The Acadiana Advocate 09-25-2025 by The Advocate

Acadiana’s Choice award winners celebrated at reception

Community voted for best local businesses

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Acadiana’s businesses are some of the best at what they do. From providing excellence in everyday services for residents, to creating the food and entertainment infrastructure that makes Acadiana a globally known tourist destination this community does it all. That’s why The Acadiana

Advocate launched Acadiana’s Choice awards last year, to give the community a place to share and celebrate the places and people they love The votes are in, and the 2025 Acadiana’s Choice results can be found at acadianaschoice.com.

This year’s winners were honored at a reception Tuesday evening in downtown Lafayette at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Hundreds of businesses in categories ranging from lawn care to dining were celebrated for their commitment to quality and service, with about 250,000 votes cast

“It was wonderful to attend the Acadiana’s Choice awards and celebrate with so many outstanding organizations,” said Tanya St. Julien, dean of STEM, transportation and energy at South Louisiana Community College. “Seeing South Louisiana Community College recognized as the Gold winner for Best College was a proud reminder of the impact we’re making in our community.”

The awards process began in May, when the community was invited to nominate

ä See WINNERS, page 4A

1 killed, 2 wounded in shooting at ICE facility

Authorities say shots fired from roof onto location in Dallas

BY JAMIE STENGLE and JACK BROOK

Associated Press

DALLAS A shooter with a riﬂe opened ﬁre from a nearby roof onto a U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and wounding two others in a transport van before taking his own life, authorities said.

The suspect has been identiﬁed by a law enforcement ofﬁcial as 29-year-old Josh-

ua Jahn. The ofﬁcial could not publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity

The exact motivation for the attack was not immediately known. FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on social media showing a bullet found at the scene with the words “ANTI-ICE” written on it in what appeared to be marker

The attack is the latest public, targeted killing in the U.S and comes two weeks

after conservative leader Charlie Kirk was killed by a riﬂe-wielding shooter on a roof. The Department of Homeland Security said in a release that shots were fired “indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport,” a secure and gated entryway

The surviving detainees were in critical condition at a hospital, said DHS, which

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Concerns raised over bounty hunters

Despite facing felony charges, trio retain licenses

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

In August, three men were arrested for breaking into a Baton Rouge apartment in the middle of the night. Among them was a former sheriff’s deputy from Plaquemines Parish and a convicted felon.

The trio was working as bounty hunters, but had raided the wrong address. Despite the felony charges they face, all three are allowed to keep working in the little-known industry

Brian Green, 41, of Belle Chasse, and Roderick Larkins 31 and Jhustyn Garrett, 31, both of Slidell, were arrested by Baton Rouge police and charged with aggravated assault with a ﬁrearm and home invasion. Garrett, who has a prior domestic abuse conviction, also faces a count of ﬁrearm possession as a felon.

Under Louisiana’s cash bail system, judges set a dollar amount defendants must pay to avoid languishing in pretrial detention. If paid in full and court orders are followed, the court returns bail after the case concludes, even if the

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Resolution may be close on Saints 10-year Superdome lease

Side deals remain a sticking point

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District board voted Wednesday to give its chair the authority to sign a new lease for the Caesars Superdome with the New Orleans Saints, a procedural step that may set the stage for the landmark agreement more than 18

months in the making. The Superdome lease itself has been ready for days, negotiators say It runs for 10 years and gives the Saints the option to extend every five years through 2055, a deal meant to secure the team’s future in New Orleans for a generation. But as of midweek, nothing has been signed because of a sticking point familiar to anyone who has tracked the team’s history with the state: real estate. The two sides have been deadlocked over how to handle leases for Benson Tower Champions Square and the Saints’ practice complex in Jefferson Parish The team insists those agreements, worth millions annually, be finalized alongside the stadium contract The state wants to separate them and move the Dome lease forward first. However, negotiators said Wednesday that they believe the issues will be resolved within a few days.

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A new lease for the Superdome would run for 10 years and give the Saints the option to extend every five years through 2055.

STAFF PHOTO

More than 300 were in attendance Tuesday at The Acadiana Advocate’s Acadiana’s Choice awards at Acadiana Center for the Arts.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Law enforcement agents look around the roof of a building near the scene of a shooting at a U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas on Wednesday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Drone strike on market in Sudan kills 15

CAIRO — An aid worker and a local group in Sudan said a drone strike by the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed 15 people at a bustling market in the besieged city of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur

The strike on Tuesday came only a few days after the RSF reportedly struck a mosque in the city, killing at least 70 people, including worshippers and three medical personnel.

The latest drone strike also wounded 12 people, an aid worker with the Emergency Response Rooms, or ERR, told The Associated Press on Wednesday, citing doctors and other ERR team members on the ground.

He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the RSF

The RSF didn’t mention the incident on their Telegram channel but said that its ﬁghters are making advances in the city and claimed it was evacuating “hundreds of civilians from el-Fasher,” without providing evidence.

Humberto forms and Gabrielle races to Azores

MIAMI Tropical Storm Humberto formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday at the same time Hurricane Gabrielle was racing across the ocean toward the Azores islands, forecasters said.

Gabrielle, a Category 2 storm, is forecast to weaken but could cause signiﬁcant coastal ﬂooding in the island chain, National Hurricane Center forecasters said. From Thursday into Friday, Gabrielle may bring up to 5 inches of rain across the central and western Azores.

Gabrielle was centered about 1,010 miles west of the Azores on Wednesday afternoon. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was traveling to the east at 28 mph.

Waves generated by Gabrielle will continue to affect Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward and the Atlantic coast of Canada, forecasters said. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are possible.

Tropical Storm Humberto was located 550 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the weather center said. Humberto is expected to affect the eastern coast of the U.S. within the next ﬁve days.

Students charged with pork-related hate crime

Two Syracuse University students are facing hate crime charges after allegedly tossing a bag of pork into a Jewish fraternity house during a Rosh Hashanah celebration.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Zeta Beta Tau house, where the fraternity brothers had gathered for the Jewish New Year

Zeta Beta Tau is a historically Jewish fraternity Jewish dietary law prohibits the consumption or touching of pork

Samuel Patten is accused of entering the house and throwing a clear plastic bag of meat, splattering the contents on a wall and the ﬂoor

He then ﬂed the house and got into a Jeep Wrangler driven by Kyle Anderson, police said They were captured soon after and charged with burglary as a hate crime and criminal nuisance.

Both suspects are 18 years old.

‘Very mean squirrel’ has sent 2 people to the ER

SAN FRANCISCO Residents of a San Francisco Bay Area city are on the lookout for an aggressive squirrel that has sent at least two people to the emergency room for medical treatment.

Joan Heblack told ABC afﬁliate KGO-TV that she was walking in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San Rafael when a squirrel seemingly came out of nowhere and attacked her leg, clawing and biting.

“It clamped onto my leg. The tail was flying up here. I was like, ‘Get it off me, get off me!’,” Heblack said. Isabel Campoy also said she was attacked while walking in the same area. The squirrel launched itself from the ground to her face and wound up on her arm, leaving it bloody, she said

DOJ scolded over Mangione posts

Officials could face sanctions for

BY LARRY NEUMEISTER and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK At least two senior Justice Department ofﬁcials likely broke court rules governing the conduct of prosecutors by reposting comments President Donald Trump made about Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating the CEO at UnitedHealthcare, a federal judge said Wednesday Judge Margaret M. Garnett said in an order that the ofﬁcials probably violated a local rule limiting what prosecutors can say publicly about the guilt or innocence of a defendant before a trial.

On Sept. 18, Trump went on Fox News and called Mangione “a pure assassin.” “He shot someone in the back as clear as you’re looking at me,” Trump said. “He shot him right in the middle of the back, instantly dead.”

A video clip of Trump’s remarks

was then posted on the social platform X by the White House, and then reposted by Chad Gilmartin, a Justice Department spokesperson, who added the comment, “@POTUS is absolutely right.” Gilmartin’s post, which was later deleted, was then reposted by Brian Nieves, an associate deputy attorney general. The judge asked the department to explain how the violations occurred and what steps are being taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again. “Future violations may result in sanctions, which could include personal financial penalties, contempt of court findings, or relief specific to the prosecution of this matter,” the judge wrote.

In an email, a Justice Department spokesperson said there would be no comment.

Earlier this month, defense lawyers for Mangione had asked that his federal charges be dismissed and the death penalty be taken off

the table as a result of public comments by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the fatal shooting of Thompson on Dec. 4 as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.

In the federal case, Mangione is charged with murder through use of a ﬁrearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty, as well as stalking and gun offenses.

Defense lawyers argued in a written submission to Garnett earlier this month that Justice Department ofﬁcials poisoned the case when Bondi declared prior to his April indictment that capital punishment is warranted for a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Bondi announced in April that she was directing Manhattan federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Mangione.

Drone fired from Yemen hits southern Israeli city

BY IBRAHIM HAZBOUN Associated Press

JERUSALEM A drone fired from Yemen struck the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, Israel’s military said. Medics said at least 22 people were wounded, two of them seriously It wasn’t immediately clear if they were hurt by the drone or an interceptor In the Gaza Strip, at least 19 Palestinians were killed by Israeli ﬁre, according to local hospitals.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have regularly ﬁred drones and missiles at Israel and attacked international shipping — in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The vast majority of the ﬁre directed at Israel has been intercepted or fallen in open areas without wounding anyone.

The Houthis claimed the latest attack, saying in a statement that they had ﬁred two drones at Israel.

Israel has carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Yemen after past attacks. Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a post on X, warned the Houthis that “anyone who harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold.”

The Israeli military said that “interception efforts were made.” The Magen David Adom rescue service said that the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, two of them with “severe shrapnel injuries to their limbs.”

In Gaza, an Israeli strike hit a group of Palestinians in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 12 of them, according to the Al-Awda Hospital. Another 18 people were wounded, it said. The Israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another four people two children and their parents — were killed in a strike on their home in Nuseirat, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah.

Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said that it received the bodies of three people killed by gunfire while seeking aid. Health officials in Gaza and the U.N. human rights office say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking humanitarian aid in recent months.

The military has said it only fires warning shots when people approach its forces in what it considers a threatening manner

Trump presents Gaza peace plan

BY DAVE GOLDINER New york Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump presented a new plan to end the war in Gaza and vowed to block Israel from annexing the West Bank in a meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders.

Trump’s proposal to win the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a permanent ceaseﬁre was greeted enthusiastically by Muslim allies at the meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “I view it as an important foundation upon which we can build further in the coming period to achieve peace,” Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the meet-

ing with Trump “fruitful,” without elaborating.

Trump assured the leaders that he would not allow Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, most of which is now governed by the Palestinian Authority, although it was not clear if he would forcefully object to annexation of parts of the territory

Arab allies warned Trump that annexation of the West Bank could cause them to scrap the Abraham Accords, a 2020 pact under which some conservative Arab nations normalized diplomatic ties with Israel. Despite Trump’s frequent remarks about the war in Gaza, the white paper marks the administration’s first formal policy plan for ending the war

It includes a seven-point plan calling for a perma-

nent ceaseﬁre along with release of all hostages, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Muslim and Palestinian security forces and a future government of the coastal enclave without Hamas but including the participation of the Palestinian Authority Axios reported.

The plan does not include any elements of Trump’s own much-hyped controversial plan for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza and rebuild it as a coastal luxe “Riviera of the Middle East,” while somehow forcing or convincing the Palestinian inhabitants to leave.

Arab leaders denounced the plan as a fig leaf for a campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at ousting all the Palestinians from Gaza, where they have lived since Israel’s independence in 1948.

His lawyers argued that Bondi’s statements and other official actions including a highly choreographed perp walk that saw Mangione led up a Manhattan pier by armed officers, and the Trump administration’s flouting of established death penalty procedures — “have violated Mr Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case.”

Defense lawyers sent Garnett a letter on Tuesday saying the government was continuing to prejudice their client’s right to a fair trial with the repostings on social media of Trump’s comments. They said Mangione was unjustly described by the White House press secretary as a “left wing assassin” and by another White House ofﬁcial as an “anti-facist” and had been referenced in a news release Monday when Trump designated a decentralized movement known as antifa as a terrorist organization.

BY ROB TORNOE The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

PHILADELPHIA New Jer-

sey PBS, the state’s only public television station, will shutter next year after suffering “very signiﬁcant” budget cuts implemented by the Trump administration, the company announced.

“We have been proud to serve the state of New Jersey with content that inspires, educates and informs,” WNET, which manages New Jersey PBS, said in a statement. New Jersey PBS will remain on the air through June 2026. NJ Globe’s David Wildstein was ﬁrst to report the news of NJ PBS shutting down.

New Jersey PBS was formed 14 years ago, after New Jersey lawmakers and former Gov Chris Christie shut down the New Jersey Network (NJN), a state-run public media company While several of NJN’s former radio stations were sold to WHYY in Philadelphia, WNET took

over management of NJ PBS in 2011. In addition to the federal cuts, New Jersey cut state funding of NJ PBS by 75% in its 2025 budget, from $1 million to just $250,000.

“This is a big loss for New Jersey, which suffered a dearth of TV news coverage well before the internet ravaged the industry,” wrote Politico’s Matt Friedman, who has covered state politics since 2007.

New Jersey PBS is down to about 27 employees following a round of layoffs last month that cost about 11 staffers their jobs. At the time, the station said they “remain committed to providing New Jersey with news and content.” NJ PBS’s closure comes on the heels of Penn State’s decision to shutter WPSU, the university’s NPR and PBS afﬁliate. WPSU’s closure will reduce the number of public television stations in Pennsylvania down to six, including WQED in Pittsburgh, the home of “Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip as they walk carrying their belongings along the coastal road near Wadi Gaza on Wednesday.

Chinaannounces newclimate goal to cutemissions

BY SETH BORENSTEIN and MELINA WALLING Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS With China lead-

ing the way by announcing its ﬁrst emission cuts, world leaders said Wednesday they are getting more serious about fighting climate change andthe deadly extreme weather that comes with it

At the United Nations high-level climate summit, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced the world’s largest carbon-polluting country would aim to cut emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035.China spews more than 31% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and they have long been soaring.

The announcement came as more than 100 world leaders gathered to talk of increased urgency and the need for stronger efforts to curb the spewing of heat-trap-

BY EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS

Ukrainian

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toldglobal leaders Wednesday that theworld is in “the most destructive arms race in human history” and urged theinternational community to act against Russia now,asserting that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe.

In ableak view of today’s world, he told the annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly that weak international institutions including the United Nations haven’tbeen able to stop wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere, and international law can’t help nations survive.

“Weapons decide who survives,” the Ukrainian leader said. “There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons.” Zelenskyy spoke from the podium of the vast assembly chamberaday after he met with President Donald Trump, who expressed sup-

ping gases. With majorinternational climate negotiations in Brazil 61/2 weeks away,the United NationsSecretary-General Antonio Guterres convened aspecial leaderssummit Wednesday during the General Assembly to focus on specificplans to curb emissions from coal, oil and natural gas. In avideo address, Xi pledged that Chinawould increase its wind andsolar power sixfold from 2020 levels, make pollution-free vehiclesmainstream and“basically establish aclimate adaptive society.” Europe then followed with aless detailed and not quite official new climate change fighting plan. Ursula von der Leyen, president of theEuropeanCommission, said theirinfrastructure andinvestment in renewable energy and the priceofcarbonhad all increased, and their emissions aredownnear-

ly 40% since 1940. Lastweek, member states agreed that their nationally determined contribution would range between 66% and72%,and that they would formally submit their plan beforethe November negotiations, she said.

Xi andBrazil’sleader alsotook thinly veiledswipesonWednesday afternoon at U.S.President Donald Trump’sattacksaday earlier on renewable energy and the concept of climatechange. “While some country is acting against it, the internationalcommunity should stay focused on theright direction,” Xi said. Guterressaid, “the sciencedemands action. Thelaw commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it.”

MarshallIslands President Hilda Heine saidshe was there to issue “a demand for us alltowakeup

port for Ukraine’sefforts and criticizedRussia.Trump said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shiftfrom the U.S. leader’srepeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the warsparked by President VladimirPutin’s February 2022 invasion.

Zelenskyy did not comment onthe surprise U.S. pivot,saying only that he

had “a good meeting” with Trumpand withmany other “strong leaders.”

“Together,wecan change alot,” he said, expressing appreciation for support from the United States. and Europe andurging allU.N. member nations to condemn Russia while it “keeps dragging this war on.”

If Putin isn’tstopped now, theUkrainian president warned theassemblythat

Some leadersatU.N.condemn‘sick expression of joy’ to Kirk’s killing

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

The reaction over Charlie Kirk’sassassinationtouched yet another constituency this week: the collection of world leaders gatheredat theUnited Nations.

Twoweeks after Kirk was shot and killed in Utah, several of the world leaders gathered at for the U.N. General Assembly this week referenced the conservative activist’sslaying —and some of the divisive outpouring of reaction to it —as evidence of deeper ﬁssures in global society

Decrying the “sick expression of joy for the crime committed against an innocent person,” Serbian President Alexsandar Vucic told assembled leaders on Wednesday that reaction to

Kirk’s deathrepresents “the best conﬁrmation of that.”

Social media lit up in the days after Kirk’sSept. 10 death with peoplemourning hisloss— some of whom said they disagreed with Kirk’s ideological stances but supported his right to voicethem—aswell as those celebrating it It set off anational discussion about freedom of speech.Commentsled to the ﬁrings ofnumerous people, frompoliticalanalysts and opinion writers to school employees. Several conservative activists sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed asoffensive orcelebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers.

On Wednesday,Vucic said reaction to the conservative activist’sassassinationwas

demarcated “less by ideological butmuchmore by emotional hatedriven differences.”

“He was savagely assassinatedjustbecausehis killer didnot like hisideas,”Vucic said of Kirk, suggesting that some of thereaction in the slaying’saftermath caused yet more damage in terms of thedivisionitsowed.“He was shoteven after deathby thesame ones who had preparedpolitical andmedia grounds forhis assassination.”

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña also mentioned Kirk in hisspeechWednesday,saying in Spanishthat he was “shaken, saddened, and distressed” by Kirk’s killingand arguing that the “macabreresponsemust awaken us fromour sleepy stateofcomplacency.”

from acommunity whose hospitals and schools arebeing destroyed” by rising tides. Shesaidshe has regularly been awakened by ﬂoods anddrought emergenciesinher smallisland nationand that it will soon be others’ turn.

Anthony Albanese, primeminister of Australia, called this adecisive decadefor climate action and said Australians know the tollof more frequent andextreme weather events likecyclones,floods, bush ﬁresand droughts. “Australia knows we are not alone,” he said.

“Warming appears to be accelerating,” climate scientist Johan Rockstrom said in ascience briefing that started the summit. “Here we must admit failure. Failure to protect peoples andnations from unmanageable impactsofhumaninduced climate change.”

Under the 2015 Paris climate accord, 195 nations are supposed to submit newmorestringent ﬁveyearplans on howtocurb carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and naturalgas. Technically the deadline wasinFebruary andabout 50 nations —responsible forone-quarter of the world’scarbon emissions —have ﬁled theirs.

Former U.S. President Joe Bidensubmitted America’splan late last year before leaving ofﬁce and the Trumpadministration has distanced itself from the plan.

“We’redangerously close to triggering fundamental and irreversible change,” Rockstrom said. TexasTech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoetoldleaders that everytenth of adegreeof warmingisconnectedtoworsening ﬂoods, wildﬁres, heat waves, stormsand manymore deaths: “What’satstake is nothing less than everything and everyone we love.”

he will keep driving the war forward, “wider anddeeper.”

“Ukraine is only the ﬁrst, and nowRussian drones are alreadyflying across Europe, and Russianoperations arealready spreading across countries,” he said.

Zelenskyy saidneighboring Moldova is defending itself again from Russian interference andshould not be allowed to move toward dependencyonRussia as Georgia andBelarusare.

“Europe cannotafford to loseMoldova, too,” he said, stressing that thecountry needs funding and energy support, not just “political gestures.”

Zelenskyy saidweapons and especially drones “are evolving faster thanour ability to defend ourselves.”

While drones previously wereusedbymajor countries, he said, “Now,there aretens of thousands of people who know how to professionally kill using drones.”

Recently,European airportshad to shut down because of drones,Zelenskyy said, andlast week North

Korea announced the test of “a tactical drone” which meansevencountries with limited resources can build dangerous weapons.

“Weare now living through the mostdestructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,”hesaid. “Companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones, and it’sonly a matter of time —not much —before drones are ﬁghting drones, attacking critical infrastructure andattacking people all by themselves fully autonomous and no human involved except the few whocontrol AI system.”

Zelenskyyechoed U.N.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in calling forglobal rules on how AI can be used in weapons, stressing that “this is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.”

Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port andairport and every ship from drone attacks, and having to build

undergroundschools and health centers as Ukraine has been forced to do to protect its citizens, he said. “Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the ﬁrst to create asimple drone carrying anuclear warhead.”

“So we must use everything we have togetherto force the aggressor to stop, and only then do we have a real chance that this arms race will not end in catastrophe forall of us,” the Ukrainian leader said.

The Ukrainianleader said his country doesn’thave “big fatmissilesdictators love to show off in parades” but it is producing drones that can fly 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers which have been used against Russia. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is building anew security architecture, and morethan 30 countries are part of its coalition, and“we have decided to open up for arms exports —and these are powerful systems tested in areal warwhen every international institution failed.”

PHOTO By RICHARD DREW

PROVIDED PHOTO

TanyaSt. Julien,dean of STEM, transportation and energyatSouth LouisianaCommunityCollege, attends The Acadiana Advocate’s Acadiana’s Choice awards reception TuesdayatAcadiana Center for the Arts.

SHOOTING

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previouslysaid twodetainees were killed and onewas wounded beforelater issuing acorrection

No ICEagentswereinjured At anews conferencemidday, authorities gave fewdetails about the shooting and did not release the names of the victims

TheFBI said it wasinvestigating the shooting as “an act of targeted violence.”

ficers responded to acall to assist an officer on North Stemmons Freeway around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday and determined that someone opened fire at agovernment building from an adjacent building, Dallas police spokesperson Officer Jonathen E. Maner said in an email.

Edwin Cardona, an immigrant from Venezuela, said he was entering the ICE building with his son for an appointmentaround 6:20 a.m. when he heard gunshots. An agent took people who were inside to amore secure area and explained that there was an active shooter,Cardona said.

“I was afraid for my family be-

BOUNTY

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person is convicted of acrime. Defendants who can’tafford bail may hire alicensedbail bond agent, who covers the total amount in exchange for a12% fee. If the defendantmeets all court requirements, the court repays the bondsman, who keeps the fee and any possible interest as proﬁt. If adefendant violates court terms, bondsmen canemploy bountyhunters, formally known as fugitive recovery agents,toreturn them to custodyand reclaimthe bail money.Some contracts permit bondsmen to enterhomes without notice,accordingtothe national nonprofit the Bail Project. Bond agents in Louisianahavefaced scrutiny for requiring defendants to wear ankle monitors. State law requires that bounty hunters wear “identifying clothing” and notify local police before conducting operations. No other

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The LSED,known as theSuperdome Commission, wanted to authorize Chair Robert Vosbein to sign so that another board meeting won’thave to be convened before the next scheduled one in October, at which the full seven-member board would be expectedtoratify the new stadium lease deal.

The vote Wednesday wasunanimous from thesix commissioners in attendance.

“Weare getting very close andI thinkthe deal will be reached very soon,” Vosbein said at Wednesday’s meeting.Hesaidthe boardvote

WINNERS

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outstanding local establishments and professionals in more than 200 categories,frombowling to burgers to best place to have ababy.There were morethan2,500 nominations.

Over the summer,the community had the opportunity to vote on those nominations, andthe results were celebrated Tuesday evening.

“Ourteam is so excited aboutcelebrating theincredible businesses and institutions we have in our community,” said Kevin Hall, president and publisher of TheAdvocate, which has news and sales operations in Lafayette, BatonRouge, New Orleans,LakeCharles andShreveport.

“Asthe largest Louisiana-owned media company, part of our missionistoshine alight on the thriving business community in Acadiana. Now they gettobe featured in front of thestate’slargest audience.”

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

cause my family was outside.I felt terrible because Ithought something could happen to them. Thank God, no,” Cardonasaid.

Cardonasaid his family was brought into thebuilding,and they were later reunited.

The ICE facility is along Interstate35, just southwestofDallas Love Field,a large commercial airport serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and blocks from hotels catering to travelers.

Hours after Wednesday’sshooting, FBI agents were gathered at a suburban Dallashomethatpublic records linked to Jahn.

The housesits on atree-lined cul-de-sac in aneighborhood dotted with one and two-story brick homes. Thestreet was blocked by aFairview police vehicle, but ofﬁcialswearing FBIjackets could be seen in the frontyard.

Aspokesperson forTexas-based Collin College said in an email to AP thatastudent named Joshua Jahnhad studied there“at various times” between 2013 and 2018.

Martyna Kowalczyk, chief executive ofﬁcer of Texas-based Solartime USA, said in an emailed statement that Jahnhad brieﬂyworked for her company“many years ago and worked for us for less than a

formal protocols exist.

In July, shortly after 1:30 a.m., Green, Larkins and Garrettarrived at Alight Baton Rouge,a complex on West McKinley Street that caters to LSUstudents. According to their arrest warrants, they werearmed andinsearch of a defendantwho had skippeda court appearance but didnot notify local law enforcement of theraid.

After kicking down all the locked doorsinthe apartment and ﬁnding ayoungwoman hiding in her bathroom, they realized they had the wrong address, accordingto records.

“She’sscared to death,” said BatonRougeDistrict AttorneyHillar Moore, referring to the tenant.

“This could have been extremely badand tragic, depending on how the victim in this case reacted.”

The Louisiana Department of Insurance, whichoversees bail bond producer licenses, issued cease-and-desist letters to the men last month,warning them to stop conducting raids withoutnotifying law enforcement. But an Insur-

would givehim thelegal authority to signthe dealwhen it is reached, thoughitwould still require avote of the full seven-member Superdome Commissiontoberatiﬁed.

The deal on Benson Tower, where tenants arealmost entirely stateagencies, is with the state of Louisiana andhas to be approved by Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration.

Saints spokesperson Greg Bensel on Wednesday pointed to an earlier statement that said the organization was “fully committed” to along-term partnership with thestate so that theteam can be successful

The lengthy back-and-forth betweenthe state and the Saints appears to benearing resolution

few months.”

Jahn alsodrove cross-country from Texasinlate2017 to work a minimum-wagejob harvesting marijuanafor several months, recalled RyanSanderson, owner of alegal cannabis farm in Washington state.

“He’sa young kid, athousand miles from home,didn’treally seem to haveany direction,living out of his car at such ayoung age,” Sanderson toldAP. “I don’trememberhim being that abnormal. He didn’tseem to ﬁght with anyone or cause trouble. He kept his head down and stayed working.”

Sandersonsaid he tried to keep Jahnlongerbecause he “felt bad for him.”

Shortly after the shooting and before ofﬁcials saidatleast one victimwas adetainee, Vice President JD Vance posted on Xthat “the obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, muststop.”

Republican U.S. Sen. TedCruz from Texas continued in that direction, calling for an end to political violence.

“Toevery politicianwho is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CPB: stop,”Cruz told reporters, referencing Customs and Border Protection

The Rev.Ashley Anne Sipe, who

ance Departmentspokesperson conﬁrmed they stillhold licenses that allow themtocontinue bounty hunting.

“This is an ongoing investigation, andweare working with theDistrictAttorney’sOfﬁce to obtainadditional evidence as this case makes its way through thelegal process,” wroteJohn Ford, aspokesperson for the Insurance Department,in an email. “Wewill determinewhat further regulatoryaction is warranted after afull review of the evidence in this matter.”

Baton Rouge criminal defense attorney FranzBorghardt called thelack of stricter oversight troubling. “Theoretically,they can still bounty hunt,” he said.“When we start allowing individuals to pursue andseize human beings, we not only need to have strict policies, but enforce those policies.”

Both bail bondsmen andbounty hunters arelicensed as bond producers, acategory that includes more than 1,000 people across Louisiana —astate that consistently ranks at thetop of thenation in

Negotiators on both sides saythey have cleared most of themajor hurdles andnow expect to sign a deal within days.

Theremaining disagreements trace back to a2009 arrangement struck by then-Gov.Bobby Jindal’s administration and Superdome CommissionChair Ron Forman with late owner TomBenson —a deal Forbesonce described as “the mostcomplex —and lucrative stadium leaseagreement in the NFL.” That package gave the Saints wide-ranging revenue streams, including a$5million bonus when theDome hosted aSuper Bowl, 42% of gameday concessions, a cut of non-football events, naming rights,parkingrevenuesand rent

prays outside the Dallas ICEfacility every Monday,calledthe shooting heartbreaking.

“Violence doesn’theal anything,”

Sipe, apastorinLewisville near Dallas, told AP

Sipe and other local faith leaderswho have decried deportationshold weekly vigils and serve as “moral witnesses.” They pray andobservefor about three hours, watching as immigrants enter the building to meet with advisers and to report forcheck-ins.

Sipe said shehas noticed in recent months that people whowalk into the building are shuttled away on buses.

“They’re taking them away,and we don’tknow where they’re taking them,” Sipe said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted arecent uptick in targeting of ICEagents.

Attackersdressed in black military-style clothing opened fire July 4outside Prairieland DetentionCenter in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, federalprosecutors said. One police ofﬁcer wasinjured.At least 11 people have been charged in connection with the attack.

Days later, aman with an assault riﬂe ﬁreddozens of rounds at federal agents leavinga U.S. Border

pretrial detention rates.

“It’s avery powerful lobby that has alot of inﬂuence in the Louisiana Legislature,” said Borghardt, speakingabout thebroader bail bond industry To qualify for alicense, applicants must complete athreemonthapprenticeship; take an eight-hour course on law, underwriting and ethics; and pass an exam. Convicted sex offenders are barred fromlicensure,but convictedfelonsare not.Garrett, despite his criminalrecord, was issued his license in October 2023. Borghardt says there should be more than asimple licensing process foroverseeingbounty hunters.

“It’savery unregulated industry.…It’sripewith corruption,” he said, noting he has seen cases where bounty hunters arrive to make an arrest but instead demand bribes after the defendant agrees to surrender voluntarily Green, who was ﬁredfromthe Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce in 2018 due to his connections

from Champions Square. It also obligated thestate to leaseofﬁce space in Benson Tower,aprovision thathas long been contentious.

Auditors over the years have criticizedthe state for paying above market rates at the tower

The Saints counter that when parking, upgrades and operating expenses are included, the effective rate is in line with the market.

Saints spokesperson Greg Benselhas characterized the real estate deals as “the ﬁnancial backbone” of theoverall stadium deal that makes the Saints viable in one of the smallest of the NFL’s32 markets.

Thoseside deals remain the most sensitive pieces of the puzzle, but negotiators now say solutions are

Patrol facility in McAllen on July 7. Theman,identiﬁed as Ryan Louis Mosqueda,injured apoliceofﬁcer who responded to the scene before authorities shot and killed him.

In suburban Chicago, federal authorities erected afence around an immigration processing center after tensions ﬂared with protesters. President Donald Trump’sadministration hassteppedupimmigration enforcement in the Chicago area, resulting in hundreds of arrests. Ahead of the latest immigration operation, federal ofﬁcialsboarded up windowsatthe center

Sixteen people have been arrested outside the center,according to federal authorities whocharacterized the activists as “rioters.” Security at ICEofﬁces varies by location, with some inside federal buildings and others mixed with privatebusinesses,said JohnTorres, aformer acting director of the agency and former head of what is now called its enforcement and removals division.

Some, like Dallas, have exposed loading areas forbuses, which pose risks for escape and outside attack, Torres said. Other vulnerabilitiesare nearby vantage points forsnipers and long lines forming outside without protection.

to the far-right group Proud Boys, appeared to be recruiting potential apprentices on Facebook before hisarrest. In October,heposted, “Hey! Anybody interested in getting started in acareer in Fugitive Recovery (Bounty Hunting)? Drop me aline for the info!” In May, wrote he wasseeking people interested in “getting into the exciting world” of fugitive recovery Meanwhile, Garrett liked to post about bounty hunting on social media, including TikTok videos of him wearingfugitiverecovery gear liketactical vests. In onecaption, he wrote, “Real Mandalorian.” Green, Larkins andGarrett are set to ﬁrst appear in court in October

“There is alegitimate reason to have these folks,” Moore said, referring to bounty hunters. “But obviously they have to be trained and held accountablefor actions just likeany other lawenforcementofﬁcer would be.”

Email Aidan McCahill ataidan. mccahill@theadvocate.com.

on the table. Vosbein has authority to sign thelease once the ﬁnaldetails are ironed out, andboth the state and the team say they are determined to get there quickly

The urgency is heightened by looming NFLdeadlines.Without a signed deal, New Orleans risks losing itsshottohostthe 2031 Super Bowl, which could delay the city’s next chance until 2038.

Saints ofﬁcials say owner Gayle Benson could appeal directly to Commissioner RogerGoodell if the deal comes together soon. Staff writers Jeff Duncan and Tyler Bridges contributed to this report.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Ateam from the award-winning Rusted Renegadeattended the Acadiana’s Choice awards reception TuesdayatAcadiana Center for the Arts.

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1Carencro Middle School,4301 N. University Ave., Carencro, La.

2Carencro Middle School,4301 N. University Ave., Carencro, La.

3Carencro Middle School,4301 N. University Ave., Carencro, La.

4Carencro Middle School,4301 N. University Ave., Carencro, La.

5Carencro Bob Lilly ElementarySchool,601 T-Ma Rd., Carencro, La.

6Carencro Bob Lilly ElementarySchool,601 T-Ma Rd., Carencro, La.

7Carencro Bob Lilly ElementarySchool,601 T-Ma Rd., Carencro, La.

8Ossun Elementary School, 400 Rue Scholastique, Lafayette, La.

9Live Oak Elementary School, 3020 N. University Ave., Lafayette, La.

10 J. Wallace James School, 1500 W. WillowSt., Lafayette, La.

11 AcadianMiddle School, 4201 Moss St., Lafayette, La.

12 Evangeline Elementary School, 610 E. Butcher Switch Rd, Lafayette, La.

13 Acadian Middle School, 4201 Moss St., Lafayette, La.

14 Northside High School, 301 Dunand St., Lafayette, La.

15 Northside High School, 301 Dunand St., Lafayette, La.

16 Northside High School, 301 Dunand St., Lafayette, La.

17 Alice Boucher School, 400 Patterson St., Lafayette, La.

18 Alice Boucher School, 400 Patterson St., Lafayette, La.

19 Martin Luther King Recreation Center,309 Cora St, Lafayette, La

20 Northside High School, 301 Dunand St., Lafayette, La.

21 J.W.Faulk ElementarySchool, 711 E. Willow St., Lafayette, La.

22 Martin Luther King Recreation Center,309 Cora St, Lafayette, La.

23 Martin Luther King Recreation Center,309 Cora St, Lafayette, La.

24 J. Wallace James School, 1500 W. WillowSt., Lafayette, La.

25 Scott City Hall, 125 Lions Club Rd., Scott, La.

26 Scott City Hall, 125 Lions Club Rd., Scott, La.

27 Duson Community Center,310 Avenue Au Nord Duson, La.

28 Duson Elementary School, 301 Fourth St., Duson, La.

29 Scott Middle School, 116 Marie St., Scott, La.

30 Scott Middle School, 116 Marie St., Scott, La.

31 Acadiana High School, 315 Rue De Belier,Lafayette, La.

32 Acadiana High School, 315 Rue De Belier,Lafayette, La.

33 Prairie Elementary School, 1101 Rue De Belier., Lafayette, La.

34 Ridge ElementarySchool, 2901 S. Fieldspan Rd., Duson, La.

35 Judice Middle School, 2645 S. Fieldspan Rd., Duson, La.

36 Ridge ElementarySchool, 2901 S. Fieldspan Rd., Duson, La.

37 Judice Middle School, 2645 S. Fieldspan Rd., Duson, La.

38 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

39 Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE), 537 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette,La.

40 Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE), 537 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette,La.

41 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

42 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

43 Prairie Elementary School, 1101 Rue De Belier,Lafayette, La.

44 Prairie Elementary School, 1101 Rue De Belier Lafayette, La.

45 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

46 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

47 Lafayette High School, 3000 W. Congress St., Lafayette, La.

48 Lafayette Consolidated Government Building, 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La

49 Myrtle Place Elementary School, 1100 Myrtle Place Blvd.,Lafayette, La.

50 CarencroBob Lilly Elementary School, 601 T-Ma Rd., Carencro, La.

51 Martin Luther King Recreation Center,309 Cora St, Lafayette, La

52 Dr.Raphael A. Baranco Elem. School, 801 Mudd Ave.,Lafayette, La.

53 Dr.Raphael A. Baranco Elem. School, 801 Mudd Ave., Lafayette, La.

54 Domingue Recreation Center,901 Mudd Ave., Lafayette, La.

55 J.W.Faulk Elementary School,711 E. Willow St., Lafayette, La.

56 Domingue Recreation Center,901 Mudd Ave., Lafayette, La.

57 Domingue Recreation Center,901 Mudd Ave., Lafayette, La.

58 LeRosen Preparatory School, 516 E. Pinhook Rd., Lafayette, La.

59 Heymann Recreation Center,1500 S. Orange St., Lafayette, La.

60 Heymann Recreation Center,1500 S. Orange St., Lafayette, La.

61 LeRosen Preparatory School, 516 E. Pinhook Rd., Lafayette, La.

63 Northside High School, 301 Dunand St., Lafayette, La.

64 CarencroHigh School, 721 W. Butcher Switch Rd., Lafayette, La.

65 Department of Veterans Affairs, 2100 Jefferson St., Lafayette, La.

66 Lafayette Consolidated Government Building, 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La

67 Edgar Martin Middle School, 401 Broadmoor Blvd., Lafayette, La.

68 Lafayette Consolidated Government Building, 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

Pursuant to theprovi‐sionsofa resolution adoptedbythe Lafayette Parish Council(the"Gov‐erning Authority"), act‐ingasthe governingau‐thorityofthe Parish of Lafayette,State of Louisiana(the"Parish") on August 5, 2025, NO‐TICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that aspecial election will be held within the Parish on SATURDAY,NO‐VEMBER 15, 2025, and that at thesaidelection there will be submitted to allregisteredvotersin theParishqualiﬁed and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution andLawsof theState of Louisiana andthe Constitution of theUnitedStates, thefol‐lowing propositions,towit: PROPOSITIONNO. 1OF2 (MILLAGE CONTINUA‐TION) Shallthe Parish of Lafayette,State of Louisiana(the"Parish") continue to levy aspecial taxof4.47mills on all propertysubject to taxa‐tion in theParish(an es‐timated$12,743,000 rea‐sonablyexpectedatthis time to be collectedfrom thelevyofthe taxfor an entire year), fora period of 10 years, beginning with theyear2027 and ending with theyear 2036, forthe purposeof constructing,improving andmaintaining roads andbridges in theParish, said millagetobecontin‐uedatthe rate currently beinglevied, represent‐inga 0.30 mill increase (due to reappraisal) over the4.17mills authorized to be levied throughthe year 2026 pursuant to an election held on March 28, 2015?

PROPOSITIONNO. 2OF2 (MILLAGE CONTINUATION ANDREDEDICATION) Shallthe Parish of Lafayette,State of Louisiana(the"Parish")

continue to levy aspecial taxof3.81mills(the "Tax") onall property subjecttotaxationinthe Parish,for aperiodof10 years, beginningwiththe year 2026 andending with theyear2035 (an estimated$10,861,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from thelevyofthe Tax foranentireyear),and shallthe proceedsofthe Taxheretoforeorhere‐afterreceivedbeused forthe purposes of con‐structing, acquiring, im‐proving, maintaining, op‐erating, andsupporting public facilities andpro‐gramsinthe Parish as follows: (i)1.24mills for drainage;(ii)0.422 mills forproviding ﬁre protec‐tion andall costsafﬁli‐ated thereto; (iii)0.078 millsfor roadsand bridges; and(iv)2.07 millsfor public health units,mosquitoand otherarthropod abate‐ment andcontrol,animal control, drainage,and paying mandated ex‐penses of thecoroner said millagetobecontin‐uedatthe rate currently beinglevied, represent‐inga 0.25 mill increase (due to reappraisal) over the3.56millstax autho‐rizedtobelevied throughthe year 2025 pursuant to an election held on March28,

69 Lafayette Elementary School, 1301 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La

70 Lafayette Elementary School, 1301 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La

71 Duson Elementary School, 301 Fourth St., Duson, La

72 University Student Union Building, 620 McKinleySt, Lafayette, La

73 Department of VeteransAffairs, 2100 JeffersonSt.,Lafayette,La..

74 Lafayette Consolidated Government Building, 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette, La

75 Lafayette Economic Development Authority,211 E. Devalcourt St., Lafayette, La

76 Lafayette Economic Development Authority,211 E. Devalcourt St., Lafayette, La

Woodvale Elementary School, 100 Leon Dr

ParkRecreation Center, 300 GeraldineSt.,Lafayette,La.

83 Broadmoor Elementary School, 609 Broadmoor Blvd., Lafayette, La

Broadmoor Elementary School, 609 Broadmoor Blvd., Lafayette, La

85 Edgar Martin Middle School, 401 Broadmoor Blvd., Lafayette, La

86 SouthRegional Library,6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, La

87 Corporal Michael Middlebrook Elementary School -Cafeteria, 1801 Kaliste Saloom Rd., Lafayette, La.

88 Corporal Michael Middlebrook Elementary School, 1801 Kaliste Saloom Rd., Lafayette, La

Corporal Michael Middlebrook Elementary School, 1801 Kaliste Saloom Rd., Lafayette, La

90 Department of VeteransAffairs, 2100 JeffersonSt.,Lafayette,La..

91 Allen Comeaux Recreation Center, 411 WBluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La

92 Allen Comeaux Recreation Center, 411 WBluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La.

93 Comeaux HighSchool, 100 W. BluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La.

94 Comeaux HighSchool, 100 W. BluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La.

95 Comeaux HighSchool, 100 W. BluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La.

96 Allen Comeaux Recreation Center, 411 WBluebirdDr.,Lafayette,La

97 BroussardMiddle School, 1325 S. MorganAve., Broussard,La

BroussardMiddle School, 1325 S. MorganAve., Broussard,La 99 Katharine Drexel Elementary School, 409 St. De Porres Street,Broussard,La.

100 Katharine Drexel Elementary School, 409 St. De Porres Street,Broussard,La.

101 MartialBilleaud Elementary School, 500 E. FairfieldDr.,Broussard,La.

102 Southside HighSchool, 312 Almonaster Rd., Youngsville,La.

103 Green TLindon Elementary School, 603 AveB,Youngsville,La.

Gallet Elementary School, 2901 E. Milton Ave., Youngsville,La.

School, 222 W. Milton Ave., Milton, La

Youngsville Middle School, 600 Church St., Youngsville,La.

Gallet Elementary School, 2901 E. Milton Ave., Youngsville,La.

School -Gym, 222 W. Milton Ave., Milton, La

School, 1325 S. MorganAve.,

BY DAVID BAUDER AP media writer

NEWYORK Jimmy Kimmel is back on his ABC late-night show,but it’s stilla mystery when —orif— viewers in cities such as Washington, New Orleans and St. Louis will be able to see himagain on their televisions.

ABC stations owned by theNexstar andSinclair corporations took Kimmel off the air last week on the same day the network suspendedhim for comments that angeredsupporters of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Those stations kepthim off the air Tuesday,when ABC lifted the suspension. Kimmel returned with no apologies, but in an emotionalmonologue where he appeared close to tears,the host said that he was nottrying to joke about the assassination. He also paid tribute to Kirk’swidow And it got alarge audience, with ABC reporting nearly 6.3 million people tuned in to the broadcast alone, despite the blackouts in many cities. As is often the case with late-night hosts’ monologues, there wasa larger audience online, withmore than 15 million people watching Kimmel’sopening remarks on YouTube by Wednesday evening. ABC says more than 26 million people watched Kimmel’sreturn on social media, including YouTube. Typically,hegets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television.The numbers released by ABC do not include viewership from streaming services.

Aspokesman for Nexstar said Wednesday that Kimmel will continue to be preempted from its stations while the company evaluates his show.Together,the Nexstar and Sinclair groups account for about a quarterofABC’safﬁliates.

Thedispute focused attentionon the business relationships between television networks and thelocal stations that carrytheir programming In the past, local stations occasionally

BY BRENDAN RASCIUS

balkedatairing anetwork show, but it was usually an individual market or twoworried aboutpushing boundariesinlanguageorsexual content, said TedHarbert, aformer top executive at ABC and CBS.

What’sdifferent this time is groups that have gobbled up multiple stations acting collectively on content for largely political reasons.

“This is howmuchthe country’s political divisions have seeped their way into something that has been, for the last 50 or 75 years, arelatively orderly business,”Harbert said.

Leadership of ownershipgroupsis generally more conservative than the media and entertainment ﬁgureson thestationsthey broadcast,said Ken Basin, author of “The Business of Television.” Both Sinclair,with conservative political content,and Nexstar have reason to curry favor with the Trump administration, he said. Nexstar isseeking regulatory approvalfor the purchaseofa rival, he said.

It’s possible that Disney could play hardball if negotiations on Kimmel’s return drag on, such as threatening to withhold other ABC programming even the “nuclearoption” of football games. Itsunclear how theafﬁliate agreements are worded. But Matt Dolgin, seniorequity ana-

Kimmel’s return gets bigratings

lyst at Morningstar Research Service, said he doubts the dispute reachesthat point. Thestation groups havea far less diversiﬁed business portfolio than Disney,and the expiration of afﬁliate agreementsnext yearlooms as adeadline, he said. They have few good options if theyloseABC programming.

Lastweek, Kimmel seemed to be in real danger of losing his showentirely until advocates forfreespeech protested, including many whocanceled subscriptions for Disney services.

“The backlashwas stronger than theyexpected, strongerthan Iexpected,” Basin said. “There was asenseof despair within the industry thatthis was a‘canary in acoal mine’ moment.”

Four Democratic senators saidlate Tuesdaythat they wanted to look into what happened with thestation groups.

“IfNexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of acritic of theadministration for ofﬁcial actsbythe Trump administration, your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech but also risk running afoul of anti-corruption law,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden and Chris VanHollen wrote to the companies.

On Wednesday, another group of senators led by California Democrat Adam Schiff said they wanted to question FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about “implicit threats” madeto Disney over Kimmel.

In his monologue Tuesday,Kimmel triedtothread the needle between both sides in araw political moment, and seemed to realize its difﬁculty.

“I don’tthink what I’mgoing to say is going to make much of adifference,” he said. “If you like me,you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. Ihave no illusions about changing anyone’smind.”

AndrewKolvet,a spokesperson for Turning Point USA,the organization that Kirk foundedthatisnow headed by his widow,postedonX that Kimmel’smonologue was “notgood enough.”

Firstlawsuit filed in D.C.plane crash

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportationwriter

The family of one of the 67 people killed when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., sued the government and the airlinesinvolved on Wednesday,saying they didn’trecognizethe warning signs after morethan 30 documentednear missesin the area.

Other families are expected to join this ﬁrst lawsuit seeking to hold the Federal Aviation Administration,the Army, American Airlines andits regionalpartner, PSA Airlines, accountable for the deadliest U.S. plane crash since2001. PSA Airlines operated Flight 5342 that crashed Jan. 29. The lawsuit saysthey“utterlyfailedin theirresponsibilitiestothe traveling public.”

TheArmydeclined to discuss the details of the lawsuit, while American and PSAsaidthey would ﬁght any allegationthattheycausedor contributed to thecollision.

“Flight 5342 was on aroutine approach to DCA (RonaldReaganWashington National Airport) when the Armyhelicopter —that was above the published helicopter route altitude —collided withit,” theairlinessaid in astatement. “American has astrong track record of putting thesafety of our customers and team members above everything else.”

The FAAsaid it “acted decisively” to improve safety by further restricting helicopter flightsaround Reagan. Air trafﬁccontrollers also stoppedrelying on pilots to maintain visual separation with other aircraft within 5miles of the airport.

The lawsuit was filed by Rachael Crafton, the widow of CaseyCrafton,who was killedinthe collision. Her lawyers represent most of the victims’ families.

TheNationalTransportation SafetyBoard haslisted manyissues thatmay have contributed to thecrash,although its ﬁnalreportwon’t

be ready until next year

The Black Hawk helicopter was flying above the 200-foot limit, but even if it hadbeenatthe correctaltitude, the route it was flying provided ascant 75 feet of separation between helicopters and planes landing at Reagan airport’ssecondary runway.The helicopter’s flight data recorder indicated it was flying 80 feet to 100 feet higherthan its altimeter showed before the two aircraft collided.

The NTSB also said the FAAfailedtorecognize an alarming patternofclose calls near theairport in the years before the crash, and ignored concerns about helicopter trafﬁcits owncontrollers raised years earlier Investigators also said overworked controllers were regularly squeezing as many planes as possible into the landing pattern with minimal separation.Acknowledging these and anumber of other factors could have prevented the collision.

The lawsuit says the airlines failed in their dutyto protect their passengers because the pilots had not been adequatelytrainedtohandle close-ﬂying helicopters and the airline didn’teffectively mitigate the risks.

“There is clear evidence thatthere weredozens of near misses andthousands of reports of congestion between commercial aircraft and military aircraft at Reagan National that were being ignored by the airlines,” said lawyer BobClifford, whois representing the families.

The lawsuit says the PSA pilots, whoreceived an alert about trafﬁcinthe area 19 seconds before the crash, should not have waited until the last second to pull up. The lawsuit says the pilots’ warning systemshowed the relative direction and altitude of the helicopter

The pilots would also have heardcontrollers warn the helicopter that an aircraft wasclose,although controllers didn’twarn the PSA pilots directly

Man gets 20 years in fatal shooting

Teen was killed in 2021 while sitting in car

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A Lafayette man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison in connection with the death of a 16-year-old Northside High School student who was shot while sitting in a car with other girls on July 11, 2021. Roytravian Simpson, 20, was indicted in 2022 along with his younger brother for second-degree murder in the death of Ja’Nya Hebert.

A Northside High School junior and competitive dancer who wanted to attend Grambling and join their dance team, Hebert was shot in the back while sitting in a vehicle in the 200 block of Harrington Drive in a car full of other girls. Simpson recently struck a deal in which he pleaded guilty to a

lesser charge of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder He also pleaded guilty to two previous charges of armed robbery Assistant District Attorney Lance Beal said ballistics tests indicated Simpson did not ﬁre the fatal shot. In the plea deal, Simpson agreed to 10 years at hard labor for the robbery charges and 10 years for Hebert’s death.

Fifteenth Judicial District Judge Royale Colbert had to decide whether the two 10-year sentences would run concurrently or consecutively Colbert heard from family and friends of the victim on Wednesday and addressed Simpson before deciding that the sentences would run consecutively “I just feel like 10 years is not enough,” Kysha Mouton, mother of Ja’Nya Hebert, said on the witness stand. “That mother is sitting there looking at her child. I can’t,”

she said of Simpson’s mother Marlea Williams said she’s angry and has a heaviness on her chest that won’t go away She had to graduate from high school without her best friend.

When they were in middle school, Williams said, Simpson called her “Sis.”

“I loved you like my brother,” she said. “You’re better than that. Do better,” she told Simpson with a raised voice “Nobody deserves

University of Louisiana at Lafayette students brave a heavy downpour as they cross St. Mary Boulevard on campus

Lafayette on Wednesday.

Temps to dip slightly as cold front moves in

Highs expected in lower 80s

Staff report

While Lafayette residents needed to keep umbrellas handy for Wednesday’s rain, they can also look forward to cooler weather through the rest of the week

Showers and thunderstorms were predicted for Wednesday, mainly before 4 p.m. The storms were in advance of a cold front.

“You’ll feel the cooler air by Thursday morning,” said Donald Jones, a forecaster with the National Weather Service ofﬁce in Lake Charles. “Highs will only be in the lower 80s.”

Overnight lows will dip into the mid60s by Friday and Saturday mornings.

Jones said Acadiana faces no tropical weather threats, despite speculation of a hurricane brewing in the Gulf.

“There are a couple of areas of disturbed weather in the western Atlantic, and Hurricane Gabrielle is moving up into the North Atlantic. But none of those pose any threat to Louisiana.”

But the cooler weather is temporary Highs will inch back toward 90 by next week.

SoLou restaurant closes after one year

Lafayette eatery offered elevated south La. cuisine

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

SoLou has shut the doors to its River Ranch location, in a move that surprised employees and patrons this week.

On Tuesday, the Lafayette eatery offering elevated-date-night takes on south Louisiana cuisine (crabmeat cheesecake anyone?) permanently closed, with an announcement posted to the door of the establishment at 1905 Kaliste Saloom Road.

The note from owners Peter and Michelle Sclafani read, “It is with a heavy heart, we want to let you know that SoLou Lafayette is now closed. We are incredibly grateful for your support and the memories we have shared together.”

The owners conﬁrm that any current gift cards can be redeemed at SoLou Baton Rouge or at their other Baton Rouge restaurant, Portobello’s Grill. According to social media statements, restaurant employees were not notiﬁed about the closure before Tuesday’s announcement.

The Sclafanis brought SoLou to Lafayette last summer, after a little over three years in Baton Rouge The restaurant concept was farm-totable, Louisiana-inspired, and crafted with celebrations in mind. Little touches like cotton candy beverages, shrimp corn dogs and tabletop s’mores brought in customers looking for an experience to go alongside their meal.

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Executive chef and owner Peter Sclafani, who is based in Baton Rouge, was formerly co-owner and executive chef at Rufﬁno’s and Ruffino’s on the River, where he was known for reminding staff to always promote the celebratory aspects of dining out such as going the extra mile to make birthdays, graduation parties and anniversaries personal.

Sclafani is founder and CEO of the Making Raving Fans Hospitality Group, which owns SoLou and Portobello’s Grill. The group also opened P-Beau’s in Denham Springs, which closed last year citing “increasing pressures of inflation, rising rent, insurance costs and other outside factors.”

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

STAFF

PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

BOWIE

Sclafani, SoLou owner, has closed its River Ranch location.

OurLady of Lourdes Stadiumgives Cajuns and community ashowpiece to rallyaround

UL-Lafayette’sRagin’ Cajuns’ football team opened its seasonthis year in anewly renovated stadium that gives the team and the community something to be proud of. The $65 millionrenovation of Cajun Field, now renamedOur Ladyof Lourdes Stadium, has been alongtime coming. It’s the ﬁrst signiﬁcant makeover of the stadium since it opened in 1971,and thegoalwas to give fans abetter experience as they cheer on the home team.

The most noticeable changeisthe newfacade on the west side of the stadium. It features 34 suites, 40 loge boxes, 524 club seatsand an indoor club that can be used to host community events. Also on the list of wow factors is the new turf field, withthe Louisianastate outline behind the Ragin’ Cajuns logo. The field was designed to stay coolerand absorb waterbetter than the old field.

Fans will also notice that there is more legroom in theseats and bettersightlinestothe ﬁeld. That’sbecause the new stadium’s designers chose to reduce the number of overall seats to give the stadium amore intimatefeel. The current capacity is alittleover30,000, while the old stadium could accommodate 41,126 fans. The projectwas designed by DLRGroup and AQ Studios and built by J.B. Mouton. It’sclear that no detail was overlooked to improve the game day experience. Forexample, therewere changes to the concessionsconcourse as well, with fans able to get their snacksatanopen-air, grab-and-go marketplaceand then checkout so as to make lines move faster

We have to acknowledgethe tremendous amount of support that it took to make this happen. The business communityand philanthropic leaders in our citystepped up like neverbefore for the project. Our LadyofLourdescommitted $15 million over 15 years to secure thenaming rights Andfans have also responded.The first year of its opening, the stadiumhas sold outofsuites and club seats. If you haven’t been toaCajuns’ game this season,now is thetime to go. While theteamhas struggled on the fieldinits recent outings, it takes on Marshall on Saturday in its Sun Belt Conference opener By the end of the 2026 football season,changes to the east side of the stadiumare planned. That will include anew tower,media box, administrative offices and trainingfacilities. All of this is about more than afootball stadium. It’sabout pride in our community and showing what we can do when we come together around agoal. UL-Lafayette andthe Cajuns have long been symbols forour city. Nowthat symbol has the home that itdeserves

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Lowering OMVfeeswould only aidirresponsible drivers

Irecently read an article analyzing a report from theLegislative Auditor’s ofﬁce concerning driver’slicense reinstatement fees, which are incurred due to thedriver’sfailure to maintain insurance on his/her vehicle. The audit apparently suggests that thereinstatement fee is too high. The current minimum fee is $150. About 82% of license reinstatement fees are related to insurance cancellation. As someonewho has been in two accidents where theother driver was at fault and had no insurance, Istrongly disagree withlowering the reinstatementfee for failure to maintain insurance coverage.

The report by LegislativeAuditor Mike Waguespack is completely tone deaf, as he is apparently completely oblivious to the challenges that lawabiding citizens face with regard tove-

hicle insurance. The real “challenge” is law-abiding drivers having to pay vehicle insurance premiumsinLouisiana. Those who drive and do not carry vehicle insurance are amenace to society,and they are oneofthe reasons we pay thehighest vehicle insurance premiumsinthe country.Tojustifythe conclusion that the fee in Louisiana is too high, thereport compares the reinstatement fee in Louisianatothe feein other states. Once we have insurance premiumscomparable to other states, then perhaps we should consider having the reinstatement feecomparable. Until then, the penalty forfailure to have insurance shouldbethe highest, and those individuals whofail to maintain insurance coverage should lose their driving privileges.

T. DENNISBICKHAM III

Zachary

What Ukraine’sstrugglemeans forthe rest of theworld

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, weakened by poor economic decisions and its costly war in Afghanistan. Ukraine, newly independent, inherited Soviet nuclear weapons but gave them up under the1994 Budapest Memorandum in exchange for securityguarantees from Russia, theUnited States and the United Kingdom.

Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000 after decades as aKGB ofﬁcer,bringing with him the mindset and tactics of Soviet intelligence. Since then, he has dealt withevery U.S.president, often using charm or pressuretohis advantage.

He tested George W. Bush by invading Georgia in 2008 with little consequence. In 2014, during theObamaadministration, Russia annexed Crimea. Ukraine’spro-Russian president at the time offered no resistance, Ukrainians rebelled, and he ﬂed to Russia. Putin then backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, while Donald Trump—unlike Barack Obama —approved lethal weapons for Ukraine’smilitary In February2022, Putin launched afull-scale invasion of Ukraine,

expecting aquick victory.Instead, Ukrainians fought back fiercely,usingTrump-supplied Javelin missiles to devastateRussian armor.By2023, Russia had suffered staggering casualties —estimates exceeding 600,000 —while Wagner mercenaries briefly threatened Moscow,terrorist attacks hit thecapital, and more than 650,000 Russians fled Russia.Sanctions and war costs crippled the economy,leaving Putin far from the “genius” that Trumpcalled Putin when he invaded Ukraine.

Yet, instead of breaking, Putin turned to Iran for drones, North Korea for artillery and China foreconomic lifelines. Now he demands Ukraine’s mineral-rich lands —worth $12 trillion —asthe price for “peace.” Appeasing him would echo Chamberlain’s1938 concessions to Hitler,which only emboldened aggression Ukraine’sstruggle is morethan national survival. It is a ﬁght forfreedom against authoritarian rule, and abandoning it would endanger global security.

LINTON NAQUIN Baton Rouge

What is the easiest way to know Louisiana has an endemic litter problem? Just look at the side of our highways and roads. And whenyou see litter alongside astate scenic byway as you drive by aDepartment of Transportation and Development ofﬁce/maintenance yard, then you realize that Louisiana is not serious about the beauty of our state, and that we are really known for litter-strewn highways.

There have been many hardworking people and organizations dedicated to cleaning up litter,but other citizens just continue to toss out soft drink cans, fast food cups and beer cans as if the roads are trash cans. Louisiana needs along-term,consistent anti-littering campaign using radio, newspaper,TVand social media advertising. It also needs to be implemented in the schools, just like we did with seat belt usage and cigarette smoking. It may take ageneration to change this habit, but with aconstant focus on the problem, we can turn around the litter problem. We need to use our many state celebrities to promote keeping the state litter-free We should feature Shaquille O’Neal, Peyton Manning, Master P, Seimone Augustus, Kim Mulkeyand many other well-known namesinthe marketing campaign.

We all travel to other states and see clean roads. Why do our roads continue to be ﬁlthy and littered? How embarrassing for our beautiful “Sportsman’sParadise.” Let’sgo, Gov.Jeff Landry and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser If we cannot clean up the litter,let’s remove Sportsman’sParadise from our license plates.

Sportsmen do not litter,and paradise has no litter C. DRAKEAGUILLARD Eunice

In reference to the letter regarding people running red lights: When Iknow someone is getting their driver’slicense, usually ateen, I ask them to try this experiment. If you’re the ﬁrst car at ared light and it changes to green, wait asecond or two and count the number of cars that run the red light. Add them up as the years go by.You will be amazed —and alive!

VICKI FRAME Kenner

Days like these, Iwish Icould goback and meet you on thatmuddy chenier. The data to pore over would relatenot to war,gun violence or hatecrimes. No time to argue over what constitutes wasteful governmentspending. Instead, we would attend to how water rises, whyhomes float, where mold spreads, the way mosquitoes rise from the marsh as athin, black veil. Idonot wish another natural disaster upon us, butunmistakable is this lesson from 20 years ago: When you are forced to witness the elemental, you havenoenergy for hate Twoweeks after Hurricane Katrina forever changed New Orleans, Hurricane Rita—the strongest storm ever recorded in the Gulf, thefourth largest in the history of the Atlantic,the one you may not remember —tore into the other side of Louisiana, cracked open my home coast. Thestraightsteel of barn posts tangled ina loose braid.The trunks of live oaks, hundreds of years old, cracked open, shot skyward.Sports trophies and family photos littered the marsh. Sheet metal crunched uplike a paper towel and was thrown in abed of cattails. Schools, offices, even hospitals drowned, if not washed away,and we were left with anexistence remade. We were smaller,infinitesimal, more minuscule. In the aftermath, oursenses expanded.Anew dark, sanselectricityand not willingtowaste generator fuel.Anew hush,birds still gone, noleaves left to rustle, nothing to say between us. Anew texture at hand,probably from putting allthat laundry on amakeshift clothesline. Anew ache, muscles liftingtoo heavy for too long for toomany. Then only 14,I would spend the next two decades studyingthe limitsofthe sayable. Iwould become an expertin how our bodies hold more than words canencase.Iwould interview scientists, asking how we can understand the waynature —its beauty, itshorrors, itswhims —changes us. All that study, and here is what Iknowtobetrue: The source of our present discontent derives from our living outofsync with the rhythms of nature. How would we live ourlivesdif-

ferently if we asked what trees remember? What might our segregated cities become if we modeled our way of conversation after how humpback whales teach their songs to one another so that, at some point, all humpback whales are singing basically the same song? There is away of knowing deep within us found only when waters rise, whirlwinds descend and the ruin of everything we spent our lives building matters less than the gift of simply being with oneanother Indeed, theresult of this new existence is not one Ibemoan; these storms making clear what may be our uniquely human gift of theabilitytohold and behold. Take that time 20 years ago when my childhood friend woke to the screams of his grandmother.Arms outstretched against abright blue sky warm Gulf water that should have been 15 miles south washing her toes,her body theonly intermediary between the depths of these waters and the graces of heaven, she screamed at least ahundred times: “Hold thewater.” Almostcertainly,she was issuing a prayer.She meantsomething different than what was said, something closer to hold back the water,contain the water,

keep thewater away.But what truths spill forth in these moments when our lives become liminal are worth attending. While losing her home, this woman issued an imperative to us all.

The word “hold” in Old and Middle English was not about grasping, possessing, building walls to contain some andkeep others away

In its earliest usage, “hold” meantto behold, to keep in being or existence, to carry on. Behold the water.Respect thevast force of this liquidity.Carry on, overﬂow,change form as frequent as thesea.

Because, of course, the way of water will win every time, of course, the Gulf will outlast our homes, of course, the panoply of existences gathered with us in this world defy our human control. Would that we might heed these lessons. That instead of ﬁghting and refusing —whether water or one another —we might hold and behold. No doubts when allelse is stripped away: What matters is not comfort, prosperity,power So, today,inmemory of hurricanes then and to come, in hope forafuture where none of us have to ﬁght forthe right to exist or be free, could you do us all afavor? Hold thewater

Megan Poolewas born and raised in Cameron Parish and writes about howhurricanes are changing cultures and about the realities of climate changeand climate migration in Louisiana. As aprofessor whospecializes in the rhetoricofscience and environmental communication, her writing has been published in several academicvenues. Her latest book,“Listening to Beauty,” looksathow attempts to understand the natural worldare always more than simply rational.Itwas just released by The University of ChicagoPress.

Throughout August and September,weare featuring reﬂections on the 20th anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, two storms that changed Louisiana forever

FILE PHOTOS By JENNIFER ZDON

Cameron Parish fightsits wayback tolife after Hurricane Rita flattened many of its homes, stores and schools.

After Hurricane Rita, alargeditch retains water where ahouse used to sit in Holly Beach.

N.J. bishop namedto lead ArchdioceseofN.O.

JamesChecchio, ascholar of church law, has previously spent yearsatthe Vatican

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The Most Rev.JamesF Checchio, bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey,has been named the next archbishopofthe Archdiocese of New Orleans by Pope Leo XIV,taking over from retiring Archbishop Gregory Aymond. Ascholar of church law and the former leader of the American seminary in Rome, Checchio, 59, will serve alongside Aymond as coadjutor archbishop before taking the reins of the nation’ssecond-oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the coming months, the Vatican announced on Wednesday His appointment comes 10 months after Aymond 75, reached the mandatory retirement age for bishops. Aymond is also close to wrapping up the local church’s long-running bankruptcy case, and he afﬁrmed in aletter Wednesdaythat he plans to conclude that process before passing responsibilityfor the region’s half-million Catholics to his successor ANew Jersey native, Checchio was ordained in Camden in 1992 and will bring extensive credentials and experience to his new post. In additiontohis doctorate in canon, or church, law, he holds an MBAaswell as twoundergraduate degrees. He served in several administrative positions in the DioceseofCamden earlyinhis career and spent 12 yearsat the Vatican, including adecade running the Pontiﬁcal North American College in Rome —the city’sofficial seminary of the American Catholic church, before being named by Pope Francis as Bishop of Metuchen in 2016. When Aymond steps down completely,Checchio will inherit adiocese that has

SHOOTING

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for their life to be taken.”

Ja’Nya Hebert’sfather, JoshuaHebert, asked the court for astrong sentence.

“You crushed alot of people,”hetold Simpson. “You didn’thave to do that.”

Mouton’smother,Brenada James, said theonly way she can hear her granddaughter’svoice is from a teddy bear.The onlyway she can kiss her,she said,

SKUNK

Continued from page1B

populations are thought to be in decline due to habitat loss, pesticide useand diseases

“With the prevalence of game cameras and securitycameras, it’s possible that one may be detected by amember of the public,” Hogue-Manuel said.

The agencyisasking residents to report any photos capturingEastern spotted skunks “so that researchers canbetter understand where they may occur,if they still occur in the state of Louisiana,” Hogue-Manuel said. She noted that the state has been pushing this notice every year or every few years.

Handstanding skunks?

Smaller than the typical striped skunk, the Eastern spotted skunk is around the samesize as alarge squirrel with an upside-downtriangleonthe forehead anda bushy tail with white tips. But another characteristicmight be the most help-

ment homeinMetuchen to check in on oneofthe retirednuns who taught him in eighth grade.

He had just returned from such avisit to the retirementhome last Wednesday when he got thecall that he was being asked to serve in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Just one week later,he stood beforehis new community,still musing over the suddenturnhis career pathhas taken.

struggled since Hurricane Katrina with ﬁnancial challenges brought by ashrinking population and, more recently,fallout froma clergy sexabuse crisis and arelated bankruptcy case that is one of thecostliest in thecountry

Still, NewOrleans remainsadeeply Catholic city with religion intertwined into itsculture. Some neighborhoods have vibrant parishes with risingmass attendance. Archbishops have remained prominent spiritual andcivic leaders. Checchio was welcomed to hisnew home at a10a.m. gathering in Schulte Hallat the Notre Dame Seminary. Seminarians, prominent Catholic civic leaders and more than 150 employeesof thearchdiocese gave Checchio astanding ovation as he walked to the podium with Aymond and retired Archbishop Alfred Hughes, shaking hands along the way “I pledge to you, the church of New Orleans, my love and my daily prayers as we labor together to build up this historical portion of thepeopleofGod,” Checchio said in remarksto those in attendance.

Lengthyresume Checchio will be the15th archbishop to lead theArchdiocese of New Orleans since it was formed in 1794. Though he met and worked with thousands of American clergy in his years at theVatican, hehas no direct ties to New Orleans or Louisiana

He takes over adiocese

is to kiss two fingers and place them on her headstone.

“It’snever going toget better,” James said, “until shewalks in the doorand says,‘Hey, maw maw.’ ” SpeakingtoSimpson man-to-man, Colbertsaid he has no ideawhat would make him pull agun and ﬁre at acar fulloffemales.

“Our job is to protect our women,” he said. Simpson was on probationfrom the armed robbery charges, committed when he was ajuvenile,

ful for identifying the rare species:a handstand. One of their most distinguishing characteristics, HogueManuel said,isa“defensive posture” on their two front hands that they assume when startled or scared

“If you seethis animal that’s doingthislittle handstand out in the woods, it couldn’tbeanything else,” Hogue-Manuel said Photosand videos ofthe unusual acrobatscan be found easily online. Beyond handstands, the nocturnal animals prefer brushy habitats, though they appear adaptabletovarying terrain,and might be seen crawling around farmland or burrowingunder logs. They eat mice, ratsand insects, which can make them goodtohavearoundtohelp control thepest populations, Hogue-Manuel noted. Shesaidthatscientists are not certain aboutwhy thenumber ofthese “rare andelusive” skunks has declined, thoughrises in rodenticide use and the skunk’ssusceptibility to an extremely contagiousdisease, known as canine distemper, aresomeofthe like-

that is similar in size to that of the DioceseofMetuchen, amiddle-classand afﬂuent community about 30 miles south of New York City TheArchdiocese of New Orleans has roughly500,000 faithful and 104 parishes. The Diocese of Metuchen has 650,000 Catholics and 90 parishes. ButasChecchio noted in his remarks Wednesday, the Diocese of Menuchen is one of thenewest in the American church, whileNew Orleans’ is the second oldest Checchio was bornin Camden in 1966 andgrew up in anearby suburb in a family of four children, including two sisters anda brother.Heattended Pope Paul VI High School, aprivate,coed Catholic school, and received abachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Scranton, aJesuit institution.

After his ordination, Checchio spent several years as a parish priest in theDiocese of Camden beforemoving into administrative positions. He received his MBA fromLaSalle University and his doctorateofcanon law and bachelor of sacred theology degrees from the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

Outside of hisyears in Rome,his careerhas been spent almost entirely in New Jersey, surrounded by aclose-knit community of family andfriends. His mother, Helen Checchio, 88, still lives in thearea, and he is planningatriptoFrance with her and his sister and brother-in-law next week. He regularly visitsaretire-

Colbert said, when he participated in the shooting.

“Wehave to stop shooting up our own community,” he said.

After the sentencing, Mouton saidshe was pleased withthe 20-year sentence.

Simpson’sbrother,Natrevian, 20, pleadedguilty in July to an amended count of manslaughter.Sentencing is set for Dec. 11, according to the court record.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

ly factors. It hasbeenlisted as avulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

While the species has not been spotted in Louisiana since1985, agamecamera caught asighting in 2019 from aMississippi county neighboring part of northeast Louisiana. Thespotted skunks occupy awideranging distribution as far north as thesouthern parts of British Columbia and as far south as Costa Rica.

Email Josie Abugovat josie.abugov@theadvocate. com.

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“Last February,Icame to New Orleansfor along weekend during the Super Bowl and we hada great visit,” he said. “I have visited many times. It never entered my mind oncethat Iwould live here.”

Worshipand ministry

At 59, Checchio is one of the younger bishops in the U.S. In 2020, there were more than 440 bishops, onethird of whom were over age75but still serving.

His biography suggests that abackground in church ﬁnances has proved instrumental in his career He currentlyserves as treasurer of the powerful United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national organization of Catholic bishops in the U.S. He also chairs the USCCB’s budget and ﬁnancecommittee and serves on itsexecutiveand membershipcommittees.

Under Aymond, who became archbishopin2009, the Archdiocese of NewOrleans reﬁnanced $40 million in debt that hadaccrued underhis predecessors. The archdiocese alsobegan sellingoff variouspropertiestoraise money for the bankruptcy settlement.

In 2023, Aymond closed or consolidated 13 of the then 111 parishesacross the archdiocese, citing poor ﬁnancial performance, dwindling attendance at mass and other sacramentsand shiftingdemographicsin an aging andshrinking city

Shortly afterhewas ordainedasabishopin2016, Checchio visited all 90 parishesinthe Diocese of Metuchenand met with community members and schoolchildren, according to his letters on thediocese website. In his years there, he was known for theactive andhigh-proﬁle role he played throughout the diocese andfor getting outinto thecommunity. He is alreadyembarking on asimilarpath in New Orleans. His packed itinerary Wednesday included visitstoSt. Augustine High School and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, as well as lunchwith seminarians, ameeting with Catholic Charities ofﬁcials and evening vespers. Once he assumes his newroleascoadjutor archbishop, he said he looks forwardtotouring the archdiocese’sparishesand 65 Catholic schools.

In pastoral letters, Checchio has emphasized both traditional worship and Catholic social teaching. He hasencouraged thefaithful of Metuchen to spendmore time in prayer while also calling on them to welcome Hispanic immigrantsinto theircommunity.

The motto he chose upon his ordination,whichiscustomary forRoman Catholic bishops, is “Reconciliamini Deo,” aLatin phrase that means“Be reconciled with God,” which comes from a passage in theNew Testament in whichSt. Paulis writing to the Christians in Corinth.

“Pleasejoin me in the ministry of evangelization,” he wroteinearly2017inhis ﬁrst apostolic letter to the faithful. “Together we will serve as ambassadors for Christ! Youand Iare privileged to be called to carry on the very work of Jesus, reconciling theworld to the Father.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The Most Rev. James F. Checchio meets students at St. Catherine of SienainMetairie during his introduction as thenext archbishop of the Archdiocese of NewOrleans on Wednesday.

CB Riley’s growth reﬂects

Saints’ youth movement

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Before he was hired to coach the New Orleans Saints, Kellen Moore was interviewed thoroughly about his plan to develop players. General manager Mickey Loomis wanted to know the candidate’s exact way of bringing prospects along — particularly once the regular season got rolling and on-the-ﬁeld snaps would be hard to come by if they were in a backup role.

“Every coach has a development program,” Loomis said last month. “They do. But some are more effective than others.”

Entering the fourth week of the season the SaintsarestartingtoseeMoore’splaninaction.

Look no further than Quincy Riley Riley, a fourth-round cornerback, played 18 defensive snaps in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But the rookie’s playing time did not solely come late in the fourth quarter when the Saints pulled their starters for a game well out of reach. Rather, they sprinkled him in for two snaps

Brees takes ﬁrst step toward pro Hall of Fame

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Drew Brees heads the list of first-year-eligible candidates among the 128 modern-era players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, officials announced Wednesday Brees, who retired from the Saints in 2020, is among a strong group of new candidates that includes receiver Larry Fitzgerald, quarterback Philip Rivers and running back Frank Gore. Brees is trying to become the first Saints player to ever be elected on the first ballot of his Hall of Fame candidacy He would join Rickey Jackson (Class of 2010), Willie Roaf (2012), Morten Andersen (2017) and Sam Mills (2022) on the list of Hall of Famers who played the majority of their careers in New Orleans.

Jahri Evans, who has been a ﬁnalist each of the past two years, is also among the candidates, as is former John Ehret High School standout Reggie Wayne. Other former Saints under consideration are defensive tackle LaRoi Glover (1997-2001) and fullback Lorenzo Neal (1993-96) Modern-era candidates with local ties include quarterback Jake Delhomme (Breaux Bridge, UL); running back Warrick Dunn

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

The ﬁrst time LSU faced a short-yardage situation against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, it used a formation that has become a rare sight ever since it installed a spread offense.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier went under center

A decade ago, one might have clamored for LSU to do anything but that as its offense struggled to evolve in the mid-2010s, but now that the No. 4 Tigers are having trouble running the ball for the second straight year, they have returned to some of their old ways.

LSU has gone under center 16 times through four games. Seven of those plays happened against Southeastern, which could mean it was part of the plan for one game or an indication that direct snaps will continue to be used.

“It’s proven to be effective for us,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “So, I think you’ll see more of it.”

The ﬁrst two years of the Kelly era, LSU almost never

LSU taking more snaps under center, like

went under center because its running game was built around quarterback Jayden Daniels’ ability to gash defenses on zone reads. LSU still rarely did it in Nussmeier’s ﬁrst year as the starter, when it averaged only 116.38 yards rushing per game.

So far this season, going under center has become a small part of the offense. Though LSU still primarily operates out of the shotgun under second-year coordinator Joe Sloan, direct snaps have crept back into the scheme, especially in short-yardage situations.

Kelly said going under center could make it easier for running backs to reach the C gap off tackle. At the moment, LSU has averaged 116.75 yards rushing per game, which ranks 112th nationally, so it needs to ﬁnd something that works before it plays No. 13 Ole Miss.

“What we’re trying to do from an offensive perspective is that we want to strike on a wide front with that run game,” Kelly said. “And sometimes if you’re in the pistol or if you’re in shotgun, it’s hard to hit the C gap and

FOOTE

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints cornerback Quincy Riley, center celebrates a San Francisco 49ers stop with teammates on Sept. 14 at the Caesars Superdome.

SAINTS, page 3C

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

6:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

6p.m. LSU at AuburnSECN

9:30 p.m. Rutgers at SouthernCal BTN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

5:30 p.m. Washington at PurdueBTN

7:30 p.m. Michigan St. at Minnesota BTN

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

11:30 a.m.Pittsburgh at Cincinnati MLBN

2:30p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Arizona MLBN

6:30p.m. N.y.Mets at ChicagoCubs MLBN NFL

7:15 p.m. Seattle at Arizona PRIME NHLPRESEASON

6p.m. N.y.Islanders at N.y. Rangers NHLN

9p.m.Utah at VegasNHLN MEN’S SOCCER

11:45 a.m.Brann at Lille CBSSN

2p.m.Bologna at Aston Villa CBSSN TENNIS

6a.m.Tokyo-ATP first round Tennis

9p.m.Tokyo-ATP second round Tennis

Southside firesonall sidestodownAES

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Julie Dawson is backinher happy place.

The SouthsideHigh School volleyballcoach missed last year on medical leave after an accident at practice when she wasstruck in the head with aball.

TheSharks woninstraight sets —25-19, 25-18,25-22 —at Ascension Episcopal on Tuesday in amatchup of Youngsville programs each in the top 10 of its division.

“The girls are on ﬁre,” Dawson said. “We’re very strong, going 12 people deep in thelineup. With me being out for ayear,it was apleasant blessing to come back to thegirls being ready to go.” Last season, assistant Nick Hunt took over as interim coach with Dawson recoveringfrom surgery.The two chatted every day, and Dawson tookover the team’sadministrative and behind-the-scenes work.

“I kept my hand in thecookie jar,” Dawson said. “I just wasn’t there to eat the cookies. It’snice to see Nick grow as aheadcoach He and the staff did awonderful job getting thegirlsready for theseason. It’slike Ididn’tmiss abeat.”

Junior Brylee Slaughter paced the Sharks (8-4) in kills (12), digs (17) and aces (seven). Serving with the score tied 18-18 in the first set, Slaughter sparked a ﬁve-point run.

“Our serving (12 aces) was on, especially early,” Dawson said. “Slaughter was on point tonight, both on the front row and back row serving. We haveall juniors and seniors. It’snice to have that experience on the court.” Slaughter served the Sharks to a6-0 lead in thesecond set and landed three consecutive aces in the third as Southside increased its lead from 20-18 to 23-18.

Setter Emmy Habetz(33 assists, 16 digs, two kills),who made aposition change from libero, assisted Texas transfer Ke-

Southside’sBrylee Slaughter,right, goes for akill against Ascension Episcopal on Tuesdayinyoungsville. Slaughter had ateam-high 12 kills, 17 digs and sevenaces in a25-19, 25-18, 25-22 win

lis Burgess on the match point. Burgessand standout seniorhitter ZsofiaPekar (four digs) each finishedwith seven kills “It was hard at first moving to setter,but it’sfun to get atouch on everyball,” Habetz said. “It really is. And when my teammates get kills, it makes me feel good.”

Burgess, who competes in the triple and long jump, was atimely addition with 6-foot basketball star Kay’Len Alexander’stransfertoa Houston school.Ryan Holm,Allie Deville,Caroline Theriot, Isabella Taulli, Kaylee Credeur,Carsyn Begnaud(13 digs)and Natalie Hardin form a

deep cast of players.

“Wehaven’tlost to apublic school,”Dawson said. “I feel very comfortable. Thegirls are being challenged.They’re going to be prepared for theplayoffs when it comes and for district next month.”

The Sharks, No. 5inthe Division Ipower ratings, lost to Division II No. 3St. Scholastica, Division VNo. 2Central Catholic and twice to undefeated St. Thomas More. Ascension Episcopal (8-3), which hasbeen led by versatile Meg Grifﬁn, is No. 8inthe Division Vpower ratingswitha group of seven seniors.

“I’m excited to watch astrong

Volleyballscores

Tuesday’s results St. Thomas Moredef.St. Joseph’s3-2

Sacred Heart-GC def. Comeaux 3-2

Southside def. Ascension Episcopal3-0

Lafayette Christian def. Central Private 3-1

Teurlings def. NotreDame3-1

ESAdef. Sulphur 3-0

St. Martinville def. Acadiana 3-1

Carencrodef. LaGrange 3-1

Beau Chenedef. Opelousas Catholic 3-0

Iowa def. North Vermilion 3-0

Breaux Bridge def. Franklin 3-0

New Iberia def. David Thibodaux 3-1

St. Louis def. Rayne3-0

Crowley def. Northside 3-0

Highland def. Delcambre3-0

St. Edmund def. Opelousas 3-0

Westminster def. Catholic-NI 3-0

Barbe def. Westminster-LAF 3-0

Centerville def. Westgate 3-0

Port Barre def. Cecilia 3-1

Abbeville def. Glencoe Charter, 3-0

Marksville def.Church Point, 3-0 Southside 3, Ascension Episcopal0(25-19, 25-18, 25-22)

Southside Allie Deville 1ace, 2digs; Brylee Slaughter 7aces, 12 klls, 17 digs,1bock; Caroline Theriot 1ace, 3kills, 1dig;Carsyn Begnaud 1kill, 13 digs; EmmyHabetz 2kills, 16 digs 33 assists; Isabella Taulli 2aces; Kalyee Credeur 1ace, 4digs; Kelis Burgess7kills, 1 dig; Natalie Hardin2 kills, 1dig;RyanHolm 1kill, 3digs;ZsoﬁaPekar 7kills, 4digs. AES Meg Gifﬁn3 kills, 1block, 6digs; Gabby Ahrabi 2kills,8digs; Ella Arceneaux 9digs; Brooklyn Poirier 5kills, 4aces, 9digs; Allison Haskins 4kills, 1ace,7digs. Thursday’s matches Beau CheneatAscensionEpiscopal, Southside at Catholic-NI, Acadiana at Acadiana Renaissance, St.Martinville at Lafayette High, Sacred Heart-GCatBreaux Bridge, ESAatSt. Edmund, Crowley at Carencro New Iberia at Morgan City,Cecilia at Catholic-PC, VermilionCatholic at Abbeville, Westminster at SamHouston, Northside at Washington-Marion, Church PointatDavid Thibodaux, Westgate at Iota, Abbeville at Vermilion Catholic, LivoniaatPort Barre, Northside Christian at LaGrange.

group of seniors lead,” said Blue Gators coach Kate Baudoin, in herthird year at the school (secondasheadcoach). “Wealso have acouple of younger kids whose dedication Iadmire.” Dawson complimented theAscension Episcopal defense,remarking that “they weredigging everything we sent over thenet.”

“Defense and serve-receive are things we workonalot,” Baudoin said. “Since the summer,the girls have always gotten everything set up forpractice. We’ve grinded through long hours. Ourgoal is getting to the (Cajundome), and hopefully we’re putting in the work.”

Ella Arceneaux, Gabby Ahrabi, freshmanoutside hitter Brooklyn Potier and Grifﬁnwere Southside standouts.

RyderCup gamesmanship starts before ﬁrst shot

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. The opening tee shot still two days away,the gamesmanship at the Ryder Cup began Wednesday when European captain Luke Donaldtookafew subtle jabs on pay-for-play during hisspeechatthe opening ceremony “We’re fueled by something money cannot buy,” Donald said. Europe, 1up.

And then U.S. captain Keegan Bradley made the first bogey of these matches when he spoke of being around the 17th green at Brookline in 1999 for one of the biggest momentsinRyderCup history,only to mistakenly say Justin Rose —not JustinLeonard —made the 45-foot putt. Europe, 2up.

The actual golf doesn’tstartuntil Friday morningatrowdy Bethpage Black. More than 5,000 fans who attended the ceremony made their presence felt with constant chants of “U-S-A!” and asmattering of boos for the Europeans. The strongest booing was when both captainsthanked New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who attended the ceremony President Donald Trump was due to attend the openingsession Friday Donald is the ﬁrst European to be captain in consecutive Ryder Cup matches since Bernard Gallacher(1991-95). He was polished in Rome, using perfect Italianina short message to the fans, and he was equally distinguished in sending aclear message what this week is all about.

Europe haspracticallyowned the Ryder Cup in the modern era that dates to 1979, and it hasbuilt a legacy that has equipped its team with supreme conﬁdence.

“The American team is rightly proud of their heritage, but so are we,” Donald said. “Our European legacy is rooted in resilience, in togetherness and in proving peo-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON UnitedStatescaptain Keegan Bradleyspeaks during the opening ceremoniesfor theRyder Cuptournament on Wednesday at the BethpageBlack golf course in Farmingdale, N.y.

ple wrong. Time and again, we’ve shown that when we cometogether as one with ashared purpose, we canachieveremarkable things.”

Donald wasted little time in bringing moneyinto theconversation,saying the Ryder Cup “is not about prize money or world ranking points. It’sabout pride.”

TheAmericanshavereceived $200 000todonate to charity since 1999.This year the charityamount is $300,000,along witha $200,000 stipend.The American players have said from the startthey would be donating the entire $500,000 to charitiesintheir communities.

Still, that was ample ammunition for Europeans to say they didn’t needcompensationtocompete for a17-inch goldtrophy,suggesting it was an example of why the Ryder Cup meant more to them than the Americans Europehas won 10 of the last14 times againstAmerican teams that typically look stronger on paper in terms of world ranking and major championships.Itnow tries to win for the ﬁfthtime on U.S. soil. The Americans have not won in Europe in 32 years “Wedidn’tcome here just to be apart of theshow.Wecame here to earn our place in Ryder Cup

folklore,”Donald said. “We’re not just playing to win, we’replaying for each otherand forevery young golfer back home who dreams about one day representing Team Europe.

“Weknow it won’tbeeasy. Winning away never is,”Donald said. “The toughest roads lead to the greatest rewards.”

Bradley,who hadtowait for the chants to die, spoke mainly about his own history as the New Englandson of aPGA professional his aunt, Pat Bradley, is an LPGA Tour great in theWorld Golf Hall of Fame —who playedatSt. John’s and played at Bethpage Black when his teammates were restricted to Nos. 3through 14 on theother side of Round SwampRoad. He even dropped alocal reference while introducing his team, announcing worldNo. 1Scottie Schefﬂer from New Jersey. That’s where Schefﬂer was born and lived until his family moved to Dallas when he was 6. Bradleysaidthe RyderCup became personal at those 1999 matches when he was 13, sitting on his father’s shoulder“watching Justin Rose’s miracle puttdropon 17” and how his father let him join the celebration when the match

Time set for Dec. 4clash between LSU,Duke women

On Wednesday, ESPNannounced thatthe LSUwomen’sbasketball team’sDec. 4road clash with Duke will start at 8p.m. Central on ESPN.That gameispart of the annual ACC/SEC Challenge, which LSU has played in for each of the last twoseasons. Last year,Duke won the ACC Tournament and reached the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils are led by sixthyear coach Kara Lawson, the new coach of the U.S. women’snational team LSU is goingonthe road to play itsACC/SECChallenge game for the first time.Intheir 2024 matchup, the Tigers beat Stanford in overtime. In 2023, they defeated Virginia Tech in arematch of one of the 2023 national semiﬁnal games.

Ravens’ Madubuike out for game againstChiefs Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike will miss anothergame this week, and coach John Harbaugh admitted he’s “concerned” about the twotime Pro Bowler’sinjury Madubuike was out Monday night with aneck injury,and the Ravens lost 38-30 to aDetroit team thatrushedfor 224 yards. Now Harbaugh haswasted no timeruling the 27-year-old lineman out for this weekend’smatchup at Kansas City The 27-year-old Madubuike is in the second year of afour-year contract extension. He’shad 30 sacks in five-plus seasons. His absence against the Lions left Baltimore with averylimited pass rush.

Eagles place LB Smith, two moreoninjured reserve

The Philadelphia Eagles placed linebacker Nolan Smith andtwo other players on injured reserve ahead of Sunday’sgame at Tampa Bay TheEagles (3-0) also put rookie wide receiver Darius Cooper and cornerback Jakorian Bennetton IR. The three players are not expected to need surgery and are expected back around the bye week. Smithhad 61/2 sackslastseason and added four more in the playoffs. He does not have asack this season after he suffered atriceps injury in theSuper Bowl.Itwas unclear when Smith was hurt in last week’s comeback win against the Los Angeles Rams. Cooper left the Ramsgame after he hurt ashoulder in thesecond half.Bennett’sinjury is unclear

ä Ryder Cup. 6A.M. FRIDAy,USA

ended on the 18th.

“Thatwas themomentgolf stopped being agame andstarted being acalling,”Bradleysaid. “Thatday changedmylife.”

Bradleyhad contemplated being the ﬁrst playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. He ﬁnished at No. 10 in the standings and even now has abetter world ranking thanfour of theplayers on his team.

Ultimately he decided he was chosen to be the captain, viewed as aselﬂess movethat showed his only concern was leaving Bethpage Black with the Ryder Cup.

Bradleyand the rest of the Americans are counting on plenty of crowd support. Bethpage Black hashosted two U.S. Opens, aPGA Championship and twoFedEx Cupplayoff events on the PGA Tour.The one themeisagallery that holdsnothingback in telling thegolfers on “their” course what theythink. SergioGarciawas so annoyedhepointed his ﬁnger yes, the middle one.

But nowthere are ﬂags involved in amatch that was packed with emotion from the start.

“Bethpage Black is known as the People’s Country Club. It’s been called New York’shome course,” Bradleysaid. “But this week, with your passion andyourenergy, you’re going to make it America’s home course.”

The opening ceremony typically is Thursdayafternoon, which concludes with captains announcing the lineups for the opening foursomes session. It was moved up aday because of aforecast of rain, giving players one more day —how much golf they can play dependsonthe weather— before Donald and Bradleydeliver the lineups.

It’sbeen along two yearssince Europe trounced the Americans in Rome. It’sbeen along three days waiting for Friday

Loyola Chicago chaplain

Sister Jean retiresat106

Longtime chaplainfor the Loyola Chicago men’sbasketball team, SisterJean,has retiredat 106because of health concerns. The school’s student newspaper, TheLoyola Phoenix, announced her retirement earlier this month. Sister Jean rose to the spotlight duringLoyola Chicago’striptothe Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She wasspotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers’ improbable run.

She published amemoir in 2023, and Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21. SisterJean served as theteam’schaplain for30years, providing players with support, mentorship andencouragement. She becameabeloved ﬁgure at the university and alocal celebrity in the community

Cleveland’sFry suffers broken nosefrom pitch

Cleveland Guardians designated hitterDavid Fry wasreleasedfrom the hospital Wednesday afternoon and resting comfortably after he was hit in the face by apitch from Detroit’sTarik Skubal in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s5-2 win over theTigersthatdeadlockedthe AL Central division race.

Fry tried to bunt a99mph fastball from Skubal on Tuesday night, but the pitch struck him in the nose and mouth area. The Guardians said imaging and clinical examination showed Fry suffered multiple, minimally displaced, left-sided facial and nasal fractures. Atimeline forrecovery is sixto eight weeks without the need for surgery.Fry was placed on the 10-day injured list with outﬁelder JohnathanRodríguezcalledup from Triple-A Columbus.

STAFF PHOTO By BRADBOWIE

SAINTS

in the second quarter And then, when he did enter in the fourth quarter, Riley got to play with the majority of the team’s ﬁrst string.

Moore said the Saints approached the Seahawks game with the intention of giving Riley more playing time, similar to how the team featured third-round defensive lineman Vernon Broughton in Week 2 Broughton then suffered a season-ending hip injury but Moore said the original idea was to increase his workload as the season progressed Moore liked what he saw from Riley “A lot of these guys have different times, and we’re trying to get as many exposures as we can for those young guys in particular because these are long seasons,” Moore said. “A lot of guys are going to play I thought Quincy went in there and did some good things.”

Moore was encouraged by how Riley forced Seahawks running back George Holani to fumble, leading to a Saints’ recovery

The first-year coach knew that the cornerback had a knack for securing the ball in the passing game — Riley had eight career interceptions at Louisville — but Moore indicated the Saints were hoping to see that kind of progress in the run game. On that play, Riley ﬁt the run perfectly to jar the ball loose.

“It was a really good example of his growth,” Moore said The Saints needed to see that growth before increasing the Riley’s responsibilities, which is partly why veteran Isaac Yiadom was named a starter heading into the season. In training camp, Yiadom rarely seemed in danger of losing his spot as the coaching staff did not rotate Riley in with the ﬁrst team.

Riley’s lack of first-team reps in camp was intentional for another reason. As the summer progressed, Moore began rotating the ﬁrst-team offense against the second-team defense, and vice versa. And that, coaches believed, would contribute to the development of the younger players.

“We wanted to get Quincy the reps against our best players because that’s the way he’s going to improve the most,” defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said “Our young players in training camp got more reps than anyone

BREES

Continued from page 1C

(Baton Rouge Catholic High School); cornerbacks Patrick Surtain (Edna Karr High School) and Charles Tillman (UL); and special teams standout Brian Mitchell (UL).

Other ﬁrst-year-eligible candidates include defensive linemen Geno Atkins, the son of former Saints defensive back Gene Atkins; quarterback Alex Smith; tight ends Greg Olsen and Jason Witten; running back LeSean McCoy; offensive linemen David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey; and linebacker Thomas Davis.

The Hall’s screening committee will reduce the list to 50 in mid-October From there, the Hall’s 50-person selection committee will vote to reduce the list to 25 semiﬁnalists in November and again to 15 ﬁnalists in December The selection meeting is ahead of Super Bowl LX in San Francisco.

The Class of 2026 can consist of three to five modern-era players under the Hall of Fame’s bylaws. In addition to 15 modern-era finalists, the selection committee will discuss three seniors finalists, a coach finalist and a contributor finalist as potential members of the Class of 2026. Finalists must receive at least 80% support from the selection

Continued from page 1C

at guard.

“Yes, it’s some new challenges for some guys,” Farmer said “It’s one thing to go over there and play a little bit. Another thing to go out there and be the starter and all those things. But the guys are handling that really well.

“We’re making some adjustments, cutting some stuff out a little bit and making sure we’re still getting the work they need. It’s just you’re not just repping as many people, so you don’t need as many reps.” With Jackson out team leader Jax Harrington is having to move

on our entire defense, all of our rookies Quincy’s improved a lot since he’s been here.”

One of the fascinating subplots of the next few weeks is whether Riley works his way into a starting role.

With the Saints’ 0-3 and at the beginning of a seeming rebuild, there is a natural tendency to wonder if, or when, Moore and his staff will completely lean into a full-on youth movement. The Saints already have ﬁrst-round tackle Kelvin Banks and thirdround safety Jonas Sanker as full-time starters.

Riley’s situation also could be complicated by factors outside of his control. On the surface, the Saints may be incentivized to play him sooner rather than later to negate whether Yiadom would qualify as a compensatory free agent.

According to Over The Cap’s Nick Korte, the Saints may miss out on a fourth-round compensatory pick for Paulson Adebo’s departure if Yiadom plays more than 35% of the snaps. Adebo left in free agency to join the New York Giants, while Yiadom signed a three-year, $9 million contract to return to the Saints.

In Korte’s projection the Saints aren’t slated to have any comp picks because they lost the same number of qualiﬁed players (three) as the ones they signed. The NFL annually awards additional draft picks to teams based on the outcomes of free agency

Yiadom has played nearly 66% of the defense’s snaps through three games.

“I don’t think the coaches are thinking, ‘Yo, let’s do this so we can get a pick,’ ” Yiadom said.

“We’re trying to win today We’re trying to win Sundays, so I would be surprised if that goes into anything.”

Yiadom understands that if Riley plays, it would likely be at the expense of his playing time But the cornerback embraces playing the role of a mentor, adding he’ll do whatever it takes to win.

Yiadom said he would ﬁrst selfanalyze how he could have done better, if he’s benched.

“At some point, they’re going to have to develop their players,” Yiadom said “Whenever that point is, as a vet, you’ve just got to bring them along. Just like my vets handled me, taught me the game, that’s the same thing I’mma do, to teach him the game, help him grow and make sure that when he do get out there, he’s helping us win.”

Saints OT Fuaga returns to practice in limited capacity

BY LUKE JOHNSON and MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

Last week marked the ﬁrst time in Taliese Fuaga‘s NFL career that he missed a game because of an injury, but he may be back in the fold for the New Orleans Saints’ Sunday game against the Buffalo Bills.

Fuaga, who is dealing with back and knee injuries, was back on the practice field Wednesday afternoon. It was the ﬁrst time Fuaga had practiced since the Friday before the Week 2 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Ofﬁcially Fuaga was limited in practice.

“He’s just in a maintenance stage now, as far as taking it and having a really good plan each and every week to put yourself in a really good position to play on Sunday,” coach Kellen Moore said.

Defensive end Chase Young continued to miss practice with a calf injury that has lingered several weeks into the season. Young signed a three-year extension this offseason after playing in all 17 games for the ﬁrst time in his career last season, but he suffered his injury during practice just days before the season opener Moore said after Wednesday’s practice that he believes Young is “close” to returning.

“He’s progressing,” Moore said. “These injuries, again, we always try and put a timeline on these, and that’s always a thing we have to be careful of. These things take different timelines, they take different experiences. He’s doing everything he can.”

Wide receiver Trey Palmer (ham-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

bounce things out. I think direct snap gives us a lot more variety to the run game.”

The ﬁrst indication LSU would go under center more this year happened in the 17-10 season-opening win against Clemson.

Sloan called ﬁve plays with a direct snap, usually to run the ball in short-yardage situations. Three of them came within Clemson’s 5-yard line, and four of them were runs. Sophomore running back Caden Durham was tackled for no gain twice, but he also scored a touchdown. Nussmeier went under center for a quarterback sneak and threw an incompletion off of play-action.

LSU went under center only four times over the next two games, but the one time it did against Florida was on third and 1 late in the fourth quarter Defensive end Jack Pyburn and tight end Bauer Sharp lined up as fullbacks in a jumbo Iformation, and Durham bounced outside to gain 51 yards.

string) also returned to practice after missing two sessions last week. He and fellow receiver Devaughn Vele (hip) were limited.

Offensive lineman Trevor Penning (toe), who was active last week but only in an emergency capacity, was a full participant, signaling he could be in line to debut this week. Defensive end Cam Jordan (groin) was also on the injury report, but he was listed as a full participant. Offensive lineman Dillon Radunz (toe) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Radunz started the ﬁrst two games of the season at left guard in place of Penning, but he has now missed four straight practices.

Three starters for the Bills were held out of practice: tackle Spencer Brown (calf), linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral) and defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle).

Transactions

The latest turn in the Hunter Dekkers’ saga was an interesting one, as the Saints placed the rookie quarterback on injured reserve Wednesday with a shoulder injury

Dekkers has made a dozen appearances on the Saints’ transaction wire, with the Saints releasing him a handful of times to shore up other areas of the roster only to bring him back.

“We ﬁnally got him practicing and going and a shoulder thing came up,” Moore said “We’ve just got to navigate it as best as we can and try and still do what we can to help him develop.”

Receiver Kevin Austin took Dekkers’ spot on the practice squad.

Austin was signed to the active

roster last week to make up for Vele being held out of the Seattle game with a hip injury, but Austin was waived after the game. He appeared in 22 offensive snaps and was targeted once vs. the Seahawks.

Boss visit

Fresh off their worst loss of the season, the Saints had a noteworthy visitor at Wednesday’s practice — owner Gayle Benson Benson chatted with Moore throughout the media’s viewing portion of practice, which is limited to between 20-30 minutes during the regular season. She also attended the next-door practice of the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA team that she also owns.

The Saints are 0-3 to start the season.

“Mrs. Benson’s awesome; she likes to pop in during practice on occasion and so it’s always fun to see her,” Moore said. “She does so many awesome things supporting us in every possible way she can. And you can’t ask for a better situation.”

How did she react to Sunday’s 44-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks?

“She cares,” Moore said. “The special thing is she cares deeply about the emotions of the players and the coaches. Everyone puts so much work into it. For it to go the way it did on Sunday, there’s an emotional toll that goes into each player and each person that’s a part of it.

“Her support and her appreciation for everything that everyone’s doing, all understanding, yeah, we got to ﬁnd ways to ﬁnd solutions and get better. She’s right there with us, though, which is awesome.”

calling run-pass options instead. And it was not always successful when it did.

son gained 8 yards.

committee to join the Class of 2026.

Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance to the ﬁnal 15 for the Class of 2026 because they were among the top seven vote-getters as ﬁnalists for the Class of 2025. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be enshrined in August.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

from right guard to right tackle.

“It comes with challenges, but I think if there’s anybody I’ve been around that can do it, it’ll be Jax,” Farmer said “He’s such a football junkie. He has a great understanding of what we’re trying to do at all positions.”

The left side is most stable with Bryant Williams still available at tackle and Moreau back at guard after he missed one game.

“Yeah, he played really well,” Farmer said of Moreau’s return at Eastern Michigan. “He said he felt it one time. It was in pregame. So after that, he said it was ﬁne. He aches a little bit afterwards, but you know, he said it felt stable and felt back to normal. So he handled that really well.”

At center, redshirt sophomore

A week later LSU went under center when it faced a short-yardage situation — as defined here by 3 yards or less from the line to gain — six times, and five of the plays were successful. Two were quarterback sneaks for touchdowns. The first two times LSU faced short third downs, it handed the ball off from under center to move the chains.

“It’s just a whole different threat,” Nussmeier said Saturday “I think we can do a lot of different things out of that. As I said I thought coach Sloan did an awesome job tonight putting us in different packages in different situations.”

LSU did not always go under center in short-yardage situations against Southeastern, sometimes

Cooper Fordham has been healthy but is trying to eliminate multiple ﬂags that thwarted the offense’s progress last week.

“We put the tape together, showed it to him, corrected the coaching details and moved on,” Farmer said. “He’s as good a center as I’ve been around.”

While no one likes to be ﬂagged, Farmer said they were because of aggressiveness

“They weren’t out-of-control penalties,” he said. “I’d much rather have to say, ‘Whoa’ than ‘Sick ‘em.’ We can ﬁnish with a violent shove rather than yanking back to us.”

Instead of a rotation 10 or 11 deep, the Cajuns are down to six or seven rotating on the offensive line.

At one point, LSU went under center on third and 1 from Southeastern’s 13-yard line. It had offset tight ends on either side of the offensive line, which it has often done this year when going under center. Sharp motioned across to overload the left side, but Southeastern defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor came through the middle untouched on a stunt for a tackle for loss.

LSU went back under center the next play, this time on fourth and 2. It used the same formation, only this time, tight end Donovan Green motioned across to overload the right side of the offensive line.

LSU sealed the edge, and sophomore running back Ju’Juan John-

Farmer didn’t want to speculate on what might happen if the injuries don’t stop soon, like having to use a tight end at tackle.

“I hope we don’t get that far,” he said. Before it comes to that, newcomers such as redshirt sophomore tackle Xzavier Brown would get a shot.

“He’s been a guy that’s got all the tools,” Farmer said of Brown. “He needs to continue to grow as far as the physical part of the game It’s all about pad level, it’s all about leverage. We’re moving people and that’s the part of his game that is developing. It’s just not quite to where we want it just yet.” None of the depth chart talk makes the reality of injuries any easier on a coach.

Nussmeier has gone under center four times this season when LSU wasn’t in a short-yardage situation. Those plays resulted in an incompletion, a 15-yard end around, a 4-yard touchdown run and a sack on ﬁrst and goal from the 6-yard line. All of them came against either Louisiana Tech or Southeastern, so LSU hasn’t tried a direct snap outside of a shortyardage situation yet against a power-conference team.

On Saturday, Nussmeier was asked whether he has any issues with getting his eyes downfield after he takes the snap since he hasn’t gone under center for most of his LSU career

“That’s how they used to play it back in the day,” Nussmeier said.

“It ain’t nothing new.”

“It’s heartbreaking,” Farmer said of watching Jackson and Gooch go down at Eastern Michigan. “Sometimes we forget that they’re people, too. He (Jackson) played so well in the last two games. I’m hoping we can get a year back with him. You just hate seeing him deal with those things.”

For Gooch, he’s at his third school and was ﬁnally getting an opportunity to play

“He’s had a rough road to get to where he’s gotten, and he was playing good ball,” Farmer said. “I think he’s going to be a guy that really plays in a high level of force when it’s all said and done. You just want the best of those guys.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Saints quarterback Drew Brees reacts after running back Alvin Kamara scores on a 3-yard touchdown run against the Chicago Bears on Jan 10, 2021, at the Superdome.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier races past the block for a big gain against Southeastern in the second quarter of their game on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

LIVING

Foranalfrescofalldinner,

trya composed salad, saffronshrimpriceand orange cake

The weather is ﬁnally starting to break. It isn’t quite cool, but it is gettingcooler.It is that time of year when we can have apleasant time eating outside. It is fun to have aproper meal outsideonthe patio without having to lug baskets and ice chestsoff to the park. Think about what to anticipate —willyou need candles or should you eat early enough to enjoythe fading light during dessert? Are mosquitoes still lingering in your yard in the evening? Just prepare for them with abit of repellent. Use atablecloth and cloth napkins, and you canhave alovely meal outdoors.

Liz Williams TIP OF THE TONGUE

The basis of thecomposed salad is shaved fennel and oranges.But if you ﬁnd some lovely avocados or mangos at the store, they could easily be added. The salad is composed, so youcan just dress thecomponents separately and add them all to abigger platter.It makesaninteresting starter

thatperks up your taste buds for the rest of the meal.

As much as Ilove paella, it is abig deal to ﬁxit. No wonder it is usually madein very large pans. If you add thechicken, shrimp, scallops, sausage, onions, garlic, peas, roasted peppers and all the other ingredients, it makes for an expensive and timeconsuming meal.

Butifyou slowly saute onions, add shrimp and flavor your rice withsaffron, you have something very flavorful without much hassle or expense. This recipe is high in flavor.You can serve

ä See AL FRESCO, page 6C

SaffronRice with Shrimp and Onions 4to6servings.

1teaspoonsaffronthreads

1pound peeled shrimp, peels reserved

1tablespoon unsaltedCreole seasoning

½cup dicedonion(about half an onion)

1cup Louisiana rice, uncooked 1cup frozenbabygreen peas, defrosted and drained

1teaspoonsalt ½cup chopped parsley for garnish

1. Place the saffron threads in asmall cup with ¼cup warmwater.Set aside.

wish to omit the step of making ashrimpstock with the shells, you may use chicken broth instead.

3. Strain the shrimpshells andkeep the water. Measure 1¾ cups of water andreplace in the pot withthe reserved saffron water.There is no need to strain out the saffron threads. Bring to a boil and add the diced onions and rice. Reduce to a simmer.Cookfor 12 minutes,covered.Atthispoint, uncover the potand add the peas andthe shrimp.Stir. Replace the lid and cook another 10 minutes.

2. Bring 3cups of water to aboil. Add the shrimppeels. Add the Creole seasoning. Cook at asimmerfor 30 minutes. (If using frozen peeled shrimp, allow to defrost and reserve any liquid.) If you

4. Remove from thestove and place into aserving bowl. Using 2forks, ﬂuffthe riceand the otheringredients. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Turn up theheat

BYBETHDOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

It’s hard to imagine my late summer kitchen without eggplant. Strolling the farmers markets, Ican’thold back and pile my basket with eggplant in all shapes andsizes —black, thin and footlong; bright fuchsia; magenta with white striations; pale violet; light green; egg-shaped ivory Givenits mild ﬂavor and densetexture,there’s alot eggplant can do.Itoftenstands in formeat when sauteed or in casserolesoronthe grill. At the farmers market, look for

Saffron Rice with Shrimp and Onions

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

OrangeOliveOil Cake

Makes 19-inch cake.

2cups flour

as Grand Marnier,triple sec or Cointreau

1cup cut fresh berries, either mixed or justone type, depending on what is available

1. Preheat ovento350 F.

Serves 4to6

1largefresh fennel bulb,sliced

thinly

2oranges, peeled and sliced very thinly 2medium vine-ripened tomatoes, slice verythinly

½cup chopped Kalamata olives

Several grinds of apepper mill

¼cup unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

1. Place the fennel slices, orange slices and tomato slices in different bowls. Drizzle 1to2tablespoonsof dressing in each bowl and

AL FRESCO

Continued from page5C

it with roasted chicken with lemon, apork loin or tenderloin witha mustard sauce.You’ll be astar

2. Mix together the dry ingredients ﬂour through baking powder —ina bowl andstir with awhisk to create ahomogeneousdry mixture. In aseparate bowl, add therestofthe ingredients andmix well with awhisk.

3. Gradually add the dry ingredientstothe wetbowl and incorporate them into a batter with awhisk. Donot overbeat.

4. Butter theinterior sides of a9-inch round panthat is at least 2inches high, and butter aroundofparchment paper to cover thebottom. Pour in the batter.Place the paninto the preheated oven.

ComposedSalad

toss gently to cover 2. On aplatteror large plate, arrange the dressed vegetables attractively Spread the olives evenlyover the slices. Grind some black

Bakefor 50 minutes,oruntilthe top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. If either thetoothpick or the cake topisnot ready,bake for up to 10 more minutes

5. Removethe cake from the oven, run aknife around the outside of the pan, and invert thepan over acakerack. Remove the pan and allow the cake to cool for30minutes.Drizzle half theorange liqueur over the top of the cake and wait ﬁve minutes. Then drizzle the remaining liqueur over thecake. Allow to curefor 45 minutes

6. Spread theberries over thetop of the cake and serve.

pepperoverthe slices and ﬁnishwithasprinkle of the pistachios. Topwith dressing, below,before serving.

DRESSING

1teaspoon Dijon mustard

½cup olive oil

2tablespoons red wine vinegar

2garlic cloves, mashed in a garlic press

1teaspoon ground coriander Place all ingredientsina jar, replace the lid and shake well. It’sbest if thedressing sits for an hour beforeusing.

This olive oil cake is moist and fruity.Ilikestrawberries and blueberries, but usewhatisavailable. You can makeitaneven better celebration if you havea glass of Madeira. The olive oilkeeps the cake moist for days, but don’tworry,itwon’t last that long. Youcan raise aglass to toast the waning summer andthe coming of the celebration season.

Liz Williamsisfounder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’spodcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. EmailLiz at lizwillia@gmail.com.

Eggplant Caponata

Serves4to6.Recipe is from BethDooley.Eggplant’sneutral ﬂavor and dense texture actlikea sponge in this pungent Sicilian versionofratatouille. Make it aday or so ahead to allowall the componentstomarry.Serveitatroomtemperature on topofcrostini layered with soft cheese (chevre, cream cheese,mozzarella …whatever you please).

Extra-virgin olive oil

2eggplants (about 2pounds) cut into1-inchcubes

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1onion, chopped

2cloves garlic, smashed 1largefennel bulb,diced (about 1cup)

¼cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

¼cup pittedblack olives, chopped

2tablespoons capers, drained

¼cup raisins or currants

Generous pinch crushed red pepper

1bay leaf

¼cup red wine vinegar

Generous pinch brown sugar,to taste

1. Generously ﬁlm awide, heavy skillet with oil andset over medium heat. When the oilbecomes wavy,add the eggplant cubes andsizzle until they become brown on all sides, turning frequently about 5to7minutes. Remove the cooked eggplant to aplate and sprinkle with salt and pepper

2. Add more oil to the pan as needed and continue sauteing the onion,garlicand fenneluntiltheybegin to

EGGPLANT

Continued from page5C

down, I’ve been making Sicilian caponata, asweetsavory compoteofArabic inspiration. It’sapowerful

SPAFRA/DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Given itsmild flavor and dense texture, there’sa lot eggplant cando. It often stands in for meat when sauteed or in casserolesor on thegrill.

color.Lower the heat and coverthe pantosteam the vegetablesand cook until theysoften and release their juices, about 3to5 minutes. Remove the cover and add the sun-driedtomatoes with theiroil, olives, capers,currants, apinch of red pepper, bay leaf and the vinegar.

3. Return theeggplantto theskillet and stir.Cover and simmer untilthe vegetablesare very tender,about 5

collision of ﬂavors —eggplant,capers, olives, onions, tomatoes, raisins andvinegar. Tryittossed withpasta, folded into eggs, smeared on apizza or piled on Italian sausage. Layer it over soft cheese on bruschettafor a heartyappetizerortoserve

Flag on theplayasguest list forteamparty expands

Dear Miss Manners: Iamon

ateam in an adult sports league. At the end of the season, the team decided to have aparty.One of the members volunteered tohost it, but then decided to invite other people who aren’tassociated with the team.

The get-together is no longer a “team”party. Is it proper etiquette for someonewho volunteered to host aparty for a select group to invite her own additional guests?

ised, on celebrating the team’s victories (or consoling their defeats). But she will agree with you that having everyone arrive to learn they are outnumbered is poor sportsmanship.

minutes. Check to see if the pan becomes too dry,adding alittle water as necessary,1 tablespoon at atime. Season to taste with brown sugar and more salt and pepper as needed.

4. Transfer the eggplant to abowl andallow the ﬂavors to mellow for aboutanhour at room temperature before serving or transfer toacovered container and refrigerate.

as aside to abowl of soup. Make abig batch of caponatatostoreinacovered container in the refrigerator;itwill keep for several weeks. Caponata will spark themost ordinary ingredientsand makesimple weeknight dinners sing.

Gentlereader: No, but before she ruins theparty, Miss Manners would like to check that we all know thescore.

The team partywas never going to be strictly membersofthe team, any morethan non-players were barred from attendance at games. Even at practice, there might have been acoach, agroundskeeper and the guy with thekeys to the clubhouse in attendance.

By similar logic, it is not fair to expect the hostess to lock thedoor to family members, spouses or the high school friend who is staying withher for the weekend.

The issue is whether the focus remains, as prom-

Dear Miss Manners: Itook afriend to lunch. She looked at her watch at least 20 times during the meal.This made me nervous, like we were supposed to hurry up.

I ﬁnally realized her watch wasdisplaying her incoming text messages. What should Isay next time?

Gentle reader: “Iseverything OK?”

Dear Miss Manners: Iwork forasmall, family-run restaurant. The owner is from Ukraine. She is ﬂuent in English, but speaks with a notable accent.

Iamfrom the area the restaurant is located in, and Ihave lived here all of my life. Over the course of amonth, Ihave had about ﬁve different patrons ask if Iamrelated to my boss or if Iamalso from Ukraine “because of my accent.”

Idonot have one. Iknow that accents are often hard forthe speaker to notice, but Ifeel like Iwould be

aware if Ihad developed aUkrainian accent thick enough to sound like it is my ﬁrst language. What exactly should I say when people ask? I’d like to stay silent or move on to the next part of the conversation, but often that’snot aviable thing to do in these exchanges.

Gentle reader: Restaurant patrons should not be asking such questions, but Miss Manners understands that they do —and that appearing to be offended or unfriendly can have adverse consequences for both the business and your employment. The polite response is to say,inabright, friendly way, “No, I’mfrom here” —before moving on to restaurant business. This will not lessen your own annoyance at being asked, but if it ever-so-slightly embarrasses the patron, perhaps you will have saved the next employee from such unwanted attention.

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

Reusingholiday cardsastags

Dear Heloise: Likemany have submitted,Ialso have ahint for reusing Christmas cards. Youmight have printed this before, but maybe it’s worth repeating. Igive new life to my old cards by using them as gift tagsthe next year.Itisnice to reread them, and my tree always looks unique. Usually,Iwill cut thecards using the mostinteresting parts. Sometimes you can get acouple of tags from one card. Pixie, in SimiValley, California Tomato juicebath

had no luck with getting rid of the skunk odor using this method. —Heloise Mouthwash fordisposal

Dear Heloise: Ihaven’tseen this suggestion in your column, but it worked well for me and my cat. He was so stinky from a skunk, and afriendrecommended pouring tomato juice all over him. Idon’t remember if Ishampooed him after the juice. (This was back in 1975.) But Amos was so patient with theprocess and is the best cat ever!

Ilove your column!

Beth B.,via email Beth,I’ve used tomato juice and shampooed my petsafterward. Sadly,I

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Sept.25, the 268th day of 2025. There are 97 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Sept.25, 1957, nine Black studentswho had been forced to withdraw from Central High School in Little Rock,Arkansas, because of unruly White crowds were escorted to class by membersofthe U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division and the National Guard.

Also on this date:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama andsighted the PaciﬁcOcean.

In 1789, the ﬁrst United States Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to thestates for ratiﬁcation. (Ten of the amendments becamethe Bill of Rights.)

In 1956, the ﬁrst transAtlantic telephone cable ofﬁcially went into service with athree-way ceremonial call between New York, Ottawa and London.

Dear Heloise: Rhonda W. wrote about baking soda and vinegar forastinky garbage disposal. I have an easier solution: Ijust go to dollar store and buy cheap mouthwash. Iuse different ﬂavors and scents. (Cinnamon is my favorite.) Ipour about one-fourth of the bottle in with the garbage disposal turned on. The garbage disposal is then refreshed. —BunnyK in Kensington, Connecticut

Two-servingleftovers

Dear Heloise: In response to the lady whose husband would not eat leftovers the next day,I freeze leftovers in freezer-proof containers with twoservings in each, then thaw and reheat them during the next week or month. Almost anything can be frozen and tastes great later —Marilyn Smith, in Somis, California Pelletsvs. litter

Dear Heloise: Yourecently

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1978, 144 people were killed when aPaciﬁc Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 and aprivate plane collided over San Diego.

In 2005, in the presence of disarmament observers, the Irish Republican Army decommissioned its arsenal of weapons, ofﬁcially ending a36-year armed campaign forauniﬁed Irish state.

In 2012, President Barack Obama, speaking to the U.N. General Assembly, pledged U.S. support for Syrians trying to oust President Bashar Assad, calling him “a dictator who massacres his own people.”

In 2013, skipper Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USAwon the America’s Cup with one of the greatest comebacks in sports history,speeding past Dean Barker and Emirates Team NewZealand in the winner-take-all Race 19 on San Francisco Bay

In 2018, Bill Cosby was sentenced to three-to-10 years in prison fordrugging and molesting a womanathis suburban Philadelphia home. (After

answered aquestion about cat litter odor,and Iwanted to share ahint that we learned from our daughter, whohas acat rescue. She often uses compressed pine pellets as litter (horse bedding). It controls odor better than anything we have ever tried. It’s inexpensive at less than $7 for40. And it’s sustainable/environmentally friendly as it simply turns to sawdust when wet. Notall cats will use it, but thankfully,our cats do. CaseyR via email

Pizza-cuttingtrick

Dear Heloise: It took me way too manyyears to ﬁgure this one out. This hint will easily help you slice a pizza in away where all the slices come out nice. When cutting apizza with apizza cutter,start just inside the crust and cut across without breaking the crust on the other side. After all the inside cuts are made, then cut the crust. This also works well on quesadillas and other itemswith large cuts, like pasta or pastries. —DaveD., via email Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

serving nearly three years, Cosby wentfree in June 2021 after the Pennsylvania SupremeCourt overturned his conviction.)

Today’sbirthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown is 92. Former Defense SecretaryRobertGates is 82. Actor-producer Michael Douglasis81. Model Cheryl Tiegsis78. Actor Mimi Kennedy is 77. Film director Pedro Almodóvar is 76. Actor-director Anson Williams is 76. ActorMark Hamill is 74. Basketball Hall of Famer BobMcAdoois74. ActorHeather Locklear is 64. ActorAida Turturro is 63. ActorTate Donovanis62. ActorMaria Doyle Kennedy is 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippenis60. ActorWill Smith is 57. ActorCatherine Zeta-Jones is 56. Football Hall of Famer JohnLynch is 54. Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups is 49. ActorCleaDuVallis48. RapperT.I.is45. Actor-rapperDonaldGlover(Childish Gambino) is 42. Actor Zach Woodsis41. Actor JordanGavaris is 36. Actor Leah Jeffriesis16.

Hints from Heloise

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) If you hesitate, someone will take advantage of you. Be direct, nonconfrontational and upbeat regarding what you want and how you plan to move forward. Call the shots instead of following someone else's lead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Go about your business, finish what you start and be the one to make a difference. Refrain from letting someone's opinion eat away at you or cause your hackles to rise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Work quietly behind the scenes, where you can achieve the most. If you're seeking a professional or financial change, speak up; if it's personal, sit tight and wait.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Update your information, documents and skills to meet demands. Don't feel the need to pay for others or volunteer to take on responsibilities that aren't your problem.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Let your creativitysoarandyourmindwander.What you devise may not pan out, but it will spark your imagination and encourage you to head in a direction that changes how you live or work.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Refuse to buy into the hype you encounter today. Foster your desire to make the most of yourself, utilizing the skills you have diligently developed to serve your needs.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Finish what you start and do your fair share. Overreacting will not solve anything, but effective communication, transparency and

a clear plan that outlines your responsibilities will help.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Keep the momentum flowing. A gentle nudge will help by sending a signal that shows your intent. Too much idle time can lead to anxiety and an increased likelihood of making unnecessary fusses.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Positive change is a heartbeat away. All you must do is engage in what makes you who you are, and you'll make a difference. Using social media strategically will help you establish your next move.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) An open and honest approach will build strong relationships and help you make new connections. Participate in events that help you represent who you are and what you can offer. Don't hesitate to send out your resume.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Gauge situations before entering a conversation. If it's regarding personal or domestic matters, you're best off remaining calm and refusing to let anyone bait you into a fight.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Ifyouwantsomething, go after it. Harness your energy and emotions to turn your desires into tangible outcomes. You cannot measure experience by loss or gain, but by what you learn in the process.

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

TODAy'S CLUE: E EQUALS G

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

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

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

It is afact of modern bridge that pairs trytosteal deals.They sound strong when their hands arenot, hoping to dissuade their opponents from bidding the full value of their cards.

Sometimes, though, thelogic of the auction makes it clear which side is sacrificing. Then the other pair, if not bidding higher, must extract as much as possible by doubling for penalty.

What do you think about the auction in today’s deal?

North’s pass and East’s one club were clear-cut. Then South was wimpy in not biddingthreediamonds.Yes,herpartner was apassed hand and shewas vulnerable —sowhat?

West’s two-spade responsepromised 10-plus points. Then Northcompensated for his partner, leaping to five diamonds This, in theory,contravened the Lawof Total Tricks, because he could assume only a10-card fit, so should have settled for four diamonds. But he thought the opponents could make at leastfour spadesandwantedtobeasbiganuisance as possible. He was pleasantly surprised when there were three passes.

East passed because he was happy to hear his partner bid five spades. But West should nothavepassed. She knew her side had the balance of points and should have doubled or bid higher.

Five diamonds went the obvious down two.Butminus200wasverycheapwhen

compared with the easy gameavailable the other way. And with great guessing, East-West could make six clubs or six spades. As Zia Mahmood says,“If you never double amaking contract, you are not doubling oftenenough.” Do notlet the opponents steal the pot.

NEA, Inc dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers: wuzzles

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional wordsmade 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’sWoRD RITuALs: RIH-chew-uls: Acts regularly repeated in aset, precisemanner

Average mark20words

Time

Can

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer today’s thought “In thebeginning was the Word,and the Word was withGod andthe Word was God. Thesame was in the beginning with God. All things weremade by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-3

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks slip as Wall Street rally loses steam

U.S. stock indexes drifted lower on Wednesday as a seemingly relentless rally on Wall Street takes at least a pause.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% for a second straight, modest loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 171 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%. All three are still near their all-time highs, which were set on Monday It’s a slowdown following the U.S. stock market’s blistering run since hitting a low in April, fueled by hopes that President Donald Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates several times to boost the U.S. economy The rally was so big that it raised concerns about stock prices shooting too high and becoming too expensive, particularly if the Fed does not deliver as many cuts to rates as traders expect.

Demonstrating the weight of high expectations, Micron Technology’s stock fell 2.8% even though it reported a better proﬁt and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The computer memory company also gave a forecast for proﬁt in the current quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations

Typically, such a performance would send a stock higher But Micron’s stock came into the day with an atypical, stunning gain of 97.7% for the year so far Freeport-McMoRan sank 17% for one of the market’s larger losses after the miner said it expects sales of copper to be 4% lower in the third quarter than it had earlier forecast. It also said sales of gold will likely be roughly 6% lower than earlier expected Jeep cancels plan for plug-in hybrid pickup

Jeep has canceled plans to build a plug-in hybrid version of its Gladiator midsize truck, a move that comes shortly after parent Stellantis NV also halted plans for an all-electric Ram pickup.

“As customers’ propulsion preferences for battery-electric trucks continue to evolve, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will no longer include an electrified Gladiator variant in the Jeep lineup,” said a company statement sent by spokesperson Andy Bowman. Jeep, which recently notiﬁed suppliers of the cancellation said it will continue investing in the Gladiator. The pickup is expected to be built at least into 2028.

The Gladiator 4xe was initially expected to come out this year, joining the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee SUVs that have offered plug-in hybrid models for the last few years. But planning and production timelines for the new variant had been delayed at the Toledo Assembly Complex, where both the Gladiator and Wrangler are built, United Auto Workers ofﬁcials previously said.

Disney to raise prices on streaming services

Disney announced on Tuesday it will raise the subscription prices for its streaming services, amid widespread calls for a boycott following Jimmy Kimmel’s abrupt suspension from Disney-owned ABC. The increase is set to go into effect for new subscribers beginning Oct 21 Current subscribers will see the change to their ﬁrst bill on or after that date.

Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads will both increase by $2 to $11.99 per month, while Disney+ Premium will increase by $3 to $18.99.

The Disney+ with Hulu bundle is going up by $2 to $12.99 per month, and ESPN Select will increase by $1 to $12.99. Hulu’s Live TV Only plan will increase by $7 to $88.99 per month. The price for Hulu Premium, ESPN Unlimited and the Disney+ with Hulu Premium bundle will not go up.

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

U.S. cuts tariffs on EU cars to 15%

Deal on trade agreement sealed

BY JOSH WINGROVE and ALBERTO NARDELLI Bloomberg News (TNS)

The U.S. lowered tariffs on auto imports from the European Union to 15% retroactive to Aug. 1, cementing terms of the framework trade agreement the two sides struck almost two months ago.

The Department of Commerce and Ofﬁce of the U.S. Trade Representative published a document online on Wednesday detailing

the changes, reducing duties on a range of goods.

The order will help to further ease tensions between Washington and Brussels, as the two sides work through implementing the details of the trade deal they announced at one of President Donald Trump’s golf courses in Scotland.

Europe’s auto industry has been waiting for several weeks for the lower duties to be adopted.

The changes laid out in the ﬁling include a list of exemptions for sectors including aircraft, aircraft parts and generic pharmaceutical drugs plus ingredients, as well as “unavailable natural resources”

such as cork and certain metals and ores, effective Sept. 1. Those goods will maintain lower so-called most-favored nation rates.

Most of the new rates take effect for EU goods shipped starting Sept. 1, but the relief for automobiles and parts was contingent on the EU introducing legislation to lower tariffs on American industrial goods and some non-sensitive agricultural products.

The bloc followed through with that action on Aug. 28 and is currently in the process of implementing its concessions, paving the way for the Trump administration to backdate the new auto charge.

Previously those vehicles faced a 25% U.S duty on top of prior levies of 2.5%. As part of the arrangements in the trade deal, the EU faces a 15% tariff ceiling on most of its exports. That rate doesn’t stack on top of any existing industry-speciﬁc tariffs, and the EU expects it to also cover any future sectoral levies that may be introduced on drugs and chips.

However, the two sides have yet to make much progress on reaching an accord to lower tariffs on steel and aluminum, where the bloc is currently facing 50% duties on its exports.

A TOMB RAIDER THREAT

AI was used to clone character Lara Croft’s voice, angering fans, actors

BY JOHN LEICESTER and NICOLAS GARRIGA Associated Press

PARIS A lifelong fan of Tomb Raider, French gamer Romain Bos was on tenterhooks when an update of the popular video game went online in August.

But his excitement quickly turned to anger.

The gamer’s ears — and those of other Tomb Raider fans — picked up something amiss with the French-language voice of Lara Croft, the game’s protagonist.

It sounded robotic, lifeless even — shorn of the warmth, grace and believability that French voice actor Françoise Cadol has given to Croft since she started playing the character in 1996.

Gamers and Cadol herself came to the same conclusion: A machine had cloned her voice and replaced her

“It’s pathetic,” said Cadol, who straight away called her lawyer “My voice belongs to me. You have no right to do that.”

“It was absolutely scandalous,” said Bos. “It was artiﬁcial intelligence.”

AI encroaching ‘everywhere’

Aspyr, the game developer based in Austin, Texas, didn’t respond to emailed questions from The Associated Press.

But it acknowledged in a post last week on its website that what it described as “unauthorized AI generated content” had been incorporated into its Aug. 14 update of Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered that angered fans.

“We’ve addressed this issue by removing all AI voiceover content,” Aspyr’s post said.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Still, the affair has triggered alarms in the voiceover community, with campaigners saying it’s a sobering example of dangers that AI poses to human workers and their jobs.

“If we can replace actors, we’ll be able to replace accountants, and a whole range of other professions that could also be automated,” said Patrick Kuban, a French-language voice actor who is also a co-president of United Voice Artists, an international federation of voiceover artists.

“So we need to ask ourselves the right questions: How far should we go, and how do we regulate these machines?”

“Actors’ voices are being captured, either to create voice clones — not perfect ones — but for illicit use on social media by individuals, since there are now many apps for making audio deepfakes,” Kuban said in an Associated Press interview

“These voices are also being used by content producers who aren’t necessarily in the same country,” he said. “So it’s very difﬁcult for actors to reclaim control over their voices, to block these uses.”

Cadol said that within minutes of the release of the Tomb Raider update, her phone began erupting with messages, emails and

social media notiﬁcations from upset fans.

“I took a look and I saw all this emotion — anger, sadness, confusion. And that’s how I found out that my voice had been cloned,”

she said in an AP interview

Cadol’s Paris lawyer, Jonathan Elkaim, is seeking an apology from Aspyr and ﬁnancial redress.

Grammar error

In the update, new chunks of voiceover appear to have been added to genuine recordings that Cadol said she made years ago.

Most notably, fans picked up on one particularly awkward segment.

In it, a voice instructs players how to use their game controllers to make Lara Croft climb onto an obstacle, intoning in French: “Place toi devant et appuyez sur avancer” — Stand in front and press ‘advance.’

Not only does it sound clunky but it also rings as grammatically incorrect to French speakers — mixing up the polite and less polite forms of language that they use, depending on who they’re addressing.

Gamers were up in arms. Bos posted a video on his YouTube channel that same evening, lamenting: “It’s half Françoise Cadol, half AI. It’s horrible! Why have they done that?”

“I was really disgusted,” the 34-year-old said in an AP interview “I grew up with Françoise Cadol’s voice. I’ve been a Tomb Raider fan since I was young kid.”

Social Security will stop issuing paper checks in October

COLA announcement will be Oct. 15

BY SARAH MORENO Miami Herald (TNS) October is a key month for Social Security beneficiaries, who can begin planning their ﬁnances for next year once the ofﬁcial costof-living adjustment, or COLA, is announced That income adjustment determines the 2026 monthly payment for retirees, spouses and survivors of retirees, and low-income individuals who participate in the Supplemental Security Income program. But the biggest change starting in October for retired

have a bank account, you can request Direct Express, a debit card on which the federal government will deposit your beneﬁts. It can be requested at (877) 874-6347. The official COLA announcement is made on Oct. 15, after

ries receive their increase in December because Jan. 1 is a holiday A considerable portion of the Social Security income adjustment from COLA

more per month on average in retirees’ checks, with retirees beginning to receive the increase in January SSI beneﬁcia-

‘My voice belongs to me. you have no right to do that,’ said actress Françoise Cadol, who voices the character of Lara Croft.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

An attendee dressed as video game character Lara Croft, from Tomb Raider walks through the 2023 New york Comic Con in New york. Aspyr, the game developer acknowledged in a post last week on its website that what it described as ‘unauthorized AI generated content’ had been incorporated into its Aug. 14 update of Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered.