The Times-Picayune 09-21-2025

FederalCity apartments welcomefirst

residents

Affordable senior housing bolsters former AlgiersNavybase

BY JONAH MEADOWS and STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Anew four-story apartmentbuildingofficially opensthis weekon the formerNavy base in Algiers knownasFederal City,the first of two residential projects on asite where developers say they arenow making progressincreating acommunity of businesses, recreation, retailers andaffordable housing.

The 70-unitbuilding 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 amarket-rate apartment complex slated to open in the next 18 months,representa major step in the efforts to revitalize Federal City,atask that has taken 12 years, seentwo failed development dealsand hasfrustrated 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 workingpeople canafford, andpointedtoother stalled projects around the city as evidence that arenewed 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 avolume game. I’ll takeyour70. Now,we just need 100 more projects like this.” Federal City wasvacated by theNavyin 2011 but continues to house severalmostly government tenants, including the headquarters of the Marine Corps Reserves,

ä See RESIDENTS, page 3A

SINKING INTO THEGULF

BY ALEX LUBBEN |Staff writer

Mikeal Berthelot Jr.was navigating the mouth of theMississippi River in his shrimp boat, a stretch of water he’d traversed many times before. The water was calm.The sunbeat down. Hisdeckhand was making apeanut butter sandwich. Then theboat slammedinto

something they couldn’tsee.The crash threwBerthelot forward. As he grasped for support, his hand shattered aglass pane in front of thesteering wheel.

“My boat is stuck on something,” he toldhis father over the phone.“It went through the bottom of thehull.” Within minutes, the engine room filled withwater.Within an hour,the boat hadsunk. Berthelot didn’tknow it at the time,but he hadstruck an oldoil well, drilled morethan ahalfcentury ago. Back then, the site wassurrounded by marsh. Today, it’sinnavigable open water There are thousands more like it.Ananalysis by The

As religiousservicesevolve, pastor leansintorodeo roots

BY JENNA ROSS |Staff writer

LORANGER Before he standsatapulpit, before he wears amicrophone, before he deliversasermon, Pastor Randy Smith of the Crossbrand Cowboy Church leads aprayer behind therodeo arena.

Just after 2p.m. Sunday,a hush comes over the arena as Smithprays thatGod protect the menand boys about to ride.ThatGod watch over them. That God lead them into church at 4p.m. “Amen,” themen murmur This is how services start at Crossbrand with thecreakofagate, theclang of abell and awarning: “Fire in thehole!” Then abullbursts outofapen,kicking up

dust, arider atop its back forfive seconds. Forthe next hour,Smith will be out there with them,penningbulls,straddlinggates and hoping that afew of these men whohave never before attendedchurchmight find their waytothe back pew It’sthe hope of hundreds of cowboy churches across the South. Since they began popping up in Louisiana’srural reaches adecade or more ago, the churches have ushered folks into their barnlike buildings, adorned with hay bales and horseshoes, with a“comeas you are” message. The lack of adress code, steeple or formal denomination hints at how Christianity is

ä See CHURCH, page 6A ä See SINKING, page 4A

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Damaged equipment sticks out of the water near oil wells and platformssouth of VeniceonJune 5. Thousandsofold oil wells drilled on land nowsit in open water off La threatening boats, leakingoil and leaving taxpayers withthe cleanup bill.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER RandySmith, pastor of theCrossbrand Cowboy Church,right, leads amomentofprayer and reflection recentlyinthe corral as bull ridersget ready to ridebefore worship services in Loranger

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.

Israel.

Israeli strikes kill 14 in Gaza City

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-

Schumer, Jeffries demand meeting with president

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.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA

Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations are engulfed by smoke Saturday after an Israeli strike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern

PROVIDED PHOTO

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Saturday, rescue workers put out a fire at a barn destroyed by a Russian strike in Odesa region, Ukraine.

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 resilience 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 Shreveport-based 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 BrownTaylor joint venture. “Each of these processes, each development takes an extraor-

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

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 large-scale 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 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.

dinary 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

“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

Wayne Brown, of Brown-Taylor Development, describes design elements that mitigate the risk of

ooding

the Riverside Retreat affordable senior apartment building at Federal City in Algiers.

Times-Picayune and The Advocate, independently reviewed by researchers at Tulane University,estimates morethan 3,600 wells once drilled on land or in wetlands are now in open water

—a result of decades of erosion, sinking land and rising seas Some leak. Manyendanger 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 expensive to plug, inspect and maintain

The state has not fully contended with the growing costs of plugging afleet of wells in open water and keeping them plugged permanently —nor with the environmental hazards that these wells may pose.

As aresult, Louisiana is left with agraveyard of old wells pockingits disappearing coasts,sinking into the Gulf with the restofthe once-vibrant marsh.

“It’salot more expensive to plug awell in water as opposed to on land,” saidMark Agerton, aresearcher at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University in Houston, who has studied the costsof plugging oil and gas wells in Louisiana. “The environmental risks are high in these ecologically sensitive areas along the coast.

While decadesofdrilling have helped fuel the economy of the state and the nation, the industry has also played an important role in coastal landloss andclimate change, which is causing rising seas.

Louisiana’scoastal wetlands contain moreoil and gaswellsthananywhere else in the U.S. The prospect of plugging them has long been aconcern for the state, but less attention has been paid to what is disappearing under the tides.

Neither the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, which represents smaller oil and gas companies, nor the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, representing the majors, responded to requests for comment.

The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association has previously supported federalfunding to plug oil and gas wells Louisiana has 7,583 unplugged wells in its offshore and inland state waters, according to astudy published in Nature —more than Texas,Alabamaand California combined.The totaldoes not include offshore wells in federal waters, which begin three miles off Louisiana’s coast. Louisiana has relied heavily on federal aid, particularly through the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and JobsAct,which has funded thepluggingofhundreds of wells. But the state only has about $246 million in state funds earmarked to plug wells in its waters, according to the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. That’sonly enough to plug about 850 wells —roughly 11% of the

ogy and called it “scientifically valid.”

The analysis is likelyan undercount of the number of wells that were drilledon land andare nowinwater

The mostrecent coastal map is from 2020, andland loss has continued since then. Theanalysis also excludes wells that are very near to land, and many wells exist rightatthe 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 northofwhere 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 hadbeendrilled in 1980 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.

total number Spills in coastalwaters, particularly in wetlands, are hazardous and costly to cleanup. 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 archivedmaps from theU.S. Geological Survey and historical records,The Times-Picayune analyzed wells drilled between 1932 and2016acrosstwo dozen coastal parishes. Of nearly 84,000 wells drilled over that period, 3,654were 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 cement casings —but hundreds arenot.

Only 12 of the 3,654 still produceoil.

These figures are rough estimates, constrained by gaps in state records and thelimitations of historical coastline maps, the oldest of whichare basedongrainy aerialphotographs from the 1930s. Locationsdata for older wellscan sometimes be off by morethan 1,000 feet,according to ScottEustis, thecommunity science director at Healthy Gulf, a nonprofit environmentaladvocacy 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’smethodol-

on June 5.

Thecompany that owns the well, Cox Operating, is going through bankruptcy proceedings in Texas. Anothercompanymay buyup Cox’sassets, 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

PaulMcKimdescribed howhemaneuveredhissmall barge through the swamp to awell he was hired to plug, where he found abotched job: Instead of poured cement, someone had stuffed 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 cancostfour timesasmuch as plugging oneonland. In about4feet of water,itcan cost about $400,000, said

McKim, theowner of Crescent Energy,acompany that 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 sealed wells with “well-seasoned pine wood,” according to a2023 report prepared for the Environmental Integrity Project. It wasn’tuntil 1941 that Louisiana beganrequir

Awooden barrier surroundsa leaking oil well southeast of Venice on June 5.

evolving in cornersofthis country T-shirts, ball caps and boots arewelcomed, though on a summer Sunday at Crossbrand, an hour’sdrive north of New Orleans, one man had removed his mud-caked cowboy boots at the door

For Smith, a71-year-old former rodeo cowboy,the aesthetics are real. The invitation is urgent. He describes himself as “someold redneckcountry boy” who “can’tpreach a lick.”

One-on-one,he’ssoft-spoken with aslow,gentle drawl. But each Sunday,heshouts, pounding apulpit constructed entirely of horseshoes and rattling the tambourine hanging from it. Like many other rural,conservative pastors, he takes aim at “the left” andastand against abortion.

God gives him strengthto preach this way,hetellsworshippers on arecent Sunday “How can Istand up hereand holler and scream without the power of God? I’m like aBrahman bull sometimes, and it’sprobablybecause Ihang out with too many bulls.”

He believes souls are at stake.

‘Lostasagoose’

God came to Smith in arodeo camper

Growing up in Hammond and Albany,his father was an alcoholic,but his mom took himtochurch.Hestarted riding and jockeying when he was 13, alongside men who smokedand drank and did no good. His parentsgot divorced not long after that, “and when that happensto any child, the world consumes you, and that’swhat happened to me.”

By his teens, he’d rejected God.

“I was lost as agoose,” he said. Then, 23 years old, alone in that camper,“the Holy Spirit showed up.” He wept, “which Ididn’tthink bull riders were supposed to do.”

By the time he met his wife, Tammy Jane, at arodeo, he was reformed. She competed too,barrel racing and breakaway roping.They married within the year

Smith credits Godfor the titles that followed, including the six-time Tri-State Rodeo Association bull riding champion. Photos from that time show him with abig belt buckle and thick mustache, handling bulls with wide horns and wild eyes. On his chaps: agold cross. The couple dairy-farmed, too, on Tammy Jane’sfamily land in rural Loranger.She had more than one dream about achurch in the field outside their house, where Crossbrandnow stands. In the early 1980s, they began hosting Cowboys for Christ, aBible study,intheirhome

There were five people at first, then 10, then 30 squeezed into their little living room. In 2008, apastorfriend came to Smithwithanewspaper article about cowboy churches, which at the time

were popping up in Texas andbeyond.Hethought Smith ought to become a pastor and askedhim to pray about it.

ButSmith toldhim: “I don’t need to pray about it.” He’d felt calledtothe ministry for years but “didn’tknow if I would ever fit in,” he said. A cowboy church, though, he could picture Abarnwilldo

Cowboychurches don’t differ much from their conservative Protestant counterparts in terms of their message,saidS.Moxy Moczygemba, author of a2019 researchpaper on them

What’sdifferent is the packageusedto offerthat message, she said, from the country tunes tothe rustic spaces. AJuly service at Cornerstone Cowboy Church in New Iberia began with Hank Williams. AtBranded for Christ Cowboy Church in Leesville, baptisms take place in awateringtrough.

“Whybuy an expensive building when abarnwill do?” Moczygemba said. “Why have abaptismal font when youcan use ahorse trough? Whybuy stained glass when youcan have horseshoesweldedinto a cross?”

With those choices, they’re lowering barriers, Moczygemba said, making the churches feel more approachable to men in rural areas. Andmen aretypically thetargetofsuch churches, sheadded, with the ideathat if youropethemin, their families will follow The Smithsstarted Crossbrand in the bulldogging box in 2008. Longtimers tell the storyof one congregantwho passed outfrom heatstroke.

(Herecovered )Theybuilt a shed, adding“piece by piece by piece,” TammyJane Smith said.Walls, pews, a trough for baptisms.

Those pews filled,solast yeartheyadded another20 feet, aline still visible on the church’s concrete floor.The church doesn’t countmembers, Smith said, but 140 to 150peopleregularly attend.

“We’ve about runout of room,” Smith said. “We’ll let Godhandlethatone.”

‘Tired of whispering’

But by 4p.m. on aSunday in July,several of the back pews remained empty.Up front,the praise band, wearingAmericanflag T-shirts,

camo and, in the caseofthe lead guitarist, ared “Gulf of America” cap, played one favorite, thenanother Thenthe keyboardist, Casey Foster, introduced a newone,inspiredbysome of Smith’sfavorite Scripture “Itmay look like I’msurrounded/butI’m surrounded by you,” Fostersang once, twice, threetimes.

By the fourth, Smith lowered hischin, wiping away tears. He cries often from thatfront row,while raising ahand high.

During his sermon that day,though, his tears seemed to springfrom frustration.

“Ohmygoodness,there are so manyyoung men out there,” he said. “They come and ride thebulls, and it just breaksyourheart when you can’tget themtocome to church.”

Smith poundedthe pulpit: “Godissick and tired of whispering!”

Afterward, his eyes were red, his tone weary.Ayouth rodeo had him out until 1a.m. the night before. By 8a.m., he was back in thepastures beside the church, feeding the calves,steer andbulls. The church’sboys seehow

Neil, whojoined Crossbrand in 2015. Over time, Smith became amentortoher sons who, whenthey joined the church, weren’tintouch with their father.They witnessed his toughness in the ring and his softness in the pew

“Thatright there… it’s such an amazing example for young men,” she said.

Humble and hardworking, Smithis“the feel of ourchurch,the backbone of come-as-you-are,” said Torrie Hyde, 31, who beganattending when she wasinseventh or eighth grade: “I was just akid into rodeo.”

That feel goes beyond jeans, she said. Smith is open about his past mistakes. He calls to people “who messed up big yesterday” but want to do better today, Hyde said. “Weall need to get out of playing church and recognize that we’re real people,” she said. “And real people have real problems.”

Those problems extend to kids,whomHyde pastors.

It’snot uncommon forthe church’s children to come from families without afather,amother or both, Hyde said. For them to have questions about divorce or drugs.

Hyde’sown kids are now involved in rodeo. On arecent Sunday,her 5-year-old son Zeke, clad in cowboy boots and spurs, climbed the big blue gate and waited for his calf. He pulled on avest, ahelmet. By the time he was ready to ride, five men,including his father,surrounded the stall.

But it was Smith who pulled open the gate.

Up with thebulls

It’sjust before 4p.m., and Smithhas traded adusty, faded T-shirt for aclean, collared shirt and aball cap for acream cowboy hat.

He holds aStyrofoam cup of coffee in one hand and his leather attaché, bulgingfull of notes from sermons past, in the other.(“My filing cabinet,” he later jokes.) At the topofhis notes, he’s scrawled adedicationfor the service, held the weekafterconservative activist Charlie Kirk waskilled. “Dedicated to

Charlie Kirk, atrue warrior.” The pews were full, and Smithmadehis wayfrom onetothe next, shaking folks’ hands and holdingfolks’ shoulders. He bent down to check on a4-year-old who had clipped his chin while riding acalf earlier that afternoon. “How areyou, cowboy?”

There are associations of cowboy churches, among them the International Cowboy Alliance Network, based in Monroe, which provides ministerial credentials, helps churches write bylawsand hosts twice-yearly “roundups.” But Smithhas eschewedany associations, in large part because he didn’t like their rules.

It’stough to getagood count of cowboy churches for that reason: Many are doing their own thing.

On this Sunday,like many Sundays, Smith paraphrases and repeats averse from Joshua: “Have Inot commanded you to be strong and of good courage?”

“God wantsustostandup andfight thegoodfight of faith …” he says. “So make achoice to stand up with courage and strength that God givesyou …” he continues. “Amen?” He pounds his fist. The tambourine jingles. “Amen!” the crowdreplies. Smithwas up earlywiththe bulls. His 72nd birthday was approaching. But the world wasn’tweighing on himin thesameway this week.He’s encouraged, he says, by what he thinks is arevival forming after Kirk’sdeath.

After the music,a baptism and his sermon, Smith stepped off the stage. He wore no hat, no microphone.

“Pray and ask Godfor boldness,” Smith said, hisvoice quieter now

“When you pray andask God for boldness, he will hit youlikealightningbolt, he said. “You will begin to speak the wordofGod with boldness andpower.” He’d stepped out of the range of the phone, recording for Facebook. At this point, he was speaking just for the people before him, for the ones in the back pew

PARISHREGISTRAR OF VOTERS ANNOUNCESEARLYVOTING FOR THE October 11, 2025 OPEN PRIMARY/ORLEANS MUNICIPALPAROCHIAL PRIMARY ELECTION

Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters WILLCONDUCT

Early Voting for the October11, 2025 OpenPrimary/Orleans Municipal Parochial Primary Election FROM

8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday,September27th through Saturday,October4th, 2025 Except Sunday,September 28th, 2025 at the FollowingLocations

City Hall—1300 Perdido St., Room 1W24 (DesignatedParkingonLaSalle andPerdido, Only Where Indicated)

Algiers Courthouse—225 Morgan St., Room 105 (ParkingAvailable behind the Algiers Courthouse) Voting Machine Warehouse—8870 Chef Menteur Hwy (ParkingAvailable at the Voting Machine Warehouse Parking Lot)

LakeVista Community Center —6500 Spanish Fort Blvd.; 2nd Floor Meeting Room (Parking-Lake Vista Community CenterLot)

All Sites areAccessible to Persons withDisabilities CityHall/ One Entrance Only

Preview Your Ballot and Get Voter Information at: www.GeauxVote.com; www.nola.gov/registrar; or Download the GeauxVote Mobile App Sample Ballots Available at Each Early Voting Site and Online Seniors, Join the 65+ Program to Receive AutomaticBallots at HomeEveryElection Questions: Call (504) 658-8300

Smith goes from pastures to rodeo arenatochurchand back again, said Sherri Mac-

Pastor RandySmith sips coffee as he watches bull riders gather in abarnnext to the Crossbrand Cowboy Church.

STAFF PHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

RandySmith,pastor of the Crossbrand CowboyChurch, left, talks to amember of his congregation before worship service in Loranger on Sept14.

Amember of Crossbrand CowboyChurch rides abull before worship services.

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.

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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!

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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

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-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!

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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!

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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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Calif. bans most law enforcement from wearing masks

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 America 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

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 Democraticled states honor detainers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “criminal illegal aliens within their jurisdictions.” DHS said in a statement Sat-

urday 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 officials have consistently defended the practice, saying immigration agents have faced strident and increas-

ing 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. Newsom said concerns about doxing, or publishing agents personal information online, are unfounded and unproven.

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 indication 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.

Marchers protest firms‘profitingoff theclimate crisis’

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 highlighteda commontheme behind the issues they stood for: that asmall, elite class of the wealthy andpowerfulconsistently 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

Awoman dressed as the Statue of Liberty marches through Manhattan in the ‘MakeBillionaires Pay’

FortBerthold Indian reservation, whereshe survived cancer.Standing in frontof 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 continued to increasetheir emissions of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gas 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 present-

ing 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 them felt clearer.“Theclimate crisis,economicfights and immigrant fightsare all really onebig fight,”she said. Thecrowd stretched for over four city blocksand passed by luxury stores like LouisVuitton, Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co. Some carried enormous papier-mache puppets of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.Several grabbedthe edgesofa160foot “climate polluters bill” calling out the economic damages wrought by extreme weather eventsmade worsebythe carbon emissions of major polluting companies.

Others dressedasthe Statue of Liberty,rang cowbells andwaved flags with theStar Wars character Princess Leia or homemade signs inkedin

Officials: H-1B visa feewon’t applytoexistingholders

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY, SEUNG MIN KIM and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

DonaldTrump’s latestplan to overhaul the American immigration system has left some immigrant workers confused, forcing the White House on Saturday to scramble to clarifythata 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 aproclamation 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 already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of thecountry right now will NOT be charged

$100,000 to re-enter,” White House press secretary KarolineLeavitt said in aposting on X. “This applies only to new visas, not renewals,and not current visa holders.”

The fee takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday.Itis scheduled to expire after a year.But it could be extended if the government determines that is in the interest of the United States to keep it.

The White House in asocial mediapost also sought to make clear the new rule “does not impact the ability of any current visa holderto travel to/from the U.S.” But immigrationattorneys said that the White House move threatened to upend the lives of many skilled workers and has far-reaching impact on American business.

Kathleen Campbell Walker,animmigration attorney with Dickinson Wright based in El Paso, Texas, said in aposting on LinkedIn that the White House move “insertstotal chaos in existing H-1B process with basically aday’snotice.”

Lutnick on Friday told reporters that the fee would be an annual cost for companies.

But aWhite House official said Saturday that it’sa“onetime fee.” Asked if Lutnick’s comments sowed confusion, the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity,said the new fee “currently does not apply to renewalsbut that policyis under discussion.”

Meanwhile, India’sgovernment expressed concern Saturday that the Trump administration move would dramatically raise the fee for visas that bring tech workers from there and other countries to the United States.

Trump also rolled out a$1 million “gold card” visa for wealthy individuals. The moves face near-certain legal challenges amid wide-

spread criticism he is sidestepping Congress. To be certain, if the moves survive legal muster,they will deliverstaggering price increases. The visafee for skilledworkerswouldjump from$215

India’sMinistry of External Affairs said Saturday that Trump’s plan “wasbeing studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry. The ministry warned that ”this measure is likely to have humanitariancon-

sequencesbyway of the disruptioncausedfor families. Governmenthopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the U.S. authorities

More than 70% of H-1B visa holders are from India.

sharpie and paint. One simply read: “Free Kimmel.”

Tatiana Cruz was oneof thepeopleholding up the puppetofElonMusk. “Eat the rich, that’sthe main message,” she said, smiling. But she also explained that this was her first year actively protesting moreafter two of herfriends were deported afterbeing detainedby U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since then, she has gotten more involvedinmovements for migrant rights, Palestinian liberation andfighting climatechange. “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 in-

terconnected. 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,” DonahueWait said. “What we say to the kids is, we have safety and we need to stand up forpeople 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. At theend of themarch, protesters held afive-minute moment of silence during whichthey sat in front of the TrumpInternational Hotel and Tower

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

When afaucetisleaking or youneed help cleaningaroundthe house, most homeowners start thesamefrustrating ritual of Google searches,voicemail,and waitingfor quotes that nevercome. House Fly, aNew Orleans-builtapp andwebsite, ends that grindbyputting transparent prices,real-time calendars, andvettedlocal pros in oneplace

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3. Chat &customize Aprivate chat lets youdiscuss detailsofthe joband swap photos withoutexposingyourphone number or email.

4.Paysecurely. Alltransactionsare handledsecurelythrough Stripe payment processing,and a48-hour satisfaction window keepsfunds protectedafter the job is finished.

That speed andtransparency make HouseFly thecity’sfirst true on-demandhome-services marketplace, bringing theconvenience of rideshareappstoeverydayrepairs andimprovements.

House Flyfounder &CEO Chris Cannizzaro grew up in NewOrleans,earned abachelor’sinreal-estate finance andlater aJ.D.fromLoyola University.After flipping homesacrossNew Orleans, he realized that thebiggest pain with renovating homeswas liningupreliablehelp.

“I’vespent days callingcontractors just to do some minorelectricalwork,” Cannizzaro says.“Homeowners deserve thesameone-click convenience they get forfooddelivery.”

Cannizzaro also knowssomething aboutendurance.In2011hebecamethe first LouisiananativetosummitMount Everest. That discipline showsupinhis dedication to HouseFly’s operations,where he maintainsa perfectGoogleratingand

oversees everyservice to ensure safe andquality transactions for both parties involved

House Flydoesn’t just help customers; localcontractors gettolisttheir business information andfill theircalendars with newcustomers,risk-free.Nomoreevenings spentwriting estimatesthatnever convert, when aservice is booked throughHouse Fly, thepro knowsthe moneyiswaiting for them.After ajob is completed,payments aredeposited into theiraccount andstrong ratingsbubblethemtothe topofsearch results. It’s awin-win marketplacethat keepsdollars circulatinginsideGreater NewOrleans Originally builtwithrealestate professionals in mind,House Fly’sitemized services includea wide rangeofthe most popularhomeservices needed when buying or sellingahouse SpecialAdvocateReaderOffer Book anyservice at HouseFly.com or downloadthe free appand usepromo code ADVOCATE15 at checkout to save 15%on your first job.Stopplaying phonetag and start seeing realpricesand live availability to easily crossthatoverdue home project o

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By ANGELINAKATSANIS

climate protest on SaturdayinNew york

It’sareminderwewalkpasteverydayinournewsroom. TheFirstAmendmentguidesusandforgesourbelief thatreportingthetruth–forourreaders,forourcity–isa responsibilitywemustfulfillnomatterthecost.

We’reaskingourreadersandtheNewOrleanscommunityatlargetohelpusreach our $100,000 fundraisinggoalbytheendoftheyear.Yourtax-deductibledonation goessolelytoourpublicservicereporters,editorsandphotographersinthefield.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

La.’s‘WhippedPete’ at center of national controversy

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.

Alargely oblivious

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,”

Carter added.

Mark Ballard

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.

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

CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports

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

Weimer said he paintsinfits and starts, depending on his work schedule and mood. 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.”

Ex-BESEmember wins beauty pageant

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.

Gordon ran away March 24, 1863, from the 3,000-acre cot-

ton plantation owned by Capt. John Lyons on the Atchafalaya

PHOTO PROVIDEDByLIBRARy OF CONGRESS/MCPHERSON &OLIVER

Escaped slave Gordon, also known as ‘Whipped Peter,’ showing his scarred back at amedical examination, Baton RougeonApril 2, 1863.

Cyberattackdisruptscheck-insystems at European airports

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 andboardingwas possible Many other European airports said their operations were unaffected.

“There wasa cyberattack on Friday night 19 Septem-

NAKOS

An airportemployeepoints at adeparture board Saturday after acyberattack caused delays at Brussels International Airportin Zaventem, Belgium.

ber against the service provider for thecheck-in and boarding systems affecting severalEuropeanairports including BrusselsAirport,” said Brussels Airport in a statement,initiallyreporting a“large impact” on flight

schedules.

Airports saidthe issue centered around aprovider of check-in and boarding systems —not airlines or the airportsthemselves.

Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers

check themselves in, print boarding passesand bagtags anddispatch their luggage from akiosk, cited a“cyberrelated disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-UserSystem Environment)software at “select airports.”

It was notimmediately clear whomight be behind thecyberattack,but experts said it could turn outtobe hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors.

Travel analyst Paul Charles said he was“surprisedand shocked” by the attack that hasaffected oneofthe world’s top aviation anddefense companies.

He said “it’sdeeplyworrying thata company of that stature whonormally have such resilient systems in place have been affected.”

“This is averyclever cyberattack indeed because it’s

affected anumberofairlines andairportsatthe same time —not just one airport or one airline, but they’vegot into the core system that enables airlines to effectively check in manyoftheir passengers at differentdesksatdifferent airports around Europe,” he told Sky News. As the day wore on, the falloutappeared to be contained.

Brussels Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli told broadcaster VTM that by midmorning, nine flights had been canceled,four were redirected to another airport and15faced delays of an hour or more. She said it wasn’timmediately clear howlongthe disruptions might last.

AxelSchmidt, headofcommunications at the Brandenburg airport, said that by late morning, “we don’thave

anyflightscanceled due to this specific reason,but that could change.” The Berlin airport said operators had cut off connections to affected systems. Heathrow,Europe’sbusiest airport, said the disruption has been“minimal” with no flight cancellations directly linkedtothe problems afflicting Collins. Aspokespersonwould notprovide details as to how manyflights have been delayed as aresult of the cyberattack. Theairports advised travelers to check theirflight statusand apologizedfor any inconvenience.

Some passengers voiced annoyance at the lack of staff. With many,ifnot most, checking in individually,airlines have reduced the number of people operating at the traditional check-in counters.

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK Luigi Mangione’slawyers urged a judge on Saturday to bar federal prosecutors from seeking the deathpenalty in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arguing that authorities prejudiced his case by turn-

ing his arrest into a“Marvel movie”spectacle and by publicly declaring their desire to see him executed. Fresh from alegal victory that eliminated terrorism charges in Mangione’sstate murder case, his lawyers are now fightingtohave his federal case dismissed, seizing on U.S. Attorney GeneralPam Bondi’sdec-

laration before hisApril indictmentthatcapital punishment is warranted for a “premeditated, coldblooded assassinationthatshocked America.”

Bondi’sstatements and other official actions —including ahighly choreographed perpwalk that saw Mangione led up aManhattanpier by armed officers,

andthe Trumpadministration’s flouting of established deathpenalty procedures —“have violated Mr.Mangione’sconstitutional and statutory rightsand have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” his lawyers argued in acourt filing.

Mangione’s defense team, led by former Manhattan prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo, implored U.S. DistrictJudge Margaret Garnett, an appointee of President Joe Biden, “to correct the errors made by the government and prevent this case from proceeding as a death penalty prosecution.”

Bondiannounced in April that she wasdirecting Manhattanfederal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione. Mangione’s lawyers argue that Bondi’sannouncement —whichshe followed with Instagramposts anda TV appearance —showed thedecision was “based on politics, not merit” and, they said, her remarks tainted the grand jury process that resulted in his indictmenta fewweeks later

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By HARRy

EDUCATION

Colleges deal with outcry over staffcommentsonKirk

Schoolsface highstakes in response to controversy

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 administration 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,empathy is amade-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 boardMonday, 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.Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to go after those whose speech threatens violence in the wake of Kirk’skilling.

“For far too long, we’ve watchedthe 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 institutionsand leaderswho 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 theUniversityof Miami, the University of Tennessee, Auburn University andthe University of California, Los Angeles. Others have warnedthey 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 week were“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 wasregrettable 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.

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Whenyou’re comparing plans

BY JAKE COYLE AP film writer

NEWYORK Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirist whose “Daily Show”-like program was canceled after the military seized the once prodemocracygovernment, watched the suspensionof Jimmy Kimmel with an immediate sense of familiarity

“My Fellow American Citizens,” Youssef wrote on X. “Welcome to my world.”

Youssef’s show skewering public figures led to acriminal investigation in 2013 after complaints that he had insulted then-President Mohammed Morsi. When amilitary coup followed, pressure on Youssef intensified. He announced that the climate in Egypt was “not suitable for apolitical satire program.” Yousseffled the country andresettled in the United States.

In all the stunning things about ABC’sswift removal of Kimmel, its longtime late-night host and Oscarshosting face of the network, perhaps the least surprising wasthata comedian wasat the center of abattle over free speech.

As long as jokes have been told, comedians have drawn the ire of the powerful. That has often put comedians on thefront lines of free-speech battles, from George Carlin violating obscenity laws to asatirical puppet show trying to exist in Vladimir Putin’sRussia. In authoritarian regimes, crackdownson speech usually make comedy atarget.

“Comedy doesn’tchange the world, but it’sa bellwether.We’re the bananapeelin the coal mine,” Jon Stewart said in 2022 at the Kennedy Center,with Kimmel looking on from the audience. “When asociety is under threat,comedians are the ones who get sent away first.”

Kimmel’s indefinite suspension followed comments he made aboutthe Republican response to Charlie Kirk’skilling. Conservatives

stand-up comedy in hercountry, was charged last month withmaking statements that were“contrarytopublic morality.”

In India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, politicalcomedyhas grown increasinglyoff-limits. In March,aperformance by thepopular comedian Kunal Kamra includeda Bollywood song parody thatindirectly made apparent reference to alocal politician. Government employeesransacked the comedy club.

alonecountries like China andHungary,where curbs on expression have allbut extinguished comedy.But it bears similarities. Trump, who haslong chafed at latenighthosts’jokes at hisexpense, warned broadcasters on Thursday that run negative commentary of him.

“I wouldthink maybe their license should be taken away,” Trump said.

said Kimmel misrepresented the political beliefs of Tyler Robinson, who is accused of assassinating Kirk.

FederalCommunications Commission chairman Brendan Carr respondedto Kimmel’scommentswith thethreat:“We candothis theeasyway or the hard way.” After agroupofABCaffiliated stationssaid they wouldn’tair “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The Walt Disney Co pulled the show Wednesday just before air, prompting afirestorm of debateover free speech. Comedians have been among the passionate protesters

“If youhave any concern or belief inrealfreedomor the Constitution and free speech, this is it,” saidthe stand-up comedian andpodcaster Marc Maron. “This is the deciding moment. This is what authoritarianism looks like right now.”

Late-night hosts, current and former,rushed to Kimmel’sdefense. JayLeno, the longtime host of “The Tonight Show,”shrugged to reporters Thursday:“It’s acomedian talking.” On Thursday night’s “The Late Show,”Stephen Colbert whose own show will endin Mayover what CBS called financialreasons but Colbert hascalled “a big fatbribe” to Trump —mocked Carr, the

FCC chairman, for declaring thatprogramming should represent “community values.”

“Well, you know what my community values are, buster?” Colbert said. “Freedom of speech.”

Punchlines with power

SincebeforeCharlie Chaplin mocked AdolfHitler in the 1940s film,“The Great Dictator,” comedy has servedasone of the mostunfiltered expressions of free speech and areliable metric of ademocraticrepublic’s health. On Wednesday,MSNBC’sChris Hayes noted: “The countries where comedians can’t mock the leader on late-night TV are notreally ones you want to live in.”

Outside the U.S., media control hasoften meantpolicing comedy. Thin-skinned leadersand autocratshave taken punch lines as genuine threats.

Shortly after Putin became presidentofRussiain2000, armed operativesraided theoffices of NTV, thenetwork that aired “Kukly,” a satiricalpuppetshowthat often lampooned Putin. NTV owner Vladimir Gusinsky wasjailedonembezzlement chargesand “Kukly”disappeared in 2002.

Zeinab Mousavi, one of the first Iranian women to do

Kamra pledged to cooperatewith police and then added: “But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those whohavedecided that vandalism is theappropriate response to being offended by ajoke?

‘A massiveshift’

The Kimmel situation isn’tasextreme as those international examples, let

Carr has said Kimmel is just the beginning. “This is amassive shift that’staking place in the media ecosystem,”hesaid. “I think the consequences are going to continue to flow.”

For some, aso-called “consequence culture” has replaced “cancel culture.”

Roseanne Barr reacted with irony after Kimmel’s suspension. In 2018, ABC pulled the plug on her sitcom, “Roseanne,” afterBarrmade aracist barb on Twitter about Valerie Jarrett, aformer aide

to former President Barack Obama, referring to her as the child of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes” movies. “Yeah imagine an administration putting pressure on atelevision channel to fire a comedian they didn’tlike,” Barr said Wednesday on X. Conservativeshave long railed against so-called “cancel culture” ruining comedy At the Conservative Political ActionConferenceinFebruary,Elon Musk lamented: “They wanted to make comedy illegal. Youcouldn’tmake fun of anything so comedy sucked. Legalize comedy!” Some of those same “antiwoke” comedians, though, have come out in support of Kimmel. TimDillon, the comedian and podcaster,wrote on Instagram:“Iamagainst Kimmel being taken off the airand againstpeople being shot for their opinions. See how easy it is?”

Damon Singleton

THE GULF COAST

Mississippi Coast island has water like Florida beaches

BY JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writer

As a Bay St. Louis native who is newish to living in New Orleans, it’s easy to see how the Mississippi Gulf Coast has become 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 is taking 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 I can count, but until recently had never taken a short boat ride to the barrier islands.

In many ways, the islands are a hidden gem and mostly visited by locals with boat access. But they are nothing short of extraordinary.

There are four barrier islands on the Mississippi Coast: Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands Cat Island is the most developed, and Ship is a popular 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’s most renowned visual artist who would often row the 12 miles out there in a small wooden skiff.

A couple of weekends ago, a group of friends and I went to Horn Island, about 30 minutes off the coast of Biloxi and only accessible by boat.

We went on a sunny Saturday and enjoyed a smooth ride out to the southwest side of Horn Island, welcomed by a remote stretch of white sand, driftwood and water so clear it rivaled Florida beaches.

Our group spent four hours on Horn Island, and because we went early in the morning there weren’t many other boaters out and about We were able to swim in the Gulf, watch dolphins, chase crabs along the shoreline and explore the island and unique driftwood left behind. The waves crashing

at high tide were peaceful, and I wound up laying under a tent for a short nap.

We brought snacks and sandwiches for a lunch by the water before packing up and leaving the island as we found it. We waved goodbye to a pack of dolphins and the crystal clear water, already making plans for our next trip out.

How to get to Horn Island

If you’re visiting the Mississippi Coast, or a local with no boat, the best way to get to the islands is through a charter service. These businesses are equipped with boat captains who will shuttle you and a small group to any nearby island on a vessel. My friends and I have used

Island Hopper Charters multiple times, and our captain, Dan, is friendly, knowledgeable and always gets us there and back safely

On this most recent trip, our friend was the boat captain. He has a boater’s license and does a monthly boat rental membership.

What to know

n Book a charter service, and tip your captain with cash at the end of the ride.

n If you want to see the clear water go on the Gulf side of the island.

n Pack a tent, towels, and sunscreen.

n Don’t bring glass bottles stick to cans or plastic.

n Bring a trash bag and take your litter with you. Leave the island as you

found it. And abide by all of the park rules.

n Phone service is spotty, so be prepared to go on Do Not Disturb for a while.

n Beware of jellyfish.

n A dry set of clothes will do you well when you arrive back on shore.

n Take lots of photos and videos, and try to live in the moment.

Email Justin Mitchell at justin.mitchell@

PHOTOS PROVIDED By ERIC JEANSONNE

The waves lap against the beach recently on Horn Island near Biloxi, Miss.

A crab swims off Horn Island.

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A month after an Alaskan summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump still seems surprised that his gambit did not pay off with peace in Ukraine.

“He’s let me down,” Trump said this week. “He really let me down.”

There has been no more progress in the Middle East, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is beginning a new offensive in Gaza City and lashing out across the region.

“They have to be very, very careful,” Trump said after Israel targeted Hamas inside Qatar, a U.S. ally that has been hosting diplomatic negotiations.

Trump’s disappointment and frustration is much different from the confidence and dominance he tries to project on the international stage, especially as he trumpets his diplomatic efforts and campaigns for the Nobel Peace Prize. Asked about his goals for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly, the president said “world peace.” But the most high-profile conflicts appear to be escalating instead of winding down.

“This whole last nine months of peace efforts was just a merry-go-round,” said Max Bergmann, a State Department official under Democratic President Barack Obama who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Although Trump prizes bold gestures a stealth bomber strike in Iran, a sweeping tariff announcement solving a global jigsaw puzzle is a far bigger struggle.

The fundamental truth, Bergmann said, is “trying to reach peace agreements is very hard,” and that Trump has not surrounded himself with experienced diplomats

at the last summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Doha. It’s a noticeable shift after Israel and Arab nations grew closer during Trump’s first term, when the Republican president championed the Abraham Accords. The diplomats were not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity

U.S. officials have tried to assuage doubts by pointing to Trump’s expressions of displeasure with Netanyahu’s latest moves, to recent meetings held with Qatar’s prime minister and to discussions of enhanced security arrangements.

how the U.S. approaches the region.

For example, the U.S. has tried to ensure that Israel has a military edge over its Arab neighbors. But now that Israel has attacked Qatar with U.S.-supplied weapons — a strike that Qatar was unable to counter with its own U.S.-supplied defenses — Arab diplomats are considering demanding stronger support.

Such a move would likely be politically untenable, at least for now, with support for Israel strong among Republicans who control Congress.

that his meeting with Putin

“accomplished a lot,” but “it takes two to tango.”

“You know those are two people, Zelenskyy and Putin, that hate each other,” he said.

Fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over have been heightened by recent Russian military incursions into the airspace of NATO members Poland and Estonia. After three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace on Friday, Trump said it could signal “big trouble.”

and foreign policy experts.

“It’s like if you were to tell me, ‘Go do a hotel deal,’ ” Bergmann said. “It would be a terrible deal. I would lose a lot of money.”

In Trump’s defense, the White House has pointed to comments from European leaders who have praised his efforts working to forge peace agreements. Trump often notes that he hires “only the best people.”

Matt Kroenig, a senior policy adviser at the Pentagon during Trump’s first term, said the president’s brashness can get results, such as when he demanded increased defense spending from European allies. Trump, however can end up spinning his wheels on more challenging issues and eventually give up, such as when he tried to persuade Kim Jong Un to end North Korea’s nuclear program. When it comes to making peace in Ukraine and Gaza, Kroenig wondered, “At what point does he say, ‘This is too hard, let’s move on to other issues.’”

Foreign policy is usually a team sport for presidential administrations, requiring extensive coordination

among agencies through the National Security Council.

But Trump has dramatically slashed the council’s staff, and Marco Rubio serves as both secretary of state and national security adviser

“It’s one person setting the strategy and everyone else is waiting to see,” Kroenig said.

In the Middle East, Trump is getting caught in the middle of an increasingly combustible situation. He has visited Arab nations, including Qatar, this year to strengthen ties, and he has backed Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Iran.

But now Israel, emboldened by its battlefield success, is striking more widely throughout the region, including the recent attack targeting Hamas officials in Qatar That jeopardized negotiations that the United States has been trying to push along and rattled Arab leaders’ faith in Trump’s ability to influence, let alone rein in, Netanyahu.

Some of them now view Israel, not Iran, as their primary security threat, according to three Arab diplomats familiar with conversations

During next week’s annual high-level gathering at the General Assembly, Rubio and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff can expect to hear a chorus of criticism, with Arab nations seeking a more fundamental shift in

In Europe, Trump has frustrated his critics with his equivocal approach to Putin, sometimes suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is just as responsible for the war that Moscow started with its 2022 invasion.

Trump recently insisted

During a news conference in the United Kingdom on his state visit, Trump said he was dedicated to stopping the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Then he turned philosophical.

“You never know in war You know war is a different thing,” he said. “Things happen that are very opposite of what you thought.”

-Freda

METRO

NOLA.COM | Sunday, September 21,2025 1bn

A‘PEOPLE-CENTRIC’ PLAN FORN.O.EAST

Studywilllay groundwork forimprovements

BY DESIREE STENNETT Staff writer

With thecityexpected to hand him$1million to begin work this November, architect Ray Manningis gearing up his team tocraft what officials are calling the New Orleans East Renaissance Plan. Championed by District Ecouncilmember Oliver Thomas, the study —which will catalog everyland parcel, evaluate city infrastructure, analyze past studies focused on New Orleans East development and gather input from the community— will begin this fall and take about nine months to complete.

Though work has not yet begun, Manning’sbusiness partner,David Dixon,has begun to hype the possibilities in recent interviews, including the build-outof “people-centric,” not “autocentric,” footprints in key corridors, such as Lake Forest Boulevard. If it’sembraced by residents, business owners and others, the endeavor could help to usher in anew eraof the East, said Manning, who haslong worked on plans

for smaller developments in NewOrleans Eastdatingback before Hurricane Katrina.

The East stands to become “a more attractive place forpeopletoconsider to live— and that’smiddle class, and the working class, as wellasthose who arelookingfor affordable housing opportunities that’sNo. 1,” Manning said.

“Two, the imageofa crimeridden community would be erasedand three, by redeveloping some of the areas in New Orleans East, we could increase sales tax revenue for the cityofNew Orleans.”

Thomas, who is running formayor,saidhehopes theplan will createthe sort of revitalization the Lower Garden District saw when he worked on asimilar proposal there when he was a DistrictB councilmember. The plan, embraced by everyonefrom property owners on St. Charles Avenue to church leaders on Carondelet Street, helped lure the retailers, restaurateurs and other business owners that frequent thearea today,he said.

“Have people forgotten

Architect Oel Scott says the NewOrleans City Council voted down changes to zoning that would have allowed his project to fill undeveloped land and to help create the density needed for walkable areas.

thatfrom Jackson Avenue to Lee Circle, it was dive barsand vagrants?” he said. “Weincreased property values, we did theenterprise zonesand incentivesofSt.

Charles Avenue, where we have fine dining and restaurants now,”hesaid. “I’m expectingthe same thing for

ä See N.O.EAST, page 2B

Twocandidatesfaceoff

Well-known candidates clashon police pay, mall sale

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Twice since 2002, Slidell voters have sent apolice chief to the Mayor’sOffice. Police Chief Randy Fandal hopes to become the third, joining Ben Morrisand FreddyDrennan as chiefs who later were elected mayor Bill Borchert thinksSlidell residents have had enough.

“I think the public is tired of that now,”said Borchert, alongtime Slidell City Councilmember who becamemayor in January when GregCromer resigned from the office.

“That’sBill’swish, obviously,” Fandal said.

Slidell voterswill cast thedecidingvote Oct. 11, when Borchert andFandalmeetina special election for the remainder of Cromer’s term,whichends June 30, 2026. Early votingbeginsSept.27.

The two veteran politicians both Republicans with notable track records—begancampaigning even before Cromer left office to take ajob with Gov.Jeff

Landry’s administration, raising money and putting out their messages. Thecandidates hadhealthy war chests available as of Sept 1, the latest finance reports show Borchert had spent almost $62,000 andhas around $86,000. Fandalhas spent nearly $88,000 and has just over $68,000. Thatmoney will come in handy as the candidates try to reach voters whomight notbeaware there’s amayoral raceonasmall ballot that will have to compete with fall

GrandIsle oysters find aplace at thetable

BY JOSIEABUGOV Staff writer

Five months after Jefferson Parish officials launched an effort to support the oyster industry on Grand Isle,the seafood farming operation on the barrierisland is settodouble in size, andcagegrownLouisiana oysters are starting to gain traction in restaurants across the South.

The Grand Isle Port Commission will be opening asecond zone foroyster farming at the end of theyear,whichwill increase theareadedicated to the industry from 13 acres to 27 acres, the JeffersonParishEconomicDevelopment Commission said Thursday. Some of the farmers currently leasing the existing acreage will have more water fortheir businesses, while somenew farmers will join the cohort.

The expansion is asign that the environmentally adapted method of rearing oysters is gaining regional traction, according to farmers and those in the food industry

The farm-grownoysters, knownas“Grand Isle Jewels,” were offered Thursday at restaurants in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish as part of OysterNight, an event started by the nonprofit ChefsBrigade to showcase the Gulf Coast oyster industry

Both traditional wild oysters andspecialty farmed oysters were available from 70 restaurants participating in the daylong event.

“I’d sayit’sevenexceeded where we thought this would go,” said Jerry Bologna, the president of JEDCO, whichspearheaded the “jewel” branding. The new farming grounds already have a waiting list, he said.

All of the oystershells fromOysterNight will be repurposed through the Coalition to Restore CoastalLouisiana’s oystershell recycling program, returned to the water to build reefs that help protect against erosion. In February,anearlier version of the culinary event yielded around seven tons of oyster shells from 50 restaurants.

“This is agreat way to talk about what can be done that’suseful,” said Kimberly Davis Reyher the executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. “Everybody likes oysters. Everybody likes oyster reefs protecting us from hurricanes.”

Wild oysters harvested from the seabed still makeupthe vast majority produced in Louisiana waters, but the specialty farmed products have gainedpopularity aroundNew Orleansatlocal restaurants, food pop-ups and at the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival.

Compared to wild oysters, cage-grown oysters tendtobesmaller andmoreuniformly shaped The cages can be moved around, whichcan protect the oysters from predators and natural disasters.

Oysters also provide environmental benefits, such as cleaning pollutants from the water Grand Isle boasted athriving wild oyster industry formore than acentury,but by the 1990s, achangingseafloorhabitat andpooreconomics led to decline. In 2021, Hurricane Ida scoured the last remaining oyster habitat around theisland. Sincethen, JeffersonParish hassought to help restore the industry through the “jewel” rebrand and state funding.

A$250,000 contribution from the Jefferson Parish council andLouisiana SeaGrant, thestate program of afederal coastal network, will be used to help fund an oyster processing facility on Grand Isle.

festivals, hunting season and an LSU football gameinBaton Rouge. The candidates share campaign planksofimproving drainage,fixing streets, building up recreation offerings and cutting government costs. Butthe campaignshave grown increasingly testy in recent months, clashing on itemsranging from police pay to ahigh-profile drainage project to the potential sale of the nearly empty North Shore Square Mall.

Because Fandal is police chief, Borchert has framed the race as pittinghis businessexperience against Fandal’slaw-enforcement experience.

“Randy is aone-issue guy,” Borchert, 61, said in arecent interview.“Iknow what it’slike to open abusiness, create jobs, make payroll.” Fandal, 65, bristles at that claim. He said he’ll change the culture at City Hall like he did at the Police Department. “I feel like Slidell needs a change,” he said. “Slidell doesn’t just need amayor.Slidellneeds avoice for the eastern side of the parish.”

Borchert has touted several economic development initiativeshe’s involved in, including the potential

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Dawn Hebertstands on theneutral ground on LakeForest Boulevard in NewOrleans East on Friday. Behind her is the vacant fieldwhere LakeForest Plaza was oncelocated. For atime the mall was the largest shopping center in thestate of Louisiana.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Shootergets50-year sentence

UNOstudent paralyzedafter 2022 robbery

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The man who shot and par-

alyzed aUniversity of New Orleans student in a2022 armed robbery was sentenced to 50 years in state prison on Friday,Orleans Parish Criminal District Courtrecords show Cruz Matute,18, was convictedbyajury of aggravatedassault witha firearm andattempted armed robbery in July.He

N.O.EAST

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New Orleans East —tobuild off theassets.”

Dawn Hebert, president of theEastNew Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission, whichrepresents dozens of neighborhood groups in the East, said she is looking forward to the study’srecommendations.

It could be the firststep, she said,toward finally gettingthe improvements longtimearea residents have hoped for

“Right after Katrina, manymaster plan meetings were held, and we all discussedwhat we envisioned ourcommunitiestolook like,”Hebert said. “Unfortunately, none of that materialized.I’m hoping that this renaissance plan …is something the city is serious about,and that the community input will be listened to and adhered to.”

Chronicdisinvestment

Dixon, an architect and urban planner who helped shapethe city’s post Katrina master plan and is working with Manning on the latest one, said the East represents the city’s“greatest opportunity.”

The area east of the Industrial Canal has struggled with chronic disinvestment since the mid-1980s, due to the oil bust, White flight and other issues that were only exacerbated by Katrina in 2005.

The East has attracted some development since then: A Walmart, aWinn-Dixie, and amassive Goodwill store provide retail and grocery options, while mom-and-pop restaurants, small businesses and beauty supply stores also dot the landscape. But the collection of neighborhoods has not lured retail at the same rate as other areas of the city If this plan is done right and widely embraced, Dixon said, it could use swaths of undeveloped and underutilized land to bring about massive change, while protecting the areas the East’sresidents love.

The East could embrace walkability,instead of just catering to drivers, he said.

“Toachieve that, instead of a mall, (it could) have housing over shops. Lake Forest could literally be transformedinto thewalkable heart of NewOrleans East as acommunity Andnoneofthisisatthe expense of folks wholive there or want to come back.”

Abevy of urban planning experts have touted the benefits of walkableneighborhoods, which include higher property values for homes and increased customer bases for businesses. Chicago’s Bronzeville, ahistorically Black neighborhood that struggled with decadesof disinvestment, is undergoing arenaissance driven in part by afocus on mixed-use developments, the Brookings Institute explored in 2018. Brookings pointed to two major mixed-use developments, an arts an recreation facility and new grocery options that have been transformational in Bronzeville.

“As these major developments serve growing demand for housing and affordable retail, smaller-scale place-making efforts are helping to support local entrepreneurship, create inviting streetscapes, and enhance publicspaces,” the Brookings report stated Dixon said U.S. Census trends suggest that in the

Cyberattackdisruptscourt cases

andco-defendant Tata Say had“gone outhunting” for “prey” in the weehours on Aug, 21, 2022, the victim’s mother told TheTimes-Picayune in a2023 interview. In the 6400 block of Paris Avenue, they happened across UNO naval engineering student Noah Hansard as he tookhis nightly lakefront walk, robbing him of hisphone at gunpoint,according to the NOPD.

When Hansardtried to fight back with aknife, Matute shot him and fled with Sayinavehicle.

Elisabeth and Noah Hansard testified before CriminalDistrictCourt Judge Simone Levine on Friday,who sentenced Matute to 50years at hard labor

“I wastold by NOPD it wasanexecution-style shooting, andit is amiracle he lived,” ElisabethHansard, Noah’smother,said in 2023. Say was arrestedin July 2023 on countsofattempted first-degree murder and armed robbery. He was acquitted in July Matute, whowas 16 at the time of the shooting and hadfaced attempted second-degreemurderand armedrobbery counts, was convicted of thelesser charges.

next 20 years, most of the net new households to the city will be households without kids. He said mixed-use developments, like the one he’sfloatingfor Lake Forest, tend to be attractive to those people. Thosecommunities could also bringnew entrepreneursand artistsback to theEast, he said Developers speakout

Not everyone is enthused about anotherstudy of the area.Kimberly Burbank,a longtime banker turned developer,said thereshould be fewerstudies andmore action Burbank has builtseveral homes in the East, and now wants to build alarger mixeduse housing development on Deer Park Boulevard,featuring homes andretail. But she said “dysfunctional” city procedures and power struggles between political officials, neighborhood association groups andbuildershave made it hardtoget her project offthe ground. The City Council in March rejectedchanges to local land-use rulesthatwould have made her project possible, citinga lack of community support for her proposal. Later,the state Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourismrejectedher application for astate cultural district in the area of her development andnear Lake Forest Boulevard, also for lack of residentsupport, shesaid.

“I live here, andI’m not a well-to-dodeveloper.I’m an emerging developer,” she said.“Well-to-do developers are not goingtodealwith this. …You sendthe message to Wall Street, and you send amessage to locals that says ‘I’m difficult to do business with.’

Oel Scott, who owns the architecturefirm Scottmoore, said his plan to build 10 luxury townhomes offRead Boulevard gota death blow in December when the council voted down changesto city zoningthatwouldhave allowed his project.He said those sorts of condoscould have filled empty,undeveloped land andhelpedcreate the density needed for the kind of walkable areas Dixon envisions

But“this is not adefeat story,” he said, reflecting on the year he spent trying toovercomethe city processand win thefavor of residents. “What we brought was asolution. Every solution we bring to thetable will notwork.”

Hebert, the neighborhood coalitionpresident, agreed that thecity’s processfor approving developmentscan burden developers. She also acknowledged that longtime residents areparticularly wary of multifamily projects, especially when they remember the buildout of apartments like TheWillows. Once aplace for new residents to rent while they saved fora home, that complex now sits in disrepair

But shesaid sheand others in the coalition are not inherently against change. They just want avoice in creating it.

“I always tell my organization and anyone whocomes to our meetings that power is in numbers,” Hebert said. “We really need to be involvedin what’shappening in the East, becauseweall cameback after Katrina. We invested in our homes.Weall envisioned what we wanted this community to look like. “And we’re still strivingfor that, and it hasn’thappened yet.

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Acyberattack on theOrleansParish Sheriff’s Office is still disrupting the Orleans Parish Civil DistrictCourt’s ability to handle some pleadings, and there is no timeline yet on aresolution, acourt spokespersonsaid Friday evening.

The civil system has been downsince Sept. 4, leaving thecourt unabletoconfirm whetherdefendants have been properly served, Public Information Officer Walt Pierce saidinanews release.

But as of Saturday morning, Docket Master,anonline repository of Orleans Parish

OYSTER

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“We’ll be able to pull up to thedock, hook them up to a pressurewasher,wash them, bag them,tag them, put them in your cooler and go from there,” said farmer Nathan Herringwhileshucking oysters at Deanie’sSeafood in Metairie,one of the restaurants participating in the citywide event.

The nascentGrand Isle industry is also seeing growth on the distribution side. Three months ago, Inland Foods,a distributor,began collaborating with the farmers who run LittleMoon Oysters in Grand Isle. The company brings seafood, meats and other products to buyers across the Southeast.

“We’re going to be avessel to help them grow across the country,” said Justin Jones, general manager at Inland, which is basedinAtlanta.

August Mchugh,one of the two Little Moon employees said the founder of the oyster operation is directlyselling their products to restaurants in Houstonand Austin.

SLIDELL

Continuedfrom page1B

sale of the malltothe city

He had pushed forasale, steeringthe city through aprocess during which he had signed aletter of intent with the mall’sowner

The City Council, through its NorthShore Square Economic Development District, even agreed to a sales tax increasefor the stores in the area around the mall to finance the purchase. Borchert said Slidell officials have heard from constituents for yearsthat they wanted to mall site revitalized.

“Sometimes bold steps are necessary,”Borchert said. “You do thingsfor the right reason,not thepolitical reason.”

Fandal said he agrees that revitalizingthe mall site is ahugely important issue.

But he and anumber of other city residents urged officials to slow theprocess down, complaining it was moving without the public’s input.

“Itwasn’t transparent,” Fandel said. “The rush caused the situation we’re in today.”

Fandalwas referringtoa news releasefromthe city on Sept.16saying it had only recentlydiscovered that themall’sowner,Morguard, hadalreadyentered intoapurchaseagreement fortwo of thestores with someoneelse. The cityhas sincesaid it is no longer looking to purchase theentiremall site.

Bayouproject controversy

Fandal’scampaign, meanwhile,has also raised questions aboutproperty Borchert purchased along BayouPatassat, where the city,atBorchert’surging, hassought millionsinfederal money for adrainage project thatwould also createwalkways along the widened bayou. Borchert has saidhepurchased the land,aparcel on Sixth Street anda larger piece of land on Sgt.Alfred Drive, becauseheworried that if anyone elsedid it could becomeanobstruction to what he sees as an impor-

Criminal District Court records, was back online.

“Werecognize that there may be additional limitations or impacts that ariseaswe navigate this situation, and we are awaitingfurther clarificationfrom the Sheriff’s Office regarding atimeline for resolution,”the release said.

SheriffSusan Hutson said Monday thather department is working with cybersecurity partners “around the clock”toaddress the breach, which disrupted bail processing andshut down the public’saccess to case records in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and continues to affect the civil system.

Aransomware group calledQilin hasclaimed responsibilityfor thecyberattack, sayingitstole more than 840 gigabytesofdata from OPSO. Qilin has alreadyleaked several OPSO financial andadministrative recordsonline,though they don’tappear to include sensitive personal data.

Judges saidthey’ve developed aplan to keep cases moving, but urged attorneys andlitigants to double-check service with OPSO before hearings or trials.

TheSheriff’s Office can be reached at (504) 289-4074 or in Room 403 of theCivil Courts building at 421 Loyola Avenue.

tantdrainage and economic development project

He said he doesn’t have anyplans forthe land, and that part of it would be underwater if the bayou widening happens

ButFandal says Borchert’s votes on items tied to that projectare a“conflict of interestofour HomeRule Charter” because the project will impact property that he owns. “He knows better,” Fandal said.

Borchert disagrees.He said he has only castvotes on partsofthe projectthat don’timpact his property.

“It’sanon-story for everybody but theother side,”

Borchert said, adding that he hasn’t hiddenanything and that that hisvotes were not improper

Ultimately,Borchertsaid, the project will not only help solve achronic drainage problem, but will also be a nice addition to draw people to the city.

Meet thecandidates

Borchert, who has an engineering degree from Louisiana Tech University, saidhehas worked anumberofjobsand run several businesses. He said he sees holdingelected office as an extension of the joy of public servicehediscovered after HurricaneKatrina in 2005,whenheturneda large garage building he owned into adorm to house volunteers helping thecity recover Afew years after,that he won adistrict council seat, then wentontowin an at-

largeseat, mostrecently when he wasreelected in 2022. Thecity’scharter says the at-large council member withthe highest vote total in the most recentelectiontakes over as mayor if the mayor resigns.

Borchert becamemayor in Januaryand says he’s treateditasa full-time job, pushing long-stalled projects like thecompletion of theTammanyTrace intothe heartofSlidell. During his time as mayor,the city has pushed code enforcement improvements andstarted drainage projects, he said.

Borchert said his strength is his vision forthe city, something he said his opponent lacks.

“I see howthings aren’t and how they can be,” he said. “I know how to make things happen.” Fandal, whosaid the pros-

pect of running for office crystallized in 2011 as he hikedthe entire Appalachian Trail —“took me six months and two days” following his retirement from the LouisianaState Police, where he hadheld severalleadership positions over acouple of decades. He wonthe chief’s office in 2016 and was reelected in 2018 and 2022. Fandal said he has run large operations with millionsofdollars at stake over the course of his law enforcement career He said Slidell residents don’ttrust the city government.The PoliceDepartmentgained their trust under his leadership, he said, and he’ll do the same for government. He points to aPolice Department tax referendum last year that swapped twoproperty taxes for asales tax that will bring in moremoney to raise police pay and build a new headquarters. “I set goalswhen Iran for chief, andI’vemet them all,” he said.

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER

Nathan Herring,ofBright Side Oyster Co., sifts oysters at his nurseryinGrand Isle on May16. The oyster business is set to double in size.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMATTHEW DOBBINS

Slidell Police Chief RandyFandal and MayorBillBorchert greet each other during their race’s first politicalforum on July 23 in the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Brandt,Daniel Butera,Louise

Colomes, Richard

Conner, Harold

DeBlanc, Cynthia

Dickerson, William

Dominick, Ursula FenertyIII, John

FlickSr.,Robert Giovengo, Margaret Grehan,Robert Heepke,Jean

Kan, Elwyn

Lamping, Deborah

Landry, Shelia Martin,Travis Martiny, Regina Mehrtens,Marie

Moore, Thomas Muller,Joan Poirrier,Doris Rogers,John Seaward, Donald Smith,Addie Soltis,Margaret

Vega,Dolores EJefferson

Leitz-Eagan

Giovengo, Margaret Muller,Joan Richardson FH

Smith,Addie NewOrleans

Charbonnet

Dominick, Ursula

Greenwood

Dickerson, William

Poirrier,Doris

Colomes, Richard FenertyIII, John

Grehan,Robert Heepke,Jean Martin,Travis Martiny, Regina Moore, Thomas Soltis,Margaret Vega,Dolores Majestic Mortuary

Landry, Shelia St Tammany

Audubon

FlickSr.,Robert EJ Fielding

DeBlanc, Cynthia Serenity FH

Mehrtens,Marie West Bank

Mothe

Brandt,Daniel Butera,Louise

Obituaries

Brandt, Daniel Conrad Daniel Conrad Brandt bornonAugust6,1951, de‐partedthislifeonSeptem‐ber 13, 2025. He is survived byhis fiancée, CarolynCa‐ronia,and hisdaughter, Danielle Brandt Anderson (Ian).Heisalsosurvived byhis grandchildren, Freya Rosalie Anderson and McKenzieGrace Truong, and hissister, Judy Brandt Marshall(Daniel). Daniel was preceded in deathby his parents, Hewitt Louis "Bud" Brandt andAnna Purgley Brandt, andbyhis sister, Patricia Brandt Cognevich. Visitation will beheldatMothe Funeral Homes,2100 Westbank Ex‐presswayinHarvey, Louisiana,onSeptember 22, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. AFuneralMass celebrating hislifewill takeplace at 11:00 a.m. Im‐

mediatelyfollowing the

Mass, he will be buried at WestlawnMemorialParkin Gretna, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, please make do‐nations to St.JudeChil‐dren'sResearchHospital oryourpreferred Cancer FightingOrganization. Pleasevisit mothefuner‐als.com to view andsign the online guestbook.

Butera,LouiseCollins

Louise CollinsButeraen‐tered theKingdom of her Lordand Savior on Wednesday,March 12,2025 atthe ageof92. Beloved wifeofthe late Joseph Butera, Jr.for 55 years. Beloved daughter of the lateJessie Collinsand AnnieMae WilliamsonTreadway. Loving andde‐voted mother of Joni Usner (late Tommy),GinaDeRo‐jas (Isidro),Julie Butera GiovanniButeraand the lateJosephButera, III (Margarita).Lovinggrand‐motherofAngelinaButera, NicholasUsner Vincent Usner,ShelbyButeraUrru‐tia (Nick),Christopher DeRojas,JacquelineTewis (Chad), AlexanderDeRojas (Alexis), ChristianButera (Brandi), Jameelah Amani Butera, BrandonDeRojas, Cecilia Butera andLainie Butera. Belovedgreat grandmother of Clemen‐tineButera, Chloe’ Tewis and Cooper Tewis. Sister of Betty SueCrawfordand the lateCarlCollins,J.Ray Collins andRubye Oliveri. ThroughoutLouise’sentire life, sheheldanunwaver‐ing faithinJesus,which she shared with allthose around her. Afaithfuland devoted servantofthe Lord, Louise wasa long‐timememberofElysian FieldsAvenue Baptist Church where sheserved inmanydifferent min‐istries.She especially en‐joyed servinginthe church’s children’s min‐istries,teachingSunday School andVacationBible School fordecades.She joyfully shared storiesof Jesus andundoubtedly guidedcountless young souls in their firststeps to‐warda relationship with Christ. Louise earned ade‐greeinearly childhood ed‐ucation andwas alicensed florist who excelled in flower arrangements and wreathmaking. Sheloved gardening,knewthe scien‐tificnameofevery plant and flower,and enjoyed sharing herknowledgeof gardening with herloved ones. Thefamilyisdeeply gratefulfor thecompas‐sionate care,tirelessdedi‐cationand loving compan‐ionship provided by her caregiver,Claudia Richard‐son.Claudia,you always wentabove andbeyond whatwas expected and weretruly ablessingtoour family. Aprivate Celebra‐tionofLouise’sLifewas heldonMay 10,2025 at CityParkBotanical Gar‐dens. MotheFuneralHome assisted thefamilyduring thisdifficult time.The fam‐ily invitesyou to share thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.mothefunerals.com

Colomes, Richard Paul'Pepe'

RichardPaul "Pepe Colomes, age92, passed awaypeacefully on Tuesday,September16, 2025. BornonSeptember 7, 1933, in New Orleans to Paul B. Colomesand Annalea A. Colomes, Pepe grew up Uptownand attended St. Rita School beforemoving with hisfamily toGentilly. He wentonto graduate from Jesuit High School, where he firstreceivedthe nickname "Pepe" from an eighthgrade teacher—a name that stayed with him for life. In fact,it'shardto imagine anyone calling him Richard—he was Pepe to everyone, and there was never another quite like him. Pepe attended Tulane University, wherehe earned both bachelor's

and master's degrees in Geology. He went on to serveinthe U.S. Army and Army Reservesfrom1956 to 1962, receiving the NationalDefense Service Medal and GoodConduct Medal,and holding Top SecretIntelligence clearance in his field. Following his military service,hebegan adistinguished career in theoil andgas industry. He spent several years with aHouston-basedproductioncompany before returning to NewOrleans, wherehefounded Richard P. Colomes Consulting Geologist and worked for more than 50 years.

Pepe was an active member of many civic and social organizations, including The Essex Club PetroleumClub, Metairie Country Club, NewOrleans Country Club,Rex,and The Recess Club. An accomplishedgolfer, he wonclub championships at both Metairie and NewOrleans Country Clubs, traveled widely withfriends, and qualified to play in the 1986 U.S. SeniorOpen.

While he achievedmuch professionally and athletically,Pepewillberemembered most forthe friendships he cultivated.Hehad agift formaking people feelknown and valued, and he cherished thoserelationships deeply. His contagious smileand playful spirit couldlight up a room, and hisaffectionate embrace was as memorable as it was genuine.

Pepe had away of making every conversation about theperson in front of him—always more interested in their happiness and storiesthanhis own—and that generosity of spirit left alasting imprint on allwho knew him.

Pepe was preceded in death by his belovedwife of nearly 70 years, Dolores "Dolo"Colomes; his son, Craig G. Colomes; and his sister, CarolynLacoste. His son, Kenneth P. Colomes, surviveshim, and his grandchildren, Zachary B. Colomes, Avery Scout Colomes, and Tenzin V. Colomes. Visitation willbegin at 10:00 a.m.,followedbya Memorial Mass at 12:00 p.m., on Friday, September 26, at St. Francis Xavier Church, 444 MetairieRoad, Metairie,LA70005. Interment willbeprivate

Harold L. Conner passed away peacefully at home on September 14, 2025 aftera short battlewith cancer.

Harold is survivedbyhis wife of 31 years, Nancy Robeson Conner; his mother, Lucina "Lucy" Garcia Conner;brothers Lawrence "Larry" C. Conner (Toni), and Richard "Ricky" M. Conner (Kori); nieces Erica C. Arrington (Trey), Kristen C. Boargoub (Adam), and Courtney C. Landry (Taylor); nephews Jeffery A. Carlson (Michelle) and BrianT.Conner(Emily); great-niecesDelilah Arrington, Madison Arrington, CaiaConner, and AliyahBoargoub; great -nephews JudeJoyce and David Pitfield;and many cousins We knowhehas been reunited withhis father, Martin"Marty" Carriere Conner;sister CynthiaLee Conner Carlson; and brother Brian David Conner,all of whom preceded himin death.

Haroldnever met a stranger,and he enjoyed connecting with so many people in his travels throughout theworld as an account manager in thefinancial sector.Helovedto find unique placestostay wherever his travelstook him. His love of fine dining would always topoff any triptoa city, and he was always excitedtoshare restaurant recommendations forany destination you'dtellhim youwere travelingto.

Harold was aproud LSU fan, right down to theringtone on his phone, and lovedtowatch them play every season. He keptin touch with many fraternity brothers fromchapters at LSUand Louisiana Tech throughout his lifetimeand wouldoften reminisce aboutthe good olddaysin college Harold enjoyed golfing, and living on thegolf course in Beau Chene

meant he couldsit in his living room and watch peopleplayright in his back yard.Heand his beloved dogSophie wouldspend hoursoutsidehunting up strayballs fromunlucky golfers. Living in Beau Chene also meantHarold and Nancy couldgoto their favoriterestaurant, Gallagher's,most every Friday to enjoya wonderful dinner.

One of Harold'sfavorite pastimes was spending time with his father and brothers on fishing trips. The Conner boysall loved to debate and many a nightwas spent catching up and talking aboutthe events of the time. Over theyears there were alot of wonderfulstories, mostly about time togetheras opposedtoactually catching fish.

Harold'spassion for books and oldmovies spokevolumesabouthis love foradventure. He wouldlosehimself in the storiesand in recounting his travels abroad, he wouldoften retracesteps or visitlocations froma movie he had seenorbook he had read.The Jimmy Buffet lifestylewas afavorite of his and most destinations involvedtime at thebeach or underanumbrella enjoying acocktail somewhere.

According to Harold's final wishes, thefamily will gather togetherina private celebrationofhis life. In true Harold fashion,he asked that allwho knew him simply remember the good times and havea cheerful toast in his honor.

CynthiaCay Harter De‐Blanc passedawaypeace‐fully at home with her daughterMarigny Jian by her side on Saturday,De‐cember7,2024. Shewas 78 years old. Cynthiawas bornonSeptember 25, 1946 inOlean,NY. Cynthiaissur‐vived by herbeloved daughter, MarignyJian Constance Harter DeBlanc, her sister BeckyHarter, and brotherSandy Harter She will also be lovingly re‐memberedbyher nephews William(Lindy) andtheir childrenDonovan andCai‐lyn;Andrew(Alana) and their children Ryan Lee, Zoe,Easton, andPaige; and Peterson,along with her cousinsand many life‐longfriends whose lives weregracedbyher kind‐nessand care.She was precededindeath by her dearparents,Constance Osborne Harter andEarl WilliamHarter, Sr.Cyn‐thia’schildhood was filled withloveand adventure— growing up on theWest BankinAuroraGardens and spending summers withher grandparents in Pennsylvania. Shegradu‐atedfromIsidore Newman School in 1964. Earlyinher career,she worked at the New OrleansMuseumof Art where sheengaged withgalleries andsup‐portedartists from around the world. Shelater workedatthe Province‐townArt Gallery and earneda degree in English fromSkidmoreCollege in 1968. Hernatural abilityto listenand understand turnedintoa callingasan educatorand social worker, which wasa testa‐menttoher deep care for others. Shetaughtkinder‐gartenatTrinity Episcopal School andworkedwith underprivileged youth through theTrinity Educa‐tionalEnrichmentProgram She furtheredher studies ineducation at Tulane Uni‐versity andthe Catholic UniversityofAmerica where shereceivedher MasterofSocialWorkin 1979. In 1993, Cynthia helpedtoestablish the WeightManagementCen‐ter at St.Charles General Hospitaland wasa psy‐chotherapistonthe hospi‐tal treatmentteam. She dedicated herselftohelp‐ing thousandsofpeople and latertransitionedto private practice where she continued to serveclients withdeep compassion and wisdom. Cynthia’sspirit was prolificand efferves‐cent. Sheembodieda light and joythatradiatedtoall who knew her. Shehad an incrediblesense of humor, a sharpwit,and adeep lovefor readingand writ‐ing.Cynthia hada particu‐lar fondness forobituaries, findinginthembothdeep insight andunexpected levity. Herappreciation for darkhumor andthe irrev‐erent reflecteda mind that was curious, nuanced, and unconventional. She brought warmth and laughtertoevery room she entered. Shehad aradiant

energy that made every‐one feel seen andvalued. Above all, sheloved with all herheart.She adored her twowhippets, Alibiand Matanzas, andfound peace in thesound of the ocean waves—herfavorite place to be.The greatest joy of herlifewas thejour‐ney shetook to bringher daughter, MarignyJian intoher arms.Asa single mother, shetraveledto China with 30 otherfami‐liesand adoptedher daughter. Thebondthey sharedwas thegreatest loveand treasure of her life. Abeautiful part of Cynthia’s life storyisthe connectionshe hadwitha shamanwho gave herthe nameNight Owl, asymbol ofher wisdom andability tolistendeeply.Marigny was namedRunning Brook which is areflection of her gentleand enduring spirit Cynthia’s love,kindness, and laughter will be for‐evercherished anddeeply missedbyall who hadthe privilege of knowingher.A special andheartfelt thank you to NotreDameHospice for theircompassionate careand support. Their kindnessmadeall thedif‐ference,and thefamilyis gratefulfor thecomfort theyprovided. Thefamily welcomes flowersand do‐nations that maybemade inCynthia’s memory to NAMI(National Alliance on MentalIllness),a cause close to herheart andone she supportedduringher lifetimeasa boardmem‐ber.A memorial tributeto honor herlifeand legacy willbeheldatTrinity Epis‐copal Church,1329 Jackson Avenue, NewOrleans,LA 70130 on Saturday,Sep‐tember27, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.witha receptionto followatthe Parish House. All arewelcome to attend E.J.FieldingFuneralHome has been entrustedwith funeralarrangements. The DeBlanc familyinvites you toshare thoughts,memo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatthe E.J. Fielding Fu‐neral Home GuestBookat www.ejfieldingfh.com

WilliamDaniel“Dan” Dickerson passedawayon September 17, 2025, at the age of 60. Danissurvived byhis belovedwife, Susan Bentz Dickerson; hissons, Patrick Dickersonand Ryan Dickerson;and hisbrother, ThomasAlanDickerson (Michelle). He is preceded indeath by hisparents WilliamLouis Dickerson and Sharon Phillips Dicker‐son;and hisfather-in-law GeorgeE.Bentz,Sr. Dan cherished hisfamily, and those who will miss him dearlyare hismother-inlaw,GloriaBentz;brotherin-law, George E. Bentz, Jr (Anna), sister-in-law, Diane Bentz Riehlmann; andher sonsMatt(Amber), Christopher (Michelle), and Nick(Emily). Born in Lake Charles,Louisiana,Dan graduated from BarbeHigh School andLouisiana Tech Universitywitha degree in MechanicalEngineering. WhileatLouisiana Tech,he was amemberofthe LARHO ChapterofSigma Alpha EpsilonFraternity. His engineeringcareer began as aProject Man‐ageratPennzoilinShreve‐port, andhewas avolun‐teer member of theFire Brigade.Heworkedinen‐gineering salesatJohnH CarterCompany formany years.Dan wasknown for his love of adventure, hunt‐ing,skiing, fishing, racing, motorcycles,and mountain biking. He wasinstrumen‐tal in spearheading the creationofthe NewOr‐leans MetroAreaMountain BikeOrganization(NO‐MAMBO)BonnetCarre SpillwayMountainBike Trail.Hewas also amem‐ber of theSportsCar Club ofAmerica (SCCA).His fa‐voritepastime wasenjoy‐ing andattending Formula 1 Raceswithhis best friendand boys,aswellas watchingthe NewOrleans Saints. Although askiing accident left himparalyzed in2009, Dancontinued to bea greatmentortohis children. Histalentfor guiding others throughin‐stallations or repairswas alwaysvalued. Hiscourage servedasaninspiration to all who knew him. Special thankstofriends andcare‐giver JeffreyCarter, Nicole Williams,Donna White, GuardianAngelsHospice and ahostofother care‐givers, family, andfriends Familyand friendsare in‐vited to avisitationfrom 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on

Wednesday, September24, 2025, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd. New Orleans, LA,followed byinterment at Greenwood Cemetery. We also invite you to shareyour thoughts, memories,and condolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com

Dominick,UrsulaArnaud

Ursula Arnaud Do‐minick, belovedwifeofthe lateRalph J. Dominick, passedawayonFriday, September 12, 2025 at the age of 92. Sheissurvived byher children,Renette Dominick, RalphDominick, ErinDominick, Elizabeth DominickCavaliere,and StevenDominick; her grandchildren,Douglas Raymond,AmandoDo‐minickand RileyDominick; great-granddaughter,Lily Raymond;sister, AnnJulie Arnaud; son-in-law,Kevin M.Dotson; herdearcousin, SheilaAugustin; andmany niecesand nephews. She was preceded in deathby her parentsCharles S. Ar‐naudand PearlBeaulieu Arnaud; hersisterLoisAr‐naudDownin; andher brother,Charles J. Arnaud Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the RequiemMassofChris‐tianBurialatCorpus Christi-EpiphanyCatholic Church,2022 St.Bernard Ave NewOrleans,LA 70116 on Tuesday, Septem‐ber 23, 2025 at 10:00 am Visitationat9:00a.m (Rosary at 9:15 a.m.). Cele‐brant,Rev.Henry Davis S.S.J., Pastor.Interment at Mount Olivet Cemetery 4000 Norman MayerAve, New Orleans, LA 70122 Pleasesignthe online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet-Labat-Glapion Directors, (504) 581-4411.

John "Jay" Joseph Fenerty,III,aged 76, passed away peacefully surroundedbyfamilyon September 17, 2025. An attorney and lifelongresident of the NewOrleans area, Jay was born October 8, 1948, to John Fenerty, Jr andAnnaPlegat Fenerty. Jay'slifewas deeply interwovenwiththe unique spirit of NewOrleans.He wasa proudgraduate of Jesuit High School and Loyola University New Orleans, establishingroots in thecommunitythat wouldlast alifetime.He wasa dedicatedmember of theNew OrleansYacht Cluband even served as itsCommodore, fostering communityand camaraderie among fellow sailors. Beyond the water, Jay'spursuits were many: he wasanenthusiastic tennis player,enjoyed trips to theCaribbean,and took great pride in grillingthe perfect steak. He wasan avidreader andlover of literature—a daily readerof theTimes-Picayune, always ready to share an article or sparka healthy debate. Hissharp wit and sense of humor brought smiles and laughter, and he is remembered for his generosity, spirited discussions, andgenuine friendship. Jay is survived by his daughter, Katherine "Katie" Fenerty-Lanphere (Brad); hisson,John"Jack" Joseph Fenerty,IV (Katelyn); former wife, Sally; hisbrothers, Thomas Fenertyand Joseph Fenerty (Cindy); and nieces anda nephew. He waspreceded in death by hisparents and beloved members of the Fenerty family. Agravesideservice will be held on Friday, September 26th at 10 a.m. at MetairieCemetery,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, 70124. In lieu of flowers, the familyinvites you to leave yourfavorite memory of Jay or make a donation to theAmerican Lung Association.The fam-

DeBlanc, Cynthia CayHarter

Dickerson, William Daniel 'Dan'

Fenerty III, John Joseph 'Jay'

Lake Lawn Metairie

Conner,Harold L.

4B

✦ Sunday, September 21, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

ily thanks you for your condolences and the cherished memories you have shared. Jay's legacy of thirst for knowledge, loyalty, and lively debate will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

FlickSr.,RobertC.'Bob'

Robert “Bob”C.FlickSr. ofPearl River, Louisiana, passedawayonSeptem‐ber 6, 2025, at theage of 78 Hewas born on January1 1947, in NewOrleans, Louisiana,tohis loving parents,the late Chester William“Bill” Flickand Josephine CutreraTowle Robertisthe belovedhus‐bandof46years to Martha Flick;adoredfatherofSan‐dra FlickMesa(Ricardo), DanielC.Schmolke(Kris‐ten), andthe late Robert C. Flick Jr.; proudgrandfather ofNicholasBernal, McK‐aelaBernal, Domenic Mesa, andBradley Flick.; and brotherofBryantFlick (Linda).Hewillbemissed byhis best friend andloyal companion,Max.Robert alsoleavesbehind, to cher‐ish hismemory, ahostof extendedfamilymembers and friendsall of whomhe loved greatly. Agraduate ofDeLaSalle High School Robertfurthered hisedu‐cationatSoutheasternUni‐versity andDelgado Com‐munityCollege.His acade‐mic pursuits laid thefoun‐dationfor asuccessfulca‐reer beginningatW&A En‐gineers,thenLaneand Co eventuallyleading to work atManufab.His collabora‐tiveworkexperiencein metal andsteel fabrication led himtoa successful coownership of Coastal Metal WorksLLC,from which he retiredseven years agoafter 20 plus years of dedicatedservice Robertwas aLouisiana sportsman at heartand loved thegreat outdoors. Hefound solace andjoy in duckhunting, deer hunt‐ing,and fishing. Hispas‐sionfor theseactivities was only matchedbyhis lovefor antiquecars. Robertwas aman of faith and ledbyexample.He madefriends andtoldsto‐rieswhereverhewent. His generousheart andkind spiritwillbefondlyre‐memberedbyall who knewand lovedhim.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend avisitation onSaturday, September27, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AudubonFu‐neral Home in Slidell. AFu‐neral Mass will begininthe chapelatnoon.Following services, areception will beheldinthe community room,concludingat2:00 p.m.Inlieuof flowers, memorialdonations to MD AndersonFoundationare appreciated. Memories and condolencesmay be expressed at www.Aud ubonFuneralHome.com.

Margaret Hoffmann

Margaret Hoff‐mann Giovengo age85, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Septem‐ber9,2025, at her homeinMetairie, Louisiana.BornonJanuary 24, 1940, in NewOrleans, Margaretwas alifelong residentofthe Greater New Orleansarea. She graduated from Redemp‐toristHighSchool andcar‐riedthe values of faith, family, andresilience throughouther life.Mar‐garet livedfor andbelieved infamily. Shewas ade‐voted mother to her daughter, Margaret Ann Kotar.Her love andwarmth extendedtoher grandchil‐dren, Lauren KotarHino‐josaand herhusband Jef‐freyHinojosa, andChristo‐pherKotar andhis wife, Hillari A. Kotarand to her great-grandchildren,Jaxon and Harrison Kotar. Mar‐garetisalsosurvivedby

herbrother,JoeyHoff‐mann, andhis wife,Fern. She wasa cherishedaunt tomanyniecesand nephews andevenmore great-niecesand greatnephews.She waspre‐ceded in deathbyher hus‐band, ElroyGiovengo, Sr.; her son-in-law Doug Kotar; brothers, CharlesHoff‐mann(hiswifeEllen), Jerry Hoffmann(hiswifeJoy), Raymond Hoffmann (his wifeMargaret),and her sister, Mary AnnHoffmann Mistretta (her husband Sal). Margaret livedwith anuplifting spirit which touched everyone shemet Her strength shone through in everychapter of her life —fromraising a lovingfamily, embracing new adventures with en‐thusiasm, and fighting breastcancerfor 13 years withgrace anddignity.She was amemberofthe GoldenAge club and prac‐ticed yoga until theage of 84. Herlovefor travel re‐flectedher adventurous heart andzestfor life Whetherexploring near or far,Margaretfound joyin discovering newplaces and connecting with oth‐ers alongthe way. Shewill bedeeplymissedbyfamily and friends. Mayher mem‐ory bringinspiration and joy to thosewho knew and loved her. Visitation will be heldonThursday,Septem‐ber 25,2025, from 9:00 a.m. to12:00 p.m. at St.Edward the ConfessorCatholic Church,4921 W. Metairie AvenueinMetairie. Mass willfollowat12:00 p.m. In‐terment will be private. The family invitesyou to share your thoughts,fond memories, andcondo‐lencesonlineatwww.lei tzeaganfuneralhome.com.

RobertHughes ("Bobby") Grehan,born December 16, 1927, died August 27, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.Heis predeceased by hisparents,Harold S. Grehan and Dorothy C. Grehan, and his fraternaltwin brother, Harold S. Grehan, Jr.,and his sister-in-law,Julia P. ("Happy") Grehan. He is survived by his closecompanion of over thirty years, Nanetta B. ("Nan") Smith. He is also survivedbyhis two nephews Harold Hughes ("Hughes") Grehan,and his wife Susan, of Phoenix,Arizona and Brooke Yates Grehan, and his wifeJennifer, of Mobile, Alabama. Other survivors include his grandnieces JuliaMurphy Grehan of Washington, D.C., Meredith Hughes Grehan of San Diego, California,and Sarah Elizabeth ("Ellie") Grehan of New York,New York, and his grandnephew Brooke Yates("Yates") Grehan,Jr. of Mobile, Alabama. Bobby was aretired executive in theconstruction industryand a native New Orleanian.He graduated from Alcée Fortier High School in December1944 andserved in theU.S.ArmyCorpsof Engineers. In 1948,hegraduated from Tulane Universitywith aB.S.in Civil Engineering. At Tulane,hewas amember of the Kappa AlphaOrder fraternity. Bobby was a Captaininthe U.S.Army Reserve,servinginthe 377thTransportation Terminal Command ReserveUnitasAide-deCamp to Gen. deLesseps S. Morrisson. He wasa past President of the N.O. Chapter of the American PublicWorks Association, aRoadwayEngineer for the New Orleans Public ServiceCompany, Manager of aJackson, Mississippi highway construction company,and retired as a Vice President and former partner in the Carl E. WoodwardConstruction Co. Oneofthe most rewarding experiences of Bobby's professionalcareer was leadingthe constructionoftwo Anheuser Busch distribution centers in the New Orleans area. He wasa life member of theStratford Club and a former member of The Boston Club, the Louisiana Club, the New Orleans Country Club,aswell as numerous Carnival organizations. The family would like to thankall the people that cared for Bobby in his last few years, especially the staffofand caregivers providedbyDependable Nursing& FamilyCare, Inc. for the servicesand care

they providedBobby over thelast few months of his life.A private burial service willbeheldfor family and closefriends. In lieu of flowers,the family requests that memorial donations be madetothe Tunnels to Towers Foundation(t2t.org). The family appreciatesyour thoughtsand prayersat this time and invitesyou to share your fond memories and condolences online at www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

Jean Dyck Heepke, 98, of NewOrleans, passed away on Friday, August 22, 2025. She was raised on abeautiful farminCanada by her parents, David andHelena Dyck, as theyoungest of nine children. The Dyck family enjoyed activities such as ridinghorses, skatingontheir ownice rink, and playing ballinthe pastures. Christmas celebrations were always grand, with thehouse filled with six boys and four girls. Mrs. Heepke, who was adopted, was proud to help withthe successful family farm and share the workload withher siblings. Herchildhoodwas filled with joy, and she fondly remembers her mother always dressing her in red. She graduated from nursing schooland passed theStateBoardExam in 1948 at theage of 20. Her nursing careerbegan in theEmergency Room, followedbya decade in the Operating Room Throughout her distinguishedcareer, she held various positions, including head nurse on amedical-surgical floor and Night Supervisor at Deaconess HospitalinCincinnatifor threeyears. She also served as Head Nurseof theOperating Room for eight years before retiring at theage of 76. Mrs. Heepke felt incredibly blessed to havehad afulfilling career in nursing,allowing her to serveothers.

Outside of workand raising her children, she enjoyed playing golf, bridge,and reading. Golf was her greatpassion,and she played competitively as amember of the Colonial Country Club. She lovedtraveling and attending church, cherishing the friendshipsshe made throughout her life above allelse Mrs. Heepke was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Dyck; her husband and life partner, Richard A. Heepke, Sr., who passed away in 1996; and her siblings, Ernest (Marie), Alfred (Ann), Walter(Effie), Clifford (Agnes), Abram (Margie),Elise (Aaron), Roby(Dane), and Rose (Mark).

She is survivedbyher sons, Michael L. Heepke and Richard A. Heepke, Jr. (Joan), along with many nieces and nephews.

Friends and relatives are invitedtoattendvisitation on Friday, September 26, 2025, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home. A memorial service will followinthe chapel, and interment willtake place in Lake Lawn Park. Condolences may be expressed at www.lakelawn metairie.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St.Jude Children's Research Hospital,Shriner's Hospital forChildren, or the Louisiana Methodist Children's Home

Kan, Elwyn

ElwynBlemmings Kan passed away on August 31,

2025, in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Elwynwas born in the District of Brisbane, State of Queensland,Australiato Mary and Maurice Blemmings, of Scotland and NorthernIreland,respectively.Deeplyproud of her heritage, she maintainedher Australian citizenship throughout her life while also embracing the United States, becoming a naturalizedcitizen in 1976. She worked as alegal secretary forthe District Court in Honoluluand later forWorkers' Compensation in New Orleans. Beyond her career, Elwynenjoyed supporting the artsand cultural communities she loved. She participatedinLePetit Théâtre and The Opera GuildofNew Orleans and was amember of the Daughters of the British Empire, theClan Henderson Societyofthe United States, and other Scottishand Irish organizations that connectedher to her family's roots.

Elwynissurvivedbyher son, Dr. Paul Rexton Kan of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; daughter, MoniquePaquita Sai Mui Kan-Souza (Kevin) of Kapa'a, Kaua'i; and two belovedgranddaughters, Janae Reyna(Sergio)of Yakima, Washington, and KianiSouza of Kapa'a, Kaua'i. She is also survived by her brother, Lance Blemmings(Desley), as well as nephews, nieces, and cousins—all in Australia.

Donations in hermemory may be madetoLePetit Théâtre (NewOrleans), The OperaGuild, Hawaii Theatre Centre, or St.Jude Children's Research Hospital(Memphis, Tennessee).

Debby, passed away Wednesday, March 26th, 2025 at age 74. She is survivedbyher loving husband of 45 years, James Lamping. She was thedevotedmotherof ChristopherGant of New Orleans and stepmother to Christine (Jeff) Rhodesof KansasCity, Kansas, Jennifer (Patrick) McCauslandofNew Orleans and grandmother to PaddyMcCausland.She leavesher sisterRebecca (Robert) Ramelli, her nieces Rana (Joey) Cabeceiras, Rachel (Paul) Reineckeand nephew CaseyRamelli. She also leavesher grandniece CaitlynCabeceiras and her grandnephews Jacob Cabeceiras, Robert Ramelli, ReevesRamelli, RogerRamelliand Pierce Reinecke.

Debby was born April 20th, 1950 in Council Grove, Kansas, thedaughterof Lester and Georgiana Wendlandt.Her family moved to NewOrleans in thelate1950's.She graduated from St. Martin's Episcopal School in 1968 and received adegree in Marketing from the University of NewOrleans in 1975. Debby briefly worked for Drawing Board Greeting CardsofDallas, Texas before embarking on alifelong careerasa healthand beauty aids broker. Debbywas an ownerand partner of Pinnacle Sales and Merchandising, Allen, Texas

Debby lovedbeing a wife, mother, sisterand aunt.She lovedher family and of course,her precious ShihTzus.

Please keep Debby in your heartsand prayers.

intoeternal

Wednesday,September 3,

ate

Ronald and7 sisters, BrendaL.Hunter,Jacque‐lineL.Motton, Delilah Landry, Florence L. Banks (Charles),Dianne l. Free‐man,Linda L. Deverney (Narvin)and Patricia L. Nicholas. Hergrandchil‐dren, Lorinzo, Nyra,Nya Nyla, Jawuan, Ja’nae, Malek Landry,Desmond Whiteand ReshiNorton and 2great grandchildren and 1uncle Booker T. Washington. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Delilahand Willie LandryJr.,husband,Kevin Stampley, brothers,Willie III, Alonzo,John, Donald and Clay Landry,2 broth‐ers-in-law, HerbertMotton Sr. andVincent Hunter Jr., and 1sister-in-law,Hazel PatriciaLandryand one godchild, MurondaLandry. FuneralService will be held at12:00 noon on Saturday September 20, 2025 at Pil‐grimRestBaptist Church, 2428 Flood Street,New Or‐leans,LA70117. Viewing 10:00 am -12:00 noon.Bur‐ial will be private. Profes‐sionalarrangementsen‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc. (504) 5235872.

Leighton

42, passed away in NewOrleans on September 5, 2025. He was born on September 28, 1982, in Baton Rouge,Louisiana.

He earneda Bachelor's degree in History and Spanish from California State University in Long Beach, andthena Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning. While attendingcollege, he worked diligently six days aweektosupport himself as apedi-cabber,all while maintaininghis perfect 4.0 GPA.Hewentontowork for theCityofNew Orleans as aseniorplanner,then he served as Director of PlanningatManning APC. Earlierinhis career,he served proudly in the Peace CorpsinPeru, where he wasrecognized for his work bringing cleanwater andsewage treatmentsystems to local communities. Whileatthe University of NewOrleans,hewas a member of CrescentCity Shapers, an organization dedicated to engaging students in thefield of urban planning.

Travis was deeply committed to making the world abetterplace.His passionsincluded civil rights andsocialaction, economic empowerment, environmental protection,human rights, povertyalleviation, andcommunityservice.He wasa kind, gentle,and good-hearted man who

dislikedgossip andwas a loyal friendtoall who knew him.

He wasa well-learned history buff, especially when it came to thecityof NewOrleans.Travis enjoyed reading,traveling, playing basketball, riding hisbike, cooking, journaling, attending sporting events, andsharing good meals with friends and family.

Travis is survived by his loving parents, Scott Martinand Judy Crain; his sisters, JessieMeadows andRoxanne Martin; his brother, Rory McGlynn; brothers-in-law,Rocco Magniand Dale Meadows; and hisnephew,Nolan Meadows.

Relativesand friends are invited to attendhis memorial service at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., NewOrleans,on Saturday, September27, 2025, at 10 a.m. Pastor John CanizaroofOne Hope Church will officiate Followed by acelebration of life at Bayou Beer& Wine Garden,315 N Rendon St NewOrleans,LA 70119 beginningat11:30 am to 1:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made in his name to https://www.hoo psforkidsintl.org/ or https: //byobikes.nationbuilder.c om/

To view andsignthe familyguestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Regina Mary Kimble Martiny, age 96, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2025, leavingthe card table with a full hand—and probablyan ace up her sleeve. She didn'tlose the game—shewas just tiredofwinning. Shewas preceded in death by herloving husbandof60years, Albert WilliamMartiny,Jr. whose charmand gregarious spirit matchedher own. She wasthe daughter of the late JuliusB.Kimbleand Regina Federer Kimble, andwas reunitedinrest with her eleven siblings: HelenPetermann,Julius Kimble,Jr.,Herbert Kimble Leona Lahaie, Claire Amato, Joseph Kimble RoseMancuso, Raymond Kimble,Frank Kimble,Leon Kimble,and JohnKimble.

Sheleaves behind five adoringchildren, Albert WilliamMartiny III (Bonnie),RobertLouis Martiny(Sue),Regina Mary MartinyDuBuisson (N Eric), StevenJames Martiny, andDonna

Paul,

Heepke, Jean Dyck

Martin, Travis Leighton

Travis

Martin, age

Martiny, Regina Mary Kimble

Lamping, Deborah W. 'Debby'

Grehan, RobertHughes

Giovengo,

Landry,Shelia Ann

Shelia AnnLandry, of New Orleans, La.entered

rest on

2025, surrounded by her family. Born on January13, 1962 to thelateWillie LandryJr. andDelilah Jack‐son Landry,inNew Or‐leans,La. Shewas agradu‐

of Carver Senior High She is survived by herchil‐drenAlbert, Javana,Tyrone Landry, stepdaughter Kab‐rinaBrooks, 3brothers, Wilbert(Yvonne),

MartinyClement (Geoffrey).Regina also held aspecialplace in her heart forher nephew, Albert Joseph MancusoJr. whoshe considered ason.

Granny'sjoy multiplied with her twelve adoring grandchildren: Lt Col Caleb Michael Martiny USAF Ret.(Gillian),N.Scot DuBuisson (Brianne) Regina Marti DuBuisson (Michael Steiner), Erin MartinyHebert(Shane), Courtney Clement Schmitt (Ronnie),GeoffreyPeter Clement,Jr. (Jenna), Joshua DavidMartiny, Victoria "Tori"Martiny Brenes (Jairo), Katie ClementDillard (Dean) Steven JamesMartiny, Jr. (Kelly), Carly Clement Laque (Steven), and Colleen Clement Parfait (Dylan). Her seventeen great grandchildrenwho brought her so much joy, ElliotDuBuisson, Madeline "Maddy" Martiny, McKayla Schmitt, Aidan Hebert, Henry "Hank" Martiny, Connor Clement,Jordyn Hebert, BenjaminDillard, ClaraDuBuisson,Tullia Steiner, Crawford Dillard, PresleyMartiny, Javi Brenes,Emmett Laque, Reece Martiny, August Parfait, and Laurel Laque And sixloving step great grandchildren,Lauren Dodd, Hannah Hebert, Caeleigh Messina, Kaeden Norris,Dylan Skeldon, and Austin Vasquez

As matriarchofthe Kimble family Regina is also survived by ahost of loving nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and evengreatgreat niecesand nephews

Known affectionatelyas Mom, Granny, or Aunt Regina she wastruly one of akind- always with a songfor every occasion (including afew jingles best not sung in church),a quick wit, and atalent for turninggatherings into celebrations with her famous whiskey snowballs

Born on July 16,1929, a native NewOrleanian and proud resident of Metairie for63years, Regina wasalways ready to play agame of cards rarely missing her Canasta, Bouree and Poker games with neighborhood friends. Regina wasa devoted parishioner of St LouisKingofFrance and charter member of St Angela Merici,a member of Metairie Women'sClub, and ArchbishopRummel OldTimers.

Regina believed in three things: love deeply,laugh often, and always get to Mass.

We'll miss yourlaughter, your sass,and your unwaveringfaith.Gameover

Granny—you won!

Relatives and friends areinvitedtocelebrate Regina'slife on Monday, September 22, 2025, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home.Visitation will beginat9:00a.m., followedbya Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 pm,celebrated by Fr. Beau Charbonnet. Interment will follow at Metairie Cemetery.

On September 10, Sister Marie Dorez Mehrtens (age 88), known simply as Sister Dorez, School Sister of Notre Dame, passed peacefully away at Trinity Trace Care Center in Covington, LA. She was preceded in death by her parents,Marie (Toups) and Herman Paul Mehrtens. She is survived by five siblings, Marie Mehrtens Borello(Raymond), Warrenton, VA, Katherine Mehrtens Fahy (Late Thomas), Jacksboro, TN Janet Mehrtens Ryan (late Daniel B.), Jefferson, LA, Elizabeth Mehrtens (Andrew Jewette), Gansevourt, NY, and Herman Paul Mehrtens (Marina), Centre, AL, and manyloving nieces, nephews, and cousins. Sister Dorez was awoman of many talents. She served in education, was in leadership for the congregation, companioned others in spiritual direction, was amissionary in Ghana, West Africa, and novice directress. May she

now rejoice in her new life with her God whom she servedsofaithfullyduring her 68 yearsofreligious life. Serviceswith take place on September 22 at Most Holy Catholic Church, 501 HolyTrinityDrive, Covington, LA. 70433. A PrayerService/Sharingof Memories willbegin at 10:30 AM followedbya Memorial Mass at11:00 AM. FatherRodney Bourg willofficiate.Inurnment willbeat1:30 PM at St. Maryofthe Pines Chatawa, MS Arrangements are entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home of Covington, La

Moore M.D.,Thomas Aquinas

ThomasA.Moore,M.D known as "Doc" to many and "Pa HoHo" to his grandchildren, passed awaypeacefullyat Poydras HomeonAugust 31st. Hewas adedicated psychiatristand adventurous spirit. Born on September 9, 1934,inShamokin, Pennsylvania, his family movedtoAlexandria, Louisiana in 1939. He graduated from Menard Memorial High School in 1952.Hewas atalented singer, appearinginlocal programs in Alexandria while in highschool and was named "Most Talented Freshman Boy"at Louisiana State University, wherehestudiedpre-med beforeearning his medical degreefromthe LSU School of Medicine in 1959. Dr.Moore completeda rotating internshipat Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospitalin1960 and a three-year residency in psychiatryat Charity Hospital of Louisiana. He proudly servedasa First Lieutenant in the North CarolinaNational Guard and in the United States ArmyReserveMedical Corps, earning therank of Captain beforehewas honorably discharged in 1969. From 1963 to 1996,he practicedpsychiatry in the greater New Orleans area and later continued hiseducation with atwo-year fellowship in child and adolescentpsychiatryat LSUMedicalSchool,completing it in 1998.In Decemberof2000 he elected to accept locum tenens assignmentsinNew Mexico, Montana, Arizona and North Dakota,finally settling in Fargo,North Dakota with his wife, Lynn, whereheworked as astaff psychiatrist at PrairieSt. John's and then the VA until his retirement in May 2013. They returnedtoNew Orleans in 2020wherehe remaineduntil his death Outside of work,Dr. Moore was passionate abouttravel, hunting and fishing, skiing,scuba diving,and enjoyinggood food and fine wine.He loved watching football with his son and was an avid fanofthe Saints and Tigers throughout hislife. He was precededin deathbyhis parents, his wifeof51years, Dorothy Lynn Heaslip Moore,and his six siblings:Gerald Isadore Moore,Elizabeth LillianMoore Weishaar, MargaretAgnes Moore Fissinger, Monsignor EdmundJoseph Moore, MaryFlorence Moore Duncan, and CatherineAnn MooreWaguespack. Dr. Moore is survivedby his daughter, Erin Elizabeth Mooreand her son;his son,Thomas Aquinas Moore,Jr. (Amy) and her daughter and son; his daughter Kelley Kathryn Moore Jarecke (Rick) and their four daughters. He is also survived by his two stepdaughters, Jennifer BrenneckeBuzzeo(Carl) and herthreechildren; Diane BrenneckeChristy (Dan) and her two children. Amemorialserviceto honor his life will be held from 2:00 pm until5:00 pm at LakeLawn Metairie FuneralHome, 5100 PontchartrainBlvd., New Orleans, LA, 70124. To view and signthe online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

Muller,JoanMarie Guidry

Joan MarieGuidry Mullerwas reunitedwith her loving husband of 60 years,DonaldA.Muller, on September 4, 2025. She passedquietly at home withfamilybyher side Joanhad just celebrated her 94thbirthdayonAu‐gust8th.She is survived by her threechildren, Cherie LynnMullerYelton(Steve), Clayton George Muller (Linda),and Todd Allen Muller. Sheleavesbehind her adoringgrandchildren AndrewClayton Muller, Casey Lee, Cooper Fred Yel‐ton,and KaitlynRebecca Muller. Shehas twogreatgrandchildren,Isaac and EliottMuller. Joan wasan activememberand leader inher community,serving onthe boards andcommit‐tees of many localnon‐profits andcharitableven‐tures.She served as presi‐dentofthe Women’sRe‐publicanClubofJefferson Parishfrom1995 to 1996 Asa certified Master Gar‐dener andLouisiana Ag Centervolunteer,she put her talentstouse with the Country Club Home Gar‐deners, even servingas president during the2014 –2015 term of office.She compassionately minis‐tered to theterminallyill and theirfamilies through her serviceinthe Stephen Ministry. Services forJoan willbeheldonOctober 3, 2025, at 11:00 am at St.Au‐gustine’s EpiscopalChurch (Metairie).

With profound sadness, the familyofDoris French Poirrierannounces her passing at theage of 87 Doris left herearthly life unexpectedly, yetpeace‐fully,onSeptember 13 2025 surrounded by the loveofher family. Born on November24, 1937 in New Orleans,Louisiana,Doris was thedaughterofthe lateRaymond Joseph French, Sr., andClare LouiseFischer.She at‐tendedSt. Mary’s Domini‐can High School andgrad‐uated from St.Mary’sDo‐minican Collegein1959 Doris metthe love of her life, SeptimePoirrier, Jr.in 1954 andwed in 1960. They wentontobuild abeauti‐ful life andfamilytogether for 65 years. Dorishad the opportunitytopursueher career in the fieldofnutri‐tion, howevershe choseto followthe path of adedi‐cated wife andfull-time mothertoher threegirls She wasdevoted to her familyand always puttheir needsahead of herown Doris wasknown forbeing a kindhearted, compas‐sionate,and devout Catholic.She instilled these characteristicsinher girls andprovideda living example of unconditional loveand acceptance of all. Onceher children were all ofschool age, shedecided tojointhe workforceagain and begantoworkasan office accountant at Green‐lawnElementary, andre‐mainedthere until herre‐tirement. It washer wayto contributetothe family fi‐nanceswhile maintaining a schedule that didnot takeher away from herpri‐ority —family. Over the courseofher career,she was awardedand recog‐nized forher outstanding workand dedication to the staff andchildren. Shecre‐atedmanylasting friend‐ships during that time, manyofwhomshe spoke tojustdaysbeforeher passing.Doris enjoyedthe beautyofnatureand had quite thegreen thumb. Her azaleas were always beau‐tiful andframedeach house shelived in;her porch wasnever void of flowersorplants. Shetrea‐sured thetimespent with her friends, caredfor those inneed by delivering com‐munion to homebound, and excelled at spoiling Sep,aswellastheir five grandchildren andtwo great grandchildren. Doris was an anchor forher fam‐ily,alwaysconstantinher support,givingofher time and asteadfastreminder that Godis firstand all

else is accordingtoHis

plan. Herlifewas abeauti‐ful storyintertwined with love, loyalty, andfaith Doris is preceded in death byher husband,Septime JosephPoirrier, Jr., who was laid to rest on Septem‐ber 12, 2025. Sheissur‐vived by theirthree daugh‐ters: MicheleZelenko (Bob),AngeleFitzhenry and Jeanelle Scheurich (Steven). Shewas the proud grandmotherof Brock Fitzhenry(Emily), Spencer Fitzhenry, Kade Fitzhenry,Kaitlyn Scheurich andZachary Scheurich andthe adoring great-grandmother to Laikyn Fitzhenryand AubreyFitzhenry.Doris is rememberedbyher sib‐lings RaymondFrench, Jr (Elaine)and Rosemary Gremillion(Bruce) as well asher many nieces nephews andextended familymembers.The fam‐ily extendstheir heartfelt thankstothe caregivers who have been with Doris inthe recent yearsand to the doctorswho tried valiantly to give us just a bit more time with her. The Lord’spurpose forDoris on earth wasfulfilledand He has welcomed herback home. Funeralserviceswill beheldonWednesday, September 24, 2025 at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd. NewOr‐leans,LA70124. Family and friends areinvited to at‐tendvisitationbeginning at9:30a.m., followed by a MassofChristian Burial at 11:00 a.m. Intermentwill followinGreenwood Cemetery. We also invite you to shareyour thoughts, memories,and condolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com

John Andrew Rogers passed away on September 12, 2025, at PassagesHospice in New Orleans, LA,atthe ageof 61. John is survivedbyhis wife of 39 years CherylAnn Loof Rogers. Loving father of Jared JosephRogers of Metairie, LA.John also survivedbyhis siblings Deborah Ann Rogers, WaldonAnthony RogersJr. (Wendy), Rose Marie Rogers Parker(John), Patrick MichaelRogers (Barbara), Denise Marie Rogers Davis(Ray), as well as anumber of nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parentsWaldon Anthony Rogers Sr. and Evelyn Katherine Leonard Rogers. John enjoyed fishing, attending Saints and Tulane sportingevents as well as playing cards. John was akindand givingman who would always lend a helping hand when needed.Hewillbesorely missed by allwho knew and lovedhim. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend a Memorial Service at St. BenildeCatholicChurch, 1901 Division St.Metairie, LA,onThursday, September 25, 2025, at 11:00 AM. Visitation with thefamily willbegin at 10:00 AM. Inurnment will be privateata latertime An online guest book is available at https://neptunesociety. com/obituaries/12523816

DonaldPaul

DonaldPaul SeawardSr. was born on August 11, 1937, in NewYork City, New York. He passed away peacefully in Carriere, Mississippi,onSeptember 11, 2025, at theage of 88.

Throughout his life, Donald was known as a lifelong outdoorsman. He cherished moments spent hunting and fishing, embracing thebeauty of nature.Inadditiontohis love forthe outdoors, he was a talented artist and devoted sign painter, sharing his craft with theworld for 45 years.

Donald is survivedby his son, Bradley Joseph Seaward,marriedtoLisa Steirwald Seaward, and his

sister,FaithSeaward Murphy, whoismarriedto Kevin. He wasalso aproud grandfather to fivegrandchildrenand agreatgrandfather to twogreatgrandchildren. He is preceded in death by hisbeloved wife,Lois Plaisance Seaward; his father,Adolf Seaward;his mother, AldeaKlink Seaward; hisson,Donald PaulSeaward Jr.; and his sister,Dale Seaward Treadaway, whowas married to Noel. Intermentwillbeprivate.

Smith, AddieMae Butler

AddieMae Butler Smith was born June 18, 1932 to the late Willie B. Butler and MattieLee Thompson But‐ler in Pike County. Addie was theoldestof13chil‐dren. Addiereceivedher education at Mt.Cannan School in AmiteCounty, Mississippi.Addielearned tocookatthe ageof8.She often shared storieswith her children andgrandchil‐drenofhow shestood on a wood stoolthather father madeand prepared meals for herfather, mother, brothersand sisters. In 1949, Addiemarried Paul E. Smith Sr.and from that union 10 kids were born Addiewas devotedtoher childrenand grandchil‐dren. Shewas very com‐mittedtoher children re‐ceiving theireducation and displayed theirhighschool cap andgownpicturesin her living room.Addieal‐waysput herchildren first and made endlesssacri‐ficestoensuretheir wellbeing.Addiemoved her familytoGulfportMissis‐sippi in the1960’swhere she beginworking as ado‐mesticworker. In the 1990’s, Addiethenmoved toMetairie, Louisiana where sheremaineduntil her deathonSaturday, September 13, 2025 at the age of 93. Aviewing will be heldonMonday, Septem‐ber 22, 2025 at Richardson FuneralHome, 11112 Jeffer‐son Hwy.,River Ridge, LA from8:00am– 9:00am.Cel‐ebrationoflifeservice will beheldat1:00pmat Springhill Freewill Baptist Church,5806 Springhill Rd., Smithdale,MS39664. Inter‐ment: Springhill Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery, Smithdale,MS. Services entrusted to Richardson FuneralHomeofJefferson River Ridge, LA.www.ric hardsonfuneralhomeofjeff erson.com

Massachusetts, on May28, 1944. Herparents,Albert Green Harkinsand Eileen Rita Griffin Harkins, and sister,CatherineMay, predeceased her. Thosewho surviveher includeher husband, Bruce Soltis, her son, KennethSoltis (wife Celeste Sonnier),and grandchild,Marguerite Marie Soltis. Herbrother, DanielHarkins (wifeTrudi), also survives her, along with seven nieces and nephews. Herlifewas marked by herprofound humor, whichlives in the memories of those who lovedher.Margaret, as she wasknown in adulthood, graduatedfromMatignon High School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1962, she matriculated at Boston's Emmanuel College, whereshe earned adegree in chemistry. In 1966, fearing alimited job market dominatedbysecretarial andtypist positions, she enlisted in the US Navy duringthe Vietnam War.The Navy offered herequal opportunity anda chance to see the world. Shedisagreedwith theUSinvolvementin Vietnam andjoked that her superiors in Officer Candidate School believed shewas acommunist, so theystationedher in quiet Bainbridge, Maryland. Her commandrotated enlisted sailorsbetween sea and shore duty. There, she met another officerwho became the love of herlife andfuture husband of nearly 55 years. After an honorabledischarge from theNavy in 1968, she taughtfor ayear in Maryland. In thefall of '69 she spentsix monthstravelinginEurope on abudget of dollars aday. Ajournal of hertripdescribedanothertraveler calling her allocation laughablylow, andmentioned splurging on a25-cent cup of coffee. Upon returningin1970, she and Bruce became engagedand moved together to Michigan.Theymarried that OctoberatOur Lady of VictoryChurchin Centerville, Massachusetts. Whileher husband attendedgraduate school, Margaret was theprimary earner, with stints teaching and workingina university toxicology lab.Later, sheworked in awastewatertreatment facility andliked to laugh aboutheading into stinky sewers to collectsamples In 1977, she moved to New Orleansafter herhusband took ajob there.She found employmentasa technician in theUSDA's Southern Regional ResearchLaboratory, helpingtodevelop permanentpressfinishesfor cotton fabrics. Margaret developed lupusinearly adulthood. She periodically suffered from debilitatingautoimmune attacks, oneof whichcost hera kidney. Thedisorderpreventedher from conceiving,but with thedisease in remission in 1980, she gave birth to her belovedson,Kenneth, in January1981. After her son's birth, she became a full-time mother. Andin her40s, Margaret took up yoga andher lupuswent into permanentremission Shehad agreat love of art andfilledsome of hertime volunteering as adocent at theNew Orleans Museum of Art. There, she combinedher interest in art with herteaching experience by leading school childrenontours of the museum.Inthe late80s, Margaret took up pottery anddeveloped into a formidable amateur artist throwing pots. Shebecame adept at manipulating glazes to create beautiful finishes.Her artistry evolved into making what i ll i

Rogers, JohnAndrew

Poirrier,Doris French

Soltis, Margaret M. Harkins

Margaret Mary Harkins Soltis died on September 13, 2025, at the age of 81 after along battle with dementia. Shewas born in Somerville,

Mehrtens, Sr. Marie

Dorez 'Agnes Clare'

See more DEATHS, page Gr

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Ca

Seaward,

Don’tfumble Superdome dealfor long-suffering Saints fans

In football, almost the worst mistake imaginable 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.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The

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.

WhyWeNeedYou

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

Wemake 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 weekof Aug. 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

conditions 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 is Deputy Editor |Opinion Page Editor Emailher at arnessa. garrett@theadvocate.com.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByJAVIER GALLEGOS The newspaper’sprinting press packaging room is pictured on April9

Arnessa

COMMENTARY

Trump’sGuard feverdream disrespectsLandry’swork

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. Whichwould be theend of this story,ifnot for an unreliable narrator up in Washington throwing in histwo cents.

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

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.

Stephanie Grace

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

It’sall created avisibly awkward situation for the governor 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 attacksare successfully weakening Ukraineand frightening Poland. The realityisthat Ukraine actually is winning its defensive, existential war,and it just needs theUnited States to stoptying its hands.

That is the message from perhaps the United States’ most knowledgeable expert on Russia, whohappens to be an adoptive New Orleanian of long standing —and he makesa compelling case

“long since ran out of trained military (In addition to thedead and wounded),tens of thousands are going over to the Ukrainian side.Meanwhile, he has had no money to repair roads, to keep therailroads going andsoon…and there’sa huge gas crisis in Russia, enormous.”

S. Frederick Starr is perhaps best known as the founder and leader of theLouisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, as aprolific author on history and culture, as co-founder of the GreaterNew Orleans Foundation and as aformervice president of Tulane and presidentof OberlinCollege. Hisacademic field anddecades of practical experience, though, always has involved Russian and central Asian affairs. He is the co-founder of the Kennan Institute for advanced Russianstudies, andhe has advised three presidentsand the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Quin Hillyer

With Russia’strained troops mowed down, Putin has had to empty Russian prisons to feed the killing fields. If and when those criminals return from thefront, they are resuming their bad ways andfomenting “mayhem” with a huge spike in Russian crime. Meanwhile, Ukraine is inflicting serious damage, often unreported in the West, on Russian infrastructure. Prohibited by both the Biden and Trump administrations from 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, called the ‘flamingo,’ and it’suptothe highest worlds standards for long-range missiles.”

“Basically,bluntly,Russiaisdefinitely and unquestionably losingthiswar,” Starr told me last week. “And that’s whyyou see desperate acts like this attack by drones against Poland.” Starr said the war has broken Russia’s economy,wrecked its military,greatly exacerbated its “huge demographic collapse” and weakened Russian PresidentVladmir Putin’slong-term hold on power

“On the eve of Russia’sinvasion,”Starr said, “Russia was riding high. It had $160 billioninits rainy-day fund; it appearedto be booming; and Putin hadalready seized part of Georgia …and he had also claimed Crimea.” Now,though, Russia has “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’twork,”and Putin

City Council Vice PresidentHelena Moreno is leading the pack of mayoral candidates in each poll that has been released publicly —bydouble digits. That’sa comfortable lead, and opponents state Sen. Royce Duplessisand City Council member Oliver Thomas are fighting to gain groundas early voting starts in afew days. In separate interviews, Duplessis and Thomas took note of Moreno’srecent absences from several debates and forums, notedbytheir campaigns and others.The Thomas campaign said he’sbeen at each event where he’sbeen invited but for one. The Duplessis campaign said he’sattended 22 such events since entering the race June 29, missingone. The Moreno campaign estimates that she’sattended 22, missinga handful. Duplessisand Thomas say she’smissed more.

Ukrainehas used those missiles successfully “deep in Russia” in “extraordinarily subtly planned attacks” to hit all themajor refineries, and the Russian oil supply is down“profoundly.”

With all this occurring, Starr said the U.S. should change its policies to help Ukrainewin morequickly —and he said we should not worry about Putin’snuclear “bluffs”because Putin’s militaryleaders andthe Russian business class know that would lead to the utter destruction of the Russian military.

Starr said theU.S. should be takinga series of steps. Provide morearmsfor Ukraine to defend itself. Lift all the“hand brakes” on how those arms can be used.

Significantly rampupsanctionsonRussian energy exports, including putting any country that buys from Russia on ablacklist. Directly seize Russian financial assets in the West.And completely cut Russia off

exactly thesame way each time.

from theSociety for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication system,the world’smost important network formaking international financial transactions.

He said if Russia were fully evicted from SWIFT “tomorrow morning, it would change the game 180 degrees …with the stroke of apen.”

Starr also said correct U.S. messaging is crucial. The U.S. should “make clear that our objective is the full restoration of Ukraine’ssovereign territory,” Not alandfor-peace deal, but full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine’sinternationally recognized borders.

Putin,Starrsaid, is “no spring chicken,” and there are credible leaders in Russia

has missed some, and she has a response.

whocould replace Putin’sgeneration. Many of them are better educated than Putin’sentourage, and while he doesn’t believe the U.S. should meddle in Russia’s internal 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 Trumpto listen.

Email Quin Hillyeratquin.hillyer @theadvocate.com

What difference does it make?

Iasked each of these three leading mayoral candidates similar questions about the number of debates and forums. Ididn’tsay it

published. Letters are

But, in so many words, it went something like this: There have been alot of debates and forums, perhaps more than during other campaignseasons. Arethere too many? How are you dealing with so many? Moreno has been apart of several livestreamed andtelevised debates and forumswith Duplessis and Thomas, includingthose hosted by the Times-Picayune |NOLA. com and WWL Louisiana on Tuesday.The Save Our Soul Coalition mayoral eventwas livestreamed on thegroup’sFacebook page. Recently,there was aNew OrleansSmall Business Mayoral Forum hosted by acoalition of small businesses at Propeller.There werethree chairs. One was empty.“Councilwoman Helena Morenowas set to be here, WDSU-TV anchor Gina Swanson said after introducing Duplessis and before introducing Thomas. “She is not here at this time.” Moreno acknowledged that she

“We’re at apoint where we’re really having to balance because we are also getting alot of feedback that not everybody can go to thebig auditorium, not everybody can deal with the parking, what about being in our neighborhood,” she told me. “So we’ve been having to do this kind of rebalance of scheduling alot of different neighborhood eventsand meetand-greets, then, of course, trying to do as many forumsaspossible.”

Moreno said she’sbeen to forumspacked with hundreds, and somewith five people.

“It’s been difficult due to the amount of forums that we have, added Moreno. “It’sbeen alot. Youtry to do your best,and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

When Iasked Thomas the same question, he said, “Someofus have gone to them all …Idon’t want to miss any.The decision for me is that there has to be an effort to engage as many citizens as possible.”

“Ideas. Energy,” he continued. “I’mnot aproponent of limiting dialogue andconversation about our city.Ihave heard someof thebest ideas or motivations to save our city from Ricky Twiggs, Eileen Carter,Mr. (Frank) Janusa, Ms. (Ranada) Collins …Inmany cases they’ve motivated me.”

LikeThomas, Duplessis said he aimstobeeverywhere he’s invited. “All of them are apriority because it’sanopportunity for me to connect every audience and stakeholder group throughout the city —but not only to be heard, but to listen to their concerns. It’s asign of respect. It’s asign of acknowledging that Iwill be present andthat they matter.”

“If you’vebeen invited to and you missfive, six debates, Ithink that’sa bigger question that needs to be asked,” added Duplessis, referencingMoreno but not by name. “I wouldn’trun formayor if Iwasn’tprioritizing being at every single debate that Icould be at ” Thomas said Duplessis has

been at each debate he’sattended. Duplessis said Thomas has been at every debate he’s attended. Asked about Moreno’s attendance, Thomas demurred. Duplessis did not. Has she been at each of those debates? “Absolutely not,” Duplessis fired back. “She’smissed at least five or six.” I’ve seen candidates arrive at these events early,late and very late. I’ve seen candidates leave rather early,early and very late. To be fair,because I’ve been to abunch of these events, someare better organized than others. Organizers ought to tell audiences when they invited candidates, how things changed and why. You might be shocked. Iwish Ihad space to tell you more. Ihave places to go, people to see, things to do just like everyone else. But I’mnot running to be your mayor No one madeDuplessis, Moreno and Thomas run. Iexpect to see each at each debate and forum

Email Will Sutton at wsutton @theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINE’S 24TH MECHANISED BRIGADE PRESS SERVICE Ukrainian servicemen fire aMRLSBM-21‘Grad’onFeb.15towardsRussian army positions near Chasiv yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine.

Will Sutton

DEATHS continued from marriedJoseph LaGreca in 1950,and he became Lolita's step-father. All threeprecededher in death

were essentiallyportraits made of clay. On sheets of clay, she either carved or added thin strips of clayto create both abstract and realistic faces. She gave many piecestofriends and family as gifts. In her 70s, Margaret developed dementia, which robbed her of much of her personality Perhaps her greatest trait was her sense of humor. She had the ability to laugh at any situation and her playfulness could makea boring situation, like waiting in line at agrocery store, suddenly interesting. Her comedy endeared her to friends and loved ones. Her gift was so strong that her dementia could not steal the glee of laughter from her eyes until her final weeks. Her wit survives, always. Friends and Familyare invited to attend afuneral at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home in New Orleans, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., on Wednesday, September 24. Visitation begins at 11 am, followed by aservice at noon.After interment, guests are invited to areceptionatthe Southern Yacht Club, 105 N. Roadway St. in New Orleans, at 1:30 pm.

Sheissurvived by her sister, GerryKlein andher half-sister,DebbieVega Vespucci; herniece Debbie Gard(John), and nephew, Scott Klein; grand -nephews Tyler Gard (Jordyn) and CoenKleinBahr,and grand-nieces KrystenGardand Kaia Klein-Bahr.She is also survived by hergreat-grandnephew,Grayson Gard. She willalsobegreatly missedbyher furry fourlegged friends Bella, Moose and Maisie Lolita worked as aforeign exchange accounting technician forthe US government for35yearsuntil her retirementin1995.She converted and reconciled foreign currencies from many countries into U.S. dollars with accuracy and efficiency.Afterher retirement, hersupervisor said it took several peopleto replace her. Aproud and active memberofthe American Legion Auxiliary of New Orleans,Lolita servedas First District DEC and President, and as treasurer and chaplain forEd Brauner Unit307 formany years. Always generous with her time, she volunteered at countlessVA hospital parties sponsored by the legion. Lolitawas a memberofthe Golden Age group and was amaidin their MardiGrasball. She also rode on afloat in the Iris parade Outside of her community work, Lolita found joy in eating and cookingNew Orleans cuisine,hosting her rosary group, bowling, gardening and entertaining friends and family. She was amember of the choir who sangfor thepope when he visited New Orleans.InMarchof2020, she moved to Colorado Springs to live with hersister in the foothillsofthe mountains. She enjoyed the mountain views and seeingbears,mountain lions, deer, hummingbirds and otheranimalswhile sitting on the deckorlooking at photos fromtheir wildlife cameras. Lolita willberemembered for her deep faith, extremely generous spirit, sense of humor, andunwavering love for her family and friends. Alwaysyoung at heart, she was the life of the party and knew exactly what she believed in and

wanted. Her life touched many and her memory will continue to live on in the heartsofthose who knew and lovedher. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend funeral servicesatLake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvdin NewOrleans on Friday September 26, 2025. Visitation willbeheldfrom 11am until 2pm, followed by amass of Christian Burial.Interment willtake place at Lake Lawn Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, massesordonations to theAmerican Heart Associationare preferred.

DoloresLolita

Dolores "Lolita" Vega, beloved sister, aunt and friend was born on Sept. 17, 1938 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Sept 9, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.She was 86 years old.

mother, Rita

Vega, died when

was only 2years old.

Ole Miss puts the hurt on Tulane

Green Wave no match for No. 13 Rebels in blowout

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

OXFORD,Miss.— Vaught Hemingway Stadium has become Tulane’s modern-day house of horrors.

Four years after giving up 707 yards in a 61-21 debacle, the Green Wave was no match for the 13th-ranked Rebels again, falling 45-10 on Saturday in a matchup of unbeatens that never was in doubt Almost nothing went right on either side of the ball in the program’s most lopsided loss since that miserable night at the end of a Hurricane Ida-forced evacuation to Memphis, Tennessee.

Nussmeier picks up his game vs. Lions

Quarterback shines as LSU routs

Southeastern

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

Staff writer

Garrett Nussmeier dropped back, and with his feet planted at Southeastern Louisiana’s 40-yard line, launched a throw to the back of the end zone. Though wide receiver Nic Anderson could not make the catch in midair, it was the kind of pass that had been missing from the LSU offense so far this season. If you wanted proof that Nussmeier has turned a corner after playing through a torso injury, as LSU coach Brian Kelly said earlier in the week, he provided some in No 3 LSU’s 56-10 win Saturday night inside Tiger Stadium.

Nussmeier completed 81% of his throws (25 of 31) for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for a score LSU (40) took out Nussmeier and the rest of the starters after building a 42-0 lead early in the third quarter Through the first three games, Nussmeier’s longest pass attempt traveled about 34 yards in the air and that was an under-thrown ball down the left sideline against Louisiana Tech that was intercepted. He was 4 of 13 on passes of more than 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus, as LSU struggled to push the ball deep.

Nussmeier looked like himself against Southeastern (2-2), the only FCS opponent on the Tigers’ schedule. He attempted two passes that traveled roughly 50 yards in the air. Although both were incomplete — one drew a pass interference penalty — Nussmeier had plenty of distance. He went 1 of 2 on throws of more than 20 yards downfield, and he was accurate in the intermediate passing game.

ä See LSU, page 5C

LSU

rolls to his left before making a throw for a touchdown against Southeastern in the second quarter on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

Legendary former Alabama coach Nick Saban picked Tulane (3-1) as his live underdog of the day on “College GameDay,” but the Wave’s chance to pull an upset died quickly. Ole Miss (4-0) scored all five times it had the ball in the first half while Tulane managed a lone field goal.

The second half was not any better “It was a frustrating performance,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said. “It’s on me. It starts with me and ends with me. I’ve got to have our guys prepared to play better. Hats off to Ole Miss. We didn’t really handle some of the pace they did, and we self-inflicted too

ä See TULANE, page 3C

make a pass as offensive

Shadre

blocks against Ole Miss during the second half of their game Saturday in Oxford,

By

Saints center Erik McCoy protects the line after snapping the ball to quarterback Spencer Rattler in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept 14 at the Caesars Superdome. STAFF PHOTO By

Saints coach Moore explains why he reset former OC Kubiak’s offense

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

hen the Los Angeles Chargers hired him as offensive coordinator in 2023, Kellen Moore was determined not to be a wrecking ball and held over some of the team’s previous concepts for a few reasons.

First, Moore knew predecessor Joe Lombardi’s scheme well after playing under him as a quarterback in Detroit. More importantly, Moore recalled, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert already had worked with a “million” coordinators to start his promising career So Moore wanted to maintain some semblance of continuity, even with his fresh approach.

Two years later when he was hired to coach the New Orleans Saints, Moore brought out his ax.

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff looks to

lineman

Hurst

Miss.

AP

PHOTO

ROGELIO V. SOLIS

DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

quarterback Garrett Nussmeier

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Oklahoma gets record 10 sacks in win

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.

“We talked about going into the game, the only non-negotiable that has to happen for us to win this game is when the storyline has to say y’all (defensive linemen) played your butt off,” Venables said.

Isaiah Sategna had career highs of nine catches and 127 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown grab and Tate Sandell made three field goals for the Sooners.

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.

Micahi Danzy had a 64-yard touchdown run and added receptions of 65 yards and 47 yards. The redshirt freshman now has three touchdowns in three games.

The Golden Flashes’ Dru DeShields completed 9 of 18 passes for 129 yards and had a 75-yard touchdown pass to Da’Shawn Martin.

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 Michigan (3-1, 1-0) recovered the onside kick, picked up a first down and ran out the clock.

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. Utah had a quiet day on the ground by its usual standards.

The Utes totaled just 101 rushing yards while averaging 3.3 yards per carry On the other side, Utah allowed Texas Tech to gain 173 yards and score two touchdowns on the ground.

Hammond’s first touchdown pass – a 24-yarder to Terrance Carter Jr – restored a double-digit lead Dickey put the Red Raiders up 27-10 with 3:41 remaining

when he took a handoff, squeezed his way through a scrum of players and popped out the other side for a 24-yard TD run.

Dampier threw an interception on Utah’s ensuing drive, which led to Hammond’s spot-on strike to Reggie Virgil for a 21-yard score.

No 6 OREGON 41, OREGON STATE 7: In Eugene, Oregon, Dante Moore threw for 305 yards and a career-high 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.

For a winless team, the Beavers were surprisingly resilient early and tied the game at 7 on Hankerson’s 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter Oregon went back in front on Moore’s 23-yard scoring pass to Sadiq Kenyon and Jordon Davison added a 3-yard TD dash to make it 21-7 at halftime. After the break, Moore found Jeremiah McClellan with a 13-yard touchdown and Atticus Sappington kicked a 24-yard field goal.

Gary Bryant Jr caught a 49yard touchdown from Moore and Sappington added a 28-yarder to seal it in the fourth.

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.

UAB QB Jalen Kitna threw for 364 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

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

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.

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 Rutherford 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 61-26-2.

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.

Jeremiyah Love racked up 157 yards rushing on 19 carries, including scoring runs of 46 yards and 1 yard.

Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr was 10-of-12 passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

The game was delayed by 1 hour and 54 minutes due to a lightning delay late in the second quarter

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.

South Carolina was penalized 12 times for 88 yards. One of them was a 15-yarder for hands-to-theface as the Tigers were trying to run out the clock in the final minutes.

Missouri’s defense spent the game in the South Carolina backfield, piling up eight tackles-forloss. That included five sacks.

Dream’s Hillmon gets WNBA’s top reserve award

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.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALONZO ADAMS

Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone, right, sacks Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

OLEMISS45, TULANE 10

THREEAND OUT: GUERRy SMITH’STOP TAKEAWAySFROMTULANE’SDISPIRITING FIRSTLOSS

WHATWELEARNED

1

Tulane cannot competewiththe true big boys.

Operating with amuch smaller NILbudget (but very competitiveamong Group of Five schools) thanOle Miss, the Green Wave couldnot matchup on either side of the ball. Maybe mosttelling was the waythe receivers had an incredibly hardtime getting anyseparation, while Rebels receivers were open playafter play. Coach JonSumrall said Tuesday histeam had received too much praiseafter winning by twoand sevenpoints theprevious twoweeks. This performance provedhis point.Tulane was humbled by amuch betterteam.

TRENDING NOW

2

Atired group.When Sumrallsaid the nonconferenceschedule was too demanding beforethe season started,heknewwhat he was talking about.Tulane did not getachance to catch itsbreath against acupcakeinopening wins against Northwestern,SouthAlabama and Duke— with the latter victory particularly emotional in the returnofformer quarterbackDarian Mensah toyulman Stadium.That was one reason theWave came out flat againstOle Miss andgot flattened evenmore.The first open date,which will arriveafter theAmerican Conference opener atTulsa next Saturday,cannot come soon enough.

FINALTHOUGHTS

3

The Wave has aton of work to do to get readyfor conference play.The reality of having astarting quarterback whohad not been on campus for twomonths hithomeSaturdaywhen Jake Retzlaff could not connect with hisreceivers, but the problems in the passing game have been there all year.A Tulane wideout had not caught a touchdown pass until AnthonyBrown-Stephens ran under one from backup Brendan Sullivan in garbage time against Ole Miss.Theplangoing forward likely involves both Retzlaff and Sullivan. Oneway or another,the passing game must getbetter.

Tipthe cap

Tulane givesOle Miss itsdue fordominant performance

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

OXFORD,Miss. With Tulane already trailing 23-3onSaturday, OleMissreceiver DeuceAlexander made aleaping grab alongthe sideline for aspectacular35-yard gain while being double covered GreenWave coachJon Sumrall scoffed on the sideline when the replayofficial buzzed down to make sure it was legitimate.

“That catch was wow,”Sumrall said. “Great play,a phenomenal play.When they went to review it, Itold everyone on our sidelinelike that was acatch. Idon’tknow why they were reviewing it. Icould tell from the other sideline.”

TULANE

Continued from page1C

many times. We’re going to sit on this one and let it hurt for awhile because it should.”

Tulane’sonly real opportunity came at the start of the third quarter when it drove to the Ole Miss 4-yard line while down 20 points. Three emptyplays from there caused aturnover on downs, and the rest of theday was full of more bad moments, including failedfourth-down conversions on the next two possession.

“It (not scoring from the4) took the airout of you alittle bit,” Sumrall said. “When you get down in the red zone, you have to score, and we had to go for it. We weren’tkicking afield goal. It was 23-3, and taking a field goal would have beenconceding at that point andsaying you want to get beat by less. I wanted to try to compete and get back in the game.” Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, aDivision II transfer starting for the second straight

As poorlyasTulaneplayed in its 45-10 defeat at Vaught Hemingway Stadium,sometimes you have to credit theopponent. The 13thranked Rebels,who never have lost anonconference game under sixth-year coach Lane Kiffin, were nearlyflawless for four quarters. It started with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, asummer arrival who backed up his phenomenal debut in place of the injured Austin Simmons against Arkansas last week with anotherstellar day. He didnot commit aturnover —Simmons was pickedoff four times in theRebels’ first two games —and accounted for 419 yards with his arm and his feet.

“He’sareally good player,” Sumrall saidofChambliss. “He’sgot quickness in everything he does, whether it be decision-making, throwing or running. He’s just kind of aggravating when you’re on the other side. Everybody made

time in place of injured Austin Simmons, threw for307 yardsand ran for 112. He setthe tone with a41yard keeper througha wide-open space tothe Tulane 5onthe opening series. After missing uncovered tight end Dae’Quan Wright in the middle of theend zone on second down,Chambliss hithim foran easy score on the right side on the next play

“It’salot of moving partsand a lot of motions and alot of shifts,” Tulanelinebacker SamHoward said.“Youjust have to play with great eyes against him (Chambliss), and we just didn’tplayour game.Itshowed.”

Tulane, which was withoutinjured left tackle Derrick Graham, appeared disjointed offensively from the start. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw abullet behind tight end Justyn Reidonthe secondsnap —the first of nine consecutivepassesthat hit the ground before he completed oneonthe last play ofthe half.

“They smothered us in coverage,” Sumrall said. “They did agood job of putting bodies on bodies. We didn’tplaywellinthe throw game. Sometimes it’s not just the quarterback. Sometimes

abig deal about Simmons not playing, and I’mlike, did you watch (Chambliss) play last week?

“He’dbeastarter for alot of people in college football. He looks very comfortable andveryconfident.”

Chambliss led Ferris Statetothe Division II national championship last season and appears capable of guiding Ole Miss to aCollege Football Playoffberth if he maintains thislevel.

“You can tellhe’splayeda lotof football by his instinctiveness and hisnaturalness,” Sumrall said. “Wedidn’tmanage him very well at all.”

Ole Miss (4-0) hasscored 179 pointsthrough four games, tied forthe third-most in school history, and has won seven straight nonconference games by 30 or more points. Chambliss, asenior, is one of four Rebels quarterbacks to exceed 300 yards passing and

it’sthe receivers, theO-lineora back in protection.Alot of things went into it,but we didnot throw andcatch like we did last week,for sure.”

Retzlaff finished 5of17for a career-low 56 yards passing as a starter spanning four schools and did little damage withhis feet after a30-yard scramblethatset up afield goal in the first half —along way from his 100-yard rushing efforts in wins against Northwestern andDuke.Brendan Sullivan replaced him for thefourth quarter and tossed a6-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Brown-Stephens with 3:42 left as Tulane avoided being kept of theend zone forthe first time since a24-6 loss at Auburn in 2019.

At that point, the Rebels had only one empty possession, scoring five touchdownsand kicking threefield goals. They led 10-0atthe endof thefirst quarter,doubled the advantage beforehalftime and added 22 points in thefourthquarter

“Wejust have to flush this game, watch the tape and learn from it,”Howard said. “Because other teams are going to see thistape and go, hey,weknow how to play this team.”

O-line injury hampers Tulane

BY GUERRYSMITH Contributing writer

OXFORD,Miss. An injury that sidelinedlefttackle Derrick Graham on Saturday forced Tulane to reshuffle itsoffensive line against13thrankedOle Miss, andthe results were not pretty in a45-10 loss. Graham practiced some during theweek after hurting an ankle thepreviousSaturday againstDuke but wasruled outbeforekickoff againstthe Rebels.

“It was agame-time decision,” Tulane coach JonSumrall said. “He didThursday’srun-through and Friday’swalk-through. We thought there was achance, but he came outinpre-game and just couldn’tquite do it. Ifeel pretty confidenthe’llbeback next week (for the conference opener at Tulsa), but we’ll see.”

Normalstarting leftguard ShadreHurst movedoutside to tackle while redshirt freshman Elijah Baker received his first career start in Hurst’sspot. A falsestart on Bakersidetracked theGreen Wave’s only positive drive of the first half, turning a third and 7atthe Rebels’ 14 into athird and12that quarterback Jake Retzlaff could not convert on ascramble.

Tulane picked up only six first downsonits fivefirst-half possessions, gaining 10 or more yards on only two plays —an 11-yard run by freshman running back Javin Gordon anda30yard scramble by Retzlaff that ledto Patrick Durkin‘s 34-yard field goal

100 yards rushing,joining Archie Manning on an exclusive list.

Running back Kewan Lacy rushed for his seventh touchdown, themost on the ground for an Ole Miss player since at least 1985.

Conversely,the Rebels are allowingonly8.4 points pergame against nonconference opponentssince the start of 2024. Tulane picked up more thanone first down on only twoofits first nine drives. The tone wasset early,when safety Sage Ryan separated receiver Zycarl Lewis from the ball with ahuge hit as he tried to pull in athird-down pass from Jake Retzlaff.

“They did pretty good,” said Tulane receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens, whoscored the Wave’slone touchdown on a6-yard catch from backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan lateinthe fourth quarter “Wehave to go back and see what changeswecan make and adjust going into next week.”

No.13Ole Miss 45, Tulane10 Tulane 03 07— 10 Mississippi 10 13 022— 45

First Quarter MISS: Wright 5passfromChambliss (Carneirokick), 12:23. MISS: FG Carneiro22, 3:13. Second Quarter MISS: FG Carneiro54, 12:48. TULN: FG Durkin 34, 6:40. MISS: Lacy 1run (Carneirokick), 4:09. MISS: FG Carneiro33, :24. Fourth Quarter MISS: Lacy 1run (Wallace pass from Chambliss),14:55 MISS: Diggs 2run (Carneirokick), 11:45. MISS: Alexander 33 pass from Chambliss (Carneirokick), 8:17. TULN: Brown-Stephens 6passfromSullivan (Durkin kick), 3:42. TULN MISS First downs 18 23 Total Net Yards282 548 Rushes-yards39-178 42-241 Passing 104 307 Punt Returns 1-12 3-29 Kickoff Returns1-201-23

Interceptions Ret. 0-01-0 Comp-Att-Int 10-29-117-27-0 Sacked-YardsLost0-0 1-1 Punts 4-45.0 1-54.0 Fumbles-Lost 1-01-1 Penalties-Yards 4-30 3-35 Time of Possession33:55 30:38 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING:Tulane,Retzlaff 8-51, Barnes11-47, Gordon 8-35, McClure3-19, Mobley 3-16, Sullivan 6-10. Mississippi, Chambliss 14-112, Lacy 18-68, Taylor2-24, Diggs 4-20, Alexander 2-11, Mills-Knight 2-6.

:Tulane,Preston 3-35, Bohanon 3-28, Hayes1-22, Reid 1-7, Brown-Stephens 1-6, Gordon 1-6. Mississippi, Alexander 4-94, Wright 3-71, Stribling 3-62, Lacy 3-3, Lee2-60, Watkins 1-13, Wallace 1-4. MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.

Tulane rushedfor 178 yards on 39 carries while allowing zero sacks, but not having an ultra-reliable fifth-year senior in Graham forced quarterbacks Retzlaff and Brendan Sullivan to scramble from pressure and throw the ball away repeatedly

The right side of the line was the same as last week, with Reese Baker starting at tackle and Jordan Hall starting at guard.

SECstruggles

Tulane’s last threetrips to face SEC teams have notgonewell forthe offense.

In 2019, the Wave lost 24-6 at Auburn, finishing with 223 yards and zero touchdowns in agame thatprompted thenoffensive coordinator Will Hall —now the passing gamecoordinator —toblame himself for poor planning and preparation. Last year,the Wave produced 125 yards behind backup quarterback Ty Thompson in a33-8 Gasparilla Bowl defeat vs.Florida, averting ashutout on atouchdown with 29 seconds left. This time, Tulane scored its lone touchdown with 3:42 left, and only after aroughing-thepasser penalty on Ole Miss kept the drive alive on afourth-down incomplete pass. The only other timethe Wave scored 10 points of fewerinthat span was in a14-10 loss to Central Florida in 2021.

TV time

The American Conference announced the start timefor Tulane’sleague opener against Tulsa on Saturdaywill be 3p.m on ESPNU. Memphis, which upsetArkansas32-31 on Saturday after trailing by 18, will play Florida Atlantic in the more marquee6 p.m. slotonESPN2 Tulsa (2-2, 0-1 American) is coming offanupset victory at Oklahoma State. Either aWave victory or aMemphis loss almost certainly would have moved the Tulsa game to the later slot. Lagniappe

Redshirt freshman running back Jamauri McClure played for the first time this year in the fourth quarter,getting 19 yards on three carries. ArnoldBarnes led Wave running backs with 47 yards on 11 attempts while Maurice Turner missed his third consecutive gamewith an ankle injury

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByROGELIO V. SOLIS

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is tackled by Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou during the firsthalf on SaturdayinOxford,Miss.

LSU56, SOUTHEASTERN 10

BOXSCORE

LSUunleashes aggressiveness

Tigers

convert first 4thdowns

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

of season

Before Saturday,only threeFBS teams hadnot converted afourth down this season. LSU was oneof them.

RUSHING—Southeastern, Smith 2-40, Lowe 6-20, B.Hayes2-15, 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.Brown1-9, 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, VanBuren 10-12-0-122.

RECEIVING—Southeastern, Jackson3-36, J.Williams 2-34, Domingeaux 2-16, Besh 1-14, Prejean 1-6, Goodly 1-5, B.Hayes1-5 LSU, Sharp 5-73, Ba.Brown5-54, 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.

AP PHOTO By PETER FOREST

LSU running back Caden Durham tries to gain some yardageafter the catch in the first half against SoutheasternonSaturdayatTiger Stadium.

Thencoach Brian Kelly decided to leavehis offense on the field for a fourthand 11 from Southeastern Louisiana’s 35-yardline. It was the second quarter of aWeek 4tuneup, and theTigers had a7-0 lead. Once Garrett Nussmeier found receiver Zavion Thomas over the middle for a17-yard gain, the Tigers had set themselves up to score their second touchdown of the night —a 2-yard runupthe middle by sophomore tailback Ju’Juan Johnson

LSU likely would have kicked a fieldgoal haditfacedthatsituation last week or next. Butthe Tigers are trying to improve their offense before they dive into thethick of their eight-game SEC schedule. Opportunitiestoprogress can’t go to waste, especially in Tiger Stadium against an overmatched FCS opponent.

So Kellydecided to take an aggressive tack, breaking from the strategyheusedtomanage the first three games of the season.

“Thisyear,I’m playing it alittle bit different based upon the strength of our defense,” Kelly said on Monday.“Last year,we neededtoscore more points.”

The aggressionmay have helped unlock amore dangerous version of theLSU offense.

On Saturday,the Tigers punted on their first drive, then rolled right past Southeastern, rattling offfive straight touchdown marches to close out the first half. Nussmeier completed19of25first-half pass attempts for 190 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Tigers picked up 5.3 yards per carry,with sacks removed.

Thefirst-team offensealso converted bothofits fourth-down tries, picked up 6of9third-down attempts, and turned each of its first five red-zone trips intotouchdowns.

Reliford exits

LSU sophomore edge rusher GabrielReliford exited Saturday’sgame against Southeasternwith aright shoulder injury

Reliford left with 3:41 left to playinthe first quarterafter forcinga2-yardtackle for loss on third and 3. He was thenexamined in the medical tent before leaving for the locker room.

LSU ledSoutheastern7-0 when he exitedthe game. Reliford hadfourtacklesand four quarterbackpressures through the first threegamesof the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He —along with fifthyear senior PatrickPayton,senior Jack Pyburn and fifth-year senior Jimari Butler have made up LSU’sdeep rotation of edge rushers.

Among LSU edge rushers, Reliford is third on theteam in snaps, according to PFF,trailing only Payton and Pyburn.

Anew righttackle?

Even though LSUled 35-0, it still brought itsoffensive starters out for the first drive of the second half —with oneexception DJ Chester wasplaying right tackle in place of Weston Davis,the redshirt freshmanwho startedeach of the Tigers’ first three games.

Davis, according to Pro Football Focus, surrendered nine hurries and11pressures through LSU’s first three contests. No other LSU lineman allowed morethan four

hurries or pressures over that stretch.

Last season, Chester started12 games at center.Thisyear,he’s LSU’s sixth offensive lineman the plug-and-play reservewho can fill in for astarter on either the interiorofthe line or at oneofthe two tackle spots.

Sharpscores

On LSU’sfirst drive of the second half, tight end Bauer Sharp caught apass from Nussmeier over themiddle andhurdledinto the end zone, scoring amemorable touchdown against his former team. Sharp, afifth-year senior, beganhis career with the Lions as a lightly recruited quarterback. He thenconverted to tight end and playedthree seasons in Hammond before transferring to Oklahoma forhis junioryear.Hewound up leading the Sooners in receptions (42) andreceiving yards (324) before hitting the transfer portal and landing at LSU forhis finalyear of eligibility Green, Weekssit

TwoLSU starters missedthe game against Southeasternwith injuries.

TheTigers decidedtosit both

tight end Trey’Dez Green (knee) and linebacker West Weeks (calf). Weeks, asenior,strainedhis calf in thethirdquarter of LSU’swin over Florida. Green, a6-foot-7 sophomore, sprained hisMCL in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ Week 2victory over Louisiana Tech. He also sat outagainstthe Gators.

Before LSU faced Southeastern,Kelly listed Green as questionable. The tight end then took part in pregame warm-ups with abulky brace on his right knee before he changed out of his pads and into sweats.

Buckingtradition

LSU traditionally wears purple jerseysinits secondnonconference homegame of theseason, but not on Saturday against Southeastern. Instead, the Tigers sported gold helmets, whitejerseys andwhite pants —their first alternate uniform combination of the 2025 season.LSU last rocked that set on Sept. 28 when it defeated South Alabama42-10 in Tiger Stadium Thatcombination was thefirst of six alternate sets the Tigers wore last season. Koki Riley contributed to this report.

LSUoffense walkson‘Brightside’ of life in victory

Early in the third quarter Saturday night, The Killers’ millennial anthem “Mr.Brightside” boomedout in high fidelityover whatwere by then mostly empty stands inside Tiger Stadium. Death Valley can we now say that this is THE Death Valley after Clemson’smoon crater of a1-3 start? was not sparsely occupied because of indifference or LSU’slack of success. It was because Tiger Stadium’seponymous occupants had just gone up 42-nil on willing but woefully outclassedSoutheastern Louisiana. While thousands of LSU fans were reaching for their car door handles across campus,Garrett Nussmeierwas on thesideline reaching for his robe andslippers After three weeks of struggle and strife, aidedand abettedby Nussmeier’snaggingifsomewhat vague torso injury,the LSU offense was coming out of its cage and doing just fine on this night.

The opening drive looked like more of the same for the Tigers from the first three weeks: a blown-up safety valve pass from Nuss to Caden Durham that lost7 yards; a1-yard carry up themiddlebyDurham; and an 11-yard pass from Nussmeier to Bauer Sharp that was wellshortofthe line to gain.

Three-and-out, punt. Youcould have stamped it on Tiger Stadium’sgreen grass in white paint next to the Venture Global logos bracketing each 25-yardline. Then, just as quickly, the Ti-

gers turned the corner and flat ran over the Lions. Their next six drives read likeabroken but catchyhit record: Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. It was what everyone waited for from LSUbut were not entirely sure the Tigers could deliver, even against an FCS sacrificial lamblikeSLU (Lions?Lambs? I’m movingon). More than the win, which was never in doubt,orthe score, which was predictably lopsided, the Tigers gave themselves a cleansing,confidence-building,

good-for-the-soul 56-10 rompover SLU

“Tonight we felt we moved in theright direction from an offensive perspective,” acalm, even jovial LSUcoach Brian Kelly said afterward.

How much stock can you put in arunaway demolition of ateam that had nothing in thesafe close to the$18.5 million LSU spent to compile this roster? Perhaps too much. LSU could have kept Nussmeier safely on thesideline for this whole game and started backup Michael VanBuren (he played quitewell over the last quarter and ahalf, by theway) and still won in arout. Butthat’s not what Kelly chose to do. Second-guessed as he

LSUplayers, fromleft, tight end Bauer Sharp,wide receiverBarion Brown, wide receiverZavion Thomas and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, celebrate after atouchdown against Southeastern on Saturday at TigerStadium.

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

was, it was the right play.LSU needed to flex its muscles on its offense against someone. Open up thethrottle. Perhaps even exorcise ademon or two.

By scoring 56 offensive points —more than they scored on offense (53) in the first three games combined —LSU got afeel-good victory just at the right time. It may just turn out to be apresent that keeps on giving through thenext eight games of this season, aschedule strewnwith seven remaining“could go either way” SEC games.Five of the Tigers’ final eight opponents currently reside inside the AP Top25poll. That starts with No.13Ole Miss, which looked nothing like vulnerable against Tulane in a45-10

rompSaturday

LSU will 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 only 30 yards total offense to the Lions before amostly backupfilled second half led to 10 SLU points. The offense at least looked like it can be productive. That was especially true for Nussmeier.Hewas 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 25of-31 passing performance for 273 yards and three touchdowns, plus a1-yard keeper forascore.

“Things were so much smoother,” Kelly said. “His awareness in the pocket, his accuracy.There wasonly one ball where he didn’t hook up on acomeback to NicAnderson. Other than that …” Not everything was rosy for LSU in this game. Caden Durham limped off with what Kelly said wasinitially diagnosed as asprained ankle, but somewhat ominously the coach said the starting tailback will undergo an MRI on Sunday.Even though Ja’Juan Johnson (eight carries, 43 yards, twotouchdowns) looked terrific in Durham’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” aweek from now after playing Ole Miss?

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

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas is tackled by Southeasterndefensive backShakespeare Louis midair in the first half between the Tigers and the Lions on Saturday at TigerStadium.

LSU56, SOUTHEASTERN 10

OFFENSE FINDS ACCELERATOR

1

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, itwas still something theTigers had to prove theycould do.

2

HOWDID NUSSLOOK?

There was serious debate during game week whether quarterbackGarrett Nussmeiershouldplayafter 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.

3

ONWARD AND 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.

JOHNSONFINDS HOME AT RB

Former QB scores two touchdowns in win

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Ju’Juan Johnsonwasn’t arunning back in high school; he playedquarterback. But whenever the ball was in the formerLafayette Christian quarterback’shands, he often ranwithit.

“I wasn’ta pocketpasser,” Johnson said. “I would say in high school, Iwas running and going through holes and stuff. So it’sdefinitely natural for me.”

Thatexperience has served Johnson well as he has transitioned to running back at LSU. After startingpreseason camp at quarterback, Johnson shifted to the backfield and has emerged as one of LSU’stop ballcarriers.

Saturday night at TigerStadium was his best yet out of the backfield. Johnson had seven carriesfor 39 yards and two touchdowns by halftime, finishing with eight carries for 43 yardsinLSU’s 56-10 win over Southeastern Louisiana

“My coaches havebeen coachingme well. They give me thetrust that Ineed to even have that confidence to go out and play,” Johnsonsaid. “Also, the teammates around me, (Caden Durham), KalebJackson and Harlem (Berry), andall the other running backs in there. They give me that kind of boost of confidence to go out and do the best Ican.”

His big 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. He then punched in his first touchdownonthe next play,handingLSU a14-0 lead

Johnson’snext carry was his second score of the evening, a10-yard runthat stretched the Tigers’ lead to 21.

Because of his experience reading defensive fronts and understanding concepts as aquarterback,Johnson believes his time at theposition directly led to his success at running back.

Despite his relative lack of experience, Johnson is secondonthe Tigersin carries —trailing Durham —and led the team in rushingattemptsonSaturday “Wealwaystalkaboutthisinthe room that (with)certain fronts, you’ll have people with certain gap responsibilities,” Johnson said. “So it definitely helps knowing where there’sagap.

“That (quarterback experience) defi-

LSU running back Ju’Juan Johnson scores atouchdown in the first half against SoutheasternonSaturday at TigerStadium Johnson had eight carries for 43 yards and twotouchdownsinLSU’s 56-10win

nitely helped (me understand that) alot.” LSU’srunning back room was in a precarious position roughly aweek into preseason camp.

Freshman JT Lindseywas arrested on an accessory after thefact to second-degree murder on Aug. 8. Lindsey wasn’tcharged with the alleged crime, butwas accusedinstead of housingboth suspectsinthe case.

The arrest resultedinLindsey’ssuspension from the team, leaving the Tigers with just three scholarship running backs: Durham,Berry and Jackson.

Johnson spent time at running back last season —hehad sevencarries

for 14 yards —but he’d moved back to quarterback by thestartofthe preseason. Lindsey’ssudden suspension, however,openedupa spot in therunning back room. Johnson said he started camp at quarterbacktohelpimprove his versatility. He alsoplayedsafetyatthe startofhis freshman campaign before moving to running back.

“I think going from (defensiveback to running back) was the hardest (transition), because Iwas on the defensive side, and you’ve got to movetothe offensive side,” Johnsonsaid. “And then (transitioning) from running back to quarterback,

it waskindofeasier because(I) already knewthe scheme andwho we had.

“And then from quarterbacktorunning back is even easier,becausenow youknowthe whole offense, andyou know everything that’sgoing on.”

Johnson now realizes his best position is running back. Saturday’sperformance proved that he’sright.

“This wasalong process formetounderstandwhatI wanted to do,but Ithink it should be (playing) running back,” Johnson said.

Email Koki Rileyat Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1C

Afew minutes before kickoff, Kelly framed the importance of the game, saying in an interview with the SEC Network thatthe Tigers wanted it to be anew starting point for their offense with a healthier Nussmeier He had been limited in practice until this week, Kelly said,affecting LSU’sability to work on the vertical passing game. SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers saidonthe broadcast Saturday that Nussmeier aggravated amuscle in hisabdomen early in preseason camp and it “flared up” in the seasonopener against Clemson.

Kelly thought Nussmeier needed the reps before SEC play heatsup next weekend at No. 13 Ole Miss.

After athree-and-outonLSU’s opening possession, Nussmeier led six straight touchdown drives. He capped thefirstwitha quarterback sneak. Sophomore running back

Ju’Juan Johnson scored twice, the second of which was set up when Nussmeier scrambled for26yards —the longest run of his career on third and 11. Meanwhile, the LSUdefensecontinued to play well. It made three stopson third and 2and astop on fourth and 1within Southeastern’s first three possessions. All of the Lions’pointscameagainst backups.

catch. But after Nussmeierwent back to Anderson to move the chains on third and 10, the offense gathered momentum.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU

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

There were questions this week about whether or not that meant Nussmeier should play,but Kelly said he was “onthe other side” of the injury.Instead of resting against an overmatched opponent,

There were moments when the LSUoffense still put itself in difficult situations, butitoften worked its way outofthem.

LSU’sseconddrive began with wide receiver BarionBrown dropping aballand wide receiver Aaron Anderson unabletocomplete a

LSU converted four third downs, two by running theball fromundercenter on third and 2. It also wentundercenter for Nussmeier’squarterback sneak at the goal line. At the endofthe first quarter, Nussmeier got sackedwhenright tackle Weston Davis and right guardJosh Thompson didn’thandle astunt properly,and Davis got beat inside. Butonfourth and 11, Nussmeier fired athrow over the middle to Zavion Thomas for a17yard gain. Johnsonreachedthe end zone two plays later It was arough night for Davis, aredshirt freshmanwho has started the first four games at right tackle. He was replaced by redshirt sophomore DJ Chester at thestart of the third quarter Chester was later ejected for targeting, so he will have to sit out

the first half against Ole Miss. Near the end of the first half, Nussmeier got sacked forthe second time when Southeastern got

pressure up the middle.But on second and goal from the 17-yard line thenextplay, he fired adart over themiddle foratouchdown to Brown. AfterLSU forced apunt, Nussmeier led atwo-minute drive. On third and goal at the 9-yard line, Davis got beat again. Nussmeier escaped the pocket to his left. He threw off-platformtoThomas for atouchdown that gave LSU a35-0 lead at the half Nussmeier threwone more touchdown before hisnight was done. He spent the rest of the gamewith atowel draped over his shoulders, watching backup quarterback Michael VanBuren lead twomore touchdown drives. It might not resonate because of the opponent, but forthe first time this season, Nussmeier looked like himself

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

THE VARSITY ZONE

NOTEBOOK

Catholic League flexes muscle in first three weeks of season

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

The Catholic League finished the third Friday of the high school football season with only one loss among the eight schools in the district.

The one-point loss by Rummel came in Week 1 against Lafayette Christian, and the Raiders have since won by multiple scores against University High and Shaw

“Obviously, we’d like to have Week 1 back, but I think we learned a lot from it,” Rummel coach Nick Monica said. “I think it maybe motivated our team a little bit.”

That loss is only a minor blemish on what otherwise has been a perfect start to the season for District 9-5A.

“Our district kind of flexed our muscle in the nondistrict slate,” Jesuit coach Ryan Manale said after the Blue Jays walked off the field with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2012.

Notable wins by 9-5A schools through three weeks include Holy Cross and Jesuit defeating state runner-up E.D. White in the first two weeks and Holy Cross avenging last season’s loss to Chalmette in Week 3. Edna Karr won in overtime against American Heritage (Plantation, Florida) in the Caesars Superdome in Week 2, and Brother Martin won the first two games with a comeback against East As-

cension and a second-half surge against St. Paul’s.

John Curtis and St. Augustine each topped 50 points in the first two weeks of the season as Curtis rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the two wins.

Warren Easton might also have some momentum with a 3-0 start after the Eagles won only two games on the field last season (not counting a forfeit win against Kennedy).

Up next for the 9-5A schools is the start of district play and a seven-week meat grinder in which any team can beat another, no matter the record

Brother Martin, Jesuit win

Hudson Fields threw four touchdown passes — two each to Easton Royal and Rex LeBlanc as Brother Martin defeated New Hope High (Mississippi) 38-26 on the road in Week 3 Fields threw touchdown passes of 53 and 29 yards to Royal and 47 and 82 yards to LeBlanc. Brodie DuMontier ran for a touchdown as the holder on a botched field-goal attempt in the third quarter

Up next will be the district opener against Jesuit.

For Jesuit in Week 3, sophomore Sully Sullivan threw touchdown passes to Ja’ir Burks and Hayes Mestayer as Gavin Palmisano rushed for two touchdowns in a 52-0 win against Bonnabel. Other Jesuit scores included rushing TDs by Brock Prouet and Michael Cerruti and a passing TD

PREP REPORT

20, Iota 8 Newton, Texas 36, DeRidder 16 North Central 46, Pine Prairie 0 North DeSoto 39, West Monroe 28 North Iberville 20, Ben Franklin 14 North Webster 21, Minden 20 Oak Grove 42, Red River 36 Oak Grove, Miss. 36, Neville 7 Ouachita Christian 56, Delhi 0 Parklane Aca. Miss. 42, Bowling Green 0 Pointe Coupee Catholic 36, Hannan 35 Rayville 44, Bastrop 0 Rummel 29, Shaw 0 Ruston 38, Longview, Texas 35 Sacred Heart 38, Basile 15 Saint Paul’s 24, De La Salle 7 Salmen 42, Bogalusa 6 Shreveport Northwood 62, Mansfield 26

from Mani Vandenweghe to Evan Morgan

The usual starting QB for Jesuit, Taylor Norton, did not play but is expected back to face Brother Martin, Manale said.

Country Day QB throws 6 TDs Country Day lost to Episcopal but had a reason to feel good about quarterback Hudson Wright after he threw six touchdown passes in his first game this season.

The senior missed the first two games because of a concussion and completed 24 of 36 passes for 409 yards in what ended as a 66-57 loss in Metairie. He threw two touchdowns each to Curtis McAllister and Kellen Brewer and one each to Cameron Henry and George Blessey Country Day had 530 yards of total offense. On the ground, Justin Drago rushed 17 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

Extra points

Riverside senior Jaden Obiekwe made his season debut and ran for three touchdowns in a 40-23 victory against Prairieville. The East Jefferson transfer was an all-district performer last season.

Belle Chasse outscored its first three opponents 187-0, including a 56-0 trouncing of South Plaquemines in Week 3.

The 0-3 start for De La Salle has come against schools that have a combined 8-1 record.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Defense shines for St. Charles in win over Dunham

Two consecutive pick-sixes help lift Comets to victory

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

With each lateral Dunham executed on the game’s final play, the lump in the throat of St. Charles coach Wayne Stein enlarged.

Triggered by a short pass from quarterback Elijah Haven from his own 29, the Tigers worked their way downfield with several laterals until Brannon Cohn was run out of bounds at the 15-yard line, preserving a 27-21 victory Friday for St. Charles at Central’s Wildcat Stadium.

“I’m a Dunham fan every other week except this one,” said Stein, whose 3-0 team was led by senior running back Skylar Edwards with 38 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns “This was a heck of a game.”

The St. Charles defense snapped a 14-14 deadlock with consecutive pick-sixes of Haven, opening its largest lead of 27-14 with 3:48 to play Linebacker Jireh Hall perfectly read Haven’s pass attempt on first-and-10 and returned it for a 31-yard touchdown at the 6:17 mark of the fourth quarter

Two plays later while under duress, Haven tried to throw back across the field where linebacker Brooks Monica took the interception for a 34-yard score.

“I wish we would have just kept it,” Dunham coach Neil Weiner said of Hall’s interception. “But you’re trying to make a play in the fourth quarter. Elijah tries to make plays and usually does.”

Haven had Dunham (2-1), the No. 2 team in Class 2A, back in the end zone in three plays. His longest run of 58 yards was the catalyst. Then, after a 5-yard loss on first down, Haven passed for his third touchdown, a 23yard reception by Trevor Haman with 4:37 remaining. Andrew Bardwell added his third extra point to make it 27-21.

St. Charles, the No. 8 team in Class 4A, chewed up all but 14 seconds before punting back to Dunham, which began at its own 24 The first hook and lateral gained 5 yards. On the final play with seven seconds to go, another short completion from Haven led to five laterals and wound up at the 15.

“It was a really dominating performance when you think about it,” Stein said. “I thought we stopped the run We made everything tough. I thought it was a great plan by our guys.”

Haven had 189 of his team’s 376 total yards in the first half, but until his 58-yard burst with less than five minutes left, the Comets were successful in containing the nation’s top-rated quarterback in the Class of 2027. Haven was 15-of-28 passing for 329 yards and three touchdowns and had 114 yards on 23 carries. South Alabama commitment Jarvis Washington, who had a teamhigh six catches for 141 yards, gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead at halftime with a 41-yard touchdown catch.

“It’s become a rivalry, but it’s clean,” Stein said. “The kids were getting after each other It was a physical game. Hats off to their defense as well. They played extremely physical. We tried to ground and pound them, and they were up to the task.”

WEEK 4 SCHEDULE

HOW RANKED TEAMS FARED

8. John Curtis (2-0) Open

def. Destrehan, 27-21

9. 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. W. 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

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

Allen Shaw is brought down by Rummel’s Carlin Kinchen left, Brice Hingle, second from left and Jacoby Dunn, right, on Friday in Marrero. Rummel defeated Archbishop Shaw 29-0.

OUTDOORS

It’sa family affair

PROVIDED PHOTO

Avid outdoorsman Sims Regardhas maintained atradition for his family when three generations took to a field near Pride for a first-split dove hunt. His daughter,Jenna Hernandez, left, and granddaughter BriAnna Rackleymore than held their ownafield,and Regard described his granddaughter as ‘the duck hunter.’

NOTEBOOK

It’s

acelebration

Hunting and Fishing Day events available across state

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Louisiana’scelebration of National Huntingand 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 andkayaking, theshooting sports, liveanimals, 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 8a.m.-1 p.m. It’sfree and open to the publicjust like the other three sites across our state.

So if you’re in another corner,ordarned near in the middle, there will be NHFD activitiesatthe Woodworth Shooting Range (8 a.m.1:30 p.m.); the TomMerrill RecreationAreaatBodcau Wildlife Management Area in Haughton (9 a.m.-2 p.m.); and Black Bayou Lake NationalWildlifeRefuge in Monroe (9 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Last week/The Basin

Sharing the spotlight with Saturday’scelebration was Thursday’spublic meeting on thestatus of theAtchafalaya Basin fish, especially bass.

Attendance and public comment paled when compared to Wildlife and Fisheries’ initial public gathering earlier this year

Yetthis latest gathering provided more information on thestatus of thebasin’s bass populations, water-

quality issuesand the results of the department’s springtime survey of freshwater fishermen. Therewas alot of sobering news coming fromWildlife and Fisheries’ Lafayette districtbiologist Brac Salyers, most of which Basin anglers alreadyknew Asuccession of hurricanes and storms, asevere 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 amountofwaterinthe vast basin have left freshwater fishermen searching for answers about aplacethat was once afish-richarea, one that swallowed up tens of thousandsoffishingtrips annually

Late in Salyers’ presentationpointed out what might be thebiggest problem theAtchafalaya Basin’sopen water is shrinking. Salyers’ note about acomparison of 1850 and2005 maps that showed 190square miles of open water 175 years ago to 73 square miles was alarming. While not spelled out in that one-minute notation, it’sthe processionof tons of silt carried by the Atchafalaya River into thebasin all thewhile knowing this largest overflowswamp in our country was converted into aspillway nearlya century agotopreventdownriver

flooding

Exacerbating this problem are CorpsofEngineersprojectsoverthe last 40 or so years that preventsheetwater flowacross the basinand leave an increasinglylarger area of backwater places incapable of supporting most any fish species because of low dissolved oxygen levels, called “hypoxia” areas by biologists Low numbersofprized largemouthand spotted bass,bluegill and other panfish species and sac-a-

MONDAY

RED STICK FLYFISHERS FLY

TYING: 7p.m., Bluebonnet Library 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd Baton Rouge. Open to public. Hands-on clinic covering basics of fly tying. Materialsand toolsprovided. Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY

LA. SHRIMPTASK FORCE

MEETING:

10 a.m., Terrebonne ParishCouncil Chambers, 8026 Main St., Houma.

SOUTHWEST MISS.GUN BLAST/NATIONAL DEER ASSOCIATION: 6p.m., Lincoln CivicCenter,1096Belt Line DriveNE, Brookhaven, Mississippi. Call BruceGray(601) 754-5592.

THURSDAY

ACADIANA BUGS &BREWS:6p.m Pack &Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to the public. Website: packpabble.com

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

40THGUN RIGHTS POLICY

CONFERENCE: Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Salt LakeCity.Second Amendment Foundation event. Website: saf. org/2025-amm-con

SATURDAY

LA. HUNTING &FISHING DAY:

9a.m.-2 p.m., Waddill Outdoors Education Center, 4142 N. Flannery Road, Baton Rouge. Also Minden, Woodworth, Monroe. Kidsfishing, fly casting, fly tying, shooting, canoeing, archery, birding, game tagging, game cooking. Free admission.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

LA. B.A.S.S.NATION QUALIFIER:

OUTDOORS CALENDAR

Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. Call Kevin Gobert (504) 628-5191 or Ryan Lavigne (225) 921-9332.

BASSMASTEROPEN/COLLEGE KAYAK SERIES: ToledoBend, Hemphill, Texas. Website: bassmaster.com HUNTING SEASONS DOVES: South Zone:through Sunday; North Zone:through Sept. 28. First of three splitsboth zones.

TEAL/RAILS/GALLINULES:Through Sept. 28, statewide. DEER/ARCHERY: Oct. 1-Jan. 15, State Deer Areas5,6&9,bucks only.

DEER/ARCHERY: Oct. 1-Jan. 31, State Deer Areas1,2&4.Either-sex takeallowed. RABBITS &SQUIRRELS: Oct. 4-Feb. 28, statewide,private lands only.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas3,7,8&10. Eithersex takeallowed. HUNTING LOTTERIES

SEPT.30—YOUTH WATERFOWL DEADLINE: Forages10-17 on Sherburne WildlifeManagement 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 youth hunts (ages 10-17, Nov. 8& Nov. 9),30marshhunts &30rice field hunts.Application fee $8.50 &additional feesfor marsh/rice field hunts.Application website: louisianaoutdoors.com/lotteryapplications.CallLanceArdoin (337) 536-6061 or email: lardoin@ wlf.la.gov AROUND THECORNER SEPT.28—SOUTHLOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB

lait over the last 10 years botheredenough fishermen to movethe needleon getting attention for the Basin.

With thedwindling amount of available water —yes, themore water in an area, the more fish aviable ecosystem can hold —Salyers said hurricane-wrought fish kills, one year of asevere drought, one year in amoderatedrought, and unstable water levels in the major riversduring thespawning season contributed to aprogressive decline in gamefish numbers.

Salyers said the best scenarioiswater levels increasing slowly in theAtchafalaya RiverinDecember and rising into aJanuary through March run to maintain waterlevels high enough for a successful spawn. Then the rivers need to go on aslow fall in April and May,slow enough to give adults and their offspring enoughtime to find oxygen-richwater to survive the harsh, summer heat

Salyers concluded his presentation by telling theassembled anglers that2025 might be aturning point after 10 years of less productiveconditions.

“Weare seeing this year theright amount of water at the righttime for asuccessfulspawn,” Salyers said. “Weare seeing agood number of young-of-theyear bass, bothspotted and largemouths.”

He also noted further sampling trips found good numbersofcatfish, bluegill, goggle-eye, chinquapin (redear sunfish) and sac-a-lait. Snappercount ThroughSept. 7, theLA Creel survey estimate for theprivate recreational red snappercatch totaled 805,453 pounds, or 90% of our state’s894,955-pound annual allocation. That’s a one-week increase of 17,439 pounds from theAug. 31 estimate.

BY NATE RYAN Associated Press

New Hampshire MotorSpeedway is back in the NASCARCup Series playoffs for the first time in eightyears,which meansRyan Blaneyisback in his happy place.

“I love thearea itself,and there’ssomethingabout thenortheast that Ireally enjoy,” Blaneysaid. “You get into September,and the leaves are changing, so Ialways enjoy the looks of it driving to the racetrack.And the crowd atmospherethere is always fantastic.”

The Team Penske star is hoping the omnipresent foliagearoundthe tracknestled in the countryside of Loudon, New Hampshire, might dovetailwithaturning of the tide in the 10-race run to the Cup championship.

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated thefirst round of the playoffs with wins by Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. In the three-race sweep, JGR’sToyotas led acombined 757 of 1,107 laps at Darlington Raceway,WorldWideTechnology Raceway andBristol Motor Speedway

“Certainly,we’re feelinggood,”Bellsaid Saturday.“Joe Gibbs Racing has asserted themselves as the powerhouse team in the sport right now,sowe’re loving life.We knowwe’re in agood spot, and we’re just trying to keep theball rolling.”

New Hampshire is another prime opportunity as the three-race secondround begins Sunday at the 1.058-mile oval.

Sincethe 2022 debut of theNextGen car,JGR drivers have won every race and stageatthe track known as “the Magic Mile.” Toyotasalsohaveled 83% of laps thepast three seasons at New Hampshire, which had played host to races from midJune to early August since its mostrecent playoff race in September 2017. Bell has won two of thepastthree at the track,including aJune 23, 2024, overtime victory

“I wasdefinitelyexcitedwhenthe schedulecameout,and Isaw that Loudon was gettingaplayoff race,” Bellsaid. “Itmade me very optimistic. Youneed to start the rounds withapositive race, and certainly this is aplace that we should lead laps and

contend forthe win.”

JGR has placed at least one car in thetop two of the past 13 races at New Hampshire, the longest streak for ateam at any Cup track Blaney is winless at New Hampshire but qualified second last year and is confident of his team’s chances.

With consecutive fourth-place finishes, his No.12Ford has an average playofffinish of 8.67 that ranks second among the 12 title-eligible drivers.Havingdealtwith little turnoversince winning theCup title in 2023, Blaneysaidhis team hasbecome a“well-oiled machine” seeking its third consecutive berth in the Championship 4.

“I feel like our group just keeps getting better and better every year,” Blaney said. “Everyone is extremely confident in themselvesand their ability.We’ve hadthe belief that we can do it the last three years, and it’sreally funtobepart of agroup like that. Everyone is clicking together.” Blaney has 16 top-10 finishes, tying Bell and Kyle Larson forthe series lead. It’s an impressive feat considering Blaney failed to finish seven of thefirst 20 races because of crashes or engine failures. “I feel like our speed has been really solid all year,” he said. “The Toyotas arereally strong. The last three weeks, they’ve been incredibly fast, andall of the teams have been executing really well, but we’re really close to where we need to be. Ihave confidence that we can get on that level.”

TheBig Three

The championship standings were reset for the second round with nine of the top 10 drivers from three teams: Joe Gibbs Racing, HendrickMotorsports andTeam Penske.The trio hascombined to capture every Cup title since 2017.

Since2020, JGR, Hendrick andPenske drivers have claimed 18 of 20 available spots in the Championship 4season finale. Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing in 2022 andTylerReddickof23XI Racing last year arethe only otherdrivers to qualifyfor the title race.

OUT: OL Dillon Radunz (toe), DEChase young (calf)

QUESTIONABLE:

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

Saints defensiveend Cam Jordan celebrates sackingSeattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith during agame at the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 9, 2022.

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFFPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints defensiveend CamJordan sacks Arizona CardinalsquarterbackKyler Murray at the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 7.

Rod Walker

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

“Wejust clean-slated it forthe most part here,” Moore said.

With the Saints, Moore installed his offense and tossed outwhatformer offensive coordinator KlintKubiakran last year.The differences willbeonfull display Sunday when the Saints face the Seattle Seahawks, the team that now employs Kubiak as its play-caller

The clash in styles marks how different teams can go aboutattacking adefense. Moore and Kubiak bothhavebeenlauded for their offensive prowess, but the different ways these menscheme plays couldn’t be more glaring.

Kubiak emphasizes stretching the field with zone-based runs, mixing in agood doseofplayaction and utilizing condensed formationsto keep defenses off guard. Moore wantstospread it out, push the pace and mix in RPOs (run-pass options) to create aguessing game

One ideaisn’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 way or awrong way.It’sthe fun challenge of this.

“That’swhat we all enjoy.This job is problem solving and helping the guys become the best versions of themself. And that’swhat we get to do eachweek.”

Shotgun, shotgun, shotgun

Erik McCoy rarely has paid this much attention to how hesnaps the ball.

Last year,the Saintscenterprimarily was focused on reading the opposing coverage before the play so that he could communicate necessary adjustments to theprotection. Kubiak,inparticular,tasks the center to handle protection calls in his offense to help ease the burden on thequarterback.But when it wastimetorun theplay, more often than not, McCoy would just hand it off to the quarterback under center

This year,McCoy is still involved with protections, but he said he’s hadtobeonhis “P’sand Q’s” because of how often the Saints snap out of the shotgun formation

3s andlayups

TheSeahawks haven’texactly lit theleague on fireasthe Saints did through thefirst two weeks last season, but Kubiak’sfingerprintsare all over the offense.

The Seahawks have run the fifth-mostsnaps under center —one spotabove where theSaints finished in 2024. They have apass-run ratio of 52-48, closertowhat Kubiak likely wanted to run in New Orleans before consistently trailing skewed that split(57-43).And it wouldn’t be a Kubiak offensewithout an overload of pre-snap motion, doing so on 59.6% of Seattle’splays,a slight uptick from last year’s57.8% in New Orleans.

“Yeah, it’ssimilar,” cornerback Alontae Taylorsaid, noting Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is “basically”playing Chris Olave’srole from last year

If there is oneoverlap between Mooreand Kubiak, they seem to share aloveofmotion.Moore not only has the Saints running motion on 69.1% of their snaps but he also ranitatasimilar rate (57.5%) as Kubiak last season with the PhiladelphiaEagles.

Most of theparallels end there.

Philosophically,Kubiak and Moore attack defensesindifferent ways. In the passing game, quarterback Jake Haener said Kubiak really tries to emphasize themiddle of the field by “layering things on topofeach other.” Moore,at least to start theseason, has worked theperimeter more of late, Haener said. Nearly half (37 of 80) of Rattler’s attempts have come on out routes 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

“You’ve got to get these things on the money,” he said. Moore hasmade the Saints ashotgun-first team. In simple terms, the coach uses formations that spread out his receivers and keeps the quarterback standing several yards behindthe center.Whilethere is still variety to howthe Saints line up within those looks, no team inthe NFLhas runmoreplaysout of shotgun than New Orleans.

Through two games, according to Next Gen Stats, the Saints have run 113 shotgun snaps. Last year’s team didn’t reach that mark until Week 5. Moore likes theselooks because they allow the quarterback to see the field “a little bitcleaner”, and that’suseful since starter Spencer Rattler is only 6feet tall

There are deeper explanations. Moore said he’s“tied” the run game around these formations to avoid being as one-dimensional. Out of the shotgun, the Saints have the seventh-highest rushing rate at 31%.

The Saints have put aheavy emphasis on RPO, which requires the quarterback to makea splitsecond decision whether topass or run the ball based on how the defensereacts. Inthis setting, accordingtoPro FootballReference,the Saints’ 28 RPOs are tied for aleaguehigh ahead of Week 3.

Because the Saints arestill spread out wide, defenses aren’t stackingthe boxasmuchas they would in obvious run situations. Alvin Kamara,for instance, has faced alight box (six or fewerdefenders) on 73.1% of his rushing plays, the highest rate in the league, according to Next GenStats. He’spunished such looks, running for 113 yards on 24 carries Kubiak wasn’tallergictothe shotgun last year,but the Saints ranked 27th ontotal shotgun plays.

Moore, too, lovesa good basketball analogy. In theoffseason, he showed his players the Indiana Pacers as an example of how fast he wants theSaints to play —and it should be no surprise that New Orleans’38no-huddle snaps rank second this season. Thecoach also harps on his quarterbacks tostick to “3-pointers and layups” —either passesthatresult in biggainsor easy completions.

“If the 3-pointer is there,take it,” Rattler said. “If not,get your layup.”

To borrow another basketball term,Moore is also cognizant of the mid-range shot—whichhas been largely phased outinthe NBAbecause of its inefficiency.Mid-range shots, these days, are reserved for superstars or specialists, such as Kevin Durant or DeMar DeRozan who shoot wellabove averageon those looks.

So what’sthe NFLequivalent of amid-range jumper? Defensive coordinator Brandon Staleysaidthey’re theplays that are “first-down-oriented” —a 6-to-12-yard play,he said —rather than beingdesignedtobeexplosive.

“Threes add up quicker than 2s,” said Staley, noting that checking it down can stillpick up the same amount of yardage as first-down-oriented plays. “It’s just that simplicity to it, as well. But Ialso think there’sanefficiency aspect to it for offenses It’sless risky

“Sometimes in thatfirst-down-oriented area, there’salot of people in theway.And so if there’sa lot of people in the way,more risk.”

Moore understands that tradeoff, even though the Saints haven’tconsistently hitonexplosives NewOrleans hasjustnine explosivestostart the season, the NFL’s fifth-fewesttotal.Only three of thosenine have gone for at least 20 yards.

But thelogic is there. Staley said the“simple” approach is how every great offense has functioned, adding it alsohelps that players play fast.

“It’sa sign ofwho Kellen is and what makes himsuch an effective coach,” Staley said.

Moore said he has a“ton of respect”for Kubiak. He said he recognized therewas a“lot of good stuff” that Kubiak brought to theSaints, butthe franchise ultimatelymadea change after adisappointing 5-12 season. Theoffense, hamstrung by alitany of injuries,wasn’taseffective as it needed to be.

So,Moore brought his own system —one that is unlike anything the Saints had seen before.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

OFFENSIVELEADERS

DEFENSIVELEADERS

STAFF PREDICTIONS

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.

MATTHEWPARAS

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

defense.The Seahawks haven’t given

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

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.

Packers lose WR Reed for 4 games

Eagles ready for playoff rematch with Rams

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.”

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 a 22-6 victory at Minnesota. Koo missed a

goals in 2024.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT LUDTKE Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed reacts after being injured against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 11 in Green Bay, Wis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NICK WASS

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson surveys the field against the Cleveland Browns on Sept 14.

LIVING

Battle

scars

In 40 yearsof concerts,Inever got hurt.Thatchanged at,ofall things, aDisneyshow.

In 2019, Igot swept up in a crowd stampede during Lil Wayne’sLil WeezyAna Fest on the grounds of the UNO Lakefront Arena.Multiple fans sufferedgashes and bruises in the chaos. At least two left via ambulance. Iwas unscathed.

Many years ago, Iwas packed in tight among drunken sailors and bikers at ageneraladmission Judas Priest concert at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. The mass of bodies swayed back and forth; people toppled over onto the slick concrete floor and shattered whiskey bottles. Again, Iwas unscathed.

Caught in acrowd crush at the gates of aGuns N’ Roses melee at aracetrack in Alabama?

Sucked into amosh pit as alt-rock band Pierce the Veil whipped afull Fillmoreintoa frenzy?

No problem. On Friday night, Ibrought two of my kids and afriend to the Disney Channel’sfamily friendly Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide Tour at the Smoothie King Center By the show’sconclusion,I was bleeding and my glasses were broken. After hundreds of concerts over four decades,itwas Disney that finally got me. Ahot ticket

For the uninitiated, the Disney Channel’s“Descendants” musical movie franchise follows the offspring of classic Disney villains. The companion “Zombies” movies involve cheerleaders, zombies, aliens and werewolves learningto live together.With lots of singing and choreographed dancing, these movies are hugely popular Not surprisingly,the Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide Tour is ahot ticket. Signs posted on the Smoothie King Center’sbox office windows announced that Friday’sshow was completely sold out. The day before, nosebleed seats that were originally$57 were being resold on Ticketmaster for $189. Floor tickets were more than $700. Friday’saudienceconsisted of little kids, parents and not-so-little kids. Many were costumed as characters from the films. The show was Disney-level entertainment. The setlist was well-constructed and wellpaced. The flashy production was worthy of an arena. And even though New Orleans was the 40th stop of agrueling 43-city tour,the featured young actors/singers/dancers —Kylie Cantrall, Freya Skye, Malia Baker, Malachi Barton, Dara Reneé, Joshua Colley and Mekonnen Knife —were stillfull of energy and enthusiasm. They were in constant motion as they hustled on and offstage in various combinations and costumes. They joined a half-dozen backup dancers for brisk choreographed routines and romped along aT-shaped runway

Michael Burnside bringsafolding chairinto histiny house for aguest. Burnside’shouse is 176 square feet in size, making it officially the smallestinthe city of NewOrleans.

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS

GRANGER

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Michael Burnside lives in thetiniest house you ever saw,maybe the tiniest house in New Orleans. He built it himself, more or less, in a postage stamp-sized lotinCentral City.It’sapastel-peach-colored,12foot cube, with afloorplan smaller than most people’s kitchen. There’s anarrow bunk in acrawl space up by the ceiling, like you might see in asubmarine.

It’sall Burnside needs and all he wants. He’sintoliving lean. It’shis guiding principle.Nophone,no pool,nopets,asRoger Miller put it But in August, Burnside said he’d arrived at acrossroads. He’s slowingdown, he said, has some medical issues and plans to sell the tiny housesometimesoon. At 61 years old, he said, he can’tbeclimbing a tall ladder to fix theroof anymore. When he turns 62, he said, he’llbe

fame,hesaid. “IfIamboast-less, Ihavenoroleinthis culture,” he said, with aslight smirk.

Butbuilding atiny dwelling from scratch wasn’teasy.Getting the permitstobuild his urban hobbit housewas abig reasonwhy Burnside becameintensely interested in theminutiae of city government. Which is his other claim to fame Aphilosopher in flip-flops

able to collect Social Security and he hopestofind some sort of affordable senior housing situation. It’llbeabig change. After all, in some circles he’sknownasthe “Tiny House Man.”It’shis claim to fame in acity where absolutely everybody hastohave aclaim to

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Anybody who’sattended or tuned intoaCityCouncil meeting over the past eight years probably knows whoMichael Burnside is.He’sthe talldude withthe wild hair and beardwho sitsinthe front rowof the council chambers, usually wearing aT-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Whenever it’stime forpublic comments, Burnside languidly wanders to the microphone and

STAFF PHOTO By DOUGMacCASH

Michael Burnsideisreflected in a sheet of glass as he addressesthe NewOrleans CityCouncil.

Keith Spera

The past several monthshave been filled with multiple reasons to celebrate, including milestone birthdays for various friends and family members, myself included.

LOUISIANABAKES

2cups granulatedsugar

1/2 cup vegetableoil

4large eggs, room temperature

1tablespoon vanillaextract

1cup creme fraiche

1cup whole milk, room temperature Raspberry filling:

2cups raspberries

Juice of one large lemon

1tablespoon cornstarch

Afew people’sbirthdays have moved them into new decades or bestowed the right to drive or vote, andsome have reached the age to leavethe nest. Birthdays, especially milestone birthdays, are the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate.

Olivia Regard

The tradition of birthday cakes can be traced back to ancientcivilizations. The ancient Greeksdecorated moon-shaped cakes with candles to make the cake glow like the moon and believed that the smoke from the candles would carry the celebrant’sprayers to the gods.

In medieval England, cakes were baked with asymbolic objectinside, and it was believed that the person who found theobject would have good luck in the year that followed.

And in the 18th century,the Germans celebrated Kinderfeste, aparty for achild during which litcandles were placed on the cake in the morning 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 wellasthe tradition of having candles totaling the person’sage plus one, torepresent hope for another healthy year

The recipes below are twoof my favorite ways to add ahomemade touch to abirthday celebration and serve as more than justa delicious indulgence. The first, a white chocolateraspberry cake, is my personal favorite. Theraspberries add asweet freshness to the vanilla cake that complements the Swiss meringue buttercream.

The second recipe bringsthe fun of confetti to the cake batter with ahomemade takeonthe Funfetti cake made even more festive with sprinkles on top. These cakes are ameaningful way to bring people together, spread happiness and create cherished memories. Whether youopt for aclassic cake or cupcakes, the joy of sharing asweet moment with lovedones makes the celebrationeven more special.

So, the next time abirthday comes around, don’tskipthe cake —make it the heart of the celebration!

WhiteChocolate Raspberry Cake with SwissMeringue Buttercream

Makes 2(8-inch) round cakes. Forthe cake:

3cupsall-purpose flour 4teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter,room temperature

2tablespoonssugar

Pinch of sea salt

Forthe Swiss meringue butter-

cream:

6large eggwhites,room temperature

11/2 cups granulated sugar

11/2 cups unsalted butter,room temperature

1cup white chocolatechips

11/2 tablespoonsvanillaextract

Pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat theoven to350 F. Line two (8-inch) cake pans with parchmentpaper and spraywith baking spray

2. Sift together the flour,baking powder and salt

3. Place thebutter and sugar in a large bowl.Using an electric mixer with thewhisk attachment or a stand mixer,beat the butter and sugar until lightand fluffy

4. Add the oiland beat to incorporate

5. Add the eggs, one egg at a time, andbeat on medium-high speed until each egg is fully incorporated. Stop the mixer between additions to scrape downthe sides.

6. Addthe creme fraiche and vanilla and beat until combined.

7. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed.

8. Pour in themilk and mix to incorporate.

9. Add the remaining dry ingredientsand mixatlow speed.

10. Pour the batter into the two cake pans. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, rotatingthe pans midwaythroughbaking.Removefrom the oven and letcakes cool completely on awire rack or tea towel.

11. Once the cakes arecooled, slice the cakes in half horizontally to makefour layers. Make thefilling:

1. While the cakesbake, combine the raspberries, sugar,salt, cornstarch and lemonjuice in asmall potovermediumheat. Continue stirringuntil the sugar dissolves.

2. Simmer on low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until raspberries have brokenapart and themixture thickens. Allow to cool completely and refrigerateuntil readytoassemble the cakes.

3. Create adouble boiler by placing asmall amount of water in a pot. Placethe bowl of astand mixer on top of the pot. Ensure the bowl does not touch the water.Bring the water to aboil, then lower the heat to simmer

4. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl ofa stand mixer and place thebowl over the simmering water for 5-10 minutes. Whisk theegg whites and sugar until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved. (Note: Youcan testthis by quickly dipping your finger into the mixture. Rub it between your fingers. Youshouldnot feel any sugar granules.)

5. Oncethe sugar is dissolved, remove the bowl of egg whites

from the heat. Using the whisk attachment for the stand mixer,beat the egg whites withthe sugar 10-15 minutes on high speed.Continue beating until stiff peaks form and themixture is glossy

6. Meanwhile,microwave the white chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, untilthe chocolateismelted and smooth. Set aside tocool.

7. Once the meringue comes together,lower thespeed of the stand mixer to low-medium and slowly incorporate thebutter one tablespoon at atime. Allow the butter to incorporatefully before adding the next tablespoon. Once all the butter is added, increase themixer speed to high to allow themeringue andbuttertocome together

8. Gently fold in the white chocolate, vanilla extract and salt into themeringuebuttercream and mix until fully combined.

Assemble thecake:

1. Spread alayer of raspberry filling on the first layer of cake. Top with white chocolate buttercream.

2. Placethe second layer on top and repeat withraspberry filling and buttercream with the remaining layers.

3. Refrigerate thecake for 30 minutes toallow the cake to set.

4. Once set, finish icing the cake withthe remaining buttercream. Topthe cake withfresh raspberries and white chocolate shavings.

Confetti Cake

Makes24cupcakes or a3-layer, 8-inch cake.

The cake:

21/2 cups flour 1/4 cup cornstarch

1teaspoon kosher salt

2teaspoons baking powder

1cup unsalted butter,atroom temperature

11/4 cups sugar

4large eggwhites, at room temperature (Save the yolks; you will use them in the icing.)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles (I recommend using the jimmies/cylinders, not nonpareils or sanding sugar.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 2. Line thebottoms of 24 muffin

cups.(Or,ifbakinga cake, line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstickbaking spray.)

3. In amedium bowl, sift together theflour, cornstarch,saltand baking powder

4. In astand mixerfitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy,3to4minutes.

5. Add theegg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition

6. Add the oil and the almond and vanilla extracts.

7. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry mixtureand the milk in three alternating batches, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides. Mixuntil just combined.

8. Using arubber spatula, gently foldinthe sprinkles until they’re evenly distributed.

9. Distribute thebatter among themuffin cups (or cake pans).

10. Bake until atoothpick inserted into the center comesout clean (approximately25minutes for cakes and 20 minutesfor cupcakes).

11. Allow to cool on awire rack completely,then add icing and additional sprinkles.

French Buttercream

3largeeggs 5largeegg yolks

2cups granulatedsugar

1/2 cup water

2cupsplus2 tablespoonsunsaltedbutter, at room temperature

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Place theeggs andegg yolks in the bowlofanelectric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

2. Combinethe sugar andwater in amedium potand stir over medium heat until it comes to aboil. Whenitbegins to boil, stop stirring. Attach acandy thermometer to the pot and allow it to cook until the syrup reaches 230 F. While the syrup cooks, if any sugar crystals wash up on thesides,brush them away using apastry brush dipped in cool water

3. When the sugar reaches 230 F, begin whipping the eggs and yolks on medium-high speed.

4. Whenthe sugarreaches 240 F, add the sugar syrup in aslow, steady stream while the mixer continues to run. Continue to whip on high speed until themixtureis pale and very thick and the bowlis no longernoticeably warm to the touch.

5. With the mixer running, gradually add room temperature butter one tablespoon at atime. Continue adding the butter and mixing until allbutterisincorporated and the frosting is light and smooth.

6. Beat in the vanilla and salt and mixtocombine. (Note: The buttercream can be used immediately or refrigerated in an airtight container for one week.)

PHOTOSByOLIVIA REGARD

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake withSwiss Meringue Buttercream

Confetti Cake

n Folse and Faith

“Lunch in the Big Apple” titled the midday meeting andgreeting, and meal, hosted by TheCenacle on the Lake of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, aretreat centerinMetairie Held in Chateau Golf andCountry Club and sold out, it featured,once again, the acclaimed cuisinebyChef John Folse &Company.Guests assembled at 11:15 a.m. for Champagne, cocktails, and canapes, as well as initial bidding on the silent auction, the 50/50Raffle, the Surprise Table,and Sip &Shop.

Twotributes garnered attention. The 2025 Cenacle Legacy honoreewas Kathy Screen of Baton Rouge,who was recognized for her “Many years ofunselfish service and dedication to The Cenacle in Metairie” as well as her ministry in the Baton Rouge community.A special tribute was paid to the Very Rev.Douglas “Doug” Doussan, who, after his retirement in 2015,lived in The Cenacle for adecade, servingas resident chaplain. MonsignorDoussan died most recently at age 90. In turn, they were recognizedby Linda Sunseri and Sister Margaret Maggio,CSJ

The former,Linda Sunseri, co-chaired the event with Karen Nichols. Committee members included MaryBeth Chevalier,Virginia Eckholdt, Stacey Marcel, Suzanne Myers, honoree Kathy Screen,Cathie Crochet, BarbaraGaiennie,Marianne Matassa, Sylvia Schully and GingerSpedale. Forthe program, CoryHowart, executivedirector of the Catholic CommunityFoundation, served as master of ceremonies, guiding the formalities withwarmthand energy.Ahighlight of theafternoon occurredwhenheled alive auction for aprivate dinner for adozen at chef Folse’sWhite OakPlantation. Additional features were the silent auction andits wide array of choice items, as well as the meal. “Lunch in the Big Apple”started with tomato basilsoupand moved on to NYC bodega chopped salad, amain courseofNew York strip steak,and the concluding flan crème caramel.

Topsponsorship came fromFluid Process &Pumps, LLC. Thenextcategory thanked Cynthia Pazos. The Grace names were Suzanne and Bob Myers, Dr Fred and Susan Rodriguez, Steve Roth InsuranceAgency,and Dr.and Mrs. Roland Waguespack Jr TheSaints-category donors were theMostRev Alfred Hughes,archbishopemeritus of New Orleans,along with Cynthia Molyneux and Michelle Morrison. More headliners were Archbishop Gregory Aymond,the Rev Cleo Milano,the Rev Joseph Palermo, Cenacle board member Vince Liberto, Cenacle board member Mark Truxillo andspouse Pam,Andrea andTommy Mertz, June and RobertMenard, KathiZimmerman, RheaThomas, Irene Bourque, and at least 70 womenfrom the Baton Rouge area, who traveled to “Big Apple” to honor Kathy Screen.

n At the Beach,atPontchartrainBeach

“Join us for afun tribute to Pontchartrain Beach!” wasthe invitation’sbeckoning forthe annualSeersucker &Sass given by,and to benefit,Cancer Crusaders

Chaired by Valerie Moscona and JanTreuting,itunfolded as nostalgic festivity at Chateau Golf &Country Club with, as lead sponsors, Donald T.“Boysie” Bollinger, Larry andMarian Gibbs, and PelHughes Printing. Keith and Patricia Collura generously funded the band,The TopCats. Meow-ci!

The above Marian Gibbs is aCCco-presidentalong with KathyPastorek;co-presidents-elect are Earlene Ally and Judy Fern,and those immediatepast ones are Katie Abboud and Bilbo Foldes. BarbaraLawler, KerryKenney,Kathy Maffei, Debbie Albert and Brenda Higgins are the currentofficers.

To recall the days of summertimefun atPontchartrain Beach, the festive forces decorated the countryclub with themed motifs,suchas life preservers, PB memorabilia and posters, colorfullighted balloon arches, and table décor of seersucker tablecloths topped by Ferris wheelcenterpieces filled with salt water taffy.More features were the 23-itemssilentauction with Darlene Cavalier as abig bidder of PB ephemera; the Spin the Wheel game; atribute to PB’sformer Bali Ha’i restaurant and to 1950s performer Elvis Presley; and the delicious cuisine that was capped with abeach-themed icecream bar for dessert.

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n SouthernPastimes

Leisure, which has long been integral to thecultural fabric of the American South, got parlance play during theHistoric NewOrleans Collection’sNew Orleans Antiques Forum 2025. The three-day assemblage to let thegood times roll was titled “Delight &Distraction: Material Culture of Southern Amusement.” What fun it was to hear aboutboard games, thecircus, billiards,19th-century pleasure gardens, andThoroughbred breeding to makehorse racing!

The Forum opened,asithas foryears, on aFriday morning. The venue was the BoydCruise Room of the WilliamsResearch Center on Chartres Street.Two mainstays, HNOC President and CEO Daniel Hammer and moderator TomSavage (Colonial Williamsburg Foundation), gave the welcomeand introduction. Speakers during the day were Betsy Golden Kellem, Claudia Pfeiffer, Lydia Blackmore, Nina Bozak,Kendric J. Perkins,and Sarah Duggan.Mixing and mingling concluded the first day during the Champagne reception.

Additional speakers forthe remaining twodayswereDr. Emelie Gevalt,Dr. Allison Robinson,TaraGleason Chicirda,Leslie B.Grigsby,Lake Douglas,the Batt Family (Pontchartrain Beach),Dr. Miki Pfeffer,and Kenneth Hoffman.Neal Auction wasthe top Forumsponsor with Country Roadsand RGGC in thenextcategory.

The 2025 Forum’sOrganizing Committee listed the above Lydia, Nina and Sarah, along with Dhani Adomaitis, Dee Allen,DorothyBall, Mandi Cambre,Amanda Frentz, Ryan Kreiser,Amanda McFillen, Mia Miller,KateMoranski,Anne M. Robichaux,TerriSimon, Lily Stanford and AmyWilliams. Making rounds during Friday’sbubbly bonhomie were BonnieBoyd,HNOCboard chair,and spouse John,aswell as Priscilla and John Lawrence, AlexandraStafford, Hilton Bell with Madeleine Crawford, Drs. Barbaraand Edwin Beckman,AndréeKeilMoss, Christian Mounger and Ronald Harrell, MaryLen and Lou Costa, Ngaand PatQuinlan,Amy and John Crane,Christine and Price LeBlanc, DebbiedelaHoussaye with the above Dr.Lake Douglas, Dr BarbaraWingo, and Jamieand WhitneySteve. Others, such as Dunbar Amoss and mom Sarah Smith,attended just the talks. Duringthe reception,whichhad flowers by UrbanEarth,guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres, such as brie cheese in puff pastry,crabcakes, andseared beef on crostini, and, sweet treats of bonbons, macaroonsand cake bites. Thanks went to theNapoleaon House forthe catering andto Pioneer Wine andSpiritsofLouisiana forthe libations.Needless to say,much of thechatter concerned allsorts of delightsand distractions.

Amongthe notable attendees were Director of LSU Cancer Center Dr Lucio Miele with Carolyn,and from Tulane Cancer

Falconer with James. Diligent

old, Faith Peperone,Kerry

Cavalier with Milton.For starters.

included LeeAnne

Music was alwaysassociated with Pontchartrain Beach, and the party pack did The TopCats right, filling up the dance floor for hours.

Center, Melanie Cross with Troy, and Seanne

committee members

Leop-

Kennedy, Lisa Baynham, Nancy Tizzard,and Darlene

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

The Rev. CleoMilano, Kathy Screen, Arch Bishop GregoryAymond, Aline Harbison

Marianne Matassa, Mark Truxillo,KarenNichols

Vincent Liberto, Sarah McDonald,CoryHowat

StaceyMarcel, Suzanne Myers

Andree Keil Moss, Mark Cave

Christine LeBlanc,Nga Quinlan, Alexandra Stafford

Priscilla Lawrence, Kathy Slimp

Paul Fitch III, Claudia Kheel, Stephen Stirling

PHOTOSByMARy STROUT Marian Gibbs, KathyPastorek,ValerieMoscona, Jan Treuting

JucyFern, Larry Gibbs

Seanne Falconer,Dr. Lucio Miele, Gretchen Trauth

Keithand Patricia Collura

PHOTOSBy JEFFSTROUT

TRAVEL

FontainebleauState Park offers cool respite

Site features nature trails, estuaries,

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Contributing writer

Catherine S. Comeaux andher familyspent threesummersexploring state, national and provincial parks —from Louisiana to Alaska, to Nova Scotia andall along the Mississippi River in between. This year,she turns her attention to our Louisianastateparkstodiscover the naturalbeauty of theSouth less than aday’sdrive from home. At Fontainebleau StatePark, cypress groves intertwine with sandy beaches. Salty and fresh waters mingle in theestuary of Lake Pontchartrain. Nearby,the remains of ancient shell mounds share space with the crumbling brick of a19th-century sugar mill. These picturesque juxtapositions make up the beauty of the park’s2,800acres of oak-shaded, lake-cooled lands on the northshore nearMandeville. Any time of year,but especially toward the end of the Louisiana’s six-month summer,itisone 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. Shellmoundsand sugarmills

The Tchefuncte-built shell middens in the park are presumed to have functioned as living areas andburial mounds from600 to 200 B.C. The Acolapissaarrived in the early 1700s as well as the Choctaw whose descendants still reside in the region. On their heels followed European settlers, specifically aFrenchman named Bernard de Marigny who, along with acrew of over 100 enslaved people, developed Fontainebleau

—asugar cane plantation which operated until the 1850s.

Theplantation took itsname from aforest near Paris, but when the site became astate park in 1938, it opened as Tchefuncte State Park. Later in 1943 —perhaps for amore distinctive ring or as anod to the United States’ World WarIIalliesinFrance(certainly notfor ease-of-spelling) theparkbecameFontainebleau State Park.

In thepark’searlyyears, the young menofthe Civilian Conservation Corps built many of the original buildingsthat remain today,including the pier and expansive brick bathhouse at the lake. Today,a variety of people enjoy the park.

Outdoor enthusiasts come for aday on the trails andwaterways or for several in one of the campgrounds or lakeside cabins. According to one maintenance worker’sestimate,the parkwill attract 700 to 800 hundredvisitors on anygiven Sunday during summer break.

They come forswimming,picnicking and photo shoots with the ancient live oaks and white sandy shores of the lake for abackdrop. In 2021, filmmakers used the swamp marshlands of the park for scenes in “Wherethe Crawdads Sing” (based on the best-selling novelbyzoologist-conservationist Delia Owens).

Rock-a-while

TheVisitors’Center is an excellent place to start aday at the park. Bathrooms, water and bike rentalsare available24hours onsite. The center itself is open from 9a.m.to4 p.m. and houses several cases of artifacts ranging from the time of theTchefunctetothe Civilian Conservation Corps

Anature trail starts beyond the patio out back, promising deep shade anda plethora of plants with interpretive signage. Staff is availabletopoint youinthe right

direction with their up-to-dateinformation as to what areas might be ano-go due to storm damage or flesh-chomping horseflies.

Interpretive ranger Garrett Shelton invites visitors to sit in one of the big rockers facing apicture window looking outonthe remains of the sugar mill chimneys rising out of wild grapevines and palmettos

During my recent visit to the park, he pointedout native flora and noted, “Nature provides an antidote forevery health problemwe have,” as he extolled the antiviral propertiesofa tincture made from sweet gum balls and told me the stories of the critters in the wallto-wall aquariumssurrounding us.

Wide water

Heading out tobike thenature trail, Shelton sent me off withthe fun fact that “Lake” Pontchartrain is technically not alake but rather an estuary— abrackish body of water where freshwater rivers meet saltwater.Owingtotheir dual nature, estuaries support a

muchwider variety of life than the typical lake.

Ibiked my waythrough the woods and crossed awhitetail doe and her fawn on my way to the Pontchartrain estuary (a mouthful of anametochewon).Atthe shore, Iwas surprisedbyashiny aluminum flock of birds heading skyward— asculpture created by AlyAdduci, Gabriel Wimmer and BrentBarnidge Installed in 2023, this piece was funded by the Louisiana Percent For ArtProgram which is supported by a1999law that earmarks 1% of every state renovation project that exceeds $2 million to be spent on public art. (Otherworks of art funded by this program canbe foundatBogueChitto, Palmetto Island and Lake Darbonne state parks as well as at hundreds of other stateproperties.)

Theshiny birds lead toward a shoreline cypress grove where I kickedoff my shoes andwaded through the cool,sandy-bottomed waters.The kneesheregrow sideways, stretchedand tangled,

forming natural benches —the perfectspotfor fishwatching in the clear shallows.

Gazing through themoss intothe distance at theworld’slongest continuous bridge over water (Lake Pontchartrain Causeway), Idecided that “okwa-ta,” the Choctaw namefor this “wide water,” makes more sense and solves the “lake” misnomer No matter what thewidewater is called, its fishing, swimming, boating and cooling effect are a big draw forvisitors.

Another drawisthe park’saccess to the TammanyTrace, a31mile asphalt traildeveloped on a former railroad corridorwhich connects the cities of Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell. Cyclists staying in the park can make it into Mandevillefor lunchina short, 10-minute bike ride. This is especially convenient forRVcamperswho aren’ttowing aget-around vehicle. Whetheryou plantobike,hike, paddle or simply enjoy some cold fried chicken at apicnic table, the cool shady natural beauty of Fontainebleau State Park is waiting foryou.

Know before yougo

n Bike rentals are available through canoeandtrail.com.

n Kayak rentals areavailableat the Cane Bayou boat launch via bayouadventure.com

n An all-terrain track wheelchair is available at this park from 8:30 a.m. to 2p.m. It must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance by calling thepark at (985) 624-4443.

n Camping and cabin reservations can be made by calling the park or reserving online at lastateparks.com.

n Groceriesare available in nearby Mandeville. Upcoming events n Trick or treating: 4p.m. to 6p.m. Oct. 18 and 25.

By ChristopherElliott

My

with Avios miles and paid $543intaxes. Under EC 261, the European airline consumer protection regulation, we’re entitled to 75% of the ticket value as compensation. That’s roughly 29,452 Avios miles. But Iberia only gave me 3,500miles and ignored my husband’sclaim, saying he lacked an Iberia Plus account. I filed multiple claims, cited EC 261,and even emailed executives using your contacts. No luck.

DidIberia violate EC 261? How can we getthe compensation we’re owed? Christopher Long,Chicago Getting an unexpected downgrade from premium economy to economy can be painful and frustrating. Spendingeight hoursin atiny airline seat with almost no personal space is no way to start avacation. And if you paid for a higher class of service, you deserve to getyour money or your miles back. You’re right. Iberia should have refunded 75 percent of the fare for your downgraded cabin under EC 261. Since you booked with miles, thecompensationshould reflect

thefare’svalue in Avios points. The airline alsofailed to address your husband’sclaim properly Requiring aloyalty account for compensation is notavalid reason to deny apassenger’srights.

Youdid everythingright by citing EC 261 and escalating to the Iberia executives listed on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott. org. Your husbandshould have filed aseparate claim (even without an Iberia Plus account) and created one if required. Always keep apaper trail, as you did it’s critical for proving your case. When an airline fails to follow regulations,thereisaway to light afire under it.You can file

acomplaint with the country’s aviation regulator.Inyour case, that would have been Spain’s Agencia EstataldeSeguridad Aérea, which is responsible for enforcing EC 261 in Spain. Youhad an excellent paper trailwithIberia and you cited thecorrect regulations. An AESA complaint might have nudgedit intodoing the right thing.

By theway,this is the first time I’ve seen an airline make aloyalty program membership aprerequisite forEC261 compensation. But it kind of makes sense. Iberia’spolicy is to return themiles to the ticketed traveler How could Iberia have compen-

satedhim with Aviospoints if he didn’thaveanaccount?

Iberia is following aplaybook I’ve seen many timesinmycareer as aconsumeradvocate. An airline offers you take-it-orleave-it compensation. And you have to decide:Take it or leave it? Icontacted Iberia on your behalf, anditrefunded75% of the miles youand your husband spent on the flight.

Christopher Elliott is the founderofElliott Advocacy,a nonprofitorganizationthathelps consumers solvetheirproblems. Email himatchris@elliott.org.

PHOTO By CATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Abeach pathwaycuts through the cypress groveonLakePontchartrain at Fontainebleau State Park.

ARTS &CULTURE

Free culturepassunlocks doorstoLa.’s best museums

In addition to allthe learning,opportunity represents apotential savingsofhundreds of dollars

Alibrary card is an invitation to an endless buffet of books, movies, magazines, online-learningassets, legalforms, health information, oral histories, maps, old newspapers and more. September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, a promotion by the American Library Association. In addition to all the free learning and entertainment a library card unlocks, there’sa pathwayatyour local branch almost everywhere you might be in Louisiana —tofree admission at some of the state’sbest museums. The opportunity represents a potential savings ranging into the hundreds of dollars.

n In Orleans Parish, theNew Orleans Public Library’sCulture Pass program has aroster of more than adozen museums and attractions, including French Quarter house museums,the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. Other available attractions are the Aquarium of the Americas, the Audubon Zoo and the NewOrleans Museum of Art, plusmany smaller venues. Musiclovers can even get apass to aperformance of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Visit nolalibrary.libcal. com/passes.

n Experience Pass, asimilar program at theJefferson Parish Public Library,features a more limited partner roster which nonethelessincludes The National WWII Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art and guided tours at the otherwise free Historic New Orleans Collection.

n The state’sCheck Out Louisiana program has recently expanded from state parksto museums. Library cardholders in nearly 20 parishes can get afree one-day pass at more than adozen museums, including Louisiana State Museum outletssuchas the Cabildo, Presbytère and1850 House in New Orleans, the stellar Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge and the Wedell-Williams Aviation &Cypress Sawmill Museum awaiting your discovery in Patterson.

‘A lotofusage’

“Wedosee alot of usage” of the Culture Pass, said Heather Riley,the New Orleans library’s director of public services. “This year alone we’ve had over 10,000 bookings.

“Part of the mission of New Or-

leans Public Library is to transform lives, enrich our neighborhoods, and preserve our history Andsowewant everybody to be enjoying the amazing organizations thatwehave in town, and I know these amazing organizations want that, too.”

Riley said her own recent first experience with the Pontchartrain Conservancy’sNew Canal Lighthouse Museum is agood illustrationofthe Culture Pass’ utility.

In addition tothe history and role of thestructure itself (located at 8001 LakeshoreDrive), the museum teachesvisitors about the history of the West End and lakefront as wellasthe multiple linesofprotection that address the waterthat surrounds the city.

“It’samazing,” Riley said. “We have so many amazing things in the city youdon’teven know about. And so, we’re hoping that this can also helppromote some of these really,really,really cool things thatare (about)our history and our current reality.

Theultimateinfluencers

TheCheck Out Louisiana program for museums benefitsresidents by educating them about the history and culture in their midst,but also deputizes them as ambassadors who influence visitors to the state.

“Our best ambassadors are Louisianans, whether it’shereor

when they travel out of town,” saidBilly Nungesser,who oversees theState Museum system as lieutenant governor.“We talkto everybody.Mywife tells me when I’m walking down thestreets in New York, ‘Quit telling everybody hello. They’re ignoring you.’ But that’sjust us.

“Whether it’s here running into somebody in arestaurant or when they travel, saying ‘Hey,you’ve got to go see theKatrina exhibit (atthe Presybtère)’” helps spread the word.

“Wehave 211 beautiful museums in the state,” he added. “This is just the startofasnowball effect to highlightall themuseums.”

Furtherstudy

Once museumgoers have a librarycard in-hand to launch theirmuseum explorations, they’vealsogot apassport to expand on takeaways from the exhibits they’ve seen

n Enjoyed “Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans” at the HistoricNew Orleans Collection? Check out(literally), E.M Tran’s“Daughters of the New Year,” anovel set in the city’sVietnamese community and the OneBook One New Orleans selection for 2025.

n Awed by The National WWII Museum? “Preserving theLegacy: Creating The National WWII Mu-

“HOATAY (FLOWER HANDS): Southern Artists of theVietnamese Diaspora” closesSunday at theOgden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St.More: ogdenmuseum.org.

“BIG CHARITY: At 6p.m. Wednesday, Friends of theCabildo will screen the documentary “Big Charity: DeathofAmerica’s Oldest Hospital at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. More: friendsofthecabildo.org.

THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM: The museum, 945 Magazine St., will host afreeMeetthe Author eventat 5:30 p.m. Thursdayfeaturing Pamela D. Toler,author of The Dragon from Chicago: The Untold Story of an American Reporter in Nazi Germany. The event will takeplace in person and online. More: nationalww2museum.org.

“DAWOUD BEY: ELEGY”: The pho-

seum”isco-founder Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller’smemoir about how it got built.

n Enchanted/intrigued/puzzled by the sculpture garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art?

tographyexhibit opensFriday at theNew Orleans MuseumofArt, One Collins Diboll Circle. ANOMA at Night eventthat evening will launch theexhibit withperformances, gallery talks and more. Asymposium focusing on Bey and“Elegy” will takeplace from 1p.m. to 4:30 p.m Saturday (Sept. 27). More: noma.org. THE EXHIBIT “UNENDINGSTREAM: CHAPTER II”: opensSaturdayatthe Ogden MuseumofSouthern Art. More: ogdenmuseum.org.

LONGUEVUE HOUSE AND GARDENS: 7Bamboo Road, Fall Fest from 12:30 p.m.to4p.m. Saturday featuring “costuming, literacy and fun.” More: longuevue.com.

“RODRIGUE: BEFORE THE BLUE DOG”: The exhibit closes Sept. 28 at the Cabildo, 701 ChartresSt. More: louisianastatemuseum.org.

“Where Art Meets Nature: The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden” explores all of the artand profiles the artists who made it And, as notedearlier,countless other topics entirely unrelated to museums.

“Wedon’tkeep hard data on it,” Riley said. “But Iknow for sure (the Culture Pass is) drawing some people in, and that’sawin for us and forour partner institutions.” Dave Walker focusesonbehindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museumshere and at www.themuseumgoer com. Email Daveatdwalkertp@ gmail.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Pontchartrain Conservancy’sLighthouse Museum is on the roster of culture pass partners at the NewOrleans Public Library.

Dave Walker

Finding strength in strands

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

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

the past quarter-century, John T. Edge has been one of the leading voices shaping how Americans, especially in the South, think about food.

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

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.

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.”

Smallitems can be storedin glove

Boundaries arenot selfish

Dear Heloise: For keeping small items like eye pencils, my good tweezers, and asharpener findable, organized and tidy (and to keep points or blades from premature dulling and bouncing around in my makeup bag), Iuse aclear rubber glove and put things Iwant to protect into each finger.Then Iclamp the wrist closed witha clothespin or abinder clip. It’s easy to grab and find items, and things are much tidier —Melissa A., in Oswego,New York

Santavs. reality

Dear Heloise: In response toLee E., regarding Santa, our kidslearned, in time, the truth about Santa. I let them know that Imuch prefer aworld withSanta in it thanone without. We have quite enough reality to contend with already Randy,inSan Antonio More on Santa

Dear Heloise: Iwas appalled with the letter you received from Lee E. of Moseley, Virginia. Generations of children have been delighted and lived anormal childhood while believing in and enjoying these mythical holiday mascots. What ajoy it is to believe in and experience the magic of the seasons withthese lovable characters!

Iknow of no one whowas scared for life because of their early fascination with these myths. Adult life becomes areality fastenough. If Lee wants to ban the experience of this joyful time from their family,fine, but please do nottry to ruin it for the rest of us. —D.T in Florida D.T., I’ve always felt like Christmas had alittle more “magic”toit with Santa Claus as the mysterious visitor who brings gifts. Childhood is short, so let children enjoy it as much as possible. And we should remember that sadly there are children all over the world who have bombs falling on their homes, who go hungry every day,and have lostsomuch and gone through experiences that no child should go through. What would be the purpose of depriving achild of the happiness theyget whentheysee aSanta in astore?

They’ll get enough “reality” as an adult —Heloise Santacontinued

Dear Heloise: Ican see both sides of the debate, andhere’swhere I landed: As achild, when Ifound outthat the Tooth Fairyand Easter Bunny weren’treal, Iwas really angryatmyparents for lying for alittle while. ThenIgot to see youngerkids enjoy the wonder anddidn’twanttocrush theirjoy; who would?

WhenIbecamea parent,Igot to see the wonder,joy and imaginationofmychildrenbecome incalculably enhanced by holiday incarnations. When they started to question it, Isat them down and explained itessentially like this: Santa,the Easter Bunny,the Tooth Fairy —all of them are notphysically real. What is real is what they represent. They arelikethe mascotsofthe holiday, and we allknow thatmascots aren’t realeither.Every parent andlovedone has the essence of SantaClaus in them when they give agift to someone theylove. Thisishow thistradition lives on. Unicorns aren’treal either,but no one throwsatemper tantrum about it whenthey find out. Imagination, when it’stied to positive,good, kind and generous eventsand people,isnot abad thing. It should be embraced. Santa is real. Helives in theheartsof those who let him. —Heidi G., viaemail No cavities here

Dear Heloise:I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrushfor 2minutes, then Ibrush with aregular brush and rinse my mouth out with water.ThenIuse amouthwash and rinse with awater pick, using most ofthe water in it. Icannotstandthe tasteoftoothpaste or mouthwash, so Iamleft witha very cleantaste in my mouth. Ihave not hadacavity since I started using this routine. Ialso have my teeth cleaned twice a year. —Dorothy C., in Montana Dorothy, this is anice routine for healthyteeth and gums. Many of usjust brush ourteeth and go about ourday with this type of cleaning.Mornings are often rushed for manyofus, so it’s all the timewehave. —Heloise

Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

Dear Annie: Iama57-year-old woman who has had manyproblems with my sister over the years. When my mother was alive, Iwould call to talk with her,but my sister often answered thephone. If she did not like the way Ispoke or the toneofmyvoice, she would simply hang up on me. On theday we buried my father, her children tried to pick afight with my daughter,and my sister joined in. That was thelast straw.Iwalked away from that side of the familyand have not spoken to any of them since.

Now people keep tellingmeI should trytoreconcile, but Ido not want to. My sister continues to post thingsonsocial media that twist my words, and she even claims she has only one sister—and it is not me.

Ihave found peace by walking away.DoIreally have to let her back intomylife just because others think Ishould? —AtPeace

By The Associated Press

TodayisSunday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2025. There are 101 days left in theyear

Todayinhistory: 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, theNational Convention of France issued aproclamation announcing the abolition of theFrench monarchy.

In 1898, in response to aletter from 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, the New York Sun newspaper wroteaneditorial containing the famous line “Yes, Virginia, there is aSanta Claus.”

In 1915, Cecil Chubb purchased Stonehenge for £6,600; the last privateowner of the site, Chubb donated it tothe British people three years later

In 1922, President Warren Harding signed theLodge-Fish Resolution, aCongressional resolution endorsing the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Without Her Dear At Peace Without Her: Youdo notowe anyone arelationship that brings you pain. Family ties canbepowerful, but they do not excuse cruelty,disrespect or public shaming. Youhave already tried,and your sister has shown you whoshe is. If walking away has given you peace, then protect that peace. Others may pressure you to reconcile, but they are not the ones living with the hurt. You are. Boundaries are not selfish. Sometimes the healthiest choice is distance. Dear Annie: Thank you forprinting the recent letters about coaching. Your perspective was spot on andreminded me how much coaching has shaped my own life and family Ispent 10 seasons as ahigh school volleyball coach, finishing with arecord of 98 wins and 9losses and seeing eight of my players go on to earn Division Ischolarships. Istepped away at age 30, but coaching soon found me again. My daughter came home in fourth grade and announced that her school was

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1937, “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first published by George Allen &Unwin Ltd.ofLondon.

In 1938, ahurricane madeU.S. landfall, striking parts of New York and New England while causing widespread damage and claiming some700 lives.

In 1939, Romanian Prime Minister Armand Clinescu was assassinated by members of the fascist Iron Guard movement.

In 1955, at Yankee Stadium in New York,boxer Rocky Marciano completed his undefeated professional career by knocking out Archie Moore in the ninth round of theirtitle fight.

In 1970, Monday Night Football madeits 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 thefirst female justice on the SupremeCourt.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo crashed into South Carolina; the storm was blamed for56deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the

starting abasketball team —and that Iwas the coach. That grew into softball as well, and those little teamsnever lost.

My approach was always the same: Give your best and finish satisfied. Ibelieved my role as coach was to instill confidence, to help players believe they were capable of morethan they imagined. Winning was never the real goal.

My daughter still talks about the friendships and funshe gained during those years, which is the greatest reward. Thank you again forhighlighting the value of coaching done with heart. —Coaching

Dear Coaching: Your perspective was thoughtful and right on target. As someone whohas coached formany years, Iwas reminded of the lasting impact coaches can have when the focus is on encouragement, confidence and joy rather than just winning. Iappreciate you giving space to this conversation. It matters.

Sendyour questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

United States.

In 2022, Russia’sVladimir Putin ordered amobilization of reservists forthe first time since World WarII, nearly seven months after invading Ukraine. Today’sbirthdays: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 82. Musician DonFelder is 78. Author Stephen King is 78. Basketball Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore is 76. Actorcomedian Bill Murray is 75. Race car driver Arie Luyendyk is 72.

Hints from Heloise

Let’sgobeyondthe garden to improve

BY MARYBROWN

Contributing writer

Human Condition

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

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-

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

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

During an hour-and-20-minute

first set and an hour-plus second set, they showcased singalong favorites from the two movie franchises, mashups and afew songs from the their individual careers. Freya Skye, who is only 15, demonstrated why she is well on her way to becoming the next mainstream pop star to emerge from the Disney system In anifty bit of stagecraft,Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly,who have starred as the zombie Zed andthe cheerleader Addison in the four Zombie movies to date, appeared on screen to pass the torch to Barton and Frye, whose characters became acouple in “Zombies 4.” Barton and Frye clearly have chemistry.Asthey embraced onstage,the crowdchanted,“Kiss! Kiss!Kiss!” Frye and Barton broke into embarrassed teenage laughter It was all very wholesome and fun. And not hazardous at all.

Asuddensmack

Near the show’sconclusion,the full cast jumped into apeppypop song called “Legends in the Mak-

CURIOUS

Continued from page1D

From April to July in 1989, Newmanwas 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,

ner.Iturned to theleft to watch them pass.

Andthen —BAM!

What thehell just smackedmy head?

It was one of those big —and surprisingly heavy —beach balls. An excited little girl two rows down from me —she was costumed as Nova, Frye’scharacter from “Zombies 4” —had batted theball in my direction.

With my head turned to theside, Inever saw it coming. The big ball banged directly intothe corner of myeyeglasses. The impact snapped off the right arm, which sliced myforehead.

Stunned, Iimmediately flashed back to being 14 years old and gettinginafight at apark.

The other kid threw thefirst punch, which broke my glasses and opened up agash above my left eye that required 14 stitches. Thankfully my eyebrows are thick enough to hide thescar

float.The mug’sheavy base cartwheeled into my goofygrin and broke off half of afront tooth. I looked like ahockey enforcer

ing.” They tossed ahalf-dozen oversized,striped beach balls into theaudience. Iwas six rows upfrom the floor nearacorner of thestage. As the performers stepped down from theT-shaped runway,they ran alongthe barricades near my cor-

the belief floated around Baton Rougewithout debate for years. Ultimately,it was passed on to younger generations Clay Fourrier,former Louisiana Public Broadcasting executive directorwho worked for theorganization for50years, remembers howthe news of Newman buying theBaton Rougehouse was flying aroundduring the “Blaze” filming and continued to grow TheRogers family,who lived next door onHyacinth Avenue, heard multiple stories about Newmanliving nextdoor —atleast part-time. Even now,the five Rogers sisters andtheir families still debatethe Newman connection to their childhood neighborhood via

There was no such ill intent on little Nova’spart. She was upset when she realized what happened. She and her mom helped look for themissing eyeglass arm. Nova found it two rows away; the impact had sent it flying.

In February, Imishandled a plastic beer mugtossed from the Bacchus parade’sOktoberFest

textmessages and family group chats.

Through theyears, theRogerses caught glimpses of classic cars, which fit Newman’sinterest in automobiles. Instead of Cool Hand Luke, though, the house belonged to Bob Dean Jr.Hebought the house in May of 1989, the same time that Newman was in Baton Rouge filming “Blaze.” Dean purchased thehome in 1989 for $302,500.

If thatname rings abell, Dean is the nursing home owner who pleaded no contest in July 2024 to 15 criminal charges in Tangipahoa Parish. Charges against Dean included crueltytothe infirmed for

3Ba,2,150Sf CamelbackSanctuary behindaprivatecement

This latest incident wasn’t nearly that bad. Eyeglasses are a lot easier and cheaper to fix than atooth.

Celia, my 13-year-old, was extremely upset when my tooth broke. But she took this latest mishap in stride. Her eyes widened when she first saw the blood but otherwise stayed calm.

his decision to send 843 of his patients to an ill-equipped warehouse during Hurricane Ida in 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 cars —that fueled the Newman rumor mill Dean sold the homeonE.Lakeshore Drivein2016 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 Newman visited Baton

Maybe now she just expects her father to injure himself

The little girl’smom wasvery sweet about the whole thing. She examined the cut and asked if I needed her to do anything. No, Iassured her.I’m good. This wasjust arandom concert accident. It happens. For the first timein40years, it finally happened to me. Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

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.

STAFFPHOTO By KEITH SPERA Fans enjoythe DisneyChannel’s Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide Tour at asold-out SmoothieKingCenter in NewOrleans on Sept.

Itookasmall breakfromthe news,and Pope Leomight approve

When my son graduated from amaster’sprogram in Pittsburgh last May,Iwanted to be fully present during the long weekend ourfamily had scheduled to celebrate. Iwas afraidI’d miss important moments because Iwas glued to ascreen filled withthe latest headlines.

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

As our plane lifted from the runway in Louisiana, Iput away my phone, resolvedto go on amediafast for the next 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 justnamed the new pope.” Phoneslit up throughout the cabin, and mostofthe screens attachedtoeach seat popped on, too. Iquickly abandoned my resolution to avoid the news. But my viewing stationdidn’twork,and my smartphone servicewas spotty,too. Icraned my head over the seat ahead of me andglimpsed an imageofthe newly elected Pope Leo

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 what I’d asked for.Asa longtime journalist, Iavidly follow current events as an occupational necessity ButI’m not apapal correspondent,and neither my career nor theworld would suffer if Iwaited awhile to catch up on developments at theVatican.

As mostofmy fellow passengers watched the announcement of the new pontiff, Igazed at a brilliant field of clouds beyond thewindow and remembered

other times when big newsbroke during my vacations. Iwas in a Paris 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 might be in peril. Later that year,Iwas on arural Alaskanroad outside Anchorage when plotters staged an ultimately unsuccessful coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.It felt strangetobeatsuch aremove from things as superpowers trembled all those decades ago. Slowly,I came to understand thefutility of waiting forthe news cycletocalm downsothat

Icould step away from it without fear of missing out. The very nature of the newsisits relentlessness, which is precisely why we all need respites from current events. It’s something I’mtrying to keep in mind this autumn as the churn of urgent newsbulletins continues at high pitch. I’mglad to live in aworld where the hard work of newsgatherers makes it possible to stay abreast of what’shappening. I’malso glad that Iput the newsaway long enough to enjoy my son’sgraduation. Pope Leo would probably say that Imade the right call.

Email DannyHeitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

uses his allotted two minutes to address matters of infrastructure, zoning and governance in general, whatever the day holds. He is wellinformed, even-keeledand wearily astute.

Unlike most folks who address the council, Burnside is only occasionally self-interested. He is a citizen in the abstract, providing commentaryand criticism on behalf of us all, with an eye toward the greater good, as he sees it.Affordable housing is his foremost passion, after God, he said Burnsidesays he’s nota City Council watchdog, and certainly not ascourge. Maybe, he said,he’s just agadfly.Ifso, he’sThe Great Gadfly.Burnside’scommentsare as much apart of council meetings as the pledge of allegiance andthe prayer

Goingoff therails

Burnside is abright guy.During his stint in the Army,while stationedinGermany,hewas with military intelligence andlearned to understand alittle Russian. He usedtoplay bridge on the procircuit. He said he graduatedfrom the University of Arizona with a degree in electrical engineering, andlanded anice jobinBoise Idaho, then lost it when he took out anewspaper ad protesting the firstGulfWar,thusdispleasing his employers. Later,hesaid, he got amaster’s degree in physics at UC SantaCruz —you can find references to his master’sthesis online to this day Later he became aschoolteacher But, he discovered, “being ateacher is ab****.”

Despite hisaccomplishments, Burnside’strain has gone off the track atime or two. He said he was homeless for eight years andeven spent amonth in jail in California related to homelessness.Hecredits his childhood in West Virginia for his resourcefulness.His greatgrandmother,hesaid, ran her clothes washer with arepurposed Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine. All of this has influenced his world view,ofcourse. Burnside hasn’theld ajob for years, he said, and he’d be happy to explain how the deck is stackedagainstthose of us who do. We are, he says, wage slaves, beholden to banks and an oligarchy that writes the rulebook

But Burnside is not apurelefty.He believesinownership and equity “West Virginia hillbillies worship on the altar of privateproperty,” he said.

Theeyesand ears forall of us

City Councilmember Lesli Harrisrepresentsthe district where Burnside’sminiature house stands. As afellownative of West Virginia, she has aspecial place in her heart forthe self-styledpundit. “I love Michael Burnside,” she said. “I appreciate him. He’s informed and unique.”

In Harris’ telling,Burnside is a sort of freelance reporter.“He’s theeyes and ears forall of us,” she said, reading everything and sharingwhat he learns.

Harris saidthatBurnside’sobservations have led to smallchanges in theCrescent City’srules and regulations.For instance, she said, it was hissuggestionthat bent and brokentelephonepoles be reported to thecity’s311 non-emergency services number,which presumably increased the efficiency of repairs.

Andhemade it unnecessary for nonprofit organizations to appeal to theCityCouncilfor rate reductions when they rentparksand meeting places. Harris said the council calls thatparticular reduction in red tape the “Burnside Rule.”

Apoeticpleafor disorder

On Aug. 7, the City Council chambers roiledwith adisagreement between New Orleans second-line parade participants and the NOPD. The policebrass sought stricter safetyenforcement, the strutters and buck jumpers insisted on the sanctityoftheir unique tradition. It was hard to imagine that Burnside would have much to contribute. Andyet he did, taking themike to advocate for social laissez faire. Heads turnedwhenBurnsidedescribed his arrival in New Orleans in 1986 at age22. “I was avirgin whohated myself forbeing gay

Awooden ladder serves as atowel rack next to a proclamation fromthe City of NewOrleans recognizing the Burnside’s home as tiniest in

and thought about killing myself,” he announced witha deceptively deadpan delivery

After listing ahandful of historical social taboos that New Orleans defied— gaysex, interracial marriage, etc. —Burnside concluded that “this is aplace where lawsget broken.”

“This city hasalways been for those whom the rest of the world does not love. This city has always been for thosewho have no home

Whether youhavelivedhere200 years or if you’ve livedhere two years, it’s because you can’tlive anywhere else. This is oneplace thatwill love you.”

Burnside’ssoliloquy maynot have seemed relevant to secondline regulation. Yet, in the big picture,heseemed to be eloquently

pleading forthe policetolookthe other way,totake adeep breath and allow the rules to be bent as a matter of cultural identity,ofcivic pride even.The Tiny House Man had instantly taken his place beside Lafcadio Hearn.

Extremeuncertainty

It was amoment of magical incongruence.Escaping theAugust heat,Burnsideand anewspaper reporter sat in the Heard Dat Kitchen,a Felicity Street diner, sipping Cokesand contemplating the nebulous beginnings of World WarI

Absolutely nobody but the European nobility understoodhow the bloody conflagration began, Burnside said. The ordinary people on both sides, whosuffered the most, never comprehended the need for their sacrifice, and never had a voice in the matter

And that’sthe point. That’sthe reason, Burnside explained, that City Council meetings are important. The public meetings provide everyone with acrack at having their voices heard. “I’m an advocate,” Burnside said. “I bear witness that democracy matters.”

“Something’sgoing to happenin the future,” he continued. Something’salways going to happen in thefuture. “A vote is achoice,” Burnside said. And to decide how to vote properly requiresvigilance.

Burnside’sfervor was clear.But, he said, his energy is flagging. He sleeps toomuch these days, he said. Waytoo much, and he’shaving problems reading. The number 6, he said, sometimes disappears before his eyes —which makes it difficult to do the Sudoku puzzle in the paper.His days as awatchdog, a scourge, agadfly,areporter and an advocate might be waning he said.

“mycommitment to city council meetings is in jeopardy,” he wrote via email, in his customary e.e. cummings-esquestyle.“my mind is going, Ihave less to contribute, my work ethic is going down, i read less. iskim more..i am gliding on past efforts..i am slowly headed down....tired allthe damn time… iamslowly but noticeable deteriorating. “as forthe rest extreme uncertainty,” he wrote. Of course,ifanyone amongus is able to hold his own despite extreme uncertainty,it’sMichael Burnside.

Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Above all, Harris said, “He has alove of the citywhere outsiders can survive.”

PHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

Redford brought change to cinema

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP film writer

Robert Redford was disillusioned with the Hollywood mainstream. The Sundance Kid, who died Tuesday at age 89, knew that there were more stories out there, ones that weren’t getting made into films because of the rigidity of the business. So he made something different, founding Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival as an alternative avenue for emerging filmmakers, where independence was a virtue, not a liability

Over the past four decades, the institute and the festival have given an early platform to countless young filmmakers, including Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao, Nicole Holofcener, Nia DaCosta, Taika Waititi, Ava DuVernay, Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and many more.

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence.’ I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard,” Redford told The Associated Press in 2018. “The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.’ As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”

In 2019, Redford said he intended to step back from his public facing role at the festival, though he remained the organization’s president and founder until his death.

“I think we’re at a point where I can move on to a different place, because the thing I’ve missed over the years is being able to spend time with the films and with the filmmakers and to see their work and be part of their community,” he said at the 2019 kickoff. “I don’t think the festival needs a whole lot of introduction now: It runs on its own course, and I’m happy for that.”

Inspiration in Utah

Redford’s love affair with Utah began much earlier, on a cross-country motorcycle road trip in 1961 when he bought 2 acres of land By 1969, with more money in his pocket from his film successes, he’d purchased 5,000 acres, some of which was a mountain resort but most of the land was for wilderness preserves. He named it Sundance, after his character in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

In 1981, the year he won best picture and director for “Ordinary People,” he established the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization and held the first filmmakers lab at the Sundance Mountain Resort, about 13 miles northeast of Provo A few years later, in 1985, the institute took over what was then known as the U.S. Film Festival, which would later be renamed the Sundance Film Festival. The festival in the mid-80s hosted the Coen brothers “Blood Simple” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Stranger Than Paradise.”

Birth of an indie boom

The festival was really put on the map when Soderbergh premiered “sex, lies and videotape” in Park City in 1989. A true indie, the film went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes and get an Oscar nomination, but it was its box office success that ignited a veritable indie film boom. And Sun-

dance was where all the discoveries were happening. In 1991, the festival premiered “Daughters of the Dust,” “Paris is Burning” and “Slacker,” in 1992, Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs,” in 1993, Wes Anderson brought “Bottle Rocket,” and in 1994 “Hoop Dreams” and “Clerks.”

“If it weren’t for Robert Redford, independent art houses might not have succeeded,” said Gary Meyer cofounder of Landmark Theatre, and a former festival director at Telluride who also worked with Redford.

“Having the ‘Sundance Kid’ give his stamp of approval to independent features and documentaries brought

audiences to our theaters, while helping launch the careers of dozens of filmmakers He made it ‘cool’ to see adventurous movies when they came to commercial neighborhood theaters.”

Commitment to artists

In 1994, the Sundance Institute also made a commitment to Indigenous filmmakers by launching a festival program to showcase Native and Indigenous films that continues to this day Film and TV producer Bird Runningwater, who is Cheyenne and Mescalero Apache, spent 20 years at the Sundance Institute helping Redford build a plat-

form for Indigenous artists.

While hard to sum up the importance of what has been accomplished over the decades, Runningwater called it life-changing for not only artists but for tribal communities as well, to see themselves reflected on the screen in an authentic way “I’m so pleased to have been a part of that for Sundance, and it’s all thanks to Redford’s vision,” he said. “You know he just had this notion that things could be different if we talk our own stories, and I do believe we’re in that era of changing things.”

Behind-the-scenes power

The festival might get the

most headlines, but it’s the year-round work of the Institute that has really left a mark on independent cinema. The screenwriting and directing labs have been just as, if not more influential in helping to launch the first films of many of Hollywood’s top filmmakers over the past 40 years, under the leadership of Michelle Satter, who has helped shepherd projects from “Hard Eight” to “Fruitvale Station” and “Love & Basketball.”

“Sundance changed the trajectory of my career,” filmmaker and labs adviser Gina Prince-Bythewood told the AP in 2023. “How many of these special proj-

ects would have never seen the light of day without Michelle, without Robert Redford’s vision, without this incredible place? It’s actually really scary to think about.”

Native filmmaker Sterlin Harjo (“Rez Ball”) said that his career as a young man was defined by Redford’s support for independent cinema and supporting Native storytelling.

“I went to the Sundance Filmmakers lab at 23 years old,” Harjo wrote on Instagram on Tuesday “The support from Sundance made me feel like I belonged in an industry that most times felt so unreachable. He personally taught me things about story, shooting, and editing that I take with me today.”

Oscar winners

The list of notable films that have played at Sundance grows every year

Some enduring favorites include: “Get Out,” “Whiplash,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Memento,” “Before Sunrise,” “Boyhood,” “Y tu mamá también,” “Brick,” “The Squid and the Whale,” “Manchester by the Sea,” “Call Me By Your Name” and “A Real Pain.” The festival got its first best picture winner with “CODA,” which played at the festival in 2021. Questlove’s “Summer of Soul,” which also debuted in 2021, won the academy’s documentary award that year as well.

Many best documentary winners start at Sundance, including “When We Were Kings,” “Born Into Brothels,” “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Man on Wire,” “The Cove,” “Searching for Sugarman,” “20 Feet from Stardom,” “Icarus,” “American Factory,” “Navalny,” and “20 Days in Mariupol.” The most recent winner, “No Other Land,” was supported by the labs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DOUGLAS C. PIZAC

Robert Redford stands on a balcony along Main Street, which is decorated with his Sundance Film Festival banners, in

in Park City, Utah.

DOUBLING DOWN

Caesars underwent amassive renovation recently an expansion and modernization that included partnering with local celebrity chefs likeEmeril Lagasse, whoopened Emeril’sBrasserie inside the casino.

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

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

See CASINOS, page 2E

Home batteriesrisinginpopularity throughout thestate

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans-based Solar Alternatives has beeninstalling rooftop solar panels along the Gulf Coast for 17 years. For most of that time, only about aquarter of the company’scustomers chose to bolster their solar equipment with backup batteriesthat would allow their homes or businesses to function during apower outage That changed in 2021, when Hurricane Ida left thousands of homes and businesses in Louisiana without powerfor weeks. Today, 75% of Solar Alternatives’ customersbuy batteries.

“Ultimately, utilities are going to have a giant wake-up moment.”

ARUSHI SHARMA FRANK, battery consultant

“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.” 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,

Cantin

Bloomberg reported.Trade groups predictthe market will top$43 billion adecade from now 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

page 2E

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Guest Pamela Phillips plays aslot machine at The Queen CasinoinBaton Rouge. The former Hollywood Casino movedonto land in 2023 as part of an $85 million overhaul.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE Christian DiMaggio prepares to install abatteryonthe side of Nicole Russell’shome in Bush.

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

Baton Rouge

Russo

Angie Russo has been hired by LUBA Casualty Insurance Co. as business development underwriter She earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in management, both from the University of Redlands.

Carter

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

BATTERIES

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.

CASINOS

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

“Batteries have gotten a little bit cheaper but a lot smarter,” he said. His company Pila, aims to make batteries even more accessible by selling “plug-and-play” devices that customers can use without any permitting

is part of a growing group promoting the power of batteries in homes and businesses to be networked together to form a “virtual power plant,” relieving stress on a utility’s power grid in times of

demand. His company is among those supporting a proposal for a multimillion-dollar public investment to create a virtual power plant in New Orleans. 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.

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.”

Disappearing incentives

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.

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.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The previously floating Treasure Chest Casino opened a new larger, $100 million land-based casino at the end of Williams Boulevard in June 2024. At twice the size, the new casino features a convention space, 1,700-space parking lot and four new restaurants, including Kenner’s only steakhouse.

STAFF PHOTO By RICH COLLINS

Preschool teacher Dana Christmas and her son Tristan walk past a row of batteries at First Grace United Methodist Church in Mid-City

PROVIDED PHOTO

New Orleans native Cole Ashman, left, collaborates with a co-worker at the San Francisco offices of his battery startup Pila.

Duhe

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Lafayette economy seeing rising job numbers

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Q&A WITH JERRy PREJEAN

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.

Building the Future of Energy Logistics.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

‘I think Lafayette is certainly handling itself well,’ said Jerry Prejean, Acadiana market president for First Horizon Bank in Lafayette.

5waystohelpyou ride outinflation

Our economy just can’tshake

inflation’sunyielding grip

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

Consumerprices rose 0.4% in August, pushing annual inflation to 2.9%, up from 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 consumer price index report, many people were 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 ConsumerExpectations.

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 make it much harder to cover essentialslike food,gas and rent. It could lead to skipping meals or falling behind on bills.

Here’swhat some readers have been asking me about coping with risingprices.

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.

Restaurantsaren’tthe only budget-busting culprit. Grocery costs have also jumped, so it’sworth auditing your spending in this category, too.

Here’sachallenge: Take stock of all the food you have in your home —the canned beans, rice, noodles, frozen vegetables and meats —and use it all up before buying new groceries. Use asearch engine to list some ingredients andfind meal ideas.

Entertainmentsubscriptions areanother area to scrutinize Unbundled cable options and streaming services were supposed to save money,but the monthly fees for multiple platforms —especially premium, ad-free plans —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 manysubscriptions. 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 budgeting or otherideas fortrimming, Irecommend getting assistancefrom anonprofit credit counselor.You can find one by going to nfcc.org, run by the National Foundation forCredit Counseling.

This is themomenttotake a deep dive into your entire budget, identify the 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 essential safety net.

The recommended amount, experts say,isatleast three to six months’ worth of living expenses. However,that’snot possible for many households.

Don’tlet this highexpectation discourage you from saving whatever you can. Evena small cushion can help cover 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 higher costs 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.

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. Alphabet reported that over 2billionpeoplewere 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.)

Fool’sSchool: 15- vs.30-year loan

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 We areJones Walker LLP,a firmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsense of community, and afierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor our clients.

Since1937, ourfirm hasbeencommitted to workingwithcommunity leaders to developbusiness opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

WilliamH.Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

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LED: Hyundairaids won’timpactDonaldsonvilleplans

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

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.

first steel mill in the U.S. 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.

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 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.

Menhaden Industry Steps Up for Local CommunitiesinWakeofHurricanes

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. Throughsocial 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 local Cameron Lions Club,paid fornecessities such as fuel for generators, bottled water, and tents.

“Omega Protein wasone of the first ones to say, ‘whatdoyou need, 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 has sustained incredible damagefrom this storm,”said State Representative Ryan Bourriaque in acompanypress releaseissued at the time. “But with the help of good neighbors like 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.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By MICHAELJOHNSON

Aguest takes aphotoofPresident

Trumpalong withSpeaker of the House MikeJohnson and Gov. Jeff Landry,on

Omega Protein trucks loaded with pallets of water, gasoline and hand sanitizer for Hurricane Ida relief

Bottled water, gasoline and hand sanitizer being loaded for distribution to Hurricane Ida victims

Gallagher: ALouisiana StoryofGrowth, Community andResilience

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

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NEWORLEANS EAST 2Br/1.5BaTH7040 Crowder, w/d conn, carpet,cnt a/h. Furn kitc.No Pets $1300/mo.504-554-3500

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y proactive solutions for potentialrisks; •Assistindealingswith external parties(audi‐tors,externalcounsel politicians,clients); •Meet alllegal objec‐tiveswitha complete un‐derstandingofthe JPFA TrustIndenture,its ByLaws,its purpose, and RobertsRules of Order; •Draft agreements and legislationonbehalfof theJPFA; •Keep abreastand in‐form executivedirector andBoard of Trustees of alllegislative changes relative to theJPFAat a federal andlocal level; •Attend allmeetingsof theBoard of Trustees andifnecessary,com‐mittee meetings Thefollowing criteria shallbeusedtoevaluate thestatementsofthe first/individualssubmit‐ting to thegeneral coun‐selposition:

1. Professional training andexperienceboth generaland in relation to thetypeand magnitude of work required forthe JPFA,including butnot limitedtogeneral coun‐selexperienceina busi‐ness environmentinvolv‐inga public and/or pri‐vate boardand municipal finance(30 points); 2. Capacity fortimely completion ofthe work taking into consideration theperson’sor firm’s currentand projected workload andprofes‐sional andsupport man‐power(20 points); 3. Past andcurrent ac‐complishments, for which references from clientsorformerclients andinformation gath‐ered by inspection of currentorrecentpro‐jectsmay be considered (10points); 4. Past performanceby thepersonor firm on public contracts, includ‐ingany problems with time

ment of Culture, Recre‐ation& Tourism, Office of StateParks is issuing a Requestfor Information (RFI)tosolicit anyand all projectideas foron-call disaster recovery,debris cleanup,downtreere‐moval, andemergency management consultant services in theevent of a man-made or naturaldis‐asteratState Parks Properties.The objec‐tives in soliciting infor‐mation aretopromote theState Parksmission achieveproperbalance of preservation anduti‐lization of StateParks Properties while becom‐ingmore financially selfsustaining,and better servethe needsofciti‐zens andofvisitorsto Louisianathrough collab‐orationutilizingPublic PrivatePartnerships. TheRFI packet,which in‐cludes atimeline, in‐structions forproposal submission,and selec‐tion criteria,isavailable at http://www.opportu nitiesinlouisiana.com. It mayalsobepickedup between9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at theOf‐fice of StatePark, Capitol Annex, ThirdFloor,1051 NorthThird Street,Baton Rouge, LA,70802. Written Proposalsmustbere‐ceived by StateParks at this addressnolater than 4:00 p.m. CT onFri‐day, October31, 2024. StateParks will continue itscommitmenttoen‐sure allprojectspromote ourmission statement, have communitysup‐port,and supportoflocal andstate electedoffi‐cials. StateParks also commitstonot proceed with anyprojectsthat will be detrimentaltothe localcommunity or any localbusiness. Allinquiries concerning theRFI should be submit‐ted in writingtothe Issu‐ingOfficer, BrettSan‐difer, at bsandifer@crt. la.gov 157440-SEP10-OCT9

have been convictedof14:81.2Molestationof Juvenile.Details: Juvenile Victim.Date Convicted: 2/3/1986. 14:92 (A)(7)CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF JUVENILESPERFORM SEXUALLY

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

RIDING THE RAILS TRAIN TRAVEL EXPANDS

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.

Wave LinkWest

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.

Gumbo One

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.

Wave LinkEast

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.

Wild Oats

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.

From Swamp Tours to Su t Di i nse n ng:

ExploringLouisiana’s Northshore Waters

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.

Swamp Tours

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.

Outdoor Dining

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.

LakePontchartrain

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.

WaterfrontParks

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.

VI

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.

Festivals That Feed the Soul: America’ s Best Autumn

Culinary Events

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.

FAJou Th h

Mississippi

Music g y

rney roug , Cuisine and Civil Ri hts Histor

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.

Walk the Mississippi Blues Trail

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

TasteYourWay Along Mississippi’sFoodTrails

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

Reflect on the Mississippi Freedom Trail

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.

to some of Louisiana’s TOP Your guide

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

FallFa Festivals Festivals

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.

GAMBLING PROBLEM? PLEASE

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

NOLA

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

Winter

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

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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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NonstopFlights Make NewOrleans More Connected Than Ever

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.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

School’s teaching kitchen helps doctors, community

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

Sepsis test saved the life of electrician

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

Thomas

PHOTOS By SABREE HILL

Chef Heather Nace assists medical students at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine in New Orleans.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Regina and Herman Middleton recently at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, where Herman was saved because of how soon Regina got him to the ER

HEALTH MAKERS

Meet the team testing La. mosquito pools for viruses

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.

We work with those parishes and we work with the

KITCHEN

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-

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.

Louisiana Department of Health to test mosquitoes for various viruses in the state. What are the steps for testing mosquitoes?

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

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 avocado

and a

massaged to a

For a moment, there is silence as the students fill their plates and dig in. Then Nace pulls up the nutrition information for each dish on a screen, linking flavor back to science.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

salad, roasted salmon,

kale salad

dark, glossy sheen.

Allison Clark plates Chewy Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies in a free community cooking class at the Goldring Center for Culinary

ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTOS By SHAWN FINK

Lynette Thornton, left, and her nephew, Ta Ray Roberts assemble quinoa lettuce wraps in a free community cooking class at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine in New Orleans.

LSU laboratory scientist Tarra Harden shows trending data in the mosquito testing lab

LSU laboratory scientist Tarra Harden performs a test in the mosquito testing lab

STAFF

EatFit LiveFit

Carpool snacks: What theprospack

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.

BY THENUMBERS

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: n Women between 40 and

44 have the optiontostart screening witha mammogram every year n Women45to54should getmammograms every year n Women55and older canswitch toa mammogram everyother year,ortheycan choosetocontinue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a womanisingoodhealthand is expectedtoliveatleast 10 more years. n Allwomenshould 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: n St.Charles Parishwith 45%,

n Lafayette Parish with 43%, n Assumption, Jefferson, Orleans, St.Tammanyand Webster parishes with 42%, n and Acadiaand Bossier parishes with 40%

These parishes had the lowest percentageofadults with Medicare to have a mammogram screeningin 2023, in ascendingorder: n Caldwell and Vernon parishes with 25%, n Franklin Parish with 26%, n Winn Parish with 28%, n Allen,Morehouse and Washington parishes with 31%, n Beauregard, Catahoula, Grant, Red River,Richland and Tensas parishes with 32%, n 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.

Clinical triallinks proteinmedicationtofat reduction

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.

BROUGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Our Lady of the Lake to participate in cell therapy clinical trial

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.

N.H. man gets successful pig kidney transplant

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-

SEPSIS

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-

Dr

Dr

Dr.

Surgeons, from left Dr

Kimura transplant a genetically edited pig kidney into Bill Stewart on June 14 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

cal trial.

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.

PROVIDED PHOTO By SARAH EVANS/MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM

Nahel Elias,

Alban Longchamp

Tatsuo Kawai and

Shoko

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Ochsner Health

By Amanda McElfresh amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisstory is broughttoyou by

OchsnerHealth.

At Ochsner Health, patients with certain back andspine problems whomeet specific criteria maynow be candidatesfor one of thenation’smost promising innovations in spine care:ultra-minimally invasiveendoscopic spinesurgery performed by neurosurgeon William Mangham, MD

Dr.Mangham, whopracticeswith Ochsner’s nationally ranked Back andSpine program, is one ofonly threesurgeons in the NewOrleans region and one of twoat Ochsner currently offeringthis specialized procedure. Using state-of-the-art equipmentand an incision thatmeasures lessthanone centimeter long, the technique allows surgeons to remove herniateddiscs and relieve nerve pain with much lessimpacttonearby tissue andbone than is necessary intraditional back surgery.For patients, that means less pain, faster recovery and aquicker returnto normal life.

tions, herniateddiscs areone of the most common problems treatedbysurgeons

Dr.Mangham described ahealthy discasa jelly-filledcushion between the vertebrae, absorbing shock and providing flexibility. When adischerniates, he said,thatjelly-likematerial pressesontonearby nerves, often causing sharp pain that radiatesdown one or bothlegs, or severe localized back pain.

WilliamMangham,MD

Neurosurgeon OchsnerHealth

“Any of thosesymptomsusually kicksoff an investigation withMRIs and other imaging, Dr.Mangham said. “It does not mean we go straighttosurgery Most patients improve with medicationand physical therapy. We maytry steroid injections.The fact thatwecan usean endoscope doesnot replace the conservativeapproach that we take. No one wantstoundergo surgery unlesstheyabsolutely have to.”

ForDr. Mangham, being at the forefront of the latest in spine surgical technology is a step in alifetime devotedtohelping others He wasinspired to servehis country after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A2004 graduate of the U.S. NavalAcademy, Dr Mangham became aMarine Corps officer, leading troops in threecombatdeployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Over afive-year period,heultimately commanded aunit of 250 Marines before being honorably discharged as acaptain.

Afterhis military service, he pursued medicine at BrownUniversity, followedby residencyand fellowship training in spine surgery at theSemmes-MurpheyClinic and the University of Tennessee.

wait to do anyheavy lifting or anything that involves bending or twisting, since that puts alot of stressonthe spine while thingsare still healing.

“Becausethe camerausedinthis procedure is so small, thereisa decreasedrisk of tissue and muscle injury.All surgerieshave some degree of risk, but thatlevel is as lowas it gets when youuse aspine endoscope,”Dr. Mangham said. “Anytime youcan relieve a patient’spain with minimal side effects,you could seethem have improvedoutcomes.”

Back pain is one of themost common medical challengesinthe United States, affecting roughly 80 percentofadults at some pointintheir lives.While most discomfort resolves on its ownorwith thehelpofmedication, some people experience pain so severe thatitdisrupts their dailylife, limits mobilityand requires advanced treatment.

Among painful back and spine condi-

However, forpatientsfor whom surgery is thebest option, Dr.Mangham said traditional approaches areeffectivebut involve larger incisions,moremuscle disruption and longerrecovery times.Minimally invasive surgery thatusesatwo-centimeter incision has reducedmanyofthose burdens and has become more common, but the new ultra-minimally invasiveendoscope approach used by Dr.Mangham takes things even further

“A two-centimeter incisionisstill quite small, butinthatmethod, surgeons use metal dilators to passthrough the muscle to gettothe bone,thenwork theirway to the nerves by drilling away the bone. Thatcan causemoreriskofmuscle spasms andpain aftersurgery,” Dr.Mangham said. “Withthe ultra-minimally invasiveendoscope, there is less inflamedtissue. The high-definition cameraisaboutthe width of afinger,and cannow reach discherniations through a very tinyincision in the skin. There’smuch less disruption overall.”

“Neurosurgery has always been such an interesting area to me becauseyou work with both the brain and the spine. Youget to help people who areexperiencing extreme events thatreally impact their lives. I’ve always found that those areopportunitiesto connect with patients in meaningful ways,” he said. “Wesee avariety of neck and back issues,and some folksare in tremendous pain. This work lets me help peoplewhen theyreally need it.Ifind thatincredibly rewarding.”

NowatOchsner,Dr. Mangham sees patients at Ochsner Health Center -West Bank in Gretna and performs most procedures,including the ultra-minimally invasiveendoscopic surgeries,atOchsner Medical Complex –ClearviewinMetairie Theseoperations aredoneinanoutpatient setting, and patients areable to return home the same daydue to the minimal pain and blood loss. Afullrecovery usually takes severalweeks,although Dr.Manghamsaid most people seeimprovements almost immediately aftersurgery

“You do have to be smart about recovery. Some people feel good and trytodotoo much, toosoon,”Dr. Mangham said.“It’sfine to walk around,goupand down stairs and do lightactivities.I usually caution themto

Thehigh-definition cameraisaboutthe widthofafinger,and cannowreachdisc herniationsthrougha verytinyincisioninthe skin.There’smuchless disruptionoverall.

WilliamMangham,MD

Neurosurgeon OchsnerHealth

While Dr.Manghamcurrentlyusesthe ultra-minimallyinvasive endoscope to treat disc herniations,there areadditional applications formorecomplexspinal conditions, such as arthritis,spinal stenosisand thoracic disc herniations that occurclose to the spinal cord Dr.Mangham said theseapplications will expand with theendoscope’s useand continued training.

“I think theendoscope is an important part of the futureofspine surgery,” he said “There is more demand forthis, especially as thenumber of applications grows. You’ll seemoresurgeons adopt theseprocedures as time goes on.”

Gold-medal care forgold-medal dreams

AttheOchsnerAndrewsOrthopedicandSportsMedicineInstitute,every decisionwemakeisfocusedonhelpingourpatientsmoveforward.Fromthe latesttechnologytothedepthofourexpertise,ourteambringselitecare, cutting-edgeresearch,andadvancedtrainingtothecommunitiesweserve. Yourrecovery,goals,andqualityoflifedriveeverythingwedo—andwe moveforwardwithyou,everystepoftheway.

Learnmoreorscheduleanappointmentatochsner.org/ortho

AliaA. | KneeSurgeryPatient

Adream realized

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

JanRisher

Four words that changed everything

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

STAFF PHOTOSByJOHN McCUSKER

Squeezy Fresh is apressed juicebusiness started by 16-year-old Kaylee Davis, right, withhelp from her mom, TishiaBoldone Davis. Kaylee began juicing when she was 12 to help her brother,who suffers withseizures.

ManagerTerrielle Johnson prepares atreatatSqueezy Fresh.

Colin LaRosa prepares adrink at Squeezy Fresh.

ASK THE EXPERTS

‘Everything you need is in a ballet class’

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

DREAM

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.

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

Q&A WITH SHANNON HEATH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE LAFAyETTE BALLET THEATRE

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

Mississippi. “Let’s turn it into a man-

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.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Shannon Heath, center, is the artistic director at Lafayette Ballet Theatre.

The full cast of ‘The Nutcracker’ performs Act 2 at the Lafayette Ballet Theatre.

Childhoodeducation starts in thehome

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.

Childhoodeducation

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.

Literacy andS.T.E.A.M

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.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Achild stacks blocks that were gifts from HomeStart.

FAITH & VALUES

Teens rewrite the rules of Israel-Palestine dialogue

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.

City food forests offer a chance to experience nature

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 addition 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.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kenan Khatib, left, and Alexander Kalish co-founded Voices of Understanding

GREG KAHN/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST The food forest is open to everyone. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own scissors and basket.

GREG KAHN/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Lincoln Smith has designed several food forests in the area.

SUNDAY, September 21, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

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.

word game

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?

ken ken

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

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Concise bidding

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

goren Bridge

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

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend