeBlanc and Lauren Smith; in
from
Lee, Amanda LeBlanc, Megan Bello and Julie Greely
Krewe of Romany welcomes new members, announces court
The Krewe of Romany gathered for a fall party on Aug. 16 at Topgolf’s Chairman’s Suite in Baton Rouge to welcome its newest members. In addition, the krewe also recently celebrated its 2026 royal court pages at a party at the home of 2026 Ball Captain Ashley Day Fabre
The Topgolf event took on a festive “ParTee” theme, as members and their families dressed in their best golf apparel and were given custom golf towels to commemorate the afternoon.
A highlight was the formal recognition of new members by Fabre, Krewe President Collette Lambert, Queen Romany LXXVI Amelia Lambert and King Romany LXXVI Matthew Vaughn
The 20 new krewe members are: Megan Bello, Megan Dewberry, Sophie Dupree, Lindsey Fauveau, Shannon Giordano, Ashley Grand, Julie Greely, Lindsay Haines, Amanda LeBlanc, Jessica LeBlanc, Rusti Lee, Julie Martin, Corrito Mata, Regan Newsome, DeShae Pardon,Tiffany Patrick, Carlie Schneider Lauren Smith,Amanda Tucker and Nicole Winans
The pages enjoyed swimming, and refreshments from Maple’s Snoballs at their party They also designed personalized trucker hats with the assistance of the ball captain’s daughters, Evangeline and Adelaide.
The royal pages’ costumes, which will remain a secret until ball night, were revealed to those in attendance.
Other distinguished guests included Queen Romany LXXVI Amelia Lambert and King Romany LXXVI Matthew Vaughn, and the 2026 royal court maids Faye Buco, Audrey Greely, Lily Hayden, Shaunnessy Rose and Layton Weems, as well as the krewe’s board of directors.
Royal pages for Queen Romany LXXVI are Adler Grace and Alice Grand, daughters of krewe member Ashley Grand; Laikyn Gwatney daughter of krewe member Megan Bello; and Eliana Winans, daughter of krewe member Nicole Winans.
Royal pages for King Romany LXXVI Matthew Vaughn are Duke and Mickey Boyd, grandchildren of krewe member Denise Dobson; Houston Pardon, son of krewe member DeShae Pardon; and Christian Smith, son of krewe member Lauren Smith
The Community column runs Sundays in the Living section and accepts submissions for news of events that have taken place with civic, philanthropic, social and religious auxiliary organizations, as well as academic honors. Submissions should be sent by noon Monday to run in the upcoming Sunday column. Because of space limitations, organizations that meet monthly or more are limited to one photo per month. If submitting digitally, we prefer JPG files 300KB or larger. If taking a photo of a group, have them stand or sit shoulder-to-shoulder If more than six people are in the photo, arrange them on multiple, distinct rows Avoid strong background light sources.
Identify those pictured by first and last names as viewed from left to right, row by row.We prefer emailed Community column submissions to features@theadvocate.com.We also accept submissions by mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge LA 70821.A phone number must be included.
are
WBR Garden & Civic Club
The West Baton Rouge Garden & Civic Club welcomed back its members for 2025-26 at the AgCenter in Port Allen on Sept. 9. An overview of the coming year was discussed, and hostesses provided refreshments. From left are Kim Callegan, Shirley Catanzaro, Riette LeBlanc, Carolyn Bonadona, Diana LeBlanc, Trudy Millard and Martha LeBlanc. Not pictured is Elizabeth Schroeder
During the Friends of LPB annual meeting on Sept. 11, LPB President and CEO Clarence ‘C.C’ Copeland presented President’s Awards to state Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, who serves on LPB’s Louisiana young Heroes advisory committee, and to the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting, represented by foundation Chair Charles Spencer, below center. The award recognizes individuals and organizations for their significant contributions and support of LPB’s mission. Copeland, right, was joined by the incoming chairman of the Friends of LPB Board, Howard White, left. The occasion also celebrated LPB’s 50th anniversary, and guests were treated to a preview reel of PBS shows and LPB productions set to debut in 2025-26.
Members of the Hope Group from Broadmoor United Methodist Church met for lunch and prayer for the country and world at Drusilla’s Seafood Restaurant on Sept. 11. From left, seated, are Gerri Cornett, Eloise Dufrene, Teenie Bajon, Judy Burch, Jenola Duke, Bonnie Kemp and Carol Wiltz; standing, Charlette Hill, Joyce Hazleton, Charlotte Fitzsimons, Joy D’Armond, Linda Crane and Beverly Grant.
Savage
Members of P.E.O Chapter W met at the home of Debbie Harris on Sept. 11 for a program and luncheon. Shown are, from left, President Ann Sharkey, Director of BTNEP Bren Haase, Virginia Holloway and Barbara Long
Members of the Plaquemine Garden Club held their September meeting in the Cypress Room at Nottoway Plantation. Six of the club’s members were awarded the state’s Circle of Roses for outstanding service, including serving as an officer chairing projects and active participation in club activities over many years. Shown are, from left, Marian Medine, Jeanne Panepinto, Madeline Kessler, Sheryl Ramirez, Donna Carville and Katherine Desselles
The past several monthshave been filled with multiple reasons to celebrate, including milestone birthdays for various friends and family members, myself included.
Afew people’sbirthdays have movedthem into new decades or bestowed the right to drive or vote, and some have reached the age to leave the nest. Birthdays, especiallymilestone birthdays, are the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate.
The tradition of birthday cakes can be traced back to ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks decorated moon-shaped cakes with candles to make the cake glow like the moon and believed that the smoke from the candles would carry thecelebrant’sprayers to the gods.
In medieval England, cakes were baked with asymbolicobject inside, and it was believed that the person who found the object would have good luck in the year that followed.
And in the 18th century,the Germans celebrated Kinderfeste, aparty for achild during which lit candles were placed on thecake in themorning and left to burn all day until after dinner when the cake was eaten. Over time,these traditions evolved, and the modern, layered birthday cake emerged as well as the tradition of having candles totaling the person’sage plus one, to represent hope for another healthy year
The recipes below are two of my favorite ways to add ahomemade touch to abirthday celebration and serve as more than just adelicious indulgence.The first, awhite chocolate raspberrycake, is my personal favorite. The raspberries add asweet freshness to the vanilla cake that complements theSwiss meringue buttercream.
The second recipe brings the fun of confetti to the cake batter with ahomemade take on the Funfetti cake made even more festive with
sprinkles on top. Thesecakes are ameaningfulway to bring people together, spread happiness and create cherishedmemories. Whether you opt for aclassiccakeorcupcakes, the joyofsharing asweet moment with loved ones makes the celebrationeven more special.
So, the next time abirthday comes around, don’tskip the cake —make it the heart of the celebration!
WhiteChocolate RaspberryCake with SwissMeringueButtercream
Makes 2(8-inch) round cakes. For the cake:
3cups all-purpose flour
4teaspoons baking powder
1teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter,room temperature
2cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4largeeggs,room temperature
1tablespoon vanilla extract
1cup creme fraiche
1cup whole milk,room temperature Raspberry filling:
2cups raspberries Juice of one largelemon
1tablespoon cornstarch
2tablespoons sugar
Pinch of sea salt
For theSwiss meringue buttercream:
6largeegg whites,room temperature
11/2 cups granulated sugar
1
11/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
1. Preheatthe oven to 350F.Line two (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper and spray withbaking spray
2. Sift together the flour,baking powder and salt.
3. Place the butter andsugar in a largebowl. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachmentora stand mixer,beat the butter and sugar until light andfluffy
4. Add the oil and beattoincorpo-
rate.
5. Add the eggs, one egg at atime, and beat on medium-high speed until each egg is fully incorporated. Stop the mixerbetween additions to scrape down the sides.
6. Add the crème fraîche and vanilla and beat until combined.
7. Addhalf of the dryingredients to the batter and mix on low speed.
8. Pour in the milkand mix to incorporate.
9. Add the remaining dry ingredientsand mix at low speed.
10. Pour the batter into the two cakepans. Bake for approximately 35 minutes,rotatingthe pans midway through baking. Removefrom the oven and let cakes cool completely on awire rack or teatowel.
11. Once the cakes are cooled, slice thecakes in half horizontally to make four layers. Make the filling:
1. While the cakes bake,combine theraspberries, sugar, salt, cornstarch and lemon juice in asmall potovermediumheat. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Simmer on low-medium heat for 5-10 minutesuntil raspberries have broken apart and the mixture thickens. Allowtocoolcompletelyand refrigerate untilreadytoassemble the cakes.
3. Createadouble boiler by placing asmall amount of water in apot Place the bowl of astand mixer on topofthe pot. Ensure the bowl does nottouch water.Bring the water to aboil, then lower the heat to simmer
4. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of astand mixer and place thebowl over the simmering water for 5-10 minutes. Whisk
theegg whites and sugar until the granulatedsugar is completely dissolved. (Note: Youcan test this by quickly dippingyourfingerintothe mixture. Rub it between your fingers. Youshould not feel any sugar granules.)
5. Oncethe sugar is dissolved, removethe bowlofegg whites from the heat. Using the whisk attachmentfor the stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the sugar 10-15 minutesonhigh speed.Continuebeating until stiff peaksform andthe mixture is glossy
6. Meanwhile, microwave the whitechocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool
7. Oncethe meringue comes together,lower thespeed of thestand mixer to low-medium and slowly incorporate thebutterone tablespoon at atime.Allowthe butterto incorporate fully before adding the next tablespoon.Once allthe butter is added, increase the mixerspeed to high to allowthe meringue and butter to come together
8. Gently fold in thewhitechocolate, vanilla extract and saltintothe meringue butter cream and mix until fully combined.
Assemble the cake:
1. Spread alayer of raspberry filling on the first layer of cake. Top withwhite chocolate buttercream
2. Place the second layer on top andrepeat withraspberry filling andbuttercream with the remaining layers.
3. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to allow thecaketoset.
4. Once set, finish icingthe cake
withthe remaining buttercream
Topthe cake withfresh raspberries andwhite chocolate shavings. Confetti Cake
Makes24cupcakes or a3-layer, 8-inchcake
The cake:
21/2 cups flour 1/4 cup cornstarch
1teaspoon kosher salt
2teaspoons baking powder
1cup unsaltedbutter,at roomtemperature
11/4 cups sugar
4large eggwhites,atroom temperature (Save the yolks;you will use theminthe icing.)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cuprainbowsprinkles(Irecommendusing the jimmies/cylinders, notnonpareils or sandingsugar.)
1. Preheat theovento350 F.
2. Line thebottoms of 24 muffin cups. (Or,ifbaking acake, line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick baking spray.)
3. In amediumbowl,sift together the flour,cornstarch, salt andbaking powder.
4. In astand mixer fittedwith the paddle attachment, cream together the butterand sugaruntil light and fluffy,3to4minutes.
5. Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition
6. Add the oil and the almond and vanilla extracts.
7. With themixer running on low speed,add the dry mixture andthe milk in three alternating batches, stopping after eachaddition to scrape down the sides. Mix until just combined.
8. Using arubber spatula, gently fold in the sprinkles until they’re evenly distributed
9. Distribute thebatter among the muffin cups (or cakepans).
10. Bakeuntil atoothpickinserted intothe center comes outclean (approximately 25 minutesfor cakes and20minutes forcupcakes).
11. Allow to cool on awire rack completely,then add icing and additionalsprinkles.
BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer
Jessica B. Harris, acclaimed author and food historian who lives part-time in New York and part-time in New Orleans, has published a new book on American food history that doubles as a cookbook, titled “Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine.”
Over her career Harris has written, edited and translated 17 books, including 12 cookbooks that document the foods of the African diaspora — such as “High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America,” which was adapted into a Netflix series. Harris is also a professor emerita at Queens College in New York and holds awards from the Southern Foodways Alliance, Soul Summit and James Beard Foundation Her book, “Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine,” examines the three cultures that form American food: Native American, European and African. A combination of food history and recipes, this cookbook also functions as a historical and personal journey of these three varied cuisines. Harris platforms her friends from each group to share their stories and recipes.
Can you describe the American braid of American cuisine and how it inspired your book “Braided Heritage?”
The whole idea is three strands of something coming together that are put together in such a way that their resulting tensile strength of the thing is very different from the strength of either of the strands. But also it creates something altogether differently People don’t know that there are strands in the American cuisine. It just seems to be a homogenous kind of thing to some people, but there are definitely strands. What were you most surprised to learn in your research for the book?
I think the Dutch. I certainly knew New Amsterdam and Peter Stuyvesant. And I’m a New Yorker, so we’ve got lots of remnants of it, but I still don’t think I was quite as aware as I am now of what role they played and how extensive their trading empire was that they brought to the mix. It was very different.
Of all the places you’ve lived, why do you choose to live part time in New Orleans?
I spend time in New Orleans because it is pretty much the United States and epicenter of everything that I do. I study food, and certainly New Orleans is the food center I study African culture in the New World. New Orleans is a place for that. I study African religion in the New World, and New Orleans is a place for that. So, it is the epicenter of many things.
I usually just simply say, because my soul sings there, and I
let it go.
You see all three strands of the braid one way or the other If you look at old pictures of the French Market, Native people selling sassafras, you’ll see the African Americans either selling or buying and European Americans. It’s all there, and it certainly all turns up in much of the classic food of New Orleans.
Do you have a favorite recipe, and also, do you have a favorite thing to eat from the book? A favorite recipe is kind of saying, “Who’s your favorite child?”
My favorite thing to eat probably is something I make very infrequently, but that I do love, which would be the watermelon rind pickles. I like to pickle things because they remind me of my mother and my grandmother
In all your writings, cooking and travels, what have you learned about food and people that you want to share with readers?
You discover, over the course of things, that there’s more that joins us than separates us. We may not cook it the same way, but we probably eat it here and there. There are unusual food steps that you get in X place or Y place or Z place. But if you come down to the basics, chicken is in a lot of places around the world. Beef, depending on religion, is in a lot of places around the world. Pork, same thing. The same vegetables are in
a lot of places. We were talking about okra, which is certainly on the African continent, but also in southern Asia. I went to China in 2019. I’d never been before, and my first meal was okra and barbecue. I had no idea they had okra in China. It was barbecue duck, not barbecue pork or anything like that. But it was very much a meal that could be parallel. I think that’s the thing to remember: there’s a lot that joins us in things we don’t even understand or think of.
Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.
BY RIEN FERTEL
Contributing writer
“House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home” by John T. Edge, Crown, 272 pages.
For the past quarter-century, John T. Edge has been one of the leading voices shaping how Americans, especially in the South, think about food Growing up in Georgia, Edge experimented with identities: a Lost Cause fanboy raised in the home of Confederate Gen. Alfred Iverson Jr., University of Georgia “frat bro,” Athens cool town scenester and college dropout.
He discovered his academic leanings and authorial voice at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture.
His first byline, a 1998 “Oxford American” essay was a slick bit of immersive journalism working as a Bourbon Street Lucky Dog vendor, à la Ignatius J. Reilly
The next year, he co-founded the Southern Foodways Alliance, an organization that injected “celebratory activism” into the study of the region’s culinary past, present and future. An organizational high point came in 2006, when a cohort of SFA volunteers helped rebuild Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a storied fried chicken restaurant in New Orleans’ 7th Ward. Edge served as the alliance’s director until 2021, following a tumultuous period when he was derided by many of the organization’s own members as, he notes in his new memoir, a “kingmaker” and “a White overseer who profited from Black labor.” He now hosts the Emmy Award-winning television show “True South. His memoir “House of Smoke” showcases an always engaging
writer grappling with what it means to be a Southerner, the stories we inherit and the meaning of home.
This interview has been condensed and edited
Editor’s note: Rien Fertel is a member of Southern Foodways Alliance.
There’s this dichotomy in your book, a trope that pops up again and again: rootlessness versus rootedness, in regards to family history and place
The close of my book is, in essence, me hunting down the Confederate brigadier general and
killing him off. In a lot of ways, because of the particular place in which I grew up, I didn’t realize, until I stacked up the scenes in my book, that the door that opened for me was the door to knowing myself better knowing the South better and asking harder questions of my place and my people.
My family and the South are proxies for one another It’s pretty common to profess — William Faulkner professed it — “I love the South, and I hate the South.” I once said the same things about elements of my family I once said the same things about the South. And I realized that my work is to love my place and love my people. What I thought was exploration, a search for answers, was actually a fleeing from my past in
the universal sense. My past as a Southerner and my past in a more familial sense. The search for the next great barbecue joint, the frequent drive to New Orleans, those were searches for experience. But they were a kind of fleeing, running away from home. I didn’t really understand what the driver was for me in the first place. What sent me out on the highway? Why was I always in search of the next thing? Why did I call restaurants second homes?
To write a memoir is to establish some cause and effect with your life. When I did that, I recognized that so much of what I thought was running toward something was running away from something.
You write about your thinking in the early years of the SFA that racism “is the truth to confront, and writing about food is the best way to get there.” How did you come to that line of thinking? Do you still hold that to be true?
That’s a line of approach that was inspired by John Egerton, my friend and colleague, who had two big books: “Speak Now Against Today” about the generation before the Civil Rights Movement in the South, and “Southern Food” (about) the idea that food was this democratic reflection of who we are and, in our totality, our most varied selves.
I grew up in a generation where cookbooks were written and articles were published where the contributions of working-class people of color were left out. I believed that if I could help people understand the power of the work that generation upon generation of working class Southerners had done, by way of food, we could crack open everything. There could be an appreciation of other sorts of labor and other sorts of
contributions. That was idealistic. And I still remain pretty idealistic — I haven’t lost that. You could read it as naiveté. The thing I realized is that so much of what I was focused upon was the sins of the past. As a new generation of writers comes along and grows, they are focusing the attention on the sins of the present with more urgency and more of a call to action. I’ve thought a lot about that after 2020, and it is, I think, a worthwhile insight for those who might follow behind me.
We’re talking on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Can you talk about what New Orleans has meant to you?
One of my fondest recollections of the city is grounded in post-Katrina times. It was a work weekend at Willie Mae’s Scotch House, and I went with a big group of people to Le Bon Temps Roule. The Soul Rebels were playing in that back room and they played “No Place Like Home.”
It was a chant, a call and response from the band to the audience for 15 minutes, back and forth, back and forth. Everybody heard each other Everybody saw each other The power of common bonds, common beliefs, common loves of language and music and food New Orleans has taught me that. And it taught me that that night.
New Orleans has certainly fed me well. Even more than that, New Orleans has helped teach me how I want to live, not maybe how I always live, but it’s taught me about the joy and promise of communal experience.
Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”
operated until the 1850s.
BY CATHERINE S COMEAUX
Contributing writer
Catherine S. Comeaux and her family spent three summers exploring state, national and provincial parks — from Louisiana to Alaska, to Nova Scotia and all along the Mississippi River in between. This year she turns her attention to our Louisiana state parks to discover the natural beauty of the South less than a day’s drive from home.
At Fontainebleau State Park, cypress groves intertwine with sandy beaches Salty and fresh waters mingle in the estuary of Lake Pontchartrain. Nearby, the remains of ancient shell mounds share space with the crumbling brick of a 19thcentury sugar mill.
These picturesque juxtapositions make up the beauty of the park’s 2,800 acres of oak-shaded, lake-cooled lands on the northshore near Mandeville. Any time of year, but especially toward the end of the Louisiana’s six-month summer, it is one of the best places to be outdoors. For millennia, people have inhabited this area, taking advantage of the cool breezes coming off one of the largest inland saltwater bodies in the United States.
Shell mounds and sugar mills
The Tchefuncte-built shell middens in the park are presumed to have functioned as living areas and burial mounds from 600 to 200 B.C The Acolapissa arrived in the early 1700s as well as the Choctaw whose descendants still reside in the region. On their heels followed European settlers, specifically a Frenchman named Bernard de Marigny who, along with a crew of over 100 enslaved people, developed Fontainebleau — a sugar cane plantation which
The plantation took its name from a forest near Paris, but when the site became a state park in 1938, it opened as Tchefuncte State Park. Later in 1943 perhaps for a more distinctive ring or as a nod to the United States’ World War II allies in France (certainly not for ease-of-spelling) — the park became Fontainebleau State Park.
In the park’s early years, the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps built many of the original buildings that remain today, including the pier and expansive brick bath house at the lake. Today, a variety of people enjoy the park.
Outdoor enthusiasts come for a day on the trails and waterways or for several in one of the campgrounds or lakeside cabins.
According to one maintenance worker’s estimate, the park will attract 700 to 800 hundred visitors on any given Sunday during summer break.
They come for swimming, picnicking and photo shoots with the ancient live oaks and white sandy shores of the lake for a backdrop.
In 2021, filmmakers used the swamp marshlands of the park for scenes in Where the Crawdads Sing” (based on the best-selling novel by zoologist-conservationist Delia Owens).
Rock-a-while
The Visitors’ Center is an excellent place to start a day at the park Bathrooms, water and bike rentals are available 24 hours onsite. The center itself is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and houses several cases of artifacts ranging from the time of the Tchefuncte to the Civilian Conservation Corps.
A nature trail starts beyond the patio out back, promising deep shade and a plethora of plants with interpretive signage. Staff is available to point you in the right direction with their up-to-date information as to what areas might be a no-go due to storm damage or flesh-chomping horseflies.
Interpretive ranger Garrett Shelton invites visitors to sit in one of the big rockers facing a picture window looking out on the remains of the sugar mill chimneys rising out of wild grape vines and palmettos.
During my recent visit to the park, he pointed out native flora and noted, “Nature provides an antidote for every health problem we have,” as he extolled the antiviral properties of a tincture made from sweet gum balls and told me the stories of the critters in the wall-to-wall aquariums surrounding us.
Wide water
Heading out to bike the nature trail, Shelton sent me off with the fun fact that “Lake” Pontchartrain is technically not a lake but rather an estuary — a brackish body of water where freshwater rivers meet salt water Owing to their dual nature, estuaries support a much wider variety of life
than the typical lake I biked my way through the woods and crossed a whitetail doe and her fawn on my way to the Pontchartrain estuary (a mouthful of a name to chew on). At the shore, I was surprised by a shiny aluminum flock of birds heading skyward — a sculpture created by Aly Adduci, Gabriel Wimmer and Brent Barnidge Installed in 2023, this piece was funded by the Louisiana Percent For Art Program which is supported by a 1999 law that earmarks 1% of every state renovation project that exceeds $2 million to be spent on public art. (Other works of art funded by this program can be found at Bogue Chitto, Palmetto Island and Lake Darbonne state parks as well as at hundreds of other state properties.)
The shiny birds lead toward a shoreline cypress grove where I kicked off my shoes and waded through the cool, sandy-bottomed waters The knees here grow
sideways, stretched and tangled, forming natural benches — the perfect spot for fish watching in the clear shallows.
Gazing through the moss into the distance at the world’s longest continuous bridge over water (Lake Pontchartrain Causeway), I decided that “okwa-ta,” the Choctaw name for this “wide water,” makes more sense and solves the “lake” misnomer.
No matter what the wide water is called, its fishing, swimming, boating and cooling effect are a big draw for visitors.
Another draw is the park’s access to the Tammany Trace, a 31mile asphalt trail developed on a former railroad corridor which connects the cities of Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. Cyclists staying in the park can make it into Mandeville for lunch in a short, 10-minute bike ride. This is especially convenient for RV campers who aren’t towing a get-around vehicle.
Whether you plan to bike, hike, paddle or simply enjoy some cold fried chicken at a picnic table, the cool shady natural beauty of Fontainebleau State Park is waiting for you.
Know before you go
n Bike rentals are available through canoeandtrail.com n Kayak rentals are available at
he opened Bates & Thigpen in November 1924. He left a job at a downtown department store to team up with W. Thigpen to open the first iteration of his store on Main Street in Baton Rouge
The idea was to operate a uniform shop.
“It was almost a small department store,” Bradley Bates said of his grandfather’s business.
“They sold suitcases up on the racks, and they sold suits and hats, because everybody dressed up to go everywhere back then.”
And Bradley Bates adheres to that tradition, dressing in a tie and coat each day to sell ties and coats Jewel Bates operated the Main Street store, while Thigpen acted as a silent partner.
Thigpen asked to exit the business, so Jewel Bates bought him out, yet kept his partner’s name on the sign.
The store moved to 350 Third St in 1965, then to its permanent location at 335 Third St. later that year The new location offered more space at 5,000 square feet, where a tailoring shop and steam press could be housed in the back. Tailoring is still done onsite on a 1928 Singer sewing machine by Bradley Bates and his son, who goes by Brad, who
represents the family’s fourth generation to join the business.
Bradley Bates’ father Billy Bates, and uncle, Frank Bates, were the second generation to own and operate the store.
Today, Bates & Thigpen stays true to its roots of offering personal service and individual fittings. Suit coats, pants, shirts, shoes, ties and hats are specially chosen from the store’s stock and matched to each customer
Bradley Bates can look at a customer and immediately determine his size, even in hats.
“Yes, men still buy hats,” he said.
The hats are made of the highest quality material, known as beaver’s wool, which can be resized on an in-store stretcher
If a customer wants his initials inscribed in the hatband, Bates can do that, too
Top-notch service
The store also still sells uniforms, its contracts including the Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services companies and the U.S. Post Office. But it’s the personal service that keeps customers going back. This practice was handed down to Bradley Bates by his grandfather, who took customer service a step further during hard times.
Credit cards were nonexistent, and though 1930s prices seem cheap in today’s economy,
a $10 pair of shoes was an expensive item.
“Because of the Depression, the store became very conservative,” Bradley Bates said. “And my grandfather sold items to customers on a ‘payas-you-go’ basis.”
The store kept a large ledger that Bradley Bates still has today — its brown, tattered pages each dedicated to a customer, along with the record of his payments. The system was still in place at the outbreak of World War II.
“The store was still on Main Street, and a young man was looking through the window,” Bradley Bates said. “And my grandfather walked out and said, ‘Son, you want those shoes?’ The man said, ‘Well, Mr Bates, there’s a dance coming up at LSU, and I really would like to have them, but I don’t have enough money.”
The shoes were about $10, and the young man had only a few dollars. Jewel Bates led him inside and fitted the shoes. The man reminded him that he was short on funds, to which Jewel Bates replied, “Well, you can give me a little bit now then you can give me a little bit later.”
“But the young man said, ‘I’m getting ready to go into the military,’” Bradley Bates said. “My grandfather said, ‘Well, that’s fine. You can send me a few dollars from the military, or you can pay me when you get back.’ And he said, ‘Mr Bates, I might not be coming back.’ Then my grandfather just crossed his arms and said, ‘Then that’s the best I can do for you.’”
The man left with the shoes, and years later, Jewel Bates introduced him to his grandson, just as he did former LSU halfback Joseph T. “Rock” Reed on another visit.
Reed, of Haynesville, visited Bates & Thigpen during his Tiger football tenure from 1934 to 1936. He was a store regular He later told Bradley Bates a story from his college days, when his car hit a company van. No damage was done to the van, but the company threatened to sue. Reed decided to pay then-U.S. Sen. Huey Long — a rabid LSU
store, allowed customers to gradually pay off their purchases.
football fan — a visit. Long still maintained a presence in the Louisiana Capitol and called the company, saying he was going to personally represent Reed in court.
The lawsuit threats immediately stopped.
It’s just one story among many from regulars that, even today, Bradley Bates knows by name, though travelers sometimes wander in from the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center or riverboat cruise stops.
But the musicians are different. They come in to make a purchase and stay for the music, the kind of strings Bradley Bates began in childhood, a habit he picked up from his dad. He even has his dad’s old, weathered Gibson guitar in his store collection. Weathered or not, the Gibson still has the best sound of all the instruments, including the banjo standing among the guitars. And Bradley Bates still plays, even going so far as to attend regular Wednesday evening jam sessions at the Audubon Regional Library in St. Francisville. He doesn’t claim to be the best player, but it’s something he loves — just as he loves listening to the musicians who occasionally find their way into his store. Those are the Bates & Thigpen stories that Bradley Bates will add to his grandfather’s, then pass them down to the fifth generation his grandchildren Luke, Elaina, Remy and Riley
decades, Arthur Hardyhas been our neighbor,our guide, and the keeper of our Carnivalmemories. From his Gentillykitchen table in 1977 to receiving the key to the city in 2024,Hardytransformed himself from aBrotherMartin band director into the man all about Mardi Gras. Hisannual guidehas reached over3million readers, but for
making this the perfect holidaygift for anyone whobleeds the purple,green andgold of Mardi Gras. Booksship in time for holidaygift-giving!
BY MARYBROWN Contributing writer
It’sright afterdawn, and the air is quiet and cool. Mostofmy garden is waking up, but the pink and yellow four-o-clocks,having offered their fragrance all night, are closing Broad caladium leavesborder stands of aspidistra. Bees buzzin the purple salvia while mockingbirds and cardinals start their morning conversations. Flaming orange marigolds holdsteadyas tiny pink wildfire waves on wiry stems.Our majestic live oak towers over everything; Iplanteditin acoffee can 34 years ago, before I even had ayard, because the tiny acorn sprouted on its own and it so desperately wanted to live All of this is true, but it’snot the wholetruth. Yousee, my yard is now awilderness, due to months of neglect. Carefully-laid flagstones are obscured by grassy growth.A
Continued from page1D
From April to Julyin1989, Newman was filming in BatonRouge for the movie “Blaze” about Earl K. Long and his mistress, Blaze Starr
No one knows the exact origins of the rumor—perhaps Newman or his wife, Woodward,who attended LSU in 1949, were seen around the lakes at one point. At any rate,people began speculating.
The rumor originated in an age that predated the internetand digital sleuthing techniques. So, thebelief floated around Baton Rouge without debate for years. Ultimately,itwas passed on to younger generations Clay Fourrier,former Louisiana Public Broadcasting executive director who worked for the organization for 50 years, remembers how the news of Newman buying the Baton Rouge house was flying around during the“Blaze” filming and contin-
rosebush in the far corner, covered with bush-killervines, is probably dead but Ihaven’tinvestigated; there’snotellingwhat critters, warm- and cold-blooded,lurk beneath the vegetation. My pink azaleaishidden by the heart-shaped leaves of air potato
vine. Apot of basil is barely clinging to life. Plants grew from coleus seeds that Iplanted in May, but they’re begging to be transplanted. Worst of all, tome, are thegolden cat’s-claw flowers mingling withmyoleander: abadge of shame for aNew Orleansgar-
ued to grow The Rogers family,who lived next dooronHyacinth Avenue,
heard multiple stories about Newmanliving next door —atleast part-time. Even now,the five Rog-
retirement, payingdental billsout-of-pocketcan come as ashock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put—without dental insurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage
forcoverage that helps pay formajor services.Some plans may limit thenumber of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.
Look forcoverage with no deductibles.Some plans may require you to payhundredsout of pocket beforebenefits are paid.
Shop
dener (I hang my head) because it meansthose powerful vines have been undisturbed foryears. Neglect can quickly overrun agarden, arelationship, acity,a nation. It doesn’treally matter what the reasons are (“I don’thave time, or energy; Idon’tfeel like it right now; I’m achy,orexhausted; I’ll take care of it tomorrow,” and you can probably add some to that list). There can be beauty in agarden, arelationship, acity,anation. We’retelling the truth when we list the good things, but it’snot the whole truth if we ignore shoulderhigh weeds and suffocating vines. Let’stake an honest look at what’swrong and at what we can do, because we can each take steps toend neglect.
Regarding our nation, we can call or email legislators; we can absorb news carefully; we can pray that those in authority will makewise, courageous, compassionatedecisions.
How aboutour city of New Orleans? An important election
ers sisters and their families still debatethe Newman connection to their childhood neighborhood via textmessages and family group chats.
Through the years, the Rogerses caught glimpses of classic cars, which fit Newman’s interest in automobiles. Instead of Cool Hand Luke, though, the house belonged to Bob Dean Jr.Hebought the house in May of 1989, the sametime that Newman was in Baton Rouge filming “Blaze.”
Dean purchased the homein 1989 for $302,500.
If that name rings abell, Dean is the nursing homeowner who pleaded no contest in July 2024 to 15 criminal charges in Tangipahoa Parish. Charges against Dean included cruelty to the infirmed for his decision to send 843 of his patientstoanill-equipped warehouse during Hurricane Idain 2021.
Dean did have amassive classic car collection worth $10 million that was seized as collateral for an unpaid $10 million loan, which would explain the stream of fancy
is approaching. Let’sstudy the issues and candidates, and vote wisely.Also, might you volunteer somewhere? Smile and say “hello” to astranger? Pray regularly about the numerous problems surrounding us, instead of just complaining? Forrelationships, youprobably knowwhatwill help. Extra time andattention, maybe an apologyor two,some effort focusedonmending andbuilding, andmoreprayer. Those gardens? Ihope yours is not as overgrown as mine. But while Iwas finishing up this submission, Isaw acat’s-claw flower flutter to the ground. It wasonly 6p.m. There wasstill timetopull 10 minutes’ worth of weeds. —Brown lives in New Orleans.
HumanConditionsubmissions of 600 wordsorfewer may be emailedtofeatures@ theadvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is notguaranteed.There is no payment forHumanCondition
cars —that fueled the Newman rumor mill. Deansold the homeonE.Lakeshore Drive in 2016 for$1.395 million.
Jo Landreneau, along-time real estate agent in Baton Rouge, said that there were rumors that Newman temporarily lived in the East Lakeshore homebefore Dean moved in. To her knowledge, she says Newmanvisited Baton Rouge briefly on multiple occasions while he wasfilming. However,henever actually purchased aproperty
Although Newmanand Woodward never lived in Louisiana full time, they did makeseveral movies here. In addition to “Blaze,” they filmed “Long Hot Summer” in 1958 in Clinton and “The Drowning Pool” in 1974 in Lake Charles and NewOrleans.
Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.
first production in Opera Louisiane’s 2025-26 season, featuring three highflying sopranos — Rainelle Krause, Kelly Curtin and Sarah McHan — singing to prove which is the greatest diva. The performance will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge. Tickets are $51.50. Visit operalouisiane.com
in the celebration of life’s joy and beauty. Included in the exhibit are the works of Louisiana artists and designers Ray Cole and Geoffrey Beene, a selection of first lady gowns (including the recently acquired inaugural gown of first lady of Louisiana Sharon Landry), garments worn by Donna Douglas, Mardi Gras ensembles and accessories and more. Admission is free. Call (225) 578-1087 or email textile@lsu.edu.
At Ann Connelly
Ann Connelly Fine Art, 1670 Lobdell Road, Baton Rouge, will host a meet and greet at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 24 with artists Kate Blacklock and Sarah Cancienne. Work by both artists is being shown in the gallery. Blacklock is based in Providence, Rhode Island, and Cancienne is based in New Orleans.
Admission is free. For more information, visit annconnelly.com.
In West Baton Rouge
The West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen, is showing the exhibits “An American War in Vietnam” through Dec. 30; “Weaving Nature: Louisiana’s Native American Basketry” through Dec. 28; and “Angela Gregory: The Allen Monument” through July 19. For more information, visit westbatonrougemuseum.org.
At Sullivan Theater
Tickets are on sale for Sullivan Theater’s production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” opening Sept. 26, at the theater, 8849 Sullivan Road, Central. Tickets are $25. Visit sullivantheater.com.
Animals in Art
The 31st annual International Exhibition on Animals in Arts will open with a reception at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, LSU campus.
The exhibit will be on display from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Admission is free. For more information, visit lsu.edu/vetmed/ events/animals_in_art.php
At LSU Theatre
Tickets are on sale for the LSU Theatre’s production of Maggie Smith’s “The Courtship of Winifred Edwards,” opening Oct. 2, in the Shaver Theatre in the LSU Music and Dramatic Arts Building, Dalrymple Drive, Baton Rouge.
Tickets are $9 to $22. Visit lsu.edu/theatre. ‘Over the Top!’ Tickets are on sale for “Over the Top!,” the
At UpStage Tickets are on sale for “An Evening of Performing Arts,” at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at UpStage Theatre, 1714 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge. Tickets are $27. Visit upstagetheatre.biz.
At the Old Capitol Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is showing the exhibit “Vietnam Experience: 50th Anniversary of the End of the War” through Dec. 20.
Also, the museum will be hosting the author talk “Were You There? A Biography of Emma Wakefield Paillet,” featuring authors Phebe Hayes and Margaret Simon at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Admission is free. Finally, tickets are on sale for the museum’s annual fundraising event, “Spirits of Louisiana,” this year celebrating the Old Capitol’s 175th anniversary. Individual tickets are $90. Visit secure.qgiv.com/event/spiritsoflouisiana2025/.
At LSU galleries
The LSU School of Art is hosting the exhibit “Disk Full,” featuring work by Christine Bruening & Janna Ahrndt through Oct. 19 at the Glassell Gallery in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge.
The LSU College of Art & Design and The Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture are showing “Field Recordings” by XYZ Collective through Oct. 4 in the Clark and Laura Boyce Gallery on campus.
Finally, the LSU College of Art & Design is hosting the doctor of design thesis exhibition “Emoji, Stop Scrolling!” by Thras Kalaitzidis through Oct. 3 in the Barnes Ogden Gallery on campus. Coinciding with this exhibit will be an artist’s talk followed by a performance and reception beginning at 5 p.m. Oct. 3.
Admission to all shows and events is free.
Readers theater
Tickets are on sale for the third play in Cité des Arts’ Readers Theater Series, focusing on plays from the classical theater. The third play will be a reading of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” by George Wilkins and William Shakespeare — directed by Joe Riehl at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at Cité des Arts, 109 Vine St., Lafayette. Tickets are $10. Visit citedesarts.org/events/ cite-des-arts-readers-theater-periclesprince-of-tyre.
At NuNu NuNu Arts & Culture Collective, 1510 Courtableau Highway, Arnaudville, is showing two art exhibits, Charles Chaisson’s “Written in the Veil” and Ralph Schexnaydre’s “Blue Blue Blues.” The shows run through Nov. 2 Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Visit nunucollective.org.
Petite Princess
birthday party set
The Petite Princess Co. will host “Ten Years of Magic: a Birthday Bash Brunch” from 10 a.m. to noon Sept 27, at Boudreaux’s, 2647 Government St., Baton Rouge. The event will feature five of the company’s most highly booked characters over the years including Elsa, the Little Mermaid, Spider-Mtan, Rapunzel and Moana as well as a surprise guest. Event guests will enjoy a delicious brunch, singalong and dancing, games, photo ops, goodie bags and door prizes. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit with several local birthday party business vendors that provide services like birthday cakes, cookies and photography
For information on Petite Princess Co. or the “Ten Years” brunch, visit petiteprincesscompany.com or its Facebook page.
By The Associated Press
Today is Sunday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2025. There are 101 days left in the year Today in history: On Sept. 21, 2013, an attack by armed militants in the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, left 67 people dead and hundreds injured.
Also on this date:
In 1792, the National Convention of France issued a proclamation announcing the abolition of the French monarchy
In 1898, in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, the New York Sun newspaper wrote an editorial containing the famous line “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”
In 1915, Cecil Chubb purchased Stonehenge for £6,600; the last private owner of the site, Chubb do-
Hooters to host charity golf tourney
Louisiana Hooters locations will host the 18th annual Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Fore!Kids Foundation on Sept. 29 at TPC Louisiana, 11001 Lapalco Blvd., Avondale. The golf festivities will start with registration and lunch at noon and continue with a 1 p.m. golf tournament shotgun start. There will be an awards party following golf in the TPC Clubhouse.
The tournament will also include contests and Hooters food and drinks. Entry is $1,000, which includes four golfers, lunch and an awards party Additional sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $100.
Since its inception, the Hooters Charity Golf Tournament has raised over $550,000 for Fore!Kids Foundation.
To register for the Hooters 18th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, contact Mary at the Fore!Kids Foundation at (504) 342-3000.
nated it to the British people three years later
In 1922, President Warren Harding signed the LodgeFish Resolution, a Congressional resolution endorsing the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.
In 1937, “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. of London.
In 1938, a hurricane made U.S. landfall, striking parts of New York and New England while causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives.
In 1970, Monday Night Football made its debut on ABC, with the Cleveland Browns defeating the New York Jets 31-21.
In 1981, the Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice on the Supreme Court.
Art for Animals submissions open All artists over the age of 14 can submit artwork for BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo’s third annual Art for Animals showcase Share creativity and passion for animal conservation in the submissions, which are open until Dec. 5.
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL and TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writers
Theformer Hollywood Casino, just north of the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, moved onto land in 2023 as part of an $85 million overhaul.Rebranded as TheQueen,the casino had morespace forslots and table games, new dining and entertainment options and ashorter walk from the parking lot to the gambling floor The movepaid off for Bally’s, TheQueen’s parent company.In
July,the casino broughtin$8.1 million in winningsand had over 122,000 visitors, capturing more than one-third of the $22.2 million BatonRouge casino market that month. TheQueen is not alone. Across the state, casinos from Bossier City to BatonRouge,aswellas CaesarsinNew Orleans, areupgrading,expanding andadding new amenities —and seeing big returns in the process. For the first seven months of the
BY RICH COLLINS
“During Ida, not everyone with batteries had aperfect experience, but people who used them went weeks without agrid in some cases and had power,” said Jeffrey Cantin, Solar Alternativesowner.“Those stories started getting out, andthat’swhen people really started seeing the techproven out.”
Bloomberg reported.Trade groups predictthe market will top$43 billion adecade from now
Fueled by cheaper andbetter batteries, worsening grid instability and federal incentives,batteries for homes and businesses arerising in popularity. In 2024, thenumber of installations jumped 64%over theprevious year,
So far,only about 10% of the roughly 10,000 homes in the Greater New Orleans area with solar equipment have battery systems. Butthe numberisgrowing as the trend catches on, Cantin said.
Uptown resident Z Smith, an architect at Eskew+Dumez+Ripple,isan early adopter. He purchased two batterysystemswhile increasing the number of solar
Baton Rouge
Angie Russo has been hired by LUBA Casualty Insurance Co. as business development underwriter
Russo
She earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in management, both from the University of Redlands.
David Carter has been promoted to principal with Emergent Method Carter has been with the firm since 2022. Before that, he served as director of special projects and external relations at Louisiana Economic Development and supported policy, research and marketing efforts for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber He earned a bachelor’s in communication studies from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, a master’s in political communication from LSU and a master’s in business administration, human resource management from LSU-Shreveport.
Dr Harry Sequeira has joined the Heme-Malignancy and Cell Therapy Program at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute Sequeira is an internal medicine doctor who specializes in cellular therapy, leukemia and myelodysplastic disorders.
He is a graduate of the hematology-oncology fellowship at Cook County Health, where he served as chief fellow He previously completed his internal medicine residency at St Barnabas Hospital in New York, serving as chief medical resident New Orleans
Matt Duhe has joined Rep Data as director of account management.
Duhe has nearly a decade of experience in market research and customer success. He began his career at Lucid and was most recently at Suzy, where he managed relationships with major food and beverage and health care brands
Continued from page 1E
panels at his family’s home in 2020. He pays a small monthly connection fee to Entergy in lieu of a regular utility bill and has remained cool through outages ever since.
“During the Ida grid outage, we were baking cookies in the middle of the day and invited friends and family over to use our AC,” he said. “We’d check with our neighbors to see if anybody needed ice.”
It’s not just about reliability and comfort. Last year, Smith signed up to participate in an Entergy pilot program that offers incentives to allow the utility to activate his batteries during times of peak grid usage.
“We got a check for $600,” he said. “It’s a sweet deal.” Cheaper, smarter
The growth of the residential and business battery market follows the rise in popularity over the past 20 years of electric vehicles, which are powered by in-home battery systems like Tesla’s Powerwall. Over the years, the technology has advanced, enabling battery systems to do more while saving users money Prices for the systems from different manufacturers vary widely, but they aren’t cheap: a Tesla Powerwall could cost about $16,000 before incentives, and installation adds thousands to the tab.
“There have been major improvements to the components that convert the power and connect to an electrical panel as well as the app experience,” said Cole Ashman, a New Orleans native and Tulane University alumnus who launched a San Franciscobased battery startup last year “That results in easier installations, labor savings and more data that can be used to optimize power usage.” Today’s smart batteries help homeowners save money by optimizing energy usage, said Ashman, who spoke last week at the Tulane Future of Energy Forum. They can also help customers potentially make money by taking stress off the power grid.
Continued from page 1E
year, the 16 state-licensed riverboats and Caesars have brought in $1.27 billion, up nearly 11% from $1.15 billion during the same period last year That figure has been boosted by the addition of a 15th riverboat casino, the Live! Casino & Hotel, in Bossier City
Since 2022, Horseshoe Lake Charles, The Queen Baton Rouge and Treasure Chest in Kenner have all moved on to land. The Belle of Baton Rouge will join them in December, when its $141 million expansion and rebrand as Bally’s Baton Rouge is completed.
Caesars, meanwhile, completed a more than $400 million overhaul at the end of 2024.
In part, the new investment is fueled by a 2018 change to state law that allowed floating casinos, which for decades were only allowed to operate over water, to move onto land and open bigger gaming halls with better facilities and adjoining hotels.
It has also been fueled by more competition from a growing number of jurisdictions that have legalized gaming in the more than three decades since Louisiana’s first riverboats opened
“People like new,” said Matt Roob, senior vice president of financial analysis for Spectrum Gaming, a consulting firm “That’s really what you’re seeing, and to stay competitive, you have to give them something new.”
Evolution
In the early years, the state’s gaming laws required that floating casinos — then, all paddlewheelstyle riverboats actually cruise from time to time over open water
Over time, as concerns about legalized gaming eased, the laws relaxed and floating casinos evolved into multistory facilities that sat atop barges.
Still, they were required to technically float, which casino operators and their lobbyists argued put them at a competitive disadvantage at a time when legalized gaming of one sort or another was spreading across the country
In 2018, state Sen. Ronnie Johns, a Lake Charles Republican, led efforts to change the law to allow riverboat casinos to move onto land. Johns later became head of the Louisiana Gaming Board. In exchange, casino operators had to show the move would lead to significant investment, in the form of new restaurants, hotels and entertainment facilities. So far, it has.
In Baton Rouge, The Queen’s $8.1 million in winnings in July was nearly four times greater than in July 2023. The number of visitors nearly tripled and the casino added 100 new employees.
“We’ve seen not only greater foot traffic and greater revenue share, but increases in retail revenue for food and beverage, catering and entertainment,” said Lauren Westerfield, a Bally’s spokesperson.
By improving The Queen and making it easier for locals to get on the casino floor, Westerfield said the property has increased its footprint.
“We have more repeat visitation customers,” she said. “The people who were visiting once a week are now coming three to five times a week.”
Bally’s officials hope they see the same effect when the Belle moves onto land later this year Plans are to add 100 new employees, along with a range of new restaurants including an oyster bar/bistro, a cocktail bar and a sports lounge. The property’s 242 room hotel opened in the spring. It had been closed since the start of COVID-19 pandemic due to roof damage.
Attracting locals, visitors
In Kenner, the Treasure Chest Casino has had a similar experience. It opened a new larger, $100 million land-based casino in June 2024. Twice the size of its floating predecessor, the new casino features a convention space, 1,700-space parking lot and four new restaurants, including Kenner’s only steakhouse.
In its first year, the casino collected an average gross revenue of $12.6 million per month, about
82% higher than the year before, according to gaming revenue reports by Louisiana State Police.
The casino’s average patronage also nearly doubled during that period, with about 89,000 customers visiting each month compared with about 47,000 the year before.
Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser said earlier this summer that the new facility is not only more popular with gamblers because of its amenities and convenience but that local organizations book meetings and galas in the event spaces.
Caesars, the state’s largest and only traditional land-based casino, has undergone a massive renovation of its own. The project cost more than $400 million over three years and was part of a rebrand of the 25-year-old casino, which opened at the foot of Canal Street as Harrah’s in 1999.
The expansion and modernization included overhauling the entrances of the building and painting it white, in keeping with the look of a Caesar’s casino property, adding new windows and a food hall with restaurants branded by celebrity chefs Emeril Lagasse and Nina Compton.
Interior renovations included modernizing gaming space, removing the heavy framing and dark carpet, and replacing them with a lighter, airier and more contemporary decor casino officials said.
Caesars also built a new 340room, casino-adjacent hotel that opened shortly before New Orleans welcomed crowds to the Super Bowl in February
In the months since, general manager Samir Mowad said Caesars has seen growth both in the
to form a “virtual power plant,” relieving stress on a utility’s power grid in times of high demand.
His company is among those supporting a proposal for a multimillion-dollar public investment to create a virtual power plant in New Orleans.
number of patrons and the amount they spend. In July, the number of casino admissions was up 28% and revenues jumped 20% over the year before.
“When we made our investment, the objective was to grow our piece of the pie,” Mowad said.
“That certainly has happened for us, both by reengaging our locals and attracting new visitors from out of town.”
Way of the future
It’s not clear from the data how much of the increased casino spend is coming from new customers versus existing ones, who are spending more money at the Treasure Chest or The Queen instead of a casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast or one of the tribal properties.
But Roob, the consultant, said it’s likely a combination of the two.
“If you have a nice, new casino in New Orleans or Kenner, your customers are much less likely to go over to Mississippi,” he said. “It is also like, ‘Gee, if I really like the bar and it’s a nice place and they make a good drink, I might have a second instead of just one.’”
The current round of upgrades and expansions at casinos around the state is part of an ongoing way of doing business, Mowad said. Customers are demanding more and to keep up with the competition, casinos will have to continue to deliver and reinvent themselves in new ways.
“It’s no longer a matter of you spend $400 million and you’re done for 10 years,” he said. “You want to continue to invest in your property to make it something people want to come visit again and again.”
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress in July, poses a threat to the growth of the battery storage market, at least in the short term.
Federal subsidies for residential solar and batteries will dry up at the end of year, though there will be a longer and more complicated sunset for commercial credits that will last until the next decade.
“It’s a nuanced federal policy climate,” said Pierre Moses, a renewable energy developer and Tulane professor “Some Biden-era incentives were attacked significantly (in the Big Beautiful Bill) while others were extended.”
Cantin, of Solar Alternatives, said the changes don’t mean the industry will grind to a halt.
“It just means that if people don’t finish their battery projects before the end of the year, they will be more expensive,” he said “There will be a rush at the end of the year, and it’ll take some time to grow back to where it was.”
Business incentives remaining in place is significant for Solar Alternatives, which made the majority of its revenue this year from commercial customers.
The company’s business portfolio includes the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, a “fully resilient” Gulf Coast Bank branch in Elmwood and the St. Peter Apartments, a Mid-City mixed-income housing development that includes enough solar panels and batteries to run the entire 50 units.
“We’ve got a big battery there that looks like the lunar lander, and it worked all through Ida, kept residents cool and allowed to invite guests over,” said Smith, one of the project’s architects.
“Batteries have gotten a little bit cheaper but a lot smarter,”
The nonprofits Together New Orleans and the Alliance for Affordable Energy are leading the project, which is modeled on others in Puerto Rico, California and other locations.
The New Orleans City Council opened a docket and allocated money to potentially greenlight a plan last year and supporters are hoping for more action soon.
Arushi Sharma Frank, a battery consultant who helped create the virtual power plant proposal for Together New Orleans, sees a lot of changes on the horizon.
“The policy landscape for energy storage in people’s homes is multiplying at a rate that’s usually really not typical for energy tech,” she said. “Ultimately, utilities are going to have a giant wake-up moment.”
Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
When job figures were released earlier this summer for Lafayette Parish, the numbers were good. The parish recorded over 192,000 total jobs, its second-highest employment number in at least 10 years. That number could continue to climb while the unemployment rate remains lower than most areas, said Jerry Prejean, Acadiana market president for First Horizon Bank. Prejean was chair last year of One Acadiana, the chamber of commerce for Lafayette and the leading economic development organization for the nine-parish Acadiana region.
“I think Lafayette is certainly handling itself well,” Prejean said “I think things are going to get even better once you start seeing some of these bigger projects like First Solar come online. People are going to work in Iberia Parish but live and play in Lafayette Parish. Where we’re seeing lift is in a lot of manufacturing.”
In this week’s edition of Talking Business, Prejean talks more about the manufacturing sector’s growing presence in the region, the fluctuations in the real estate market and how he was raised by parents who never attended high school. This interview was edited for clarity Manufacturing has been a hot area, but health care is still solid.Tell me a little more about the job activity Manufacturing is clicking on all cylinders. Health care is a huge employer for this area, and we’ve got the oil field that’s doing well again. It’s very cyclical, but all the timing is right, and I think that’s driving the unemployment num-
bers down.
In which industries are you seeing a lot of commercial loan activity of late?
We’re blessed to have construction be a big part of our success with equipment and financing. Not only manufacturing equipment but also plant expansion. We’re also proud of some of the work we’ve done with nonprofits like the University (of Louisiana at Lafayette) and the football stadium that’s been a big plus. But really health care, manufacturing and construction have been some of the big successes that we’ve seen.
What are you seeing in the real estate market? Is the consumer demand for newly built homes still strong despite higher interest rates?
People got accustomed to sub-
3% interest rates on mortgage loans for a very long time. Even at a 6.5% or 7% interest rate, it’s still an attractive rate, but folks have really started to pull back. There’s still some demand for new construction. Refinancing is zero, basically, because no one wants to give up a 2.5% rate and jump into a 7.5% rate. I’m seeing a little bit more of looking at home equity lines of credit to do some basic improvements on houses.
The average sale price of a home in Lafayette Parish continues to climb like other areas around the country. It’s getting closer to $300,000. How much of a concern is that for you?
I’m concerned that when you factor in the cost of homeowner’s insurance on top of that. The
whole insurance crisis is really a concern, and it’s especially if you’re south of I-10. Those are factored into your qualifying guidelines, and I just worry that single-income households may be priced out of the market. That’s maybe why you’re seeing a bunch of apartment complexes starting to pop up and rental subdivisions come into the market.
What are you seeing with consumer loans and other personal loans?
If you look at low unemployment rates and households having some really disposable income, that converts to personal loans, maybe loan consolidations and automobile loans. We’re seeing some activity on that front here in Lafayette. If you look at the stats from the auto
dealerships, things seem to be going well. The other thing we look at is general delinquencies. Are people paying their bills? We’re not seeing any real issues on that front. It tells me that people are not overextending themselves yet.
You’re kind of known for your family history with parents who had limited education and were shaped by the Great Depression. What was life like for you growing up?
My dad had no formal education up until he went to World War II.
My mom had an eighth grade education and grew up in the Tolson Road/Verot School Road area. She was fortunate there was an African American school there, but beyond eighth grade, it was the family’s responsibility to get their kids to Paul Breaux Elementary The parish school system did not provide transportation for all the kids. But this allowed them to focus on education as a cornerstone for their kids. I’ve got two older brothers who are physicians. It really set
Our economy just can’tshake
inflation’sunyielding grip.
Consumer prices rose 0.4% in August, pushing annualinflation to 2.9%,upfrom 2.7% in July,according to the Labor Department. Although inflation has come down from the scorching highs in 2022, the stubborn, slow creep upward in housing, grocery and gas prices is affectingmillions of families.
Even before the Labor Department released its latest consumerprice index report, many peoplewere feeling pessimistic about their finances.
For August, “households’ inflation expectations ticked up,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data Survey of Consumer Expectations.
The New York Fed also reported that unemployment and “job loss expectations worsened.” The optimism of finding ajob once unemployed declined to arecord low
For consumers with enough income and savings, rising prices might not require significant changes in their spending habits.
However,for people living paycheck to paycheck, inflation can makeitmuch harder to cover essentialslike food, gas andrent. It could lead to skipping meals or falling behind on bills.
Here’swhat some readers have been asking me about coping with rising prices.
How can Iadjust my budget to manage rising inflation? Start with the most obvious, easier-to-drop expenses.
People underestimate how much they spend dining out.
The Labor Department reported that the food-away-fromhome index rose 3.9% over the past year,withfull-service meals climbing 4.6%.
Review your bank and credit card statements for the last several months and add up just how much you spend eating
out. The total may surprise you. Maybe it’stime to fast from grabbing fast food or sit-down restaurant meals.
Restaurants aren’tthe only budget-busting culprit. Grocerycosts have also jumped, so it’s worth auditing your spendinginthis category,too.
Here’sachallenge: Take stock of all the food you have in your home —the canned beans, rice, noodles, frozen vegetables andmeats —and use it allup before buying new groceries. Usea search engine to list some ingredients and find meal ideas.
Entertainment subscriptions areanother area to scrutinize.
Unbundledcable options and streaming services were supposed to save money,but the monthly fees for multiple platforms —especially premium, ad-freeplans —add up quickly
Anddon’toverlook your phone bill. When was the last time you compared mobile plans or negotiated with your carrier?
Here’ssomething Idowith many subscriptions. Ilet alot lapse. If Idon’tmissit, Idon’t renew.For services Iwould like to keep, the companies almost always offer adiscount deal to winback my business.
If you need helpwith budgetingorotherideas fortrimming, Irecommend getting assistancefrom anonprofit credit counselor.You can find one by going to nfcc.org, runbythe National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
This is the momenttotake a deep dive into your entire budget, identifythe leaks and trim where you can.
Howmuch do Ineed in emergency savings now?
When you’re dealing with higher costs for basics, your emergency fund becomes an essentialsafety net.
The recommended amount, experts say,isatleast three to six months’ worth of living expenses. However,that’snot possible for manyhouseholds.
Don’tlet this highexpectation discourage you from saving whatever you can. Evenasmall cushioncan helpcover higher prices.
Set agoal. If you can only
manage $20, that’sfine. Your next payday,see if you can increase the savings amount
Here’sanother tip. When you cut acost,treat it like a“bill you pay yourself.” Move that freed-up cash immediately to savings so it doesn’tget reabsorbed into daily spending.
If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you should be reviewing your budget monthly to catch any overspending.
Howcan Imanagethe highercosts from my company’s return-to-office policy?
Your sweats don’tmeet the office dress code, so now you feel you have to buy more clothes thatare office-appropriate.
Or younow have to add back commuting costsback into your budget, including maybe some speeding tickets or late fees for child care because traffic is so bad.
You’re so mad about the return-to-office policy and losing treasured flexibilitythatyou don’thave the mental energy to work out anew spending plan.
Feel what you need to feel, but you still need to work on an updated baseline for officerelated expenses. Identify all your new costs and compare themtopotential savings because you aren’tworking from home. Perhaps your utilities will be lower,allowing you to offset additional work expenses.
Some habits don’tneed to change. If you made your lunch from leftovers from dinner, pack thatmeal for work.
Before updating your wardrobe, take an inventory of what you already own. Focus on putting together foundational pieces in neutral colors. Make mixing and matching your budget saver
Don’tstress about having an extensive wardrobe. I’mon TV all the time,and Iwear the same few blazers repeatedly.I dare someone to saysomething to me about my repeats!
Should Idelay making amajor purchase?
If the economygetsworse and you lose your job, you may need to tapsavings for much longer thanexpected. Think
about this if you’re considering buying ahomeortradingina paid-off vehicle. As rents have increased,it’s understandable thatyou might be considering homeownership to stabilize your housing costs through afixed-rate mortgage. Forothers, renting might be a better financial option, offering more flexibility to move and minimaltonomaintenance responsibility
Akey question to ask yourself is whether buying ahome will depleteyour savingstothe point where you can’thandle higher consumer prices. The sameistrue for taking on autodebt
Many car owners have a budget-crushing monthly burden. The share of new-car buyers with monthly payments of $1,000 hit an all-time high of 19.3% for the second quarter, up from 17.8% for the same period ayear earlier,according to Edmunds, acar-shopping website.
The average amountfinanced for anew vehicle was $42,388, an all-timehigh. The average payment was $756. Used-car prices are better,but not cheap. The average price was just shy of $30,000 withamonthlypayment of $559. Should Istopordecreasecontributions to my retirement account?
It maybetempting to cover rising prices by pulling back on your retirement contributions. If you can, hold off on that. Make this move as alast resort. Many savers have reaped the benefit of keeping up withtheir retirement savings.
In itssecond-quarter review of retirement accounts, Fidelity Investments reported that average 401(k) balances reached arecord high, despite the marketvolatility. The average 401(k) balance was up by 8% Of course, it’s hard to stay the course when you’re facing financial pressure from rising prices. But retirement saving is along-term gameplan,and you should do what you can to stick to thatgoal.
Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com.
Motley Fool
Fool’sTake: Know your Alphabet Alphabet(Nasdaq: GOOGL) (Nasdaq:GOOG) is theparentcompany of Google,Google’s subsidiary YouTube andWaymo, amongother businesses. Despiteconcernsthatartificial intelligence chatbots would pull traffic away from Google search, those fears appear to be overblown. Alphabetreported that over 2billionpeople were using itsAIOverviews during thesecondquarter,and Google search generated arecord $54.2 billioninrevenue during Q2, up 11.7% from theyear-ago period. Google hasbeen theundisputed internet search leader,recentlycontrolling 90% of the worldwide search market. It’s also akey player in digitaladvertising, drivenbyits Google search andYouTube streaming videoservices In 2024, eMarketer estimated that Google captured around 26% of U.Sdigital advertising revenue.Alphabet is aleader in cloudcomputing, as well, withthatarea experiencing yearover-year revenue growth of 32% Many investors hadworried aboutantitrust decrees breaking up thecompany,but aU.S federal judge recentlyruledthatGoogle will nothave to divest itsChrome browser.And Alphabet’sstock is reasonablyvalued at recent levels.Long-term investors shouldtakeacloser look at Alphabet. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet.)
Whenyou’re buying ahome, you want to have as high acredit score as possibleinorderto qualify forlow interest rates. Youshouldshop around forthe best mortgage deal youcan find —but don’tassume thatyour best alternative is a30-year loan. Though mosthomebuyers do opt forstandard 30-year mortgages, somewill be best served by shorter terms. Ashorter term will generally feature alower interest rate andmuchless paid in interestover thelife of theloan.For example,imagine you buy a$400,000 home, putting 20%,or$80,000, down andborrowing $320,000. With a30-year loan,you mightget atypical recent interest rate of 6.4%,giving youa$2,363 monthly payment —and atotal of $400,583 paid in interest over those years. With a15-year loan,you might geta5.4% interest rate, witha $2,959 payment but only $147,589 in total interestpaid. If youcan managethe larger payment, you’ll really come out ahead.
Whichshouldyou choose? Well, crunch the numbers foryourself. Be aware that thereare somealternatives or compromises: Youmight swingashorter-term loan by buying aless costlyhome —which can also cost youlessin taxes andinsurance. Or youmight geta30-year loan but make extra paymentsonitregularly, shortening itslife (though somelenderscharge prepayment penalties).You might even explore a10-year or 20-year loan, if those seem right foryou. Learn moreatconsumerfinance.gov/consumer-toolsand fool.com/money
Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over80years
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BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
In the wake of an immigration raid at aHyundai battery plant in Georgiaearlier this month, South Korean leaders warned the Trump administration that Korean businesses mayrethink billions of dollars in planned investments in the U.S.
Nearly 500 South Korean workerswere detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in theSept. 4raid,igniting outrage from the South Korean government and U.S. trading partners.
For Louisiana, the controversy wasparticularly concerning. Hyundaiis planning to build anearly $6 billion steel million near Donaldsonville, bringing a newindustry to the state and promising to create more than 1,300 well-paying jobs.
More thantwo weeksafter the raid, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said she is not worried about the future of the steel mill,which is set to break ground next fall.
“Weare not having any subtle or direct inference fromHyundaithat they are rethinking the investment,” Bourgeois said lastweek.
“Our teams meet all the time and there is no inference that is going to change.”
The incident underscores the challenges the Trump administration faces as it tries to encourage foreign investment in the country while implementing controversial trade and immigration policies, the latter of which have madeitharder for foreign workers to come intothe U.S.and stay here legally
The Hyundai steel mill, announced at aWhite House ceremony earlier this spring as sweeping new tariffs were getting ready to go into effect, was touted by PresidentDonald Trumpasanexample of how his economic policies are bringing new
first steel mill in the U.S.
Hyundai Steel representative Seokho Lee delivers amessagefrom the Hyundai CEO during an announcement of aHyundai steel mill in Ascension Parish. After nearly 500 South Koreans were recentlydetained in aU.S Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raid in Georgia, Louisiana officials are reaffirmingthat those plans have not been interrupted.
million in incentives that the state agreed to give Hyundai in return forbuilding the plant in the state.
When completed, it will supply the company’stwo U.S. auto factories in Alabama andGeorgia with steel sheets forthe more than 600,000 vehicles they produce annually
Hyundai officials to discuss thelogistics of the deal,including land acquisitions, road and rail upgrades, and the creation of astate-owned worker trainingfacility in Donaldsonville.
investment tothe country “Money is pouringinand we wanttokeep it that way,” he said at thetime.
Theplantwillbebuilt by HyundaiMotor Group, whichalso ownsKia Corp., and would be thecompany’s
The facility will be built on 1,700 acres of sugar cane fields on the west bank of Ascension Parishinthe RiverplexMegapark, aburgeoning industrial park that stateand localeconomic development officials have promoted to chemical and manufacturing companies.
In themonthssince it was announced, Bourgeois said officials from LED and Ascension Parish have been meetingregularly with
“We’refar into this process,” Bourgeoissaid. “Everything is on track.”
While the project has been afeather in thecap of the Trump andLandry administrations, it is generating push back from the local environmental advocates, who are concerned about emissions from the plant and its impact on residents.
Following the Sept. 4raid, agroup of Ascension Parish residents called on Landry to cancel morethan $500
“Governor (Jeff) Landry you offered up taxpayers’ hard earned money —not to thelocal in-statebusinesses whoare proven job creators andwho pay taxes in our state— buttomulti-billion dollar corporations that are alreadyenjoying record profits,” said Anne Rolfes, executive director of the LouisianaBucketBrigade “We’re counting on you to keep thatmoney andgive it to the local businesseswho need it most.” LandrysaidTuesday the projectisonschedule and moving forward.
Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.
By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Thisarticle is Brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFisheriesCoalitionLLC With the 20th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina andRita upon us,Louisianians arethinking back to that devastation and remembering all thosewho helped us getthrough thosedifficult times.When hurricanes batter the Gulf Coast,the menhaden industry—often seen only forits fishing fleet and processing plants—has taken on adifferentrole: acommittedneighbor ready to step up in timesofcrisis
In September 2021, after Hurricane Ida tore through southeastern Louisiana,Omega Protein quickly mobilized relief forhard-hit Terrebonne Parish. The companydelivered 550 gallons of gasoline, 3pallets of water(252 cases), and apalletofhand sanitizer from its plantinAbbeville to St.JosephChurch in Chauvin. Through social media,the company directed its followers to local charities to help getthe communityback on its feet Companyemployees alsopartnered with relief organization BayouBoysCommunity Helperstodistributeover1,000 meals to residents who had been impacted by the hurricane in neighboring Lafourche Parish. Ayear earlier,when Hurricane Laura devastatedCameron Parish with 150-mph winds,the destruction wasstaggering.Inthe
days immediately after the storm, Omega Protein stepped in, despite having closed its Cameron facilityin2013.
In acompanyrelease,Ben Landry, spokesman forthe industry,explained: “Cameron wasawonderful home forusfor nearly half acentury.Eventhough we no longer operateinCameron, the people there arestill our friends and neighbors, and we will not turn our back on them during their time of need.”
OmegaProtein’s contributions delivered in partnership with the localCameron Lions Club,paid fornecessities such as fuel for generators, bottled water, and tents.
“Omega Protein wasone of the first ones to say, ‘what do youneed, howcan we help,’” said Stephanie Rodrigue, presidentofthe Cameron Lions
Club.“We were very pleasedtohear from Omega, butevenmoresotoknowthatthey still caredsomuchabout ourcommunity, about ourresidents,and wanted to make adifferencewhen adifferencewas most needed in thoseearly weeks, when resources were so very limited andthe need was astronomically high.”
Stateleaders also acknowledged the effort.
“Cameron Parish hassustained incredible damagefrom this storm,”said State Representative Ryan Bourriaque in acompanypress releaseissued at the time. “But with the help of good neighborslike OmegaProtein and the generosity of peopleeverywhere, we’ll rebuildthis communityand get it back on its feet.”
Similarly, in 2024,when Hurricane Helene swept across
western North Carolina and left thousands without power, theindustry stepped up to help.CookeSeafood,the parentcompany of OmegaProtein, and othermembersof theCooke family of companies,including WancheseFishCompanyand Shoreland Trucking, delivered afull18-wheeler semitrailer truckload of ice to support relief efforts in Marion, North Carolina
Following widespread poweroutages in theregion, accesstoice becamecritical for preserving food,babyformula,and other perishableitems
“Weknewthatice wasneeded urgently in Western North Carolina, and ourteam wasready to help,” said JonSteeves Director of Operations at WancheseFish Company.“North Carolina’s inlandresidents have always supported us when coastal communitieshavebeen hit by storms,soit’s ourturn to return thefavor.We’re glad we couldcontribute and help those in need.” These storiesreflect aside of the menhaden industry that often goes unseen. Beyond supplying asustainable fishery and supporting thousands of Louisiana jobs,the industry has consistently stepped up as a reliable neighborintimes of crisis—whether on theGulfCoastoracrossthe country When disaster strikes,the menhaden industry showsthatits commitment goes far beyond thewater.
Gallagher,one of the world’slargestinsurancebrokerage,risk managementand consulting firms, has asignificantpresencein Louisiana, with arich history andadeep commitmenttothe local community. With roots in the statedatingback decades, Gallagher has grownintothe largest broker inLouisiana, providing awide array of services to businesses of allsizes acrossvarious sectors
“WhereIthink we areuniquelypositioned is thatwedon’t have that institutional mindset. We haven’talwaysbeen big.We’vealwayshad to be alittle morenimble, creativeand client-centric, said” Numa “Bumpy” Triche,regional president. “The result isthatwehavethe sizeand scale of anybody in the world, with robustdataanalytics and modeling capabilities. But our local operations arevery much integrated within the local market.”
Founded in 1927,Gallagher has expanded globally and reports $11.3 billion in total adjustedbrokerage andrisk managementrevenues in 2024 and amarket capitalization of $76.1billion as of January 30,2025.
Thecompanyhas aworkforce of nearly56,000 employees worldwide morethan 970officesglobally,and servesclients in over130 countries.
In Louisiana, Gallagher’s journeybeganwithanacquisition in Baton Rouge,which led to theestablishmentofofficesinNew Orleans and Monroe,Louisiana. Thecompanyhas strategically acquired local firms overthe years, integrating their employees and maintaining alocal focus. This growth has resulted in 18 officesstatewide and asignificant regional market share. Thecompanyhas grownits businessbyworking withpeople and organizations who sharecommon values and vision. “Gallagher has one of thelargest operations within ourSoutheastregion in terms of our footprint acrossthe stateand the various markets, Triche said. “Atthe same time, we arealwaysclient-focused, withthe people in the statebeing the ones who work with the local teams and businesses. People work with us because we provide awhite-glove service experiencewitheasyaccessibilitytoour team and our broader tools and resources. We have invested heavily in areas relatedtodata analysis and forensicaccounting in order to provide the technical and detailed support to our teams.Whatwedoisoffer ourclients access to global expertise tailored to their needs.”
As proud as Gallagher is of its growth,theyare prouder to have been able to maintainits unique culture. This cultureissummed up in 25 tenets called TheGallagher Way, aset of shared values thatemphasize ethics, integrityand aclient-centricapproach. These values were articulatedbyRobert E. Gallagher backin1984and have sinceguided the company’soperations and relationships. Keyprinciples include providing excellentrisk managementservices,supporting and respecting colleagues, pursuing professional excellenceand fostering open communication. Thecompanyculturevalues empathy, trust, leadership and teamwork, with astrong emphasis on treating everyone with courtesyand respect
Gallagher’s commitmenttoLouisiana goes beyond business. The companyhas alocalpresence, with employees deeply embedded in the community.
“Our employees see theirclients at church on Sundays,play golf with them on Saturdays,and go to lunch with them on Wednesdays,” said William Jackson, ExecutiveVicePresidentof Gallagher’s SoutheastRegion and leader of the NewOrleans operation and the region’s specialtyproducts.Our local connection is akey differentiatorfor Gallagher,combining the resourcesand capabilities of alarge global firmwith the personalized serviceofa communitybroker.
“Weteam up withlocalpartnerstomakeevery communitywejoin a morevibrantone.Fromfundraisersfor localcharities to crawfishboils and hurricane relief,our officesgivebacktothe peopleand places in whichwelive. As we grow larger,wemaintain close ties to the communities we serve.
Gallagher serves adiverse range of industries in Louisiana,including manufacturing, agribusiness, public sector,higher education, aerospace, energy,entertainmentand lifesciences. Thecompanypositions itself as athought leader when it comes to riskmanagementguidance on topics suchascyber risks, healthcare,marine construction AI, social inflation and other influences thatimpactinsurance claim costs, leading to higher premiums and impacting the insuranceindustry’srisklandscape.The team prides itself on providing expertiseand insights on keyindustries and currenteventsimpacting this region.
WILLIAM JACKSON ExecutiveVicePresidentSoutheast Region, Gallagher
Gallagher is poised forcontinued success in Louisiana,driven by its strong values, localfocus and expertise in keyindustries. Thecompany’s emphasis on client-centric service, combined with its global resources, positions it as atrustedpartner forbusinesses andindividuals seeking insurance, risk managementand consulting solutions.AsGallagher continues to grow and adapttothe evolving needsofthe market its commitmenttothe local communities remains acornerstone of its identity
225-248-7428 •Nathaniel.Beecham@hancockwhitney.com
HancockWhitney.com/Nate-Beecham •NMLS115300
JAREDGARY
HANCOCKWHITNEY
225-603-2505 •Jared.Gary@hancockwhitney.com
HancockWhitney.com/jared-gary •NMLS88626
TIMDUBNANSKY
HANCOCKWHITNEY
225-252-6976 •Tim.dubnansky@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/tim-dubnansky •NMLS82027
JUDE BRIDWELL
HANCOCK WHITNEY
225-603-1777 •Jude.Bridwell@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jude-bridwell •NMLS 92661
JEREMYWEIMER
HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-978-2592 •Jeremy.Weimer@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jeremy-weimer •NMLS 175288
BILL HOLT
HANCOCK WHITNEY
225-229-8783 •Bill.Holt@Hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/bill-holt •NMLS 148394
ANGELLEWIS
HANCOCK WHITNEY
225-413-6094 •Angel.Lewis@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/angel-lewis•NMLS 700876
MICHAELHEBERT
HANCOCK WHITNEY 225-715-1133 •Michael.Hebert@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/michael-hebert •NMLS 79769
Hydro-Scapes LLCishiring4 Land‐scapeLaborersfor their18041Jeffer‐sonRidge Dr,Baton RougeLAlocation. Duties:Mow,cut,water,edgelawns; rake &blowleaves; digtrenchesw/ hand tools, up to depth/width of 3ft, to installsprinkler systemsand/orplant; installsprinkler systems, planttrees & shrubs.MustpassPostHire/Employer Paid Drug Test.Involvesstanding, stooping, pending, repetitive move‐ments&
ADRIENNE MICHELLE ANDRUS, MARY ESTMAN
ANGELLE,MARTINAPAMELA
ANGELLE, TERRIONNAL
ARCENEAUX, JOHNNY L ARCENEAUX, SHAWNETTALYNETTE
BABINEAUX, DMARI JOHNTREL
BABINEAUX, JONATHAN CHARLES
BAKER, LANDON WILLIAM
BARE, BRITTANY NICOLE
BARNHILL, JAYNACLARK
BARRAS,CALEB JAMES BARRIENTES, RUBEN
BARTON,AMANDACHRISTINE
BATISTE, DAMIENJOSEPH
BAUDOIN, BARBARAT
BAUDOIN, ALEX JOSHUA
BAYHAM, SCOTT IRVING
BEDUZE,BEAU BARRET
BEGNAUD, JAMIE LEE
BENOIT,LUCAS AARON
BERGERON, BOBBY JO
BERIDON, HAROLD E BERNARD, CHRISTINEMARIE
BERUBE, RICHARD E
BERZAS,ALYSSANICOLE
BIAS, DONTRANAYE S BILLEAUD, JAMES ALFRED
BINKLEY,PRISCILLA BRIDA
BLACKWELL,PATRICKLAVELLE
BLANCHARD, KYLIE GRACE
BOB, NATHANIEL JOSEPH
BOCLAIR,TIA MARIE
BODIN,CHARLES K BODOIN,CHRISTIE E
BORDELON, TY WEBSTER
BOUDREAUX, WAYNEJ
BOUDREAUX, MONICALYNN
BOURLIEA, LATOYALYNNGUIDRY
BOURQUE,KYLE PATRICK BRASSEAUX, FRANKE
BREAUX, HOPE BEVERLY BREAUX, JOHN BATISTE BREAUX,MICHELLE ANN BRIGNAC, ASHTON CHARLES
BRONZOULIS, MITZI
BROUILLETTE, ANDREA WYBLE
BROUSSARD, BENJAMIN JAMES
BROUSSARD, DARENTHOMAS
BROUSSARD, TERRANCE JOVAN
BROUSSARD,CORNELL BRIAN
BROUSSARD, BRADYRYAN BROUSSARD, DESTINY RENEE BROUSSARD, AMYBLAIR BROUSSARD, CARL WILTON BROWN, TANYAC BRUNO, MONIQUE RENEE
BUCKLEY,MELISSAJOANN BURNS, TIFFANY EBERNIARD BUSTARDE,JEREMYMATTHEW CALHOUN, ALTONLEE CALLAWAY,LOLASIMONE CAREY, JO ANN CARLSON, JOHNCHARLES CHAISSON,DENISE M CHAMPAGNE,CULLENJASE CHARBONNET,WILLG CHARGOIS JACELOGAN CHARLES, ANGELA L CHASTANT,LEONP CHENEVERT, SHONNONMONIQUE CHIASSON,PAIGEBLAIR
CLARK, MATTHEW JOSEPH CLARK, BRIANJOHN CLARK, ANNB CLOSTIO, COREYKEITH CLOSTIO, SARAHLYNN COLLAZOS,MAXIMO G COLLIGNON,AMY WYATT COLOMB, TRAVIS EUGENE COMEAUX, JON KEITH COMEAUX,JULIA POIRIER CORMIER,TIETEINNA DENEE
COTE,JESSE JAMES COURTNIGHT, JANIE L COURVILLE,CALLI NICOLE CUCCIO,ASHLEYLYNN CULPEPPER, JASMINEL DARBY, JOSEPH DAUZART, BREHANNA PATIENCE DAVES, MONIQUE L DE-PRINS,CHRISTIAN PATRICE DEAN,RENEE NICOLE DEARE, WILLIAMTYLER DENIS, JULIANE DENNIS,CHRISTOPHER M DILDAY, STEVEN RAY DOMINGUES, PAMELA CREEL DONATTO,PHYLLIS SHANTELLE DOWELL, SHARMONJULIE DROBISH, SONYA DUDLEY,MICHAEL DUHON, ELIZABETH M DUPLECHAIN,JACOB TYLER DUPUIS, DEREKJOSEPH EDWARDS, WILLIAM R EGBULEM, SARAHCHINWENDU
ESPINOZAPACHECO,CLEOFAS
ESTILETTE, CODY CHARLES
ESTRADAGARAY, BAYRON HOTONIEL FALLS, ANNEJORDANJUNKIN FAULK, KRISTOPHER KENT
FERGUSON,MYKAGUIDRY FERNELL,REGINALD ALLEN FERRADI, ABDELKADER FLETCHER,ARIANA HAZELRENEE FONTENOT,DAVID P FORRESTIER,BLAKE JAMES FOX, ROBERLY FRANCIS, YONAE MARIE FUNDERBURK, JESSICA M GACHASSIN, SUSAN T
PUBLIC NOTICE INVITIATIONFOR CONSULTING ENGINEERINGSERVICES CameronParishPolice Jury invitesqualified engineering firmsto submit aStatement of Qualificationsfor the followingproject: CameronParish– Health Unit Elevation DR-4559-0040-LA ENGINEERINGFEE: TO BE NEGOTIATED This projectand thepro‐ceduresfor theselection of this firm will be in ac‐cordance with allre‐quirements of theFed‐eral EmergencyManage‐ment Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA), Housingand UrbanDevelopment LouisianaOffice of Com‐munity Development, FederalCodeofRegula‐tions(2CRF200),the State of Louisiana, andthe standard of Cameron Parish.All responsesre‐ceived will be evaluated in accordance with the selectioncriteriaidenti‐fied in theRequest for Qualificationsinforma‐tion packet available from theParish. That in‐formationalsoidentifies
thescope of services to be performedbythe se‐lected firm Allengineering firms shallalsoberegistered with theLouisiana State BoardofRegistrationfor Professional Engineers andLandSurveyors,in accordance with LA RS 37:689. Acopyofthe cur‐rent Certificate(s)ofReg‐istrationshallbeat‐tached to each State‐ment of Qualification Failuretoberegistered andingood standing with theaforementioned boardwillleadtothe re‐jectionofqualifications statement. CameronParishPolice Jury will awardthe pro‐ject to therespondent obtainingthe highest recommendation and points basedupona sec‐tion committeereviewof thesubmitted Statement of Qualificationsand work references Interested firmsare in‐vitedtosecureaninfor‐mational Requestfor Qualificationspacket from CameronParishPo‐lice Jury Administration Department,Katie Ar‐mentor,through emailat karmentor@cameronpj. org. Only those firms that have respondedin accordance with theoffi‐cial RFQpacketfor this projectobtainedfrom CameronParishPolice
GALAS-SABRINO,JUAN ALBERTO GARCIATARAZONA, NIKOLL ANDREA GARY,TOBY WAYNE GARY,ANTHONY GIGLIO,CASEY L GILBERT, JACK E GINGER, LOIS JACKSON GLASS, RACHELLE ALTA GLAUDE, DOUGLASMATTHEW GOODMAN, NIKKIYANIL GOTCH, STORMY LAKELYNN GOVER, JANE P GRAHAM,NICHOLAS ELIOT GREEN,JOSEPH DANNY
GROW,CHADEVERETTE GUIDRY,JOSHUA BEAUGH GUIDRY,BARRYJ GUIDRY,LEE A GUILBEAU, KERRY GUILBEAU, TIMOTHY ADAM GUILLORY,SHARRON R GURSKI, DORIS JEAN HALFORD, JACOB PAUL HALL, DARLA SUE
HAMILTON,BREA JENAE HANSEN,ELIZABETH YVETTE
HARRIS, RENEE MICHELLE
HARTWELL, CRYSTAL L HEBERT, ZACHARY P
HEBERT, AMELIA CLAIRE
HEBERT, DAVEY PAUL
HEBERT, STACYGUILBEAU
HEBERT, DON L
HECTOR, JESSICADAWN
HEIDBRINK, JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER
HEINEN,MONIQUE STUTES
HITCHCOCK, JOSHUA KENT
HOLMES, MARLENEARCENEAUX
HORN,JOSHUA JOHN
HULIN, DONNETTABABIN
HUVAL, WANDAH
IRION,JEREMY JON
IRONS, JOHNJ
JACQUET,ANESHIA RENEE
JADALLAH, NAJLA ATALLAH
JEANBATISTE, GABRIELLE ANESSE
JENKINS, TREMAINE P
JOE, JOSEPH WILBERT
JOHNNEY,ALDON JERMAINE
JOHNSTON,SHIRLEY P
JONES, HILLIARE DNAE
JONES, MELVAANN
JUDICE, DOUGRONALD
KEARNS, JOHN HENRY
KEYS, KEVIN JAMES
KISSINGER, CARL HARLON
KNAYFATI, HOSNIEH MOURAD
KUON,BONNIE WEIDENBACHER
LABBIE, DEBORAH B
LABORDE, THOMAS FREDERICK
LACOMBE, TERENESHAJANEE
LAGARD, LIONEL
LAGNEAUX, THERESA M
LANCON, KENNETH FRANKLIN
LANDRY, JASON DAVID
LANDRY, JOSHUA JOSEPH
LANDRY, LAURA C
LANDRY, TIMOTHY PAUL
LANDRY, ARIELLE MONE
LAPEROUSE, PATRICK A
LAPEYROLERIE, JACQUELINEFARROW
LASHUTE, PATRICIA D
LASSEIGNE, ELEANOR H
LAVERGNE,BLAINE E
LAWARE, SHERRYH
LAWRENCE, WILLIAMRYAN
LEBLANC, TYRUS LUKE
LEBLANC, ALECIA RICHARD
LECOCQ, FREDERIC GEORGES
LEGER, ELDEN MARIE
LEMAIRE, DAWN SMITH
LEMAIRE, GAVIN WADE LEWIS, SANDRA KAY LEWIS, TERI LYNN
LEYBA, ERNEST JOSEPH
LIHOU, NANCY J LINDON,JAMAR R LOFTON,THOMASB
LOUVIERE, JANELL L LUNA,HERNANDO LYMAN, LORRAINEP MAI, IVIN VAN MALBROUGH,DRYSUSLEE
MANNING, LYDIA M MARAIST,DAVID M MARQUEZHERNANDEZ, DOMINGA MARTIN, TAMETTRA LACHELLE MASON, JEFFERYMICHAEL
MATHIS, DEBORAH LYNN
MAYNARD, KAREN MARIE
MCCAULEY,KELLYALLISON
MCCORKLE, JAMAULE L
MCGOLDRICK, TRENT THOMAS
MCQUADE, MARLEY ANNGONZALEZ
MEDINAGUARDADO, QUEIRIN OSLIN
MELANCON,TARA HEBERT
MELANCON,PATRICIA A
MERGIST,LISA K MICKEY,JOHNJOSEPH
MIGUES, BREIGHLYNN
MINIZ,JOSETTE JUDITHIN ALEXANDRIA
MONTZ, PATRICIA HOOLAHAN MORRIS, LINDSEY HENTHORN
MORRISON, TEASHA NATASHA
MOTT, JANIS MARIE
MOUTON,BRITTANYANN RENEE
MUEHR, SUNSHINE CONNICK
MYERS, GEORGEE
MYERS, MILDRED N
NEIL, PAUL E
NGUYEN,VIVIAN THUYTIEN
NICKO, CHRISTOPHER TODD
OFFORD, JOHN PATRICK
OLIVIER, DAWNA D OVERHOLSER, ANNA ELIZABETH
OWNES, JOHN CLIFTON
PADDIO, ROLANDWILSON
PALMER,DANIEL ELLIOT
PANG, LILY
PARKER, SANDRA MAMOU
PARKER, STEPHANIE IVEY
PASTRANA, DEVIN TRAVIS
PATIN,CARROL A
Jurywillbeconsidered by theCameron Parish SelectionCommittee. Ad‐ditionally,the firm se‐lected forthisproject will be required to in‐cludethe Parish’s stan‐dard contract provisions in itscontractfor Engi‐neeringServicesas amendedfor this project. Theoverall leveland scopeofserviceswillbe determined by Cameron Parish Police Jury.A fixed sumcontractwillbene‐gotiated with these‐lected firm.Responding firmsmustbeprepared to provideanaudited overhead rate forthe purposeofcontractne‐gotiation anddetermina‐tion of cost reasonable‐ness. Anyquestions or problems relatedtothe download of theRFQ packet should be di‐rected by emailtoKatie Armentor at karmentor@ cameronpj.org. TheresponsetothisRFQ must be emailedtothe above-namedpersonat CameronParishPolice Jury,AdministrationDe‐partment,insucha man‐nerthatitisreceivedno laterthan3:00p.m Thursday,October 23, 2025. Statements of Qual‐ificationsthathavenot been received by the deadline date andtime will be rejected CameronParishPolice Jury is an EqualOpportu‐i l d
y q pp nity Employer.Respond‐ing firmsare
PECANHA, GISELLE PEFFERKORN, ROBYN NICOLE PEREZ, LAURAM PEREZ-BARRUETO, ERNESTO PERRIN, CARMEN PERRYMCGEE, MARTHA AMY PETTINGILL,SEANTHOMAS PICCIONE, MICHAEL CHARLES PITRE, TY ALEKSANDER PLAISANCE, MARYTHERESA DIDIER POIRIER, SHELBY LAUREN POLK, TRAVON ANTHONY PORTER, IAN CHRISTOPHER DEVON POWERS,JASON RYAN PRADOS, LIASIMONE PREJEAN, GLENDA T PRIMEAUX, VERNAMAE PRINCE,BRANDY NICOLE PRUDHOMME, LACRETIA WALKER PUGH, FRANCIS TN PUTMAN, KALEB TAIT PYLA, SRINIVAS QUEBEDEAUX, JESSICA SPEDALE RABIE,MAHER YACOUB REID, SADIE MAY RICHARD, KAYLEE JANAE RICHARD, REVIS J RILEY,JEANETH DERAS RIVETTE, ANDRIANNAJANAE ROBERIE,JONATHAN ROBERTS, SONYAMARIE ROBERTSON, ANDRE ROBICHEAUX,SHAWN M ROCHE, SHAUN MICHAEL RODGERS, ALISSA D RODRIGUEZ,LATOYAL ROEHM, RICHARDANDREW ROMERO, GORDON J ROMERO, NATALIEBROUSSARD ROSALES-VAZQUEZ,OSCAR ULISES ROUSSEAU, KATHY S ROUSSEL, STEPHEN M ROY,CONNIE S SAM, TODRASDALTON SAM, EIESHA NICOLE SAM, MARQUARJUS JAMIELLE JAVON SAMPY,WILLIEJOHN SAMPY,ANNETTE SAVELY, BILLY GORDON SAWYER, CHARLOTTE M SCHAAF,STEVENGARY SCHULTZ, GEORGE L SEGUIN, GEORGE LEE SENEGAL, KAYLIN MICHELLE SEVERSON, DAVID V SHANK, TAYLOR HOUSTON SHAW, JAMES M SIAS, PAIGE ANNEMARIE SIMON, RENIKA LANETTE SIMPSON, GRACIE S SINEGAL, ROBERTFRANCIS SMITH, KIMBERLYLAVON SMITH, JAVIANJACOBIE ROY SOILEAUX, BENJAMIN SOLOMAN, NORMAN SOLOMON, PATRICIA BATISTE SONNIER, VICTORIA L SONNIER, DWAYNE D SONNIER, DONNA M SONNIER, JOSEPH FLOYD SOUTER, HEATH MCCRAY STJULIEN, VENUS JAMES STOCKSTILL, MADDUX MICHAEL STOUT,AMY LEMOINE STOVALL, CAMERON LEE SULLIVAN, GARYE SUPPLE, STEPHANIE S SWAIN, DARLENERAGSDALE SWINEY,JEFFREY A TAULBEE,COLLEEN M TAYLOR, LAUREN E TERRO, DANAL TEZENO, TRINEISHA THIBEAUX, SHALONDALATRELLE THIBODEAUX,ELTON JOSEPH THOMAS, GINELLE CHERI THOMAS, KANIQUE LAMONE THOMAS, JANICE THOMPSON, AYDN NATHANIEL TILLEY,BRANDON PAUL TOUPS, AARON PAUL TRAHAN, SHARON MONTE TURNER, RACHELR TURNER, JENNIFER CAROL TWILLEY, LOUISE MUMFORD VALLOT,LEIGH ANN VAUGHAN, DENNIS W VERRE, ARMELLE VICE, KAYLA MARIE VIDRINE, ANGELA FAYE VIDRINE, BRENTCHARLES ALOYSI VILLIEN,ANDREA ELIZABETH VINSON, DANIEL PATRICK VIZINA, LYNDSEY WARNOCK, TIFFANEE MARIE WARREN,LARA BENTLEY WASHINGTON, EMILIE JANI WASHINGTON, YVONNE M WASHINGTON, PERRYJOSEPH WASHINGTON, LYNDA FAE WEBB, CYNTHIA H WEBRE,LUCY BOUDREAUX WELLS, LINDAFAYE WILLETT,AVA CATHRINE WILLIAMS, ANGELLA WILLIAMS, MARVA A WILLIS, COURTLAND DEVON WILSON, JOSHUA DAVID WISNEWSKI, KATHLEEN R WYATT, KELLYG XU,PEIDONG YOCUPICIO ROMERO, ADRIANPABLO YOUNG, DAWN MOUTON YOUNG, JACQUELINE J ZAUNBRECHER, CAROLINE GRACE
TOWN OF ADDIS MINUTES AUGUST 12, 2025 –REGULARMEETING
The regular meeting of the Mayor and Town Council for the Town of Addis was called to order by Mayor David Toups at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday,August 12, 2025, at the Addis Municipal Center.The Pledge to the flag was ledbyMrs Jackie Morain.
ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Toups; Councilors Rusty Parrish, Bliss Bernard, RhondaKelley Kevin LeBlanc, Dustin Hebert Absent: None
MINUTES: The July 8th, 2025, regular meeting minutes wereapproved ona motion by Councilor Bernard; seconded by Councilor Hebert and adopted unanimously
ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
None
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
CORRESPONDENCE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COLLECTION DAY:Mayor Toups informed attendees that Hazardous Materials Collection Day will be held on October 25th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Alexander Park in Brusly.Additional information is available at www.wbrcouncil.orgorbycalling 225-490-8549. OLD BUSINESS
None
NEW BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FOR BEER &LIQUORSALES –ADDIS COUNTRYSTORE, LLC (SHELL GAS STATION): After brief discussion and review, amotion to approve the applications for beer and alcohol sales was made by Councilor LeBlanc, seconded by Councilor Kelley,and adopted unanimously.A representative of the companyprovidedan update, noting thatthe project is awaiting final health permits beforeopening, and thatthe road construction project is still ongoing.
2024 AUDIT REPORT: Staci Joffrion with Baxley &Associatespresented the Town of Addis’ 2024 audit, issuing an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion, thehighest level of assurance. She noted that the audit provides reasonable assurance that no material misstatementswerefound and that the financial statements present fairly,inall material respects, the town’s financial position in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Ms Joffrion highlighted the town’sintegrity and diligence, praising employees, Mayor Toups, Town Clerk Jade Simpson, and the council for budget oversight. The audit identified no internal controlissuesornoncompliance, and the town achieved no exceptions on Statewide Agreed-Upon Procedures (SAUPs) in 2023, which exempted them from testing in 2024.
CAPITAL OUTLAYPROJECTS –COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR
AGREEMENTS: Mayor Toups advised the council that the Town of Addis has received notification from the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control regarding Act 2ofthe 2025 Regular Session –Capital Outlay Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025–2026. The Act includes appropriations for two projects requested by the Town: $2,900,000 for Town Hall planning and construction (Priority 5) and $7,600,500 for the Peter Messina Road extension project ($760,000 Priority 2and $6,840,500 Priority 5). Each project requires a Cooperative EndeavorAgreement (CEA) with the State of Louisiana. Mayor Toups requested authorizationtosign the CEAsonce prepared, following review by Town Attorney Dana Larpenteur.A motion to authorize Mayor Toups to execute the cooperative endeavor agreements after reviewbythe Town Attorney was made by Councilor Bernard, seconded by Councilor LeBlanc, andadopted unanimously LA LOCALGOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LGAP) CONTRACT: Mayor Toups advised that the Town of Addis’ 2024–2025 Louisiana Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP) application has been approved for an amount up to $35,000.00. The funds will be used for drainage improvements within the Town. He requested authorization to execute the contract. Amotion to authorize Mayor Toups to sign the 2024–2025 LGAP contract was made by Councilor Kelley, seconded by Councilor Hebert, and adopted unanimously SURPLUS EQUIPMENT RESOLUTION2025-2: Councilor Kelley moved the following resolution, seconded by Councilor Hebert: WHEREAS the Town of Addis owns the following movable propertywhich is no longer needed for public purposes:
DESCRIPTION VIN/MODEL NO.BRAND DEPARTMENT
2015 CHEVY TAHOE –SILVER
2016 CHEVY TAHOE –SILVER
2019 HARLEY DAVIDSON WHITE -FLHTP
1GNLC2EC7FR629608 CHEVROLET POLICE
1GNLCDEC1GR309262 CHEVROLET POLICE
1HD1FMP1XKB675434 HARLEY DAVIDSON POLICE
WHEREAS, the moveable propertywill be assignedtothe LPS Municipal Surplus Property Program, 6767 Perkins Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808 to be listed and auctioned/sold online “as is; where is” at https://lamats.net/surplus at the highest bid which shall be subject to acceptance or rejection by the Town of Addis said bidding to last aminimum of 7days, commencing 15 days after publication of an advertisement in the municipal journal of record. The items may be prelisted online prior to the official newspaper publ cation, The Advocate. WHEREAS, the Town of Addis reserves the right to reject allbidsthatare not deemed to represent the fair market value of the surplus item at the time sold, andtorelist same online until sold or withdrawn; THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Addis has hereby declaredthe above-mentioned movable propertyassurplus, to be sold through online auction at https://lamats.net/surplus THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION HAVING BEEN READSECTIONBY SECTION, at aregularmeeting of the AddisTown Council on the 12th day of August 2025, was adopted by the following yea and nay votes on the roll call: YEAS: Bernard, LeBlanc, Kelley,Hebert, Parrish; NAYS: None; ABSENT:None MONTHLYREPORTS
ENGINEER: Travis Bourgoyneprovidedan updateonthe ARPAprojects, noting that work is ongoing at the First Street and Addis Lane lift stations. Testing at the First Street wet well failed in two locations, and the wet well will be retested beforetie-in proceeds. He also reported thatbypass pumpsare scheduled to be installed by the end of the week at Sugar Mill 1and 2, as well as at Messina on River Road.
PLANNING &ZONING COMMISSION:
I. Application for Home Occupation –Cody Ash:Mayor Toups invited the applicant, Mr.Cody Ash, to address the council regarding his request to operate anuisance control business from his residence. Mr Ash informed the council and the public that he is licensed through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife &Fisheries to relocatewild animals, including raccoons, opossums, beavers, otters, nutria, and alligators. He stated that one room in his home would be used as an office and confirmed that no animals would be storedatthe residence,asall would be relocated. Mayor Toups advised that the Planning &Zoning Commission recommended approvalofthe application. After brief discussion and review,a motion to approve the home occupation request was made by Councilor Kelley,seconded by Councilor Hebert, and unanimously adopted.
PARISH COUNCIL: No report
POLICE: The July 2025police report,givenbyChief Langlois, consisted of 142 trafficcitations issued; 182 calls for service; 4misdemeanor arrests; 5felony arrests; and 8auto accidents. Misdemeanor arrests included Case 2025-9581, in which ajuvenile was issued asummons for operating a4-wheeler without a helmet, stop sign violation, andcareless operation; Case 2025-9558, involving asubject arrested on several bench warrants from surrounding agencies along with multiple criminal and trafficcharges from Addis PD; and Case 2025-9542, wheretwo subjects werecharged with simple assault at Dollar General.Felony arrests included Case 2025-9707, involving careless operation and felony aggravated flight from an officer in Addis; Case 2025-9582, awarrant from Ascension Parish for felony domestic abuse with child endangerment;and Case 2025-9549, abench warrant from asurrounding agency for forgery
PUBLIC WORKS &WASTEWATER: The Public Works andSewer Department submitted its monthly report for July 2025. Public Works activitiesincluded regulartrash pickup, grass cutting, and weed spraying, with two lawn mowers brieflyout of service during the month. Sewer Department activity included 60 residential and commercial control panel issues, 29 residentialand commercial tank issues, 24 collection system issues, 1sewer plant issue, 2 newinspections, and 87 Dottie tickets. The report also notedthat Sewer Plant Ditch #2 remains down; bearings have been received, andAddisMachine Shop is working on the shaft portion of the rotor.
PUBLICHEARING AND ACTION ONINTRODUCED ORDINANCES None INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES
REPORTS
Pay Bills Found in Order: Amotion to pay bills found in order
interviews on Wednesday, August 13th, for the vacant Wastewater Maintenance
Operator position.
SEWER: No report.
DRAINAGE: No report.
BUILDINGS: Travis Bourgoyne reportedthat the AC unit at the museum was replaced
STREETS ANDROADS: Mayor Toups advised that five new electronic speed limit signs have been purchased, including one to replace the damaged sign at the end of FirstStreet. The location of the remaining signs wasdiscussed, with Ed Lejeune and Peter Messina Roads recommended for placement. Travis Bourgoyne stated that he will reviewthe areas and determine the best locations for the signs.
EXECUTIVESESSION
Amotion to go into an executive session to discuss police personnel was madebyCouncilor Hebert; seconded by Councilor Parrishand adopted unanimously.Amotion to returntoregular session wasmadebyCouncilor Kelley; seconded by Councilor LeBlanc and adopted unanimously.Asa resultofExecutive Session and upon the recommendation of Chief Langlois, amotion was made by Councilor Hebert, seconded by Councilor Parrish, to acceptthe resignation of Officer Alycia Primus effectiveJuly 22, 2025. The motion was adopted unanimously
ANYOTHER BUSINESS
None
ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned on amotion by Councilor Parrish; seconded by Councilor Kelley and adopted unanimously /s/JadeV.Simpson /s/ David H. Toups
JADE V. SIMPSON, TOWN CLERK
DAVID H. TOUPS, MAYOR
TOWN OF ADDIS MINUTES
JULY8,2025 –REGULARMEETING
Theregular meeting of the Mayor and Town Council for the Town of Addiswas called to orderbyMayor David Toups at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday,July 8, 2025, at theAddisMunicipal Center. The Pledge to the flag was recited
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Toups; Councilors Rusty Parrish, BlissBernard, Rhonda Kelley, Kevin LeBlanc, Dustin Hebert
Absent: None
MINUTES: The June 10th, 2025, regular meeting minutes were approvedona motion by Councilor Kelley; seconded by Councilor Hebert and adopted unanimously
ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
Amotion to add the following item to the agenda under New Business was made by Councilor Kelley and seconded by Councilor Hebert:
•ARPAProject Phase II (AddisBackup Pumps) –Barker Brothers Pay Application No. 2 The motion to amend the agendawas approvedunanimously
PUBLIC COMMENTS None
CORRESPONDENCE
LMA88TH ANNUAL CONVENTION: Mayor Toups reportedthat hotel accommodations havebeen secured for the 88th Annual Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA)Convention in Lake Charles. He requestedthat all attendees reviewthe reserved dates and notifyhim promptly of any changes to their travel plans so that the hotel can be advisedaccordingly
OLDBUSINESS None
NEWBUSINESS 2024 ADDIS ROAD REHAB PROJECT –PAY APPLICATION NO. 2&
CHANGE ORDER NO.3: Amotion was made by Councilor Bernard, seconded by Councilor LeBlanc, to approve the contractor’s(EpicPaving, LLC) Pay Application No. 2inthe amount of $27,895.04 and Change OrderNo. 3inthe amount of $29,363.20 for additionalpatching along Myhand Street to repair base failures. The motion was adopted unanimously 2025 ADDIS ROAD REHAB PROJECT –NOVUSREB ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROPOSAL: Amotion was made by Councilor Bernard, seconded by Councilor LeBlanc, to approve the professionalservices proposalfromNovus Reb Engineering, LLC and authorize Mayor Toups to execute the contract. The agreement, effectiveasofthe Notice to Proceed, outlines engineering services for the 2025 AddisRoad Rehab Project. Services include preparation of construction plans for roadway reconstruction, development of an Engineer’sOpinion of Probable Construction Cost, preparation and reviewofbid documents in compliance with publicbid law assistance with contractor selection, and supportincontract administration, including sitevisits, finalacceptance, and certification. The total civil engineering feefor these services is $37,900. The motion was adopted unanimously ARPAPROJECT PHASE II (ADDIS BACKUP PUMPS) –PAY APPLICATION NO.2(BARKER BROTHERS): Amotion to approve PayAppl cation No.2 in the amount of $142,965.59 was made by Councilor Hebert; seconded by Councilor Parrishand adopted unanimously
MONTHLYREPORTS
ENGINEER: None PLANNING &ZONING COMMISSION: Mayor Toups reportedthat the Planning &Zoning Commission did not holda meeting this month. He further announced that Commissioner Joan Barbier has resignedfromthe committee after serving sincethe early 1990s. Mayor Toups requestedthat any recommendations for areplacement commissionerbesubmitted to either Robert Hebert or himself.
PARISH COUNCIL: No report.
POLICE: The June 2025 policereport, given by Chief Langlois, consisted of 142 trafficcitations issued; 182 calls for service; 4misdemeanor arrests; 5 felony arrests; and 8auto accidents.
PUBLIC WORKS &WASTEWATER: The June 2025 sewerreport, given by Travis Bourgoyne, included 16 residential and commercial equipment calls; 18 residential and commercial tank issues; 37 collection system issues; 1 sewerplant issue; 6new inspection and 107 one-call tickets completed. Addis Lane &First Street Sewer Lift Stations arestill under construction. Sewer line repaired at 6517 Ambrosia Drive.
PUBLIC HEARING ANDACTIONONINTRODUCEDORDINANCES
None
INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES
None
COMMITTEE REPORTS
FINANCE:
i. Pay Bills Found in Order: Amotion to pay bills found in order was made by Councilor Kelley; seconded by Councilor Hebert and adopted unanimously by thosepresent.
ii. Monthly Budget to Actual Reports: The monthly budget to actual reports were reviewedwith no comments.
POLICE: Chief Langlois reportedthat he held adepartment meeting to review thenew pol cy manual, which became effectiveonJuly 1st.
PERSONNEL: No report.
SEWER: No report.
DRAINAGE: No report.
BUILDINGS: No report.
STREETS ANDROADS: No report.
EXECUTIVESESSION Amotion to go into an executive session to discuss police personnel was made by Councilor LeBlanc; seconded by Councilor Kelley and adopted unanimously.A motion to returntoregular session wasmadebyCouncilor Hebert; seconded by Councilor Kelley and adopted unanimously.Asa resultof ExecutiveSession and upon the recommendation of Chief Langlois, amotion was made by Councilor Hebert, seconded by Councilor Parrish, to approve the promotion of Daniel Cipriano from Corporal to Sergeant, with a$2,000 annual salary increase. The motion was adopted unanimously ANYOTHER BUSINESS
None
ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned on amotion by Councilor Parrish; seconded by Councilor Kelley and adopted
The regular meetingofthe Mayor andTownCouncil for theTownofAddis was called to order by Mayor David Toupsat6:00p.m. on Tuesday,June 10, 2025, at theAddis Municipal Center.The Pledge to the flag wasled by Tamie Martin. Mayor Toupsrecognized
The motion to amend the agenda wasapproved unanimously PUBLIC COMMENTS Aresidentexpressed concernregardingthe property located at 7310 First Street, statingthatitappearstobeoperatingasa mechanic shop on residentially zoned property.Multiple vehicles arereportedly parkedonthe premises. Mayor Toupsadvised that he wouldreview thezoning designation for theproperty and, if necessary, issueappropriate correspondence to the property owner to address anypotential violations.
Aresidentexpressed concernaboutspeedingonEdLejeune Road, notingthat drivers seem to speed in an attempt to beat thetrains. The residentrequested that thePolice Department increase monitoringand enforcementinthe area to improve safety
CORRESPONDENCE
WBRPDAY AT THE CAPITAL: Senate Resolution No. 117 of the 2025 Regular Session,authored by Senator Caleb Kleinpeter,was shared with theTown. The resolution commends West Baton Rouge Parishfor its outstanding achievements andofficially designates Tuesday,May 20, 2025, as West Baton Rouge ParishDay at theLouisiana State Capitol. Adopted by the LouisianaSenate during the2025 Regular Session,Senate Resolution No. 117 recognizes West Baton Rouge Parishfor its significantcontributions to the economic vitality,educational advancement, culturalheritage, andcommunity leadership of thestate of Louisiana. This marked the firstofficial recognition of its kind for theparish.Attendees werehonored with aluncheon hosted by Senator Kleinpeter,followed
LMADISTRICT HMEETING: Mayor Toupsadvised that theLMA District H meetingisscheduled for Tuesday,June 17thatthe Addis Community Center All Town employees andstaffare invited to attend. The eventwill begin at 6:00 PM.
LMA88TH ANNUAL CONVENTION: Mayor Toupsadvised that theLMA 88thAnnualConvention is scheduled for July 29th-31stinLake Charles. He asked that managementand membersofthe council let himknowassoon as possible if they plan to attendsoaccommodation can be arrangedprior to thedeadline.
OLDBUSINESS None
NEW BUSINESS WBRPLIBRARY2025 SUMMER ACTIVITIES –TAMIE MARTIN, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR: Tamie Martin, Executive Director of the West Baton Rouge Parish Library, presented an overview of the library’sfree2025 summer programs and activities. She highlightedvariouseducational andrecreational opportunities available to children,teens, andadults throughout thesummer,encouraging community participation andcontinued useoflibrary resources. Informational materials weresharedwith thecouncil, and appreciation was expressed for thelibrary’songoing efforts to supportliteracy andengagementinthe parish AUTHORIZATION TO DECLARE SURPLUS –PIPING &PUMPS: After arecommendation from Public Works Director,Travis Bourgoyne, amotion to declarethe scrap, old (grinder pumps &motors) surplusaswell as the 10” HDPE Poly Pipesurpluswas made by Councilor Hebert, seconded by Councilor Bernard, andadopted unanimously
GOHSEP CYBER READINESS ASSESSMENT MOA: GOHSEP (Governor’s Office of HomelandSecurity andEmergency Preparedness) offers aCyber Readiness Assessmenttohelp local governments evaluate andstrengthen their cybersecurity posture.Byenteringintoa MemorandumofAgreement (MOA), theTownauthorizes GOHSEP andits approved partners to perform acybersecurity riskassessmentatnocost to the municipality.Thisincludes evaluatingcurrentsystems, identifyingvulnerabilities, andproviding recommendationsfor improvement. It’saproactive step to protect municipal systems andsensitive data. Amotion to approve the MOA was made by Councilor Parrish, seconded by Councilor LeBlanc, andadopted unanimously LA-DOTD HIGHWAY 1MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT: Amotion to approve theLA-DOTD Highway 1Maintenance Agreementfor mowingand litter pickup for the fiscal year endingJune 30, 2026, was made by Councilor Kelley seconded by Councilor LeBlanc, andadopted unanimously
MONTHLYREPORTS
ENGINEER: None PLANNING &ZONING COMMISSION: I. Application for Home Occupation –Barbara Henderson: Mrs Henderson,owner
PARISHCOUNCIL:
SEWER:
DRAINAGE:
BUILDINGS:
STREETS
accordingtothe National EnvironmentalPolicyAct (NEPA) of 1969 (42U.S Code §4321 et seq.). TheDraft EA is available on theVAwebsite at https://www.cfm.va.gov/ environmental/ Ahard copy of theDraft EA is availableatthe East BatonRouge
T7S, R2E,GLD,EBR,LA. The applicant requests to subdivide onelot into two in theproposedLC1 Light CommercialOne ZoningDistrict(Z25-12) (Applicant: GeoffWilson, Geoff Wilson Engineer‐ing,LLC,onbehalfof EastBaton RougeSewer‐age Commission) SA25-10 Rename portions ofPecue Ln andPecue Blvd. Zoning Commission SP25-05 Site Plan for Brookwood Storageat 11670 AirlineHwy:This 4.05-acre property is lo‐cated on LotE-1,EarlV WilkersonTract,inSec 58, T7S-R2E, GLD, EBR, LA The applicantrequests a siteplantoconstruct five self-storage build‐ings(totaling 53,204 sq ft.)inthe HC1Heavy CommercialOne Zoning District. (Applicant: Con‐nor Glennon, BasinEngi‐neering, on behalf of Daisy Hill Airline, LLC)
Z25-10 RtoLC2 at 552 HighlandiaDr: This 1.14acrepropertyislocated onLot 36, Highlandia,in Sec.57, T8S-R2E, GLD, EBR,LA. Theapplicantre‐questsa zoning change fromthe RRural Zoning Districttothe LC2Light CommercialTwo Zoning District. (Applicant: Brian Aguillard,B.M.Aguillard & Associates, on behalf of NeelyProperties, LLC)
Z25-11 RtoLC2 at 16645 HighlandRd: This 1.54acrepropertyislocated onLot C-1-A-1, Heritage Estates,inSec.61, T8SR2E,GLD,EBR,LA. The applicant requests azon‐ing change from theR Rural Zoning District to the LC2Light Commercial Two Zoning District.(Ap‐plicant:MarkHebert, McKay Properties,LLC)
Z25-12 M1 to LC1at6650 Pecue Ln:This0.43-acre propertyislocated on the NW corner of Pecue Lnand Clay CutBayou onLot X, Jeffaire Com‐mercial Park 1st Filing,in Sec.57, T7S-R2E, GLD, EBR,LA. Theapplicantre‐questsa zoning change fromthe M1 LightIndus‐trial Zoning District to the LC1Light Commercial One Zoning District.(Ap‐plicant:Geoff Wilson Geoff Wilson Engineer‐ing,LLC,onbehalfof EastBaton RougeSewer‐age Commission) 158942-SEP21-30-OCT63T $135.31
I, Alan Salazar Guardado,have been convictedof120(j)Indecent Libertieswith aChild.MILITARY.Date Convicted:3/15/2018 StateEquivalent: 14:81 -IndecentBehavior with Juveniles. My Addressis: 11324 S Flintridge PL Baton Rouge, LA 70818
Race:WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 7/23/1974 Height:5'6 Weight: 165 Hair Color: BLACK EyeColor:BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Military 159259, Sept 21-22 $250
I, BOBBYANTWINE WINFIELD SR,have been convictedof 14:81.2- Molestationof Juvenile.Date Convicted: 6/11/2014
My Addressis: 1755 O'NEAL LN,Apt #110, BATONROUGE,LA 70816
Race:BLACK Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 12/28/1977 Height:5'9 Weight: 255 Hair Color: BLACK EyeColor:BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 159281, Sept 21-22 $250
I, ERVING BURKES WHATLEYaka ERVING BURKES akaNUNU BURKES akaNUNU WHATLEY,have been convictedof14:81Indecent Behavior with Juveniles. Date Convicted: 8/31/2006
SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 21 | 2025
ASPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Ridingthe Rails: NewGulfCoast Service
Fall Festivalsthat Feed theSoul
Exploring Louisiana’s NorthshoreWaters
Retreats,Spas and Yoga Getaways
AJourneyThrough Mississippi
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
For the first time in nearly 20 years, travelersare able to ride daily trains along the Mississippi GulfCoast.The Amtrak MardiGrasService operatestwice daily in each direction, withmorning and evening departures from NewOrleans and Mobile. Along the way, thetrains stop in Bay St.Louis,Gulfport,Biloxi and Pascagoula.
“With the launch of the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service,wearenot just restoring a transportation link; we arecelebrating the vibrantcultureand communityspirit of the Gulf Coast,” said JoeDonahue, Louisiana’s transportation secretary Thenew line linksdirectly with Amtrak’s
CityofNew OrleansroutetoChicagoand connect to the Crescent(to NewYorkvia Atlanta)and the Sunset Limited (toLos Angeles via San Antonio,Houstonand Tucson).For travelers, thismeanssame-day or next-dayaccessfromthe GulfCoast to destinations across the country.
The GulfCoast line is the latest addition to anational network filled withbucket-list journeys.The California Zephyr carries passengersfromChicagotoSan Francisco throughthe Rockies andSierraNevada. The Coast Starlightfollows the Pacific shoreline from Seattle to Los Angeles.The Empire Buildertraverses the northern plains to Glacier National Park, while the Southwest Chief reveals NewMexico desertsand Arizona canyons on itsway from Chicagoto LosAngeles.
In the Northeast,the Northeast Corridor connectsBoston, NewYork, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.,ina fraction of the time it takestodrive. And in Florida, Brightline nowlinksMiami andOrlando, offering afast,modern alternative in oneof the country’sbusiest corridors.
Rail service is the fastest-growing segmentofAmtrak’sbusiness, with 31 statesponsoredroutes in 20 states. Supported by
partnerships with state governments and the Federal Railroad Administration, these expansions reflect agrowing recognition thattrains canplayacentral role in sustainablemobility.
ForGulfCoast travelers, thenew Mardi Gras Service is morethanaroute—it’sa return of choice, cultureand community connection.
“This service willopen theMississippi Gulf Coast to awhole newtourism market, makingalready wonderfulplaces even better,” said Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross.
As morepassengersrediscoverthe joys of the rails—whether foraweekendfestival in Mobileoracross-countrytrektothe Rockies—train travel is once again proving it has afutureasbrightasits storied past
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate com
Whether you’re readyfor aquick weekend retreatoralarge family reunion, Reed Real Estate has abeach rental to suit your needs.With an abundance of waterfront properties in Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan at Alabama’s only petfriendly beach in Alabama,Reed has alocation that is perfect foryou and your guests.Hereare some topselections forthis fall.
With sixbedrooms, multiple flat-screen TVs, a spacious kitchen with breakfast bar and adining table that cansit up to 16,thisGulf-frontduplexis designed with familiesand groups in mind. Enjoy the scenery with covereddecksand outdoor dining space andaprivateboardwalk to the beach. There’s alsoasharedpool with aneighboring duplex.
Recharge in thisthree-bedroom,two-bath home with Gulf views, astock of boardgames, twoporch swingsand aprivatepool. The blend of coziness, serenityand privacy makesthisthe ideal retreatfor atranquil escape with all the comforts of home. This homeispet-friendly fordogs15pounds and under.
Thisnew listing has six bedrooms, four baths and canaccommodate up to 16 guests.Aprivate beach path leads directly to apool. The main floor features hardwood floorsthroughout an open living, dining and kitchenarea, plus an inviting seating area –perfectfor large gatherings. There’s alsoawet bar with amini-fridgeand updated kitchenwith large island and seating forfour.
This peaceful beach cottagehas three bedrooms, twobaths and sleeps up to eightguests.Two bedroomsopendirectly onto the deck with sliding glassdoorsand sweeping Gulf views.Other features include updatedkitchenand bar seating, cable TVsinthe living room and all bedrooms, and high speed wifi.
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
This article is broughttoyou by Visit theNorthshore.
There’snothing likegetting outonthe wateralong the Northshore, where LakePontchartrain and itssurrounding waterwaysoffer endless opportunitiesfor adventureand relaxation. Whether you’re seeking the thrill of discovery of the peace of awaterside sunset,the Northshorepromises both joyand unforgettable memories.
HoneyIslandSwamp on thenortheastedgeof St.TammanyParish features pristine beauty, lush nature and abundantwildlife. Alligators canbeseen sunning themselves on logs or watching warily from thebanks –unless your tour guidelures them closer with afew marshmallows!Alsobeonthe lookoutfor turtles, eagles, snowy white egrets,heronsand nutria
Make the most of your tripbybookinga Honey Island Swamp tour in advance. Most toursrun about twohours. Cajun Encounters Tour Co. bringsvisitorsout on apontoon boat, while NewOrleansKayak SwampTourslets more adventurous explorers getrightonthe water.
There’snoshortage of restaurants along the Northshorethattakeadvantageofthe picturesque setting with outdoor seating. It’s hardtobeatthe combination of scenic views, good company, friendly service and Louisiana delicacies prepared with fresh ingredients and lots of love.Whether you’re looking forfamilyfriendly options,alow-key date nightoraplace to let your hair down over the weekend, there’s aNorthshorerestaurant foryou.Somepopular waterside options include Abita Roasting Company,Aperifid Spritz &Bites,GilliGil’s Island, Morton’sSeafood Restaurantand Bar, Palmettosonthe Bayou, Rips on the Lake,The Anchor,The Wakehouse andTRiver’s Bar and Grill.
Despiteits name, thisbody of waterisactually an estuary thatencompassesabout630 square miles.The wateraverages12to14feet in depth and is brackish –mostlyfreshwateronthe west,but increasing in salinitythe farther east yougo. No matter whereyou arealong the lake, there’ssomething to appreciate about it.
In Mandeville, aseawall, restaurants with a view, amarina and parkslet locals and visitors make the most of the lake. More than adozen fishing chartersoperate outofSlidell, taking anglers outfor the chancetocatchtrout,bull reds and triple-tail. TheSt. TammanyParish Fishing PierinSlidelland theSunsetPoint Fishing PierinMandeville offer greataccessif youprefertofish from thebanks.
Numerous businesseswith kayak, paddleboard and canoe rentalsare all along Lake Pontchartrain, or youcan takeguided boat rentalsout of Fairview-Riverside State Park down the TchefuncteRiver to themouth of the lake.
Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville and Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville both aregreat spots to enjoy thecrisp fall weather in Louisiana.
Locatedonthe north shoreofLake
Pontchartrain, Fontainebleau spans more than 2,800 acresfeaturing ancientliveoaks, scenic trails, asandy beach, fishing piersand more. Extend your visit witha lodging option, including cabins,campsites and RV hookups.
Fairview-Riverside is situatedalong the Tchefuncte River,where visitorscan enjoypicnics, fishing and boating from the convenientlaunch. Aboardwalk winds through themarsh,offering excellent opportunitiesfor wildlifeobservations.Well-maintained cabins andcampsites areavailable forlonger visits.
SI TTH EN OR TH SH OR E.CO M andhappinessripplesthrough TheNorthshore.It’snotsimply adestination,it’safeeling.
Sports &Eats– ChicagoGourmet Chicago, IL | Sep 25–28
This year’s ChicagoGourmet festivaladopts a playful sports theme: “StepUptothe Plate”. Held at MillenniumPark, theevent features Tacos &Tequila with Rick Bayless, aHamburger Hopcompetition, Saturday’sAsian Late NightMarket,and charming brunch events like“Rise& Shine Gourmet.”
PandaFest | Nashville, TN | Oct24-26
Held at Fair Park, this fast-growing Asian food festival offersover80vendorsserving 250+ authenticstreet food dishes,along with artisan crafts.
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Asthe leaves turn and theair grows crisp,culinary enthusiasts are celebrating autumn’s vibrant flavors acrossthe United States. Some of thebiggest food trends for2025include bold tastes,regional specialties, elevated comfort food, healthiersnacks, plus the flavors of pumpkin and caramel. These and other trends aresuretobe highlightedatsome of the nation’stop food celebrations this fall. Whether you’re craving smokybourbon, sweet garlic or festival-tested comfort food, hereare the some of the topupcoming toursand events
Southern Charm— Food &Wine Classic Charleston, SC | Nov14–16
Join celebrated chefs,including Emeril Lagasse and Gail Simmons, at this three-daystandout.The festival blends cooking demos,tastingsfrom100+ wineries and restaurants,and themed gatheringslikethe Southern Living Tailgateand SeatoTable crabbing workshop
Bishop’sOrchards Pizza-Themed CornMaze Guilford, CT | through Nov2 Thiscreativecorn mazehonorsConnecticut’spizza legacy.Explorepizza-themed art, and enjoywood-fired pies and aCider Hutatthe orchard.
Wine,Food&Coastal Vibes —Food+Wine Festival San Diego, CA | Nov7–9
Held along the golden California coast,this eventpairs panoramic sunsets with farm-freshfoodand wine. Elitechefs,farmers, andlocal vintnersconvergetooffer gourmet experiences,chefs’demonstration kits,and coastal tasting tents.
Austin Food &Wine Festival | Austin,TX | Nov7-9
This year’s highlights include the “MadeinTexas”event, fire-pit experiences,grilling sessions by Chef TimLove, and demos from celebritychefs.
Wurstfest | NewBraunfels, TX | Nov7-16
This 10-daycelebration of German-Texanculture includes sausage, schnitzel, beer halls,music, and authentic Bavarian cuisine.
ATaste of the South —Highlands Food &Wine Festival | Highland, NC | Nov13-16
Setinthe cozy Blue RidgeMountains,this festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with Michelin-star talent, Grammy-winning performers(The Wallflowers, Blind Boys of Alabama), andculinarycraft from James BeardAward winners.
romsoulful music and unforgettable cuisinetothe powerful history ofthe Civil Rights Movement,Mississippi has preservedits heritageina waythatinvites travelerstonot just visit,but experience. One of the bestwaysto do that is itsvisitor trails, which weaveculture,historyand flavor into journeys that speak to thesoul.
With more than 200 markers acrossthe state, thetrail honorslegendarymusicians, recording studios and historicvenues thatgaveriseto America’smost influential music.
In Clarksdale, the Delta Blues Museum tells thestory of Muddy Waters,B.B.King and other pioneersthrough exhibits andartifacts. Down thestreet,catchlivemusic at Ground Zero BluesClub,co-ownedbyactor Morgan Freeman, foranauthentic tasteoftoday’s blues scene.
From there, head to Indianola, where theB.B. King Museum and Delta InterpretiveCenter offersanin-depth look at thelifeofthe “Kingof theBlues.” Musichistory fans will appreciate Dockery FarmsinCleveland, widelyconsidered the birthplace of the Delta blues,whereCharley Patton once played. Capoff your tour at Club Ebony, ahistoric Indianolavenue where B.B. King and countless other greats performed.
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
No Mississippi journeyiscompletewithout savoring the flavors thatdefine its communities Thestate has severalfood-themed trails,but two stand outfor fall travelers.
TheTamale Trail– Hottamales areone of the Delta’smost beloveddishes,blending African Americanand Mexicanculinarytraditionsintoa spicy,comforting bite.Greenville, often called the “Hot Tamale Capital of the World,”isthe perfect starting point. At Doe’sEat Place, world-famous forboth its steaksand tamales,you’ll experience Deltadining at its finest. Another local favorite, HotTamale Heaven, is known forits perfectly seasoned, no-frills tamales thatlocalsswear by.
In Rosedale, make timefor the WhiteFront Café,atamale institution since the 1940s. At Airport Grocery in Cleveland, tamales pair with Southernsides in arustic setting. Roundout your tour at Solly’s HotTamales in Vicksburg, afamily-run staplewith recipespasseddown through generations.
TheSeafood Trail– Along the Gulf Coast, restaurants showcaseshrimp,oysters,craband fishstraightfromlocal waters
Foranelegantstart,dine at Mary Mahoney’s Old French HouseinBiloxi,known forits oysters and seafood gumbo. Next,enjoy the casual, beachfrontvibeatThe Reef,alsoinBiloxi,where shrimp po’boys areafavorite
In Gulfport,Shaggy’soffersa fun, familyfriendly atmospherewith seafood baskets and coastal cocktails,while WhitePillarsinBiloxi elevatescoastal cuisine with locally sourced, gourmetdishes
This is one of the state’smost powerful experiences, highlighting keylocations from the Civil Rights Movementand inviting visitors to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of those who fought forequality.
In Jackson, the Medgar Evers Home Museum preserves the home of thecivil rights leader, and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum offers immersiveexhibitsthattrace the movement’s statewide and national impact.
Travel east to Philadelphia, whereamarker honorsJames Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner,three civil rights workers murdered in 1964. BackinJackson, Tougaloo Collegestands as asymbol of studentactivism and organizing power.
In Oxford,visit the UniversityofMississippi, whereJames Meredith became the first Black studentadmittedin1962. Thesiteremains apowerful reminder of the courageand persistence required to desegregate higher education in the South.
Each stop is not only alessoninhistory but a call to reflect on howfar thenation hascome and thework stillleft to do.
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Tangipahoa ParishFair | Sep 28 to Oct 6|Amite
Theoldestfairinthe statecontinues its traditionofshowcasing local culture, preserving history,promoting economicdevelopment and nurturing community pride through agricultural exhibits, music, food, talent showcases,rides andmore. Details: tangifair.org
FGerman Fest |Oct 4and 5|Rayne Nestled in the heart of Acadiana, Rayneproudly celebratesits rich German heritage with live entertainment, delicious authentic Germanfood, afantastic selection of Germanbeerontap,folklore demonstrations,and plenty of activities forthe kids.Withaclean, family-friendly atmosphere,it’sagreat spot forvisitors of all ages to create unforgettable memories.
Details: robertscovegermanfest.com
all in Louisiana is filled with celebration and community spirit. As the summer heatfinally eases, towns and cities acrossthe statecome alivewith festivals thatshowcase the bestoflocal culture, food and music. Here aresome of ourfavorites thatwe’re looking forwardtoin2025:
RedRiver RevelArtsFestival |Sep 30 to Oct 8|Shreveport
Musical performancesfor nine days in downtownShreveport and a vibrant atmospherethatcaters to diverse interests. Families eagerly participate in creativeand educationalactivities during nights and weekends. Meanwhile,the festival serves as amagnet fortalented visual artists nationwide,attractingindividuals from various regions who eagerly showcase and sell their art, captivating both local residents and visitors. Details: redriverrevel.com
Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival | Sep 21 to Sep 28 |New Iberia There’ssomethingfor everyone to celebrateone of Louisiana’s premier crops. TheFarmers Tractor Parade features vintage farm equipment. Local kids lead the Children’sParade.The Royalty Parade is highlighted by Queen Sugar andKing Sucrose.In BoulignyPlaza, dancethe night away at the Fais-Do-Do.Also downtown is astreet fair with akid-friendly carnival atmosphere Details: hisugar.org
BeauregardParishFair | Sep30toOct 4|DeRidder
Acelebration of 96 years of cultivatingthe land by hand, this event celebrates central Louisiana with exhibits, aparade,carnival, live entertainment, bakedgoods and much more. Details: beauregardparishfair.com
Louisiana Gumbo Festival |Oct 10,11, 12 |Thibodaux
Think youknowGumbo?Want to sample truly authentic Cajun gumbo?Then headonovertothe "Gumbo CapitolofLouisiana" for theLouisiana Gumbo Festival!Volunteerscooknearly 500 gallons of freshseafood andchicken &sausagegumbo during the festival weekend. Details: lagumbofest.com
Zwolle Tamale Fiesta |Oct 10,11, 12 |Zwolle
Celebratethe delicacy with atamale making demonstration, tamale eating and tamale judging contest, treasurehunt, livebands &dancing, arts &crafts,and aparade. TheFiesta also features pageants, armwrestling contests forall ages, atrail ride,Spanish costumecontests, rides andfood booths, avery popular Fiesta Mud Bog Racefor trucks, and over20,000 dozentamales forsale.
Details: zwolletamalefiesta.com
IntroducingBally’s Hotel! With twogamingand entertainment destinations anda completely renovatedhotel -use ourcontinuous shuttle to dine, game andstayall within DowntownBaton Rouge.Located stepsawayfromthe Capitol andaclose distancetoTiger Stadium, Bally’sBaton Rouge Hotel, TheBelle of BatonRouge TemporaryCasinoand The QueenBaton Rouge offer acomplete getawayexperience.
InternationalRiceFestival | Oct 16, 17,18| Crowley
Thecelebration honors thericeindustry and itshardworking farmers. Throughout the weekend, twosound stages arefilled withliveentertainment. Festival goers can participate in many additional activities such as TheClassic Car Show, the Crowley High 5k Run Walk and the Fiddle andAccordionContest. The RiceFestival Queen’sContest,the,RiceEating Contestand Frog Derbyare always must-seeevents.The festival has notone but twoparades during the weekend.A Children’s Parade is featured on Friday afternoon andThe Grand Parade takes the streets on Saturday afternoon. Details: ricefestival.com
Rougarou Fest |Oct 17,18, 19 |Houma
TheRougarou Fest is aFREE family-friendly festival with aspooky flair thatcelebrates therichfolklore that exists along the bayous of Southeast Louisiana.Itshowcases livemusic, culturalactivities, children’sactivities,Cajunfood, the Krewe Ga Rouparade, and so much more. All proceeds go to theSouth Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center,a nonprofit organization thatisrevolutionizing howwethink, teach andlearnabout Louisiana’s disappearing coast. Details: rougaroufest.org
WoodenBoatFestival |Oct 18 and 19 |Madisonville
Thecharming town of Madisonville,with apopulation of only 800 residents, swells each October to nearly 20,000 visitors when it hosts oneofLouisiana’s mostpicturesque festivals on the banksofthe beautiful TchefuncteRiver.Asalways,the festival will kick off with aFridayevening Maritime Mania party with attendees dressing in “nautical” or pirateattireand dancing the night away on the grounds of theMaritime Museum. Saturdayand Sundayare filled with activities thatinclude music, excellent food and beverage vendors,artists’ displays,children’sactivities,and the ever-popular Quick ‘n Dirty Boat Building Contestand Parade.Details: maritimemuseumlouisiana.org
StateFair of Louisiana |Oct. 30 to Nov16|Shreveport
Get ready for17daysoffun, food,and family-friendly excitement at the 119th StateFairofLouisiana! This year’s fair will featurethe largest carnival and livestock show in thestate,along with an action-packed lineup of can’t-missevents andattractions. These include handson agricultural education, an interactivezoo and tasty treats forall. Details: statefairoflouisiana.com
ZydecoFestival |Nov 1|Slidell
Set againstthe BayouBonfouca in Slidell, attendees will be treatedto live performances by ZydecobandsfromSouthwest Louisiana, infusing the air with infectious rhythms and energy with danceclasses between each musical act!Indulge your taste budswith delicious and flavorful Louisiana cuisine,featuring classic dishes thatembodythe essenceof Creole and Cajun cooking. Details: nolazydeco.org
By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
As2025winds down, manypeople aresearching forwaystofinish the year withmorecalm and clarity. Between holiday stress, colder weather and the fast pace of daily life, winterwellnessretreats, spas and yoga getaways areincreasingly popular.These experiences inviteparticipants to slowdown, reflect, and recharge beforestepping into 2026.
Unlikesummer vacations packed with sightseeing andconstantactivity, winterwellness experiences aredesigned forstillnessand intentional care.They blend movement, mindfulness,nourishing food, and restorativetherapies to support bothbody and spirit Retreats around theU.S.are curating programs to help guests resetinthe colder months. At Vita Pura Yoga in Sedona, Arizona,participants practice yoga under the redrockswhileenjoying guided hikesand plant-based meals.The KripaluCenterinMassachusett offersstructured programs focused on yoga,meditation and mindfulness, while Rivermountain Retreatin Pennsylvania blends breathwork,art andhot cedar soaking tubs to encouragedeep rest and reflection. The LodgeatWoodloch in northeastTexas provides nature
walks, meditation worksh winter renewal.
On the East Coast, The combines Eastern and biophilic thermal pools setting
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Spasplayacentral role i comfort and healing therap Park City, Utah,The Spa a massages, heatedoutdoo
s andhydrotherapypools perfect for inter wellnessbyprovidingwarmth, eswhen the weather turns cold. In tein EriksenLodge offershot stone ools anddaily meditation classes. at MayflowerInn in Connecticut tern therapies such as cryotherapy, d yoga in apeaceful countryside
In the Gulf South, The offerssignature treatme from sugar cane scrubs In Mississippi,The Allu heritagewith restorative Thesedestinations prove seasonalrenewal. Yoga remains acornerst typically pair energizing flows,balancing activity themes of gratitude andr
In California,Boulder in adeserteco-retreats Hudson Valleyprovid blend, with guided routines desi
a at TheRitz-Carlton, NewOrleans s infused with regionaltouches, outhern-inspiredaromatherapy. n SpainGreenwood blends Delta assages, facials,and yoga classes. u don’thavetotravelfar to find of seasonalwellness. Programs ning practices with gentle evening h rest.Instructorsoften highlight ewal—perfect forclosing out the year dens near Joshua Tree offersyoga ing, while in NewYork, TheRanch a more intensivefitness-and-yoga es, plant-based meals andstructured dtoreset body andmind.
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Here in the South, Wild Lotus Yoga in NewOrleans frequentlyhosts seasonal retreats and workshops, pairing soulful flows with music and mindfulness. In the Florida Panhandle, yoga and wellnessweekends at Seaside or Santa RosaBeach combine beachside sunrises with restorativeevening sessions—idealfor anyone seeking reflection by thewater Forthosewho find restoration in nature, winter wellness canalsomean embracing the season itself.At Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming, guests practiceyoga in greenhouses,soak in natural hotspringsand enjoy spatreatments surrounded by snowywilderness. In Virginia,Wintergreen Resorthosts wellnessweekends thatcombine yoga,farm-to-table dining and guided mindfulnesshikes,making the most of crispmountain air.
Whether it’saluxurious spaescape, ayogaweekend, or awildernessimmersion, winterwellness experiences provide morethanpampering. Theycreate spaceto pause, reset, and step into the newyearwith clarity.As 2025 comes to aclose,theseretreats,spas and getaways remind us thatrest is not indulgence—it’spreparation forthe possibilities thatlie ahead in 2026.
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Not long ago, traveling from NewOrleans to otherparts of thecountry –orbeyond –meantbracing forlayovers.But today, LouisArmstrongNew Orleans International Airport (MSY)has nonstop direct flights to morethan50destinations,simplifying travel foreveryone. Whether you’re abusiness traveler trying to makeamorning meeting in Houston, a familyeager forDisneymagicinOrlando or a couplechasingsunsets in Cancún, chancesare good therewithouta st
Some nonstoprou arestaples: Atlant Dallasand Houston remain heavily traveled, with multiple flights daily.But MSY also reaches further.You canboarda planeinNew Orleans and step off just hourslater in Chicago, New York, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles San Francisco. Internationally,t is moreconnected Popular routes include Cancún, London, Torontoand Tegucigalpa.Seasonal flightsadd even more variety, whisking passengerstoski towns in the Rockies or beach retreats along the East Coast when demand spikes.
Formanylocals, the most popular internationalgetawayisCancún,just a two-hour flightfromMSY. Direct flights mean youcan leave NewOrleans in the morning andbeonthe beach by lunchtime, sipping a margarita with your toes in the sand Thenonstop flighttoLondon-Heathrow is another milestone forNew Orleans travelers.
Instead of flying east foratransatlantic connection, passengerscan boardatMSY andarriveinLondon in under 10 hours. This routeconnects Louisiana directly to Europe’s financial hub while giving locals asimple gatewaytothe rest of the continent. From Heathrow,travelerscan connect to nearly any major European or international city. Theadvantages of direct flights go beyond convenience. Forbusinesstravelers, dismoneysaved. For es,fewer layovers mean sstress, fewerchances lost luggageand happier kids.For older travelers, skipping the sprintacrossa busy airport canmakethe difference between agood trip and a daunting one. And forNew Orleans itself, nonstop flights are amajoreconomic driver.Direct connections make the citymoreappealing onventions,attract tional visitors and give mpanies easier accessto global markets.
As thetravelindustry continues to recover and grow,MSY showsnosigns of slowing down. Routes arebeing evaluated constantly,with demand forLatin America, Canada and Europe likely to drivethe next wave of expansion. ForNew Orleanians,thatmeans more chances to skipthe connections and go straighttowhere youwanttobe. Whether it’saweekend in Chicago, awedding in Jamaica or abusinesstrip to London, nonstop flights from NewOrleans aremaking the world feel alittle smaller and a lot moreaccessible.
PRESIDENT
DENNIS SHIELDS, Southern University System President
the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
Leaning over a stainless steel bowl, chef
Heather Nace urged a fourth-year medical student to massage her kale with greater gusto.
“You gotta get in there, girl,” Nace said, explaining that massaging breaks down cellulose so the leaves become tender and palatable. “If you don’t massage it, it’s not going to digest.”
At Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, founded in 2012 as the first teaching kitchen embedded in a U.S. medical school, moments like this are the curriculum. Medical students rotate between case studies and cooking stations, translating nutrition theory into meals they can cook themselves and, one day, recommend to patients
The center also runs free community cooking classes, giving New Orleanians the same chance to build skills and confidence in the kitchen.
Case studies and cooking
On a recent Friday, students were given several patient scenarios: a 29-year-old woman with lactose intolerance who still needed adequate calcium, a 38-year-old with suspected celiac disease and a preschooler with a nut allergy.
The exercise asked them not only to counsel the patient medically, ordering tests to diagnose and treat their conditions, but also to build meals that would work with their lifestyles.
At another station, second-year medical student Mashaal Syed meticulously chopped an onion for a Mediterraneanstyle salad. She hopes to go into neurosurgery, a field not often associated with nutrition counseling But Syed sees an opportunity
“Just because you do surgery doesn’t mean you want everyone to receive surgery,” Syed said. “If I can help someone manage symptoms through diet — like a patient with Parkinson’s that’s a win.”
She added that credibility matters. Patients are bombarded with online advice, from gluten-free fads to seed-oil scares
“If you can speak from experience, if you’ve cooked the food yourself, it makes a difference,” Syed said.
Community classes
The center also arms community members to think more critically about the connection between food and health. Since 2013, the program has reached more than 1,600 community members in New Orleans out of their kitchen next to Whole Foods on
ABOVE, Medical students at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine dig into the food they cooked after going over case studies. LEFT, Fudgy black bean brownies were cooked by students during a free community cooking class at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine.
Broad Street. Interest remains high: The waitlist now tops 650 people, with 200 added since January alone. Classes are available for children as young as 5. Shannon May, 24, saw the class information at a farmers market. Curious, she signed up with a couple of friends. Over the six weeks, her approach to food changed.
ä See KITCHEN, page 2X
BR man diagnosed with flesh-eating bacteria
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
On May 31, Herman Middleton felt horrible. His right calf was pulsing in pain. He had a fever of 104 — a type of hurt he had never felt before.
Regina Middleton, his wife and registered nurse of 36 years at Our Lady of the Lake, sprung into action. She gave her husband Tylenol to break the fever and took him to urgent care. His tests for flu and Covid-19 came back negative. They went home, but his fever did not break. The second urgent care the Middletons went to that day told them to go to the emergency room.
“The pain kept increasing rapidly,” Herman Middleton said. “I was at a pain level 10. I had never felt that before.”
As part of the triage at Our Lady of the Lake, he received a comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood work, lactic acid and IntelliSep tests. All delivered within 30 minutes.
Herman Middleton was both high in lactic acid and in his susceptibility for sepsis, a life-threatening, overwhelming immune response to an infection and the leading cause of in-hospital mortality
He scored a three on the IntelliSep test — the highest score possible. He was in septic shock.
Two years ago, the Lake hospital in Baton Rouge integrated the IntelliSep test into their triage work flow at their emergency department.
The rapid test, a machine the size of a telephone developed in-part by principal investigator Dr Hollis “Bud” O’Neil at LSU and doctors at Our Lady of the Lake, tests a patient’s blood for their susceptibility to get sepsis.
The test gives patients a score of one to three. A one indicates that a patient is to have sepsis, and a three indicates a high probability of sepsis.
“When you’re a three in our institution, that for us is just like if you are having a heart attack or if you’re having a stroke,” Dr Chris Thomas said. “It creates
ä See SEPSIS, page 4X
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
In late June, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the first case of West Nile virus of 2025. In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Louisiana, including three deaths.
About 1 in 150 people who are infected with West Nile virus develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves, which may even cause paralysis or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Between 80% and 90% of all West Nile virus cases are asymptomatic, according to LDH.
Tarra Hardin, a technician at the Diagnostic Lab in Baton Rouge, tests nearly 19,000 mosquitoes each week for various viruses in the state.
How does the mosquito testing process work?
We’re the only accredited Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in the state of Louisiana. We do a lot of testing here, but in this particular lab, we do a lot of testing looking for DNA or RNA by methods called polymerase chain reaction in mosquitoes.
We’ve had this protocol and this testing in place because West Nile virus started in 2002 — the first case reported in Louisiana We work with the mosquito abatement districts. There are 32 of them in the state that we work with. Of the 64 parishes, only half have mosquito abatement services. The taxpayer pays for that.
STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK
Vials of testing materials from across the state are seen in the mosquito testing lab recently at the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge.
We get mosquito samples every week at this time of the year They come from all the parishes. They drop them off, or they FedEx, every week. Each box delivered comes with vials. And these vials have a mosquito zone. Then, each vial of mosquitoes gets pulverized in a mixer valve. When we get the mosquito samples from each parish, the species have already been determined. They know what species the mosquitoes are, and they know exactly where they’ve collected them.
Each vial sample has a site code. That’s really important because, if that vial is positive, that’s where the abatement trucks go and apply their pesticide. Our indicators show us
We work with those parishes and we work with the Louisiana Department of Health to test mosquitoes for various viruses in the state. What are the steps for testing mosquitoes?
Continued from page 1X
“I hated cooking before this,” May said. “I was impatient, I ate out a lot, and I wasted food.”
Goldring’s instructors showed her how to save money by buying sale items like family packs of chicken and turning them into multiple meals, how to store ingredients properly, and how to add fiber-rich foods to ease her chronic stomach pain.
She now cooks more often at home, leans on simple black bean tacos and zucchini muffins, and checks Goldring’s online recipe database for weekly inspiration.
The center also develops specialized classes. In partnership with the Tulane Center for Genetics, staff created courses for families managing phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disorder requiring a nearly protein-free diet. Other offerings have focused on patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, teaching budget-friendly recipes that keep carbs in check while increasing fiber, protein and healthy fats
“Our general curriculum and recipes are all based on Mediterranean diet principles, meaning that they can be applied to all our most prevalent chronic conditions of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension,” said Nace, the director of operations and executive chef. Tracking the changes
This fall, one group is also contributing to research. Through the Cu-
linary Health Outcomes Project, adults 55 and older will have lab work done before and after the sixweek series. Researchers will track changes in blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and other health markers
For Kristi August, a 60-year-old who works in law enforcement, the study offered a timely reset Already, she’s experimenting with new ingredients, paying closer attention to protein, healthy fats, fruits and legumes. She was always interested in cooking, but now she thinks more about how it affects her health.
“I just find myself doing things differently,” August said.
She’s adding more vegetables to tacos, for example. She also has more energy.
This is something that everybody could benefit from,” August said. “If I had done this class when I was 25, my kids probably would eat differently.”
The Goldring curriculum has grown far beyond New Orleans First developed at Tulane, it now forms the backbone of the American College of Culinary Medicine and is licensed to more than 60 institutions nationwide, including medical schools, residency programs, nursing schools and dietetic programs.
Nace serves on the ACCM advisory board, helping update the curriculum and set standards for other sites.
For Nace, who has led the program for six years, the payoff is the ripple effect: Students taking what they learn into clinics, patients gaining confidence
if there are a lot of West Nile virus mosquitoes in one area If there’s a lot of positive mosquitoes, that’s a good indication that a transmission could occur That’s where parishes go to do prevention and control — either getting rid of standing water or spraying down with insecticide. With between five and 100 mosquitoes in each vial, and 500 to 600 vials from each parish each week, we have tested about 2 million mosquitoes since 2002.
What should people know about West Nile virus in the state?
West Nile virus is the most prevalent mosquitoborne virus in Louisiana There’s another one this year that’s getting ugly here called Eastern equine encephalitis. We test for that virus, too.
We test Louisiana mosquitoes for three things: Eastern equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis virus and, of course West Nile virus.
Those three are in the United States, and they circulate within mosquitoes — mosquitoes being the vector Mosquitoes usually feed on birds. The bird is infected but doesn’t die. It is most common in the warmer months, during mosquito season. This year, although there have been some cases of West Nile, it is not abnormal to have this many mosquitoes testing positive for the virus.
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.
in the kitchen, and families changing daily habits
Medicine concept
Although the “food as medicine” concept is now often touted by politicians pushing the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, the Goldring Center model has remained consistent since its founding: introductory classes in the first year, focused modules on protein, fats, hypertension, and allergies, and electives that give students both counseling skills and culinary skills.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.
Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana.
Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.
Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.
Early sessions include mindfulness and motivational interviewing, teaching future physicians to draw out what patients are ready and willing to change.
“We’re not saying food instead of medicine,” Nace emphasized. “We’re saying food as a complement. There are barriers we can’t solve, like food access, but we can improve kitchen confidence ” Nace offers the kind of tips you might otherwise find yourself Googling in the frozen meat aisle or searching on YouTube midrecipe: how to slice an onion efficiently, or how to decide between wild-caught and farmed salmon on a budget.
During a recent class, as the scent of garlic, ginger and onion filled the room, she moved easily from station to station setting a timer for one student, then pausing to explain the chemical reaction that turns sunflower seed cookies green a favorite trick for the youngest chefs.
The class builds toward a shared meal. At the end, one-time strangers sit together at a long counter lined with dishes that look ready for a restaurant menu: chana masala with roasted cauliflower, turkey and zucchini sliders with lemony yogurt sauce, a cucumber and
roasted
massaged to a dark,
sheen. For a moment, there is silence as the students fill their plates and
Then Nace pulls up
trition information for
dish on a screen, linking
vor back to science. Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.
and a
Withtheschoolyearinfullswing, thefamilycarisnowservingas thesnackbarformanyfamilies betweenschool,activitiesandsports practice.Thedrive-thrumayseemlikea decentsolutioninapinch,butfastfood isn’tcheap—anditoftenisn’thealthyor evenfast.Packingsnacksisalmostalways ourbestbet,butthatleavesparentsand guardianswiththequestionofwhatto pack,aswellashowtomakeitnutritious andkeepitinteresting
So,Ireachedouttofellowdietitians—all ofwhomarealsoparents—tosharetheir go-tocarpoolsnacksandstrategies.Their ideasareclever,funandparent-tested.And importantly,eachbalancesnutritionwith practicality(minimalpreptimeandless mess)andactuallysatisfieskidsofallages. Here’sWhatTheyHadtoSay: HopeFruge,dietitianwithEatFitMonroe andmomofLandry(5),Marienne(3) andCallahan(1)lovesFairlifeChocolate ProteinShakes,Kodiakproteinbars andHintKidsapplewater.“Tothem theshakesaresimplychocolatemilk, butit’sactuallyagreatproteinboostina spill-proofthermos,”shesaid.“TheKodiak proteinbarsfeellikeatreatbuthave stayingpower,andIlovekeepingHintKids applewaterinthecar—it’ssomethingfun andflavorful,butstilllow-sugar.” AlexisThompson,lifestylenutrition dietitianatOchsnerHealthandmomof Jackson(4)sayspeanutbutterbitesand Hippeaschickpeapuffsaretwogo-to favoritesforon-the-gosnacks.“I’lloften makepeanutbutterbitesforpickup,”she said.“It’sassimpleasspreadingpeanut butter(oranynutorseedbutter)ona wholesomebread(welikeDave’sKiller Bread)andcuttingitintosquares.Fora crunchysnack,Hippeaschickpeapuffs arealwaysahit.”
LaurenH.Berry,lifestylenutrition dietitianandsupervisoratOchsner
HealthandmomtoJames(8months)keeps herselfandoldercarpoolcompanions satisfiedwithhigh-protein,portableoptions thataregoodforkidsandadults,including miniKindbars,BalanceBreaksorP3 packsandChompsMiniSticks.
“Jamesisstillsoyoung,we’renotinfull carpool-snackmodeyet,butthesearethe onesIloveforolderkidsandmyself,too!”
JamieMeeks,directorofsportsnutrition fortheNewOrleansSaintsandmomof three(ages10,5and3),turnstoStarbucks forHorizonchocolatemilkandprotein snackpacks(cheeseandfruit)when needed.Fromhome,herkidslovegrainy crackerswithBabybelcheese,turkey andcheesesandwichesonwholegrain breadandbeefjerky.“Theseareourgo-to optionsforwhenwe’veplannedahead,” shesaid.“Whenwehaven’t,thefallback optionisthecoffeeshopdrivethru.”
AnnieKent,formerEatFitNorthshore dietitianandnowfull-timemomtoAddie (4),Gracie(3)andJack(1)stockscheese sticks(Tillamookbrandistheirfavorite), homemadewholegrainminimuffins andfreshfruitthat’scar-tested:bananas, tangerinesandsmallapples.“Wekeep thingsprettyconsistentwiththesesnacks,” shesaid.“Theyalsohavetotravelreally well.”
SavannaLatimer,formerEatFitBR dietitian,nowBoston-basedandfull-time momtoRoe(3)preferskid-sizedPerfect BarsandLesserEvilpopcorn,alsoknown as‘spaceballs.’ “Welikethingsthatare
simplebutbalanced —protein,alittlecarb, andsomethingshe’ll actuallyeat,”shesaid.
ForJoyBanks, dieteticinternat EatFitandmomof Jace(8),foodcanbe complicatedbecause ofsignificantfood allergies.Carpool snacksinJace’s“safe zone”includecrispy chickpeas,plantain chipsandseaweed sheets. “Oursnacks lookalittledifferent becauseofJace’s allergies.He’sallergic tonuts,fish,oats,soy, dairy,eggandtreenuts,” shesaid.“We’vegotten creativewithwhatworksforhim.”
Jace,8yearsold,enjoysa healthysnackafterschool
SaraArtigues,lifestylenutritiondietitian atOchsnerHealthandmomofBenjamin (6),stockstrailmixwithnuts,raisinsanda wholegraincereallikeMultigrainCheerios, Sunchipsandindividuallywrapped,snacksizecheese.“Iliketokeepitsimplewith thingsthathitallthebases—protein, crunchandsomethingfun,”shesaid.
AnnaWalterWhite,dietitianatEat FitShreveportandmomofEllie(22 months),breaksupminifruitbarsand unsweetenedfreeze-driedfruitinto tinybites.“Wekeepitreallysimplewith
MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.
In 2023, Louisiana had the 16th-highest percentageof Medicare members getting mammogram screenings.
Mammograms are low-dose X-rays of the breast. Regular mammograms can help find breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to be successful, according to the American Cancer Society
On average, 38% of Louisianans with Medicare will getamammogram screening, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.That’sjust belowthe national averageat 37%.
American Cancer Society screening recommendations for women at averagebreast cancer risk are as follows:
■ Women between 40 and
44 have the optiontostart screening witha mammogram every year
■ Women 45 to 54 should getmammograms every year
■ Women 55 andolder can switch to amammogram every otheryear,ortheycan choosetocontinue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a womanisingoodhealthand is expectedtoliveatleast 10 more years.
■ All womenshould understand what toexpect when gettinga mammogram forbreast cancer screening
These parishes had the highest percentageofadults with Medicare to have a mammogram screening in 2023,indescending order:
■ St.Charles Parishwith 45%,
■ Lafayette Parish with 43%,
■ Assumption, Jefferson, Orleans, St.Tammanyand
Webster parishes with 42%,
■ and Acadiaand Bossier parishes with 40%
These parishes had the lowest percentageofadults with Medicare to have a mammogram screeningin 2023, in ascendingorder:
■ Caldwell and Vernon parishes with 25%,
■ Franklin Parish with 26%,
■ Winn Parish with 28%,
■ Allen,Morehouse and Washington parishes with 31%,
■ Beauregard, Catahoula, Grant, Red River,Richland and Tensas parishes with 32%,
■ and East Feliciana, LaSalle and Union parishes with 33%
toddler-friendlyfavorites —easytextures,clean ingredients,”shesaid. AmandaLangford, associatechief,clinical nutrition,nutrition andfoodservice,New Orleans-baseddietitian andmomoftwo daughtersmixesand matchessnacksfrom threecategories:carbs (crackers,popcorn orfruit),protein/fat (cheesestick,singleservingpeanutbutter orturkeyslices)and fun(chocolatechips orfruitgummies).“We doa‘chooseyourown adventure’snackboxthat wepackthenightbefore: pickacarb,pickaproteinand/orfat,picka funadd-in,”shesaid.“Itkeepskidsengaged andgivesthemownership.Ondayswith four-hourgymnastics,we’llpackabigger versionofthis.”
MicheleGerarve,oncologydietitianat OchsnerHealthandmomofLuca(4),avoids peanutsbecauseofanallergy,optingfor simplebasics MadeGoodGranolaMinis, SimpleMillsPopMmmsorcheesesticks “Lucaisallergictopeanuts,sowegofor snacksthatarenut-free,simpleandeasyto portion,”shesaid.
BottomLine
Carpoolsnackscanbesimple,andalittle planninggoesalongway.Thebestoptions haveamixofcarbswithproteinand/or fattokeepkidsfueleduntilthenextmeal, whilealsokeepingcarmesstoaminimum. Whetherit’sasimplecheesestickorevena proteinshakeinaspill-proofthermos,these tipsfromregistereddietitiansandparents willmaketheridesmootherforeveryone.
Breast cancerscreeningsinLouisiana
Thepercent of people over theage of 65 with Medicare whohad amammogram screeningin 2023 in each Louisianaparish.
It also helped to improvesleep
BY MARGARETDELANEY Staff writer
Aprotein pill could help weight loss and improve sleep habits in obese adults, affirmingthe long-standing theory that sleep and metabolism are connected, according to anew studyconducted at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.
“The findings are very exciting —Pep19 not only
improvedsleep butalsoreducedabdominal fat,” said Dr.Prachi Singh, associate professor and director of the Sleepand Cardiometabolic Health Lab at Pennington Biomedical. Themolecule, Pep19, is a synthetic version of avery small pieceofprotein naturally found in human cells. Pep19 hasanti-obesity effects, improving blood sugar,cholesterol andblood pressure in animal models in previousstudies. In this study out of Pennington, Singh andDr. Frank Greenwayfound that five
milligrams of Pep19 taken orally each nightreduces visceral fat andimproves sleep quality.
The results from theearlystage clinical trial, conducted alongside Israel’sProteimax Biotechnology and Brazil’sUniversityofSão Paulo’s BiomedicalSciences Institute,was publishedin thejournal Diabetes MetabolismResearch and Reviews in June.
The clinical trial looked at 24 volunteers between the ages of 46 and59, weighing between 91 and 106 kilograms (that’sabout 200 to 233
pounds) witha body mass index between 30 and 35.
Thesesubjectswere evaluated over 60 days in a triple-blind clinical trial. In this type of scientific study, neither theparticipants, the researchers northose responsible forthe analysis know which volunteers took Pep19 and which took aplacebo. Participantswere divided into three groups: placebo, twomilligrams of Pep19and five milligrams of Pep19. The medication was given orally in capsules once aday before bedtime.
At the end of 60 days, parameters such as quality of life,bodycompositionand biochemical markers were evaluated.
The resultsshowed that the group thatreceived5 mg of Pep19 had a17% reductioninvisceral fat, which is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease andtype 2 diabetes, with no changes in lean body mass.
In addition, allvolunteers whoreceived Pep19 in either concentration showed improvedsleep quality,which is important since poor sleep contributes to obesity and
its adverse effects. Notably,noside effects were observed. The authors of the study emphasize that more extensive and longer-term clinical studiesare still needed. However,the “beneficialeffects, safetyand ease of administration of the molecule reinforceits potentialasa practical and effective solution,”according to astatement from Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.
Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute announced its participation as the first site in Louisiana for a Phase I clinical trial evaluating allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy Dr. Nakhle Saba serves as the principal investigator for this innovative study involving cellular immunotherapy Allogeneic CAR-T therapy uses donor-derived T cells that are genetically engineered to recognize and target cancer cells. This approach may lead to reduced treatment durations and enhanced patient outcomes.
Cancer Institute welcomes cell therapy doctor
Dr Harry Sequeira will be join-
ing the team at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute in Baton Rouge. Sequeira, an internal medicine physician specializing in cell therapy and leukemia, will be part of the Heme-Malignancy and Cell Therapy Program. The location has recently become a site for a Phase I clinical trial with Poseida for allogeneic CAR-T therapy a personalized form of immunotherapy that trains your immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer Holistic wellness clinic to open in Central Revive Wellness, a premier holistic health clinic offering comprehensive care for women, children, and families, announces official
grand opening on Friday, Sept 26.
Revive Wellness, at 18901 Greenwell Springs Road, Suite B, Central, will push clients through a multidisciplinary approach that includes chiropractic care, nutrition coaching, massage therapy, infant feeding, speech therapy, strength training and supportive services for families
Ochsner LSU welcomes pediatric ENT
Ochsner LSU Health welcomes pediatric ENT Dr Saudamini Lele to the team. Lele brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care for children across
the region. ‘Hope Walk’ to be held in Baton Rouge Oct. 18
The Louisiana Affiliate of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America will host the rescheduled 2025 HDSA Team Hope Walk on Oct. 18, at BREC Highland Road Grand Pavilion, 14024 Highland Road, Baton Rouge. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the event begins at 10 a.m. Rural health program seeks responses
The Louisiana Department of Health launches an online form to address strategies in delivering
rural health care. The results and responses from the survey will inform the state department’s application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rural Health Transformation Program. LDH is seeking feedback from hospitals, health care providers, academic institutions, community-based organizations technology suppliers and rural residents. The online form can be found on the LDH website and must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Sept. 24. Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com.
BY LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON A self-described science nerd is the latest American to get an experimental pig kidney transplant, at a crucial point in the quest to prove if animals organs really might save human lives
The 54-year-old New Hampshire man is faring well after his June 14 operation, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital announced last week.
“I really wanted to contribute to the science of it,” Bill Stewart, an athletic trainer from Dover, New Hampshire, told The Associated Press.
That’s not the only milestone the Mass General team is marking: A pig kidney has kept another New Hampshire man, Tim Andrews, off dialysis for a record seven months and counting. Until now, the longest that a gene-edited pig organ transplant was known to last was 130 days.
Based on lessons from the New Hampshire men and a handful of other one-off attempts, the Food and Drug Administration approved pig producer eGenesis to begin a rigorous study of kidney xenotransplants
“Right now we have a bottleneck” in finding enough human organs, said Mass General kidney specialist Dr Leonardo Riella who will help lead the new clini-
Continued from page 1X
a very specific pathway where our teams go to evaluate you.”
Dr Matt Buzhardt an internist of hospital medicine at the Lake, suspected sepsis shock early-on in Herman Middleton’s prognosis, and immediately put him on antibiotics.
After MRI’s and ultrasounds Buzhardt and his team were able to determine that not only did Herman Middleton suffer septic shock, his original infection was Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria that has killed six people in the state this summer His prognosis of Vibrio and septic shock, Herman Middleton was lucky to be alive, according to Regina Middleton and many of his doctors
Saving a life
The IntelliSep test saved Herman Middleton’s life, and he isn’t the first patient at Our Lady of the Lake to benefit from the groundbreaking test.
Since introducing the test in August 2023, the Lake’s emergency department has tested 18,757 patients, reduced mortality by 24% in sepsis patients and reduced mortality by 18% in non-sepsis patients.
IntelliSep is used in the entire Our Lady of the Lake hospitals, including Ascension, St Elizabeth and Acadiana locations. Johns Hopkins Hospital System in Maryland, Hous-
Surgeons,
cal trial.
into Bill Stewart on June 14 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney and thousands die waiting.
As an alternative, scientists are genetically altering pigs so their organs are more humanlike, less likely to be immediately attacked and
destroyed by people’s immune system.
Initial experiments, two hearts and two kidneys, were short-lived and included very ill patients. Chinese researchers also recently announced a kidney xenotransplant but released little information.
Then an Alabama woman whose pig kidney lasted 130 days before rejection prompted its removal, sending her back to dialysis, helped researchers shift to not-as-sick patients.
In New Hampshire, high blood pressure caused Stewart’s kidneys to fail but
he had no other health problems. It can take up to seven years for people with his blood type to find a matching kidney from a deceased donor, and some would-be living donors didn’t qualify After two years on dialysis, he heard about Mass General’s most recent xenotrans-
Dr Chris Thomas puts his arm on Regina Middleton and says the life of her husband, Herman, was saved because of how soon she got him to the ER while he was dealing with sepsis recently at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital Herman spent several weeks as a patient at OLOL where Regina also works.
ton Methodist in Texas and Stanford University Medical Centers in California all have FDA-approval to use the device.
“Before this, we had to assume everyone had sepsis,” said Thomas, vice president and chief quality officer for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. “We can move our focus to finding the cause of a patient’s in-
fection, instead of treating every patient for sepsis.”
Now nurses and doctors can spend time diagnosing and treating patients that come in with septic-like symptoms. The test saves the hospital time and money — and sends patients home a day earlier on average.
Looking to the future
As a patient becomes
less-likely to become septic, their IntelliSep score decreases from three to one, according to a new published study out of Johns Hopkins. The band score will decrease before a patient’s organs recover Thomas said.
“A patient can go from a three to a two to a one, “ Thomas said. “The one band score will be there 24-hours before his kidney
function starts to get better.”
The Lake health system, however, can only use the IntelliSep test within the restrictions of their FDAapproval from 2023 — testing patients when they come into the hospital. With further research, Thomas said the test can make the hospital more confident sending healthy patients home.
plant recipient — Andrews — and applied to be the next candidate.
“I’ve always been a little bit of a science nerd,” Stewart said Conscious of how new these experiments are, he sought out Andrews for advice and ultimately decided, “worst case scenario, they can always take it out.” Thrilled to no longer have his time and energy sapped by dialysis, Stewart said he’s easing back into desk duties at work and visited his old dialysis clinic to “let everyone know I’m doing all right and maybe kind of give some people some hope.” Riella, the kidney specialist, said Stewart had his anti-rejection drugs adjusted to counter an early concern and that Andrews has needed similar adjustments. He said it’s far too early to predict how long pig kidneys might be able to last but it would be useful even if initially they can buy people time off dialysis until they get a matching human organ.
“A year, hopefully longer than that — that’s already a huge advantage,” he said. The new eGenesis trial will provide gene-edited pig kidney transplants to 30 people age 50 or older who are on dialysis and the transplant list. Another developer of gene-edited pig organs, United Therapeutics, is about to start enrolling people in a similar FDAapproved study
“If you’re ever going to test someone in an emergency department, and you’re going to give them a piece of information that says you can go home to your dinner, I want them to stay home,” Thomas said. Regina Middleton took precarious notes of her husband’s stay at the Lake, recounting that Herman Middleton had gained 56 pounds of fluid in his body, primarily his lower extremities, in 30 days.
The eve before his departure to outpatient care, doctors drained three and a half liters, almost one gallon, of fluid from Herman Middleton, providing instant relief.
“It was a pain like I’d never seen before,” Herman Middleton said. “I couldn’t walk with all of the fluid in my legs and in my feet.”
After two stays at the Lake’s telemetry unit and a six-day stay in the ICU, Herman Middleton is back on his feet, walking with his wife at home.
“I’m 61-years-old,” Herman Middleton said pointing to his wife, “I’m lucky to be here right now and, without this angel, I would not be alive.” Herman and Regina Middleton walk together every day A feat they would have not thought possible just two months ago.
“We give the glory to God, family and friends,” Regina Middleton said. “We know that the doctors here are the reason we’re here.”
Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.
By AmandaMcElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
Thisstory is brought to you by
OchsnerHealth.
Today, morepeople aresurviving strokes with fewerlong-lasting side effects becauseof fast-acting treatments medications and minimally invasiveprocedures —delivered in the first hoursaftersymptoms begin, when the brain has the greatest chance to heal. The quick treatments and advanced rehabilitation happening at Ochsner Health provide life-saving accessto expert strokecarethat is critically important in Louisiana
According to the Centersfor Disease Controland Prevention, strokeisthe state’s fourth leading causeofdeath, placing Louisiana squarely within the “StrokeBelt” of the United States.
While the data is sobering, Ochsner experts areoptimistic thatraising awareness about strokesymptoms and the benefits of immediate treatments willsavemorelives and improve recovery forstrokesurvivors.
Quick action canmake all the difference
Astrokeoccurswhen blood flowto the brain is interrupted. The majorityof strokes,about 87%, areischemic, caused by clots thatblock bloodvessels.Hemorrhagic strokes makeupabout 13% of incidents and occur when aweakened blood vesselbursts and bleeds into the brain. Arelatedcondition,called atransient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini-stroke, is caused by atemporary blockage. Although TIAs resolvequickly,theseare medical emergencies and often signal the possibilityofadditional and potentially moreseverestrokes in the future.
“Any type of strokeisanemergency,” said Shail S. Thanki, MD vascular and interventional neurologist,Ochsner LafayetteGeneral Neuroscience Center.“In the past, therewas amisperception thatonce astrokehappens,thereisnothing youcan do.Thatisnolongerthe case.Wenow have clot-busting medications and canperform amechanical thrombectomyto remove aclot.However, this is all time-sensitive. Every minutethatthe brain is not getting blood, brain cells aredying. The longer you wait,the lesschance youhaveofagood recovery.You want to gettreatmentassoon as possible.
Speech: Slurred speech or difficultyspeaking or understanding Time:
Time to call 911immediately
“Clot-busting medications arestandardtherapyfor an acutestroke, especially in patients who arriveatthe hospital within 4.5hoursofhaving symptoms,” he said. “If needed, we can alsoperform amechanical thrombectomy to physically remove aclot.Stroke treatmenthas evolved significantly over thepast10to15years, and newerclinical trials have shown thatthrombectomy is one of thebest treatments.Hereat Ochsner LafayetteGeneral, we areactually one of the busiest centers in Louisiana forthrombectomyprocedures and ranked by U.S. News &World Report as high performing in stroketreatment and procedures.”
While timely treatmentmakes adifference in astrokepatient’s outcomes,the rehabilitation processafter the emergency has passedisalsocritical. Ochsner’s services include physical, occupational and speech therapyinboth inpatientand outpatientsettings.
ShailS.Thanki,MD Neurology
“Patience is key. You arenot going to seedrastic changes overnightorevenin aweek,”Dr. Thanki said. “It is going to requirepersistence, determination andcontinued effort.”
Dailydecisions can impactstroke risk
Anytypeofstrokeisan emergency.Inthepast, therewasamisperception thatonceastroke happens,thereisnothing youcando.Thatisno longerthecase.
Dr.Thanki said thatmeans calling for medical help as soon as strokesymptoms appear,which could include asudden loss of balance or coordination, eyeproblems and vision trouble, facial drooping on one side, weaknessornumbnessinone arm, or slurred or confused speech. The BE FAST acronym is asimple waytoremember thesesymptoms.Itstands for:
Balance: Sudden lossofbalance or coordination
Eyes: Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Face: Facial drooping, usually on one side
Arms: Arm weaknessornumbness, especially if one arm drifts downward
Certain risk factorscan makepeople more susceptible to astroke. Theseinclude high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, excessivealcohol consumption, high blood sugar and sleep apnea.Louisiana’sheatand humidity canelevate strokerisk foreveryone. Research published by the American Heart Association in 2024found thatextreme heatcontributed to additional ischemic and hemorrhagicstrokedeaths worldwide, with low-income and medically underserved regions being themost vulnerable.
“Hottertemperatures and humiditycreatemorerisk for elevatedblood pressure, high cholesterol, dehydration and electrolyteimbalances that canmakepeople moreprone to strokes,” said Kadyn Brooks, NP,neurology, OchsnerMed-
ShailS.Thanki,MD Vascularandinterventionalneurology OchsnerLafayetteGeneral NeuroscienceCenter Oncesomeoneworks withtheirprimarycare providertocontroland managetheirriskfactors, itbecomesmoreabout maintenance.Youcan workonthingsalittleat atime,daybyday,and decreaseyourstrokerisk.
KadynBrooks,NP Neurology OchsnerMedicalComplex–TheGrove
ical Complex– The Grove in BatonRouge.
“The health risk factorsand environmentalriskfactors correlate.Ifyou have comorbidities,prolonged heatexposurecan further increaseyour risk of stroke.”
Brookssaid thereare severalsteps people cantaketoreduce theirrisk of having
astroke. The American Stroke Association estimatesthat up to 80% of strokes arepreventable through lifestyle and medical management. Some steps people cantakeinclude managing their blood pressure, staying well hydrated, eating heart-healthydiets,exercising regularly,quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intakeand screening forheart conditions thatcan be managed under a doctor’s supervision.
“A holistic approach is usually best,” Brookssaid. “I’ve seen people reduce their risk factors with aMediterranean diet or DASH diet,which is lowinsodium. Anyexerciseisbeneficial, even going forabrisk walk afew times aweek. Once someone workswith their primary care provider to controland manage their risk factors, it becomes moreabout maintenance. You canwork on thingsalittle at a time, daybyday,and decrease your strokerisk.
Ochsner leadswith educationand screenings Dr.Thanki said Ochsner is alsotaking abroader approach when it comes to strokeprevention. He and his stroketeam host an annual strokescreening event, in which people canhave their cholesterol levels and carotid arteries tested, while alsospeaking to adoctor about their family history and other risk factors. Other community outreach and educational programs takeplace throughout the year,and Dr.Thanki said he has made it aprioritytocontinue to raiseawareness.
“The keytostrokeprevention is education and helping people modifyrisk factors. When we do that, our communities are healthier overall,”hesaid. “I have heardsomanypatients saythatthey didn’tthink theycould have astroke. They think theyare invincible, or theyaren’t awareoftheir risk factors. The morewe canhelp them identifythosefactors and addressthem, the more chances we have of preventing strokes in the future.
MatthewP. | TriathleteHipPatient
AttheOchsnerAndrewsOrthopedicandSportsMedicineInstitute,every decisionwemakeisfocusedonhelpingourpatientsmoveforward.Fromthe latesttechnologytothedepthofourexpertise,ourteambringselitecare, cutting-edgeresearch,andadvancedtrainingtothecommunitiesweserve. Yourrecovery,goals,andqualityoflifedriveeverythingwedo—andwe moveforwardwithyou,everystepoftheway.
Learnmoreorscheduleanappointmentatochsner.org/BRortho
LaPlaceteenager’s storefront business promotes healthyeating
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
Every Saturday night, Kaylee Davis andher family transformed their LaPlace kitchen into ajuice factoryin hopes of furthering the 12-year-old’s entrepreneurial dreams Into the wee hours of the morning, they would prep,cut andjuiceapples, bananas, papayas, lemons, strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, kale and other ingredients forKaylee’svarious juice blends that she would bottle, label and sell the next day at alocal farmer’smarket.
“She wasselling out within an hour,” Kaylee’s mother,Tishia Boldene Davis, 45, recalled of those early days. Four yearslater,Kayleeand her family expanded on those dreams. Squeezy Fresh, abrick-and-mortar juice bar,opened July 18 in Destrehan where the now-16-year-old high school junior and herstaff sell freshly pressedjuicesand smoothieblends, including her bestsellers, Summerfest, Strawberry Shortcake, Green Delight and Island Breeze.
Kaylee’sultimate goal is to get more people —teensand kids especially to think healthier.Her creative taste buds are the business’ secret weapon. Kaylee threw herself into researching and formulating juice blends to help her little brother,who wasdiagnosedwitha rare form ofepilepsy Butasfamily,friends and the commu-
nity soon learned, shehad aknack for creatingbeneficial andfantastically yummy juicerecipes.
“Strawberry.Kiwi. Iget an idea in my head and just make it,” Kaylee said.
Kaylee’sfirst foray into juicingbeganat10whenshe triedtoimprove the taste of the kale juice herfather drank everymorning.
“I knew Icould make this better,” shesaid.
Kaylee began experimenting with variousfruitsand vegetablecombinations. Herhobbygained newpurpose when sheset out tohelp her little brother,DeVaughn. Hisepileptic seizures sometimesmeant trips to ahospitalinHoustonfor treatment.
“I wasnot OK,seeing my brother in astate where he doesn’thavecontrol of his body,”she said. “It was very scary seeing my parentswake up in themiddleofthe night to bring him to the hospital.
DeVaughn’sdoctor’srecommended limiting certain foodsfromhis diet, Tishia BoldeneDavis said. Cow’s milk, for instance, affected his epilepsy,meaninghehad to stick to almond or coconut milk.Kaylee thought perhaps juicing might give him some betteralternatives.
Through her juicing recipes, she found ways to gether brother to take in more vegetables and beneficial mineralswithout added sugar or a bitter taste. DeVaughn is nowpartial to Kaylee’sBeetnikjuice, thoughhe won’t eat beets on their own, shesaid.
In additiontothe obvious fruits and veggies, Kaylee’singredients listalso includes sea moss, rich in vitamins and minerals; turmeric, believed to
have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; moringa,another plant chock full of vitamins; camu camu, aberry high in vitamin C; and cacao, dark chocolate.
After DeVaughn saw benefitsfrom his sister’sjuices, Kaylee began sharingher blends with otherfamily members. Thosefamily membersbegansharing with friends whostarted to send Kaylee requests for bottles
In 2021, Kayleebegan selling seven flavors of her freshly pressed, homebottled juices everySundayatthe HarahanFarmer’sMarket, Tishia BoldeneDavissaid.
“Thekids loved it. The adults loved it,”she said.
Kaylee’s success at the farmer marketled the family to look into turning Squeezy Fresh LLC. into an official juice bar.Tishia Boldene Davis, an accountant by trade, became an investor andco-owner, handlingthe financesideofbusinesswhile Kaylee assumed command of recipesand design.
Tishia BoldeneDavis hired aconsultantfrom ajuice company based in California to show them the ropes
“I hired themtocome on board, and they helpedwith everything from the design to openingupand giving us feedbackonoperations,” shesaid.
Kaylee’sfamily helped renovate andprepare thespace thecompany rented at 1955 OrmondBlvd., Destrehan, and held agrandopening and ribboncutting on Aug. 7.
Kaylee stopsbythe store every day and worksthere at least three days a week. However,Terrielle Johnson, affectionately knownas“Ms.T,” is the
ä See DREAM, page 2Y
Ihaven’tspent many yearsof my life living alone, but Ienjoyed the few yearsthat Idid. Twoofthoseyearswerespent in the early 1990s in aone-bedroom apartment above adesign studio on ThomaStreet near downtown Reno, Nevada. It was adream of alittle apartment, with abig deck looking to the west toward the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance.
Iloved that little apartment and enjoyed making it my own.
For the first year Ilived there, Idid not have atelevision. However,anold boyfriend gave me a6-inch color television that I put in acorner and rarely used. (I used to remember it being a black-and-white television, but there’sa detail I’ll shareinamoment that proves otherwise). I’ve never been much of a housekeeper,but one day Idecided to go all-in on cleaning my little home. Iturned on the television to keep me company.A redheaded comedian was telling aseries of stories on TV.(The fact that Iremember he had red hair is what has convinced me that the television was color). He began to tell one story about aguy whogot aparking ticket in San Francisco. It was a story that completely changed my life.
The comedian said he sawa manwalk out of his hometo find aparking ticket on his Jeep Cherokee. Even beforehegot to the ticket pinned beneath his windshield wiper,the manstarted yelling and cursing. Finally, he picked it up and continued to rant and rave and yell and curse flailing the ticket in the air and generally having afit.
This manlived on abig hill, and askateboarder was coming down the hill, watching the scene unfold.
The manwith the parking ticket continued to wail.
The skateboarder continued to ride down the hill. Eventually, the two were side by side, and the skateboarder said to the man with theparking ticket, “Acknowledge, man, and move on.”
The comedian then said, and I’m paraphrasing herefrom more than 30 yearsofmemory, “I mean, what’sthe mangoing to do? Is he going to stayinthat frenzied state forever? No, he’s not. If he’seven remotely mentally and emotionally healthy, he’sgoing to get over it eventually.Sowhy not do it now?”
Those wordsstopped me in my tracks.
Ihad never thought about anything like that. Igrewupin atimeand place watching most of the adults around me hold on to any perceived wrongs against them like badges of honor.The comedian’sidea made complete sensetome. Why not just let it go from the start and move on?
Andthat’swhat Istarted trying to do right then.
My life since has been profoundly better and more enjoyable. Until then, Ihad operated on the belief that my anger or frustration, or whatever negative emotion Iwas embracing, would somehow empower or vindicate me.Orthat it would serveto prove that Iwas right.
What good does being both right and unhappy serve?
Simply letting the gunk go and moving directly into the “whatto-do-to-fix-this” phasehas changed everything.
Of course,Iamnot always able to immediately just let something go. Sometimes,Istill
ä See RISHER, page 2Y
‘Everything
Lafayette Ballet Theatre shapes future leaders
BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer
Shannon Heath fell in love with ballet at 6 years old after her mother put her and her sisters in a dance class in Houston after the passing of their father
With their collective experience, the women have danced in New York, Chicago, Colorado, Canada and more. In 1982, Heath’s sister, Lynnie, opened Dance Innovations in Lafayette, and in 1995, Shannon Heath took over and renamed the studio to Lafayette Ballet Theatre, which is now a nonprofit organization.
Today, Shannon Heath and her sister, Mitzi, lead Lafayette Ballet Theatre as artistic directors. They have staged “The Nutcracker” for 25 years and host educational programs that reach over 2,500 children annually in schools and at the theater
This year, Lafayette Ballet Theatre will stage “The Nutcracker” Dec 13 and 14. Visit lafayetteballettheatre.org for more information. What is the significance of The Nutcracker, and why is it important to you? Personally, it’s very important, but it’s also important to the growth of our children. It offers vital opportunity for them to perform on stage. We bring in guest artists from all across the world. We’re very lucky to gain these artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet, who come to Acadiana and work with our children.
Not only is The Nutcracker important because it’s a beautiful holiday tradition, but it also offers roles for almost every age level that develop skills that build upon themselves What you learn as an angel is musicality But what you learn as an angel builds on what you need for the next role. It also gives us an opportunity for us to employ local artists. What’s really special about this year is that it’s our 25th anniversary How far has Lafayette Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker come in 25 years?
My sister, Mitzi, and I are co-artistic directors. We staged the ballet in 2001, crossing our fingers that it would take hold in our community, because Acadiana had a touring company that would come in and bring it. They didn’t use local dancers. We wanted so much, as
Continued from page 1y
juice bar’s general manager
“My boss is 16,” Johnson said with a smile. “Kaylee is my favorite person. She’s a big motivation I don’t know how she can handle it all, school and everything else she’s got going on.”
In addition to classwork, Kaylee plays point guard for the basketball season that is about to get underway She also runs track, though she recently halted volleyball because there just wasn’t enough time.
“I try to get all my work done at school,” Kaylee said.
“If I don’t, I’ll do it in the car on the way here.” Kaylee’s next goal is a food truck so that she can bring her juices to more farmers markets and festivals.
“She wants young people to know that healthy does taste good,” Tishia Boldene Davis said.
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.
Lafayette Ballet Theater, to present this and offer this to children all throughout Acadiana. It doesn’t just include our school, it includes all of the dancers of Acadiana.
Twenty-five years later, we’re more appreciative of this ballet than ever before.
We were able to build a new facility to accommodate the artists, which was finished in 2017. The growth from “The Nutcracker” has allowed Lafayette Ballet Theatre to thrive and has offered dancers from all across Acadiana an opportunity to perform in this incredible classic.
This year we’re partnering with Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. We’ll be employing 40 musicians and at least 20 local artists, so it’s a big collaborative effort.
What has the experience been like to work with your sister?
That’s the glue that holds it all together, and I think that’s why we’ve been so successful. We’re willing to work hard, and we’ve used everyone’s talents in the family
My mother no longer does the costumes, but she set some of those original costumes that allowed the theatre to have incredible productions like “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty.” Her legacy will live forever and dance forever
As a child, did you originally ask to be put in dance, or did your mom enroll you in dance?
When I was 2, my other sister Lynnie was 8, and Mitzi was 10. When we were of that age, my father died of a heart attack. He was only 30. When he passed away, my mom had three young girls. From the story I’ve heard, a therapist told her to put us in something — make them active, give them things to challenge them, and put them in something that you think they would enjoy
We were all living in Houston because my father worked for NASA. He was a mechanical engineer, and he was part of a team that developed the fuel cell that was used in the Apollo craft that went to the moon When he passed, my mom decided that we should come home to Louisiana.
She went home to her parents, and she put us in dance — because she desperately wanted it as a child, but they didn’t have the resources when she was young. We were taking all types of dance, and ballet stuck. Every summer we were in New York with every program almost imaginable. We were so fortunate because our mom would come with us and make all these opportunities possible.
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Those opportunities were important because we didn’t know it, but we would have a lifelong commitment to providing dance education in Acadiana
Besides dance skills, of course, what other skills does dance teach a student?
Everything. I don’t know when it happens, but somewhere between the first day and when you see the dancers do big leaps across the stage, there is every single thing you need to succeed.
It’s discipline, time management, intelligence, failure, teamwork and commitment.
We’ve had several alumni come back to speak at fundraisers, and there are neurologists and lawyers. One doctor even told me, “School wasn’t any different. When I didn’t feel well, I had to be at rehearsal. There weren’t any questions asked. Whether I was ready or not, the performance was coming, and that curtain was going to open. You better be out there ready.”
I’ve never been to medical school — it definitely wouldn’t be the thing for me — but I’ve had so many people tell me that everything you need to succeed in life is in a ballet class. How do you think dance builds confidence in young women?
have to wallow in it a bit — or talk it through several times. However, for the most part, I have been practicing “Acknowledge and move on,” since that day It has been my mantra Through the years, I’ve searched for the comedian to no avail. I would love to tell him how that story changed everything for me. Watching our home burn a few weeks ago and the days and weeks since has given me plenty of opportunity to continue the practice. There have certainly been some moments of despair, but trying to approach the whole experience from a “this-is-sointeresting” perspective has made this time much easier to bear — like the
“Let’s turn
Over and over, we’ll have dancers that gain acceptance into professional winter programs. We’re so proud of that, but one of the first things, believe it or not, that does build confidence is failure.
As a teacher, it’s not what I see as something that a student will call failure. From a student’s point of view, failure is not gain-
ing the role they felt they worked hard for or not gaining acceptance into a program. They turn that into motivation to move them forward. Not all, but a very large percentage turn that into motivation to change what they’re doing, add more work or build strength.
A lot of times they’ll build confidence by performing
a role that’s way outside their comfort zone. When I watch them struggle and then I see them perform this incredible variation on stage, I have pride like a mother a little bit. If everybody else believes in them, they begin believing in themselves.
Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.
BR organization helpsfamilies of young children
BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer
When children are little, their first teachers are their parents.
But when it comestime for preschool, not every young child is enrolled. Sometimes, ifthey haven’tbeen trained, parents and caregivers don’tknow how to implement playtime,socialization, reading time and developmental learning.
The Baton RougeEarly Childhood Education Collaborative is here to help parents by providing home-based early childhood education and supportfor families and caregivers of underserved preschool-aged children.
“Weare aboutkindergarten readiness, but we are really about school readiness,” said Cathy Griffin, an education consultant with the collaborative. “Wewant to tapinto children’s curiosity that they’re born with.”
In 2021, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children conducted research that found the state of Louisiana serves only 29% of in-need children four andunder in all publicly funded early care andeducation programs includingEarly Head Start,Head Start and state-administered programs such as the Child Care Assistance Program. Because kindergarten is mandatory by law in Louisiana forchildren who are5years old by Sept. 30, many do not meet the benchmarks for school readiness by that age.
For early childhood education to succeed in Louisiana, BRECEC executive director Patricia Haynes-Smith says that the state needs donor money forthose individuals who are not receiving state money ‘Theyweren’t ready’
In 2018, BRECEC’scurrent chief operating officer,Dan Chavis, met with community members to discuss ways to helpreach underserved childrenbelow the age of
five. Thecollaborative was formed thenext year,and by 2020, the organization had its 501(c)(3) status.
In Marchof2021, BRECEC established the HomeStart Early Childhood Educationand Wellness programtocater to families with children who aren’tenrolled in learningcenters or Head Start programs. Over 255 familieswith 367 children havebeen enrolled in the program since its inception.
Sonny Cranch, aretired public relations and advertising executive, volunteers with HomeStart and has been an advocate of BRECEC since thebeginning.
“Inhomes wherethere wasnot access to nor could the caregivers afford day care, the children wouldshowupatthe schoolhouse door, and they weren’tready for school,” Cranch said. “They didn’t knowthe numbers. Theydidn’t knowthe alphabet, didn’tknow their colors.BRECEC realizedthat those very children were the ones that, as they progressed through school,become more andmore frustrated.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation was thefirst source of funding for HomeStart in 2021. Other donorslike the Louisiana Department of Health Bureau of Minority Health Access, East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority,Wilson Foundation, Louis Calder Foundation, East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Charles Lamar Family Foundation were other donorsthathelped get theprogram off the ground.
The HomeStart program employs three early learning specialists who use the evidence and playbased curriculum,ParentChild+, as wellasLouisiana Believes early childhood education standardsto teach children directly and train parents and caregivers to implement early childhood learning strategies. Thespecialists visit thefamiliestwiceaweekfor 48 weeks.
HomeStart in Baton Rouge is the only ParentChild+siteinthe Deep South. Started in New York in 1979, ParentChild+ wasthe product of several years of Dr.Phyllis Levenstein’sresearch and pilot program, theVerbal Interaction Project and theMother-Child Home Program,
which approached reaching children and their parents at home, before they even entered school.
The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children foundthat only 30% of Louisiana children arrive at kindergarten meetingcritical benchmarks.Early care andeducation programs prepare children to enter kindergartenreadytosucceed, which reduces the likelihood of academic struggles later on. When children begin school behind, they generally remain behind. However,studies show that when children can read proficiently by third grade, they are more likely to achieve academic success, graduate fromhigh school anddowellwhenthey enterthe
workforce, Chavis said. “Young children feel failure, and they feel it very strongly,” Griffin said. “If you start in acycle of failure, you go into every activity and every teacher feeling like you’re goingtofail. Whenyou work with children, one-on-one or in small groups, they begin to experience success.”
During each HomeStart visit, the earlylearningspecialistsgive the parent or caregiver afree book or an educational toy and guide sheet that’sfocused on school readiness skills.The specialistsmeetwith families and home-basedchild care providers with up to six children under 5years old. They model playing with thedevelopmental toys and reading the appropriate bookstothe children so parents
andcaregiverscan continuethe early learning at home.
“The parents see the joy in doing that andwhattheir children are learning. They’re filling their housewithgoodtoysand good books,” Griffin said.
Shelia Chavis, the BRECEC education director,says the collaborative wants to empower parents and caregivers through HomeStart strategies that are needed for school readiness.
After the Parent Child+ curriculumisfinished, the HomeStart early learning specialists introduce the Reading Out LoudEveryday programasa part of theliteracy initiative. The program provides parents with reading strategies to help their children develop language skills, vocabulary,comprehension and imagination.
“One of thestatisticsthat’salways stood outtomeisthatthe highest indicator of school success is children being read to on thelapsofa trusted adult,” Griffin said. “We’re helping them to do that. To see achild snuggle up and be read to, they just soak it up. I think literacy is key,just as parents being involved is key.”
Another expansion to HomeStart is ascience,technology,engineering, art and mathematics component that helps promote critical thinking, experimentation and creativity
STEAMItUpSaturdaysatCarver Library provides alearning environmentfor theHomeStart families. Griffin preparesexperiments and activities forthe children, and she showsfamilies how to gather loose parts and scavenged materials like boxes and bottle caps to do the activities at home.
“Everybody needs to get involved in better childhood education,” Dan Chavis said. “That’swhy we usethe word collaborative with ourname. We want everybody to get involved. We don’twant to take allthe credit.Wejustwanttobe aresource for the community; we can support the efforts of the parents.”
Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.
BY FIONA ANDRE Contributing writer
As he returned home from a Jewish National Fund convention in December 2023, Alexander Kalish, a Jewish high school student from the Seattle area, kept thinking about the demonstrations that disturbed the event.
For days, pro-Palestinian protesters stood outside the Denver convention center to denounce the gathering of pro-Israeli students and donors. As he watched protesters condemn the event as “pro-genocide” and JNF attendees dismiss their concerns, Kalish, now 17, said he considered what the two sides would gain from having a discussion.
Back home, he shared his idea of creating a space for students to share their diverse views on Israel and Palestine with his longtime friend and neighbor, Kenan Khatib, whose parents are Palestinian.
As tensions reached an all-time high among their classmates at their high school and they said they saw both sides dehumanizing the other, the two teens founded Voices of Understanding last fall, a Seattle nonprofit that aims to bridge differences between students and help them challenge their stances on Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“We’re not here to have a debate,” said Khatib, 15. “We’re here to have a discussion where both sides learn and have an open mind.”
The organization aims to help students connect respectfully, despite their disagreements, Kalish explained. “Our goal is that
when these people talk to each other they go from being people who hate this other group to being people who are like, ‘These people really aren’t that bad.’”
The organization is supported by the American Friends of the Parents Circle, a national group that brings together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost relatives in the conflict; Solutions Not Sides, a United Kingdom educational peace-building program; the United States-based Alliance for Middle East Peace; and Atidna International, a U.S. college-focused Jewish-Palestinian dialogue organization VOU counts Hamze Awawde, a Palestinian peace activist based in the West Bank; Jadd Hashem, a Palestinian American who serves as vice president of Atidna International; and Elijah Kahlenberg, founder of Atidna International, as advisers.
In hourlong confidential Zoom sessions, students are invited to share their views while demonstrating empa-
thy and understanding for the other side. After they fill out an online questionnaire inquiring about their views and knowledge of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, students are paired with a participant who holds opposite views and a facilitator who moderates the sessions. Participants can also join small group discussions.
The founders aim to have facilitated 100 separate discussions by the end of September.
Each meeting starts with a video outlining the rules to listen attentively not to interrupt and to remain respectful — and describing the purpose of the session. Rather than lecturing participants on the history of the conflict, the sessions focus on getting students to talk openly, explained Aude Santelmo, a 24-year-old recent college graduate from France who started moderating sessions in May Guidelines for facilitators recommend not to correct each other’s statements, noting “facts are
highly contested these days and you are not likely to agree on them in a one-hour conversation.” Instead, moderators should invite participants to accept that they “see certain facts differently rather than trying to straighten each other out.”
The document suggests students consider what they think the day-to-day lives of people living in Israel and the Palestinian territories are like, what they believe are the biggest misunderstandings about Israel and the Palestinian territories, and what peace would look like to them. At the end of the sessions, students are asked to reflect on what they learned from the conversation.
So far, the organization counts four facilitators, including Kalish’s father, Dan, who is also an adviser, and Awawde. All are expected to remain neutral during the sessions, a spokesperson for VOU told RNS.
Usually, Santelmo said, she starts by asking participants what they know about Israel and the Palestinian territories and where they’ve learned it from, she said.
“We try to bring a conversation where they can share their feelings,” said Santelmo, who moved from France to Israel to study conflict resolution and mediation at Tel Aviv University
When she senses tensions, Santelmo offers participants a break. Afterward, she has students reflect on what triggered the discomfort and helps them reformulate some of their stances in a way that might be better understood, she
said.
“Everyone has feelings I’m kind of connected to this and so obviously I’m not objective, but I think that my feelings about this should be acknowledged, and especially the feelings of the other side should also be acknowledged,” said Santelmo, who is Jewish.
Taking breaks and switching topics when they hit a roadblock is also what helped Kalish and Khatib have fruitful discussions, they both said.
Khatib, whose maternal family has lived in the village of Majd al-Krum in Galilee, now part of Israel, since 1938, told Kalish about the sense of injustice Palestinians have felt for decades. His paternal grandparents were among the about 750,000 Palestinians displaced during the Nakba, the forced exile of Palestinians in 1948, and became refugees in Lebanon.
He tried to articulate why some Palestinians viewed the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel as an act of liberation, though he said he deplored the violence. When the attack happened, Kalish was completing a semester abroad in Israel as part of a JNF fellowship. The program takes Jewish high schoolers to the country to follow an “Israel studies curriculum.” Kalish left Israel a few days after the attack and told Khatib about what it meant for Israeli society
The two teens, who prefer not to use the term “conflict” to talk about Israel and the Palestinian territories, spent weeks discussing the Israeli occupation in the West Bank,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government and the history and meaning of Zionism, before they founded VOU. Though the two disagreed on many things, sometimes circling on one topic for hours, their tense conversations helped them broaden their understanding of the decadeslong regional tensions, they said.
Eva Friedman, a 16-yearold participant from Seattle, said the sessions offered a much-needed space for open discussions. After the Oct. 7 attacks, Friedman, who is Jewish, said discussions were often very emotive.
“I saw the religious part of it a lot, and I also learned about it in school from a more unbiased perspective, and so I had already been able to see multiple ways to look at the issue,” she said. “I’ve always been cautious about it, but I also wanted to learn more.”
During the session she attended, which Kalish’s father moderated, the discussion started “at a surface level” before getting “deep” and touching on what she and her discussion partner thought could help bring peace, she said.
Kalish and Khatib are partnering with local high schools and colleges to encourage students to enroll in VOU’s sessions. Their project, they said, aims to help broaden opinions of younger students, who might be more open-minded than older ones.
“While it may not make a change now, in the future, it’ll make a change,” Khatib said.
BY ALLYSON CHIU Contributing writer
Editor’s note: This story, created by Allyson Chiu for The Washington Post is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world.
Dawn Taft reached into a tangle of leafy branches, the top half of her body largely disappearing from view
“Oh my God, pawpaws!” Taft exclaimed, holding back large canoe-shaped leaves to reveal a cluster of smooth, light-green fruit.
The tree bearing North America’s largest native fruit is one of more than a dozen edible plants flourishing in a roughly 8,600-square-foot plot sandwiched between homes and an auto-repair shop.
The space in Hyattsville, Maryland, was converted from two empty residential lots about a decade ago. It’s now a well-established “food forest” — like a community garden, but featuring food-bearing trees and shrubs, and intended to mimic the natural ecosystem. It provides residents with a chance to harvest fresh, free produce and to connect with nature, said Taft, the city’s environmental programs manager and arborist.
“When you live in a city, you sometimes don’t get to experience the forest,” or appreciate that the things you buy from a grocery store were grown somewhere, she said. “That’s a really cool piece of what this place offers.” Food forest projects have been taking root in multiple U.S cities. In Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle and elsewhere, groups have partnered with local communities to cultivate layers of edible plants on public parkland, in empty lots and along
roadsides
Their champions say that in ad-
dition to food, these forests offer a host of climate and environmental benefits
“It’s the most hopeful form of land management that I’ve heard about,” said Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested, a 10-acre experimental forest garden in Bowie, Maryland
Creating a food forest
Just down the road from a private golf course, beyond a gate made of rough-hewn branches and chicken wire, lies a dense thicket of trees. A rustic fence, obscured by greenery, keeps deer from gorging on the smorgasbord of nuts, berries, and other fruits and edible plants growing in Smith’s forest garden.
“It is pretty wild, but it’s actually pretty organized, too,” said Smith, a landscape architect by training who has designed urban food forests for neighboring cities, including the one on Emerson Street in Hyattsville.
“You’re targeting different crops and trying to balance ecosystem restoration and food production, which I think we can do in the same piece of ground,” he added.
The property, which used to be a cornfield, is bursting with native food-bearing trees and shrubs, as well as non-native species that shouldn’t outcompete them. Some selections attract pollinators or help put more nitrogen back into the soil.
Smith said he focuses on planting what naturally flourishes in the area. Instead of trying to grow apple trees, which don’t always thrive in Maryland, he opted for persimmons.
“If it grows without any help, you know it’s going to produce well for you,” he said.
He also makes sure to plant in multilayered arrangements, mimicking a natural forest
But, he cautioned, creating a food forest isn’t just about the plants.
“Some of my early mistakes in designing these spaces were just getting really excited about all the plants and then forgetting to leave any access for people,” he said.
Now, grassy pathways snake past leafy oaks; persimmon, pawpaw and native Chickasaw plum trees; and mulberry and blueberry plants. While the vegetation is dense, there are intentional sight lines that allow people roaming the forest to see through the lush trees and shrubs. Similar principles can be used to design food forests in more urban areas.
In Hyattsville, Smith designed an open space with wide paths, creating clear sight lines and multiple ways to enter Visitors can take a break on benches scattered around the garden or seek shade under a pavilion.
Much of the food forest’s offerings are widely recognizable: pears, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries figs, pomegranates walnuts and pecans.
“I have a bit of a bias toward things that can be enjoyed raw for the urban food forests,” he said, adding that he tends to choose plants bearing fruits and nuts that people generally know are safe to eat
Reaping the benefits
On a recent August morning, Alden Kendall and his 2-year-old son explored the Emerson Street Food Forest together, sampling beach plums and sea kale
“We’re going to come back pretty regularly,” said Kendall, 40, a resident of New Carrollton, who hadn’t been to the edible forest
before His son, he said, “can get to see things change over the seasons, and we can gather things that we’re not able to grow ourselves.”
Lisa Nelson, 61, who lives in Greenbelt stopped by looking for figs and was excited to see that trees and bushes were identified with small metal signs. QR codes provide access to additional information about the plants, including when and what to harvest.
While it’s difficult to estimate how many visitors come to Emerson Street, Taft, the city arborist, said the well-picked trees could be a sign of growing awareness.
“I’m not seeing rotten fruit on the ground, so there’s evidence right there that people are actually utilizing the space, and it’s getting better and better,” she said.
The food forest’s benefits can also be gauged by the number of nonhuman visitors. Small butterflies and moths fluttered among the greenery, while birds chirped from inside thick treetops. Bumblebees and honeybees swarmed an anise hyssop, crawling all over the plant’s lavender stalks.
Beyond increasing people’s access to fresh food and nature, and serving as wildlife habitats, these forest ecosystems can sequester
carbon and help improve water quality according to the Forest Service.
“You can see photos of this place from when it was a cornfield and know that runoff has been drastically reduced and carbon is being accumulated in the soil,” Smith said of the Bowie food forest.
Maintaining an ecosystem
But to start a food forest and keep it going requires sustained attention, Smith said.
“There’s been a certain amount of people online claiming zero maintenance, which is totally wrong,” he said. “Even harvesting is a lot of work.”
Sometimes, 10 or 12 people will spend a couple of hours processing acorns, he said. More recently, it took several people more than an hour to pluck fox grapes off their stems.
In Hyattsville, Taft said crews mow and weed the food forest every two weeks. For each piece of fruit she took pleasure in finding on that August morning, there was an overgrown plant needing to be pruned or pulled that caught her eye.
“Oh, here’s a weed,” she said, bending down to pluck the errant plant. “I could spend a whole day here and not be done.”
SUNDAY, September 21, 2025
directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.
instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
todAY's Word — disciPLine: DIS-ihplin: Prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior
Average mark 48 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 62 or more words in DISCIPLINE?
instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner
instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
Today’s deal comes from the mind of South Florida’s Richard Pavlicek, a great American player, teacher, and writer It was played,accordingtoPavlicek,ata tournamentintheNorthPole.The players were all local residents, but from two different factions that did not always get along and did not speak the same language. South intended to bid two clubs, Stayman, but the opponents thought he bid seven clubs. The director was called and he ruled thatsevenclubswasthefinalcontract. The fact that he was from thesamefactionasEast-Westhad nothing to do with his ruling.
South won the opening heart lead with his 10 and led the 10 of diamonds to the jack and queen. He crossed back to his hand with a heart to the queen and led the 10 of spades to the jack and queen. So far, so good. South led a heart to his ace and led the nine of diamonds, winning the trick. The nine of spades was next, also winning the trick. Declarer now led a club to dummy’s nine and won that trick also! He cashed the ace of spades and the ace of diamonds with both opponents
following suit to everything. He ruffed dummy’s last spade with the king of clubs as both opponents under-ruffed. Dummy had to take the last two tricks with the ace-jack of clubs and the grand slam rolled home! A beauty!
Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Trust your instincts and follow through. Connect with like-minded people who can contribute to your plans. Forward thinking and physical action will carry you to the finish line. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Charm, intelligence and following through with your plans will lead to lifestyle changes. Embrace today with vim and vigor, and you’ll make progress.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Be a role model, play by the rules, do your best and help those falling behind.
Smile brightly and refuse to let anyone coax you into a heated debate.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Initiate change and move forward. Evaluate your situation and incorporate activities that bring you the most joy into your everyday routine Dismiss negativity and replace it with a can-do attitude.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Let your heart guide you. Listen, be patient and precise, and press forward with issues that require your attention. Show concern, but don’t pay for other people’s mistakes.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your energy behind your quest for success. Invest time into getting ahead. Upgrade your skills and qualifications to stay current with developments in your sector PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Draw on people you know can help you out or introduce you to someone who can. Time is on your side, and observation and listening to others will help you make better choices.
SUBJECT: STARTS WITH “FRI.” Each answer is a single word that starts with
tions. Overreacting, taking on too much or making unrealistic promises will lead to trouble.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Focus on who you are, how you present yourself and what you have to offer Get out, market your attributes and charm those you encounter on your mission to explore new possibilities.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Direct your energy wisely. Get your facts straight before you make accusa-
Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Reconfigure your schedule to ensure that your day runs smoothly Don’t expect everyone to agree with you or to prioritize you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Attend a reunion, lecture or trade show that enables you to connect the dots. Once you feel confident that you have your information straight, you’ll be able to make moves.
wuzzLes The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Size up situations and make your mark. Take the initiative and make the most of yourself. Speak from the heart, and you’ll dazzle those you want to get to know better
Answers to puzzles
1. Fridge. 2. Frigid. 3. Friend. 4. Friar.5.Frisk 6. Friction. 7. Fringe. 8. Frighten.9.Frisky 10.Frigate. 11. Frivolous. 12. Frieze. 13. Fritters. 14. Frizzy.15. Frill.
SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?
Of course Italk tomyself. Ilike agoodspeaker, and Iappreciateanintelligent audience.— Dorothy Parker
Crossword
