The Advocate 09-30-2025

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Landry seeks Guard troops for La.

1,000

soldiers requested to patrol in cities

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Gov. Jeff Landry has asked President Donald Trump’s administration for a federally funded deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops in Louisiana cities to sup-

port law enforcement.

In a letter to the Pentagon, he cited crime in cities like Baton Rouge, Shreveport and New Orleans. He did not lay out a precise plan for where Guard members would be deployed “Federal partnerships in our

toughest cities have worked, and now, with the support of President Trump and Secretary (Pete) Hegseth, we are taking the next step by bringing in the National Guard,” Landry said in a release Monday night. “This mission is about saving lives and protecting families.

To the criminals terrorizing our communities: your time is up. Law and order are back in Louisiana.”

The move would mark another high-profile deployment of the National Guard since Trump began his second term, following his controversial decision to send thousands of members to Washington, D.C., as part of a crackdown on crime and immigration.

Governor pledges faster cleanup of Tangipahoa plant fire site

from state

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry has promised changes to the cleanup of the Smitty’s Supply Inc. fire after he saw aerial video of oiled sections of the Tangipahoa River

The video from Saturday posted on social media shows an oiled pond next to Smitty’s and an oiled section of the river, which received potentially millions of gallons of runoff from the Smitty’s lubricants plant near Roseland. It caught fire and exploded Aug. 22 and was not fully extinguished until Sept. 8.

After seeing the video, Landry said

“My commitment is to the citizens of this state and especially those in Tangipahoa Parish to make sure that facility and the effects of the fire are cleaned up and that area is restored to the same way it was before the fire.” GOV. JEFF LANDRy

Sunday that he spoke with the regional head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the leaders of his state environmental and oil-and-gas agencies.

“Collectively, we had a call and tomorrow morning, things are getting ready to start changing on the cleaning up of that

site,” Landry said in a video posted on X.

“My commitment is to the citizens of this state and especially those in Tangipahoa Parish to make sure that facility and the effects of the fire are cleaned up and that area is restored to the same way it was before the fire,” he said.

Landry offered no details about what kind of changes were coming.

His spokesperson, Kate Kelly, didn’t return an email requesting comment. An EPA spokesperson for the cleanup said he was preparing a response but hadn’t provided it by Monday evening.

The video was shot and posted, the governor said, by Eric McVicker a Mandeville resident and Republican political consultant who owns a photography

The Trump administration also recently announced plans to send the Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon, although in much smaller numbers.

In his letter to Hegseth Landry says the troops would remain in Louisiana until the end of the 2026 fiscal year, though he does not

ä See TROOPS, page 6A

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A Baker man described by authorities as one of East Baton Rouge’s biggest sex traffickers was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for running a prostitution ring out of area motels.

Kevontae Kindel Reed was part of an operation that forced at least three underage girls to have sex with men for money. Prosecutors said he preyed on girls as young as 12, many who were troubled teens or runaways from the foster care system He stashed the girls in seedy motel rooms where he forced them to “earn their right” to stay by having sex with random men for money, according to court records.

“Mr Reed, making money off young children in these circumstances was just deplorable,” District Judge Fred Crifasi said moments before doling out Reed’s sentence. “They were marginalized. They didn’t have any family support, they didn’t have any school support, they didn’t have a community

“You exercised control and power over these young victims and took advantage of unfortunate circumstances,” the judge added.

Reed sat in the courtroom two days shy of his 30th birthday As part of his sentence, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Reed had a string of arrests for soliciting prostitutes and sex crimes involving minors dating back to 2015. District Attorney Hillar Moore said Reed had become one of the most active human traffickers in the parish by the time he was arrested in 2021.

Congress struggles to prevent government shutdown

National Flood Insurance Program faces uncertainty

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

The situation was fluid and could

erational.

A letter from the Office of Management and Budget stated that agencies receiving money in the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, such as efforts to deport immigrants, will be protected. But most government workers would be put on temporary leave

at least that’s what happened in the 10 previous shutdowns going back to 1980. This time, however the Trump administration has ordered agencies to consider firing thousands of federal workers, instead of furloughing them, though nothing concrete had been released. Perhaps the most immediate effect for Louisiana would be an end, at least temporarily to flood insurance.

The National Flood Insurance Program will expire unless the Senate accepts without changes the House-passed resolution to continue government operations for another seven weeks. About 458,000 of Louisiana’s home and business owners have flood insurance.

Current policies will remain in effect until their expiration dates,

ä See SHUTDOWN, page 6A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

A boom helps stop oil runoff from the explosion at Smitty’s Supply from floating down the Tangipahoa River in Independence on Aug. 25.

Moldova’s pro-EU party wins parliamentary vote

CHISINAU, Moldova Moldovans gave the country’s pro-Western governing party a clear parliamentary majority in a weekend election, defeating pro-Russian groups in a vote widely viewed as a stark choice between East and West.

European leaders Monday hailed Moldovans for re-affirming their commitment to a Western path and future membership in the European Union in the face of alleged Russian interference. The country is small in size and population but with outsized geopolitical importance.

“You made your choice clear: Europe. Democracy Freedom,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X. “No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve.”

Landlocked between war-torn Ukraine and EU and NATO member Romania, Moldova was a Soviet republic until it proclaimed independence in 1991. In recent years it has taken a clear Westward path, turning the country into a geopolitical battleground between Russia and Europe

The outcome of Sunday’s highstakes ballot was noteworthy considering Moldovan authorities’ repeated claims that Russia was conducting a vast “hybrid war” to try to sway the outcome. Moldova applied to join the EU in 2022 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and was granted candidate status that year Brussels agreed to open accession negotiations last year

Attack on Dutch-flagged ship off Yemen injures 2 DUBAI,UnitedArab Emirates A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels set a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, officials said, injuring two mariners and forcing its crew to abandon the damaged vessel.

The attack on the Minervagracht represents the mostserious attack in the Gulf of Aden, some distance away from the Red Sea where the Iranianbacked Houthis sank two vessels in July

While the rebels did not claim the assault, they had threatened to strike ships as part of their campaign over the IsraelHamas war in the Gaza Strip, particularly as Israel squeezes in on Gaza City in a new ground offensive. Meanwhile, the Mideast also remains on edge after the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The Minervagracht had been targeted on Sept. 23 in an unsuccessful attack in the Gulf of Aden, which connects to the Red Sea via the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday, a missile launch seen by some in Yemen apparently struck the Minervagracht.

3 charged with alleged ‘doxing’ of ICE agent

LOS ANGELES Three activists opposed to President Donald Trump’s immigration raids in Los Angeles have been indicted on charges of illegally “doxing” a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, federal prosecutors said. Investigators said the women followed the agent home, livestreamed their pursuit and then posted the agent’s address online, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Once they arrived at the agent’s home, prosecutors allege the women shouted “ICE lives on your street and you should know,” according to the indictment. The defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of publicly disclosing the personal information of a federal agent, the statement said Prosecutors said a 25-year-old woman from Panorama City, California, is free on $5,000 bail. A 38-year-old resident of Aurora, Colorado, who is also charged in a separate case with assault on a federal officer, is in custody without bail. And authorities are searching for the third defendant, a 37-year-old woman from Riverside, California.

Police chief: Church attack an ‘evil act’

Death toll stays at 4 after officers sweep ruins in Michigan

BY ISABELLA VOLMERT and MARK VANCLEAVE Associated Press

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich.

In the chaotic moments after a former Marine smashed his pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan and began shooting, church members pulled others to safety while smoke filled the building, officials said Monday

Four people died and eight others were wounded in Sunday’s attack just as services were underway in the crowded sanctuary Authorities feared they would find additional victims, but by Monday everyone was accounted for after a sweep of the charred ruins, police said.

Investigators were focusing on what motivated the 40-year-old veteran to open fire and set ablaze the church in Grand Blanc Township, about 60 miles north of Detroit. The suspect was also killed while exchanging gunfire with two officers, said Township Chief of Police William Renye

Eight people ages 6 to 78 — were injured, including five with gunshot wounds, the chief said. The

others suffered smoke inhalation.

“This was an evil act of violence,” Renye said.

The FBI considered the attack the second on an American church in little over a month — an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.

Investigators declined to discuss possible motives during a news conference Monday

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring town of Burton.

Investigators deployed a robot while searching Sanford’s residence Sunday but did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he had any connec-

tion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said investigators were looking into how much planning went into the attack and whether any clues about the motive were left behind.

“From what I understand, based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” she said Monday during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”

Employees from a nearby hospital were inside the church at the time of the attack and jumped into action said Dr. Michael Danic

medical chief of staff for Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, where most of the victims were treated.

He described how the employees went “in and out of the fire” to help drag people out.

“Those on the scene were absolute heroes,” Danic said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said a Grand Blanc police officer and a conservation officer with the state’s Department of Natural Resources brought down the attacker

The DNR officer was on duty nearby when he responded, said Marc Curtis, an attorney representing him. “I can tell you that he acted without hesitation,” Curtis said.

Crews in white coveralls and hard hats searched

through what remained of the church Monday morning. The suspect’s silver truck with two American flags in the back remained where it had smashed into a brick wall near a sign that says “visitors welcome.”

Across the street, there was an SUV with apparent bullet holes in the windshield and driver window

A woman who knew Sanford saw him two days before the attack and said that while she and her daughter were crossing a street, he revved up his truck and started driving toward them, causing them to jump back. Kara Pattison told WDIV-TV that Sanford was laughing and said “Oh, got you guys.” Sanford apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices, said James Dier, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Flames and smoke poured from the church for hours after the attack. The fire gutted nearly all of the building, consuming its towering white steeple and sanctuary — only its outer walls and a few side rooms remained standing.

According to records released by the Marine Corps, Sanford served for four years after enlisting in 2004 and was discharged at the rank of sergeant. He deployed once to Iraq for seven months and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, indicating three years of service without any major infractions.

Marine vet charged in N.C. waterfront shooting

BY CAROLYN THOMPSON and ALLEN G BREED Associated Press

A decorated Marine veteran charged with firing an assault rifle from a boat at a waterfront bar in North Carolina, killing three people and wounding five, appeared subdued in court Monday as prosecutors said they may seek the death penalty Nigel Edge, 40, a Purple Heart recipient whose last assignment was with a Wounded Warrior battalion, made his first court appearance via video link after Saturday’s mass shooting. He’s charged with murder, attempted murder and assault.

Law enforcement officers “got the confession”

from the suspect following his arrest, said North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Chip Hawley at a news conference Monday He did not elaborate.

Five people remained hospitalized from the violence in Southport, a historic port town about 30 miles south of Wilmington. None of the victims’ identities have been released.

On Sunday, another 40-year-old former Marine crashed a pickup into a Michigan church during services, shot into the building and set it ablaze, killing four people and wounding eight. It was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours.

District Attorney Jon David said his office had yet

Madagascar’s leader fires government after protests

BY SARAH TÉTAUD and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press

ANTANANARIVO Madagascar Madagascar

President Andry Rajoelina fired the prime minister and the rest of his government Monday in response to days of deadly Gen Z-led protests in the Indian Ocean island over the failure of the electricity and water supplies.

Rajoelina said in a speech on national television that Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and other government officials would stay on an interim basis until a new government is formed. He invited applications for government positions and gave a three-day time frame to review proposals for a new prime minister

“Your demands have been heard, and I apologize if there are members of the government who have not done the work that the people expected,” Rajoelina said.

The protesters had called for the resignation of both Ntsay and Rajoelina, but Rajoelina gave no indication that he would step down.

The protests against chronic electricity and water cuts began on Thursday and drew thousands onto the streets, prompting the government to order nighttime curfews in the capital, Antananarivo, and

to review medical records but described Edge as having “significant mental health issues” after experiencing a traumatic brain injury according to WECT News.

Authorities said Edge piloted a boat close to shore, stopped briefly and opened fire at a crowd of vacationers and other patrons in what Southport Police Chief Todd Coring called a “highly premeditated” targeted attack. A charging document says he used an AR-style rifle with a silencer and scope.

He was arrested about a half an hour later after a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted him pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island, where he lives.

Demonstrators hold up placards reading ‘water and electricity are basic human rights,’ ‘Malagasy people, wake up,’ ‘Let’s not remain in the dark with our yellow cans’ on Thursday in Antananarivo, Madagascar

other major cities. The demonstrations gathered momentum on social media and have mirrored recent youth-led antigovernment protests in Nepal and Kenya.

The United Nations human rights office said earlier Monday that 22 people had been killed in clashes surrounding the protests. The U.N. agency blamed a “violent response” by security forces. More than 100 people also have been injured in the protests, the agency said.

Protesters and bystanders were killed by security forces, but some of the deaths also came in violence and looting by gangs not associated with the protesters, the U.N. rights office said in a statement.

U.N. high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk was shocked “at the violent response by security forces to the ongoing protests in Madagascar,” the U.N. rights office said. It said the protests began peacefully on Thursday, “but the security forces intervened with unnecessary force, lobbing tear gas and beating and arresting protesters. Some officers also used live ammunition.”

Edge requested a courtappointed attorney and declined to comment during his appearance in Brunswick County Court, WECT News reported. He showed no obvious emotion as the district attorney said his office would review whether the death penalty is appropriate. No plea was entered. Edge was ordered to remain in custody pending his next court hearing, scheduled for Oct. 13.

Edge, who was born in Suffern, New York, and changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023, told police

he was injured in combat and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, Southport’s police chief said. Oak Island Police Chief Charles Morris said Edge was known to officers who frequently saw him by the town pier, and that Edge filed “numerous lawsuits” against the department and town in recent years. In one, he sought body camera video from an encounter after his boat trailer was vandalized. Legal records indicate Edge turned to the court system to air a variety of perceived grievances.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CARLOS OSORIO

Law enforcement officers walk Monday outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Mich. Four people died and eight others were wounded in Sunday’s attack on the church.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SARAH TETAUD

Immigrationoperationsin Chicagoamplify concerns

BY SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press

CHICAGO The sight of armed, camouflaged and masked Border Patrol agents making arrests near famous downtown Chicago landmarks has amplified concerns about the Trump administration’sgrowing federal intervention across U.S. cities.

As Memphis Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon, brace for afederallaw enforcementsurge, residents in the nation’sthird-largest city met abrazen weekend escalationofimmigration enforcement tactics with anger,fear and fresh claims of discrimination.

“It looks un-American,” said Chicago Alderman Brandon Reilly,who represents downtown on the City Council. He deemed the Sunday display a“photo opp” for President Donald Trump, echoing other leaders.

Trump has called the expansion of federalimmigration agents and National Guard troops into American cities necessary,blasting Democrats for crimeand lax immigration policies. Following acrime crackdown in the District of Columbiaand immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, he’sreferred to Portland as “war-ravaged” and threatened apocalyptic force in Chicago.

“Whether it takes place here in the city or the suburbs, it’sall the same to us,” Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino, known for aggressive tactics in Los Angeles, said Sunday as he walked Chicago streets with dozens of agents.

Discrimination claims

Many Chicagoans were already uneasy aftera federal immigration crackdown began earlier this month.

Agents have targetedimmigrant-heavy and largely Latino areas, including through traffic stops.

Dozens of Border agentswalking Michig Avenue and upscale borhoods on Sunday rocketed theresponse.

Among the biggest cern from activists elected leaders is discr natory stops, particularly after the Supreme lifted restrictions on ing patrols in L.A. The cleared the way for gration agents to stop based on race, language or location.

In Chicago, activists Latino family of four was away by federal agents day near the popular Gate” sculpture,com called “The Bean.”

“The downtown opera of beingracially profiled kidnapped by immigr in broad daylight represe amajor escalation Trump administration,” Veronica Castro with Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights.

U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia,anIllinois crat, said agents continu

ASHLEEREZIN

CHICAGO SUN-TIMESPHOTO By

Federalagentsfrom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection walk SundayonNorth Clark Street in the River North neighborhood in Chicago.

profilebased on looks.

Bovino told The Associated Press that agents will go after “anyone who is here illegally,” an approach that fell under immigration authority,known asTitle8.He told the Chicago Sun-Times that aperson’sappearance goesinto the calculation.

“It wouldbeagent experience, intelligence that indicates there’sillegal aliens in aparticular place or location,” he told thenewspaper “Then, obviously, theparticularcharacteristics of an individual, how they look.”

TheDepartment of Homeland Security did notreturn messages Monday.

Chicagoans trailagents

As Border Patrol agents marched near downtown, a trail of activists and citizens followed closely. At one point, agents chased aman on abikewho rode off.

Shirley Zuniga was celebrating her 24th birthday when she saw agents. Still wearing ahot pink birthday sash, she left brunch to follow them.

Zuniga,among thefirst in her familyofHonduranimmigrants to be born in the United States, said she forgot all about her birthday plans as sheyelled at them

of power and adisservice to ourcommunities and our service members,” Rayfield said in astatementMonday

The U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement building outside Portland has been thesite of nightly protests that peaked in June, with smaller clashes occurring since then.

Alarger crowd demonstrated at the building Sunday. Twopeople were arrested for assault, according to authorities. That followed apeaceful march earlier in theday that drew thousands to thecity’sdowntown and saw no arrests, police said. Some residents are already frustrated.

The building manager of the affordable housing complex adjacent to the ICE building said “theimpacts of violenttactics,including tear gasand late-night altercations, are traumatizing for residents,” including the veterans who live there.

“Sending federal troops will only escalate the situation. The last thing we need is an escalation,” Reach CommunityDevelopment said in statement Memphisresidents worry Memphis was in wait-andseemode Monday,the first

Physicianaccused of mailing medication to state

BY SARACLINE and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press

Louisiana is pursuing acriminal case againstanother out-of-state doctor accused of mailing abortion pills to apatient in the state, court documents filed this month revealed.

Awarrant forthe arrestofa California doctor is arare charge of violating one of the state abortion bans that hastaken effect since the U.S.Supreme Court overturned Roev.Wadein2022and allowedenforcement

It representsanadditional frontina growing legalbattlebetween liberaland conservative states over prescribing abortionmedications via telehealth and mailing themtopatients

Pills arethe mostcommonway abortions are accessed in the U.S.,and are amajor reason that, despite the bans, abortion numbers rose last year,according to areport.

Louisianasaid in acourt casefiledSept. 19 thatithad issued awarrant for aCaliforniabased doctor who it says provided pills to a Louisiana woman in 2023.

Both thewoman, Rosalie Markezich, and the state’sattorney general, areseeking to be part of alawsuit that seeks to order drug regulators to bartelehealthprescriptions to mifepristone, one of the two drugs usually used in combination for medication abortions.

In court filings, Markezich says herboyfriend at thetimeused her emailaddress to order drugs from Dr.RemyCoeytaux, aCalifornia physician,and sent her$150, which she forwarded to Coeytaux. She said she hadnoother contact with the doctor

She said she did notwant to take the pills but felt forced to andsaid in thefiling that “thetrauma of my chemical abortion still haunts me”and that it wouldnot have happened if telehealth prescriptions to the drug wereoff limits.

The accusation builds on aposition taken by anti-abortion groups: That allowing abortion pills to be prescribedbyphone or video call and filled by mail opens the door to women being coerced to take them.

“Rosalieisbravely representing many woman whoare victimized by the illegal, immoral, andunethical conduct of these drug dealers,” LouisianaAttorney General Liz Murrill said in astatement.

Murrill’sofficedid not immediately answer questions about what charges Coey-

taux faces, or whenthe warrant was issued.

But under the state’sban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy,physicians convicted of providing abortion face up to 15 years in prison and $200,000 in fines. Coeytauxisalso thetarget of alawsuit filed in July in federal court by aTexasman whosays the doctor illegally provided his girlfriend with abortion pills. Email and atelephone message seeking comment were left for Coeytaux.

The combination of aLouisiana criminal case anda Texascivil caseoverabortion pillsisalso playingout surrounding aNew York doctor,MargaretCarpenter. New York authorities are refusing to extradite Carpenter to Louisiana or to enforce for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton the $100,000 civil judgment against her In theLouisianacase, officialssaida pregnant minor’smother requested the abortion medication online and directed her daughter to takethem. The mother wasarrested pleaded not guiltyand wasreleased on bond. NewYork officials cite alaw there that seeks to protect medical providers who prescribe abortionmedications to patients in states with abortion bans —orwhere such prescriptions by telehealth violate the law. NewYorkand California areamong the eight states that have shield laws with such provisions, according to atally by the v Institute,aresearch organization that supports abortion rights.

The Abortion CoalitionofTelemedicine said they “fully expect” California Gov Gavin Newsom, aDemocrat, to uphold his state’sshield law in the new case.

Murrill told The Associated Press that she will sue governors whose shield laws “purport to protect theseindividuals from criminal conduct” in Louisiana.

The legal filings that revealed the Louisiana charge against Coeytaux are part of an effort for Louisiana, along with Florida and Texas, to joina lawsuitfiledlast year by theRepublican attorneys generalfor Idaho, Kansasand Missouri to roll back federalapprovals for mifepristone.

This year,both Louisiana and Texas have adoptedlawstotargetout-of-state providers of abortion pills.

The Louisiana law lets patients who receive abortionssue providers andothers. The Texas law goes further and allows anyone to sue those who prescribe such pills in the state.

Both Health SecretaryRobertF.Kennedy Jr.and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner MartyMakary have said they are conducting afullreviewofmifepristone’s safety and effectiveness.

9:30AM –3:00PM

YouTubetopay $24.5M to settle suit with Trump

Case concerned hisaccount’s suspension after Jan. 6attack

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY and MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP technologywriters

Google’sYouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle alawsuit President Donald Trump brought after the video site suspended his account following the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol following the election that resulted in him leaving the

White House for four years. The settlement of themore than four-year-old caseearmarks $22 millionfor Trump to contribute to theTrust for the NationalMall and aconstruction of aWhiteHouse ballroom,according to court documents filed Monday. The remaining$2.5million will be paid to otherpartiesinvolvedinthe case,including the writer Naomi Wolf and theAmerican Conservative Union Alphabet, the parent of Google, is thethirdmajor technology company to settle avolley of lawsuitsthat Trumpbrought forwhathe allegedhad unfairlymuzzled

him after his first term as president endedinJanuary 2021. He filed similarcases against Facebook parent MetaPlatforms and Twitter beforeitwas bought by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022 and rebrandedasX

Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over his 2021 suspension from Facebook and Xagreed to settle the lawsuit that Trumpbroughtagainst Twitterfor $10 million.When the lawsuits against Meta. Twitter and YouTube were filed, legal expertspredicted Trump hadlittle chance of prevailing.

After buying Twitter for

$44.5 billion, Musk later became major contributor to Trump’ssuccessful 2024 campaign that resulted in his reelection and then spent several months leadinga cost-cutting effort that purgedthousands of workersfromthe federal government payroll before the two had abitter falling-out. Both AlphabetCEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbergwere among the tech leaders who lined up behind Trumpduringhis second inauguration in January in a showofsolidarity that was widely interpreted as asign of theindustry’sintention to work more closelywiththe

president than during his first administration.

ABC News, meanwhile, agreed to pay $15 million in December toward Trump’s presidentiallibrary to settle adefamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertionthat the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. And in July,Paramount decided to pay Trump $16 milliontosettle alawsuit regarding editing at CBS’ storied “60 Minutes” news program. The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, thefiling says. Google

confirmed thesettlement but declined to comment beyond it. Google declined to commentonthe reasons for the settlement, but Trump’s YouTube account has been restored since 2023. The settlement will barely dent Alphabet, which has amarket value of nearly $3 trillion —anincrease of about $600 billion, or 25%, since Trump’s return to the White House. The disclosure of the settlementcamea week before a scheduled Oct. 6court hearing to discuss thecasewith U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in Oakland, California.

N. Korean diplomat insistscountry won’tgiveupnukes

BY EDITH M. LEDERER and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS Asenior North Koreandiplomatreiterated at the U.N. Monday that his country won’tgive up its nuclearweapons despite numerousinternational demands to do so, calling them crucial to keeping a “balance of power” with South Korea. “Wewillnever walk away from this position,” he said. Under the spotlight of the General Assembly’sannual meeting of world leaders, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong amplified his country’slong-standing complaints about U.S.-led military exercises with South Korea and Japan. Complaining that theU.S and its allies are mounting a“growing threat of aggression,” he portrayed his own country’sarsenalasthe reason “the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula is ensured.” Still, his address was more tempered, especially toward the United States, than many of his country’sprior remarks on the world stage and elsewhere. While Kim lambasted —without namingnames —“hegemonic forces” and an “indiscriminate tariff war,” there were no direct references to U.S. PresidentDonald Trump or personal insults, andthere was more sternness than

over-the-top bellicosity

Kim vowed that “we will nevergive up nuclear,” notingthatNorth Korea’s nuclear program is enshrined in its constitution. He asserted that security on theKorean Peninsula “isfaced with serious chal-

lenges morethan ever ”saying that the U.S.-JapaneseSouth Korean exercises “are breaking all the previous recordsinterms of scale,nature, frequencyand scope.” The North routinely characterizes such war gamesas preludes to an attack.

South Korea, for its part, has said the recent trilateral military exercises were necessarytocounter North Korea’sgrowing nuclear andmissile threats. NumerousU.N.Security Council resolutions have demanded that theNorth stop building nuclearweapons andballistic missiles.

But South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told the high-level meeting last week that his new government“will begin anew journey toward peaceful coexistenceand sharedgrowth on the Korean Peninsula.” He said, “The first step will be to restore broken inter-Korean trust and shifttoastance of mutual respect.”

North Korea’sKim did not respond to this overturein his speech.

Kim’s appearance at the UnitedNations marked the first timesince 2018 that North Korea sent asenior diplomat to the General Assembly gathering.

The U.N.,hesaid, “should not feel relieved, nor congratulate ourselves, on the nonoccurrence of the World WarIII forthe past 80 years. Instead,weshould paydue

attention to the fact that the inducible threat has persisted and is now becoming moreserious, and take measures accordingly.” The diplomat’sappearance at the U.N. comes amid signs of renewed interest in apossible meeting between itsleader, KimJongUn, andU.S.President Donald Trump.

Trump and the North Korean leader met threetimesin 2018-2019 as Pyongyang was building anuclear weapons stockpile, which KimJong Un views as key to the country’ssecurity and his continuedauthority in thenortheast Asian nation. The talks collapsed over U.S.-led sanctions against the North, and itsleader hassinceshunned any diplomacy with the U.S. and South Korea. SinceTrump returnedto power in January,hehas repeatedly expressed hope of restarting talks with Kim. Last Monday, theNorth Korean leader said he still has “goodmemories”ofTrump but urged the United States to drop its demand that the North surrender its nuclear arms as aprecondition for resuming diplomacy

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press

PROVO, Utah An attorney for the 22-year-old man charged with killing Charlie Kirk asked ajudge Monday formoretimetoreviewthe large amount of evidence in the case before deciding if the defense will seek apreliminary hearing. Apreliminary hearing would determine if thereis enough evidence against TylerRobinson to go forward with atrial. Defendants can waive that step, but Robinson’snewly appointed attorney Kathryn Nester saidher team did not intend to do so. Utah prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder and planto seek the death penalty

Both thedefense and prosecution acknowledged

at abrief hearing Monday that the amount of evidence prosecutors have is “voluminous.” Robinson was not present for the hearing and appeared via audiofrom jail at hisdefense team’s request. Judge Tony Graf set the next hearing forOct. 30. Defense attorneys for Robinson andprosecutors with theUtah CountyAttorney’s Officedeclined to comment after Monday’shearing. It took place in Provo, just a fewmiles from the Utah Valley University campus in Orem where manystudents are still processing trauma from the Sept. 10 shooting and the day-and-a-half searchfor thesuspect.

Authorities arrested Robinson when he showed up with his parents athis hometown sheriff’s office in southwest Utah, more than

evidence

athree-hour drivefrom the siteofthe shooting,toturn himself in. Prosecutors have sincerevealed incriminating textmessages and DNA evidence that they sayconnect Robinsontothe killing.

Anotethat Robinson left for hisromantic partner beforethe shooting said he had the opportunity to kill one of thenation’sleading conservative voices, “and I’m going to take it,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters before the first hearing. Gray alsosaid Robinsonwrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred.”

The assassination of Kirk, aclose ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism,has galvanized Republicans who have vowed to carry on Kirk’smission.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG Vice Minister for Foreign Affairsfor NorthKorea Kim SonGyong addresses the 80thsession of theUnited Nations General Assembly on MondayatU.N.headquarters.

Trump and Netanyahu reach deal on Gaza

BY ADAM GELLER, SAM MEDNICK and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point proposal supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would end the war in Gaza and free remaining hostages, leaning heavily into conditions that Hamas has previously rejected.

The U.S. president, who has become increasingly frustrated by the bloody conflict, seems to be betting that the militants are now so decimated that they have no choice but to accept what he and Netanyahu are framing as a last, best offer

“If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if they supposedly accept it and then do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself,” Netanyahu said after meeting with Trump at the White House. “This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.”

Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief presented Trump’s proposal to Hamas negotiators, who are now reviewing it in “good faith,” according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity

The Palestinian government in the occupied West

CLEANUP

Continued from page 1A

business focused on south Louisiana’s natural beauty.

On Monday, McVicker, 34, said he sent up his drone about two weeks ago out of curiosity, took some photographs and then went back Saturday to record video with the intention of checking on things again, so he could shine a light on the situation.

Since the video was posted, he said some people have told him they were shocked at the state of the river, while several have thanked

ing hostages to be released by Hamas within 72 hours of Israel accepting the plan, an effort that would seem difficult to complete with the captives believed to be spread throughout the territory A senior Trump administration official, who was not authorized to discuss the plan’s details publicly, said the 72 hours starts when Hamas accepts the proposal.

Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal.

“I think we are beyond very close,” Trump said. “We’re not quite finished. We have to get Hamas.”

demanded as part of any long-term truce to end the war

The president promised Netanyahu that Israel would have his administration’s “full backing” to further decimate Hamas if the group doesn’t agree to the proposal.

“This is a different Hamas,” Trump said. “Their leadership has been killed three times over So you’re really dealing with different people.”

Netanyahu on Monday also attempted to mend fences with Qatar the key Hamas interlocutor and an important U.S. ally

Bank said it welcomed Trump’s plan to end the war and pledged to implement the reforms called for in his plan. And the governments of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement applauding Trump’s proposal. While Trump claimed he is now on the precipice of victory in his long effort to forge peace, the prospects of a finding an endgame to a war that is coming up on the start of its third year still appeared shaky Many points of tension remain

There’s little mention of the goal of Palestinian statehood, what many in the region and beyond say is the linchpin for long-term peace. The proposal largely

is gonna look at that picture and say, ‘Oh, yeah, we can swim in that or drink out of those waters or wildlife is gonna be OK,’” he said.

State officials have said they have found only one oiled turtle as a result of the runoff into the Tangipahoa River EPA has been managing the response to the fire and the cleanup of the river, where pollution spread along nearly 50 miles, south from Roseland to near the river’s mouth at Lake Pontchartrain.

A few hundred EPA staff and contractors have been running the river cleanup, which has involved miles of

sidelines the Palestinian Authority until it completes vast reforms. And a requirement for Hamas to disarm has been dismissed as a nonstarter in earlier negotiations.

Trump’s plan calls for establishing a temporary governing committee that would be headed by Trump and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee civilian affairs, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority

The plan does not require people to leave the Gaza Strip as laid out in an earlier Trump plan roundly rejected by Palestinians and regional leaders. It does call for all remain-

of gallons — included materials like motor oil, lube oil, mineral spirits, chain saw oil, gasoline, alkylate gas, glycol, urea, antifreeze, phosphoric acid and other chemicals.

State regulatory documents show Smitty’s largest storage tanks were several hundred thousand gallons each but many were smaller Other EPA documents have said the facility had naphthalene and xylene onsite at the time of the fire.

The newly released inventory doesn’t use those precise words to describe any of the items at Smitty’s, but the document also has various items listed in internal jargon with unclear names

While Hamas has said in the past that it would agree to step back from governing Gaza, the militant group has refused to disarm, something Netanyahu has long

He expressed his regret to his Qatari counterpart for a Sept. 9 military strike targeting Hamas officials in the Gulf emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare criticism by the U.S. of Israel.

Netanyahu made the call

to Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as he met with Trump. Trump described the exchange between the Israeli and Qatari leaders as a “heart-to-heart” call. “As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” the White House said in a statement. “He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future.” Israel stuck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with President Donald Trump after a news conference in the State Dining Room of the White House on Monday

SHUTDOWN

but no new policies will be written and no existing policies will be renewed until the program is reauthorized.

Rep. Troy Carter D-New Orleans, is co-sponsoring a bill that would extend the National Flood Insurance Program until Nov. 21.

But the House isn’t holding votes.

A spokesperson for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said: “Democrat leaders whipped all their members, including those in flood-prone districts, to vote no on extending the National Flood Insurance Program, and they are now holding the program hostage to outrageous demands from their radical leftist base.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after meeting with President Donald Trump, “Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we’ve done this before.”

Vice President JD Vance answered: “We’re headed for a shutdown because Democrats won’t do the right thing.”

Unless Democrats and Republicans can agree enough to pass a “continuing resolution” in time, the federal government will shut down for the first time since 2018, during Trump’s first administration, when it lasted 35 days.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, on Monday told Republican members of the House to hold the line and stay on message.

“It’s fine to have partisan de-

TRAFFICKING

Continued from page 1A

“We have a lot of human trafficking in our area,” Moore said “I think this sentence sends a strong message that we if we’re able to make the case and have the victims come forward, we’re going to do our part in combating it.”

Reed pleaded guilty to a slate of charges June 10, during the second day of his trial. Two of the charges — human trafficking and sexual battery with a juvenile stemmed from a November 2021 arrest, which came three months after a task force led by Louisiana

sounded optimistic as they separately left the Capitol for the White House on Monday afternoon.

Trump said about Democrats in the minutes prior to the meeting, “they’re going to have to do some things because their ideas are not very good ones for the country.”

Senate Republicans need seven Democratic senators to vote with them,butthosenumberscouldvary

At least one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, won’t back the continuing resolution because he rejected the amount of spending when it was put in place during the Biden administration.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, and Sen Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, support extending the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits, which would keep the insurance premiums for working, low-income Americans where they are now

Continued from page 1A

specify whether he is referring to the state or federal fiscal calendar The state fiscal year ends on June 30; the federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

Landry has the power to activate the Louisiana National Guard himself, but he needs the Trump administration’s approval for the deployment to be federally funded. His letter requests a Title 32 deployment, meaning the soldiers would remain under the control of state officials.

bates and squabbles but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services to allow yourself political cover,” Johnson said about Democrats on CNN.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday that the GOP needs to first agree to reverse of cuts to Medicaid and to extend premium tax credits that help 24.3 million low-income people purchase health insurance.

“Republicans control the House and the Senate and there’s a Republican president. If the government shuts down, it’s because Re-

State Police found two girls ages 13 and 14 in a motel room along Airline Highway with no food, clothes or luggage.

“Just the girls and evidence of sexual activity,” Assistant District Attorney Melanie Fields said during Monday’s sentencing hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse.

While out on bail awaiting trial on those charges, Reed was arrested again in March 2024 after state troopers found one of the girls being prostituted in a different motel room.

The second arrest led to another count of human trafficking along with charges of indecent behavior with a juvenile and pandering.

publicans want to shut the government down,” Jeffries said.

The House earlier this month passed a continuing resolution that punted any final decision until Nov 21. It’s called a “clean CR” because the resolution would make no changes to existing budget numbers.

The Senate scheduled a series of votes Tuesday night. But the House is out of town and would have to approve any changes the Senate might make.

Neither Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., nor Schumer

Some Democratic senators, however, have indicated they are open to backing a clean continuing resolution in exchange for promises that the premium tax credits would later be extended before they expire on Dec. 31.

But Jeffries and Schumer aren’t budging from wanting the extension now

They point out that next year’s health insurance invoices are already being sent and are quoting far higher insurance prices based on the assumption that the subsidies will end. Most of those policies go into effect on Nov 1.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

Crifasi sentenced Reed to 15 years for human trafficking and 10 years for sexual battery of a juvenile the charges from his initial arrest. He’ll serve time on those two together, five of the years without the option of parole.

Crifasi tacked on 10 more years for the human trafficking charge from Reed’s second arrest.

“These victims were extremely young,” the judge said. “Yes, they were troubled youths, but even more reason to provide for them, care for them and protect them. Not use them. That’s the sad part about these charges that people preyed on the vulnerable.” Reed was indicted along with two co-defendants who were also con-

victed for their roles in the trafficking operation. Kenyatta Deonta Henderson, 23, pleaded guilty to a reduced count of second-degree battery in October 2023 and was sentenced to five years in prison, court records show The state dismissed two counts of human trafficking as part of his plea deal.

Kendrick Donta Henderson, 23, pleaded guilty to human trafficking in September 2024 and received a 10-year suspended prison stint. Crifasi placed him on three years of probation and the state dismissed one count of human trafficking of a juvenile and principal to sexual battery, according to court records.

“The proposed mission and scope for the Louisiana National Guard would be to deploy throughout state to urban centers, supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas, provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure,” Landry’s letter states.

In Washington, Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard sparked widespread pushback. Critics said the move was reminiscent of authoritarianism and argued that it was not justified, as D.C.’s crime rates were down.

Trump also sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this year over the objections of California Gov Gavin Newsom. Oregon has sued to block the planned deployment of 200 troops to Portland.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reed’s criminal woes are not over He was indicted May 1 in the U.S. Middle District Court of Louisiana on federal charges of possession of child pornography and two counts of production of child pornography No courts dates have been set in that case.

“Now given this sentence, he still faces a federal grand jury indictment, which in my opinion can subject him to a life imprisonment sentence,” Moore said. “I think that’s appropriate for his criminal behavior, particularly against those most vulnerable members of our community.”

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, speaks alongside Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget director, left, and Vice President JD Vance as they address members of the media outside the White House on Monday.

Imelda,HumbertothreatenBahamas,Bermuda

Stormkills 1 maninCuba

BY DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Au-

thorities in the Bahamas closed most schools Monday as Tropical Storm Imelda dropped heavy rain in the northern Caribbean, includingoverCubawhere landslides killed at least one man.

Thestormwas located about 120 miles north of Great Abaco Island of the Bahamas, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5hurricane in 2019.

Imelda had maximum sustained windsof65mph and was moving north at 9mph. It wasforecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday morning and spin out to open ocean, accordingtothe National Hurricane Centerin Miami.

Atropicalstormwarning was in effectfor parts the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Great Abaco, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands and issuing mandatoryevacuation orders for some islands over the weekend.

Imelda was expected to

thesurfMondayatBlockhouse Beach at Patrick Space Force

drop 4to8inchesofrain across thenorthwestBahamasthrough Tuesday,and 2to4inches acrosseastern Cuba. Statemedia in Cuba reported that 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio died in Santiago de Cuba following landslides in that area

“After two days of intense rains in themunicipalityof Santiago de Cuba, we are now in the stage of saving human livesand the economyofthe entirecity,” Mayor Indira Oliva Buenosaid, according to abroadcast aired by the officialCaribechannel.

In the easternmost part of Cuba, from Camagüey

to Guantánamo, authorities suppliedfoodand drinking water to residents, according to official TV reports.

Overall, Imeldaforced the evacuation of some 1,291 people across Cuba, with158 of themstaying in shelters.

“Weare workingwith our agricultural colleaguesto provide food tothe population, which is essential,” said AlexanderOlivares, president of the San Antonio del Sur Defense Council in Guantánamo.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto, aCategory 4 storm, churnedinopenwaters nearby,whichforecast-

Minnesotaman pleads guilty to attempting to join IS group

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS AMinnesota

man accused of trying to join the Islamic State group pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to provide material support and resources to adesignated foreign terrorist organization.

Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, changed his plea to guilty during an appearance before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul.

When Hassan was charged in February,prosecutors said he had expressed admiration on social media for the manwho carriedout aJan. 1truck attack on Bourbon Street in

New Orleansthatkilled 14 people. That attacker was killed by police. His truck bore the flag of the militant Islamic Stategroup.

Prosecutors say Hassan tried twice in December to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join the group and fight on its behalf but failed both times. The FBI had been tipped beforehand about asocial media userwho hadexpressed support for theIslamic State group and the Somali militantgroupal-Shabab, and agents conducted surveillanceofHassan on both attempts

The first time Hassan triedtotravel to Somalia, according to court docu-

ments,the airlinedenied him boarding because he lacked thepropertravel documents. He missed the second flight while federal officers questioned him, but he wasn’t detained until his arrest in February

The FBI saiditobserved Hassandriving with the group’sflag theday before his arrest.

“There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism,” acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said in a statement.“Hassan flew the ISIS flag, venerated attacks on the homeland, and wanted to kill Americans.Weare nottaking chances.Wewill not let Minnesotabecome a safe haven for terrorists.”

ers saidwould cause Imelda to abruptly turn to theeastnortheast, away from the southeastern UnitedStates coast.

“This is really what’sgoing to be saving theUnited States from reallyseeing catastrophic rainfall,”said AlexDaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather,a private U.S.weather forecasting company DaSilva said thetwo storms would draw closer andstart rotating counter-

clockwise around each other in what’sknown as the Fujiwhara effect.

“It’savery rare phenomenon overallinthe Atlantic basin,” he said.

Humbertohad maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It was located about 295 miles southwest of Bermuda, moving north-northwest at 13 mph. Ahurricanewatch was in effect for Bermuda.

“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.

However,moisture from Imelda wasexpected to moveupthe Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesdaymorning.The heaviestrains will be limitedtothe coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to WilmingtoninNorth Carolina,while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only1 to 2inches of rain, he said.

The Carolinas might see wind gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.

South Carolina Gov.Henry McMastersaidauthorities wereprepositioning search andrescuecrews overthe weekend.

In North Carolina, Gov Josh Stein declared astate of emergency evenbefore Imelda formed, while author-

itiesonTybee Island offthe coast of Georgia handed out free sandbags to residents. Even though Imelda was notmaking landfall in Florida, its impact was still felt.

At theLoggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, crews found acouple of turtle hatchlings that rough surf had tossed ashore.

“Weactuallyhad twowashbacks come in over the weekend,” said Justin Perrault, the center’svice president of research. “Wemay get more as the day goes along.” He said typically beachgoers willsee ahatchling restinginthe seaweed and call the center for help. Further south in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Carl Alexandre exercised at the beach on Monday.Hesaid he was grateful thestorm was not heading toward South Florida,but that he wouldprayfor those in the Bahamas.

“It’sgreat that we’renot having oneasofright now,” Alexandresaid. “And nowwe get to runinthe Florida sun.” Authorities in Bermuda hoped neither of the two storms would be adirect hit later in the week, though they were forecast to, at least, comeclose, with Imelda possibly passing within 15 miles as the season’s soon-to-be fourth hurricane, Da Silva said.

BY RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press

IOWA CITY,Iowa— Astate agency revoked the professional license of the leader of Iowa’slargest school district on Monday,days after federal agents arrested him on accusations that he was living and working in the country illegally.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners saidina letter to Des Moines public schools Superintendent Ian Roberts that he was ineligible to hold alicensebecause “you no longer possess legal presence in the United States.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Roberts on Friday saying he was subject to a

final removal order thatan immigration judge signed in May2024. Roberts is anative of Guyana whoentered theUnited States on astudent visa in1999, according to ICE. He’sbeing heldatan Iowa jail.

ICEsaidthatRoberts fled after atraffic stop in Des Moines, and thathewas apprehended withthe assistance of theIowaState Patrol. Theagency said that Roberts, 54, had possessed aloaded handgun in his district-issued vehicle,a hunting knifeand $3,000 cash when arrested Des Moines school officialssaidthey had known nothing about Roberts beingin thecountry illegally They said that he had signed aform verifyingthathewas

acitizen when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a driver’slicense andSocial Securitycard to verify his eligibility

The schoolboard voted 6-0 Monday evening to put Roberts on unpaid leave from hisjob,which has an annualsalary of $286,716. His contract, which the board had voted toextend in May through June 30, 2028, requires that he hold astate certification to serve as superintendent Board chair Jackie Norris said the districtreceived notice Monday afternoon from the Department of HomelandSecurity that Roberts wasunauthorizedtowork in the country,and acopy of theremoval order issued by theDepartment of Justice.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

MaikoRussell walks along the sand as Tropical StormImelda passes offshore, kicking up

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Student’sautopsy revealsrarecondition

3fraternitymembers accusedinhazingdeath

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

TheEastBaton Rouge Parish

coroner has ruled Caleb Wilson’s death during afraternity hazing ritual ahomicide, caused by an extremely rare conditionwithfewer than 30 reported cases annually

Dr.William BeauClark on Monday released the final autopsy results of the 20-year-old Southern University student who died in February,determining his manner of death as homicide andthe cause of hisdeath to be commotio cordis, which occurs when blunt force trauma disrupts theheart’s electrical signals, causing it to suddenlystop beating Commotio cordis gained notoriety when doctors determined theconditionforcedNFL safety Damar Hamlin intocardiac arrest after he made atackle during a “Monday Night Football” game in January 2023.

Council approves cost-cutting insurance switch

Measuredefeated last week by lone dissenting vote

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER

Staff writer

Days after acouncil member torpedoed the same vote,the East BatonRouge Parish Metro Council approved an insurance plan switch Monday that members hope willsave thecity-parish from $16 million to $19 million annually.

Last Wednesday,Darryl Hurst’scouncil colleagues ripped into him when heused his lone dissenting vote to kill an initiative to switch city employee and retiree health plans. Only seven memberswere in attendance, thesame number of members it takes to pass a measure on the 12-person council On Monday,Hurst again was the only memberto vote against the measure, as it passed 11-1.

Hurst said he is concerned that employees would be forcedtoswitch specialists for medical coverage. He gave an example of someone battling cancer with nontraditional treatments that only one doctorperforms “And if that specialist is not on the (new plan), then somebody’slifesaving techniques have now gone by the wayside,” Hurst said.

City-parishattorneys, insurance consultants and council members have said that employees andretireesmay choose to opt out of the change.

In astatement following the council’s approval Monday,Mayor-President Sid Edwardscalledthe newplana significant step toward strengthening the city-parish’s finances, while also making sure employees and retirees get qualityhealthcare.

“The $16 million in projected savings, combined withthe ongoing Thrive EBR initiative, reflects our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility,employee andretiree well-being and protecting taxpayer dollars,” Edwards said. “Together,weare taking meaningful actiontosecure the long-term sustainability of our health care program andthe services our community depends on.”

Last week, four council Democrats— Cleve DunnJr.,Twahna Harris,Anthony Kenney and Carolyn Coleman —were in Washington, D.C., at ameeting of theCongressional Black Caucus,while Republican Mayor Pro Tempore BrandonNoelwas traveling for arelative’swedding, whichis whythe single dissenting vote held more power than normal.

Following the approval on Monday, Dunn said he and Coleman requested last week’s meeting be canceled due to membersbeing gone, but the meeting still went forward.

“Weshould make it aprioritytoreschedule those meetings so we don’t end up dealing with the challenges we dealtwith in Wednesday’smeeting,” Dunn said.“Ithink we did ourselves adisservice by notrescheduling the meeting.”

Jan Risher is on vacation. Her column will returnnext week.

Wilson, an engineering student and trumpet player for Southern University’sfamed Human Jukeboxmarching band, diedafter he was punched in thechestfour times while pledgingfor Omega Psi Phiinside awarehouse at 3412 Woodcrest Drive.

Three Omega PsiPhi fraternity

brothers are accusedofpunching lined-up pledges during the ritual. Caleb McCray,24; Kyle Thurman, 25; and Isaiah Smith,29, were all charged with one count each of criminalhazing. McCray,who is specifically accused of punching Wilsonwitha pair of black boxing gloves immediately before his death, faces an additional count of

Sign from

manslaughter Police said thefraternity members then changedWilson’s clothes, drovehim to ahospitaland lied to medical staff about how he had beeninjured. Wilson was pronounced dead at 3a.m. Feb. 27. An initial autopsy report mentioned in thearrestaffidavit for McCray revealed asmall bruise to the right side of Wilson’schest, but no other signs of trauma were reported.

Startups compare notesatroundtable

Stateinvesting federalmoney in smallbusinesses

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

The growth of pet food and costume companyPet Krewe started with empty shelves

After seeing alackofpremium pet food options during the COVID-19 pandemic, founder Allison Ward started to develophigh-qualityaffordable canned food forcats and dogs It was asidegig,until apeer nudged hertowardtaking outside investments to grow the NewOrleans-based company to scale.

PetKrewe ended up beingone of the first businesses backed by the Louisiana Growth Fund, agovernmentrun venturecapital firmthat invests federal dollars in local startups. Thishelped hersize the business up to become the second-largest cat food brand sold at Walmart “Tothis day,we’re the only company in the U.S. that’sservicing thishuge market,” she said.

Louisiana EconomicDevelopment held aroundtable

with recipients from itsfederally funded venture capital firm Monday,moderated by LEDSecretary Susan Bourgeois andAnna deTiege, LED’sdirector of innovation capital.

Along with PetKrewe, other participating businesses included tech solutions company Codegig, neurotechnology company 28bio and laundry apphampr, which togetherrepresent $3.3 million in growthfund investments DeTiegesaid $6 million of the funds are in commitmentto Louisiana startups and sheexpectsanadditional $4 million to be committedbythe endof theyear.

“We’re showing thatLouisiana is not just open forbusiness,” deTiegesaid. “We’re investing in our own future.”

The Louisiana GrowthFund is one of Louisiana Innovation’s first initiativesafterlaunching earlier thisyear to primethe state in developing technology businesses. Thefundhas $50 million in initial federal funding, with an additional$50 million from LEDpartners.

Twenty companies, including the four present at the roundtable,receive moneyfromthe

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Alreadyfacinglife sentences for crimes he admitted to in Louisiana, Daniel Callihan pleaded guilty MondayinMississippi to murder, sexual battery and kidnapping charges and received a life prison sentence there as well. Callihan pleaded guilty in statecourt in Jackson, Mississippi, to countsofcapital murder,kidnapping and sexual battery. Theguilty plea in Mississippi on Mondayeffectively closes thelegalcases against Callihan in three jurisdictions, state courts in Tangipahoa Parish andMississippi and federal court in New Orleans. Callihan has confessedtokilling amother in Loranger,located in rural Tangipahoa Parish, then kidnapping her two young daughters and killing one of them In June 2024, Callihan killed 35-year-old Callie Brunett and her 4-year-old

daughter,Erin, whohehad kidnappedalong with her 6-year-old sister.Brunett’s body wasfound in her home in Loranger; her daughter’s body was found near Jackson, Mississippi, whereCallihan and awoman identified as an accomplice, Victoria Cox, wereapprehended aftera search that spanned portions of Louisiana and Mississippi. After he wascaptured, Callihan told reporters that he wasresponsible forthe crimes In August, Callihan pleaded guiltyinfederal court in NewOrleans and will receive alifesentence when he is formally sentenced in November.OnFriday,Callihan was in state court in Tangipahoa Parish, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and received consecutive life sentences Prosecutors in Tangipahoa Parish successfully pushed to have Callihanserve his lifesentences in Louisiana first. Thesentence imposed in Mississippi will runconsecutively to the life sentences out of Tangipahoa Parish and the life sentence from federal courtinNew Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Aworker in abucket truck unwrapsa newadvertisement on abillboard along Florida Boulevard on Monday in Baton Rouge.

Wilson

Hurst

Man gets 75 years for sexual battery of child

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

A Livingston Parish man convicted of sexual battery of a child in an incident that took place in an unlicensed inhome day care has been sentenced to 75 years in prison Joshua Prine, 43, of Albany, was sentenced last week by Judge Erika Sledge after he waived the right to a jury trial and instead had the judge decide the case.

Sledge found him guilty of sexual battery of a juvenile, where the victim is under the age of 13, following the testimony of a 10-yearold child.

The case stems from a 2023 Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation into allegations of abuse at an unlicensed in-home day care.

Over the course of the two-day bench trial, Prine’s ex-wife testified on his behalf, saying he was never left alone with children in her care, according to a news release from District Attorney Scott Perrilloux.

Assistant District Attorney Brett Sommer who prosecuted the case, presented a series of messages between the defendant and his ex-wife in which Prine was told to “confess, take a plea, and stop lying to himself,” Perrilloux said

“Combined with the evidence from medical experts, family members, and the victim, these messages successfully raised doubts about the woman’s in-court testimony,” Perrilloux said.

Perrilloux praised the strength and bravery of the now-10-year-old victim, who took the stand and testified to everything Prine had done.

Woman arrested, accused of setting house on fire

A woman accused of setting a fire at a house during a birthday party last summer has been arrested, the St. George Fire Department said.

Destiny Cosey was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Sept. 24 on a count of aggravated arson in the July 15 incident at the home in the 17000 block of Azalea Lakes Avenue.

A person who witnessed the incident reported it to St. George firefighters the following day They and other witnesses said Cosey used a cup of gasoline to ignite a box of gifts and adjacent patio furniture on the back patio of the residence.

The burned items were positioned next to the rear exterior wall of the house, where both children and adults were at a birthday party, the Fire Department said in a news release.

Oldest murder case in N.O. ends

Man gets 16-year prison sentence after 16 years of delays

BY JILLIAN KRAMER Staff writer

The oldest open murder case in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court ended quietly Monday, when a man accused of a killing pleaded no contest after 16 years of delays in one of the slowest-moving courthouses in the country

Keith Kisack pleaded no contest to manslaughter, attempted seconddegree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. In exchange, he received a 16-year prison sentence with credit for time already served.

A no-contest plea, or nolo contendere, allows a defendant to accept conviction without admitting guilt.

The resolution came just days after the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office disclosed that it was searching for a witness in the case — a woman prosecutors had long insisted was dead.

“It’s not every day that a 16-yearold murder case lands on your desk,” said Michael Kennedy, Kisack’s defense attorney “Even rarer is a long presumed-dead witness rising from the grave.”

That witness, Melissa Hardy, was once charged alongside Kisack in the shooting that killed Brandon Morgan and wounded another man on July 2, 2009. In 2014, after five

years in jail awaiting trial, she pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in exchange for testifying against Kisack. She was sentenced to five years, with credit for time served, and freed.

Since then, she has disappeared from view. Last week, Assistant Attorney General Alex Calenda told the court he discovered Hardy was alive only after trying to obtain a copy of her death certificate Judge Franz Zibilich signed a warrant for her arrest as a material witness, but authorities were unable to find her over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office did not respond to questions sent last week.

Monday’s plea “served both sides,” Kennedy said. Prosecutors were “going to have difficulty proving” the aged case, he said, while Hardy “pulling a Lazarus was less than ideal” for Kisack’s defense.

Zibilich, an ad hoc appointee who took the bench in August to help clear a lengthy backlog of cases, accepted the deal but made clear he disliked it

“This is a very old case and this is not the sort of sentence that this court would have normally given,” he said. Still, he noted he had “concerns about the viability of the state’s case” and agreed to the 16year term.

Kisack is already serving a life sentence on other charges. In 2018, Zibilich sentenced him to life in prison under Louisiana’s habitual offender law, after Kisack was

caught with a cellphone inside the jail. At the time, Zibilich said Kisack’s record reflected “a lifetime of crime and criminal activity” and that “a significant jail sentence is appropriate.”

The case’s tortured history reflects the dysfunction of New Orleans’ criminal court. Since 2009, it has passed through the hands of six judges. Attorneys missed hearings repeatedly Prosecutors and defense lawyers haggled for several years over a plea that ultimately ended without a deal.

After Kennedy took the case two years ago, discovery was slow to arrive and trial dates slipped. Earlier this month, a long-awaited trial was bumped again so the court could prioritize another case: a 12-year-old murder prosecution against Kendall Harrison, who was acquitted.

Zibilich, who served nearly a decade on the bench before losing reelection in 2020, was brought back this summer when the Louisiana Supreme Court appointed him and another retired judge, Calvin Johnson, to oversee Section J after a watchdog report found its felony backlog was double that of any other courtroom. In July, Judge Darryl Derbigny, who presided over Section J for more than two decades, resigned. He stepped down just days after The Times-Picayune reported that homicide cases languished longer in his section than anywhere else in the court

N.O. Halloween skeleton display debuts on St. Charles Avenue

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Louellen Berger is the queen of Halloween on St. Charles Avenue.

As the haunted holiday approaches, crowds gather at the corner of State Street to inspect the collection of 80-plus plastic human skeletons that arise in Berger’s front yard each year

Sure, there’s something creepy about all the macabre empty eye sockets, deathly drooping jaws and grasping segmented fingers. But Berger’s boneyard isn’t meant to chill the blood, it’s meant to, uh, tickle the funny bone. That’s because Berger doesn’t merely erect a display of fleshdeficient men and women; she costumes them and labels them with wicked, wince-worthy wordplay

Every skeleton represents a celebrity, from star athletes to beloved musicians to local movers and shakers, alive or dead. Each year, there are a few new additions to the cast. In 2025, look for songwriting sensation Chappel BONE (Chappel Roan), Lakers superstar LeBONE James (LeBron James) and the legendary entertainer The Great BEYONDcé (Beyoncé). Find the winner of the LUMBAR D trophy in Super BONE LIX, Jalen HURTS (Jalen Hurts). Find popular biographer Walter I-SICK-son (Walter Isaacson). And don’t miss the skeletal engagement of Taylor Swift — creator of the much-anticipated album “The AFTERLIFE of a Showgirl” — and her beau, Travis SKELCE (Travis Kelce), also known as Her Tight End.

Skeletal Swifts absolutely dominated Berger’s display in 2024, but things change. For instance, usually the New Orleans Saints football team is well represented. But this year, for some reason, the team is almost entirely absent. Except for SUSPENSE-R Rattler (Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler), who is represented as a snaky skeleton slithering in an oak tree.

Berger finished installing her elaborate exhibition Friday afternoon, and by 6 p.m. there were al-

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Louisiana Growth fund DeTiege said there is no cap for the number of businesses that can get involved with the fund.

Collaboration is key to fund recipients, she said, since many of the businesses are expanding for the first time.

“Some of these industries are scaling at a rate that’s higher in Louisiana that’s ever happened previously and so getting somebody through first and learning from them, but helping each other along the way is super helpful,” she said.

In addition to the growth fund money, hampr has been leveraging digital media tax credits from the state, which helps cover software costs, said Des-

A skeleton display makes fun of the ‘Coldplay scandal’ from July when the ‘kiss cam’ at a Coldplay concert randomly captured Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot in an embrace in Massachusetts This lead to speculation about a possible affair and then their eventual resignations from the tech company. Homeowner Louellen Berger decorated her house with 80-plus skeletons that poke fun at people and events. Her St. Charles Avenue house in New Orleans was fully decorated on Monday.

ready spectators at her gate. One cluster of viewers said they were visiting from South Africa and were delighted by Berger’s sense of humor

Berger explained to the visitors that back in 2002 or 2003, she posed a plastic skeleton in a tree near her sidewalk, as if it was napping A Times-Picayune photographer shot the Halloween decoration and in the newspaper it was dubbed “Lazy Bones.” Soon, she had 10 named skeletons arrayed in her front yard, and a new tradition

tin Ortego, executive director of Lafayette-based business incubator Opportunity Machine, who was representing hampr at the roundtable Hampr founder Laurel Hess started the company in Lafayette and chose to stay in Louisiana because most of her investors and talent come from within the state, he said

Ortego said Hess moved to Austin in search of more capital for the business but moved back to Lafayette after not finding much support in Texas

“She felt like the capital will come, but the support is by far more important for me at that stage,” Ortego said.

Jennifer Perkins, the vice president of communications for 28bio, said the company was born out of Tulane University and sells to pharmaceutical companies across the country She

had begun.

Berger told the South Africans that she follows a few simple rules in creating her annual spectacle. All of her skeleton characters have to be “about death or life, but nothing scary and nothing X-rated, everything PG.”

Berger has struck a chord with the public. Based on past years, her “NOLA skeleton house,” as she calls it, will be a magnet from now until Nov 1.

Long before Berger began dabbling in plastic skeletons and

said the Louisiana Growth Fund helps the company maintain its research and development center in the state while growing globally

She said 28bio has stayed in Louisiana because its core researchers are based in the state and it still has advisers at Tulane.

“There’s a deep sense of historical knowledge as well as culture that feeds into our organization,” she said.

Kellen Francois, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and the founder of Codegig, said he has tapped into Louisiana’s talent. He said he’s hired some of his staff fresh out of LSU, who have potential to keep furthering the industry as they grow.

“They’re getting coached and grown,” he said. “So when we exit, maybe they’ll start their own company.”

puns, the New Orleans native had a brush with Hollywood fame when she played the role of Jethro Bodine’s girlfriend in the classic “Beverly Hillbillies” TV show in 1970. The onetime starlet then worked as a fashion director for the D.H. Holmes department store for a decade. She married a Tulane University law student named Darryl Berger who would become one of the city’s most successful real estate developers. New Orleans is said to be a

AUTOPSY

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Experts say commotio cordis occurs mostly in young men, and only when a strike lands directly over the heart during a brief 40-millisecond window of the cardiac cycle, as the heart expands. The autopsy report comes three days after Wilson’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 19th Judicial Court. It targets a collection of institutions and individuals, including the national chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, the Beta Sigma chapter of the fraternity on Southern’s campus, the state of Louisiana as represented by the board of Southern University, and the fraternity members accused of orchestrating the ritual that led

spooky, haunted city, and Berger is doing her part to maintain that reputation. It is also a city of artists, and Berger is certainly one of those. Plus, New Orleans is a place where the sacred and the secular get along just fine.

Berger is a member of the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, which lies just across the street from her Halloween display A sign appeared near the church entrance this year that reads: “The Living God brings bones to life! — Ezekiel 37:1:16.”

to Wilson’s death.

“The loss of Caleb has devastated our family in ways only someone who has lost a child can begin to comprehend. No family should ever have to receive that phone call. No parents should have to bury their child because of senseless and preventable actions,” Urania Brown Wilson and Corey Wilson Sr., Caleb Wilson’s parents, said in a joint statement Friday

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Daniel Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595 FloridaBoulevard, at noon

Cavalier,Mickey

Mickey Cavalier passed away Friday, September 26,2025, at the age of 66. He was aself-employed painter, resident and native of Plaquemine,LA. Visitation will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Plaquemine on Thursday, October 2, 2025, from 10am until Mass of Christian Burial at 12pm, celebrated by Father Jason Palermo. Interment will follow at Grace Memorial Park, Plaquemine. Mickey is survived by his wife of 38 years, Becky Cavalier; sons, Nolan Cavalier and wife Victoria, Clark Cavalier and girlfriend Andrea, andBen Cavalier and wife Emily; grandchildren, Mila and Harper Cavalier; siblings, Wanda Ashley and husband Tommy, and Kenneth Cavalier and wife Sandra; numerous nieces and nephews. Precededin death by his parents, Clarence "C.J." and Shirley Landry Cavalier. Mickey loved hunting, fishing and just alil snack. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.Inlieu of flowers the family ask that memorial donations be made to Semper Fi and America's Fund, Warrior Events, and Dogs for Our Brave. Please share memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.

Doris Louise Calvey Dawson passed awayon September 21, 2025inBaton RougeLouisiana.She wasborn on May24, 1939 to Carrie and Ulysses Joseph CalveyII.

Doris Graduatedfrom SouthernUniversity and receivedher Master's degree from Trenton State College

Shebegan hercareer as ateacher before moving into Collegiate Administration. SheworkedinAlumni Relations for LSUcoordinating on campus events.

Shefound hertrue passionasa counselor at LSU when she movedinto her rolesinthe General College. Helping people succeed broughther immense joy.

Upon her retirement from LSU she continued to serve the community by becominga social worker at Family Services of Baton Rouge.

Doris served on several boards and was proudof her membership in La Capitalle ChapterofThe Links Inc.

Sheissurvived by her son Olin Cecil Dawson and her siblings Marian Calvey Dawson and Ulysses Joseph CalveyIII.

Shewas preceded in death by herparents Carrieand Ulysses Joseph Calvey II and her sister Jacqueline CalveyRochon. Afuneral servicewillbe held at 11:00AMon2025-10 -01 at Sacred HeartofJesus Catholic Church ,2250 Main Street

Avisitation willbeheld from10:00 AM to 11:00AM on2025-10-01atSacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church ,2250MainStreet

Kathryn "Kate" Claire Dubus, belovedmother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 22, 2025 at the ageof94, surrounded by theloveofher family.Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to André Jules Dubus Sr and Katherine Bertha Burke, Katewas preceded in death by her devoted parents, her brother André J. Dubus, Jr., and her sister Elizabeth"Beth" Baldridge

AgraduateofMt. Carmel High School in Lafayette, Kate distinguishedherself on thedebate team, guiding them to numerous state championships.She continued her studies at theSouthwestern LouisianaInstitute where she joinedthe Tri Sigma sorority and forged lifelong friendships

Kate'slife was filled with friendship, grace, intellect,and adeeplove for thearts. She found joy in opera, classicalmusic, and ballet—and was equallyat home on thedance floor. Herloveoftravel led her fromthe Gulf Coast beaches to thestreetsofEurope each journeydeepening her boundless curiosity and appreciation forbeauty.

After adistinguished career as afinancialadvisor, Kateretired at theremarkable ageof82. Even in retirement, she remained active in her church and with thesistersofSt. Joseph's Academy,touching countless liveswithher warmth and compassion.

grandchildren Robert Selleck,Rebecca Skeens &her husband Mark,PaulChampagne& his wife Lacey, Michael Carmouche &his wife Olivia, CatherineRyan &her husband Parker, Conor &Lauren Selleck, Aidan& CamilleCollins Jordan, Spencer &Joshua Selleck, Summer Floria & her husband Rad,Trey & SarahBall,and one great grandchild,TaylorAshtyn Wansley.

Amemorial mass willbe held at 10:30am on October 4, 2025 at Most Blessed Sacrament, 15615 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA.

The family extends heartfeltgratitude to the staff of Williamsburg SeniorLivingCommunity, Pinnacle Hospice,and Our Lady of the Lake for theexceptionalcare they provided Kate in her time of need. In lieu of flowers,donations may be madein Kathryn Dubus's memory to theMichael J. Fox Foundation forParkinson's Research.

May thelegacy of Kate's generosity,joy, and unshakable spirit continue to inspire allwho knew and lovedher.

Ennis,India Harris

blessed with 4grandchildren:OrmarionHarris,Mor'Taijah Crowley, Reign Siplin, andKailiniEnnis.She waspreceded in death by hermother, Sharon Sorrell Ennis. India's life wasa true reflection of perseverance resilience, determination, andfaith. Hermemory will continue to inspireall who knew andloved her.

Familyand friends are invited to amemorial service at Beacon LightBaptist Church at 11:00am on Saturday, October4 at 7513 PrescottRoad.

Guelfo, Mary AliceGilmore

Mary Alice McDaniel Guelfo(Gilmore)ofHouston,Texas, passedaway September 5, 2025. Shewas born July 17, 1931 to PatrickA.McDaniel andIonaBuckley McDaniel.

Mary Alice graduated from St Joseph's Academy in 1948 and lived in Baton Rouge most of herlife. She marriedLawrence David GuelfoIII andtheyhad 3 children, Benjamin, Patriciaand Karen Shehad anurturing spirit andwas always caringfor others.She enjoyed volunteering at St Joseph's Academy, loved gardening,and agoodparade.

second husband, Jack Gilmore Amemorial will be held at alater date.

Haynes,Kim Lynne

KimLynne Haynesa residentofBaker LA,passed away on September24, 2025. Public viewing Wednesday,October 1, 2025 from 3pm-5pm at Hall Davis &Sons, 9348 Scenic Hwy. Baton Rouge, LA 70807

TalbertJr.,Delos Alexander

Kateissurvivedbyher eight childrenJohn Selleck &his wife Lorena; Cathy Carmouche &her husband Richard; ColinSelleck &his wife Taney; Mark Selleck& his wife Sheri;Julie Selleck; Paul Selleck& his wife Elisabeth; Claire Selleck; Molly Selleck. Kate also leaves behind fifteen

On Friday, September 26, 2025, India HarrisEnnis, loving mother of three, passed away at theage of 54. India was bornon November 8, 1970 in Baton Rouge, LouisianatoSharon and Willie Harris. She was theoldest of threesiblings. She acceptedJesus Christ as her Lord at an earlyage and was an activemember of BeaconLight Baptist Church. She was agraduateofGlenOaksSenior High School and remained very close to thec/o 1988 until her passing. Her love and legacy will forever be cherished by her daughter, Tayler Harris; twosons, KevinEnnis, Jr. &Kasey Ennis; dad, Willie Harris; and twosisters, Valyncia(Chris) Carter and MarloHarris. She was

Mary Alice is survived by herdaughters Patricia Elms (Clinton) andKaren Ehlinger (Chip), daughterin-law,Bonnie; grandchildren,PatrickGuelfo, Jennifer Guelfo (Evan Gray), Jonathan Guelfo (Brittany), PaulGoode (Sallie), Alan Goode (Sally), Megan Ehlinger Boothe(Paul); great-grandchildren Tyler Guelfo(Dorothy), Jessica Guelfo, Effie Sepulvado, Kieran Gray, Tucker Guelfo, BenjaminGuelfo,Carter Goode, Luke Goode,Patrick Goode,TyGoode,Molly AliceBoothe, Maisie Allen Boothe, andgreat-greatgranddaughter Annie Guelfo. Shewas preceded in death by herparents,her husband, herson,and her

DelosAlexander Talbert, Jr 78, along-time resident of Felixville/Clinton, LA.He passedawayonSaturday, Sept.13, 2025. He wasborn in Port Arthur,TXand raised in Groves,TXbefore joiningthe Navy.Delos was an avid outdoorsman and loved fishinginparticular. He enjoyedwatching sports andevangeliston TV,gardening,playing gui‐tarand visiting with friends. Deloswas pre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents.Heissurvivedbyhis son, JasonTalbert andhis daughter,Melanie Talbert. Memorial visitation will be on Saturday,Oct.4,2025 from 4pmuntil 6pmatClin‐tonVolunteer Fire Depart‐ment.Pleasemakememor‐ialdonations to St.Jude Children’s Hospital.Share sympathies,condolences andmemoriesatwww.Cha rletFuneralHome.com.

Kathryn 'Kate'

Dawson, Doris Calvey

As Congressional leaders feverishly work to avert another government shutdown, we can’t help but feel asense of déjà vu. Forthe past severalyears, Democratsand Republicans have beenlocked in battle for control over thedirection of the nation despite neither party having a clear majority No matter what party holds thepresidency or majorities in Congress, neither has proven able to command the kindofpublic support that would warrant awholesale adoptionofits agenda. So it should be obvious at this point that compromise shouldbethe order of the day, that to movethis country forward,leaderswill have to accept some of what they don’tlike forthe greater good.

We have urged this in previous crisesthat threatenedtoshut down thegovernment, and we urge it again today as Congress debates a stopgap spending bill that would allowthe government to continue operating until November If Congress doesn’tcome upwithadealbymidnight Tuesday,funding to government agencies would be cut off on Oct. 1.

We are encouraged that PresidentDonald Trump brought congressional leaders —House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton,HouseMinority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and MinorityLeader Chuck Schumer —tothe White House tohashout their differences. And we hopethere is agood chance of success. We have praised Johnson in thepast for his ability to pull together his caucus and overcome gridlock.

But this brinksmanship is getting old. Aswe have noted in the past, Louisianacould be particularlyvulnerable to disruptionsinthe regular flowoffederal funding forvital services such as disaster preparedness in the midst of hurricane season. That’sto say nothing of the thousands of inconveniences that ashutdown could cause. It couldaffect travelers if TransportationSecurity Administrationscreenerscan’tbepaid to show up for workortoworkersatplants awaiting inspections from the EnvironmentalProtection Agency,among other things.

And of course, for the employees of the many federal agencies who could face furloughsor even layoffs, this is aparticularly anxioustime after they have already endured an unprecedented level of uncertainty as the Department of Government Efficiencymadecuts earlier this year For many Americans watching,thislevel of political dysfunction is no longer tolerable.We the taxpayers who fund thisgovernmentexpect it to be run in an orderly fashion. Repeated threats to shut downthe government do nothing to inspire confidence from citizens or the rest of theworld Remember,thiscontinuing resolution, even when passed, only gets us to Nov.21. Thenwe’re back to square one.

It’stime for all parties toacceptthe obvious: No one will get everythingtheywant. Let’sget off this merry-go-roundand do what’sbest for all Americans.

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 US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Don’tlet government bully networks into submission

The following quote from Frank Shakespeare, amedia strategistin Richard Nixon’ssecond presidential campaign, shows how much and how littlethe pressand politics have changed in the last sixdecades. It appears in Joe McGinnis’ book “The Selling of the President, 1968.”

“I thought I’d go to Walter Scott, the NBC Board chairman —this would be in private, of course, just thetwo of us in his office —and say,‘Hereare theinstances …wherewefeel you’ve been biased in your coverage of Nixon. We are going to monitor every minute of your broadcast news, and if this kind of bias continues and we are elected …you just might find yourself having alittletrouble getting some of your licenses renewed.’ I’m not going to do it becauseI’m afraid of the reaction.The presswould band together and clobber us... but I’d love to.”

Today,President Donald Trump

The screams as masked enforcers drag amother from her baby are more than an outrage —they are awarning. Awarning echoed each time ICE agents hide their faces to escape justice, reviving theKlan’soldest tactics of terror Awarning roared when the powerful movetostrip citizenship from nativeborn critics like Rosie O’Donnell. It is thesound of afaceless power turning its gaze towardusall.

When citizenship is contingent on loyalty to aman, none of us are safe. Not you. Not your family.Tomorrow’s executive order could unleash those

It is sad that Canadians are boycottingthe United States, but unsurprising. What is surprising is that Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser is quoted as saying an apology from the president “would be nice.”Donald Trumpisincapable of apologizing for anything to anyone and feels nothing but contempt for his supporters.

saysout loud and in capital letters on social media that networks that “give me only bad publicity or press, Imean, if they’re getting alicense, Iwould think maybe their license should be taken away.”

No private meetings with network boardchairman; no fear of being clobbered by thepress, just calmly stating, in effect,ifsomeoneissaying things that he doesn’tlike, he will come after them with the full force of theU.S government. Even folks at thelibertarian Cato Institute have saidthatgovernment power is being weaponizedagainst speech. This is scary stuff. Very scary

If you have afavorite network or TV station, let them know thatyou do not want them to submit to government threats to free speech.

ALFONSO GODOY Baton Rouge

samemasked agentstokick in your door,revoke your statusand make your loved ones vanish into aworld where faceless men face no consequences In theshadows of anonymity,justice dies.

Buttoday,our republic is yet lost. If cowardly politicians won’t unmask brutal men, we can holdthem accountable too. Andsolong as we still have our vote, we canstill redeem our democracy by peacefully replacing them.

ANDREWKEMP Baton Rouge

Nungesser would put his energy to better use convincing Louisianans thatthey have been duped by acultmeister andshould reconsider their devotion to aman who mocksand despises them Iamnot holding my breath.

MAYGWIN

WAGGONER Lafayette

“What would Jesus do?” It’s the question, first posed in a1896 novel and later abbreviated as “WWJD,” on wristbands that young Christians wore in the 1990s to remind themselves of their moral imperative to exemplifyChrist through their actions. Are you familiar with Jesus’s teachings?

In the Book of Matthew,Jesus rewards those whofeed the hungry, welcomeimmigrants, clothe the naked, care forthe sick and visit prisoners. President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” steals food from the hungry and health care from the sick to give “big, beautiful” tax breaks to billionaires. Borrowing from Adolf Hitler’splaybook, Trump targets hardworking immigrants for mass deportations and revels in tearing their families apart.

In the Book of Luke, Jesus blesses those whouplift“the poor,the crippled, the lame, the blind.” Trump publicly mocksthe disabled. Jesus’steachings emphasize radical compassion, especially toward the vulnerable and marginalized in society.Trumpuses inflammatory and dehumanizing language to demonize marginalized communities and sexualize women.

Love and forgiveness were central themes in Christ’steachings, which Charlie Kirk’swidow invoked when she forgave her husband’sassassin. Trumpresponded, “I hate my opponent, and Idon’twant the best for them.”

Ispent 11 years in asegregated school founded by Southern Baptists and wrapped in the iconography of the Lost Cause myth. Iheld elective office in the Louisiana Republican Party fornine of the 12 Reagan/Bush years. That misguided school and the evangelicals Iencountered in GOPpolitics gave me a20-year master-class on how bigotry,misogyny racism and culture warshave hijacked Christianity to eradicate the least among us and further enshrine White, malesupremacy.From my vantage point, the religious right and the GOPhave sold out Jesus Christ forthe anti-Christ.

JOHN MICHAEL LOCKHART Denham Springs

Theongoing anti-Trump campaign

Donald Trump’ssecond term has been met with asustained, low-level campaign of domestic terrorism.

It has mostly involved relatively minor property damage amidmuch more consequential acts, but the pattern of violence meant to achieve antiTrump political goals has been unmistakable.

Ithought Trump’ssecond election would be met with riotinginthe streets and serious threats against cabinet officials. Instead, we got the “vibe shift,” with the initial political reaction against Trump relatively muted compared to that in 2016

Once the administration got underway, though, the violent resistance began.

First, it was the campaign against Tesla. Anti-Elon Musk agitators torched and otherwise vandalized vehicles, fired shots and threw Molotov cocktails at dealerships, anddamaged charging stations. This wasn’tterrorismonthe level of ISIS —not even close —but it clearly met the textbook definitionofterrorism as violence in furtherance of apolitical or social objective.

Then, the anti-ICE assaults ramped up.There have been riots outside ICE facilities, as well as incendiary attacks andshootings.

In the craziest incident prior to the Sept. 24 sniper attack in Dallas, a group of agitators dressed in black military-style clothing began shooting fireworks and spraying graffiti at an ICE detention facility in Alvarado,

Texas, in July. According to officials, this was aploy meanttodrawICE officers out of the facilitytobeambushed. One attacker hidinginthe woodsshot aresponding police officer in the neck (hesurvived), while another assailantfired 20 or more rounds at correctional officers whohad strayed outside the building. Whentheywere arrested, some of agitators werewearing body armor and hadtwo-way radios. The attack emanated from aDallas-areaanti-fascist network.

Less than aweek later,an armed man tried to shoot his wayinto aBorder PatrolannexinMcAllen, Texas, before getting shot dead Thewaves of anti-Tesla and anti-ICE violence were precipitated, respectively,byalibertarian billionaire trying to reduce thenumber of federalworkersand cut foreign aid, and afederal agency detaining immigrants whoare living and working in thecountry illegally,someofwhom have committed other serious crimes.Ifthese activities can evoke aviolent response, just imagine if thecountry experiencesa true crisis. In both cases —regarding DOGE at itsheight and ICE now—Democratic officeholders andprogressive opinionmakers whipped up an apocalyptic frenzy.The feveredrhetoric hasbeen accompanied by peaceful protests, civil disobedience(think of Democratic officials gettingarrested protesting immigrationenforcement) and, at the margins, zealots and the disaffected

lashing outviolently Whenthese events are put against the context of theassassinationofa MAGAleader, Charlie Kirk, and last year’stwo assassination attempts against DonaldTrump himself, the picture is stark —a persistent,ifwholly unorganized. effort to use violenceto frustrate Trump’spolicygoalsand, in the extreme instance, to end the project entirely by killing him.

Whatistobedone? Since none of the violenceisdirected fromabove and the perpetrators don’tknoweach other andhavedivergent motivations, it’s hard to see howitstops. It’d certainly help if the Democrats acknowledged the legitimacy of Trump and what he’s trying to do,eveniftheystrenuously oppose him andhis policies, but they arenever going to cease believing that we areonthe cusp of afascist dystopia

The legacy mediashould also acknowledge what we are experiencing. If aKamalaHarrispresidency had been met with attacksagainst Mark Cubanbusinessesand arson andshootings at abortion clinics— as wellas the ideologically-motivated murder of atop Harrissupporter— we’dbeata DEFCON 1-type national emergency in terms of the press coverage.

“There’snothing like getting usedto things,” Abraham Lincoln said of the threatening letters he receivedonce he rose to prominence. But we shouldn’t have to getusedtoviolence as ameans of influencing ourpolitics.

Rich LowryisonTwitter@RichLowry

For presidents of both parties, one of their primary roles has always been consoler-inchief, healing wounds, lifting hearts and unifying the nation in times of tragedy

Think of Ronald Reagan, comforting the country after the Challenger disaster in 1986. Or Barack Obama, singing “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of amurdered Black pastor in 2015. Lincoln’sGettysburg Address in 1863 stands as our history’smost memorable consoler-in-chief moment.

Last week, Donald Trump issuedan ignorant warning to pregnant women whose doctors prescribe Tylenol, a brand name for acetaminophen. “Don’t take Tylenol. Don’ttake it,” he said “Fight like hell not to take it.” And when in pain, “Tough it out.”

The idea thatTylenol use in pregnancymay cause autismhas been shot down by researchers studyingmillions of children. Trump’scontention that this over-the-counter painkiller can cause the disorder did serve one purpose. It gave him gobsof attention overwhatwould have been an otherwise unremarkable WhiteHouse event The next day,DonaldTrump wasat the United Nations again, setting off big headlines as he deliveredone of his grievance-linked tiradesbefore the General Assembly. Used tothe president’sunhinged performances, the attendees quickly moved on. If ever there was atime to “tough it out” while in pain, Trump delivered it to his U.N audience.

But the attack on Tylenol is dangerous. Medical authorities hold that expectant mothers should treat fever and pain, and Tylenol is one of the safest remedies to do so. Not doing so poses risks to both the mother and fetus, including preterm births. Trump knew to cover his rear end by

addingthatwomen should takeTylenol in cases of extremely high fever.” But what is apregnant woman to do if she hasa fever that thepresident recommends she “tough out” but she is not sure whether thefever is “extremely” high orjust abit high? Alternatively,she could listentodoctors. But thousands of Americans died from COVID because theylistened to MAGAratherthan medical expertswho urgedthemtoget vaccinated. And back then, the Department of Healthwas staffedbyserious scientists—and not the collection of quacks HealthSecretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has replaced many of themwith.

Trump hasbreathed new life into the prospects fortrial lawyers who chase aftercompanies for fat settlements (The lawyerscollect up to 40% of the award.) Theyalready lost a2023 classactionlawsuitclaiming thatTylenol takenduring pregnancy causes autism andADHD. Afederal judge threwout the case, writing that the lawyers “permitted cherry-picking, allowed aresults-driven analysis, and obscuredthe complexities, inconsistencies, and weaknesses in the underlying data.” About 20 lawfirms participatedinthe suit. Kennedy remains in on the take. He will continue receiving contingency fees from WisnerBaum for referring cases. He gets10% of the awardwheth-

er the plaintiff wins or settles WisnerBaum is currently suing Merck, maker of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil, for allegedly not warning consumers of its risks. Kennedy insists he is not currently receiving referral fees on the case, but critics say he could still collect because the agreement exists. Autism is aserious concern. It is a brain development disorder thataffects social interactions andismarked by repetitive and other unusual behaviors. It is unclear whether the“autism epidemic” reflects more screening for the conditionorinvolvesother factors including ageofthe mother,genetics and environment.Nolink has been found to vaccines. More on Trump’sbizarre statements about Tylenol and pregnancy: “There’s no downside. Don’ttake it. You’ll be uncomfortable. It won’tbeaseasy, maybe But don’ttake it if you’repregnant Don’ttake Tylenol, and don’tgive it to the baby afterthe baby is born.” OK,women under the influence of MAGA. You’ve been challenged toundergo unnecessary suffering in service to the fumes wafting through Trump’s brain. Or perhaps there’sanulterior motive in his promotion of theseBS health claims. The link maynot be autism but money

Follow Froma Harrop on X, @FromaHarrop.

After the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trumptook exactly the opposite course. Instead of preaching unity and forgiveness, he advocated rivalry and retribution. Instead of closing wounds, he ripped them open. Instead of extolling one America, he emphasized differences and divisions: Red vs. Blue, Leftvs. Right, Us vs. Them When Trumpappeared on Fox News,host Ainsley Earhardt noted that there were “radicals on the right,” just as there were“radicals on the left,” and asked, “How do we come back together?” The president immediately rejected any notion of consensus or consolation. “The radicals on the leftare the problem,” he thundered. “And they’re vicious and they’re horrible.”

His reaction wasnosurprise. Trumphas based his whole political career on exploiting grievance and outrage. He campaigned that way,anapproach summed up by the tagline in one of his mostnoteworthy TV ads: “Kamala is forthey/them,President Trumpisfor you.” And he’sgoverned that way, summoning the immense powers of the presidency to hamstring any institution or individual that stands in his way.

“Mr.Trumphas long madeclear that coming together is not the mission of his presidency,” writes Peter Baker,the White House correspondent forThe NewYork Times

“Inanera of deep polarization in American society,herarely talks about healing. While other presidents have typically tried to lower the temperature in moments of national crisis, Mr.Trumpturns up the flames. He does not subscribe to the traditional notion of being president forall the people. He acts as president of red America and the people whoagree with him,while those whodonot are portrayed as enemies and traitors deserving payback.” Since taking office, Trumphas pursued “payback” against those “enemies,” from judges and universities to law firmsand media companies. Nowhe’sseizingonthe Kirk murder to escalate his campaign of revenge. “They’re already under major investigation, alot of the people that you would traditionally say are on the left,” Trumptold reporters.

His targets could include any force that opposes his policies: publications, attorneys, advocates, donors. And he has lots of weaponsat hisdisposal,including tax audits, lawsuits and regulatory challenges. An early fusillade: alawsuit accusing TheNew York Times and Penguin Random House publishers of “defamation” and seeking $15 billion in damages. His deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller,is even moreexplicit about the coming crusade to crush Trump’senemies. “Weare going to do what it takes to dismantle the organizations and the entities that are fomenting riots, that are doxxing, that are trying to inspire terrorism and that are committing acts of wanton violence,” he said,without providing anyevidence aboutany “entities” that are advocating terrorism or violence. This thirst forvengeance is reinforced by right-wing media allies whofurther inflamethe core supporters of MAGANation. Agood example is Fox News’Jesse Watters, whosaid on air,“They are at warwith us. Whether we want to accept it or not, they are at war with us. And what are we going to do about it?” Trumpyearns forthis war;hewelcomes the fight.

After the failed attempt on his lifeduring the last campaign, he cast himself as asoldier who wassaved by God.Now he’sturning Kirk into amartyr,ahero slain on the battlefield of righteousness whomust be avenged.

Afew lone voices in the Republican Party are trying to play the consoler role that Trump rejects, to lower the temperature. Gov.Spencer Cox of Utah, the state where Kirk was slain, has been the mostforceful, saying: “Wecan return violence with violence. We can return hate with hate, and that’sthe problem with political violence —isitmetastasizes. Because we can always point the finger at the other side. And at somepoint, we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

But Trumpdoes not want an off-ramp away from political violence; he wants an expresswaytoward it. He wants to point fingers and punish foes. He is the Divider-in-Chief

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

Froma Harrop

Rich Lowry

Steve Roberts

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

PresidentDonald Trump and Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services administrator Dr.Mehmet Oz listen as Healthand Human ServicesSecretaryRobertF.KennedyJr. speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Sept. 22.

SPORTS

MOLE AMONGUS

Anemic rungamelatestissue Kellyneedstotakea whackat

The phrase “It’salways something” seems like it was coined for the Brian Kelly regime at LSU.

His three-plus years at LSUhave been like agame of Whack-A-Mole. Aserious deficiency crops up and,tohis credit, he eventually deals withit.

The problem is the serious deficiency keeps popping up on thegame board, requiring him to takeout ahuge rubber mallet to squash it down while another season of what could have been ebbs away •2022:LSU’sspecial teamswere, in

Scott Rabalais

aword, abysmal. Whack! Kelly kicked special teams coordinator Brian Polian, whocamewith him from Notre Dame, into anon-coaching job before Polian left in May 2023 to becomeathletic

director at John Carroll University,his alma mater

•2023: The LSU defense was, in two words, historically bad. It arguably kept the Tigers and one of the two best offenses in program history,led by Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, outofthe College Football Playoff. Whack! Kelly cleaned out his entire defensive staff, from defensive coordinator Matt House on down, two days after aReliaQuest Bowl victory over Wisconsin.

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Saints playingcatch-upway toooften this year

Mulkey: Freshmen ‘betterbe ready’ this season

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Technically,ZaKiyah Johnson is a guard. But shehas enough height, length and skill to play more than one position.For now, the LSUwomen’s basketball team has her in the post. That becameclear last Tuesday when thenew-look Tigers beganpracticing for the2025-26 season in thePete MaravichAssembly Center.Their first session showed that Johnson, one of the nation’s10best recruits, is pushing for a role in the frontcourt right away —just likethree of the other four freshmen who comprise LSU’stop-ranked signing class.

“They better be ready,” coach Kim Mulkey said.

That’sbecause the Tigers mayneed them.Onlyfourplayers whocontributed to LSU’s run to the Elite Eight last season areback foranotheryear.Its overhauled roster has eight newcomers, and just three of them are transfers. The rest are freshmen. LSU signed four of ESPN’stop 35 recruits —Johnson, Grace Knox, Bella Hines and Divine Bourrage. The Tigers also signed Meghan Yarnevich, a6-foot forward who backed offa pledge to Georgia and committed to the Tigers in May Bourrage is atall, long point guard. Hines is ashooter who likes to play defense. Knox —a6-2 forward whoenrolled as themosthighlyrated prospect of the bunch —isstrong and athletic. Johnson isn’tafraid to play on the block or shoot from theoutside.Her range extends beyond the paint.

Remember Alvin Kamara’s touchdown in the second quarter of the season opener?That nifty 18-yardscamper gavethe Saints ashortlived 7-3 lead, one the Arizona Cardinals quickly erased with a touchdown four minutes later That four-minute span in Week 1was the last and only —time the Saints have led in agame this season. While the Saints showed progress in their31-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the contest followed afamiliar script. It was the third consecu-

Poolehopes

tive game theSaintsdid not lead for asingle minute.

The Saints managed to score on their opening drive for the first time this season. Kendre Miller’s18-yard touchdown run snapped an NFL-highstreak of nine gamesinwhich the Saints hadnot scored on their openingdrive.The touchdown run only tied thescore, and the Bills quicklyretook thelead and never relinquisheditthe rest of theway

“That’swhat we need you’ve gottostart fast,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said of the opening-driveTD. “So now the goalistocontinue to sustain

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

ThePoole Party is nowinNew Orleans And there may not be abetter place for it considering the two words Jordan Poole usedto describe the city that is nowhis home.

“It’shot,” Poole said.

The Pelicanshave been Poole’s new team for almost three months after he was for acquired in atrade with theWashington Wizards in earlyJuly.He’shoping this stopwill be better than hislast oneand more like the ones before that.

Poole’sbasketball journey has taken him to some of thehighest of highs He won anational high school title while playing at the La LumiereSchool in Indiana.

He playedinthe NCAA national championship game at Michigan where theWolverines lost to Villanova. And he won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors in the 2021-22 season, beating the BostonCeltics in six games. But the lasttwo seasonstook him to the other end of the spectrum,winning just 33 total games in his twoyearswith the Wizards. Now the 6-foot-4guard is in New Orleans, hoping to getback to his winning ways while also helping thePelicansclimbout of the doldrums of last season when theywon just21games.

“Webelieve we’re getting Jordan at just theright time, just the right opportunity in his career,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said “He’sa guy whowants it.He

Can any of the freshmen crack Mulkey’srotation this season? It looks like the frontcourt players have easier paths to early playing time. Bourrage andHines will have to compete with returning veterans JadaRichard andKailynGilbertfor minutes behind MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’jae Johnsonand Mikaylah Williams. Knoxand ZaKiyahJohnson, on the otherhand, aren’t jockeying forroles next to returning bench players. If East Carolinatransfer AmiyaJoyner and Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval are the twofrontcourt starters when the season tips off Nov.4,then Knox and Johnson will rotate onto thefloor behind them.

“No one is in front of (the freshmen) at the post,” Mulkey said. “Nobody at thepostisareturning player,really, and so those guys need to really have the mindsetthat, ‘I’m gonna play.I’m gonna make mistakes,but I’mgonna play.’

“(The guards) have people to look up to, whereas the posts don’t.” LSUhas signedtwo No.1freshman classesinthe last three cycles. Mulkey andher stafflandedfour highly rated recruits in 2023 as well, but three of those players have transferred to different schools after they struggled to find consistent minuteswith the Tigers. Williams is the last onestanding. As afreshman, she was the only one of the four signees who logged more than 10 minutes per gameonceLSU

ä See LSU, page 6C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADRIAN KRAUS

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen stiff-arms Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor during agameinOrchard Park, N.y.,onSunday.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Pelicans guard Jordan Poole speaks during the team’smedia dayat theOchsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie on Sept. 23.

See PELICANS, page 6C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach BrianKelly walks across the field to talk with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffinafter thegameSaturdayatVaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.

Jeff Duncan

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSUguard ZaKiyah Johnson works during adrill in practice on Sept. 23 at the Pete Maravich AssemblyCenter

Hogs call on Petrino; defensive staff out

BY MAURA CAREY Associated Press

Arkansas athletic director

Hunter Yurachek said Monday

he felt sixth-year coach Sam Pittman had “lost the team” and it was time for a change.

The Razorbacks fired Pittman on Sunday, a day after a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame.

“I just felt like how we performed on Saturday gave me an indication that maybe Sam had lost the team a little bit because they generally had played really hard for him throughout his tenure,” Yurachek said.

Yurachek promoted offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to interim head coach for the remainder of the season. It’s familiar territory for Petrino, who served as the Razorbacks head coach from 2008 to 2011 before he was fired due to a scandal. Petrino, 64, was brought back as offensive coordinator by Pittman in 2023.

Is Petrino a shoo-in for the job?

“Coach Petrino, as we met yesterday he accepted this opportunity with the understanding that he also wanted an opportunity to formally be a candidate for our head coaching position, and he will have that opportunity but we’ll also subsequently run a search for our next head coach at the same time,” Yurachek said.

Pittman’s dismissal and Petrino’s temporary promotion weren’t the only changes. Defensive coordinator Travis Williams, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson and defensive line coach Deke Adams were all let go Chris Wilson was named the team’s interim defensive coordinator Petrino had high praise for Wilson, who was in his first year with the Razorbacks as an assistant defensive line coach.

“My experience (with Wilson) goes way back to having to battle

against him when he had all the great defensive linemen at Mississippi State,” Petrino said. “Very, very impressed with what he’s done throughout his career Guy’s got a Super Bowl ring. He brings a lot of credibility into the room.”

Several defensive players posted cryptic messages on social media following the firing of Williams, who had served as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2023. Yurachek and Petrino encouraged players to welcome change amid a 2-3 start to the season.

“The number one thing is, you have to get used to change. You know, your whole life there’s going to be change. So how we handle that, our attitude on how we handle that, will determine how quickly we improve,” Petrino said.

Pittman is the fourth power conference coach to be let go this season, all within the past two weeks (Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, DeShaun Foster at UCLA and Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State). Besides the bye week giving the Hogs a chance to adjust and make changes before an Oct 11 game at No. 15 Tennessee, the firing was far in advance of the transfer portal window to give current and prospective players a taste of the new era.

“The portal is a key factor in this. But I think more than anything, just heading into a bye week to have a transition with the head coach, having a bye week before we head to Tennessee, this was kind of a natural point to make that (change),” Yurachek said.

The timing also worked from a contractual standpoint, given Pittman’s unique buyout clause. Had the school waited until Pittman dropped below a .500 record since 2021, his buyout would have reduced from $9.8 million (75% of his remaining salary) to $6.9 million (50% ). Yurachek believes the parties found a happy medium with a buyout around $8 million.

“We negotiated in the middle,” Yurachek said. “Right now, he’s at 75%, and if the season continued the direction it was, he would have fallen below .500. So part of our meeting was getting his representatives on the phone, and we landed on a sweet spot for both of us. 62.5% saved the university about $1.5 million and kind of fell between that 50% and 75% mark.”

Europe quiets talk of U.S. dominance at Ryder Cup

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

FARMINGDALE, N.Y Rory McIlroy

still remembers his tears from losing so badly in the Ryder Cup

What stung even more were the words from that Sunday four years ago at Whistling Straits.

The Americans won 19-9, the biggest Ryder Cup blowout ever over Europe. Yes, the gallery was one-sided because of travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. And yes, that was a powerful U.S. team with all 12 playing at a high level. That never seems to happen.

This was a team that was going to change the course of the Ryder Cup.

“I was trying to tell the guys, ‘Let’s get to 20 points,’ because this is going to be the next era of Ryder Cup teams for the U.S. side,” Patrick Cantlay said that day.

“If we play like we did this week, the score will be the same over there,” Jordan Spieth said McIlroy couldn’t help but think of those predictions as Europe celebrated its second straight win since that beating, hanging on for a 15-13 victory He looked around at flags draped around each teammate from their nine countries, all of them mostly proud of the Team Europe emblem on the crest of their shirts. Unseen was the image of Seve Ballesteros stitched in the inside of the shirt so that it touched their hearts

“The comments and what people were saying after Whistling Straits about the decades of American dominance, we took a lot from that,” McIlroy said. “We let that fuel us.”

The “American dominance” ended six years after continental Europe was invited to the party, and there is little to suggest that’s about to change.

Playing on the road against an angry New York crowd that was nasty and disruptive only fueled Europe even more. It set a Ryder Cup record — under the current format that dates to 1979 — by losing only four of the 16 team matches going into Sunday No team had ever come back from more than a four-point defi-

cit. Europe was up by seven. It was close in the end — too close for Europe, until Shane Lowry came through with biggest putt of his life to secure the gold trophy but this requires a bigger picture.

McIlroy has been saying for the past two years winning a Ryder Cup on the road is among the biggest accomplishments in golf He must have been referring to the Americans, who haven’t done that since 1993.

Europe picked up its fifth road win in the past 10 Ryder Cups, and it now has won 11 of the past 15 times. That’s the very definition of dominance.

“When you think about the last away Ryder Cup about what people were saying about decades of American dominance — whether it was home for them or away and to be able to do what we’ve done in Rome and then here, you know, it shut a lot of people up,” McIlroy said Whistling Straits, and even the U.S. win at Hazeltine before that

in 2016, is starting to look like a blip on the radar instead of a foundation on which to build.

Captain Luke Donald was told Europe had dominated the last decade and was in position to do that for the following decade. That’s when Lowry interjected, “You guys told us we wouldn’t win one for 20 years, though.”

The Americans indeed put a scare into Europe, but even that required all the magic it could muster Cameron Young and Justin Thomas both had to make 12foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win their matches.

Eight of the singles matches went to the 18th hole, the most in the Ryder Cup since eight matches in 1993. In both years, one European didn’t play and an American whose name was in the envelope

Lanny Wadkins in 1993, Harris English this time — were given a halve.

Perhaps what the Americans didn’t see coming after their big win at Whistling Straits was a changing of the guard. Lowry,

CFP title game for 2027 season set for Superdome

The College Football Playoff national championship game for the 2027 season will be played at the Caesars Superdome on Jan. 24, 2028, The Times-Picayune has confirmed.

In addition to the championship game, the Dome will again play host to the Sugar Bowl, which likely will serve as a quarterfinal contest if the CFP stays in its current format. The CFP operates under a 12-team format, but the power conferences are considering an expanded field.

It will be the first national title game played in New Orleans since a Joe Burrow-led LSU squad beat Clemson 42-25 in the Dome on Jan. 13, 2020. That year is the only instance of New Orleans hosting a CFP championship contest since the playoff was created in 2014.

MRI confirms Giants WR Nabers has a torn ACL NEW YORK Malik Nabers has a torn ACL in his right knee and the New York Giants wide receiver is out for the rest of the season, coach Brian Daboll said Monday Nabers, a former LSU standout, was injured in the second quarter of the Giants’ home game against the Los Angeles Chargers when his right knee buckled while he was trying to make a catch. He immediately grabbed at the knee, received medical attention and was carted off the field.

Asked if there was any additional damage to Nabers’ knee, Daboll indicated he knew specifically only about the ACL tear Nabers’ injury put a damper on New York’s first win this season as rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for a touchdown and ran for another in his first NFL start.

San Francisco fires Melvin as Posey seeks new voice SAN FRANCISCO Buster Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the San Francisco Giants, someone with an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Posey, San Francisco’s president of baseball operations, announced the decision. He had shown his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager’s contract option for the 2026 season on July 1. “Just looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,” Posey said. The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West in 2021.

Twins fire Baldelli after seven years as manager

MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three AL Central titles but only one playoff appearance over his final five seasons.

Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland were Ryder Cup rookies. Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood were playing in their second. They were a combined 13-5-5 at Bethpage Black. And then there’s the Donald factor — the European captain, not the Ryder Cup guest on Friday who had Air Force One fly over the 15th fairway

He had been left behind when Europe took Henrik Stenson for the 2023 matches in Rome. And then Stenson went to LIV Golf and was stripped of his captaincy, Donald had only 13 months to prepare and he has pushed all the right buttons ever since.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley referred to Donald as the “best European captain of all time.”

“He won home and away and he won a Ryder Cup in New York at Bethpage,” Bradley said. “He turned this European team into a really unstoppable force, especially the first two day He put his team in the best position to win.”

Baldelli’s dismissal came after a second straight dispiriting finish by the Twins, this one marked by a major selloff leading up to the trade deadline. The Twins went 7092, including just 19-35 after the July 31 deadline passed following the departure of 10 players from their major league roster, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months. Baldelli, who turned 44 last week, went 101-61 and won the AL Manager of the Year award as a rookie in 2019.

Bochy, Rangers part ways as three-year deal ends ARLINGTON, Texas Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs in both seasons since then.

The Rangers announced Monday night that the team and Bochy mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure. Bochy has been offered a front-office role to remain with Texas in an advisory capacity The move came a day after the Rangers finished 81-81. Bochy, 70, was at the end of the three-year contract he got when Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, hired him after the Rangers’ sixth consecutive losing season. Bochy went 249-237 in Texas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL WOODS

Former Arkansas coach Sam Pittman talks with offensive lineman Shaq McRoy during the Razorbacks’ game against Notre Dame on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas fired Pittman on Sunday

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Rory McIlroy poses with the Ryder Cup trophy alongside Team Europe after defeating the United States on Sunday at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.y.

TEsHill, Moreau clearedtoreturntopractice

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Tight ends Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau have been cleared to return to practice and are expected to participate in workouts startingon

Wednesday, New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore said Monday Hill and Moreau have not played this season while returning from knee injuries suffered last season. They startedthe season on the physically unable to perform list. The transactions open afive-week window for Hill and Moreau to begin practicing. Once each players starts to practice, the Saints have athree-week window to place them on the 53-man roster.

Moreau injured his knee late in aloss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2024 season finale. Theformer Jesuit High School and LSU standout finished the year with 32 catches for 413 yards and five touchdowns.

Hill tore the anteriorcruciate ligament in hisleft knee in aWeek 13 lossto the Los Angeles Rams. He ranked second on the team with 278 yards rushing and six touchdowns last season

DUNCAN

Continued from page1C

that for acouple of drives, put yourself in some positive situations where you have alead.”

The Saints twice had chancestogainthe lead and squandered both opportunities.Cole Bishop’s interception of aChris Olave pass on atrick play before halftime squelched achance to eliminate a 14-10 deficit with atouchdown before halftime And amisconnection between Spencer Rattler andBrandin Cooks on a pass into the end zone late in the thirdquarterforced the Saints to settle for a field goal. Instead of takingthe lead, they trailed 21-19, andBuffalo scored the final 10 points of the game. The Saints have trailed

RABALAIS

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•2024: Waiting for that pesky mole to pop up. No major issues, mainly adefense trying to improve under new coordinator Blake Baker. Kelly launcheda huge fundraising campaign to eventually build andretain aroster with $18 million worth of NIL funding.

•2025: It’stime foranother mole whacking —a mole almost as big as the defensive one in 2023

That’sbecause LSU’srunning game doesn’trun. It barely even walks.

In my column after LSU’s24-19 loss Saturday at Ole Miss, Ilisted LSU’s problems in order of urgency with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’smysterious health issues at the top. Istill think that’s aproblem. But while the Nuss bus is ridingona leaking tire, it’satleast functional. And there is the reasonable possibility that this week’sopen date will give Nussmeierthe time he needs to rest/heal and be thekind of quarterback we know he canbegoing into the Oct. 11 home game with South Carolina. The running game is adifferent matter.LSU doesn’trun block well, and it has relied too much on gimmicky (though sometimes effective, it must be said) plays to run the ball with receivers Zavion Thomas and Barion Brown Overall, running the ball in aconventional sense is amajor problemfor LSU. Frankly,ithas been throughout the Kelly years.

“Obviously,it’sbeen along journeyfor those guys,so (we’re) excited to see them just out there with ahelmet on and actually doingalittle bit football (at practice),” Moore said. “We’ll see how it progresses.”

Alengthy absence?

Veteran offensive line-

Patriots game time changed

man Cesar Ruiz will miss the game Sunday against the New York Giants because of an ankle injury he suffered against the Buffalo Bills, Moore said.

on astaggering 39 of their 43 offensive possessions this season. They have not had asingle drive while playing with alead. Their opponents, meanwhile, have had 33 drives while leading

“You’re playing with thatconfidence and that swagger thatcomes with the lead,”Moore said. “So we’re close. We’re really, really close to accomplishing that. We’re not there yet obviously,sothere’s frustration associated with that,but that’scertainly something we can embrace.”

Playing catch-up often forces teams to abandon the run and rely on the passing attack to move the football. Consequently, the offense becomes onedimensional and defenses can tee off on the quarterback. For this reason, offensive coordinators strive each

LSU’s last 1,000-yard rusher was Daniels, who glidedto 1,134 yards in 2023. But its last 1,000-yard rusher at running back was Tyrion Davis-Pricein2021 with 1,003 yards. This year,Caden DurhamisLSU’s top rusher with 213yards, and he wasthe top rusherin 2024 with 753. Logan Diggs, who scored a touchdownSaturday for Ole Miss, was LSU’s top running back in 2023 with 653 yards. In 2022, Daniels rushed for 885 yards while tailback Josh Williams had 532. LSU was 107th in the nationinrushing in 2024 with 116.4 yards per game,last in theSEC This yearsofar,the Tigers are 119th in rushing (15th in the SEC ahead of only SouthCarolina) with 104.8 yards per game. Ole Miss frequently droppedseven and eight defenders into coverage Saturdaybecause it did not fear the LSU ground game Even afullyhealthyNussmeierwould have atough time succeeding against that.

Kelly blew up at WBRZ’s Michael Cauble after the Floridagamefor asking whatwas wrong with LSU’s running game and ability to convert third downs. “It’sone game,” Kelly said. “Wecan run theball.” Cauble’squestion perhaps could have been better timed after abig LSUwin, but it wasnoless valid And it has not been one game.Ithas been game after game. LSU managed just 57 net yards (including aNussmeier sack) on 22 rushing attempts, apaltry

Mooredid notspecify how long Ruiz would be sidelined,but theNFL Network reported that medical tests revealed the injury to be a high-ankle sprain that could requirearecoveryperiod of fourtosix weeks, making Ruiz acandidatefor in-

week to seize early leads and “gain control” of the game from aplay-calling standpoint.Playing witha lead allows theoffense to open up theplaybook and dictateterms to the opponent

In being forced to play from behind so often this season,the Saintshavebecome more far more passheavy than they would like. They have run pass plays on 62% (168) of their 271 offensive plays, compared to 38% runs (103).

“That’s an important part of this,” Moore said. “We kind of call them ‘mixed downs,’where we have the ability to threaten with the run and the pass. Andthe moretimes you can play mixed-down football, the better you’re going to be and the more advantageous you’re going to be because you put defense in conflict Ifelt like we were able to play that way more (against

2.6 yards percarry.That includedjust two carries by the team’savailable true tailbacks —one each for Ju’Juan Johnsonand Kaleb Jackson —inthe first half. It wasn’tjust the iceberg thatsank the Titanic.It was also the great liner’s flawed design, going too fast through dangerous waters and not heeding warnings from other ships. It isn’tjust one thing with LSU’s lack of arun game, either.It’sthe line,the backsand the scheme under play-callerJoe Sloan

While it’salwayshardto stick with something that is notworking, clearly Kelly andSloan must be more committed to therun. Former LSU tight endRichard Dickson suggested on the postgame radioshowthat the Tigers give more carries to Jackson, theirbest power back,and keep at it until the run game improves. Maybe even get Nussmeier more under center andget in more power running formations. Maybe craft arun packagearound backup quarterback Michael VanBuren. The season is at stake. Kelly justly preaches playing complementary football between offense and defense. Thatalso extends to the passing andrunning games.

The Tigers must finda way to be better at thelatter,orall of themoney and effortLSU spent to build aCollege FootballPlayoff contenderwill be pounded down aWhack-A-Mole hole.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up forour newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

juredreserve.

“Cesar likely will be out this week, and we’ll kind of take it week by week with him,”Moore said.

Ruiz wasinjured when apairofplayers rolled into theback of his legs at the end of ascramble by quarterback Spencer Rattler late in the second quarter. Trainers attendedtoRuiz on thefield, and he left

theBills).”

The Saints were much morebalanced against the Bills.They had 34 runs and 31 passes in 65 plays.

“The next step we need to accomplish in theplayaction (offense) is hitting someexplosive plays off of that,” Moore said. “That’s got to be agoal of ours moving forward. We’ve justgot to keep growing.”

The Saints took ababy step in the right direction against the Bills.Itwas arguably their best all-around

the game under his own power but did not return to action.

The formerMichigan standout has been amainstay on the offensive line since the Saints selected him in the first round of the NFL draft in 2020. He missed four startslastseason with aknee injury.He has started 73 games in six seasons.

performance of the season. Nevertheless, it was another loss. The Saints are 0-4 for the ninth time in franchise history.The last time they were winless in their first four games was 2012. They’ll enter their Week 5gameagainst the New York Giants as one of just three winless teams in the league, as long as the JetsDolphins game Monday night doesn’tend in atie

“Kellen said after the game, they (the Bills)

The NFL announced Mondaythatthe Saints’ Week 6 home game against the New England Patriots will start earlier than originally scheduled. The Oct. 12 game will kick off at noon. The coinciding move was to push theTampa Bay Buccaneers’ gamethat day against the SanFrancisco 49ersback to 3:25 p.m. —the time Saints-Patriots originally was scheduled. TheNFL hasthe abilityto flex kickoff times as close to twoweeks in advanceand can even change prime-time games late in theseason. The Saints (0-4)donot have a prime-time game scheduled this season. They do have four other games scheduled forthe late afternoon window,including three home games: Oct. 26 vs.the Buccaneers (3:05 p.m.), Nov.23vs. the Atlanta Falcons (3:25 p.m.) andDec. 14 vs. the Carolina Panthers (3:25 p.m.). The season finale at Atlanta does not have an announced start time. Staff writer Zach Ewing contributedtothis report Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com

are going to be playing in February and are going to winalot of games this year,” running back Kendre Miller said. “That’sareally good football team, so to go into Buffalo and play like how we did and bounce back from last week …just showsyou there is alot of fight in this team.Itis definitely just aconfidence boost foreverybody.”

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@theadvocate. com.

You knowhim well.Scotthas been covering LSU since 1992. He is theauthor of three highly acclaimed booksonLSU and was chosen as an LSU Expertfor ESPN’s SEC 150 Documentary

Each Monday,Scottwill puthis thoughts on the last week’sgameand thenextweek’sgame into avideo essayplacing the game in its context anddrawing historical parallels

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER

Saints tight ends Foster Moreau, left, and TaysomHill talk on the sideline during aminicamp practiceatthe Ochsner Sports Performance Center on June 10.

MLBPLAYOFFS

PadresfaceCubs at tricky Wrigley

BY JAYCOHEN

AP baseball writer

CHICAGO The San Diego Padres were terrificatPetco Park this season, going 52-29 on their waytoa National League wild card. It was a different story on the road, where Manny Machado and company finished with a38-43 record When it comes to any sort of explanation for the discrepancy, well, Machado has no idea.

“Can you please go find out the answer for me because Ican’t answer that for you,” asmiling Machado said. “You’re going to have to go talk to someoneelse because Idon’teven havethat answer for you.”

Machadoand thePadresare back on the road for the first round of the playoffs, beginningTuesday afternoon when they face the Chicago Cubs in the opener of their best-of-three series.

The Padres got arefresher course in the mixtureofsun and shade at Wrigley Field when they worked out Monday in asimilar time slot to what they will experience in Game 1.

“There’snot another ballpark, I would say,that can be any trickier than Wrigley,” Padres manager Mike Shildtsaid. “We’reaware of it.”

ä Padres atCubs. 2:08 P.M.TUESDAy ABC

Chicago went 50-29 at its iconic ballpark this year,helping the team to the top NL wild cardand home-field advantagefor thefirst round of the postseason.

But the Cubs haven’twon ahome playoff game since the 2017 NL ChampionshipSeries. They were sweptbyMiami in thewild-card round at Wrigley in 2020 in the franchise’slast postseason appearance.

“Wrigley already is incredibly special, andsoI’m very excited to seewhatitlooks like andwhatit feels like come postseason time,”

Cubs shortstopDansbySwanson said. “I know it’sgoing to be kind of everything you ever dreamed of.” San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta will faceChicago left-hander Matthew Boyd in Game1.Dylan Cease will start for thePadres on Wednesday,and Shildt indicated Yu Darvish would get the ball for Game 3, if necessary.Cubsmanager Craig Counsell declined to reveal his pitching plans beyond theseries opener

Pivetta and Boyd also matched up for two April games. Boyd

pitched sixscoreless innings in a 7-1 victory at Wrigley,and Pivetta tossed sixinnings of one-run ball in a4-2 win at San Diego.

It was part of abreakout season for Pivetta, whowent 13-5with a career-low 2.87 ERA in 31 starts anda career-high 1812/3 innings. He signed a$55 million, four-year contract with the Padres in February

“I thinkit’sjust going out believing in my talents, believing in what I’ve done this year and justgoing out and executing my game plan,” Pivetta said of starting Game 1, “andjustrelying on my teammates behind me to makedefensive plays and to put up runs and to just go through it like it’s another night.”

Boyd went14-8with a3.21 ERA in 31 starts in his first year with Chicago. He signeda $29 million, two-year deal with the Cubs in December

Boyd’slate grandfather,John, was abig Cubs fan, and the 34-year-oldpitcher grew emotional while talking about what it meant to him to start aplayoff game for theteam.

“Tothink that Iwould have got this opportunity knowing everything about my grandfather growing up here,it’scool, it’scool stuff,” Boyd said. “He would be extremely happy.”

SurgingRedsget ashot againstreigningchampions

BY BETH HARRIS AP sports writer

LOS ANGELES Cincinnati came crashing into the postseason on the final day of the regular season, and the Reds are riding asurge of momentum they hope will carry them past thereigningWorld Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Thedangers are theyouthful enthusiasm, the naivete,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “A way to combat that is we have to nottake them lightly because it’sa really good ball club. We’re playing againsta teamthat essentially feels like they have nothingtolose.”

Hunter Greene (7-4) makes his first postseason start Tuesday night when the sixth-seeded Reds (83-79) return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 with an NL Wild Card Series opener at Dodger Stadium. Two-timeCy Young Award winner Blake Snell (5-4) will be on the mound forthe third-seeded Dodgers(93-69),who won the NL West for the 12thtime in 13 years and are in the wild card for the first time since 2021.

“The only reason Icame here was

Reds at Dodgers. 8:08 P.M. TUESDAy, ESPN

to pitch in October,”Snell said, “and to really challenge myself personally and seehow good Iam, face the best when the stakes are the highest.”

Cincinnaticlinched apostseason berthSunday,the first time the clubhas done so on the final day of the regular season. The Reds snagged the National League’s third and finalwild card when the NewYorkMetslosttothe Miami Marlins.Withsimilar records, the Reds owned thehead-to-head tiebreaker after going4-2 againstthe Mets during the season.

“We’ve been playing do-or-die baseball nowfor what feelslike thelast month or two. Ithink we can use that to our advantage,” said Reds second baseman Gavin Lux, whowon World Series titles with the Dodgers in 2020 and last year.“It’s whoevergetshot and theplayoffs are acrapshoot. I’m readyto getout thereand tryto kicktheiryou-know-whats.”

The Dodgers dominated the Reds during the season, winning five of six and outscoring Cincin-

RedSox dressfor successvs. Yankees

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Garrett Crochet

wanted his Boston teammates to give the Yankees the business, so the All-Star pitcher told them to dressfor successwhenthey headed to NewYork for their postseason opener

“Wewere traveling comfortable here, and he decided to go business casual,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday.“He sent the text, so he overruled the manager.”

Crochet will make his first postseason start Tuesday night when the RedSox (89-73)return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 with an AL Wild Card Series opener in the Bronx. Max Fried(19-5) will be on the mound for the Yankees (94-68) in amatchup of All-Star lefthanders.

Boston clincheda postseason berth Friday and the best-ofthreematchup was locked in Sunday,whenthe Yankeeslost the AL East titletoToronto on atiebreakerasBostonbeatDetroit. The winner advancestoa Division Series against the Blue Jays.

“This could be aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someguys on this team,soI think that we should treat it withthe dignity that it deserves,” Crochet said. Corahad intendedfor relaxed attire on Sunday’scharter flight.

“We’ve been traveling comfortable fora while nowbecause of theschedule,” he said. Crochet’sprevious postseason appearances were as areliever with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and2021. He was traded to the RedSox in December and agreed in April to a$170 million, six-year contract that starts next year “I alwayswanted to be this guy that could throw aGame 1ofa playoff series, so to be here now comes as no surprise,” he said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he will start left-handed-hit-

ä Red Sox at Yankees. 5:08 P.M. TUESDAy,ESPN

ting Austin Wells, whocaught27 of Fried’s32starts, and probably right-handed-hitting first baseman Paul Goldschmidt against Crochet, whowas 3-0witha 3.29 ERA in four starts against New York this year Fried left Atlanta for a$218 million, eight-year contract with the Yankees. He was 10-2witha 1.92 ERA in his first 17 starts before he wasbothered by ablister on his left indexfingerand went 3-3 with a6.80 ERA over his next eight outings,then rebounded to go 6-0 with a1.55 ERA in his last seven.

Friedwas 1-1witha 1.96 ERA in three games against Boston. His average fastball was 97.2 mphagainst the Red Sox on Sept. 13, 1.4 mph above his season average.

New York andBostonare 1212 in the postseason, but the Red Sox have woneight of the last nine games, starting with the 2004 comeback from a3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series. Boston won a2018 Division Seriesinfour games and the 2021 wild-card game. Boston won this year’sseason series 9-4, going 5-2 at Yankee Stadium “Baseball wantsaYankees-Red Sox postseason, so it’sgoing to be really bright lights, ahuge national stage and awhole lot of fun competing with these guys,” said Red Sox first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, an August pickup. “It’sgoing to be high octane, really competitive, alot of fun to play. We’re not making friends out there. We can be friends when it’sover.” The reigning AL champion Yankees started the season 35-20, slumpedduring a25-34 stretch, then closed 34-14. Boston was30-35 through late May,then went59-38.

“A lot of people saw it coming,” Boone said. “I think he’s(Cora) played ‘The Little Engine That Could’ alittle bit over there.”

nati30-15.

“Being at home, not having to travel, it’simportant for us to strike earlyand really notlet these guys hang around andgainconfidence,” Roberts said. “I’ve talked about edge, and just keeping our edge and not kind of giving these guys any opportunity of life.”

The wild-cardwinner advances to aNLDivision Series against the Philadelphia Phillies Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) will startGame2for the Dodgers on Wednesday.Shohei Ohtani (1-1,2.87) will probablymake his postseasonpitching debut if the best-of-threeseries goes to athird gameonThursday,Roberts said.

The two-way superstar didn’t pitch for the Dodgerslast season while recovering from asecond elbow surgery,and he never made the playoffs during sixseasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

At theplate, Ohtani revived himself this month, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a1.165 OPS. He finishedthe regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than his 54 homers during hishistoric 50-50 season in 2024.

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

CLEVELAND Detroit ace Tarik

Skubal will be back on the mound at Progressive Field on Tuesday forthe first game of the AL Wild Card Series against Cleveland.

The start comes one weekafter theTigers acehad anightmare sixthinning against the Guardians.

Skubal threw a99mph fastball that struck David Fry in the nose and face after the Cleveland designated hitter squared to bunt. Skubal wasdistraughtand immediately dropped his cap and glove before he covered hismouth in disbelief

Frywas hospitalized overnight andsuffered abroken nose and facial fractures. Skubal went to visit Fry in the hospital, and both teams have saidthere was no ill will involved.

However,the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was put in adifficult positionwhenasked whether it was better to return to that samemound so quickly or whether it would have been better if it happened next season.

“That kind of puts me in abad spot, knowing how to answer that. Yeah, Idon’treally know how to answer that question. I’msorry,” Skubal said.

Skubal also had athrowing error,awild pitch and abalk in the inning as theGuardians rallied to takea3-2 lead before winning 5-2. ThevictorytiedCleveland withDetroit for the AL Central lead before the Guardians eventually won the division title.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch thinks Skubalhas put whathappened to Fry behind him,especially being able to visit him in the hospital and seeing that Fry was going to be OK

“I don’tthink Tarik will be impacted by muchofanything other than the adrenaline he needs to control going into Game 1of aplayoff series, which is some-

ä Tigers at Guardians. 12:08 P.M. TUESDAy,ESPN

thing he’sdone before,” Hinch said. “Wewere in this exact position last year,and he went in and had an incredible game using that energy and that adrenaline.” Skubal was13-6 during the regularseason with an AL-low2.21 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. He was second in strikeouts with 241. This will be Skubal’sfifth start against the Guardians this season. He is 1-1withan0.64 ERAand held Clevelandtoa .165 batting average. He threwa complete game, two-hitter on May25and seven shutout innings on July 6.

“I think it’snot only that he’s one of the best, but he’slike elite at what he does,” Guardians infield BryanRocchio said of facing Skubal. “Obviously he’stough but he likes to compete. He’sone of my favorite pitchers because of the way he pitches as well.” Skubal is 3-4 in 14 career starts against Cleveland, including the postseason, with a2.50 ERA. He made twostarts in last year’s AL Division Series, allowing five runs in sixinnings in theGuardians 7-3 wininthe fifth and deciding game. “I enjoy pitching here. The environment’sgreat. Youtalk about postseason baseball and the noise and kind of the chaos and then the rowdiness,”Skubalsaid. “I think this place kind of embodies all of that so Ienjoy playing here.” GavinWilliams(12-5, 3.06 ERA) will take the mound forthe Guardians on Tuesday

The right-hander has been the best playerinthe rotation since the All-Star break, going 7-1 with a2.18 ERA. He was2-0 with a1.06 ERAinthree starts against Detroit this season. Williams has hadacareerresurgence this year after going 6-15 his first twoseasons.

“I mean,kindofstar-struck a little bit, just being able to start aplayoff game. It’sphenomenal.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ORLANDORAMIREZ

San DiegoPadres third baseman MannyMachadogestures toward his dugout after hitting asolo homerun against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning on SundayinSan Diego.

THE VARSITYZONE

BATONROUGE AREA FOOTBALLTOP 10s

CLASS 5A-4A

1. Central (4-0): The Wildcats take overthe top spot after taking down Cecilia to remain undefeated.

2. Catholic-BR (3-1): The Bears lost their first game of the season on the road in a27-24 loss to West Monroe

3. Zachary(3-0): The Broncos remain at No. 3after not having a game this past week.

4. St.Amant (4-0): The Gators took down Scotlandville, 28-14, to stay undefeated.

5. Plaquemine (3-1): The Green Devils defense shined in a20-12 win overBrusly on the road.Four interceptions made the difference in thedistrict victory.

6. St. Michael (4-0): The Warriors

remain unblemished after blowing past Belaire, 35-7.

7. Dutchtown (3-1): TheGriffins have wonthree straight after defeating Prairieville, 42-7.

8. Brusly (3-1): The Panthers droppedtheir firstgame of the season, falling 20-12 to Plaquemine.

9. Istrouma (3-1): The Indians bouncedbackfrom their Week 3loss against St.Michael with aresounding 54-0win overTara.

10. East Ascension(3-1): The Spartans have wonthree straight games afterdroppingthe season opener.EastAscension took down Denham Springs,26-20, last Friday.

CLASS3AAND BELOW

1. Dunham (3-1): After acouple

of weeks of movement at the top, the Tigers retain No. 1after beating Ascension Catholic, 42-7.

2. North Iberville (4-0): The Bears stayundefeated after dominating Centerville, 43-0.

3. St. James (3-1): The Wildcats bounced back from their Week 3loss with a54-0 winoverPonchatoula.

4. University High (2-2): The Cubs defeated Collegiate Baton Rougein a64-0 rout to gettheirrecord back to .500.

5. Madison Prep (3-1): The Chargers continue the trend of teams bouncing back from aWeek 3Loss. MPAdefeated Glen Oaks 53-0 last week.

6. Slaughter Charter (4-0): The

VOLLEYBALLREPORT

Knights wonintheir fourth straight shutout. Slaughter Charter defeated Capitol 56-0 on Friday.

7. SouthernLab (3-1): The Kittens dominated Delhiina 46-8 win The defense talliedsix sacks in the victory

8. Catholic-PC (3-1): The Hornets fell to Westminster Christian, 4128, to drop their first game of the season.

9. Donaldsonville (4-0): The Tigers enter the rankings afterdefeating East Iberville,36-0, to stay unbeaten.

10. East Feliciana (3-1): The Tigers wonaclose one against Episcopal, 22-20, to open District 8-2A play. Jackson Reyes

East IbervilleatThrive Academy,5p.m.

leaders: CHS: Kynlee Rheams (43 assists, 13 digs,1ace), Addison Guy (43 assists, 13digs,1ace), Lori Morris(11 kills, 9blocks, 1dig); PHS: Kate Perniciaro (17 kills, 6digs,1 blocks), JayciHarvey (32 digs, 3aces, 3assists), Haley Sears (42assists, 10 digs, 5kills, 2blocks) Team records: Central 11-8, Prairieville 7-8. Zachary 3, EastAscension 0 Zachary 25 25 25 East Ascension 21 23 17 Team leaders: ZHS: AsiaSterling(1ace,5 digs, 2assists, 12 kills, 4blocks), Amelia Mitchem (2 aces, 17 digs, 2kills), Alyssa Albert (2 aces, 4digs, 20 assists, 1kill, 2 blocks), Karsyn Marshall (15digs), Kyleigh Norman (4 aces, 6digs, 1assist,5 kills,2 blocks). EAHS: Madison Duncan (7 kills, 5 dig), Reagan Mitchell(7kills,1block). Tuesday North Iberville at ThriveAcademy, 5p.m. Ascension Christian at Walker, 6p.m. Scotlandville at West Feliciana, 6p.m. Slaughter Community Charter at Zachary 6p.m. East Iberville at Mentorship Academy, 6p.m. Episcopal at Baton Rouge High, 6p.m.

FalseRiver at Glen Oaks, 6p.m. Denham Springs at Dutchtown, 6p.m. Plaquemine at Family Christian, 6p.m. Southern Lab at Liberty,6 p.m. CarencroatLivonia, 6p.m. Ben Franklin at MadisonPrep, 6p.m.

Istrouma at McKinley,6 p.m. BelaireatNortheast, 6p.m.

Immanuel ChristianatThe ChristianAcademy, 6p.m. Woodlawn at Port Allen, 6p.m. LiveOak at Prairieville,6p.m.

East Ascension at St. Amant, 6p.m. Central at St. Michael,6 p.m.

Collegiate Baton Rouge at Tara,6 p.m.

Opelousas Catholic at CatholicHigh Pointe Coupee, 6p.m

Wednesday Dunham at St. Amant, 4p.m.

Louisiana School for the Deaf at Ascension Christian, 5p.m

Ascension Catholic at White Castle,6p.m.

Scotlandville at Mentorship, 6p.m.

North Iberville at Central Private, 6p.m.

BelaireatGlen Oaks, 6p.m. Abramson Sci Academy at CollegiateBaton Rouge, 6p.m. Terrebonne at Dutchtown, 6p.m. Donaldsonville at GEONext Gen, 6p.m.

Madison PrepatLiberty,6 p.m. Northeast at Slaughter Community Charter, 6p.m. Catholic High Pointe Coupee at Southern Lab, 6p.m.

Conference play started for severalHBCU programs in Week 5ofthe college football season. Here’show Ivoted in the BOXTOROW HBCU football media poll this week:

1. Jackson State (3-1): The reigning Celebration Bowl champion proved why it deserves tohold the top spot in the media and coaches poll after a38-13 win at Southern. Jackson State quarterback JaCobian Morgan had hisbest game of the year, completing21of 31 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns

quarter

2. Alabama State (3-1): The Hornets overtake North Carolina Central for secondplace on my ballot after an impressive42-14 SWAC win at FloridaA&M. Without forcing a turnover,they held their Southwestern Athletic Conference foe to only six points until there was 3:03 left in the game.

3. North Carolina Central (4-2): North Carolina Central outplayed winless first-year Division Iprogram East Texas A&M 50-42. The final scoreundersells the level at which the Eagles had control of the game.They allowed 21 fourthquarter pointsand led by as many as 26 at the 2:59 mark of the third

4. Howard(3-2): Despite aloss, Howard rises three spotsonmy ballot because it barely lost to a quality Coastal Athletic Association opponent.The Bison fell 1312 at Richmond(3-2), entering the fourth quarter witha12-0 lead. Richmond’s second score was a passing touchdown that was set up by aninterception 7yards from theHoward endzone.

5. SouthCarolina State (2-3): The Bulldogs gave up atouchdown with aminute remaining to lose 31-24 to Charleston Southern on theroad.South Carolina State quarterback Ryan Stubblefield completed 18 of 24 passes and rushed 18 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

6. Delaware State (3-2): Delaware State remainshigh on my ballot because its 35-31 loss to Sacred Heart (4-1) cameafter its starting quarterback wasejected because of excessivecelebration. After Kaiden Bennett gave his team a 14-10lead after asecond-quarter

rushing touchdown, he was high-fiving fans and didn’thand thefootball to the officials. The

Hornetsdidn’tscore apoint in the second half.

7. PrairieView(3-2): The Prairie

View defense generated four turnovers and allowed one touchdowninits 28-13 SWAC winover Grambling. The Panthers allowed opposing quarterback and former Southern player C’Zavian Teasett to complete 21 of 43 passes for 161 yards, atouchdown and three interceptions.

8. Bethune-Cookman (2-3): The Wildcats came out victorious in aback-and-forth SWAC contest against astrong AlabamaA&M team,winning 41-34 at home. Bethune-Cookman iced the game with a26-yard rushing touchdown from Alihaja Scott with 1:07 left in the game, ending an eight-play drive for66yards.

9.Alabama A&M (3-2): Alabama A&M had its three-gamewinning streak snapped in its first SWAC contest. Although it forced two turnovers in the air vs. BethuneCookman, the Bulldogs still gave up 516 yards of offense.

10. Benedict (4-0): Benedict is the only Division II program on my ballot after proving to be one of the best defenses in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. After a59-24 winover Clark Atlanta, the Tigers have allowed only six touchdowns, which is four fewerthan the next-best team

Email Toyloy BrownIII at

PHOTO By CHRIS PARENT

East Ascension linebacker Tony Miles makesa sack during the game against DenhamSprings on FridayatSpartan StadiuminGonzales. The Spartans won, 26-20.

Toyloy Brown III

LSU AGCENTERPHOTO By KyLE PEVETO

With their narrowpetals and long stamens, hurricanelily flowers have aspiderlikeappearance.

Beauty of the storm

Hurricane lilies areSouthern garden heirlooms

Have you noticed some red flowerspopping up lately, seemingly out of nowhere? Chances are you have been gracedby the presence of hurricane lilies

These flowers tend to show up in August and September peak hurricane season in Louisiana, hence their name. Long stems give rise to large, showy blooms that usually are redbut sometimes display shades of white, pink and yellow.You’ll often find them on old Southern homesites, and they’re a popular passalong plant. When people say “hurricane lilies,” they’re usingan overarching term that includes severaldifferent plants. Some interchangeably use the terms spider lilies and surprise lilies. While theseplants are similar they are in fact unique species in theLycoris genus,which is part of the Amaryllidaceae family.That means hurricane lilies are relatives of the familiar red amaryllis, another beloved Southern garden plant Here are some of the most common hurricane lilies you might come across in late summer to early fall:

n Red spider lily(Lycoris radiata). This is the classic hurricane lily.Itproduces orangered flowers on 12-to-18-inchtall, leafless stalks. Flowers feature narrow petalsand long stamens, creating aspiderlike appearance. Foliage growth takes off in the fall and continues through winter before dying back in the spring. This plant performs best in partial shade. Toomuch shade can hamper blooming, and direct sunlight is just too intense.

n White spider lily (Lycoris albiflora). Similar to the red spider lily in appearance and growth pattern, thisspecies sports white flowersthat sometimes exhibit atinge of pastel yellow or pink.

n Golden spider lily (Lycoris aurea). With yellow flowers on stems that can reach up to24 inches tall, this lily makes a statement.Flower petals are accented by attractive wavy margins. Leaves grow in the fall and take on ablue hue.

n Naked ladies or surprise lily (Lycoris squamigera) This species produces purpleto-pink flowers reminiscent of trumpets. Blooms form on bare stalks about 18 inches tall. Strappy leaves form in spring and disappear in summer Hurricane lilies do best in rich, slightly alkaline soils with good drainage. Like other members of the amaryllis family,they grow from bulbs and form clumps. Over time, they can become overcrowded, which reduces blooms. Occasional division is the remedy.Dig up the bulbsafter leaves have faded and plants have gone dormant —for

Because of this program, we arenow growing summer squash and bush beans at our house, and we will continue to grow more.”

CAITLIN WILSON,

about theSeed Library program in an email

SOWING CURIOSITY

Hilltop Gift Shop n Ahunt for hidden treasures at the “Yarden” sale —acurated mix of gently used one-of-a-kind garden and housewares n The Vendor Village, featuring local makers, artists andplantloving small businesses n The Children’sTentfor fall crafts, kid-friendly activities and take-hometreats. All plant and giftshop purchases are tax-free during the sale (excluding outside vendors). GARDEN NEWS

ä See LILIES, page 2D

GBY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

rowing avegetable or pollinator gardenisa popular hobby these days, and fall is the right time of year to start. The East BatonRouge Parish Library is here to help —10ofthe 15 library branches are participating in the Seed Library initiative, a free program committed to offering gardening education and seeds so people can have healthy foods. The program prioritizes herbs and vegetables that are either native to Louisianaorthrive particularly well in the local area. One of thelibrary’sgoalsistofoster sustainability when it comes to gardening, so theseeds won’tbe invasive species that would harm or take over agarden.

AllisonGianelloni, the community programminglibrarian, read aboutseed libraries popping up in libraries throughout the country andthought it wassomething she could bring to Baton Rouge. Shestarted atrial seed library

at the Greenville Springs branch, and it was received well. Once she moved to theMain Library in January,she brought theidea with herand repurposed acard catalog cabinet as the container for seeds —found on thesecondfloor near

the nonfiction collection.

Howthe Seed Libraryworks

TheSeed Libraryoperatesentirelythrough seeds donatedby

See SEED LIBRARY, page 2D

PlantFest! settobloom

report

afall tradition at LSU Hilltop Arboretum in Baton Rouge, celebrates connecting plantsand people.

will take place this weekend in the heart of Hilltop’s beautiful natural setting at 11855 HighlandRoad. Patronscan peruse morethan 3,000 plants andjust as many species of native and traditional trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, ferns,

abold native garden or afresh addition to your landscape, the team of Hilltop plant experts will be there to guide your selections andoffer expert advice,” anews release says. Reachingbeyond just aplant sale, the event also offers: n Limited-editionPlantFest! Tshirts and Felco hand pruners in

STAFFPHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Elena Branzaru, left, and Tammy Kazmierczak react ecstatically to finding seeds of plants theylove at the seed libraryatMain LibraryinBaton Rouge.

Tammy Kazmierczakplaces rattlesnakemaster seedsinto apouchatthe seed libraryatMain Library.

Please stay home,evenifit’s‘just acold’

Dear Miss Manners: Agroup of six longtime friends planned agettogether at my house including snacks and games. One friend showed up very clearly ill, with ared, runny nose and apack of tissues, saying, “It’sjust acold! Ifeel fine.”

Maybe Ishould have been more sympathetic, but Iinstead mentioned that Ididn’twant to get sick because Ihad a vacation coming up. Igot hand sanitizer and wipes for people to use, and kept my distance. Idid ask if they had gotten tested for COVID, and they said no —now that the tests aren’t free, they are actually quite expensive —but they

assured me they’d had COVID before and thatit“didn’tfeel like this.”

Twoquestions: Do you agree that the common cold should be something that keeps peoplefrom socializing, andhow can Ihandle this, should it happen again?

doing. We look forward to seeing you when you are over this.”

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: 1. Yes. 2. By beingmore sympathetic. Miss Manners suggests saying firmly, “You’re very brave to come outlike this, but we won’tlet you sacrifice yourself for us. Youneed to go homeand go to bed until you arewell. Do youneed someonetotakeyou?”

On their way out, you can add, “Please let us know how you’re

Thecountdown is on for TEDxBatonRouge series

Staff report

With the theme “Unseen Currents,” TEDxBatonRouge has lined up seven speakersfor its 2025 program.

ATED Countdown anchor event, the program will take place Nov.13atthe Manship Theatre, 100 LafayetteSt., Baton Rouge, with networking and activation stations from 4:30 to 6p.m., theatredoors opening at 6p.m. and the main event running from 6:30 to 8p.m. An after-party is planned for 8to9:30 p.m.

Such TED Countdown events aredesigned to “amplify local efforts and to championthe individuals pushing boundaries within their own communities,” according to countdown.ted.com

“TEDxBatonRouge will elevate Louisiana-born solutions at the intersection of science,design, health and culture —addressing climate pressures we live with every day,like coastal land loss, air quality,and heat —while highlightinginnovations that protect livelihoods, improve health outcomes and strengthen our economy,” anews release states.

This year’sspeakers and topics are:

n Damien Mitchell,industrial designer: “a designer-educator blending time-honored craftand modern innovation to challenge hyperconsumerism— and to ask what it takes to design objects (and futures) thatlast.”

n Rebeca de Jesús Crespo,integrative ecologist: “a landscape ecologist tracing the hidden links between land, water,and human health —revealinghow community choices ripple back into our lives and how resiliencestarts with intention.”

n Johnnie James II,regenerative

ocean farmer: “a climate-tech founder reimagining one of the world’soldest materials to help defend Louisiana’svulnerable coast —designing structures that endure while supporting coastal ecosystems.”

n Pippin Frisbie-Calder,environmental printmaker: “a visual artist transformingscientific data into large-scale printsand immersive installations —compelling audiences to see what’satstake and engageinsolutions.”

n NaohiroKato,microalgae innovator:“abiologist unlockingthe outsized potential of microalgae —advancing ways to preserve human health and local culture while addressing critical environmental challenges.”

n VeronicaGillispie-Bell,maternal health advocate: “a physician and public-health leader illuminating maternal health as afault line where climate change intensifies risk —and outlining the policy andclinicalinnovations that can save lives.”

n MaryMiller,spongehunter: “a microbiology professor guidingstudent-driven discovery —studying overlooked freshwaterspongestoassess waterway health and inspire the next generation of scientists.”

General admission tickets are$81 at https://www.tedxbatonrouge.com/2025. Alimited numberofdiscounted student ticketsalsoare available by applying with aschool email at the same website.

“TEDxBatonRouge isa community-connecting, idea-elevating, discussion-startingexperience where leaders, thinkers, doers and dreamers gather to explore what’spossible for Baton Rouge andcelebrate brilliant ideas born here at home,” therelease states.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Sept. 30,the 273rd day of 2025. There are92 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Sept. 30, 1949, the Berlin Airlift came to an end after delivering more than 2.3 million tons of cargo to blockaded residents of West Berlinoverthe prior 15 months.

Also on this date: In 1777, the Continental Congress —forced to flee in the face of advancing British forces —moved to York, Pennsylvania, after briefly meeting in Lancaster,Pennsylvania In 1791, Mozart’sopera “The Magic Flute” premiered in Vienna, Austria. In 1938, addressing the public after co-signing the Munich Agreement, which allowed Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, British Prime MinisterNevilleChamberlain proclaimed, “I believe it is peace for our time.” In 1955, actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in atwo-car collision near Cholame, California. In 1972, Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente connected for his 3,000thand final hit, adouble

LILIES

Continued from page1D

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave afriend who constantly talks about the prices of food, drinks and restaurants.

Iwanted to go downtown to a festival, and thefirst thingshe said was that the beers are going to be $8 each. When Iask her about anew restaurant, she tells me theprices of everything and thecheapest way tohave dinner there at happy hour.Nomention of the food itself. Alot of her conversations seem to center around how much things cost. It drives all of her conversations. Iguess Iwas brought up not to talk about thecost of things. Am I wrong to let this bother me?

Gentle reader: If you were brought up nevertotalkabout thecost of anything, Miss Mannershopes it came with asizable inheritance

If your friend keeps asking you how much you paid foryour shoes, you would be justified in being annoyed.But being concerned about prices at restaurants—orother commercial transactions under consideration —seems reasonable.

against Jon Matlack of the New York Mets at Three RiversStadium

In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to illegally annex moreoccupied Ukrainian territory in asharp escalation of his seven-month invasion.

Today’sbirthdays: ActorAngie Dickinson is 94. Singer Johnny Mathis is 90. Actor Len Cariou is 86. Singer Marilyn McCoo is 82. Actor Barry Williams is 71. Singer Patrice Rushen is 71. Actor Fran Drescher is 68. Country musician Marty Stuart is 67. ActorCrystal Bernard is 64. ActorEric Stoltz is 64. Rapperproducer Marley Marl is 63. Countrymusician Eddie Montgomery (Montgomery Gentry) is 62. Rock singer Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 61. Actor Monica Bellucci is 61. Actor Tony Haleis55. Actor Jenna Elfman is 54. Actor Marion Cotillard is 50.Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates is 50. Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Hingis is 45. Olympic gold medal gymnast Dominique Moceanu is 44. Actor Lacey Chabert is 43. Actor Kieran Culkin is 43. Singerrapper T-Pain is 41. Racing driver Max Verstappen is 28. Actordancer Maddie Ziegler is 23.

most species, late spring to early summer is agood time to do this. Youcan then replant the bulbs or share them with friends —asmany folkshave done through the years. Just note that newly planted and recently disturbedbulbs may not bloom right away

One final note about hurricane lilies: They’repoisonous!This is because they contain atoxic alkaloid called lycorine. Keep pets andchildren away to prevent ingestion.

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave always sent thank-you notes without fail. My problem is that, now,people contact me via text message to see if Ihavereceived the gift they sent me. And since that answer is almost alwaysyes, Ifeel Imust not onlyacknowledge the gift but also thankthem at that time. So now,I either have to thank them with ashort text, instead of the lovely cards Ipurchased to write sincere notes of gratitude, or thank them twice —which of course is not awful, but seems awkward. Ineed someguidance, please. Gentle reader: Prompt responses will solve this problem.Then you can truthfully say,“Yes, thank you, I’ve already written you.”

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postalmail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Trythismethodfor boiled eggs

Dear Heloise: Regarding hardboiled eggs, I’vehad aterrible time with them over the years and have tried several different methods.I finally found amethod on the internet that actually works: Putabout 3quarters of an inch of water in a saucepan and heat it to boiling. Once it’sboiling, takethe eggs out of the refrigerator and gently place them in the pan of boiling water being careful not to burn yourself of course. They must be in a single layer.Donot stack them! Then cover and continue to boil for 14 minutes.Inthe meantime, get your ice water ready.(Ikeep afrozen bottle of water in my freezer and use this along with regular water.) After 14 minutes, put thecooked eggs in the ice water and let them sit there for about 14 more minutes. Then use theeggs or put them in the refrigerator with alabel to remember

that they expire in one week. I’ve had great luck with this. The eggs almost always peel easily,and Ialmost never get agreen ring around theyolk, which Ihate. It’s so quick to do, and Ican cook them while I’mdoing something else and not waste any time. Plus, there’snofussing to get theeggs at room temperature. Iread your column every day —Carol, via email

Save on cleaning pads

Dear Heloise: Sometimes you need asteel wool soap pad to clean a nastypan. Icut mine in halves or quarters to save on waste and also save afew dollars. —Kristin Logue, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire Spreadingglue

Dear Heloise: Many thanks to Bob for his hint about silencing unknown callsonmyiPhone. My hint is that Isave old plastic

credit cards to use to spread glue over large surfaces. This is an old woodworker’strick, but it can be used forpaper and other things. Bill, in St. Louis Twohandy hints

Dear Heloise: Ihave been reading “Hints From Heloise” formany years and have used manyof them.I have twoofmyown to offer: n When spraying bathroom deodorizer,rather than spraying it into the air,I spray it into the wastebasket. It seemstolast longer and avoids residue on the countertop or mirror n Isave plastic bags that our newspaper is delivered in. Iuse them when traveling to dispose of small trash or personal items. They take up no space in the suitcase and are very handy —Linda Bloom, in Southlake,Texas

Send ahinttoheloise@heloise com.

SEED LIBRARY

Continuedfrom page1D

seed companies andlibrary patrons. Local organizations like Baton Roots and Wild Ones donate native plant and vegetable seeds. CarrieSchmidt-de la Fuente, a reference librarian at theMain Library,works consistently to procure donations in the community and keep thelibrary stocked.All of the seed libraries operate on thehonor system,meaning that patronsare asked to take only what theyplan to grow in aseason,sothe seedscan be shared with otherlibrary users.

And while having an East Baton RougeParish Library card grants accesstoanumber of services, having one is notrequired to participate in this program.

To use the Seed Library at various branches, sign your name in thebinder,take 2-3 seeds for each plant, pack theseeds in provided envelopes, label them with thecorrect information,and then grow theplant at home.

Returning seeds is not required but is encouraged for easy-tosave seeds (lettuce, tomatoes, beans, peas, etc.). Returned seeds will help to keep the library wellstocked for futureusers.Basic seed-saving techniques can be found on the library website under the”PlantingGuides” tab

“I’m always still learning,” Gianelloni said. “I’m notanexpert at all. I’ve never done thewet seed saving. People can save their

seeds,then drop them offhere in thelittle seed returns.”

Gianellonirecalledone family heirloom plant that was left with alittle note attached that saidthe flower seed wasfrom aneighbor’s yard, andthe donorwanted to share it with the community

“Because of this program, we arenow growing summer squash and bush beansatour house, and we will continue to grow more,” Caitlin Wilson wrote in an email to Gianelloni.

The program is still in itspilot phase, butEast Baton Rouge Parish Library hopes to bring it to all 15 library locations in the future.

Each branch’scollection of seeds is different depending on donationsand stock. Visit each location for acomplete and up-to-date list of currently available seeds.

ASeedLibrary near you

n Main Library,7711 Goodwood Blvd., at the secondfloor near the nonfiction section

n Carver Branch Library,720 Terrace Ave., at the circulation desk

n Central Branch Library,11260 Joor Road, across from the reference desk

n Fairwood Branch Library,12910 Old Hammond Highway,near the circulation desk

n GreenwellSprings Road Regional Branch Library,11300 Greenwell Springs Road,inthe lobby

n Jones Creek Branch Library,6222 Jones Creek Road, near the circulation desk

n Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library 13600 Port Hudson-Pride Road

n South Branch Library,2210 Glasgow Ave.,between the children’sarea and adult’sarea n ZacharyBranch Library,1900 Church St., behind the circulation desk.

In addition to the seed librariesthemselves, the programalso hosts Garden Discovery community gardening events, suggests plant and garden reading lists and providesresources on their website, ebrpl.libguides.com/seedlibrary.Upcoming events include a Linda Barber Auld, the NOLA BugLady,presentation about “Monarchs, Migration, Milkweed, and OE”at10a.m. Oct. 11 at theMain Library,7711 Goodwood Blvd. Then, Community Gardening Dayisfrom 8a.m. to 3p.m. Nov 8atthe Main Library.EBRPL is teaming up with the Louisiana Wild Society to install anative plant garden near the front entrance of the Main Library.The morning will include planting demos and hands-on learning. There will be workshops throughout the day, including apresentation from Janine Kharey of Wild Ones GBR about“WhatYou PlantCan Make a Difference” at 10 a.m.,and aSeed Sorting and Saving Demo from MitchellProvensalofBaton Roots Gianelloni says now is the perfect time to plant native plant seeds because they need cold stratification,which means they need to be coldbefore they germinate. In the springtime they should sprout. Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Tammy Kazmierczakbrowses the nativeseed selection at the seed libraryatMainLibrary.

Hints from Heloise

LIBRA (sept 23-oct. 23) Tidy your space to accommodate your needs. The changes or moves you pursue will make your life easier and help guide you to utilize your skills and experience to reflect what's marketable.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You'll need an outlet for your angst. Manifest opportunitiesthataresensitivetoyourneeds,not to someone else's. Finish what you start and ignore those who meddle.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful with money matters; you can be generous without going broke. Offer your thoughts, guidelines and connections, nothing more. A pay hike, investment or windfall is apparent

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don't sell yourself short. An opportunity is apparent,butit'suptoyoutosethighstandards and to negotiate to ensure you get a fair deal. Use finesse and facts to get what you want.

AQuARIus (Jan 20-Feb. 19) Expand your interests, dig deep and prepare for whatever scenario might come your way. Refuse to let someone one-up you due to an oversight on your part.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You'll have mixed emotions about certain relationships. Be observant, question what's said and consider how you want to proceed before taking action. Focus on what matters and maximize your time.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Consider your emotions before responding. You'll receive mixed messages from someone close to you. Balance and equality

are necessary to achieve a positive outcome.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Set yourself up for success. Let your charm, along with a healthy dose of preparation, lead you to victory. Today it's your turn to shine, so put your best foot forward and trust your instincts.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A change will do you good. Be smart regarding health and physical risk factors. Don't share your feelings prematurely. Take the time to get to know others before sharing secrets.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep moving. Being busy will help you ward off stress and gives you a chance to recognize what's advantageous and what's detrimental. Your efforts will gain momentum and recognition.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Monitor what's happening around you, and you'll get a glimpse of something new and exciting that you may want to investigate. Lending a helping hand will lead to a unique circle of people who can offer a different perspective.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Lovewhoyouare, and so will everyone you encounter. A happydispositionwillbreakbarriersthat stand in your way. An event you attend will turn into a meet-and-greet session that leads to a great connection.

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

McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: I EQuALs K

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe peAnUtS

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

In “The Devil’s Dictionary,” Ambrose Bierce defined “prescription” as a physician’s guess at what will best prolong the situation with least harm to the patient.

At the bridge table, the prescription for success is trying not to have to guess what to do, but what will have mathematically the best chance to succeed.

In this deal, South is in four spades. West leads the club queen. Since East is marked with the club ace, declarer plays low from the board at tricks one and two, but still loses the first three tricks. East then shifts to the spade six. After drawing trumps, how should declarer continue?

South opened three spades, showing a respectable suit, some 6-10 high-card points and about seven winners. Here, North would have done well to respond three no-trump, but if South’s suit needed establishing, that contract could have gonedownseveraltricks.Raisingtofour spades was “normal.”

South has only nine winners: seven spades, one heart and one diamond. At first glance, it looks as though he needs one of the red-suit finesses to work. But which one should he take? It seems to be a pure guess. However, he can improve his odds slightly.

Declarer should play a diamond to dummy’s ace, ruff a low diamond in his

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle

hand,returntodummywithatrump,and ruff another diamond. Here, the king drops, establishing dummy’s queen and allowing South to claim. But if the diamond king is still out there somewhere, declarer cashes the rest of his trumps planning to take the heart finesse at trick 12. © 2025

today’s thought “And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10

by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

REQUISITION 11297694

OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE

Notice is hereby given to all citizensofthe CityofBaton Rouge, ParishofEast Baton Rouge and to all other interested persons, of theintroduction at the regular meeting of the Metropolitan Council of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, held on September 24, 2025 of the proposed resolutions/ordinances, the titles of which areset forth hereinafter,and that public hearing willbeheld thereon by theMetropolitan Council at 4:00 P.M., Wednesday,October 8, 2025, in theCouncil Chambers (Room 348) on the third floor of theCity-Parish Governmental Buildinginthis City,these proposed resolutions/ordinances beingentitledasfollows: RESOLUTION

Consideration of the ITEP application from W.R. Grace &Co. for aproject located in East Baton Rouge Parish referred to the parish by the Boardof Commerce and Industry as TaxExemption Application TaxExemption Application #20230485-ITE -$31,241,000.00. By Council Administrator/ Treasurer

RESOLUTION

Consideration of the ITEP application from International Mezzo for aproject located in East Baton Rouge Parish referred to the parish by the Boardof Commerce and Industry as TaxExemption Application #20240044-ITE$216,368.00. By Council Administrator/Treasurer.

RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-Presidenttoexecute aContract for Construction Inspection Services with GOTECH Inc. for services associated with MOVEBR Project Terrace Ave(HighlandRoad to PerkinsRoad), being City-Parish Project No.20-EN-HC-0045, in an amount not to exceed $484,500.00(Account No. 9217100080-4370.00000-0000000000-653100). By Transportation and Drainage Director

RESOLUTION

Request to Authorize the Mayor-Presidenttoexecute theMaintenance

Agreement Including Mowing andLitter Pick-up For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2026 Between The City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge andthe State of Louisiana DepartmentofTransportation andDevelopment. By Maintenance Director Introduce for public hearing/meetingonOctober 8, 2025

RESOLUTION

Receiving the thirdquarter 2025 reportfromthe East BatonRouge Parish Communications District. By Councilman Rowdy Gaudet.

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-PresidenttoExecute aFourth Amended andRestated Cooperative Endeavor and Intergovernmental Agreementwith East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority (dba Build Baton Rouge) and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’sOffice to Extend thecurrent agreement to December 31, 2025, providingthe parameters of the potential transfer of adjudicated properties identified in targeted areas to Build Baton Rouge for redevelopment. By Community Development Director RESOLUTION

Authorization for the Mayor-Presidentand/or Chairman of the Airport Commission to execute aProfessional Service Contract with Marsh McLennan Agency to provide property andcasualty insurance broker services in an amount not to exceed $120,000.ByAviation Director RESOLUTION

Authorization for the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to Consent to an Assignmentand AssumptionofLease from CNAK Consulting, LLC and its assignee, Dawson Management, LLCto Hancock Aviation, LLC and execute aConsenttoLeasehold Mortgage.By Aviation Director RESOLUTION

Authorization for the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to execute aConsent to Assignment andAssumption of Lease from Gulf Wide Aviation, L.L.C to GH.Enterprises, Inc. By AviationDirector RESOLUTION

Authorization for the Mayor-Presidentand/or Chairman of the Airport Commission to enter into an agreement with Lyft, Inc., for transport services for passengers at the Baton Rouge Airport for aperiod of 5years at arate of $5.00 per pick up. By Aviation Director RESOLUTION

Authorization forthe Mayor-President and/or Chairman of the Airport Commission to execute alease agreementwith GATAirline Ground Support, fora100 sq. ft. administrativeoffice located in theterminal building for an annual rate of $8,000.00 for aperiod of one(1) year,with aone (1) yearmutual option to renew.ByAviation Director RESOLUTION

Authorization forthe Mayor-President and/or Chairman of the Airport Commission to execute aNon-Federal Reimbursable Agreement#AJWFN-CSA-25-SW-007046 between the DepartmentofTransportation Federal Aviation Administration and the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge on behalf of the Greater Baton Rouge Airport District in the amount of $76,214.91 for the Pavement ReplacementonRunway 22R-4L. By Aviation Director RESOLUTION

Resolution authorizing and adopting anew parkingrate structure for public parking at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. By Aviation Director RESOLUTION

Authorizing settlement of the pre-litigation claim of Jada Pitts for damages resulting from an auto accidentcaused by aBaton Rouge Police Officer, in the amountof$19,500.00,whichamountshall be paid from the account designated “Insurance -AutoLiability” (1000.4700.10.0550.0000. 0000.000000.644120). *Thismatter may be discussed in Executive Session. (Attorney of recordisJay Simon.). By ParishAttorney. RESOLUTION

Authorizing settlement of thepre-litigation claim of Quindaris Robins for damages resulting from an auto accidentcaused by aBaton RougePolice Officer,inthe amount of $28,500.00, which amount shall be paid from the account designated “Insurance -AutoLiability” (1000.4700.10.0550.0000. 0000.000000.644120). *Thismatter may be discussed in Executive Session. (Attorney of recordisJay Simon.). By ParishAttorney. RESOLUTION

Authorizing settlement of thepre-litigation claim of David Swindell for damages resulting from asewer back-upinclaimant’shome, for atotal amount of $13,838.72, which amountshall be paid from theaccount designated “Insurance -General Liability” (1000. 4700. 10. 0550. 0000. 0000. 000000.644110). *This matter may be discussed in Executive Session. (In proper person). By Parish Attorney RESOLUTION

Authorizing settlement of the pre-litigation claim of KeshaunKnoxfor damages resulting from an auto accidentcaused by aBaton RougePolice Officer,inthe amount of $12,100.00,whichamountshall be paid from the account designated “Insurance –AutoLiability” (1000.4700.10.0550.0000. 0000.000000.644120). *This matter may be discussed in Executive Session. (Attorney of recordisNicholas Zeringue,LLC.). By Parish Attorney. RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President, on behalf of theOffice of Community Development, to execute an amendment to Contract No. 800006374 with Public Construction, INC between theCity of Baton Rouge ParishofEast Baton Rouge, increasing the contract amount by $125,000.00 for anew total not-to-exceed amount of $639,250.00, andauthorizesthe execution of all necessary documents. By Community DevelopmentDirector. RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President,

not-to-exceed amount of $739,250.00 and authorizes theexecution of all necessary documents. By Community Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President, on behalf of theOffice of Community Development, to execute an amendment to Contract No. 800006369 with PenConstruction Group, LLC between the City of Baton RougeParish of East Baton Rouge, increasing thecontract amount by $125,000.00 for anew total not-to-exceed amount of $639,250.00 and authorizes theexecution of all necessary documents. By Community Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President, on behalf of theOffice of Community Development, to execute an amendment to Contract No. 800006331 with Urban Restoration Enhancement Corp (UREC) between the City of Baton RougeParish of EastBaton Rouge, increasing thecontract amount by $125,000.00 for anew total not-to-exceed amount of $470,000.00 and authorizes theexecution of all necessary documents. By Community Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President on behalf of theDivisionofHuman Development &Services, Head Start Programs, amending resolution2500972 so as to extend thedates of thecontract amendment with Clay Young Enterprises,LLC to December 31, 2025, for theprovision of all mediabuys and authorizing theexecution of all documents in connectiontherewith. By Human Development &Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor President on behalf of theDivisionofHuman Development &Services Ryan White Program to accept funding from theUS

Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration,onbehalf of theDivisionofHuman Development and Services forthe Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program which includes Ryan White Ending the HIV epidemic (EHE) funding in an amount of $417,954.00(1stAllocation$841,600.00 –2nd Allocation-$740,446.00, 3rdAllocation-$417,954.00

Total Federal Award- $2,000,000.00) for thegrant period of March 1, 2025 throughFebruary 28, 2026, and authorizing theexecution of all documents in connection therewith. By Human Development &Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor President on behalf of theDivisionofHuman Development &Services Ryan White Program to accept funding from theUS

Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration,onbehalf of theDivisionofHuman Development and Services forthe Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program which includes Ryan White Ending the HIV epidemic (EHE) funding in an amount of $858,459.00(1stAllocation$841,600.00 –2nd Allocation- $740,446.00, 3rdAllocation- $417,954.00 and 4th Allocation -$858,459.00= Total Federal Award-$2,858,459.00) for the grantperiod of March 1, 2025 throughFebruary 28, 2026, and authorizing the execution of all documents in connection therewith. By Human Development &Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor President on behalf of theDivisionofHuman Development &Services Ryan White Program to amend asubrecipient

contract with NO AIDS Taskforce in theamount of $69,365.00, for atotal awarded amount of $124,467.00, which includes all funding under theRyan WhitePart AHIV Emergency Relief Grant Program, and authorizing the execution of all documents in connection therewith. By Human Development &Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to execute an agreement with Capital Area Construction, LLC. for Demolitionand Abatement Services, Package A11 in an amount not to exceed $73,493.00. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to execute an agreement with ABG Contractors, Inc. for Demolitionand Abatement Services, Package A12 in an amount nottoexceed $80,360.00. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Rescinding and directing theClerk Of Court to cancel the Notice To Attend recorded on February 19, 2025, at Original 707 of Bundle 13356, Original 708ofBundle 13356; and theDecision AndOrder recorded on September 3, 2025, at Original 747 of Bundle 13390 in thematter of “CityofBaton Rouge vs.James E. Stepter and Vernal W. Stepter” –Condemnation Proceeding No 11628 (12965 Wedgewood Dr.(Flood Damaged Property), Lot89, Harding Terrace Subdivision.) Reason for rescinding:Property is located within thecitylimitsofBaker,which is notinour jurisdiction. By Department of Development

RESOLUTION

Rescinding and directing theClerk Of Court to cancel the Notice To Attend recorded on January 13, 2025, at Original 231 of Bundle 13351, and the Decision AndOrder recorded on June 3, 2025, at Original 731 of Bundle 13374 in thematter of “CityofBaton Rouge vs. Jill Ann Graves Crutti”Condemnation Proceeding No.11549 (3138 Elm Dr.(House and Rear Shed), Lot 49, South Dayton Subdivision.) Reason for rescinding:Property has a newowner that is planning to remodel and put back intocommerce. By Councilwoman Harris.

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to execute an agreement with Spurlock Company,Inc. for Demolitionand Abatement Services, Package A13 in an amount not to exceed $60,350.00. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to execute an agreement with Spurlock Company,Inc. for Demolitionand Abatement Services, Package A14 in an amount not to exceed $104,825.00. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to execute an agreement with Capital Area Construction, LLC. for Demolitionand Abatement Services, Package A15 in an amount not to exceed $85,114.00. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Rescinding and directing theClerk Of Court to cancel the Notice To Attend recorded on May 12, 2023, at Original 343 of Bundle 13253, Original 344 of Bundle 13253, Original 345 of Bundle 13253, Original 346 of Bundle 13253; andthe Decision AndOrder recorded on May 25, 2023, at Original 394 of Bundle 13255 in thematter of “CityofBaton Rouge vs. CliffordWarren Sanford; Ollie Bell Daniel Sanford; Juanita SanfordBradford; and LA Studio 19 LLC” –Condemnation Proceeding No.11228 (8446 Scotland Ave, Lot 2, Sq. 6, North Baton Rouge Subdivision). Reason for rescinding:Property is in theprocess of changing ownership and new owner has plans to work on it By Councilman Kenney

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President on behalf of theDivisionofHuman Development &Services, Head Start Program to submita continuation grant applicationtothe Office of Head Start and receive funding in theamount of $12,882,609 for operational budget and $124,351 for training and technical assistance for atotal amount of $13,006,960 and authorizing theexecution of alldocuments in connectiontherewith. By Human Development &Services Director ORDINANCE

Repealing Ordinance 8668, adopted May 25, 21988 and amending Ordinance 8148, adopted May 14, 1986, relating to theEast Baton Rouge Parish Communications District BoardofCommissioners. By Councilman Rowdy Gaudet &Councilman DwightHudson

RESOLUTION

Authorizing theMayor-President to submita grantapplicationand receive funding from theLouisiana Department of Education, Office of Nutrition Services for theChild and AdultCareFood Program on behalf of theDivision of Human Development &Services Head Start Program in theamount of $917,224.56 and authorizing theexecution of all documents in connection therewith. By Human Development &Services Director RESOLUTION

Authorizing theFinance Director to refund an erroneous remittance of sales taxes to Drivetime Car Sales Company LLC in theamount of $477,264.80 for remitting sales tax to theCityofBaton Rouge, which

Rescinding

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute the Entity-State Agreement with the StateofLouisiana via Department of Transportation and Development, in connection withState Project No. H.014675, US 61X:(N. 22nd Street –US 61) aka FloridaBoulevardCorridor

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aSupplemental Agreement for Engineering Services withTRC Engineers, Inc., for services associated with MOVEBRCapacity Project Old Hammond Highway –Segment 2(Millerville BoulevardtoO’Neal Lane), being City-Parish Project No.06-CS-HC-0028, in an amount not to exceed $110,540.00 (Account No. 9217100023-437100000-0000000000-653240). By Transportation and Drainage Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aSupplemental Agreement for Construction Inspection Services withModjeski and Masters, Inc. for services associated withMOVEBR Capacity Project MallofLouisiana Boulevard(RR Bridge and Pump Station), being City-Parish Project No. 12-CS-HC-0043D, in an amount not to exceed $405,000 for thissupplemental agreement and atotal contract value of $935,000. (Account No. 9217100027-00064303.0006-0000000000-653240). By Transportation and Drainage Director ORDINANCE

Amending Title9(Licensing and Regulation of Trades and Occupation), Chapter 18 (Wine, Beer and Liquor), Section 9:1010 (Building, Location, Zoning, and Parking Requirements for Businesses), so as to add subsection (Security). By Councilmembers Adams and Coleman.

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aSupplemental Agreement for additional Professional Engineering Services withEvans-GravesEngineers, Inc for services associated withMOVEBR Corridor Enhancement Project North Boulevard(I-110 to Foster/Florida), being City-Parish Project No. 20-EN-HC-0002, in an amount not to exceed $120,486.50. (Account No. 9217100078-00000-4370.00000-0000000000-653240). By Transportation and Drainage Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aContract for Construction Inspection Services withSustainable Design Solutions LLC, for services associated withMOVEBR ADA Transition and various Enhancement Projects, being City-Parish Project No. 20-EN-HC-0020, in an amount not to exceed $489,000. (Account No.9227100039-4372.00000-0000000000-653100$340,000; 9227100040-4370.00000-0000000000-653100-$149,000). By Transportation and Drainage Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement withthe City of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish and the Parish of East Feliciana for the cooperative maintenance of Lemon B. Road, in an amount not to exceed $10,391.04. By Maintenance Director

CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS

The Estate of Patricia ChambersWillis 10041 Avenue J(Houseand Abandoned Vehicles), Lot 35, Sq.30, UniversityPlace Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 2-Kenney Kendrick Jackson 1702 MastDr. (4-plex), Lot 12-B, South Highland Industrial Park Subdivision -CouncilDistrict 3-Gaudet Latonya Renee Jones 5507 Paige St., Lot 13 &14, Sq.39, Fortune Addition Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 5- Hurst

Sarah Christine Sims, Torin VonHorton, Jr and Alayna Tori Horton 8584 Hooper Rd. (Abandoned Unsecured Dwelling and Rear Shed), Lot 4, Sq. 2, York Place (Acquisition Reads York) Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 5-Hurst Christina Alexander 3333 Prescott Rd., Lot 12+ (Lots 12 &13), Roppolo Villa Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 7-Harris Brittany Leshay Chase, Brandon Leneal Chase, JosephD.Jones,Sr.,Rose MaryHarbor,Johnny Woods,and AndreaChase-Ward 2739 Michelli Dr.(Acquisition Reads 2439 Michelli Dr.), Lot 340, BirdStation Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 7-Harris Earl A. Marcelle, Jr., Lamar A. Marcelle, Marvin M. Marcelle, Cheryl R. Marcelle Murray,Yvonne M. Marcelle, and Yvette A. Marcelle 1026 Lorri BurgessAve Lot 2PT+(Western5 Ft. of Lot 3and Eastern30 Ft. of Lot 2), 3PT(Portion of Lot 3Sq. 14 South Baton Rouge, Meas.35Ft. Front on the South SideofWashington St.) &4(Less &Except Parcel 13-2 TI DOTD BN), Sq.14, South Baton Rouge Subdivision -CouncilDistrict 10 -Coleman ACox and Associates LLC 817 N25th St Lot 13, Sq.4 Suburb Abramson Subdivision -CouncilDistrict 10 -Coleman

The Estate of Frances Pigeon 2332 Huron St.(Rear Shed Only), Lot 9PT+ (Western45.5 Ft. on Lots 9and 10), Sq. 66, Suburb Istrouma Subdivision-CouncilDistrict 10 –Coleman 160286-560946-Sept. 30-1t $856.60

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street ticks higher; tech stocks lead the way

Wall Street ticked higher on Monday as technology stocks recovered some of their losses from late last week.

The S&P 500 added 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 68 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%. All three are near their all-time highs set a week ago.

Big Tech stocks ticked higher to lead the way Amazon added 1.1% following its 5.1% drop last week, and Microsoft rose 0.6% to recover some of its 1.2% decline. While their moves were modest, they were still two of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 Monday because they’re two of Wall Street’s most valuable stocks.

On the losing end of the market were companies in the oil business, which were hurt by slumping crude prices. Drops of 2.6% for Exxon Mobil and 2.5% for Chevron were two of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500.

This week’s highlight is scheduled to arrive on Friday, when a report will be due about how many jobs U.S. employers created and destroyed last month. The hope is that it will be balanced enough to keep the Federal Reserve on track to continue cutting interest rates.

The Fed just delivered its first cut of the year, and officials have penciled in more through the end of next year

Corn dogs, other products recalled

NEW YORK About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because pieces of wood may be embedded in the batter, with several consumers reporting injuries to date

According to a Saturday notice published by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall covers select “State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick” and “Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick” products from Texas-based Hillshire Brands, which is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods.

The contamination problem was discovered after Hillshire received multiple consumer complaints, the service notes, five of which involved injuries. The company later determined that a “limited number” of these products included “extraneous pieces of wooden stick within the batter,” Tyson said in a corresponding announcement — adding that it opted to initiate a recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

The recalled corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick goods were produced between March 17 and as recently Friday, per Saturday’s recall notices.

CSX railroad replaces CEO as merger looms

CSX railroad announced Monday that it had replaced its CEO less than two months after an investment fund urged it to either find another railroad to merge with to better compete with the proposed transcontinental Union Pacific railroad or fire outgoing CEO Joe Hinrichs

The outgoing CEO, who came to the railroad in 2022 after a long career with Ford, focused on repairing CSX’s relationship with its workers and labor unions and unifying the team after a bitter contract fight. But Ancora Holdings, which helped spur major changes at Norfolk Southern, said CSX’s operating performance deteriorated significantly under Hinrichs’ leadership. Hinrichs resigned to clear the way for Steve Angel to become CEO effective Sunday Angel, 70, also comes from outside the rail industry, although earlier in his career, he oversaw GE’s locomotive building unit, so he does have that experience. CSX said he has 45 years of experience leading large public companies, including most recently as CEO of Linde and Praxair which provide industrial gasses to other companies.

Electronic Arts to be bought for $55B

Video game maker acquired by investors

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE and MICHELLE CHAPMAN

The Associated Press

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games like “Madden NFL,”

“Battlefield,” and “The Sims,” is being acquired by an investor group including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in the largest private equity-funded buyout in history

The investors, who also include a firm managed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-inlaw, and the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, valued the deal $55 billion.

EA stockholders will receive $210 per share. The deal far exceeds the $32 billion price tag to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007, which had shattered records for leveraged buyouts.

PIF which was currently the largest insider stakeholder in Electronic Arts, will be rolling over its existing 9.9% investment in the company

The commitment to the massive deal is in line with recent activity in the gaming sector by the Saudi fund, wrote Andrew Marok of Raymond James.

“The Saudi PIF has been a very active player in the video gaming market since 2022, taking minority stakes in most scaled public video gaming publishers, and also

outright purchases of companies like ESL, FACEIT and Scopely,” he wrote. “The PIF has made its intentions to scale its gaming arm, Savvy Gaming Group, clear, and the EA deal would represent the biggest such move to date by some distance.” PIF is also a minority investor in Nintendo.

The deal needs approval from national security regulators on the Committee on Foreign Investment given that the Saudis are involved, but there are plenty of reason to expect it will go through.

The U.S. agency leading the foreign investment committee, the Treasury Department, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the potential conflicts of interest.

If the transaction closes as anticipated, it will end EA’s 36-year history as a publicly traded company that began with its shares ending its first day of trading at a splitadjusted 52 cents.

Not only does Trump’s son-in-law want to do the deal, but the president could also be inclined to look favorably on any Saudi investment because he has benefited directly from their spending. His family business has been paid by Saudibacked LIV Golf for hosting its tournaments at his clubs starting at a difficult time years ago when the PGA Tour pulled out of events at the same venues following the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol by Trump supporters in 2021.

Trump administration opens more acreage for coal mining

Deal provides $625 million to boost coal-fired power plants

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Monday it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide $625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to reverse the yearslong decline in the U.S. coal industry Actions by the Energy and Interior departments and the Environmental Protection Agency follow executive orders Trump issued in April to revive coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been shrinking amid environmental regulations and competition from cheaper natural gas.

Environmental groups denounced the actions, which come as the Trump administration has clamped down on renewable energy, including freezing permits for offshore wind projects, ending clean energy tax credits and blocking wind and solar projects on federal lands.

Under Trump’s orders, the Energy Department has required fossil-fueled power plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep operating past their retirement dates to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. The latest announcement would allow those efforts to expand as a precaution against possible electricity shortfalls.

Trump also has directed federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands. A sweeping tax bill approved by Republicans and signed by Trump reduces royalty rates for coal mining from 12.5% to 7%, a significant decrease that officials said will help ensure U.S. coal producers can compete in global markets.

The new law also mandates increased availability for coal mining on federal lands and streamlines federal reviews of coal leases.

“Everybody likes to say, ‘drill, baby, drill.’

I know that President Trump has another initiative for us, which is ‘mine, baby, mine,’”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said at a news conference Monday at Interior headquarters. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Undersecretary Wells Griffith also spoke at the event All three agencies signed orders boosting coal.

“By reducing the royalty rate for coal,

increasing coal acres available for leasing and unlocking critical minerals from mine waste, we are strengthening our economy, protecting national security and ensuring that communities from Montana to Alabama benefit from good-paying jobs,” Burgum said.

Zeldin called coal a reliable energy source that has supported American communities and economic growth for generations.

“Americans are suffering because the past administration attempted to apply heavyhanded regulations to coal and other forms of energy it deemed unfavorable,” he said.

Environmental groups said Trump was wasting federal tax dollars by handing them to owners of the oldest, most expensive and dirtiest source of electricity

“Subsidizing coal means propping up dirty, uncompetitive plants from last century – and saddling families with their high costs and pollution, said Ted Kelly, clean energy director for the Environmental Defense Fund.

“We need modern, affordable clean energy solutions to power a modern economy, but

the Trump administration wants to drag us back to a 1950s electric grid.”

Solar, wind and battery storage are the cheapest and fastest ways to bring new power to the grid, Kelly and other advocates said. “It makes no sense to cut off your best, most affordable options while doubling down on the most expensive ones,” Kelly said.

The EPA said Monday it will delay seven deadlines related to wastewater pollution from coal-fired power plants. The industry has complained that regulations imposed under the Biden administration were costly and designed to speed the closure of coal plants.

Coal ash, the waste from burning coal, can leach into groundwater and spread toxins. The Biden administration said the rules were aimed at keeping arsenic and lead out of well water lowering cancer rates and avoiding disastrous spills.

“Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are giving big polluters a pass to dump tons and tons of toxic pollution into our waterways, with no care for how many Americans will suffer from drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food,” said Laurie Williams, who directs the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign.

Trump announces 100% levies on foreign-made films

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and PAUL WISEMAN AP business writers

President Donald Trump says he will slap a 100% tax on movies made outside the United States — a vague directive aimed at protecting a business that America already dominates.

Claiming that movie production “has been stolen” from Hollywood and the U.S., Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “I will be imposing a 100% tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States.”

It was unclear how these tariffs would operate, since movies and TV shows can be transmitted digitally without going through ports.

Also unclear is what it would mean for U.S. movies filmed on foreign locations — think James Bond and Jason Bourne — or what legal basis the president would claim for imposing the tariffs.

The president had first issued the threat back in May He has yet to specify when the tariff might go into effect.

Movies are an odd battleground for a U.S. trade war “Unlike any other country’s film industry, U.S. movies are the most accessible, well-known and best performing due to the numerous language options and worldwide reach provided by U.S.-based studios,” trade analyst Jacob Jensen, of the center-right American Action Forum, wrote in a July commentary

In movie theaters, Americanproduced movies overwhelmingly dominate the domestic marketplace.

Data from the Motion Picture Association also shows that American films made $22.6 billion in exports and $15.3 billion in trade surplus in 2023 — with a recent report noting that these films “generated a positive balance of trade in every major market in the world” for the U.S. Barry Appleton, co-director of the Center for International Law at the New York Law Center, warned that other countries may retaliate with levies on American movies or other services. In movies, “Brand America is way way ahead,” he said. “What this policy does is ac-

tually cook the golden goose that’s laying the golden eggs.”

Tariffs are Trump’s go-to solution for America’s economic problems, a tool he likes to use to extract concessions from other countries.

Reversing decades of U.S. support for lower trade barriers, he’s slapped double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country on earth. And he’s targeted specific products, including most recently pharmaceuticals, heavy trucks, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.

Unlike other sectors that have recently been targeted by tariffs, movies go beyond physical goods, bringing larger intellectual property ramifications into question.

Burgum

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

A mining dumper truck hauls coal at Cloud Peak Energy’s Spring Creek strip mine near Decker, Mont.