Law enforcement officers monitor tailgating crowds before kickoff between LSU and Louisiana Tech on Sept. 6 LSU has announced a stricter set of security measures after an increase in campus violence on game days.
Southern also reviewing protocols
BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer
In response to what officials say is an increase in campus violence during Tigers football games, LSU announced Thursday a stricter set of game day security measures for the remainder of the season,
including the closure of a popular tailgating spot and prohibiting drivers without parking permits access to Highland Road.
The crackdown comes after a shooting on campus sent two people to the hospital during last week’s game against South Carolina. Police also say a man accidentally shot himself before the game just outside the stadium, while another shooting occurred outside the Law Center during LSU’s previous home game against the University of Florida.
On Monday, Gov Jeff Landry ordered increased security ahead of LSU’s next
home matchup against Texas A&M on Oct. 25.
“The governor is very engaged with this,” said LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard who confirmed the two had been in direct talks about beefing up security before Thursday’s news conference.
Hours after LSU’s announcement, Southern University said it also would be tightening campus security ahead of the school’s homecoming game this weekend.
ä See SECURITY, page 8A
Landry calls for special session Supreme Court case may
affect election schedule
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday called for a special legislative session to begin on Oct. 23 to adjust next year’s election schedule because of a legal challenge to Louisiana’s voting map for Congress. But exactly what lawmakers will try to do remains unclear, in part because stringent election rules limit the changes that the Secretary of State’s Office can allow them to make.
Whatever changes legislators agree on will likely have broad implications in determining which areas of Congress the six members of the U.S. House will represent.
“We’re waiting for legislation from the Governor’s Office since he issued the call,” said Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie. “He hasn’t articulated yet which dates and what changes he wants. Once we have that, then we can begin the bill drafting for the session.”
Landry’s call, which establishes what issues legislators can consider in the session, contains a single item: “to legislate relative to the election code, election dates, election deadlines, and election plans for the 2026 election cycle, and to provide for the funding thereof, if necessary.”
It does not ask legislators to redraw the congressional map on a contingency basis, as Landry had wanted them to do.
“We don’t want the Supreme
ä See SESSION, page 9A
Louisiana Senate race already attracting millions of dollars
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Campaign finance data shows
“It’s kind of amazing that this money is being spent in a state which is obviously going to elect a Republican senator I don’t know of any viable Democrat who would get in and make this a race.”
JIM KITCHENS political pollster
There’s more than a year until Louisiana elects its next U.S senator, but millions of dollars in campaign contributions are already pouring in. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, is facing a crowded field of fellow Republicans in the state’s new closed primary system, in which GOP candidates will all face off in an election to decide which single Republican will be on the ballot in November
Cassidy has $9.5 million in the bank, by far the most of any candidate in the race. But two other candidates, state Sen. Blake Miguez and Louisiana Treasurer John
Fleming, each have more than $2 million.
Veteran political pollster Jim Kitchens said the fundraising at this point in the race is notewor-
thy given that money is typically a crucial factor when two parties are vying for political control, like in swing state races.
“It’s kind of amazing that this
money is being spent in a state which is obviously going to elect a Republican senator,” he said. “I don’t know of any viable Democrat who would get in and make this a race.”
No Democrat has yet filed to run for the seat; party leaders have said they are still recruiting one. Democratic former Gov. John Bel Edwards announced this week that
Cassidy leads in fundraising ä See SENATE, page 9A
Landry
STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
U.S. prosecutors charge
Smartmatic in bribe case
MIAMI Federal prosecutors have charged voting technology firm Smartmatic with money laundering and other crimes arising from more than $1 million in bribes that several executives allegedly paid to election officials in the Philippines.
The payments, between 2015 and 2018, were made to obtain a contract with the Philippines government to help run that country’s 2016 presidential election and secure the timely payment for its work, according to a superseding indictment filed Thursday in a Florida federal court.
Three former executives of Smartmatic, including cofounder Roger Pinate, were previously charged in 2024 but at the time South Florida-based Smartmatic was not named as a defendant Pinate, who no longer works for Smartmatic but remains a shareholder has pleaded not guilty
The criminal case is unfolding as Smartmatic is pursuing a $2.7 billion lawsuit accusing Fox News of defamation for airing false claims that the company helped rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
Smartmatic in a statement denied the allegations. “This is again, targeted, political, and unjust,” the company said. “Smartmatic will continue to stand by its people and principles. We will not be intimidated by those pulling the strings of power.”
N.C. Republicans unveil new congressional map
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans unveiled a new congressional map Thursday, officially entering the national redistricting battle as President Donald Trump pushes GOPcontrolled states to redraw their maps in his party’s favor ahead of the midterms. If enacted, the map could flip the 1st Congressional District in Republicans’ favor, ousting U.S. Rep. Don Davis, a moderate Democrat.
North Carolina’s map, which was redrawn in 2023, already heavily favors the GOP, electing 10 Republicans and four Democrats last year
The new map is an even more aggressive attempt to maneuver districts in Republicans’ favor and is likely to face legal challenges for racial gerrymandering, given that it affects the state’s historic “Black belt.”
At President Donald Trump’s request, North Carolina Republicans proposed a new congressional map likely to pick up another seat for the GOP
The 1st District, which is currently located in northeastern North Carolina, would be redrawn to include several Republican-leaning counties along the coast.
Billionaire Ill. governor wins $1.4M in blackjack SPRINGFIELD,Ill.— It figures that a billionaire would win big in Las Vegas. Illinois Gov JB Pritzker reported a gambling windfall of $1.4 million on his federal tax return this week.
The two-term Democrat told reporters in Chicago on Thursday that he drew charmed hands in blackjack during a vacation with first lady MK Pritzker and friends in Sin City “I was incredibly lucky,” he said. “You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere.” Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, has a net worth of $3.9 billion, tied for No. 382 on the Forbes 400 list of the nation’s richest people. A campaign spokesperson said via email that Pritzker planned to donate the money to charity but did not respond when asked why he hadn’t already done so.
The Pritzkers reported income of $10.66 million in 2024, mostly from dividends and capital gains. They paid $1.6 million in taxes on taxable income of $5.87 million.
Pritzker is an avid card player whose charitable Chicago Poker Challenge has raised millions of dollars for the Holocaust Museum and Education Center The Vegas windfall was a “net number” given wins and losses on one trip, he said. BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Trump confirms CIA is operating in Venezuela
BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump
confirmed Wednesday that he has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and said he was weighing carrying out land operations on the country
The acknowledgment of covert action in Venezuela by the U.S. spy agency comes after the U.S. military in recent weeks has carried out a series of deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. U.S. forces have destroyed at least five boats since early September, killing 27 people, and four of those vessels originated from Venezuela.
Asked during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday why he had authorized the CIA to take action in Venezuela, Trump affirmed he had made the move.
“I authorized for two reasons, really,” Trump replied. “No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” he said. “And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.”
Trump added the administration “is looking at land” as it considers further strikes in the region. He declined to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump made the unusual acknowledgment of a CIA operation shortly after The New York Times published that the CIA had been authorized to carry out covert action in Venezuela.
Maduro’s reaction
On Wednesday, Maduro lashed out at the record of the U.S. spy agency in various conflicts around the world without directly addressing Trump’s comments about authorizing the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
“No to regime change that reminds us so much of the (overthrows) in the failed eternal wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on,” Maduro said at a televised event of the National Council for Sovereignty and Peace, which is made up of
representatives from various political, economic, academic and cultural sectors in Venezuela.
“No to the coups carried out by the CIA, which remind us so much of the 30,000 disappeared,” a figure estimated by human rights organizations such as the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo during the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-83).
“How long will the CIA continue to carry on with its coups? Latin America doesn’t want them, doesn’t need them and repudiates them,” Maduro added.
Speaking in English, Maduro said: “Not war yes peace, not war Is that how you would say it? Who speaks English? Not war, yes peace, the people of the United States, please. Please, please, please.”
Early this month, the Trump administration declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and pronounced the United States is now in an “armed conflict” with them, justifying the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.
Congressional reaction
The move has spurred anger in Congress from members of both major political parties that Trump was effectively committing an act of war without seeking congressional authorization.
On Wednesday Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said while she supports cracking down on trafficking, the administration has gone too far
“The Trump administration’s authorization of covert CIA action, conducting lethal strikes on boats and hinting at land operations in Venezuela slides the United States closer to outright conflict with no transparency, oversight or apparent guardrails,” Shaheen said “The American people deserve to know if the administration is leading the U.S. into another conflict, putting servicemembers at risk or pursuing a regime-change operation.”
The administration has yet to provide underlying evidence that the boats targeted by the U.S. military were in fact carrying narcotics, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter
U.S. commander overseeing strikes against boats will retire
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Navy admiral who oversees military operations in the region where U.S. forces have been attacking alleged drug boats off Venezuela will retire in December he and the defense secretary announced Thursday
Adm. Alvin Holsey became the leader of U.S. Southern Command only in November, overseeing an area that encompasses the Caribbean Sea and waters off South America. These types of postings typically last between three and four years.
Holsey said in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page that it’s “been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend our Constitution for over 37 years.”
In a post on X Thursday afternoon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Holsey for his “decades of service to our country, and we wish him and his family continued success and fulfillment in the years ahead.”
Officials at the Pentagon did not provide any more information and referred to Hegseth’s statement on social media.
Madagascar coup leader to be quickly sworn in as president
U.N. condemns takeover
By The Associated Press
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar
The United Nations chief on Thursday condemned the military takeover in Madagascar as an army colonel who led the coup was set to be quickly sworn in as president just three days after announcing soldiers had taken charge.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres “condemns the unconstitutional change of government in Madagascar and calls for the return to constitutional order and the rule of law,” his spokesperson said. Col. Michael Randrianirina is due to be sworn in as Madagascar’s leader at a ceremony at the High Constitutional Court on Friday, according to a statement by the colonel, which he signed as the president of the “refounded” repub-
lic of Madagascar Ousted President Andry Rajoelina fled the Indian Ocean nation off the east coast of Africa following the military rebellion, claiming his life was in danger His whereabouts are unknown. Madagascar has been suspended from the African Union, which said it “totally rejects” the takeover Randrianirina announced Tuesday that the armed forces were taking control after three weeks of deadly anti-government protests led mainly by disaffected young people, who have railed against government service failures, poverty and a lack of opportunities while accusing the elite of corruption and nepotism.
The protesters have mobilized under the title “Gen Z Madagascar” and their uprising echoed youth-led protest movements that have toppled leaders in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Alaska works to evacuate people in historic airlift
BY BECKY BOHRER and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska One of the most significant airlifts in Alaska history is underway by helicopter and military transport plane, moving hundreds of people from coastal villages ravaged by high surf and strong winds from the remnants of Typhoon Halong last weekend.
The storm brought record high water to two low-lying Alaska Native communities and washed away homes, some with people inside. At least one person was killed and two are missing. Makeshift shelters were quickly established and swelled to hold about 1,500 people, an extraordinary number in a sparsely populated region where communities are reachable only by air or water this time of year
The remoteness and scale of the destruction created challenges for getting resources in place. Damage assessments have been trickling in as responders have shifted from initial search-and-rescue operations to trying to stabilize or restore basic services.
The communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok near the Bering Sea saw water levels more than 6 feet above the highest normal tide line. Some 121 homes were destroyed in Kipnuk, a village of about 700 people.
Leaders asked the state to evacuate the more than 1,000 residents from those villages, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson with the state emergency management office.
About 300 evacuees were brought to Anchorage on Wednesday, about 500 miles east of the battered coastal villages, according to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. People were being taken to the Alaska Airlines Center a sports and events complex with capacity for about 400, Zidek said.
Shelter space closer to home — in the southwest Alaska regional hub of Bethel was at capacity with the food supply “near depletion,” officials said in a briefing Thursday
Cellphone service had been restored in Kwigillingok, the report said, and restrooms were again working at the school in Kwigillingok, where about 350 people had sheltered overnight Tuesday, according to a state emergency management statement.
“Damage to many homes is severe, and the community leadership is instructing residents not to reenter homes due to safety concerns,” it said.
Damage was also serious in other villages. Water, sewer and well systems were inoperable in Napaskiak, and the Coast Guard on Thursday was expected to arrive in another village to assess a spill of up to 2,000 gallons of waste oil. In Kwigillingok and Kipnuk some homes cannot be reoccupied, even with emergency repairs, and others may not be livable by winter, emergency management officials said. Forecasters say rain and snow is possible in the region this weekend, with average temperatures soon below freezing.
The crisis unfolding in southwest Alaska has drawn attention to Trump administration cuts to grants aimed at helping small, mostly Indigenous villages prepare for storms or mitigate disaster risks. For example, a $20 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to Kipnuk, which was inundated by floodwaters, was terminated by the Trump administration, a move challenged by environmental groups. The grant was intended to protect the boardwalk residents use to get around the community, as well as 1,400 feet of river from erosion, according to a federal website that tracks government spending.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRIAN INGANGA Protesters dance on top of a car during a protest calling for President Andry Rajoelina to step down Tuesday in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Bolton chargedwithmishandlingof files
Former national security adviser accusedofhaving topsecretinfo
BY ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKINRICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
GREENBELT,Md. John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump during his firstterm andlater became avocal critic of the Republican leader, was charged Thursday with storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diarylike notes about his time in government that contained classified information.
The 18-count indictment also suggests classified informationwas exposed
when operatives believed to be linked to theIranian regime hacked Bolton’s emailaccountand gained access to sensitive material he hadshared. ABolton representative told the FBI in 2021 that his emails had beenhacked, prosecutors say, but did not reveal he had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers now had possession of governmentsecrets. The indictment sets the stage for aclosely watched court case centering on a longtime fixture in Republicanforeignpolicy circles who became known forhis hawkish views on American power and who servedfor more than ayear in Trump’s
first administration before being fired in 2019 andpublishing ascathingly critical book about the president
The case, thethird against aTrump adversary in the last month, will also unfold againstthe backdropof concernsthatthe Justice Departmentispursuing the president’spolitical enemies while at the same time sparing his allies from scrutiny Bolton foreshadowed that argument in adefiant statement Thursday in which he denied thechargesand called them part of an “intensive effort” by Trumpto “intimidatehis opponents.”
“Now,Ihave become the latesttarget in weaponizing the JusticeDepartment to chargethose he deemsto be his enemies withcharges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he said.
Even so,the indictment is significantly more detailed
in itsallegations than earlier cases against former FBI DirectorJamesComey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Unlike the other twocases filed over the last month by ahastily appointed U.S. attorney,this onewas signed by career national security prosecutors.
The indictment, filed in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, alleges thatbetween 2018 and this past August, Bolton shared with two relatives morethan 1,000 pagesofinformation about hisday-to-dayactivitiesin government
The material included “diary-like” entries with information classified as high as topsecretthathe had learned from meetings with other U.S.government officials, fromintelligence briefings or talks with foreign leaders, according to the indictment. After send-
ing one document, Bolton wrote in amessage to his relatives, “None of whichwe talk about!!!” In response, oneofhis relatives wrote, “Shhhhh,” prosecutors said.
The indictment says that amongthe material shared wasinformation aboutforeign adversariesthatin somecases revealed details about sources and methods usedbythe government to collect intelligence. One document related to aforeign adversary’splans for a missile launch, while another detailed U.S. government plans for covert action and included intelligence blaming an adversary foranattack, court papers say Bolton’sattorney,Abbe Lowell, saidina statement that the “underlying facts in this casewereinvestigated and resolved years ago.”
He said the charges stem fromportions of Bolton’s
personal diaries over his 45year career in government and includedunclassified information that was shared only with his immediate family and wasknowntothe FBI as farback as 2021. Bolton suggestedthe criminalcasewas an outgrowth of an unsuccessful Justice Department effort after he leftgovernment to block the publication of his 2020 book “The Room Where It Happened,”whichportrayed Trumpasgrosslymisinformed about foreign policy. The Trump administration assertedthatBolton’smanuscript containedclassified information that could harm national security if exposed. Bolton’slawyers have said he moved forward with the book after aWhite House National Security Council official said the manuscript no longer had classified information.
Senate Dems reject government fundingbillfor 10th time
BY STEPHENGROVES and MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday astopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’tback away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits.
The vote failedona51-45 tally, well short of the60 needed to advance with the Senate’sfilibuster rules.
The repetition of voteson the funding bill has become adaily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times theonly item on the agenda for theSenatefloor,while House Republicans have left Washington altogether
The standoff haslasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federalworkers furloughed, even more without aguaranteed payday and Congress essentiallyparalyzed.
“As we are positioning as two sides that are seemingly dug in on this 16th day of a shutdown, realpeople are wondering is their government going tobethere for them?” said GOPSen.Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against thestopgap funding bill.It hasn’tworked. And while
some bipartisantalks have been ongoing about potential compromises on healthcare, theyhaven’tproduced any meaningful progresstoward reopening the government.
“The Democratic Party is theparty that willnot take yes for an answer,” Thune, R-S.D., said in an angry speech on the Senatefloor He hadalso offered to hold alater vote on extending subsidies forhealth plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but saidhewouldnot “guarantee aresult or an outcome.”
Democrats saythey won’t budge until they get aguarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance— such as small-business owners, farmers and contractors —willsee largeincreases
when premium prices go outinthe comingweeks. Lookingahead to aNov.1 deadline in moststates,they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations.
Adeadlinefor subsidies Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as theyhold out againstvotingfor aRepublicanbillthatwouldreopen the government. Yetthey alsowarnthat thetime to strike adeal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short When they controlled Congress during thepandemic, Democratsboosted subsidies for Affordable Care Acthealthplans. It pushed enrollment under President Barack Obama’ssignature health care lawtonew levels anddrove the rate of
Military paychecksarriveontime
The Virginian-Pilot (TNS)
After two weeks of uncertainty,active duty military reportedly received their Oct. 15 paychecks.
About 1.3 million service members and thousands of activated National Guard members and reservists are expectedtoreceive their mid-month depositsbyWednesday. Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem confirmed thatCoast Guard members, who fall under her department, will receive their regular paychecks as well.
The Pentagon tapped $6.5 billion in unspent research and development funds from theprior fiscal year to cover thebill. Since the government shut down Oct. 1, service members, whoare deemed essential,have beenworkingwithout guaranteed pay
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said Wednesday that themeasurewas “a temporaryfix.” If theshutdownlasts through the end of October, militarymembers may not see their next check.
Otheressential federal workers continue to work without pay
uninsured people to ahistoriclow.Nearly 24 million people currentlyget their health insurance from subsidized marketplaces, according to health care research nonprofit KFF.
Democrats—and some Republicans— are worried that many of those people will forgo insurance if the price risesdramatically.While the tax credits don’texpire until next year,healthinsurers will soon send outnotices of the price increases.
Sen. Patty Murray,the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she has heard from “families whoare absolutely panickingabout their premiumsthat are doubling.”
“Theyare small-business owners who are having to think about abandoning the job theylovetoget employer-sponsoredhealth care elsewhere or just forgoing coverage altogether,” she
added.
HouseSpeaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, this week called the COVID-era subsidies a“boondoggle.”
President Donald Trump has said he would “like to see adeal done forgreat healthcare,”but hasnot meaningfully weighed into thedebate.And Thunehas insisted that Democratsfirst vote to reopen the government before entering any negotiations on health care.
If Congress weretoengage in negotiations on significant changes to health care, it would likely take weeks, if not longer,towork out acompromise.
Appropriations billsvote
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans held avote to proceed to abill to fund the Defense Department andpossibly several other areas of government. This would have turned theSenate to Thune’s
priority of working through spending bills and potentially paved the waytopaying salaries for troops, though the House would have eventually needed to comeback to Washingtontovotefor a final bill negotiated between the twochambers. It would have potentially put acrack in Democrats’ resolve, but the vote on theprocedurefailed50-44 with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, John Fetterman and Jeanne Shaheen the only Democrats voting in favor
“This is politics. If anything was needed to demonstrate just howfundamentally uninterested Democrats are in supporting our troops and defending our country,just take alook at this vote,” Thune yelledon the Senate floor “So many of you have asked all of us, how will it end?” Johnson said. “We have no idea.”
Bolton
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOSByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Senate MinorityLeader Chuck Schumer,D-N.y., left, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.,speakwith reportersWednesdayatthe Capitol in Washington about the struggle to end thegovernment shutdown.
Ace Frehley, founding member and guitarist of Kiss, dies at 74
BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and ANDREW DALTON Associated Press
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss, who captivated audiences with his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar, died Thursday. He was 74.
Frehley died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent.
Family members said in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others Kiss, whose hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” was known for its theatrical stage shows, with fire and fake blood spewing from the mouths of band members dressed in body armor, platform boots, wigs and signature black-andwhite face paint.
Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tonguewagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Frehley’s is the first
peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976.
As the Kennedy Center’s new chairman, President Donald Trump named Kiss as one of this year’s honorees.
In 2024, the band sold their catalog, brand name and intellectual property to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million.
of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.
Poison.
death among the four founding members.
Band members took on the personas of comic bookstyle characters — Frehley was known as “Space Ace” and “The Spaceman.” The New York-born entertainer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer often experimented with pyrotechnics, making his guitars glow, emit smoke and shoot rockets from the headstock.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley said in a joint statement. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during
some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
Born Paul Daniel Frehley, he grew up in a musical family and began playing guitar at age 13. Before joining Kiss, he played in local bands around New York City and was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at age 18.
Kiss was especially popular in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to become a marketing marvel. “Beth” was its biggest commercial hit in the U.S.,
Susan Stamberg, first woman to host a national news program, dies at 87
BY AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press
Susan Stamberg, a “found-
ing mother” of National Public Radio and the first female broadcaster to host a national news program, has died. She was 87.
Stamberg died Thursday, NPR reported. It did not provide a cause of death.
Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s when it was getting off the ground as a network of radio stations across the country During her career, she interviewed thousands of people.
She explained in an oral history interview with Oregon station KLCC in January that she didn’t have women in broadcast to model herself after when she became the host of “All Things Considered” in 1972. “The only ones on were men, and the only thing I knew to do was imitate them,” she said.
She lowered her voice to sound authoritative. After a few days, Bill Siemering, the program manager, told her to be herself.
“And that was new too in its day, because everybody else, the women, were trained actors, and so they came with a very careful accents and very careful delivery They weren’t relaxed and natural,” she said. “So we made a new sound with radio as well, with NPR.”
NPR’s obituary for Stamberg quoted her colleague Jack Mitchell saying she had an “obvious New York accent.”
“All Things Considered” only had five reporters to draw on while they filled
INVISION FILE PHOTO By CHRIS PIZZELLO
National Public Radio broadcast journalist Susan Stamberg holds up a replica of her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame following a ceremony March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles. Stamberg, a ‘founding mother’ of NPR and the first female broadcaster to host a national news program, died Thursday.
their 90-minute program, creating a daily challenge.
She told KLCC that she coined the term “founding mother” to refer to herself and three other women who helped launch the NPR: Cokie Roberts, Nina Totenberg and Linda Wertheimer
“I got tired of hearing about Founding Fathers, and I knew we were not that, so we were obviously Founding Mothers, and I was going to put that on the map,” she said. Stamberg hosted “All Things Considered” for 14 years. She went on to host “Weekend Edition Sunday,” where she started the Sunday puzzle feature with Will Shortz.
She later became a cultural correspondent for “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition Saturday.” She retired in September In 1979, she hosted a two-
hour radio call-in program with then-President Jimmy Carter from the Oval Office. She managed the listeners who called in to speak with him. The questions were not screened beforehand. It was the second time Carter had a call-in program after the first with Walter Cronkite. Stamberg was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, which said she was known for her “conversational style, intelligence, and knack for finding an interesting story.” She interviewed Nancy Reagan, Annie Liebowitz, Rosa Parks and James Baldwin, among thousands of others.
Stamberg was born Susan Levitt in Newark, New Jersey, in 1938 but grew up in Manhattan. She met her husband, Louis Stamberg, while working in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Frehley frequently feuded with Stanley and Simmons through the years. He left the band in 1982, missing the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. Stanley later said they nearly replaced Frehley with Eddie Van Halen, but Vinnie Vincent assumed the lead guitar role.
Frehley performed both as a solo artist and with his band, Frehley’s Comet.
But he rejoined Kiss in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration
He would leave again in 2002. When the original four entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, a dispute scrapped plans for them to perform. Simmons and Stanley objected to Criss and Frehley being inducted instead of then-guitarist
Tommy Thayer and thendrummer Eric Singer Simmons told Rolling Stone magazine that year that Frehley and Criss “no longer deserve to wear the paint.” “The makeup is earned,” he added. “Just being there at the beginning is not enough.”
Frehley and Kiss also had a huge influence on the glammy style of 1980s so-called hair metal bands including Mötley Crüe and
“Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music, the many festivals we’ve done together and your lead guitar on Nothing But A Good Time,” Poison frontman Bret Michaels said on Instagram. Harder-edged bands like Metallica and Pantera were also fans, and even country superstar Garth Brooks joined the band members for a recording of their “Hard Luck Woman” on a 1994 compilation. Frehley would appear occasionally with Kiss for shows in later years. A 2023 concert at Madison Square Garden was billed as the band’s last. While Stanley and Simmons said they would not tour again, they’ve been open to the possibility of more concerts, and they’ve stayed active promoting the group’s music and memorabilia.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHRIS PIZZELLO
Paul Stanley, right, and Ace Frehley of the rock band Kiss perform at a sold-out Halloween concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct 31, 1998. Frehley died Thursday.
Trumpsayshe’ll meet PutininHungary
BY AAMER MADHANI, SEUNG MIN KIM and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trumpisredoubling hisefforts to end thewar in Ukraine, announcing a second meeting withRussia’sVladimir Putin one day before sitting down with Ukraine’sVolodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House Trump’sannouncement came shortly after finishing acall with PutinonThursday.Adate has not been set but Trump said the meeting would take place in Budapest, Hungary,and suggested that it could happen in about two weeks.
“I believe greatprogress was made with today’stelephone conversation,”Trump wrote on social media. The two leaders previously met in Alaska in August, which
did not producea diplomatic breakthrough, asource of frustration for theU.S. leader who had expected that hislongstanding relationship with Putin could pave theway to resolving aconflict that began nearly
four years ago. Yuri Ushakov,Putin’sforeign affairs adviser,said the Russianpresident initiated thecall, which he described as “very frank and trusting.” He said Putin emphasized to Trumpthat selling long-
range Tomahawk missilesto Ukraine, something theU.S. president haspublicly discussed, would “inflict significant damage to the relations between our countries.” Trumpwas already scheduled to meet Fridaywith Zelenskyy,who has been seeking weapons that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory.Zelenskyy has arguedsuchstrikeswould help compel Putintotake Trump’scalls for direct negotiationstoend the war moreseriously Trump previously said that the U.S.has “a lotofTomahawks,” but on Thursday he said stockpiles werelimited and may not have missiles to spare.“We have alot of them, but we need them” he said. “I mean,wecan’tdeplete forour country.”
Trump’srenewed focus on the warinUkrainecomes
after forging aceasefire that could endthe warbetween Israel and Hamas in Gaza, a diplomatic accomplishment that he celebratedwitha whirlwind trip to Israel and Egypt on Monday Ending the wars in Ukraine andGazawas central to Trump’scampaign pitch last year,when he persistently pilloried President Joe Biden for his handling of the conflicts. Although there has been fragile progress in Gaza, Trump hasbeen stymiedby Putin, unable to persuade theRussian leader to hold direct talks with Zelenskyy Friday’smeeting with Trump and Zelenskyy will be their fourth face-to-face encounter this year.After their initial Oval Office conversation devolvedinto recriminations, they’ve forged amore amicable relationship.
Waiting forTrump’sblessing is legislation in the Senate that would impose steep tariffs on countries that purchaseRussia’s oil, gas, uranium andother exportsinan attempt to cripple Moscow economically
Though the president hasn’tformally endorsed it —and Republican leaders do not plan to move forward without his support —the White House has shown, behind the scenes, more interest in the bill in recent weeks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Thursday offered the most upbeat prospectsyet for the bill, sayingsenators will consider it “in the next 30 days.”
However,Trump suggested thathewanted to tapthe brakes.
“I’m not against anything,” he said. “I’m just saying, it may not be perfect timing.”
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
KYIV,Ukraine Russia battered Ukraine’senergy facilities with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in its latest heavy bombardment of the country’spower grid, authorities said Thursday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to ask President DonaldTrump at aWhite House meeting for more American-made air defenses and long-range missiles.
Eight Ukrainian regions experienced blackouts after the barrage, Ukraine’s national energy operator,Ukrenergo, said. DTEK,the country’s largest private energy company,reported outagesin the capital, Kyiv,and said
it hadto stop itsnatural gas extraction inthe central Poltava region due to the strikes. Natural gas infrastructure was damaged for thesixth time this month,Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oiland gas company,said.
Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 300 drones and 37 missiles at Ukraine overnight. He accused Russia of using clustermunitions and conducting repeated strikes on the same target to hitemergency crews and engineers workingto repair thegrid.
“This fall, the Russians are using every singleday to strike our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. The Ukrainian power grid been one of Russia’smain
targets sinceits invasion of its neighbormore than three years ago. Attacks increase as the bitterly cold months approach in aRussian strategy that Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing winter.” Russia says it aimsonly at targetsofmilitary value. Ukraine hashit back by targeting oil refineriesand related infrastructure that are crucial for Russia’s economy and war effort. Ukraine’sgeneral staffsaid Thursday its forces struck Saratov oil refinery, in the Russian region of thesame name, for the second timein two months.The facility is located 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. Moscow made no immediate commentonthe claim Ukraine, which is almost
Trumpwarns Hamas‘we will have no choice but to go
in andkill
BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Hamas “we will have no choice but to go in and killthem” if internal bloodshed persists in Gaza.
The grim warning from Trump came after he previously downplayed the internal violence in the territory since aceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect last week in the two-year war
Trump later clarified he won’tsend U.S. troopsinto Gaza after launchingthe threat against Hamas.
“It’snot going to be us,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters. “Wewon’t have to. There are people very close, very nearby that will go in and they’ll do the trick veryeasily,but under our auspices.”
The president did not specify if he was speakingof Israel, but action by Israeli forces could risk violating terms of the ceasefire agreement.
them’if
Gaza bloodshedpersists
Thepresident’sshift in tonewith Hamaswas notable.
Trump said Tuesday that Hamashad taken out“a couple of gangs that werevery bad” and had killed anumberofgang members. “That didn’tbother memuch, to be honest with you,” he said TheRepublicanpresident did not say howhewould follow throughonhis threat posted on his Truth Social platform, and the White House did not immediately respond to arequest for comment seeking clarity.
ButTrumpalso madeclear he had limited patience for the killings that Hamas was carryingout againstrival factions inside the devastated territory
“They will disarm, and if they don’t do so,wewill disarm them, and it’ll happen quicklyand perhaps violently,” Trumpsaid. The Hamas-runpolice maintained ahigh degree of publicsecurity after the militants seizedpower in Gaza 18 years ago, while also cracking down on dis-
sent. They largely melted away in recentmonthsas Israeli forces seizedlarge areas of Gaza andtargeted Hamas securityforces with airstrikes.
Powerful local families andarmed gangs, including some anti-Hamas factions backed by Israel,stepped into the void. Many are accusedofhijacking humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, contributing to Gaza’s starvation crisis.
Theceasefire plan introduced by Trump had called for all hostages —living and dead —tobehanded over by adeadline that expired Monday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said WednesdaythatIsrael“will notcompromise” anddemanded that Hamas fulfill therequirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of hostages’ bodies.
Hamas’ armed wing said in astatement Wednesday thatthe group honored the ceasefire’sterms and handed over the remains of the hostages it had access to.
the size of Texas, is hard to defend from theair in itsentirety,and Kyiv officials are seeking more Western help to fend against aerial attacks and strike back at Russia Ukraine is seeking cruise missiles,air defensesystems and joint drone production agreements fromthe United States, Kyiv officials say.Zelenskyy also wants tougher international economic sanctions on Moscow The Institute for theStudy of War, aWashington think tank, said in an assessment publishedlate Wednesday thatsending Tomahawks to Ukraine would not escalatethe war andwould only “mirror Russia’sown useof …long-range cruise missiles against Ukraine.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ALEXANDERZEMLIANICHENKO
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, givesa soccer ball to President Donald Trump at the PresidentialPalace in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018.
CHICAGO Saying “political opposition is not rebellion,” afederal appeals court in Chicago on Thursday denied the Trump administration’srequest for an emergency stay of adistrict judge’sorder barring the president from deploying National Guard troops in the city and state.
In its ruling,the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said thefindings by U.S. DistrictJudge April Perry were not “clearly erroneous” and that “the facts do not justify” President Donald Trump’sactions.
“The spirited, sustained, and occasionally violent actions of demonstrators in protest of the federal government immigrationpolicies and actions, without more, does not give rise to adanger ofrebellion against the government’sauthority,” the opinion by Justices Ilana Rovner,David Hamilton, and Amy St. Eve read.
The ruling keeps in effectPerry’sgranting of atemporary restraining order Thursday halting
President Donald Trump’splan to send federalizedNational Guard troops into theChicagoarea to act as asecurity forceduring the administration’scontroversial immigration enforcement action known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”
TheDepartment of Justice argued in afiling lastweek thatPerry’s order “improperly impingeson
the Commander in Chief’s supervision of military operations, countermands amilitarydirective to officersinthe field, and endangers federal personnel and property.”
The motion asked the higher court to freeze Perry’sorder while an appeal is pending, saying the National Guardshouldbeallowed to “protect federal personnel and
Judgewants agents to wear body cameras
BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press
CHICAGO Troubled by clashes between agents and the public, a judge on Thursday said shewill require federal immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras, and she also summoned asenior officialtocourtnext week to discuss an enforcement operation that has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said she was a“little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontations that involved tear gas and other tactics during an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’sadministration.
“I live in Chicago if folkshaven’t noticed,” Ellis said. “AndI’m not blind, right?” Community efforts to oppose U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement have ramped up in Chicago, where neighborhood groups have assembledtomonitor ICE activity and film incidents
involving agents. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since September Ellis last week said agents in the area must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot controltechniquesagainst peaceful protesters and journalists. “I’mhaving concerns about my order being followed,”the judge said
“I am adding that allagents who areoperating in Operation Midway Blitzare to wear body-worn cameras, and they are to be on,” Ellis said,referring tothe government’s name for the crackdown.
U.S. Justice Department attorneySean Skedzielewski laid blame with “one-sided and selectively edited media reports.” He also said it wouldn’tbepossible to immediately distribute cameras.
“I understand that. Iwould not be expecting agents to wear bodyworn cameras they do nothave,” Ellis said,addingthatthe details could beworked out later “DHS will continue to oppose all
efforts to vilify law enforcement and prop up thecauseofviolent rioters,”said Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.“Were acourt to enter such an order in the future, thatwould be an extreme act of judicial activism.”
Ellis saidcameras would provide evidencetoback up howagents handleconfrontations with protesters. Ellis said thefield director of the enforcement effortmust appear in court Monday
Gov.JBPritzker praised the judge’s ruling, saying the government’sstatements aboutarrests and other incidents, including last month’sfatal shooting of asuburban Chicago man,have often been inaccurate. “They clearly lie about what goes on,”hetoldreporters. “It’s hard for us to know right away what the truth is.”
In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began deploying about 1,600 body cameras to agents assignedtoEnforcement and Removal Operations.
property” while the litigation continues to play out.
In aresponse, attorneys forIllinois Attorney General Kwame Raoulsaid Perry wascorrect in halting Trump’sillegal and unconstitutionalplantodispatchfederalized troops to Chicago with no clearly defined scope of the mission, itsduration, or any “provable factual underpinning.”
It was clear,the plaintiffs’ attorneys argued, that “absent an injunction, the federalgovernment could andwould use the troops consistentwiththe unbounded scope of the federalizationorders —that is, to assist any federal agency on anyfederal missionthat is occurring anywhere in Illinois.”
Perry on Thursday blocked Trump from deploying National Guard troopstothe city and state, saying shehad no faith in the government’sclaimsofout-of-control violence and that it was federal agents who started it by aggressively targeting protesters with tear gas andmilitaristic tactics.
ers and immigration agents in Chicago and other U.S. cities justified sendingfederalized troops onto the streets as security,even as local and state officials accused the president of manufacturing acrisis to justify unnecessary —and unprecedented —force.
In her oral ruling from the bench, Perry,aBidenappointee, said the Trumpadministration’sattempts to castprotesters as violent rebels “cannot be aligned” with the viewoflocal officials. Perry said she had no faith in the declarations of federalofficialssubmitted to the court due in large part of agrowing body of evidencethatthe U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity’sviewsare “simply unreliable.”
Aspokespersonfor Trump said the judge got it wrong.
“Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to protect federal officers and assets,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson wrote in an emailed statement.
BY SOPHIE BATES Associated Press
LELAND,Miss. Nine people have nowbeen arrested in connection withamass shooting in the Mississippi Delta town of Leland that left sixpeople dead, an FBI special agent said Thursday RobertEikhoff,special agentin charge of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office, appearedatbriefing but gave no additional details of the newarrestsorchargesthose people face. Authorities had earlier said fivepeople wereincustody The downtown street where theshooting took place wasstill litteredwith shards of broken glass Thursday afternoon.Nearby,someone had placed three stuffed animalsand afew candles on astreet corner Stateand local law officers who spoke at Thursday’snews conference asked the publictoshare what they know with authorities. Several suspects have been
chargedwithcapital murder in theshooting last Fridayaround midnight that left more than a dozenpeople injuredinaddition to the six killed. Twoofthe injured areincriticalcondition, Eikhoffsaid. TheFBI’s JacksonField Office has been posting pictures of suspectswanted forquestioning in the massshooting. It happened as people celebrated homecomingweekend in downtown Leland shortly after ahigh school football game. “It’s still kindofnumbnessat this point,” Leland MayorJohn Lee said Thursday The Leland shooting was the deadliest of several across Mississippilast weekend. Other shootings were reported at two othertowns wherehomecoming footballgames werebeing held and at Alcorn State andJackson State universities, which were also celebrating homecoming weekends.
CHICAGO TRIBUNEPHOTO By E. JASON WAMBSGANS Protesters raisea ‘No TroopsinOur Streets’ sign atthe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview,Ill., on Oct. 9.
Womanwho hitbuggy, killed 2Amish kids sentenced
BY PAUL WALSH
The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)
A37-year-old woman received afour-year termafter admitting that she —and not her twin sister —was driving when her SUV struck an Amish buggy in southeastern Minnesota and killed two of the four children aboard Samantha Jo Petersen, of Wabasha, Minn., was sentenced in Fillmore County DistrictCourt to four years after pleadingguiltytoone count each of criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation in connection withthe crash shortly before 8:30 a.m. Sept. 25, 2023, along southbound County Road 1. Petersen is expected to serve the
first 22/3 years of herterminprison andthe balance on supervisedrelease
The defensesaid in the plea agreement reached in June that it wanted Petersentoserve one yearinjail and then 52/3 years on probation. Prosecutors asked then for the term that was imposed by JudgeJeremy Clinefelter Petersen’stwin, SarahBethPetersen of Kellogg, Minn., pleaded guilty in March to twocounts of criminal vehicular operation and received four years of supervised probation.She also was given a 90-day term,including 60 days in jailand thebalance on supervised release.
Irma Miller, 11. Siblings Allan Miller,who was 9atthe time, and RoseMiller,who was 13, survived their injuries.
The four children were riding to school, with Rose holding the reins, afamily friend said.
According to the charges against thetwins and related court documents: Sarah Petersen told adeputy at thescene that she was driving the silver SUV involved in thecrash The vehicle was registeredtoher sister.Parkednearby was ablack 2002 Toyota4Runner,alsoregistered to Samantha Petersen.
While Sarah Petersen was left alone in asquad car,she walked over,and the two spoke. Adeputy’s pocket recordercapturedSarah
Petersen saying, “I think oneofthe guys is ontome, butI don’t really care. …There’snoway they would ever know the difference between thetwo of us, so they can’ttell.”
Sarah Petersen insisted to adeputythat she wasthe driver whohit thebuggy Samantha Petersen left work at aHy-VeeinRochester shortly before 8a.m. on the day of the crash in thesilver SUV.Internet mapping measures the southbound routetothe crash sceneasroughly a24-minute drive. The crash occurred at 8:25 a.m. Hy-Vee stafftoldlaw enforcement that SamanthaPetersen admitted on awork messaging platformthat she had used methamphetamine and was high at the timeofthe collision.
“The messages also indicate that (Samantha Petersen) wasthe driver,” acourt filing disclosed.
AState Patrol investigation found that the silver SUV was traveling between 61 and71mph in a55-mph zone at the time of the collision.
Along with this case, Samantha Petersen’scriminal history in Minnesota includes two convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and one for giving false information to police.
Atest of Samantha Petersen’s blood by the state Bureau of CriminalApprehensionfound methamphetamine, amphetamine and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
BY SEAN MURPHY Associated Press
An Arkansasfather ac-
cused of killing his daughter’s alleged abuser is running for sheriff whileawaiting his murder trial, saying he has seen the failures of law enforcement in his rural county.
Aaron Spencer,anArmy veteran and farmer,announced his candidacythis month in Lonoke County a year after authorities say he shot and killed aman who had been out on bond after being chargedwith numerous sexual offenses against his underage daughter Spencerhas pleaded not guilty andisout on bond while awaiting atrial set for early next year.His attorneys do not deny that their clientshot and killed Michael Fosler,67, but maintain he acted withinthe law to protect his child from a predator
The primary election in Arkansas is next March, with thegeneral election in November 2026.Heisnot yet officially on the ballot since candidate filings begin next month.
“Many of youknow my story,” Spencer said in a video announcing hiscandidacy.“I’m the father who actedtoprotecthis daughterwhenthe system failed And through my own fight for justice, Ihave seen firsthand thefailures in law enforcement and in ourcircuit court,and Irefuse tostand by while others face these same failures.”
He says he will run asa Republican to replace Lonoke County’sRepublican Sheriff John Staley,whose department arrestedSpencer in October 2024. Staley, athree-term incumbent, did notreturn amessage seekingcomment. Jennifer Hopper,who chairs the Lonoke County
Republican Committee, said mostpeople in the county of 76,000 residents don’tseem to have aproblem withSpencer’scandidacy
“Not from what I’ve seen,” Hopper said, adding that many people believe the shooting was justified.
On the nightofthe shootinginOctober 2024, Spencer woke up to findthe girl missing from her bedroom, left in his trucksearching for her and found herinthe passengerseat of avehicle Fosler was driving, court documents show.Spencer forced Fosler’struck off the highway and, after an altercation,called 911toreport he hadshotthe man, records show Spencer’sattorneys, Erin Cassinelli and Michael Kaiser,maintaintheir client acted within the law to protect his child from apredator
“Webelieve it is clear that Aaron was justified under Arkansas lawintaking ac-
2arrestedinTexas immigrationcenter shooting face terrorism-relatedcharges
BY JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press
DALLAS Twopeople arrested in aJuly shooting outside an immigration detention center in Texas arefacing new charges that follow President Donald Trump’sorder last month to designate adecentralized movement known as antifa as adomesticterrorist organization. Autumn Hill and Zachary Evettswereindicted Wednesday by afederalgrand jury in Fort Worth on charges that include providing material support toterrorists and attempting to murder officers and employees of the U.S. government. Federal prosecutors accuse them of being members of an antifa cell that planned the shooting Hill and Evetts were already among 11 peoplefacing attempted murder charges related to the July 4shooting outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, that injured apoliceofficer
In apost on XonThursday about the new charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi called antifa “a left-wing terrorist organization,” and said, “they willbeprosecuted as such.” Short for “anti-fascists,” antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and White supremacists at demonstrations. The indictment said the attack began when agroupofpeople cladinblack and wearing masks, some carrying firearms and wearing body armor,shotfireworksto-
ward the center and vandalized vehicles and aguard shed. Then, as officers responded, one person yelled, “gettothe rifles” and opened fire, striking an officer,according to theindictment
The indictment saidthat the group brought 10 firearmstothe July 4attack.
Cody Cofer,anattorney for Hill, said in an emailed statement that the new terrorismrelatedcharge “could be understood by some asanattempt to appeal to amob mentality rather thanrelying on the evidence and thelaw.”
Patrick McLain, an attorney for Evetts, said thatsofar he’s seen“zero basis” for any of thecharges against his client.
The original charges filedoverthe summer saysearches relatedtothe attack found items including anti-government materials andflyers with politicalmessages, but those documents did not mention antifa.
Antifa is adomestic entity and, as such, is notacandidate for inclusion on the State Department’slist of foreign terrororganizations. There is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States.
The July 4shooting took place as Trump’s administration hasramped up deportations. Days after that shooting, aman with an assaultrifle fireddozensofrounds at federal agentsand aU.S.Border Patrol facility in McAllen near theMexico border, injuring apoliceofficer.Authorities shot and killed the attacker
to protect his daughter and himself, and we believe that will be apparentattrial,”
tion
Cassinelli wrote in an email to The Associated Press. Spencerlives outsidethe
city of Cabot, Arkansas, which is about26miles northeast of Little Rock.
Court to think we’re trying to step on their authority or influence their decisionmaking,” said state Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, who chairs the House committee that will hear the election legislation.
What’sdriving the session —and the uncertainty —is alegal challenge to the Voting Rights Act in aclosely watched case that the Supreme Court heard Wednesday.That act opened the door to lawsuits that have long pushed Southernstates like Louisiana to draw majority-minority voting districts. In the case, agroup of nonBlack plaintiffs, Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill are asking the court to overturn thesectionofthe Voting Rights Act that led the Legislature last year to create thecurrent congressional map thatadded asecond Black-majorityseat. The map elected four Republicans: U.S. Reps. Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise,Clay Higgins and Julia Letlow, and two BlackDemocrats: U.S. Reps. Troy Carter and Cleo Fields.
Afavorable ruling by the court for the plaintiffs, Landry and Murrill could invalidate that map and require legislators to drawa new one.
Anew mapwould allow Landry and the Republicancontrolled Legislature to eliminate eitherBlack-ma-
SENATE
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he would not join the race.
The dynamic in the Louisiana Senate contestreflects the battle inside the Republican Party,Kitchens said.
“It’saRepublican war,” he said.
Cassidy has $9.5 million in his campaign accountasof Sept. 30, according to Federal Election Commission data.
So far this year he’searned about $2.6million in contributions, and he’scollected about $1.3 million from other political fundraising committees. That includes $1.75 million he raised in July,August and September alone, afigure his campaign announced in anewsrelease this week.
Contributors hail from every Louisianaparish,according to the campaign.
“Senator Cassidy continuestodominate this race, outraising every opponent combined while building unprecedented support across all 64 parishes,” Cassidy campaign manager Katie Larkin said in astatement.
State Sen. Blake Miguezis second to Cassidy in terms of money in the bank, with $2.5 million in his campaign account.
Miguez has drummed up over $2 million in contributions so far this year. He also bolstered his campaign with a$1million personal loan.
jority district —orboth of them, amajor goalofconservatives and President Donald Trump. The problem that confronts Louisianalegislators is that no one can be sure what the Supreme Court will decideand when it will rule. To address those issues, Landry and legislators are saying they wanttodelay the election schedulefor congressional races to ensure that candidates qualify for their electionsonly after anew map is in place. In other words, they don’t want candidates to qualifyfor congressional races under one map and then discover that they have to qualify underadifferent map.That
In asocial media post this week announcing the fundraising figures, Miguez said it represents “real Louisiana momentum powered by patriots whobelieve in faith, family,and freedom.”
His campaign said he’sgotten donationsfrom “nearly 6,000 Louisianians, includingfrom all 64 parishes.”
On Thursday,Miguez in a statement bashed Cassidy, sayingthat“D.C. is floating Bill Cassidy’s campaign.”
“He mightaswell stay in D.C. once we retire himfor good,” headded.
Fleming’s campaign war chest is close to Miguez, with $2.1 million stocked up as of September Flemingso farthisyear has earned about $480,000 in campaign contributions, buttressedby$2million in personal loans.
“I’ve got plenty of money to runon,”hesaidThursday
He added that, “Logistically we’re doing very well.”
“We’ve got over 10,000 signsacrossthe state,” Flemingsaid.“We’re well organized. We have over 200 volunteers.”
Fundraising can be important, but money isn’tthe only thing that matters in acampaign, Kitchens said.
These days, it probably costs about$4million to run an adequate statewide campaign in Louisiana, he said And,inaSenate race where multiple candidates are likely to clearthat threshold,a candidate’sability to connect with voters takes
would forcethe candidates to qualify again and throw the newelection schedule out of whack.
Underthe current schedule adopted by legislators andLandry last year,congressional candidates will qualify for closed primary federal elections in midJanuary, and theneach party’sprimary will be held in April.
If no candidateineither partyprimarywins more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers of that party will advance to aclosed party runoff in May.The winnersofthosesecond party primarieswill face offina generalelection in Novemberthat could includeno-
precedence, he said.
“It comes to point where money getsdiminishing returns,” Kitchens said.
“I think this comesdown to amessaging campaign andwherethe votersare —and particularly where the voters areonDonald Trump,” he said.
LouisianaPublic Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta is also running, but he hasn’t registered with theFederal Election Commission.
Asked for comment Thursday about his campaign,Skrmetta saidina textmessagethat,“all filings arehandled by the committee accountant.”
He didn’trespond to a question aboutwhenheanticipatesregisteringwith theFEC.
Sammy Wyatt, achief complianceofficer at LSU HealthShreveport, has about$7,000 in his campaign account.
He’sraised $94,000 in contributions this year and lent himself $120,000.
St.Tammany Parish Council member Kathy Seiden entered the race earlier this month.While she registered with theFEC on Oct. 1, her campaign fundraising data is not yet publicly available.
U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, whoisrumoredtobeconsidering a Senate run, has $2.1 million in her House campaign account.
Email AlysePfeilatalyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.
partycandidates as well.
ButSecretary of State Nancy Landryhas advised lawmakers thatfederal and state laws limitthe possible
future dates for candidate qualifying and the elections. She has madepreliminary estimates of keydates depending on when heroffice receives anew map approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor
If it’sbyDec. 20, then they can follow the current qualifyingand elections schedule.
If it’sbetween Dec.20and Feb. 1, legislators could still havethe closed party primariesbut would have to push back the first primary to May and the second one to June.
If it’sbetween Feb. 1and Feb.20, legislatorscould hold only one party primaryelection, meaning the winner would need only a plurality in that primary to advancetothe November general election.
If her office receives the final mapafter Feb. 20, legislators would have to return to theopenor“jungle”primary system that eliminates the party primaries. Nancy Landryempha-
sized that her office is shortstaffednow because of adecision by Murrill to cancel her outside attorneys, so she said it’spossible that further research could change those dates somewhat. There’s anotheruncertainty: if legislators change the election schedule, would that apply only to thecongressionalelections or also to next year’s Senate race, in which Sen. Bill Cassidy is facing atough reelection challenge? Henry,who is supporting Cassidy,believes thechanges wouldapply to both, which could help Cassidy’schances. Many political observers believe that Cassidy faces an extremely difficult path under aclosed party primary system The special session must end by Nov.13, but by limiting it to asingle item, lawmakers hope to finishmuch earlier
Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.
‘A reminder of their bravery’
Portion of Airline Highway renamed to honor fatally ambushed Baton Rouge officers
BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer
Four East Baton Rouge Parish law enforcement officers who lost their lives after they were ambushed on July 17, 2016, are now commemorated in the renaming of the portion of Airline Highway where they responded to reports of a man walking with a rifle and spotted him near a convenience store in the 9000 block.
Baton Rouge police Officers Montrell Jackson and Matthew Gerald and East Baton Rouge Parish Sher-
iff’s Deputy Brad Garafola died at the scene when the gunman began firing.
Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Tullier who was critically injured in the attack, died on May 5, 2022. Two other officers who were shot survived.
The gunman, Gavin Long, who had traveled to Baton Rouge after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling weeks earlier, was killed in the shootout.
On Wednesday, a new state highway sign was unveiled near the spot where officers were shot, renaming it the
“Jackson, Gerald, Garafola, Tullier Memorial Highway.”
State Sen Rick Edmonds who authored the bill for the renaming of the highway, said, “This is an opportunity to show our respect for these officers, their lives and dedication to service.”
The dedicated portion of the highway “will serve as a reminder of their bravery and the sacrifices they made that day,” Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, said.
Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate.com.
Court, libraries team up to offer access
Protective orders can be sought at EBR branches
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
Domestic violence has no business hours.
And those who fall victim to battery, abuse and stalking often need access to justice after the courthouse has closed for the day or week.
But a new initiative aimed at making justice more readily accessible to victims in need of protection will bring the courthouse to East Baton Rouge’s public libraries.
All 15 library branches in the parish are now security checkpoints where victims can file for protective orders through the 19th Judicial District Court. That means instead of going to the district courthouse downtown, where they would have to grapple with parking and metal detectors at the entrance, residents can simply visit their local public library to submit restraining order petitions to the court.
According to Donald Johnson, the 19th JDC’s chief judge, the system has been set up for judges or commissioners to sign the orders within an hour after they have been filed. The requests can come after business hours when the courthouse is closed, or on weekends and holidays.
“The idea was how could we provide greater access to the court,” Johnson said. “Then that idea shifted to e-access, and then it shifted to where we could provide a resource.”
Court officials and community leaders from the YWCA, East Baton Rouge clerk of court and several nonprofits in the community gathered at
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
Brad Garafola
STAFF PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Rick Edmonds renamed a portion of Airline Highway, the ‘Jackson, Gerald, Garafola, Tullier Memorial Highway.’ It is the 9000 block of Airline Highway, where law enforcement officers were ambushed on July 17, 2016.
Matthew Gerald Montrell Jackson Nick Tullier
Corpscompletes saltwatersill
MississippiRiver work finished in 12 days
BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed the underwater sill built to prevent salt water from moving up the Mississippi Riverand threatening NewOrleans’ water supply
The Corps built the sill in 12 days and finished construction on Oct. 10, according to Corps spokesperson Matt Roe. The sill forms acontinuous barrier across the river near Myrtle Grove in Plaquemines Parish,55 feet below the water’ssurface.
The Corps expects it will successfully keep salt water from reaching the drinking water intakes upriver
The saltwater wedge, as the Corps calls it, forms when the river is low,asitcurrently is.That’s thanks to apersistent drought across the Mississippi Valley that is projected to continue through at least the next month.
“Wecontinue to work closely with our state and local partners while measuring and calculating the location of the toe of the saltwater wedge and forecast river conditions,” Roe said.
TheCorps takes measures to prevent the salt water from moving upriver because NewOrleans and surrounding communities get their drinking water from the river.Municipalwater systems are not equipped to desalinate water, and saltwater can corrode pipes and leach leadand other chemicals into the city’sdrinkingwater.The Corps said it doesnot have afinal cost forthe construction of the sill becausetheymay have to continue dredging sediment to maintain it over the next several weeks.
The salt water was pusheddownriver afew milesdue to heavy rain across the Mississippi Valley in the last week, and another small bump in the river’sflow is projected in the next week due to heavyrain in the Ohio River Valley
But Roe noted that the river is expected to continue to drop over the next month, from itscurrent flow of200,000 cubic feet persecond down to 160,000 cubicfeet per second.That will allow salt water to reachthe sill aroundthe endof October.
Thecurrent forecast doesn’tcall for the sill to be overtopped, or for the Corpstohave to build thesill higher,asit had to in 2023 when the salt wedgenearly reached New Orleans’ water intakes.
The Mississippiisabout three feet above sea levelatthe Car-
rollton gaugeinNew Orleans and is projected to stayatabout that heightfor the next month
The Corps will keep an eyeon the wedge until the river flows at 400,000 cubic feet per second, enough flowtoflush the saltwater back outinto the Gulfand wash away the underwater sill.
This year marksthe fourth consecutive year that theCorps has had to build the sill in the riverto prevent salt waterfromaffecting municipal drinking water supplies.Before 2022, it had only built thesill threetimes,in2012, 1992, and1988.
Climate change is projected to increaseextreme weather events, raising thelikelihood of bothseveredroughts andfloods, across the Mississippi River’sdrainage basin, whichextends across allor parts of 31 statesand two Canadianprovinces.
Downriver communities in lower Plaquemines Parish are on the front line of any issues with salt water. TheCorps bargedinsupplies to parts of theparish due to issues with saltwater in 2023, and theparishhas prepared this year by procuringreverse osmosis filtrationmachines, which can filter saltfrom water
Email Alex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com
Burn bans issued near La.border
Droughtaffects multipleparishes in Acadiana
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
Burn bans havebeen issued up and down the Louisiana/Texas border,except in Calcasieu and the coastal Cameron Parish
Several nearby parishes, such as Acadia and Vermilion, recently issued their ownburn bans amid an abnormally dry period across most of the state, accordingtodata from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In Acadiana, Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Landry,Evangelineand parts of Acadia and St. Martin Parishes areinamoderate drought.
OFFICER
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“You were trained to make sure your profession overrode any of your personal desire,” Johnson told the ousted officer moments before announcing the sentence. “Althoughyou deny the underlying set of facts, you did useyour badge to engage in conduct that was outside the rules of your profession,outside your moral code. And the public expectedmore. A lot more.”
It was acontroversial outcome to acase that has been mired in controversy for much of the past two years.
District Judge Eboni Johnson Rose presided over Steele’sbench trial in March 2024.After listening to two days of testimony, she acquitted Steeleofsecond-degree kidnapping and foundhim guilty of amisdemeanor variant of malfeasance in office —acharge that doesn’texist in Louisiana law Three weeks later,after becoming aware of the erroneousverdict, Johnson Rose acquitted Steeleof felony malfeasance.
Last September,the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal overturnedJohnson Rose’sApril 2024 ruling and determined Steelewas guilty of felony charge.The Louisiana Supreme Court in February denied Steele’srequest for areview and
Of thoseplaces,Lafayette and St Martin Parish have yet to issuea ban on outdoor fires, according to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry burn ban maps. As of Tuesday,55% of the state was abnormally dry,with21% in moderate drought. The drought encompasses mainly the Acadiana region and parishes surrounding New Orleans.
TheLafayetteregionhad seen more rain by September than last year, accordingtoNational Weather Servicedata. ButsinceJuly, rainfall has beenlower than in the same periodin2024, putting theregion in aslight drought There arechances of rain in Lafayette over the next two weeks, accordingtothe WeatherChannel forecast.
This weekend brings a24% chance of rain, withanequal
upheldthe 1st Circuit’sdecision.
The case centered around Steele’sencounter with Triaria Pitcher,who was a19-year-old Southern student early in the morning of June 23,2021. Steele, then auniformed BRPD patrolman, pulled over Pitcher as she pulledout ofher Burbank Drive apartment complex around 2a.m. He accused thewomanofdrunken driving, but told her he wouldn’t ticket her because she was cute, according to the former officer’s police report.
Prosecutors sought to prove Steele threatened to arrest the womanifshe didn’t followhim to an abandoned warehouse in the600 block of Chippewa Street. Once there, he groped thewoman’s breasts, tried to kiss her against herwill and asked to come to her apartment later that morning to have sex, prosecutors alleged.
After Steele andthe woman parted ways, and while he was still on policeduty,hecontinued to send her sexuallyexplicit text messages and even offered to give her money to get her hair and nails done, according to trial testimony
During Thursday’ssentencing, Pitcher,now 23, shedtearsasshe recounted thesleepless nights, flashbacks and emotional distress shehas experienced since the encounter.She told thejudge her trust in law enforcement has been substantially shakenand she has feared retaliationwhile outinpub-
chance Tuesday.Those percentages dip into theteensand below until Oct. 27, when rains areexpected again at 24% followed by a39% chance the following day It’s stilla bettersituationthan 2023, when abrutal drought struck much of Acadianaand thewestern part of the state. It brought a statewide burn ban and the Tiger IslandFire,the largest wildfire in state history.Overall, wildfires in the state burned morethan 60,000 acres, with more thanhalf of that area from the Tiger Island Fire. The drought also struck sugar cane andcrawfish operationsin theAcadiana region. Farmersand thestate timber industry suffered $1.7 billion in losses.
Email Stephen Marcantel at stephen.marcantel@ theadvocate.com.
lic due to the high-profile nature of thecase. Pitcher asked Johnson to dole out the maximum sentence of five yearsinprisonathardlabor for Steele.
“I would like the max because of what Iwent through. Ireally don’t want anyone else to have to go through this again,” she said.
KathrynJakubackBurke,one of Steele’sattorneys, arguedthat Johnson Roseconvicted Steele for malfeasance simply because he didn’tgive Pitcher aticket during theprolonged traffic stop.Following the sentenceThursday, she said she plans to file an appeal on his behalf.
“In this circumstance, judge, it is totally appropriate for this individual, whowill no longer be apolice officer because of this conviction, to be placed on probation,” she said during the hearing. “That is the appropriatesentence for thecrime thatwas found by thetrieroffact.”
Johnson was left to grapple with the punishment of ahighly decoratedformer officer with no previouscriminal recordwho hadfallen from grace. He said he was troubled by statementsSteelemade to probation officers who conducted his presentencing report.He “strongly deniedany wrongdoing” and told theofficers he wasn’t guilty of anything, claiming his entire relationship with Pitcher was consensual.
“He stated that he should not receive any jail time nor should he be
Police:Barbershotand killed
Staff report
Aman shot and killed Wednesday in abarbershop on Platt Drive has been identified as 29-year-old Marvin Tolliver Baton Rouge policeofficers responded to the shop, in the 9700 block of Platt Drive, shortly before 6p.m. Wednesdayinresponse to ashooting. Theyfound Tolliver dead at the scenefroman apparent gunshot wound. Police believe afight began at theshop, whichultimately escalated to ashooting.
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the River Center Branch Library downtown Wednesday to unveil thenew initiative. State Rep.DeniseMarcelle,DBaton Rouge, wasamongseveral elected officials on hand to celebrate theprogram Marcelle, an abuse survivor, hasworkedwith the 19th JDC and helped districtofficials create thedomestic violence specialty court “I certainlywilldowhatIcan to make sure that we’re moving forward in an innovative wayin Louisiana as it relatestodomestic violence prevention,” she saidat Wednesday’sannouncement. Residents can submit applicationsfor protective orders in civil, juvenile, family or criminal court at the librarybranches. Commissioners on duty typically sign off on temporary restraining orders for victims who qualify within an hour,officials said. The TROs remain in place untila court hearing is held at whicha judge or commissioner listens to arguments to determine if they should issue a longer-lasting protective order State statutes allow domestic and datingviolence abuse victims to ask for court orders of protection.Judges can order alleged abuserstostayawayfromcomplainants by issuing protective ordersinaneffort to secure their safety. The new initiative is apartnership between the district court, the public library systemand the clerk of court. Those agencies collaborated with nonprofits like the Louisiana CoalitionAgainst Domestic Violence, YWCA of Greater BatonRouge,the IRIS Domes-
placed on probation foracrime that he didn’tcommit. He indicated that his punishment should be acourt fine,” the report stated. Johnsonpausedthe proceedings Thursday andasked Steeleifhe wanted to reconsiderthatsentiment before he announced his sentence.Afterconferringwith his attorneysfor two minutes, Steele turned to Pitcher and apologized for not writing her aticket. He told thejudge he travels to different parts of the U.S. andtalks to officersabout“not putting yourself in agray area.” He admitted that he displayed poor judgment during the incident and forgot he was still on duty.
“Onthat particular night that I met Ms. Pitcher,Ishould have remainedreproached. Ishould not have entertained her as muchas she was entertaining me,” he said.
“While wearing your police officer uniform,you’re supposed to follow policies andprocedures. Had Ifollowed them that particular night, those same policiesand procedures thatI broke, they would have protected me.”
The statementelicited scoffs from Pitcher and her supporters in the courtroom and prosecutors afterward. Outside the courthouse followingthe hearing, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore minced no wordsindescribing Steele’sapology as “complete, actual bull****.” The districtattorney said he felt Judge Johnson
Key Tolliver,Marvin’scousin, told The Advocate thathewas a“dedicated professional” who had worked at the shop formany years.
Tolliver’sfamily believes he was not involved in any fight, and was only abystander who was caught in the crossfire once the shooting began. There are no identified suspects at this time.
Tolliver is alicensed barber and has ahaircutting business registered to his name with aBaton Rouge address.
tic Violence Center,Faith to Flee andFamily Services of Greater Baton Rouge. The fruit of theirconvergence allowspubliclibraries in thearea to serve as access points for residentstofile forprotective orders if they are abused by people living in the homewiththem,ifstrangers are stalking them, or if they are victims of sexual assault.
City-Parish council member Twahna Harris, adomesticviolence advocate and survivor who founded the Butterfly Society in 2014, marveled at the amount of support from different organizations.
“This is great newstovictims and families who are dealing with this,” she said. “The whole village is here to celebrate this remarkable moment. Icall it anew lifeline. It’s anew lifeline to victims and survivors.” Johnson said courthouse reps have reached out to local colleges anduniversitiesand areworking to get them to allow their campuses to be used as access points for protective orders as well. The overallgoalistofindaway to make the court systemmore“user-friendly” forthe community, according to Johnson.
“Wecan’tchange facts, but we can change access in order for you to knowthatwe’re serving you,” he said. “Wewanttobuild trust There’s alack of trust in alot of our community participants as to how available the court is. And we want you to know that we’re willingtolisten and we’re available to assist where thelaw allows us. It doesn’t always allowustohelp; but where it does, we need to help. And access is amajor way to accommodate the community.”
Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.
“gave him (Steele) another chance to wiggle off the rope” and the formerofficer used the opportunity to express fake remorse to avoid a stiffer sentence.
“I think this victim is asurvivor,” Moore said. “She’sactually a winner despite the sentence of the court, and despite her being victimized again by the entire system. I’mreally proudtoknowher and herfamily.They were very strong in theface of allthis. She could’ve given up easily.She did not. She wasstrong; her family wasstrong. I’mgladthat we were abletobea voicefor her. She’s why youwantto do this job.”
globally as the Swiss food giant cuts costs as part of its efforts to revive its financial performance
Nestlé, which makes Nescafé, KitKats, pet foods and many other well-known consumer brands, said Thursday that the job cuts will take place over the next two years. The Swiss company also said that it is raising targeted cost cuts to $3.76 billion by the end of next year, up from a planned $3.13 billion
It has been a turbulent year for the company, based in Vevey, Switzerland. Last month, Nestle dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a subordinate.
Freixe had only been on the job for a year He was replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.
Shortly after Freixe was ousted, Chairman Paul Bulcke stepped down early Nestlé is also fighting a host of external headwinds like other food makers, including rising commodity costs and U.S. imposed tariffs The company announced price hikes over the summer to offset higher coffee and cocoa costs.
Nestlé said Thursday that it will eliminate 12,000 white-collar positions in multiple locations
The job cuts are expected to achieve annual savings of $1.25 billion by the end of next year
The company will cut 4,000 jobs as part of ongoing productivity initiatives in its manufacturing and supply chain.
Trump announces deal on fertility drug price
WASHINGTON Drugmaker EMD Serono will reduce the cost of a common fertility medication through a deal struck with the Trump administration, President Donald Trump said Thursday while also unveiling new federal guidance he said will encourage employers to offer fertility coverage. The new guidance will allow companies to offer fertility benefits separate from major medical insurance plans, like they do with dental and vision plans, Trump said.
The Oval Office announcement offers a first glimpse at how Trump plans to follow up on his executive order earlier this year aiming to reduce the cost of in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility build their families. But it falls far short of his promise as a candidate to make IVF treatment free.
EMD Serono’s Gonal-f is among several drugs frequently used by patients going through IVF treatments — which involve using hormones to trigger ovulation, producing multiple eggs that are retrieved from the ovaries to be fertilized or frozen. The drugs can be expensive, often costing patients thousands of dollars for a single IVF cycle. Many patients trying to get pregnant through IVF go through more than one cycle.
Trump said the drug will be available at a discount on TrumpRx, a government website where patients will be able to buy drugs directly from manufacturers.
Waymos to deliver DoorDash
in Phoenix
DoorDash Inc. customers in the Phoenix area may have their orders delivered by a Waymo autonomous vehicle as part of a new partnership that will help keep the robotaxis busy when there’s a lull in demand from passengers. Tests of the delivery service have started, with broader commercial operations planned for later this year DoorDash said Thursday in a statement. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo cars will begin deliveries from DoorDashowned DashMart warehouses that act as fulfillment centers for convenience, grocery and retail goods from other brands. DoorDash said it plans to expand the number of participating merchants for autonomous delivery over time.
AI use increasing in cyberattacks
Microsoft says Russia, China using tech to escalate attacks on U.S.
BY DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
WASHINGTON Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have sharply increased their use of artificial intelligence to deceive people online and mount cyberattacks against the United States, according to new research from Microsoft.
This July the company identified more than 200 instances of foreign adversaries using AI to create fake content online, more than double the number from July 2024 and more than ten times the number seen in 2023.
The findings, published Thursday in Microsoft’s annual digital threats report, show how foreign adversaries are adopting new and innovative tactics in their efforts to weaponize the internet as a tool for espionage and deception.
America’s adversaries, as well as criminal gangs and hacking companies, have exploited AI’s potential, using it to automate and improve cyberattacks, to spread inflammatory disinformation and to penetrate sensitive systems. AI can translate poorly worded phishing emails into fluent English, for example, as well as generate digital clones of senior government officials.
Government cyber operations often aim to obtain classified information, undermine supply chains, disrupt critical public services or spread disinformation. Cyber criminals on the other hand work
for profit by stealing corporate secrets or using ransomware to extort payments from their victims. These gangs are responsible for the wide majority of cyberattacks in the world and in some cases have built partnerships with countries like Russia.
Increasingly, these attackers are using AI to target governments, businesses and critical systems like hospitals and transportation networks, according to Amy Hogan-Burney Microsoft’s vice president for customer security and trust, who oversaw the report. Many U.S. companies and organizations, meanwhile, are getting by with outdated cyber defenses, even as Americans expand their networks with new digital connections.
Companies, governments, organizations and individuals must take the threat seriously if they
are to protect themselves amid escalating digital threats, she said.
“We see this as a pivotal moment where innovation is going so fast,” Hogan-Burney said. “This is the year when you absolutely must invest in your cybersecurity basics.”
The U.S. is the top target for cyberattacks, with criminals and foreign adversaries targeting companies, governments and organizations in the U.S. more than any other country Israel and Ukraine were the second and third most popular targets, showing how military conflicts involving those two nations have spilled over into the digital realm.
Russia, China and Iran have denied that they use cyber operations for espionage, disruption and disinformation China, for instance, says the U.S. is trying to “ smear ” Beijing while conducting its own cyberattacks.
Stocks drop on worries about banks
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
NEW YORK U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, hurt by drops for midsized banks as worries flare about the loans they’ve made.
The S&P 500 slid 0.6% in its latest up-and-down day after erasing a morning gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 301 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.5%.
Zions Bancorp. tumbled 13.1% after the bank said its profit for the third quarter will take a hit because of a $50 million chargeoff related to loans made to a pair of borrowers. Zions said it found “apparent misrepresentations and contractual defaults” by the borrowers and several people who guaranteed the loans, along with “other irregularities.”
Another bank, Western Alliance Bancorp, dropped 10.8% after saying it has sued a borrower, alleging fraud. It also said it’s standing by its financial forecasts given for 2025.
Scrutiny is rising on the quality of loans that banks and other lenders have broadly made following last month’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing of First Brands Group, a supplier of aftermarket auto parts. The question is whether the hiccups are just a collection of one-offs or a signal of something larger threatening the industry
Thursday’s swings on Wall Street, where the Dow bounced from an early gain of 169 points to an afternoon loss of 472, fit the pattern of the week for stocks. They’ve been shaky since the end of last week, when President Donald Trump shattered a monthslong calm in the U.S. stock market by threatening much higher tariffs on China.
Thursday’s swoon erased an early morning gain driven by an encouraging signal about the artificial-intelligence boom.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a bigger jump in profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chief
Financial Officer Wendell Huang also said TSMC expects “continued strong demand for our leading-edge process technologies” going into the end of the year
That’s important for the U.S. stock market because TSMC is a critical player in the AI frenzy making chips for such companies as Nvidia. And Nvidia and other AI stocks have been central to Wall Street’s surge to records this year even though inflation is still high and the job market is slowing.
U.S. companies broadly are under pressure to deliver stronger profits after the S&P 500 surged 35% from a low in April. To justify those gains, which critics say made their stock prices too expensive, companies will need to show they’re making much more in profit and will continue to do so.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
fell 10.1% after detailing longterm financial targets that some analysts found underwhelming. That helped overshadow a 4% gain for Salesforce, which unveiled a plan to deliver more than 10% in compounded annual revenue growth in coming years.
J.B Hunt Transport Services trucked 22.1% higher after the freight company breezed past Wall Street’s profit targets in the third quarter
In the oil market, crude prices swung lower after Trump agreed to meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Hungary in hopes of resolving the war in Ukraine. The war has had the United States trying to cut off purchases of Russian oil.
In the bond market, Treasury yields dropped as investors herded toward investments considered safer The yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 3.97%
from 4.05% late Wednesday Gold also rose in the hunt for safer investments. It climbed 2.5% to $4,304.60 per ounce, bringing its stunning gain for the year so far to roughly 63%. A report in the morning said manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly shrinking. It’s one of the few windows into the economy that the Federal Reserve has been getting recently as it tries to figure out whether high inflation or the weak job market should be the bigger concern for the economy
The U.S. government’s shutdown is delaying important updates on the economy, such as a weekly update on unemployment claims that typically helps guide Wall Street’s trading each Thursday A day earlier, an important report on inflation was also delayed.
Feds offer transmission line upgrade loan guarantee
Energy Department finalizes deal with company in Midwest
BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Department of Energy said Thursday it has finalized a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest power companies to upgrade nearly 5,000 miles of transmission lines across five states, mostly in the Midwest, for largely fossil fuel-run energy AEP Transmission will upgrade power lines in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia to enhance grid reliability and capacity, the Energy Department said. The project, first offered un-
der the Biden administration, is meant to help meet surging electricity demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. Ohio-based American Electric Power, which owns AEP Transmission, is one of the nation’s largest utilities, serving 5.6 million customers in 11 states. It primarily produces electricity from coal, natural gas and nuclear power, along with renewable resources such as wind and hydroelectric power Thursday’s announcement deepens the Trump administration’s commitment to traditional, polluting energy sources even as it works to discourage the U.S. from clean energy use.
Earlier this month, the administration canceled $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states,
all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. A total of 223 projects were terminated after a review determined they did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or were not economically viable, the Energy Department said.
The loan guarantee finalized Thursday is the first offered by the Trump administration under the recently renamed Energy Dominance Financing program created by the massive tax-and-spending law approved this summer by congressional Republicans and signed by President Donald Trump. Electric utilities that receive loans through the program must provide assurances to the government that financial benefits from the financing will be passed on to customers, the Energy Department said.
The project and others being considered will help ensure that Americans “will have access to affordable, reliable and secure energy for decades to come,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.
“The president has been clear: America must reverse course from the energy subtraction agenda of past administrations and strengthen our electrical grid,” Wright said, adding that modernizing the grid and expanding transmission capacity “will help position the United States to win the AI race and grow our manufacturing base.”
The upgrades supported by the federal financing will replace existing transmission lines in existing rights-of-way with new lines capable of carrying more energy, the power company said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD DREW
Trader Dylan Halvorsan works Wednesday on the floor of the New york Stock Exchange.
Bell, Mary Rose of Sharon BaptistChurch at noon Chapman, Betty Ascension FuneralHomein Gonzales,LAat11am.
Davis, Sherri
Kingdom Life Family Center,8894
AirlineHwy Suite C, BatonRouge, LA at am
Dawson, John
OurLadyofMercy Catholic Church
445MarquetteAvenue,at2 p.m
Ewing, Debra
St.VincentdePaulCatholic Church in Innisat11am.
Fleming, Jimmy Slaughter FirstBaptistChurch in Slaughter at noon. Gallagher, Lillie
St.JosephCathedral,401 Main St.at 10am
Graves,Florance
St.John theEvangelistCatholic Church in Plaquemineat11a.m
Harris, Johnny
Immaculate ConceptionCatholic Church, 1565Curtis St BatonRouge LAat 11am
Jones,Alice
Immaculate HeartofMaryCatholic Church, 11140 Highway 77 in Maringouin, at 11 a.m.
Moody,Christopher Grace Memorial EpiscopalChurch at 11:00a.m
St.AnthonyCatholic Church,37311 Highway 22 in Darrow, at 11 a.m.
Todd, Wilmer
St.JosephCo-Cathedralat11:00 am
Obituaries
Bannerman,Bruce McLain
BruceMcLain Bannerman, 73, passedaway peacefully onOctober6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born and raised in BatonRouge, Bruce spent his life rooted in the community he cherished. Known for his kindness, gentle spirit, and deeplove for his family, Bruce touched countless lives through both his career and friendships. As a registered nurse, he cared deeply for his patients and colleagues, offering compassion and calm to all who knew him. Bruce found joy in life's simple pleasures —traveling, walking with his beloved dog Doodle, and spending time with family and friends. He loved antique cars and attending car shows, and some of his happiest memories were made on the water, waterskiing with his kids and their friends while they were growing up. Adevoted member of St. John's United Methodist Church, Bruce shared his faith and gift of music through the church choir and bellringers. His voice and spirit will be deeply missed among his church family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Moss MortonBannerman and Melva Thompson Bannerman. Survived by his loving wife, Dana JohnsonBannerman;children, Blair Bannerman Anderson(Bill) of Baton Rouge and Christopher McLain Bannerman (Megan) of Northridge, California; sisters, Jeanne Bannerman Alexander of Birmingham, Alabama, and Carol Bannerman Juban of Baton Rouge; and brother, Moss Dempsey Bannerman of Covington, Louisiana. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and greatnephews. The absolute joys of his life were his grandchildren —Connor, McLain (Mack), Henry, and Cassidy —who brought him endless happiness and pride. They will miss their belovedPawPaw very much. Visitation will be at RabenhorstFuneral Home on Government Street on Sunday, October 19, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., and again from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 20, with services following immediately after. Burialwill take place at Greenoaks Memorial Park on Florida Boulevard following the service In lieu of flowers,please consider adonation to St. John's United Methodist
Dent,Doris Doris Dent, anative of Brusly, LA, and residentof St. Gabriel, LA, peacefully transitionedonThursday, October2,2025,atthe age of 96. Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at HallDavis and SonofPort Allen, located at 1160 Louisiana Ave, Port Allen, LA 70767, from 10:00 AM until the funeral service at 11:00AM. Minister Wanda Brooks willofficiate Doris willbelaidtorest at Union Baptist Church Cemetery, Brusly, LA. Services entrusted to Hall Davisand SonFuneral Services www.halldavisandson.c om
Getridge, Elbert Louis
ElbertLouis"Chacy" Getridge was bornonJuly 11, 1942, in New Orleans, Louisiana,toAlbertaC Moliereand Paul Getridge He was educated in the Orleans Parish PublicSchools and graduated from L. B. LandryHigh Schoolinthe class of 1959.AtLandry,he was amember of the basketball and track and field teams. As he prepared to graduatefromhighschool, Elbert received an athletic scholarship to Texas College. During the summer program, he realized that rural Texaswas not the place forhim, and he enrolled at Grambling College. It was at Grambling that he metthe love of his life, Carolyn M. Williams. To this union adaughter, KarlaRenee Getridge, was born. After graduating from Grambling in 1964,Elbert decided to migrate to Oakland, California,wherehe initiallyresided with his sister,Helen, as he pursued career opportunities. He wassurprised thaton the first day of hisjob search, he was offereda position as an Expeditor for the Social Security Administration. He later worked forthe United States Postal Service before embarking upon acareer inthe transportation industry.For over thirtyfive years, he worked for theAlameda-ContraCosta TransitDistrict (AC Transit) as an operator, instructor, and training manager. He enjoyed introducing young peopletothe opportunitiesintransportation and providing instruction inall aspects of the business. During his tenure, he was recognizedfor outstandingperformance and completed the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safety Institute. As aCertified Senior Instructor, Elbertsupported transitdistricts across the country in transforming their training programs. He also served as an expert witness in transportation litigation. After his retirement in 2003,hebecame active with the AC TransitRetiree Association.
Elbertwas baptized as a Catholicata young age. However,toenable the family to worshiptogether, he and Carolyn joinedSt. Cuthbert'sEpiscopal Church in Oakland. When they moved to the Dallas
area in 2005, they visited St.Andrew Methodist Church, and inspiredby theBiblical teachingsand community-focused ministries, he and Carolyn joined thechurch. He was afaithful member and he participatedinthe Men's Group School LunchDelivery Program and was a member of The Covenant Group forover twenty years.
Throughout hislife, Elbert was asportsenthusiast.Heenjoyed football, basketball,track and field, golf, and laterevenbaseball.His loyaltytothe New Orleans Saints, theSan Francisco 49ers, and the Golden StateWarriorswas unwavering.Hewas also known as the"Sports Statistician" and prided himselfonbeing able to cite team records and players' accomplishments and enjoyed engaging in spiriteddiscussions of sports trivia with family and friends. As he preparedfor retirement,golf became his favoritepastime. He spent his spare time practicingand playing on golf courses throughout theBay Area. He joinedthe Bob Clayton GolfClub and lookedforward to theAnnual Labor Day Classic when he would joinfriendsfor aweekof golf at different locations. For over thirty years, he traveled around thecountryplaying golf, dining out, and sharing tall taleswith his friends. After moving to Texas,healso joined the Avid Duffers, with whom he played golf every Tuesday.
An enthusiasticalumnus of Grambling State University, Elbert enjoyed returning to campus for Homecoming gamesorto NewOrleans forthe Bayou Classic. For many years, he and his college roommates wouldgather with friends to catch up on each other's livesand share storiesof their days at GSU. As the years passed, thestories became moreexaggerated,but they always shared thejoy of being together. He was aproud lifetime member of the Grambling StateUniversity Alumni Association.
On Thursday morning, October 9, 2025, Elbert departed this life to live eternally withthe Lord. He leavestocherish his memoryhis devotedwife,Carolyn Williams Getridge;his loving daughter, Dr. Karla R. (Marvin) Bailey;granddaughter, Dr. DorianM Ball;his brother, Donald (Helen) Getridge; and sister, Barbara GetridgeTross; brother-in-law, GeorgeH.(Wanda) Williams; sister-in-law, BeverlyW.(Duane)Davis; godchildren, Bridgett Baker McGee,Stephanie J. Veasey, Dr. Ronald Williams II,and Tai J. Chapman; and ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins,and friends. Elbert'slegacy of faith, family,and friends willliveinour heartsforever.
Visitationwillbeheldat 10:00AM on Saturday, October18, 2025, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 185 Eddie Robinson Sr. Drive, Baton Rouge, LA Serviceswillbeginat 11:00AM with Pastor Fred Jeff Smith officiating
Jimmy RayGreen was born on September 16, 1962 to theunionofThelma Shelmire Green and JessieGreen Sr. in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. He transitionedtobewith his Lord and SavioronFriday, October10, 2025. He was 63 years old. He was an employee of AssociatedGrocers for 24 years. Jimmy is preceded in death by his parents Jessieand Thelma Green, and five sisters and twobrothers.
Anativeand resident of Maringouin, La passed away October 5, 2025 at theage of 59. Visitation services FridayOctober17, 2025 at Greater Bethany Baptist Church 214 Valverda Rd,Maringouin, La from 4pmto7pm.Religious services Saturday October 18, 2025 at thechurch at 10am. ConductedbyPastorC.A RobinsonOfficiating. Interment Church Cemetery. Angelaleavesher memories to her devoted husband of 31 years. Leonard HoustonJr. Her loving children;Leonard(L.J)Houston IIIofAtlanta,Ga; Kaylen (Nyran Baker Sr.) and Jakria Houston both from Maringouin, La.She is also survivedbyher loving mother Mary Lane, brothersMichael(La Donna) Lane and Travis Lane all of Maringouin, La.
Jackson, Gail MariePearley Gail MariePearley Jack‐son,transitionedpeace‐fully to herheavenlyhome onTuesday,October 14, 2025, at herresidence in St James,LAsurrounded by her loving family. Gail,a nativeofBelle Rose,LA, was 71 yearsold,bornon March 9, 1954 to thelate OliverH.Pearley Sr.and OliviaT.Pearley.She ac‐ceptedChristatanearly age andwas baptizedat ChristBaptist Church,Belle Rose, LA by thelateRev.W T.Atley.After hispassing, Gailmoved hermember‐shiptothe GreaterIsrael BaptistinBelle Rose,LA,
Pastor Murray J. Alcorn Gailwas educated in As‐sumptionParishand a graduateofAssumption HighSchool.She went on tofurther hereducation at Lubbock ChristianCollege Lubbock,TX. Becauseof her love forcaringfor peo‐ple,she became aCertified Nurse’s Assistantand workeddevotedly for18 years at Nexion Health and asa Personal Care Atten‐dantfor many yearsin‐cluding taking care of her loved ones.Her caring na‐turewas also displayedin the love andcareshe gave toher garden and flowers. Thisloveextendedtoher household chores like washing dishes,ironing, cleaning, washingand folding clothesthatshe thoroughlyenjoyed.She was no stranger to hard workand thrivedonit. She loved reading, coloring search-a-word,animals, and inspirationalmovies. Gailwas unitedinHoly matrimony to Rev. Welma J.Jackson Sr.onJune 28, 1975. To this unionthree childrenwereconceived, Welma JamesJackson Jr Leonzel I. Jacksonand the babywho sheaffection‐ately referred to as Whoopi,whomshe hasre‐unitedwith. Shestepped intothe role of FirstLady gracefullyand committed. Gailhad astrong, unwa‐veringfaith andrenewed her commitment to Christ and wasbaptizedagain at Young PilgrimBaptist Church in theMississippi River,byher loving hus‐band, Rev. WelmaJackson Sr. Shewas adevoted membertobothYoung Pil‐grimBaptist Church,Con‐vent, LA andMt. Salem Baptist Church,Donald‐sonville, LA where she loved singinginthe choirs teachingSundaySchool, and attendingBible study. She wasa member of the Eastern Starsand theSons and DaughtersofIsaac and Rebecca.She also traveledalongside herhus‐bandonseveral mission trips.She wasveryinstru‐mentalincollectingitems for themission tripsand the street mission. Gail leavestocherish hermem‐ory,her husband of 50 years,Rev.Welma Jackson, Sr.,two children,Welma Jackson,Jr.(Candelaria), St. James, LA;and Leonzel Jackson,Gonzales, LA;3 brothers, Oliver PearleyJr. (Susan) Boise, ID;Otis Pearley,Paincourtville, LA; David Pearley(Judy), Klotzville, LA;and 2sisters ReginaParker, Bertrandville, LA;and Lydia Pearley,Belle Rose,LA; uncle,MelvinMiller,Don‐
aldsonville, LA.She was blessedtohave5 grand‐children, and8 greatgrandchildren;a host of nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. Shewas precededindeath by her daughter, Whoopi,parents, Oliviaand Oliver Pearley, Sr.;in-laws,Ida Maeand MillerJackson,Jr.;mater‐nal grandparents,Isabella and Clarence Truxillo;pa‐ternalgrandparents, Mary Smallwood andEdward Pearley,Sr.;her brothersin-lawMiltonJackson and Rev.Leroy ColemanSr.;her sisters-in-lawSheilaJack‐son Colemanand Gilda Pearley;and niece, Brianna Pearley.Visiting1:30pmon Saturday, October18, 2025 atYoung PilgrimBaptist Church,6176 Rev. Thomas Scott St Convent, LA until religious services at 2pm, conducted by Rev. Welma Jackson,Sr.,Pastor. Reli‐gious services continues immediatelyafter at Mt Salem BaptistChurch,1104 St. VincentSt.,Donald‐sonville, LA.Interment in Buena VistaBaptist Church,St. James. Please visit www.dembyandson com to sign theguestbook
Visitation &Religious servicesFriday October 17, 2025 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church located 11140 Hwy 77 Maringouin, La. 9am Visitation UntilMass at 11am. Interment church cemetery. Alice waspreceded in death by herbeloved husband, JamesJones; her parents, Edithand Gilbert Ventress, Sr.; andher siblingsGloriaCooper,Gilbert Ventress, Jr., Uric Ventress, Sherlyn Moore,and Joseph Ventress. Sheleaves to cherish hermemory her devoteddaughterMichelle (Michael); threegrandsons Gregory Hayes, Jaylan Hayes(Kayla), andJeremy Arceneaux (Asia); and threeadored great grandchildrenMecca Hayes, Isa-
Houston, Angela Lane
Jones, Alice Ventress
Green,Jimmy Ray
iah Hayes, and Nyla Arceneaux. She is also survived by her siblings Leora Marie Vance, Dorothy LeDoux (Alfred), Leon Martin Ventress, and David Carl Ventress; her special niece Linda Jones; her dear friend Sharon Alexander; and ahost of much-loved in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Jones, Jo Ann
Jo Ann Jones alifelong resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, earned her heavenly wingsonOctober 8, 2025. Jo Ann was born on April 5th, 1946, to Lucille and Herman Hunter Sr. She is Succeeded by 3children Cheryl, Willie and
IdaMae LeBlancpassed awayonTuesday,October 14, 2025, at TheParcin Gonzalesatthe ageof86. She wasbornJanuary 17 1939. Shewas alifelong residentofBayou Pigeon Idawas alovingwife, mother, grandmother, sis‐ter,aunt andfriendto all she met. Shehad many roles throughout herlife, including workingfor Hedges GaugingService
andHostess at City Café in Plaqueminewhere sheen‐joyed meetingand talking toall thepatrons.She was a longtime member of the St. Joan of ArcCatholic Church in BayouPigeon, volunteeringfor theAltar Society andChurch Fair for manyyears.Ida is survived byher children andtheir wives,Kevin andHolly LeBlanc,Kerwinand Tara LeBlanc;fourgrandchil‐dren, Callie,Lukeand Lau‐ren LeBlanc, Camilleand husband Jake Carter and numerousniecesand nephews.Special niece, PatriciaSettoon,who was likea daughter that pro‐vided love andcareover the yearsfor both Idaand Calvin. Idawas preceded in death by herhusband, CalvinPierreLeBlanc;par‐ents, Odom andMabel Set‐toon Hebert;siblings, Hay‐wardHebertand Lois H. Landry. Visitation will be at St. John theEvangelist Catholic Church in Plaque‐mineonSaturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. until Mass ofChristian Burial at 12 p.m., celebrated by Rev. Joe Camilleri. Burial will followinGrace Memorial Park. Specialthankstothe staff at TheParcAssisted LivinginGonzalesfor their lovingcareoverthe last several yearsand Clarity Hospice fortheir care and compassion. Memorial do‐nations maybemadeto Bayou Pigeon Heritage As‐sociation,POBox 1087 Plaquemine, LA 70764 Pleaseshare memories at www.wilbertservices.com
Nicholas, Brandon T. 'Branpen'
Brandon Ty'ree Nicholas, affectionately known to his motheras (Branpen), was born on March 12, 1991,toMichelle N. Knox of Zachary, La., andChuckyCoklin of St Gabriel,La. Brandon transitioned to his heavenly home on September30, 2025,atSt. ElizabethHospi-
talinGonzales, LA., at the ageofthirty-four. The service will be held on October18, 2025, at Hall Davis and SonFuneral Home at 10:00 a.m in BatonRouge, LA
Overton, JoyceCox
Anative& resident of Maringouin, La where she passed away Oct 5, 2025 at theage of 68. Visitation services Friday Oct 17, 2025 at A. Wesley'sFuneral Home 10810 Ventress Dr. Maringouin, 4p.m. to 7pm. Religious services SaturdayOct 18, 2025 at One AccordMinistry 77400 AngelozSt. Maringouin, La. Services at 11 a.m. Conducted by Rev. DonaldRay Patterson. Joyce is survivedbyher children Ronda Cox, Tarnish Cox, Percy Cox&Daniel OvertonSr.
AnativeofBatchelor,LA transitionedpeacefullyon October15, 2025 fromher earthly home at theage of 77 to spend eternity in her heavenly home. Survived by twodaughters; Claudette Richard -Smith, and Jessica Richard, one son; LionelRichard,a stepson; Lonnie Durio,Sr, a host of other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by her parents; Sam &Eva Chaney, twosisters; Harriet Thomas and Louise Holmes, twobrothers; Lloyd and Alex Chaney, and agodson; Jamie
Chaney. Visitation on Saturday, October 18, 2025, 2:00 P.M. -6:00 P.M., A. Wesley Faith Center, 152 Hwy. 3050, Morganza, LA 70759. Visitation resumes on Sunday, October 19, 2025, 1:00 P.M. until Homegoing Celebrationstarting at 3:00 P.M., St.Mary MissionaryBaptist Church, 9067 Hwy. 1, Lettsworth, LA 70753, conductedbyRev Dr. Lionel Davis. ProfessionalServices Entrusted To A. WesleyFuneral Home Logo
Roma Nell MillerTheriot, passed from this world and intothe loving arms of her Lord and SaviorJesus Christ on October 11, 2025, while in hospice care at The Butterfly Wing in BatonRouge,Louisiana. Roma was bornatthe family home on December 2, 1934, in Amite County, Mississippi.She was thesecond child of Fleet NelsonMiller Sr. and Blanche Sybil Jones Miller.After graduating fromKentwoodHigh School in 1953, Roma moved to Houston,Texas, whereshe met her husband, Raymond AlbertTheriot whilehewas serving on activedutyinthe U.S. AirForce.Ray and Roma were happily married for 64 years prior to Ray's passing at age84onApril 25, 2018. Roma lovedlife andenjoyed cooking for family events, traveling, and spending time with her largefamily and many friends. An avid reader, Roma was famous for her delicious cathead biscuits, her special mac and cheese, and her contagious laugh, and she was adored by her multigenerational family by whom she was affectionately called 'Nanny.' Roma is survivedbyher daughter Rebecca Lynn Theriot van Deutekom (Mike) of Buffa-
lo,Wyoming;two sons, Randall Rene' Theriot (Mary Thorne) andRodney AlbertTheriot (LynnGregoire), both of Baton Rouge;six grandchildren, Scott Wesley Theriot (Amanda), Ryan Stewart Theriot(Johnnah), and Austin ThorneTheriot (Caroline) of Baton Rouge; Heather Lynnvan DeutekomPlante(Joel)of Longmont, Colorado; Adam Michael van DeutekomofFirestone, Colorado; and Danielle Christine TheriotBennett (David) of Clinton, Louisiana; fourteengreatgrandchildren, KateTheriot, Reese EmilyTheriot, Houston Theriot, Macey Theriot, GeorgiaTheriot, SloanWischropp,Ray Plante, Bridger Plante,Everly van Deutekom, Brooks van Deutekom, Ruby Bennett,Olive Bennett,Britton Brumfield, andBrady Brumfield; abrother StevenMiller(Wendy); sister-in-law Loretta Davis, sister-in-law Patricia Hristopoulas; sister-in-law Sherry Theriot; brother-inlaw Robert Theriot(Linda); brother-in-law Gary Schlotterer; andnumerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends, including ShirleyKelley, MelMiley, Roxanne Perry, andher special 'Tuesday School' church friends at Living Hope Fellowship,where Roma wasa long-time member. Roma is preceded in death by herhusband, herparents, hersisters JerryO'Connor and Bonnie Schlotterer,and her brotherFleet Nelson Miller, Jr.Visitationwill be held from9:00 -11:00 a.m. on October18, 2025 at RabenhorstEast Funeral Home 11000 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge,Louisiana. Religiousservices, conductedbyLiving Hope Pastor Josh Causey, will be held at Line CreekBaptist Church in Kentwood, Louisiana, at 1:00 p.m. on October18, 2025, with interment to follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be WesTheriot, Ryan Theriot, Austin Theriot, Adam van Deutekom, Houston Theriot, andStewart Miller Honorary pallbearers are Mike van Deutekom, StevenMiller,RobertTheriot, Joel Plante,and David Bennett.Itiswith sincere gratitude that thefamily wouldliketothankHannahMartin, Shellie Birch Amaya Cage,RosaWhite, andBrendaBates for helpingtokeepRomacomfortableduringher final days. ld l lik
We would also liketo thank the excellent staff at Hospice of Baton Rouge, especially Roma's nurse Courtney Stewart, who guided heronher journey home. She'sgonefromour sight, but Roma Nell will remain in ourheartsforever.Inlieuofflowers,the familyrequestsdonations be made to TheHospice of Baton Rouge,3600 Florida Blvd Baton Rouge,LA 70806.
Theriot, Roma Nell Miller
Richard,Odelia C.
LeBlanc, IdaMae Hebert
OPINION
Dredge spillhighlightsLNG megaprojectworries
The liquefied natural gas industrygave us the impression that it was going to take care of our community here in rural Louisiana, and that is not the case. Local fishermen in southwest Louisiana haven’tgot much help at all —none despite claims to the contrary by Venture Global. We are still trying to figure out how all these methane terminals are hurting the shrimp. Where did all the shrimp go?
And then on Aug. 4, 2025, tragedy struck because of Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 project, known as CP2. Now we have mud on top of all our problems.
theweir,it’sbreached and is in the rivers and estuary too. Thecommunityisstill tryingtoassess the full damage Fisherfolkwere left with no answers and nolivelihood just as the shrimping season opened. There are only four to five inches of water left in theaffected canals. The sludge has already displacedthe shrimp and it suffocated crabsinthe pots. We don’tknowifthe remainingshrimp can navigate theslurry waters.
Adredging operation, permitted for 100,987,013 U.S. gallons of dredge over 10 weeks for the construction of CP2, spilled into waters just south of Big Lake in Cameron Parish. According to the permit, that’s20 million gallons of muck into our wetlands for two weeks. The overflow is not just in the bay and bayou behind
Venture Global claims thespill is “stopped and under control.”
But for those of us who said dredging disasters like this would happen, that’sno comfort. It’soysterspawning season and spat cannot attach where there is sedimentation. We already know it is impacting this year’s harvest.How will we know aboutnextyear? Theyear after that? Or will it change long-term shrimpmigration routes our families lived on forgenerations?
This accident is part of a patternofenvironmental violations which are ending thelivelihoods for those of us who live here. Immediate action must be taken on possible violations of theClean Water Act, which prohibitsunauthorized discharges of dredged or fill material into thewaters of theUnited States. If Venture Global wants
La., incarcerationhave long andtroubling past
In the final galleryofthe Historic New Orleans Collection’sawardwinning exhibition, “Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration,” visitors were asked to reflect and respond to thequestion, “If you could change Louisiana’s incarceration system, where would you begin?”
Nearly 2,000 visitors wrotean answer to the question and posted it on the wall, creating an evolving space for visitors to envision abrighter future.
Captive State is agroundbreaking public history project. It’sthe first public-facing projecttopresent athreecentury historical synthesis of incarceration in New Orleans and Louisiana witha focus on the connections between systems of slavery and mass incarceration.
—including the jarring price the state paysfor incarceration annually (over $1 billion), paired with the stories of people impacted by thesystemthat populated the galleries.
to liveuptothe imageit’s madeinthe news, we, the fisherfolk of Cameron, demandanimmediate investigation intothis disaster by theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers and theLouisiana Department of Environmental Quality,ahalt of dredging until containmentfailures are resolved, remediation of fisheries, compensation for fisherfolk
impacted and full public transparency including a public hearing to address these impacts and ongoing dredging.
CP2 is shaping up to be a sacrifice zone: an industry project that sacrifices communities, health, climate, local economies and justice forshort-term profit. But to speak plainly,Venture Global isn’tthe only com-
pany making money off our suffering; they aren’t the only ones to blame. No financial institution should invest in CP2. No insurance company should underwrite CP2. Our government must revoke or refuse to finalize any permits tied to this project. We need help. We need our government to protect fishing families and makes investments in renewables, and our communities need aseat at the table. We are fighting to survive while watching the oyster beds get covered in silt, the crabs and shrimpchoke and fisherfolk and our families get nosebleeds nightly from the pollution when working in the waters our parents and grandparents worked fordecades. We want to thrive! Let the marshes stay wild, give us back our safety and economy and let our communities breathe. We’re not being helped, but can we be heard?
Ray Malletisa chairman of theFisherfamily Advisory Councilfor Tradition&Stewardship Alyssa Portaro is Founder and Director of Habitat Recovery Project.
Hope,humanityand healinginatimeofgrief
Additionally,the book pointsto other resources for scholars, advocates and othersinterested in learning more. Scores of citations, footnotes and abibliography are included, all designed to contribute to the existing scholarship on the history of incarceration in New Orleans and Louisianaand to helppeople consider howthey might change ourcurrent system.
The exhibition, which closed earlier this year,was ahugesuccess for HNOC in many meaningful ways, including both visitation numbers (25,000), and the high levels of engagement demonstrated by the astonishing number of visitors who wanted to say something before leaving. For many,the stories and information presented in the exhibition werenew; for others the exhibition represented apublic telling of privately known truths
Both groups, however, oftenleft the galleries asking staffhow they could learn more, or if there were ways to preserve the stories in Captive State into the future.
The Captive State book, released Oct. 1, represents the institution’s commitment to continue sharing the history and stories presented in the exhibition that resonated with so many visitors.
But it does more than just reprint on paperwhat thousands of visitorssaw in the galleries. The bookincludes updated 2025 data
The criminal legal system andpublic safetyare as relevant to New Orleanians, Louisianans and Americans as ever.Efforts toward criminal legal reform that had bipartisan nationwide support in the last decade have evaporated, andincarceration rates areonce again increasingwithout acorresponding drop in violent crime.
Just in New Orleans, thecity’s jail population hasincreased by over 400 people, representing a 40% increase, over this half decade. Rates for thoseserving sentences in thecustody of the LouisianaDepartment of Safety and Corrections have also increased over thepast fiveyears, with nearly one thousandmore people in prison today than in 2020.
In groundingthis contemporary reality in three hundred years of history and data,Captive State makes anecessary contribution to meaningful public discourseon what abrighter future for all can be.
EricSeiferth is acurator and historian with the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Anyone watching the news right now is grieving. Media coverage is saturatedwith storiesofdeath and tragedy —frommass shootings and war to violence in our own neighborhoods. Recent anniversaries of Hurricane Katrina and9/11have resurfaced painful memories while our community continues to mournliveslostinthe New Year’sDay BourbonStreet tragedyand thelong shadowofthe COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social media, we’reexposed to far more information today than we werejust twenty years ago. The constant stream of news makes it nearly impossible to avoidthe sadness and heartbreak —often for families we’ve never met —who are suffering unimaginable lossamidtoday’sglobal turmoil. In the face of so much tragedy,how do we hold on to hope and stay positive,; not only for ourselves but for our children and grandchildren?
As veteranfuneral directors, we are dedicated to guiding families through profound momentsofgrief and loss. Drawing on decades of experience,we would like to share insights and guidance to help navigategrief, whether personalorthis timeofshared culturalgriefthat we find around us.
comes through action. Whether attending a funeral, delivering aeulogy or sharing memories, participating in the rituals of grief helps us process our emotions. Personal acts of remembrance —such as printing photos, writing down memories or volunteering in the person’s name —can offer comfort and closure. Grief looks different for everyone, but engaging with it intentionally gives space to heal and evolve.
First, therole of community. Grief is meant to be shared. As human beings, we arewired to find comfort in connection. Mourning together allows us to process loss through shared support of friends, family and community. In times of loss, it is the people who gather around us thathelp us survive and eventually begin to heal.
Second, the role of ritual. Rituals provide structure.Memorials,funerals and other ceremonies provide aspace to commemorate life and preserve memories. These shared momentsofremembrance allow us to be part of something greater than ourselves. Even smallgestureslike lighting acandle, telling astory or placing aflower can be profoundly meaningful, especially for children. We have aresponsibility to teach the next generation how to face death with dignity,empathy and understanding.
Third, the role of participation. Healing often
Fourth, the role of relationship. Loss changes relationships —not just with the person who has died, but with those still living. Sharing memories and stories can draw us closer,creating bonds through mutuallove and remembrance. Yetgrief can also create distance among us. In these moments, it’simportant to choose compassion over conflict. This is atime to set aside differences, to forgive and reconnect. Griefreminds us that life is too short to stay divided.
Fifth, the role of hope. Hope allows us to reimagine life after loss. Is death the end, or adoorway to something beyond? Whatever our beliefs, hope helps us find meaning in suffering and points us toward whatisstill possible.
Many of us who work in the funeral profession live by the words of 19th century British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone: “Show me the manner in which anation or community caresfor its dead, and Iwill measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.”
As funeral directors, we strive to serve not just families, but humanity.Weencourage you to do the same within your own circles, neighborhoods and communities. Grieve as you must but grieve with intention. Honorthe lost by supporting the living. In aworld markedby recent tragedies, near or far,our capacity to care for one another is more vital thanever
DavidB.Eastland is afuneral director and manager at WestsideLeitz-Eagan Funeral Home and pastor of First Baptist Church of Harahan. Huey Campbellisa funeral director at WestsideLeitz-Eagan Funeral Home.
STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER
Ashrimpboat parks near the Cameron LNG plant in Cameron in 2022.
Alyssa Portaro GUEST COLUMNIST
B.
The historic peace dealbetween Israel and Hamas that led to aceasefire in the two-year-old warinGazahas been agoal sought by President DonaldTrump and his administrationsince he took office. It outlines a20-pointplan to achievestability in theregion. Since Hamas attacked amusic festival and residential areas in IsraelonOct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people, torturing some and takingscores hostage,Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate thethreatposed by Hamasinthe Gaza Strip.The ensuingwar has ledtothe deathsoftensofthousands of Palestinians.To achieve adiplomatic breakthrough, Trump and his envoys were able to do what seemed impossible: bring together leaders in the Arabworld to pressure Hamasand also convince Netanyahuthat the security of Israelwouldbeguaranteed.What lessons can be takenfromhow thedealcame together?Here are twoperspectives:
TheGonzo brilliance of Trump’sGazadiplomacy
The “ceasefire now” crowd finally got its ceasefire, althoughnot theway it hoped.
Israel and Hamas agreed to stop the fighting in Gaza, while theterror group agreed to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
There’salways achancethe agreement falls apart. Still, it isn’t creating jubilation from allthe people who have been braying for Israel to end the war.There aretwo reasons —one is thatthe deal is favorable for Israel, and the other is that the deal’sarchitectisapresident of the United Stateswhom the fiercest advocates of aceasefirehate
If it holds, the agreement is the biggest victory yet for Donald Trump’s hyperactive, transactional diplomacy
would betransformative for Israel’s security and forthe lives of Gazans. There will presumably be no speeches at Hollywood awards ceremonies crediting Trumpfor his peace-making. Among other things, there’stoo much cognitivedissonance in saying, “I think PresidentTrump is adangerous fascist —but appreciate how bound and determined he is to end conflicts around the world.”
Rich Lowry
Trump is agonzo version of standard U.S. foreign policy All American presidents want to makepeace in the Middle East, and all want, whether they say it or not, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. What’s differentabout Trumpishis methods,and his openness about seeking acall from the Nobel committee.
Credit forGazaceasefire goes to IDF, Netanyahu
“If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna.” —Napoleon Unminced words arenow required lest we flinch from acknowledging the stark —and for many people, unsettling —lessonofIsrael’sachievement since Oct. 7, 2023. The lessonis: Often military might does, and often only it can, make roomfor diplomacy
Alifetime of maneuveringfor advantage in the real estateand media worlds in New York City —searching for and using everyounce of leverage —was better preparation forhighlevel internationaldiplomacy than if Trump had spent alifetime on theSenate Foreign Relations Committee. Whereas “internationalopinion” believed we had to isolate andcut off Israel, Trump armed the Jewish state, bombed Iran and squeezed Qatar to bring Hamas to heel —and it worked. The dealisa tribute to avoiding the well-worn ruts of Middle East diplomacy As for Israel, it needed to find away out of aconflict that had become aPR disaster.Getting the hostages back was an important national goal, even if the exchange was lopsided (theseswaps always are). Meanwhile, Israel will pull back to an agreed-upon line, but still hold an estimated 53% of Gaza as asecurity buffer.Even if things eventually go south again, Israel has bought time by decimating Hamas andsignificantly diminishing the threatsfrom Iran and Hezbollah.
It is certainly true that Phase 2of the deal, which is supposed to disarm Hamas and establish atechnocratic Palestiniangovernment in Gaza, will be much more difficult to pull off.If it were to come to fruition, though, it
Ahallmark of his policymaking at its best is an unwillingness to take “no” for an answer,anunremittingsense of urgency anda creativity that is considered unrealistic or reckless by conventional metrics. We saw it during his first term with his success securing the border,with the historic achievement of Operation Warp Speed and withthe Abraham Accords.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to theworld,” George Bernard Shaw maintained, theunreasonable one persistsintrying to adapt the world to himself.Therefore, all progress depends on theunreasonable man.”
In this sense, Trumpisusefully unreasonable. Everyone around the world needs to be alittle afraid of him, while he is willing to talk to anyone or consider anything. Hisoptimism can be misplaced(theUkraine war was a tougher nut than he thought) and his highlypersonalized diplomacy can misfire (he got unnecessarily crosswisewith Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi), but he can also prove all hisdoubters wrong.
The Washington cliche is that there is no limit to the good you can do if you don’tcare whogetsthe credit.Trump shows, to the contrary,that sometimes there is no limit to the good you can do if youwant allthe credit Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.
Primarycredit for theceasefire between Israel and thosewho still aspiretomurder it goes to the Israel Defense Forces. So, credit alsogoes to the prime minister who wielded the IDF with aproperly austereregardfor the opinions of mankind, Benjamin Netanyahu. Will the current ceasefireinthe two-year war be morethan merely this? If so,itwill be because on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel recognized that the necessary precondition for the cessation of warfare would also be sufficient:destruction of Hamas’ and Hezbollah’scapacity for waging war.The diplomats’ hour arrived after, and because of, the fighting by thosewho form the tip of Israel’sspear against unprovoked and wanton violence. Because of the mostly young men and women of the IDF
ported versions but one clear meaning: In large undertakings, avoid tentativeness. All wars end. The Hundred Years’ War, the Thirty Years’ War, the Seven Years’ War, and all others, before and since, ended. Some did so from mutualorasymmetrical exhaustion, some with differencesplitting negotiations. The war that paused and perhaps ended last week reminded the world that Israel has never known aday of peace, properly understood. Peace is more than the absence of violence. It is acondition where threats of violence are not the constant white noise of existence. Israel was attacked by nonstate actors, Hamas and Hezbollah, committedtothe destruction of the Israeli state, continuing acondition that preceded the Israeli state.
Israel has always had, because it has earned it, U.S. support. It has never,however,been dependent on it. Centuries of hard experiences, culminating in Auschwitz, have taught the Jewish people the lethal risks of dependenceon others. Israel’sbirth was apost-Holocaust proclamation: “Never again!”
The U.S. Declaration of Independence acknowledges an obligation to have “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind” (emphasis added).Indecent respect occurswhen theopinions of mankind are not respectable, or when respecting them involves indecent consequences. To the Trump administration’scredit, the United States has enabled Israel’svictory by not restraining itsself-defense. U.S. policy has toooften restrainedUkraine since Russia attacked on Feb. 24, 2022.
Historians will assess if and when Israel has used disproportionateforce. The historians whoseconclusions will deserve most respect will be thosewho grapple with Israel’sOct. 7reality.Then it wascontiguous to an enclave under the thumb of organized sadistswho sheltered behind acaptive civilian population. Historians should begin with thebeginning —remembering the sexual and other violence recordedby Hamas body cameras on Oct. 7.
Historians will have to acknowledge that Netanyahu, who is responsible for his nation’ssafety,graspedthe nettle. He acted on Napoleon’saxiom, which has various re-
Netanyahu’spost-Oct. 7decision to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah wasthatIsrael shall never again have an occasion to say “Never again!” His use of violence has perhaps economized violence. The destruction of two enemyorganizations might mean,in subsequent years, fewer deaths than would otherwise have occurred on both sides. For decades, U.S. officials belabored Israel with reasons why, in negotiations with bellicose enemies, it should “take arisk forpeace.” To one official, Netanyahu, referring to atranquil Washington suburb, replied, “You live in Chevy Chase. Don’t play with our future.”
For Israel, as forUkraine since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, being has been risky.Israel has refused to trim its sails to accommodate gusts of critical opinions from people living comfortably at asafe distance from violence. Like Ukraine’sexample of fortitude, Israel’s is agifttoanonly intermittently resolute West.
EmailGeorge Will at georgewill @washpost.com.
President Donald Trumpshows asigned documentonMonday during aceremonyatthe Gaza International
George Will
‘I’ve
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
In some respects, last week’sgame against the New England Patriotswas the best of the season for New OrleansSaintswidereceiver ChrisOlave. He continued to be afocal point forthe Saintspassingattack, he finally hauled in an explosive play,henearly cracked the 100-yard mark for the first time thisseason There was some good to take away fromit. Unfortunately
Jags
not ‘pressing thepanic button’yet
Southern keepinghigh energy,optimismahead of game vs.Prairie View
BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer
Herman Brister didn’tfeel aneed to sugarcoat how poorlySouthernhas played through six games.
“We’ve been playing terrible, to be honest,” the redshirt sophomoresafetysaid. “We haven’texecuted anythingthat they call.”
ä Prairie View at Southern 4P.M. SATURDAy
Southern (1-5, 0-2 SWAC) hasn’tstarted a season this poorly since 1971. At Tuesday’s media availability,players and coach Terrence Graves all agreed thatthe group hasn’tperformed up to its standard, losing games by an average of 29 points in five defeats.
“No, not at all,” Brister said when asked if the team is playing to its full potential. “Not the whole season, even the one win that we do have. We stilldidn’tfeel likeweplayed a complete game of football.”
Southernwillneed to play at its highest level for its homecoming game against Prairie View (4-2, 3-0) at 4p.m. Saturday at A.W Mumford Stadium. The Panthers havewon three straight and are thetop team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference West. Graves was also blunt when describing how Southern has failed to execute, especially in its most recent 45-14 loss at Bethune-Cookman.
“Wedidn’tplay well across the board,” the second-year coach said. “It startsand stops with me on down, as Itold myassistant coaches, we have to be better fromtop down, and so no one is exempt. Everybody is taking their accountability.”
Graves said he had astaff meeting the following day after the Bethune-Cookman loss to evaluate how they’redoinggetting the players prepared forgames. Graves shared that the commonthread to therepeated poor showingsisbased on “plain and simple execution.”
While the four-game losingstreak has led to serious talks, it has not birthedpanic entering Saturday.When Graves was asked why
ä See SOUTHERN, page 4C
“The dropsturned my game allthe way down,” Olave said. Olave had apair of crucial drops against thePatriots —one that would have been a somewhat difficult catch near thepylon in the end zone on thirddown, and another more routine play late in thegameonsecond and 7asthe Saints were trying to put together a go-ahead drive in theclosing minutes
That last drop set up athirddown that New
gottodoa better job’
Orleansdid not convert. The Saints punted the ball away and never got it back in a25-19 loss.
Thursday,Olave addressedhis performancefor the firsttimesince thegame ended, and while he was happywith some aspects of theway he played, he did not make anyexcuses forthe bigmoments where he came up short.
“Itwas tough,man,” Olave said. “You take outafew plays, it wasagreat game but thosefew plays were terrible. It’sa tough situation. Alot of opportunities that we’ve gottotakeadvantage of,especially on my part. I’ve gottodoabetter job.”
It’shard to believe, but faster than BarionBrown, the LSUfootball season has raced to the midway point. The Tigers are ranked No. 10 in the country,just one notch below where they were picked in the preseason AP poll, are5-1 and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference. And yet,there is apalpable sense among LSU fans and across the college football landscape that the Tigers have underachieved heading into Saturday’sunexpected top-20 matchup at No 17 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1) at 11 a.m. on ABC. Just how good —orbad —have the Tigers really been? We grade the Tigers and post their marks on our midseason report card.
QUARTERBACK: B Garrett Nussmeier’snumbers certainly haven’tbeen what they were through six games in 2024: 1,413 yards passing, nine touchdowns and five interceptions this season; 1,986 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptionsthrough six games this past season. Clearly hampered by injuries (knee, abs, now ankle), Nussmeier hasn’tbeen himself but appeared to turn acorner in this past Saturday’s20-10 win over South Carolina. He has been one tough customer and should be commended forthat.But,ashis two interceptions against theGamecocks attest, his decision-making remainsques-
tionable at times and at least one turnover per gamebyNuss has to be baked intothe LSUequation.
RUNNING BACK: C Surprisingly,LSU has just 50 fewer net rushing yards comparedtothis point in 2024: 690 to740. But the Tigers’ running game feels like much moreofananchor on the offense. Caden Durham has been adequate at
LSUcoach Mulkey
DARCEY
best, and LSU has had to rely on converted quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson and receivers like Zavion Thomas and Brown to help cover deficiencies. The run game wasmarkedly improved against South Carolina, but is this trend or aberration?
WIDERECEIVERS: C+
LSU has adeep enough receiver corps to absorb aleader like Aaron Anderson sitting out this past game with an injury.Overall, the Tigers have not been as explosiveasneeded or expected.Nussmeier’shealth andasluggish running game leadingopponents to dropa ton of players into coveragehas ä See RABALAIS, page 4C
whocan handle the ball. There’sMiLaysiaFulwiley, thehighprofile transfer from South Carolina who’s getting the first crack at the starting point guard job. There’ssophomore Jada Richard. There’sDivine Bourrage, the highly rated freshman from Iowa. Mikaylah Williams can run the point in apinch too, as sheshowedasasophomore,and now, so canGilbert —the 5-foot-8 shot creatorwho hit two game-winning shots last season. “(Gilbert) wonalot of ballgames for us late,” Mulkeysaid, “because she has an ability to take you offthe dribble in one-on-one. But (she) sometimes has to
STAFF FILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK
LSU defensivecoordinator and linebackers coach BlakeBaker speaks with hisplayers during atimeout in the second half of agameagainst Louisiana Tech on Sept.6 at TigerStadium
PHOTO By MICHELE MEyERS Southernwide receiversDarrenMorris, left, and Kobe Brown celebrate after aplay in agame againstBethune-Cookman on Saturday. Southernplayers arekeeping a positiveoutlook despite a1-5 start.
FIFA announces over 1M tickets sold for World Cup
MIAMI More than 1 million tickets have already been sold for next year’s World Cup, FIFA said Thursday in its first update on numbers since the official start of sales began earlier this month.
The highest demand, as would be expected, was from buyers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico — the three nations that will play host to the tournament FIFA said people from 212 different countries and territories have already purchased, even though only 28 of the 48 spots in the field have been filled.
Dodgers beat Brewers for 3-0 lead
BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter
LOS ANGELES Tommy Edman
hit a tiebreaking single off hardthrowing rookie Jacob Misiorowski in a two-run sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their NL Championship Series Los Angeles moved within one win of becoming the first defending champion to reach the World Series since the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies. No team has won consecutive titles since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees took three in a row Game 4 is Friday The only one of the 41 teams that overcame a 3-0 postseason deficit was the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the Yankees, sparked by current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts Shohei Ohtani tripled off Andy Ashby to start the bottom of the first and scored on Mookie Betts’ double to put the Dodgers ahead, but Jake Bauers tied the score with an RBI single in the second. That was the only run allowed by Tyler Glasnow, who has combined with Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to give Dodgers starters a 1.54 postseason ERA during an 8-1 postseason spurt.
Misiorowski replaced Ashby with two on and one out in the first, and struck out Edman and Teoscar Hernández. The 23-yearold right-hander topped 100 mph
with 17 pitches and struck out a Brewers postseason rookie record nine, but his fastball velocity dropped to 98-99 mph slightly in the sixth.
Pels show promise in final preseason game
BY SPENCER URQUHART
Staff writer
The New Orleans Pelicans started slow but eventually got going against the Orlando Magic in their final preseason game on Thursday at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.
The Pelicans struggled on defense and with shooting in the first quarter, but improved throughout the game. The Pelicans outscored the Magic in both the second and third quarters but opted to pull their starters before the fourth quarter and ultimately fell short 132-125.
The Magic led the Pelicans for most of the way until a 3-pointer from Jordan Hawkins in the third quarter gave the Pelicans a 1-point lead. Jordan Poole hit a 3-pointer in the third that resulted in the Pelicans new point guard leading the team with 21 points. Poole and Trey Murphy each had multiple 3-pointers for the Pelicans. Murphy scored 18 points with four 3-pointers, and Zion Williamson matched Murphy with 18 points of his own. Williamson scored the majority of his points in the paint, adding five rebounds, four assists and one steal while shooting 9 of 11 from the field. Williamson failed to draw a foul despite his presence down low which included a windmill dunk in the second quarter Murphy had a windmill dunk of his own and shot 7 of 14 from the field with five rebounds and two assists. Poole finished 7 of 15 from the field with two 3-pointers, two
assists and one steal.
The Pelicans’ starting lineup against the Magic consisted of Poole, Murphy, Williamson, Herb Jones and Yves Missi, who played over 20 minutes each. Missi finished with six points and seven rebounds, and Jones had seven points, two rebounds and two steals.
Three Pelicans scored doubledigit points off the bench. Hawkins finished with 15 points and two 3-pointers on 6 of 11 shooting, and rookie guard Jeremiah Fears was 5 of 12 from the field with 16 points.
The Pelicans struggled to contain Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner Wagner finished with a team-high 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting, and Banchero added 19 points while shooting 6 of 11 from the field
The Magic let their starters play longer than the Pelicans, with Banchero playing a game-high 30 minutes. Poole played 25 minutes, which was the most of any Pelicans player
The Pelicans were without veterans Dejounte Murray and Kevon Looney, along with rookie Derik Queen, because of injuries. Veteran forward Saddiq Bay was rested.
The Pelicans conclude the preseason with a 2-2 record, having won their first two games overseas against teams from Australia but falling to the Rockets and the Magic, who finish with a 4-0 preseason record.
The Pelicans will play their first 2025-26 regular season game on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Will Smith singled with one out on an slider in the middle of the strike zone and Freddie Freeman walked after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Edman, who had struck out twice against Misiorowski, lined a low slider into center, and Smith scored for a 2-1 lead as Sal Frelick made a week throw Abner Uribe relieved and struck out Hernández, then made a wild pickoff throw past first as Freeman scored, the second straight game with an error by the Brewers closer Glasnow allowed three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings while striking out eight, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd of 51,251. Alex Vesia followed Glasnow and got two outs for his second win of the playoffs.
Roki Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the postseason, finishing a four-hitter Dodgers relievers allowed one hit of 3 1/3 innings.
Milwaukee, which swept the Dodgers 6-0 during the regular season, has lost its last 10 postseason road games dating to 2018. The Brewers have three runs and nine hits in the series, and dating to the Division Series finale the Dodgers are the first team to allow no runs or one run and four hits or fewer in four straight postseason games.
Doyle avenges loss to district rival St. Thomas Aquinas
BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer
Doyle High School has traditionally found District 7-IV rival St Thomas Aquinas to be a tough matchup, but the Tigers showed they were ready Thursday night.
Led by Faith Bridges’ 10 kills, reigning champion Doyle looked sharp as it avenged its only district loss of the season with a sweep against St. Thomas Aquinas at the Tigers gym.
Doyle’s win leaves it a half game behind the Falcons with two weeks left in the regular season. St. Thomas (15-7, 9-1) has completed its district schedule while Doyle closes league play on Monday when it hosts St. Helena, a squad that is winless in district play
Against St. Thomas, Doyle (183, 8-1) used long runs throughout the match to take control, and pulled away in the last set to win by scores of 25-16, 25-22 and 25-15.
“Tonight was a whole different ballgame for us,” Doyle coach Ashlie Byrnes said of her team, which was swept at St. Thomas on Sept. 30. “I think we learned from that loss, and we showed that tonight. Our girls played awesome.”
The turning point came late in the second set After dropping the first set St Thomas moved out to a 21-15 lead, and appeared ready to even the match. Instead, Bridges started an 8-0 Doyle run with a tip kill.
That run featured four more kills from Bridges and an ace, all while Allie Lebourgeois held serve A hitting error briefly stopped the run, but Doyle closed out the set win on a St. Thomas hitting error and a service winner by Christlyn Smith.
“We had a complete change of mindset,” Bridges said of the rally “Everyone on the court came together to change the direction of that set. We never gave up.”
VOLLEYBALL REPORT
Family Christian 3, La. School for Deaf 0 (25-9, 25-17, 25-14
St. Michael 3, GEO Next 0 (25-8, 25-7, 25-5) McKinley 3, Broadmoor 1 (25-15, 25-22, 19-25, 25-17) Plaquemine 3, Belaire 0 (25-20, 25-8, 25-17) Scotlandville 3, Tara 0 (25-6, 25-11, 25-9) Central 3, Woodlawn 0 (25-5, 25-14, 25-17) Live Oak 3, Destrehan 1 (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20) Zachary 3, BRHS 2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12) West Feliciana 3, Livonia 1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-9, 25-19) Hannan 3, Dutchtown 2 (25-18, 21-25, 2125, 25-20, 15-12) Northlake Christian 3, Catholic-P.C. (2518, 25-15, 25-7) East Iberville 3, Northeast 0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-17) University High 3, Madison Prep 0 Madison Prep 15 15 18 University High 25 25 25 Team leaders: UNIVERSITY: Julianna Arruta (10 kills, 10 assists, 1 dig, 2 aces), Riley Spencer (7 kills, 19 assists, 4 digs, 3 aces, 1 block), Monet Temple (7 kills, 3 digs, 1 ace), Dayonna Womack (5 kills, 1 block). MADISON PREP: Jaida Walker (1 assist, 20 digs, 1 ace), Taylor Decuir (14 kills, 15 digs, 5 blocks), Sabrina Knighten (5 kills, 8 assists, 1 ace, 3 blocks Team records: U-High 20-1, 1-0 District 4-III
The third set was tied 6-6 before Doyle ran off seven consecutive points Bridges and Rorie Calais each added two kills helping the Tigers open a 20-8 lead, and they held off a late St Thomas rally to clinch the match with a 25-15 set win.
Other leaders for Doyle included Calais with seven kills, Abby Grantham with six kills, and Smith, who finished with three kills, two aces and two blocks. “We’ve got a team that’s been together a long, long time,” Byrnes said. “In earlier years, they always struggled with finishing out a match. They’ve learned how to push through those hard points and, especially when it’s a game you want to win so badly, they had some extra motivation tonight.”
Rounding out the top-10 countries in terms of tickets purchased already: England, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and France, in order, FIFA said. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19.
Spurs forward Sochan to miss season opener
SAN ANTONIO Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan will miss San Antonio’s season opener at Dallas on Wednesday with a sprained left wrist.
Sochan was injured at practice Wednesday during a five-on-five drill as he neared a return from a strained calf.
Sochan injured his calf in August while practicing with the Polish national team. The calf injury forced him to miss the EuroBasket tournament as well as San Antonio’s preseason schedule.
San Antonio will also open the season without De’Aaron Fox, who is rehabilitating a strained hamstring. The Spurs said Fox and Sochan are both expected to return by the second or third game of the season.
Indiana, Cignetti agree on 8-year contract extension
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana announced a new eight-year contract with coach Curt Cignetti worth at least $92.8 million on Thursday rewarding him for pushing the Hoosiers into national championship contention in just two seasons.
The school said the average annual compensation for Cignetti will be approximately $11.6 million and the contract runs through Nov. 30, 2033. Cignetti is 17-2 since arriving from James Madison, with his only losses coming last year against Ohio State and Notre Dame teams that ended up in the College Football Playoff championship game. The Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) advanced to the CFP for the first time last year and are on that path again this season with a No. 3 national ranking that is the highest in program history
Lowry leads in New Delhi with McIlroy five shots back NEW DELHI Shane Lowry ran off five straight birdies on the back nine and then got up-and-down for birdie on the 18th hole Thursday for an 8-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead over Keita Nakajima in the DP World India Championship.
Rory McIlroy decided to leave the driver out of his golf bag at tight, tree-lined Delhi Golf Club. He had a collection of bogeys and birdies and settled on a 69 in the inaugural tournament.
Lowry returned from his Ryder Cup heroics at the Spanish Open last week by missing the cut. Another week into the closing stretch of the season seemed to suit him much better, particularly his iron play and putter
ITF to change name to World Tennis in 2026
LONDON The International Tennis Federation will change its name to “World Tennis” as of 2026.
The switch was ratified Thursday by member national tennis associations voting at the governing body’s annual general meeting.
“The change will provide a clearer identity that is more relevant to players, fans, partners and tennis stakeholders around the world, and brings the brand in line with a majority of sport’s most prominent global governing bodies,” the ITF said in a statement.
ITF president David Haggerty added: “World Tennis better reflects who we are today; the global governing body and guardian of tennis.”
Founded as the International Lawn Tennis Federation in Paris in 1913, the organization became the International Tennis Federation in 1977.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones drives past Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane during the second half of a preseason game on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after a triple against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday in Los Angeles.
THE VARSITYZONE
Simonsays... runwild
AscensionCatholicRB rushes for519 yards, 7TDs in 8-1A victoryoverrival St.John
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
Ascension Catholic’sTrevin Simon refusedto be brought down.
He left St. John defendersinthe dust all night long, finishing with aschool-record 519 yards on 35 carries and seven touchdowns in a57-35 win on Thursday night.
“When we needed him,”coach TaylorJames said.“He answered the bell. That’s whyyou call those guys leaders.”
Simon credited his offensive line for his monster stat line.
“It wouldn’thave been possible without them,” Simon said. “I just had to hit the hole and go.” His performance, which also included an interception, helpedAscension Catholic improve to 5-2, 2-0 in District 8-1A.
On the game’sfirst drive, he carried six times for 56 yards before capping the seven-play drive with a19-yard run.
St. John (4-3, 0-2) struggled tofinish drives in the first half. The Eagles of Plaqueminedrove into Bulldogs’ territory four times in the first two quarters but came awaywith just nine points. After relying heavily on Simon in the run game,Ascension Catholic needed justfour plays to score again after quarterback Greg Fernandez found receiver Johnny Viallon deep for a 67-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 9:38 left in the half.
The Eagles reached Bulldogs territory again on their third drive. They convertedafourth and 20 with afake punt pass,but had two touchdowns called back for holding.
St. John settled for afield goal and trailed 14-3. Ascension Catholic tooka22-3 lead aftera quick four-play,74-yard drive. Fernandez ripped off a20-yard run.Simon foundacreaseonthe sideline for a42-yard run and finished the drive witha7-yard dash.
On its fourth drive, St.John finally finally found the end zone after quarterback Tyler Edwards kept it for a21-yard run to capanine-play, 53-yard march that made it 22-9 at intermission. The third quartersaw touchdowns inbunches, with 54 combined points.Onthe second play of the third, Edwards broke through acrowdofde-
Ascension Catholic running back Trevin
Plaquemine. Simonrushed for 519 yards and scored
Ascension Catholic 57, St. John 35
Team ACHS St. John First Downs1416
YardsRushing 39-577 46-276
YardsPassing
SCORING SUMMARY Ascension Catholic 715287 —57 St. John 09 26 0—35
AC:Trevin Simon 19 run(Mikie Blanchardkick)
AC:GregFernandez 67 pass to JohnnyViallon (Blanchard kick) SJ: Christian Dean 30 field goal
AC:Simon 7run (CyLandry run)
SJ: Tyler Edwards 21 run(Dean kick no good)
SJ: Edwards 38 run(Dean kick)
AC:Simon 53 run (Blanchardkick)
SJ: Edwards 18 pass to MaddoxQuebedeaux (Dean kick)
AC:Simon 76 run (Blanchardkick)
SJ: Edwards 75 pass to Quebedeaux (Dean kick no good)
AC:Simon 62 run (Blanchardkick)
SJ: Edwards 66 pass to Daniel Braud (Dean kick no good)
AC:Simon 49 run (Blanchardkick)
AC:Simon 38 run (Blanchardkick)
fendersfor a38-yard touchdown trim thedeficit to 22-16. Simon needed justtwo playstorespond after he burstthrough the middlefor a53-yard TD run.
St. John answered after Edwards found Maddox Quebedeaux wide open foran18-yardscore to keep it asix-point game. Simon respondedagain in one play after he left defenders behind for a76-yard TD run. Edwards retorted with a75-yard touchdownpass to Quebedeauxonthe first playofthe ensuing drive. After aSt. John turnover on downs,Simon, again in oneplay, scored his fifthtouchdown on a62-yard runtomakeit43-29 late in the third.
On St. John’sthird play of the next drive, Edwards found wide receiver DanielBrauddown the sideline. He broke free for a66-yard touchdownpass.
Simon rippedoff a49-yard run on the second play of the ensuing drive. He added another TD in the fourthwith a38yard run. Ascension Catholic stood tall in the fourth, shutting out St. Johnthanks to two interceptions by Jacob Julien
ACHS’Simon thriving aftermovetoRB
BY JACKSON REYES
Staff writer
Ascension Catholic’sTrevinSimon is the first guy in the school’sfield house, ready to grind.
Simon takespride in his work, andifhis teammates aren’tthere yet, he gets on the phone to ensure they’re there on time. The senior is willing to dowhateverittakes to help the team. This year,it’staken the form of anew position —running back. The former wide receiver made theswitch to running the ball full-time, andit’spaidoff with big numbersfor the5-2 Bulldogs.
After Thursday night’sschool record 519 yardsrushingand seven touchdowns, Simon has rushed for 1,879 yardsand 25 touchdowns in seven games. Only Elton running back Makelin Lemoine, who has 1,376 yards,has more yardsrushing this season.
Smooth transition
When first-year coachTaylor Jamestook over at Ascension Catholic, heglancedover the roster,looking for someonetotake over at running back for departed star Chad Elzy who is now the leading rusher at Kentucky State.
James evaluated his roster,and Simon emerged as apossiblefit. He saw Simon (5-foot-10, 186 pounds) run track andcompete in powerlifting for the Bulldogs. His speed and lower-body strength madehim perfect forrunning back.
Simon showed positivesigns during summer workouts, but James knew he wouldn’thavehis answer until the team put the pads Ascension Catholic entered fall camp with arunning back-by-committee approach,but Simon’svision and understanding of theposition puthim aheadofthe pack.
“He steps into that role, and we knew that he wasgoing to be good,” James said.“He’s been exceptional.”
Simon knew atransition from widereceiver to running back could happen in hissenior season.Heplayed the position growing up, but never in high school
At first, he wasn’tfully prepared for the
Simon ran for 269 yards and four touchdowns in theBulldogs’ 45-40 wininthe opener against the Braves of Gray.Hesaid his ability not to let bad plays gettohim separates him
“My motivation is to get back the next play,” Simon said. “If we do something bad on the first play,the next play is always achance to makeupfor it. Keep going.”
James echoed those sentiments. He cited one play against Episcopal when arushing touchdown was called back because of holding. Simon brushed it off and ripped off a 35-yard run on the nextplay
“Our team is going to take the personality of our leaders,” James said. “I hope our team is takinghis personality.”
Asidefrom astate title, Simon hopes to build abrotherhood with therest of his team He’sloved playing with this team, and his favorite memories have come from the celebrations with teammate Vaughn Blanchard, asenior offensive lineman.
“He’salways the first person to meet me in theend zone,” Simon said. “Celebrating with him after every touchdown. That’salways the best.” Every week, anew celebration is schemed up.
Showdown at ThePit amongthe main draws
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
High school football in the Baton Rouge area enters Week 7 with district play andthe playoff hunt heating up. This week’sslate offers several big matchups. Here’swhat to know about five big games happening Friday East AscensionatSt. Amant
The Gators and Spartans will take the field in another chapter of their storied rivalry at The Pit in St. Amant.
St. Amant (5-1, 1-1) took down Walker 42-14 in its last game to get back to winning ways after a loss to Dutchtown.
East Ascension (4-2, 1-1) was upset 44-27 at Prairieville 44-27. Despite the loss, the Spartans are still in contention for District 5-5A title, and have already surpassed last season’swin total of three. The Gators topped the Spartans 17-12 last year and have won the past two games against their archrivals.
Catholic at Central
The Bears take to the road to take on the Wildcats in abattle of District 4-5A powers. Both sides are trying to keep pace with Zachary (5-0, 1-0) in the district race, and could get aleg up with awin Friday night. Reigning state champion Central (5-1,1-0)opened district play with a38-21 winatWoodlawn. The Wildcats’ offense has been hard to stop, averaging37.8 points per game.
Catholic (4-2, 1-0) ended atwogameskid with a38-16 winover Liberty last week.The Bears are averaging 30.5 points per game. Catholic’s twolosseswereboth one-score games, losing them a combined four points.
DutchtownatDenhamSprings
Twoofthe hottest teams in District 5-5A battle on Friday night when the Griffins play the Yellow Jackets.
Denham Springs (4-2, 1-1) has its offense firing on all cylinders after apair of dominant showings the past twoweeks.
The Yellow Jackets defeated Southern Lab41-14 in Week 5. Last week, DenhamSprings beat Live Oak in a63-34 win. The 63 points scored is the most they’ve put up in agamesince Sept. 7, 2018, in a64-63 loss to Ponchatoula.
Dutchtown(4-1, 2-0) is coming offanopendateafterdefeating St. Amant 35-28 in Week 5.
Live OakatPrairieville
switch because of the added contact involved with the new position. Butsix games into the season, Simon’sattitude changed.
“I love the hittingpart about it,” Simon said.
“More action in the middle inside. It’s definitely afun position.”
After his first rushing touchdown against Pearl River in thejamboree, he knew the position was perfect for him.
Motivation
Simon’sdesire to workcomes from ACHS’ desire to break through in thepostseason. The Bulldogs have madeittothe quarterfinals and semifinals the past two seasons, but atrip to the Caesars Superdome has been elusive. He knew he could play running back, but he never expected to be among the state’sleading rushers. Afumble against Pearl Riverina jamboree threw him off, but he got right back to work in theteam’sseason opener against H.L. Bourgeois.
“Each gameday in oneofour classes, the teacher watches us come up with acelebration for that game,” he said.
James’ explosiveness doesn’tjumpout until he’sleft defenders in his wake.
“Sometimes you watch him run and you’re like ‘Golly,itdoesn’tseem like he’srunning hard,’ ”James said. “But he’sleaving everybody.”
As theseason has progressed, he’simproved at seeing plays developand making the smart play.His understanding of run schemes has allowed him to become amore dynamic and keep defenses on their toes.
Beyond his ability,Simon’swork ethichas shined above everything else.
“The kid’sdetermination is something you can’treally measure,”James said. “He’sa very driven, very self-motivated kid. That’s probably thebiggest thing that Icould ever brag on him.”
The Hurricanes will look to build on their two-game winning streak, while the Eagles try to end atwo-gameskid when the teamsmeet Friday After a1-3 start, Prairieville (3-3, 2-1) defeated Walker and East Ascension to get back to .500 overall and have awinning record in District 5-5A play.The Hurricanes’ offense scored in bunches in their 44-27 win over the Spartans.
Live Oak(2-4, 1-2) haspieced togetherone of the topoffenses in the area, but has struggled on defense.
The Eaglesallowed63points to Denham Springs in a29-point loss.
Istrouma at Broadmoor
The Indians are chasing Plaquemine, which is 4-0 in districtplay, to challenge forthe District 6-4A title.
Istrouma (4-2, 3-1) blanked Belaire 8-0 in Week 6. The Indians’ defense hasbeen thestrength of the team,holding opponents to just 5.7 points per game.
Istrouma hasfourshutouts this season andwill try to make Broadmoor (3-3, 2-3) its fifth. TheBuccaneers defeated Tara 35-8 in their last matchup. Broadmoor has struggled to find consistency this season, but has scored morethan30points in three games this year
STAFF PHOTO By HILARySCHEINUK
Catholic running back Trevin Simon runs the ball against St. John on Thursday night in Plaquemine.
STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Simonruns the ball against St. John on Thursday in
seventouchdownsina57-35 win.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Alabama, Tennessee feature potent offenses
KENNINGTON LLOYD SMITH III
Associated Press
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Playing for his third school in four years, Alabama receiver Germie Bernard needed just a few words to sum up the rivalry known as the “Third Saturday in October.”
“This is what you come to Alabama for,” Bernard said.
The sixth-ranked Crimson Tide and No 11 Tennessee meet for the 108th time in one of the Southeastern Conference’s most stories series Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a showdown that includes league and College Football Playoff implications.
Offenses are at the forefront of this iteration, with both teams coming in with momentum on that side of the ball. The Volunteers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) are outpacing their historic 2022 season through six games, averaging 48.2 points a game behind quarterback Joey Aguilar Fast starts have been UT’s trademark, with the Vols having scored on their opening possession in every game this season — four touchdowns and two field goals.
In Tuscaloosa, quarterback Ty Simpson has emerged as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He’s playing arguably the best football in the country, completing 71% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and one interception. And with of-
SOUTHERN
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that isn’t the case, he said, “We know what’s at stake, but the thing is, I told the guys, a win Saturday gives us the tie breaker.” Graves was asked what his message would be to fans to keep them engaged in the season. He implored supporters to continue believing in the Jaguars.
“Keep the faith,” he said. “Hang with us. These guys are playing hard. Those guys are frustrated too, you know, they have to deal with hearing the noise and the things of that nature and that comes with it. But those guys are really going out, practicing hard, playing hard.” He also said that Southern has had to handle a unique quarterback situation Its anticipated starting quarterback, Jalen Woods, has been out since being placed in concussion protocol after the second game of the season.
The quarterback Southern had in the spring left the team before August camp due to personal reasons. The most used starter, Cam’Ron McCoy, joined in the summer, and the quarterback who closed the last game and has one start is Ashton Strother, who joined the team eight days before the season.
“Those are not excuses, those are the reality of it,” Graves said. “I like to see a whole lot of schools have
fensive coordinator Ryan Grubb calling plays, Alabama (5-1, 3-0) is averaging 38.4 points a game since its Week 1 loss at Florida State.
The quarterbacks might need to do more with both team’s starting running backs banged up. Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop, who ran for a career-high 146 yards last week against Arkansas, is probable to play Alabama’s Jam Miller, meanwhile, is listed as questionable. Alabama is an 8 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM.
Can Tennessee take hold of rivalry?
A 15-year win streak under Nick Saban between 2007 and 2022 created a lopsided advantage for Alabama, which leads the series 60-40-7. The Volunteers, though, are seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since 2003-04 as well as three wins in four years for the first time since 2003-06.
Secondaries could be strained
Alabama has one the top passing defenses in the SEC, a unit that allows 135.7 yards a game and ranks second in the league.
But the Tide haven’t faced an aerial attack like Tennessee.
The Volunteers lead the SEC in passing, averaging 317.8 yards a game and are the only team in the league with three receivers ranked in the top seven in yards: Chris Brazzell II (536 yards, 7 TDs), Brandon Staley (431, 2
a lot of success with that starting off. But again, even with that, if we just execute the way we’re capable, things will turn around, and they understand that.”
The players in the locker room are disappointed with the results, but aren’t giving up on the season with six conference games remaining.
“The biggest conversation that we’ve been having, especially with what we’ve been getting from our coaches, is that we still in the hunt,” Brister said. “I mean, as crazy as it might sound, we still in the hunt.”
Southern players have had leadership meetings centered on remaining optimistic and confident in a turnaround in the second half of the season.
Top wide receiver Darren Morris said that as a leader he can’t afford to be a poor example of handling losses.
“You got to keep the energy high,” the redshirt junior said. “Come here with a smile on your face, even though you probably don’t feel like smiling today. But you know, those guys look up to me, those younger guys, so I just got to bring that energy and let them know everything is all right.”
Staying optimistic is the first step Southern believes it needs to take to beat Prairie View
“We’re not pressing the panic button right now,” Brister said.
“Any win would be big. Like I said, if we get one win, we feel like we can build on that win.”
Unbeaten Texas A&M faces off with Arkansas
BY SCOTTIE BORDELON Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— For only the second time this season, No 4 Texas A&M is hitting the road.
The Aggies (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) visit Arkansas (2-4, 0-2) on Saturday afternoon to start a three-game road trip.
For the first time since 2020 and second since 2013, the programs will meet on a campus rather than AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko would rather play at the home of the Dallas Cowboys than visit the Razorbacks.
“The thing from a coaching perspective is when you have to go on the road, you’d rather go play at a neutral site,” Elko said.
“When you have an opportunity to play at home, you’d rather play at home. It just kind of is what it is. You’ve just got to deal with it.”
One of two unbeaten teams in the SEC, the Aggies are looking to improve to 7-0 overall for the first time since 1994. The Razorbacks are hoping to end a fourgame losing streak.
Texas A&M has won 12 of the past 13 meetings.
Petrino’s back
AP PHOTO By MEREDITH SEAVER
Texas A&M defensive end
Cashius Howell wraps up Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and forces an incomplete pass against Florida during a game on Saturday in College Station, Texas.
They limited Florida to 1 of 10 on third-down conversions after Mississippi State converted just 1 of 10 the week before. Those performances came after they kept Auburn from converting any of its 13 chances in the conference opener
“We’ve got to continue to keep people off schedule,” Elko said.
TDs) and Mike Matthews (416, 2 TDs).
On the other side, Tennessee will be short-handed again as star cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson are out. The Vols allow the most passing yards in the league (257.8) and now face Bernard and Alabama star Ryan Williams.
Turnover margin is the key
Tennessee’s defense is near the bottom in the SEC in yards (383.8) and points (29.3) but thrive in creating havoc. The Volunteers are first in the SEC and second nationally in sacks (26) and are third in the SEC in takeaways (11).
Tennessee forced four fumbles, recovered three, last week against Arkansas Conversely, Alabama has turned the ball over just twice this season, the third fewest in the country
“We need to win the turnover battle, first of all,” Vols coach Josh Heupel said. “(Simpson)’s been great with the football, really sound in his decision-making. You have to apply pressure to the quarterback. That’s a part of creating turnovers.
“You have to do a great job of matching out and making plays on the back end too, and we have to put our helmet on the football, get some punches too and try to knock it out that way.”
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made it difficult for receivers to find space. There is room for optimism, however, especially with the emergence of Thomas and Kyle Parker
TIGHT ENDS: B
Trey’Dez Green, when healthy, has arguably been LSU’s best player, with a catch radius that would make Tigers outfielder Derek Curiel envious. Bauer Sharp has been a productive addition out of the portal. It’s only really Green’s missing two games and a couple of Sharp bobbles that knock this group down a letter grade.
OFFENSIVE LINE: C It looks like I’m grading on a curve with this group, and maybe I am, but bear with me. The O-line struggled to run block until this past Saturday, but the pass blocking has been respectable. Nussmeier has had to throw away a few balls under pressure, but he’s only been sacked seven times (1.17 per game). Vandy will be a telling midseason exam for this group, which has fought through chemistry issues and multiple injuries.
DEFENSIVE LINE: B+
A much improved group with the addition of transfers Jack Pyburn, Bernard Gooden and Patrick Payton. Gabe Reliford (rotator cuff) is a big loss and Gooden (bruised collarbone) is questionable this week,
When Arkansas fired coach Sam Pittman on Sept 28, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was named the Razorbacks’ interim head coach. Petrino on Saturday will roam the sideline in Fayetteville as Arkansas’ coach for the first time since Nov 12, 2011. His Razorbacks teams from 2008-11 were 3-0 against the Aggies. Petrino has been on the other side, too — he was Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
Loss of Moss
The Aggies will be without top rusher Le’Veon Moss on Saturday after he sustained an ankle injury last week that Elko said will keep him out for a significant period. Moss had five carries for 46 yards, highlighted by a 22-yard touchdown run, before he was injured in the second quarter against Florida. He leads the Aggies with 70 carries for 389 yards and six touchdowns. With Moss out, the Aggies will make Rueben Owens II, a sophomore who is second on the team with 327 yards rushing their primary ball carrier He had 51 yards rushing and scored his first touchdown of the season last Saturday, a week after he had a career-high 142 yards rushing in a win over Mississippi State.
“It’s good for him that he’s now hitting his groove,” Elko said.
Third-down success
The Aggies have allowed opponents to convert only 2 of 33 third-down opportunities in their three SEC games this season.
WHIT WEEKS GAMETIME
DECISION VS. VANDY LSU junior linebacker Whit Weeks is a gametime decision for Saturday’s matchup at Vanderbilt LSU coach Brian Kelly said on Thursday. Weeks is dealing with soreness related to the ankle injury he suffered against Baylor in theTexas Bowl.Kelly mentioned on Monday how he was feeling sore following theTigers’ win over South Carolina last weekend. Kelly later clarified on Thursday that Weeks is dealing with a bone bruise.
“They’re making progress,”Kelly said
“We’ve got to continue to bring that rush every week. You’re one week away from it all going away But, obviously, it’s been a pretty good stretch for us.”
Dual-threat quarterbacks
Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed rank third and fourth, respectively, among SEC quarterbacks in passing yards, but that is far from the full scope of their impact.
In addition to 1,490 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, Reed has rushed for 186 yards and three scores. Green has thrown for 1,654 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added 504 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Elko said of Green. “He’s got the ability to hurt you in so many different ways.” Petrino was around Reed daily during his stint with the Aggies. “He’s got tremendous quickness and speed,” Petrino said of Reed. “He’s kind of a play maker He moves around and makes plays. He keeps his eyes downfield.”
Common opponent
Texas A&M and Arkansas have both faced Notre Dame this season. The Aggies topped the Irish 4140 on Sept. 13 in their lone road game to this point. Texas A&M used a 13-play, 74-yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Reed to take the lead with 13 seconds remaining. The Razorbacks fell at home to Notre Dame 56-13 on Sept. 27, and Pittman was fired the next day
2022. And when LSU has needed someone to fill in, Davhon Keys has been excellent.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: A+
LSU went hard in the portal and got stalwarts like All-American candidate Mansoor Delane at cornerback and AJ Haulcy and Tamarcus Cooley at safety Returnees like corner PJ Woodland and Dashawn Spears have also shined, and freshman DJ Pickett has shown an exceptional amount of upside. Without a doubt, the most improved group on the team.
SPECIAL TEAMS: AThe only slight knock here is that LSU’s return game has not been quite as explosive as hoped. The kickers have been on point: Damian Ramos (10 of 12 field goals, 17 of 17 extra points) has been solid and transfer punter Grant Chadwick (tied for second in the SEC with 48.0 yards per attempt) has been a stellar find.
so depth is being tested. But this group, other than a handful of big runs, has been a big improvement over past seasons.
LINEBACKERS: AThe Weeks brothers (Whit and West) have been rock solid, though Whit Weeks is questionable Saturday with what is presumed at this point to be an ankle injury Harold Perkins, though a bit quieter the last couple of games, has looked a lot like his old self from
COACHING: B There’s a lot of criticism to go around on the offensive staff, from play caller Joe Sloan to Oline coach Brad Davis to Kelly himself. But, as we said at the top, LSU is 5-1 in the midst of a seasondefining stretch, so that deserves some kudos for the brain trust. Defensively, coordinator Blake Baker and his assistants have been top-notch. If the Tigers do make the College Football Playoff, the defensive staff will be a major reason why
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VASHA HUNT
Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard grabs a pass and runs it into the end zone for a touchdown against Vanderbilt during the first half of a game on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Kamara addresses recent trade rumors
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Alvin Kamara has been through this before, he understands the business side of things, but his stance has not changed.
The New Orleans Saints running back said again what he’s said many times before: For whatever it’s worth, New Orleans is where he wants to be.
With a 1-5 record, the Saints have been linked to several other teams in trades before the NFL’s Nov 4 trade deadline, and as has been the case in recent years, Kamara is a popular name on the rumor mill.
A report from NFL Network last week suggested Kamara had met with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis about the topic after other teams had called New Orleans to gauge their interest in moving their star running back.
Kamara laughed when that report was brought up in the Saints locker room Thursday afternoon
“We talked about and we were looking at each other like the little Spider-Man meme, like, ‘Did you say something? Did I say something?’ ” Kamara said “I don’t know where that came from. But I don’t want to go anywhere, and I’ve said it countless times. Y’all know that, I think everybody knows that, the fan base knows that.”
Still, Kamara knows the decision isn’t exactly in his hands If the Saints decided to trade him, his stated desire to remain in New Orleans won’t be worth much.
Now in his ninth NFL season, Kamara has made five Pro Bowls as a member of the Saints and will likely surpass 12,000 yards from scrimmage this week against the Chicago Bears. No other player has recorded more than 10,000 scrimmage yards in a Saints uniform.
But the 30-year-old Kamara is also only signed through the 2026
season after a recent extension and may not be with the team by the time it reaches a competitive window again. He is set to count $18.57 million against the team’s 2026 salary cap If the Saints did make a move, he hopes he’d hear it from them.
“If I was a GM, I guess I would go to the player and say, ‘Hey, we’re trading you, just so you know,’ ” Kamara said. “So if Mickey comes down and says that, I’m going to go drink a piña colada somewhere.”
Allen on Saints
Even after he was fired midway through last season, DennisAllen said he views his time in New Orleans fondly
“I spent 15 out of my 24 years in the league at that place,” the former Saints coach said.
But now the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, Allen said his focus is on the next game which just so happens to be against the black and gold.
So what does Allen think of his former team? Allen sees a squad that’s improving.
“They’re a good opponent,” Allen said. “This is a team that, as you watch the tape, they continue to get better They’ve got a lot of skilled position players that I think are really explosive: Receiver, tight end, runners, all those guys are good players.
“I think offensive line-wise, in
particular the right side of the offensive like, (Taliese) Fuaga, Eric McCoy in there at center, Cesar Ruiz at the right guard, first-round pick at left tackle (in Kelvin Banks), moving Trevor Penning inside to guard, another first-round pick.
“This is a team that has continued to improve in every single one of their games they’ve been in, in every single one of them.”
Daniels, Commanders want out of a rut
BY SCHUYLER DIXON
AP pro football writer
ARLINGTON, Texas Jayden Dan-
iels is a bit terse these days with his Washington Commanders in a win-lose-win-lose rut, and Dallas owner Jerry Jones is as optimistic as ever despite the Cowboys so far squandering MVP-type play from Dak Prescott.
The NFC East rivals are at an early-season crossroads as the Commanders visit the Cowboys (2-3-1) on Sunday, with Daniels looking for a worthy encore to a fabulous rookie season that included a trip to the NFC championship game and a porous Dallas defense facing questions about how to keep a season from spiraling out of control.
“Our job is to find solutions and that’s what this staff is committed to doing,” first-year Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said “Whether we win or lose, we’re always looking for solutions. And that was the other message I said to the guys, we have to be solution-oriented. And that’s coach to coach coach to player player to player That’s how you win this league.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, left, celebrates connecting with wide receiver Luke McCaffrey for a touchdown during a game against the Chicago Bears on Monday in Landover, Md
The Commanders (3-3) are coming off a 25-24 loss to Chicago on a last-play field goal set up by Dan-
Versatile running backs Robinson and McCaffrey face off in Falcons-49ers game
BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer
SANTA CLARA. Calif. — Christian
McCaffrey has long been the standard when it comes to dual-threat running backs in the NFL with his ability to run routes like a receiver on the outside as well as being able to thrive as a runner for the San Francisco 49ers.
McCaffrey has been surpassed early this season by his offseason training partner Bijan Robinson, who is off to a near record-setting start this season for Atlanta headed into the Falcons’ game Sunday night against McCaffrey and the 49ers.
“He’s amazing,” McCaffrey said. “When you see it in person, you realize why he is who he is.” The rest of the NFL is seeing what McCaffrey saw in the offseason and what the 49ers (4-2) must deal with this week. Robinson leads the NFL with 822 yards for the Falcons (3-2), the sixth most ever through five games. Robinson joined Thurman Thomas (1991) as the only play-
ers ever with at least 300 yards receiving and 450 yards rushing through five games and has a chance to join McCaffrey as one of four players with at least 1,000 of each in a full season.
“That’s a huge compliment,” McCaffrey said of comparisons to Robinson. “I watch him move, watching him make a lot of these plays and it’s inspiring. He’s definitely somebody that when you watch him play that any chance you get you can try to emulate some of the stuff he does.”
Robinson needs 178 yards against the Niners to become the first player since Marshall Faulk in 2000 to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards through six games He’s averaging 164.4 after rushing for 170 yards and catching six passes for 68 more in last week’s win over Buffalo.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris called Robinson “the best player in football,” but Robinson knows he still has plenty of work to do to achieve his goals.
“I don’t want to be the guy that’s saying I can’t be stopped,”
he said. “That’s not who I am I’ve got to continue to get better every single day I have to con-
tinue to get better every single game, because when you start thinking you can’t be stopped or you’re the best player, then that’s when you start playing bad.”
QB questions
Quarterback Brock Purdy returned to practice on a limited basis this week after missing the past two games for San Francisco with a toe injury But Mac Jones still got more work early in the week and is likely to make his fifth start of the season although a final decision hadn’t been made.
Ironman streak on the line
Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews has started 183 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the most in team history Matthews left Monday night’s game with an ankle injury and was listed as unavailable on the team’s estimated injury report on Wednesday, when they did not practice. Right guard Chris Lindstrom isn’t counting Matthews out. “I’ve seen him overcome so many things,” Lindstrom said. “He’s a machine.”
“Yeah look, I think he’s doing a good job of getting rid of the ball,” Allen said of Rattler “When he’s able to get the ball out in rhythm and on timing, I think he’s been highly successful. Then the second thing that he’s been able to do is create a lot of things with his feet.
“His mobility is one of those factors that we’re going to have to take into account.”
Under Allen, the Bears’ defense has produced mixed results.
Though they’ve allowed the sixthmost points per game (28.2) and the second-most rushing yards per game (156.4), Chicago has produced the second-most turnovers in the league with 12. Chicago is also coming off its best win of the season, a “Monday Night Football” upset over the Washington Commanders.
Injury report
After missing Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury, Kamara was back on the practice field
Thursday
Kamara injured his ankle in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 5 win against the New York Giants. He was limited all of last week and was officially questionable against the New England Patriots, but he played, rushing 10 times for 31 yards and adding five catches for 45 yards.
Kamara wasn’t the only player to return to the field.
Defensive back Isaac Yiadom, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury was also back on the practice field. Yiadom began the season as the Saints’ starting outside cornerback, but had been yielding snaps to rookie Quincy Riley before his injury
New Orleans’ most notable improvement, however, might be the quarterback that Allen had a hand in drafting. Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round pick selected in Allen’s final year as coach, has dramatically cut down on his turnovers, has improved his completion percentage by more than 10 percentage points (57 to 68.5%) and reduced his sack rate from 8.8% to 5.1%.
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
in visit
iels’ fumble on a botched handoff to rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
At this point in Daniels’ rookie year, Washington was in the middle of a 7-1 stretch that sparked its first trip to the playoffs since 2020 as the Commanders saddled Dallas with the ignominy of being the only NFC team not to reach a conference championship game in the past 30 years.
“We still got some way to go,” said former LSU standout Daniels, who opened this week’s meeting with reporters following the Monday night loss with a series of one-sentence answers. “We’re not a finished product, but we know in this league that you want to get hot at the right time So, whatever that looks like, but we just have to keep stacking days and taking one day at a time and one game at a time.”
Dallas has a losing record because the league’s 32nd-ranked defense can’t get the stops needed to back Prescott, who has 11 touchdowns (10 passing) without a turnover but a 1-1-1 record over the
SAINTS
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Asked a follow-up question about how he’d grade the drops — whether they were “could have” plays or “should have” plays — Olave didn’t let himself off the hook.
“They’re all ‘should’ve,’” Olave said. “That’s how I look at it. I hold myself to a higher standard. Any ball that is in my radius, I feel like I should catch. If it touches my fingers or touches my hands, I’ve got to catch the ball.”
That game, and the missed opportunities within it, have generated some conversation about Olave.
The Saints drafted Olave with the No. 11 pick of the 2022 NFL draft.
He enjoyed two strong seasons to start his career, posting back-toback 1,000-yard campaigns. But multiple concussions limited him to just eight games last season, and he did not see the field after Week 9.
He admitted Thursday that it has taken him some time to feel like himself after the way last season ended, and that he is just now feeling like he’s finding his groove as a player again.
Through six weeks, only one other player — Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua (65) — has more targets than Olave (64) He is clearly an important part of what the Saints want to do offensively
to Dallas
past three games. The Cowboys let their leading rusher from last season, Rico Dowdle, go for more than 200 scrimmage yards in Carolina’s 30-27 win last weekend also on a last-play field goal — despite his warning that his former teammates should “buckle up.”
A defense having trouble with the zone scheme of new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, and therefore letting receivers run free all over the secondary, also got pushed around at the line of scrimmage by the Panthers. None of which deters the ever-optimistic Jones.
“If we should have some good go of it here over the next weeks ahead with our injury situation and return of injury, and we can get some wins, then this thing with Dak playing the way he’s playing and with the way some of the guys have played that are playing with these guys out right now, I’m encouraged,” Jones said. “The last thing that I’m thinking about is in any way being out of the hunt.”
“It’s a heavy workload, but I’m ready for it at the end of the day,” Olave said. “That’s what I’ve wanted, that’s what I’ve prayed for, that’s what I’ve worked for since I’ve been here.”
The production hasn’t always matched the usage this season, though.
Olave has caught 39 passes this season, which ranks seventh in the NFL, but he’s turned them into just 342 yards (24th), averaging only 8.8 yards per catch. Before hauling in a 53-yard catch on the first play of the game against New England, his season long was 17 yards. His season high in receiving through the first five weeks was 59 yards, set against the Giants in Week 5. He nearly doubled that against New England, with six grabs for 98 yards Still, he was left with a sour taste after the game, knowing that his drops could have played a key role in changing the outcome of what became the fifth loss in six tries for New Orleans. Those plays have added an extra layer of motivation for this upcoming week’s game against the Chicago Bears.
“For sure, especially waiting a whole week, you’ve got to wait seven days to play again,” Olave said. “Of course, it’s motivation. I’m just trying to prove myself right at the end of the day I’ve just got to take advantage of it and make the play when the ball comes my way.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Saints running back Alvin Kamara runs the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at the Caesars Superdome on Sept 14.
SCOREBOARD
Blue
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p.m. (FOX/FS1) x-Monday, Oct. 20: Seattle or Detroit, 7:08 p.m. (FOX/FS1) National League (TBS,truTV,HBO Max) LosAngeles 3, Milwaukee 0 Monday: LosAngeles 2,
LosAngeles 5,
at
(TBS/truTV/HBO Max) x-Saturday, Oct. 18: Milwaukee at LosAngeles, 7:08 p.m. (TBS/truTV/HBO Max) x-Monday, Oct. 20: LosAngeles at Milwaukee, 4:08 p.m. (TBS/truTV/HBOMax) x-Tuesday, Oct. 21: LosAngeles at Milwaukee, 7:08 p.m. (TBS/truTV/HBOMax) Toronto 13, Seattle4
Late Wednesday Toronto Seattle ab rh bi ab rh bi Springerdh6 23 1Arozarena lf
pitched to 2batters in the 6th. WP—Fluharty,Kirby, Ferguson, Jackson. Umpires—Home, BenMay;First,Marvin Hudson; Second, D.J. Reyburn; Third, Quinn Wolcott; Right, Doug Eddings;Left, Ryan Additon. T—2:49. A—46,471 (47,929) L.A.
understand it’s not aone-on-one situation. Don’tturn the ball over.” Richard, the sharpshooting former Lafayette Christian Academystar,isLSU’s other returning reserve guard. Mulkey saidonSept. 23 that she’sthe most“polished” true point guard on theroster—the onewho’s spent the mosttimeplaying that position throughout her high school and collegiate career Lastseason,Richard logged more than 10 minutesinonly one of the 19 games that the Tigers playedafterthe calendar flippedto2025. The then-freshmandrained just fiveofthe 25 3-pointers she attempted across that stretch of play
ButonWednesday,Mulkeysaid that Richard has “impressed” her in preseason practices ahead of her sophomore year
“The one thing Jadacan do is she can shoot theball,”Mulkey said, “score the ball from the perimeter.She’sgot the personality thatyou gotFlau’jae(Johnson) over here, Mikaylah (Williams) over here, you could go crazy as apoint guard because they’re so good,and they both want theball.
“Jada has the personality to say,‘Hey,I’m running this show.’ Ilike that.”
Richard is expected to run behind Fulwiley—atleast to start the season. Fulwiley is taking on Mulkey’s“challenge” to play point guard at LSU,though the Tigers have plans to let herplay on the wing as well. In those situations, either Williams or Richard could run the point, with Flau’jae Johnson and Fulwileyonthe wing. Mulkey has options.
“IwouldlovetoseeMiLaysiareally do some things with the ball in her hands at the point,” Mulkey said. “She’snot had to do it at this level. She’shad bad days doing it, but she’shad great days. If we can justgethertoaneven-keellevelto where she’s comfortable,I think those are three pretty special players on the perimeter.”
And there’sdepthtoo, especially because Gilbert is trying to add new tools to her game.
“I don’tknow,whenwestart the season,” Mulkey said,“if (Gilbert) will get much opportunity,but in practices she’sreally handling the ball some.”
3TIMES THELAUGHS
Comedienne, author and Netflix star
Leanne Morgan will bring her signature Southerncharmand hilarious storytelling tothe Raising Cane’sRiver Center Performing Arts Theatre for shows at 4p.m. and 7p.m. Saturday and 7p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $54. ticketmaster.com.
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND
Back on the prowl
BR neighborhood revivescommunity celebration this weekend
BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer
The giant block party thatwas onceOgden Park Prowlis making its return on Saturday
The Ogden Park Civic Association, artists, musicians andMid City businesseshave pooled efforts to revive the annualneighborhood party that hasn’ttaken place since theCOVID pandemic. It’sadouble celebration from 1p.m. to 5p.m. as the neighborhood —eight blocks bordered by Government Street, North Boulevard, SouthAcadian Thruway and Ogden Drive —alsoismarking its 100th anniversary.
“Weput out anotice where neighbors can host an artist or a makerora vendor,” saidProwl committee member Jeff English. “And so as ahost, youjust let them set up in your yard, supply them electricity if theyneed it, and kind of just help them.”
More than 100 creativeswill be selling jewelry,paintings, food items like jellies andjams, and all manner of art. They’ll be set up in front yards alongBeverly,Bedford andHearthstone drives between Government Street and North Boulevard
STAFF FILEPHOTO
Ford Lambertholds an umbrella, leading asecond-line including, background, from left, Remy Babin, Clark Lambert, Niles Babin and AnthonyBailey, kicking off thestartofthe OgdenPark Prowl in 2017.
Thethree streets willbe blocked off to vehicular traffic during Prowl hours. Visitorsare encouraged to park at Catholic High School, 855Hearthstone Drive, with some overflow spots,ifneeded, at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, 2825 Government St.
“We’llhave some food vendorswho will be here, ourgood neighbors like Elsie’sPlate & Pie, Simple Joe’s, they’regoing to have something set up at their businesses,” Englishsaid.
Add Mestizo, Barracuda Tacos, pizza, sweets and snowballs. But what’saparty without music? Three stages, one on each street, with local bands and singers, including Baton Rouge Music Studios, Ashley Orlando, The Acousticrats and more. Other activities, including those for kids, are:
GET YOUR SHOP ON
The annual holidayshopping extravaganza Hollydays continuesatthe Raising Cane’sRiver Center Exhibition Hall. General shopping hours are 9a.m.8p.m.Friday, and 9a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday,plus special events Hollydays Spirits on Fridaynight and CandyCane Lane for kids 9a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. raisingcanesrivercenter.com.
FOCUS ON FILMMAKING
Saturday’sfamily-friendly Baton Rouge Maker Faire will celebrate all the makers whocreate movie magic behind the scenes. Headlining event is alive film score performance. The 12thfaire runs 10 a.m.4p.m.atthe Main LibraryatGoodwood. batonrouge.makerfaire.com.
Grab that costumeand getgoing to theseareaHalloween events
HBY JUDYBERGERON
Staff writer
avethatHalloween getup ready?
Betterhurry because the 10/31 Consortium’s annual Fifolet Halloween Festival&Paradeistwo weeksearly this year,happening on Saturday in downtown Baton Rouge. Costumes, floats, bands and dancekreweswillfill theparade route at 4p.m.Asinpast years, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank truck will lead theparade, collectingfood donationsdirectly from the crowd.
Theparadestarts at Government at St. Philip streets, traveling along River Road, turning right on ConventionStreet, left on North SeventhStreet,left on Main Street, left on North Fifth Street, right on Laurel Street ending at River Road.There aretwo partyzones, one family zone andone no-scare zone on the route.
Other Fifolet events wrapped around theparade include: n Halloween Ball, 8p.m. Friday, LodCook LSU Alumni Center,3838 W. Lakeshore Drive. Thereare costume and table decorating con-
tests, food and drinks, and music by Petty Betty.Attire is costume or creative formal. Tickets start at $48.
n Fifolet 5K andPumpkin Run, 9a.m. Saturday,from Riverfront Plaza, 300 River Road. Welcome, national anthem, blessing of the festival,royal courtintroduction. Race fees startat$20.
n Arts Market, 10 a.m. Saturday,along Riverfront Plaza. Shop, snack and soak in the Halloween spirit.
n Awards Brunch, 10 a.m.Sunday,The Woman’sClub, 259 T.J. JemisonBlvd. Afull breakfast buffet, bottomless mimosas and
ä See PROWL, page 2D ä See HALLOWEEN, page 2D
STAFFFILE PHOTOByJAVIER GALLEGOS Costumes and candygalore fill the atmosphere during the Fifolet Halloween Parade as it rolls through downtown Baton Rougein2024.
By The Associated Press
TODAYINHISTORY
Today is Friday,Oct. 17, the 290th day of 2025. There are 75 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On Oct. 17, 1989, amagnitude
6.9 earthquake struck northern California, killing 63 people and causing up to $10 billion worth of damage.
Also on this date:
In 1777, British forces under Gen.John Burgoyne surrendered to Americantroops in Saratoga, New York, in aturning point of the Revolutionary War.
In 1931, mobsterAlCapone was convicted in Chicago of income tax evasion; he would be sentenced to 11 years in prison, fined $50,000 and ordered to pay back taxes. Capone was released in 1939.
In 1933, Albert Einstein arrived in theUnited Statesasa refugee from Nazi Germany
In 1967, Puyi, the last emperor of China, died in Beijing at age 61. In 1979, Mother Teresa of India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1989, Game 3ofthe World Series was canceled as the Loma
THROUGHNOV.7
FANFARE: various days and times, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond. The university’s annual fall festival of thearts, humanities and social sciences is markingits 40th season as theuniversity itself is in itsyearlong 100th anniversary celebration. Music events, theatrical productions, lectures, dance concerts, DayofLatino Culture and more. Forcomplete schedule, goto https://www.columbiatheatre.org/ fanfare.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
BOUCHERIE &BALLOON FESTIVAL:
4:30 p.m.-11p.m. Friday,noon-
11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday, 9690 Airline Highway Sorrento. Presentedbythe Sorrento Lions Club, the festival offers music, vendors market, cooking competitions, tethered balloon rides and balloon glow. Festival admissionisbydonation. https:// boucheriefestival.com/.
INTERNATIONAL RICE FESTIVAL:
303 N. Parkerson Ave., Crowley Festivalgoers can participateina rice-eating contest, the Crowley High 5K Run Walk and the fiddle and accordion contests. ricefestival.com.
ROUGAROO FEST: 5p.m..-10 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, 86 ValhiBlvd., Houma. The free family-friendly festival with aspooky flair celebrates therich folklorethat exists along thebayous of southeastLouisiana. Live music, cultural activities, children’s activities, Cajun food and the KreweGaRou parade. https://rougaroufest.org/
SATURDAY
BATONROUGE MAKER FAIRE:
10 a.m.-4 p.m., MainLibrary at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.
This year’s focus is filmmaking celebrating allthe makerswho create movie magic behind the scenes. Livefilm scoreand screening, livestunt demonstrations, animatronics seminar,panel of local filmmakers, green screen and costume activities andwriters room simulation. Free. batonrouge makerfaire.com.
FALL FESTIVAL AT THE FARM: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., LazyLFarms 30060 Peak Lane, Walker.Games, s’mores, animal feedings, photo area andmore. $20; children 5and younger, free with purchase of adult ticket.https://bit.ly/FallFarmFest25.
Prieta earthquake struck Northern California just 30 minutes before thegamewas scheduled to begin at Candlestick ParkinSan Francisco;the game would eventually be played 10 dayslater In 2024, Israel announced its forces in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,achief architect of 2023’sHamas-led attack on southern Israel in which militants abducted 251 peopleand killed some 1,200 others, promptingIsrael’sretaliatory war that haskilled tensof thousandsofPalestinians in the small coastal strip. Today’sbirthdays: Singer Gary Puckett is 83. Actor-musician Michael McKean is78. Astronaut MaeJemison is 69. Country singer Alan Jackson is 67. Film directorRob Marshall is 65. Animator-filmmaker Mike Judge is 63. Reggae singer Ziggy Marley is 57. Actor Wood Harris is 56. Musician Wyclef Jean is 56. Golf Hall of FamerErnie Els is 56.Singer Chris Kirkpatrick (’N Sync)is54. Rapper Eminem is 53. Actor Matthew Macfadyen is 51. Actor FelicityJones is 42. Singer-songwriter Nikki Lane is 42.
The hot-air balloons of WDJD and Pigasus float in the evening sky while giving tetheredrides at the Boucherie &Balloon Festival in Sorrentoin2022.
OGDEN PARK PROWL: 1p.m.-4 p.m., along Beverly,Bedford and Hearthstone drives betweenGovernment Street and North Boulevard, Baton Rouge.Freeneighborhood party featuringartists, vendors, music and kids’activities.https://www opprowl.org/
ACADIA MUSIC FEST: PercyBrown Road, Thibodaux.Thisone-day music event welcomes local and national artists to thestage while festivalgoers can enjoySouthern food and artsand crafts. acadiamusicfest.net.
CITY OF CENTRAL’S FEST: 4p.m.8p.m., 14150 Grand Settlement Blvd. Liveentertainment,kids’activities, games, local vendors, food trucks,Shopthe Square. https:// www.cityofcentralchamber.com/.
SUNDAY THE FEAST ON THE LEVEE: 11 a.m.6p.m., St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 402 S. KirklandDrive (River Road), Brusly.Food, music, bingo, auctions, music andchildren activities. Free admission.
OCT. 23-NOV.2
GREATER BATONROUGE STATE FAIR: 5p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-10p.m. Saturdayand Sunday, Airline HighwayPark/ Fairgrounds, 16072 Airline Highway.LegoExtravaganza, carnival midway,petting zoo, livemusic, roaming entertainers, food and more. gbrsf.com.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY, OCT. 23-25
n FRIGHT NIGHTWITH 225 THEATRE
bloody marys, and awards presentations. $48. Fordetails and more information,goto1031consortium.com.
This festival is the largest Halloween party in thecity by far,but there areplentyofother events scary or otherwise, all this month. Don’tsee your Halloween event listed? Email the info to red@ theadvocate.com.
THROUGHSATURDAY, NOV. 1
n ST.FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
PUMPKINPATCH: noon-5 p.m. Sundays;11a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 726 Maple St Denham Springs. Variety of pumpkins, photo opportunities and pumpkin bread.
THURSDAYS-SUNDAYS
THROUGHSATURDAY, NOV. 8
n 13TH GATE HAUNTED ATTRACTION: 6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.,832 St.Philip
St.Journey through13nightmarish realms in the 40,000-square-foot house, whereyourworst fears come true and anything can happen. Plus, Flashlight Fright Nights,Nov.7-8. $35, general admission; $75, VIP https://13thgate.com/#dates.
SATURDAY
n DISCOVERYDAY:SPOOKY SEASON:
10 a.m.-2 p.m., CapitolPark Museum, 660 N. Fourth St. Discounted museum admission($5; free for children 6and younger)for afun, hands-on Rougarou craft inspired by Louisiana’slegendary swamp creature. https://louisianastatemuseum.org.
n SPOOKY ONCE UPON ATIME: 4p.m 225 TheatreCollective, 7338 Highland Road. Afamily-friendly improv show. $12, includes snack 225theatrecollective.com.
PROWL
Continuedfrom page1D
n Aperformance by Refuge Aerial n Activities from Beyond Gymnastics n TheEastBaton Rouge Parish Library bookmobile
n Crafts n Face painting.
Englishand hisfamilyhavelived in Ogden Park since 2019 andwill be hosting the CompanionAnimal
COLLECTIVE: 7:30 p.m., 7338 Highland Road. Anight of horror scenes and monologues. Ages 15 and older only.$15. 225theatrecollective.com.
SATURDAY-SUNDAYAND SATURDAY,OCT.25
n CORN MAZE WEEKENDS: 9a.m.-4
30 p.m.,LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens, 4560 Essen Lane. In addition to the maze, thereare sunflowerfields (weather dependent), apumpkin patch, petting farm, gargantuan games, corn crib, spook-tacular playground, temporary tattooparlor, hayride, haymountain and picnic area withlocal snack vendors $17.50, general admission (ages 13 and older); $15, youth(ages 3–12), and free, children2 and younger. Tickets arepresaleonly,and will notbeoffered at thegate. Also, Night Maze6 p.m.-9 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 25 only,$25; free, children 2 and younger. https://www.lsu.edu/ botanic-gardens/events/cornmaze. php.
SATURDAY-SUNDAYAND
OCT. 25–26
n BOO AT THEZOO: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m (last entry at 4p.m.), BREC’sBaton RougeZoo, 3000 ZooCircle (via 13350 La. 19). Festive activities, live entertainment and seasonal treats. Highlights include: Photoopportunities, princess and character meet-and-greets, face painting, entertainment in theplaza, animal enrichments, pumpkin patch and treats, costume extravaganzaand The Children’s Village.Regular admission applies. https://brzoo.org/ WEDNESDAY n “THE ADDAMS FAMILY” TOURING SHOW: 7:30 p.m., RaisingCane’s River Center Performing Arts Theatre, 240 St. Louis St. Musical comedy for thewhole family.$60 and up. https://raisingcanesrivercenter.com.
Alliance and someofits dogs for potential adoption.
Theannual freeevent is oneof thethings that drew the English family to the neighborhood, which he describes as “very diverse and welcoming, and kind of funky.”
The Prowlishappening the same afternoon the 10/31 Consortium’s Fifolet Halloween Parade rolls downtown; English is viewing that positively
“Withthe beautiful weekend ahead and our event starting at 1p.m. and the parade at 4p.m., we hope that people will be able
SUNDAY,OCT.26
n HAINTS,HAUNTS,&HALLOWEEN:
2p.m.-4:30 p.m., LSU RuralLife Museum, 4560 Essen Lane. Step intothe charm of an old-fashioned country fair withstorytelling, acakewalk, gamesand trick-or-treating across themuseumgrounds. Costumes encouraged; families of all ages welcome.Ages0–3,free; ages 4–11, $6; Ages 12 and older,$12. https:// www.lsu.edu/rurallife/events.php.
TUESDAY, OCT. 28
n BATS &BREWS: AN EVENING OF CONSERVATION, CRAFTBEER & CREATURES OF THE NIGHT: 6p.m.8p.m., LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Presented by the FriendsofHilltop Arboretum, participants can enjoycraft beer while learning about Louisiana’smost fascinating nocturnal neighbors $15, students, FriendsofHilltop, and Louisiana Master Naturalist members; $20, generalpublic. lsu. edu/hilltop
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, OCT. 29-30 n FAMILYFRIGHT NIGHT: 7:30 p.m., Louisiana Art &Science Museum’s IreneW.Pennington Planetarium, 100 S. River Road. Featuring theBatonRouge SymphonyOrchestraas part of theConcertsinthe Cosmos series. $40-$60. brso.org.
THURSDAY,OCT.30
n “SPIRITS OF LOUISIANA”: 6:30 p.m.9:30 p.m., OldState Capitol, 100 NorthBlvd. Celebrate likeit’s 1975 for thebuilding’s175th anniversary. Tastings from local distillers,food by Heirloom Cuisine,livemusic, photobooth, curated silent auction, and wine toss. $90. https://louisianaoldstatecapitol.org/
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
to make aday of it and enjoy both events,” he said.
Englishexplainedthatthe gathering started outassomewhat of aneighborhood garage sale, then artists got involved and it grew into this much larger event.
“Wereally love the neighborhood and kind of wanttogive back with acool eventfor the BatonRouge community,” he said.
Forthe latest information, visit opprowl.org.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
FRIDAY
PHATHAT: Live After Five, Rhorer Plaza, 5p.m.
MATT HOLT: City Café, 5:30 p.m.
SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Pedro’sSiegen, 6p.m.
CAMPYLE DUO: Crowne Plaza, 6p.m.
KAITLYN WALLACE TRIO: T’Quilas, Zachary,6 p.m.
DON POURCIAU&KONSPIRACY: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6p.m.
BRIAN RITTENHOUSE: Small Town Daiquiris, Clinton, 7p.m
SATURDAY
THE MONSTER BALL: Mári
Showroom at Paragon Casino, Marksville, 7p.m
Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s musiclisted? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper
fundraiser,Jambalaya Jam,runs from 5p.m. to
AROUND BATONROUGE
FRIDAY
JAMBALAYA PLATELUNCH
FUNDRAISER: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Baton RougeBar Association, 544 Main St.Supports youth education and probono programs. $15, plate; $50, tray.https://www.zeffy.com/ en-US/ticketing/jambalayaplate-lunch-sale.
BAKERLIBRARYFARMERS AND ARTISAN MARKET: 1:30 p.m.,3501 Groom Road. Shoplocal vendors for homemade crafts, homegrown vegetables and homecooked goodies. Free vendorparticipation; register at ebrpl.co/ BLFAAM. (225) 778-5960.
VINO ON THE BLUFFSCHOLARSHIP WINE TASTING SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER: 6:30 p.m.,Leon R. Tarver II Cultural and Heritage Center, 8320 G. Leon Netterville Drive. Southern University Ag Center will officially debut its ownlocally grownand crafted wine. $75. https:// foundation.sus.edu.
BUTTERR &FRIENDS: AN IMPROVCOLLIDER SHOW:
7:30 p.m.,Manship Theatre’s Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.Godressed in your favorite costume (no masks, please) and joina night of laughs,surprises and festivefun. Spencer of Suspense Games is special guest. $14. manshiptheatre.org.
“PERFECT BLUE” FEATURING ASET BY DJ BUKTOOTH: 7:30 p.m.,Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.Presented by Films at Manship.A young Japanese singer is encouraged by her agent to quit singing and pursueanacting career, beginning with arole in amurder mystery TV show. Rated R. $8.50. manshiptheatre.org.
FRIDAYNIGHT LECTURE:
7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,BREC’s Highland Road Park Observatory,13800 Highland Road. Skygazing tips, physics phenomena, space programs and famous events arecovered. Forages 14 and older. Free. hrpo.lsu.edu. Also, evening sky viewing from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
COMEDIAN KATT WILLIAMS: “HEAVEN ON EARTH TOUR”: 8p.m Raising Cane’s River Center Arena, 275 S. River Road. $82 and up. ticketmaster.com.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
GARAGE SALE:
COMMUNITY
7a.m.-3 p.m., St. Francis EpiscopalChurch, 726Maple St., Denham Springs. Clothes, toys, home decor, tools, housewares, and more. Proceeds will support thechurch’s mission and ministry.(225) 6652707 or www.stfrands.org.
FRIDAY ANDSUNDAY
“EMMETT TILL: AN OPERA IN THREE ACTS” BY CHARLES
LLOYDJR.: 7p.m.Fridayand 4p.m.Sunday, Frank Hayden Hall, Southern University
Presented by OperaSouthern from Southern University Free.
SATURDAY
TUNNELS TO TOWERS 5K RUN
&WALK: 8a.m.-noon, Old Bogan Fire Station, 427 LaurelSt. Supports thenation’sfallen and catastrophically injured firstresponders, military heroes, and theirfamilies. $40, adult registration; first respondersand military,$35; youth13-17, $25. Youthand adult pricesincrease $5 after Friday.https://runwalkbatonrouge.t2t.org.
RED STICKFARMERS MARKET: 8a.m. to noon, Fifth and Mainstreets, downtown. Farm-fresh produce,goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org
HUNTINGTON’SDISEASE SOCI-
ETY OF AMERICATEAM HOPE
WALK: 9a.m., registration; 10 a.m. walk, BRECHighland Road Grand Pavilion, 14024 Highland Road. Online registration and donation information at louisiana.hdsa.org
BRUNCH,BULBS &STORIES: 9a.m.-noon, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Featuring “The Bulb Hunter” Chris Wiesinger. Coffeeand light brunch refreshments, bulb sale, book signing. $50. blacktie-america.com.
FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING: 10 a.m., IreneW.Pennington Planetarium at theLouisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about thestarsand constellations in thelocal nighttime sky, followedbyanall-agesshow. lasm.org.
CAJUN HALLOWEEN DANCE: 7:30 p.m RicSeeling Dance Studio, 10776 N. Harrells Ferry Road. With livemusic by theKatie &Jonno Cajun Band. Costumesencouraged; bring favoritesnacks and drinks.Freedance lessons at 6:45 p.m.for anyone with paid admission. $10, Cajun French Music Association members; $15, non-members; $10, students withanID; free, children 12 and younger.
SUNDAY
JEEPS FORACAUSE: 11 a.m.3p.m., Greenoaks Memorial Park and FuneralHome 9595 FloridaBlvd. Car show dedicated to theJeep and honoring theLAPatriot Guard Riders. Benefitfor Blue Star MothersofLouisiana Chapter 1and itsWreaths Across America program. Live music, games, food and pumpkin patch.Free. Show contestant registration at BonTempsTix. com; donation of awreath, $20, at bluestarmoms.net.
MEET THE SAINTS &SINNERS OF ST.JOSEPH CATHOLIC CEMETERY: 2p.m.-4 p.m 523 MainSt. Take astroll through history,stopping at the tombsofsome of themore notable residents, hearing about theirlives and learning about theongoing preserva-
tion effortsatthe cemetery Free.
“MYNEIGHBOR TOTORO” (1988 FILM): 2p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Acclaimed animated tale by director HayaoMiyazaki. $8.50. manshiptheatre.org
TUESDAY RED STICKFARMERS MARKET: 3p.m.-6 p.m., MainLibrary at Goodwood,7711 Goodwood Blvd.Farm-fresh produce goods, cooking demonstrations.breada.org.
BATONROUGE CHESSCLUB: 6p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe,3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. Achance to play and learn; all levels welcome Free.
TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m Burgersmith, 18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for firstplace.loom. ly/y-CKtQ4.
WEDNESDAY RED STICKFARMERS MARKET: 9a.m. to noon, ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd Farm-fresh produce,goods and more. www.facebook com/redstickfarmersmarket. TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m Burgersmith, 27350 Crossing Circle, Suite150, Denham Springs.Collect your team and jockey for firstplace loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.
THURSDAY RED STICKFARMERS MARKET: 8a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce,goodsand more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket. JAMBALAYA JAM2025: 5p.m.8p.m., NorthBoulevard Town Square, downtown. Capital Area United Way’slargest fundraiser. Forty-plus cooking teamscompete for thebest jambalaya in the 10-parish area. Also, lunch to-go, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.(limited; pre-saleencouraged). Dinner to-go, $10; all-you-can-eat, $15; VIP lounge,all-you-caneat-and-drink, $50; beer water and soft drinks sold separately.Withmusic by Michael Foster Project and After 8. https://www.cauw. org/jamjam. WEEKLYSOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. ThirdSt., SuiteA.Free. fareharbor.com.
TRIVIA NIGHT: 7p.m., Bayes Oyster Bar, 315 NorthBlvd. Test your trivia skills with your friends and family.Free.
CompiledbyJudy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public eventyou’dlike to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline is 5p.m.Friday forthe following Friday’s paper
LIBRA(Sept. 23-oct. 23) Act on your own behalfand enforce practicality. Don't over-orunderestimatesituations or people. Take nothing for granted, do what's necessary and collect your prize.
ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Complete every task. Loose ends will ruinyour downtime, causing emotional trauma and unnecessarycosts. Undertaking acreative project, interacting with childrenora romantic adventure will soothe the soul.
SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep your thoughts to yourself until you have a failproof plan in place. Conversations will offerinsights into possibilities. Aimtolove who you are, what you do and where you are heading.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Verify everything youhear before passing information along. Your reputation will suffer if you are too quick to judge or trust someone. Avoid taking unnecessary risks that can lead to ill health or injury.
AQuARIuS (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Embrace change, put your best foot forward and let your creativity lead the way. A newlook, passionorattitude can help youdevelop resilience to move forward with fresh ideas and avision.
PIScES (Feb.20-March 20) Set yourself up for success. Think innovatively, use your cash wisely and interact with people who stimulateyourcreativity Your happinessdepends on thechoices you make, not on appeasing others.
ARIES(March21-April 19) Give your all and reap high returns. Let your imagination take precedence, and you'll find ways to prosper. Successcomes from organization and afrugal lifestyle.
tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Mixed emotions will be awarning to askquestions and decipher what's real and what's fake. Truthand acceptance are where opportunities present themselves.
GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Initiating aconnection with someone well-informed will encourage you to up your game by pointing youinthe right direction. Be open and receptive to what others reveal cAncER (June 21-July22) Mix business with pleasure, and you'll gain insight intohow to ahead. Adisciplined attitudewill be admired and respected. A lifestyle or domestic change is agood investment.
LEo(July 23-Aug. 22) Invite change, and it will helpyou gainperspective regarding the best way to move forward. Refuse to let emotions interfere when principlesorexpenditures are an issue.
VIRGo(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Let your emotions stir things up. When you face multiple choices, you'llfindaway to figure out what's best foryou. Simplicityand a minimalist attitude will pay off.
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 gridwith several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number onlyonce. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’sPuzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIPALDER
Vinoba Bhave, an Indian advocate for humanrights who diedin1982, said, “Innumerable actions are going on through us all thetime. If we started counting them,weshould never cometo an end.”
Luckily,itisnotthattoughatthebridge table. But the more counting you do, the betteryouwillplay.Intoday’sdeal,South is in four hearts. Westleadsthe diamond king. East overtakeswith his ace and returns adiamond. West wins with his jack andcashes the diamond queen,East discarding the club two. Now West shifts to adeceptivespade nine. Howshould declarer continue?
Note South’s balancing jump overcall. This is no longer weak, as it would have been in the second seat. It is intermediate, showing arespectablesix-orseven-card suit and some 14-16 high-card points.The hand will typically contain seven playing tricks(winners). South has lost three tricks, his book. He must play the trump suit without loss. In normal circumstances, he would finesse through East. But whenever an opponent opensthe bidding and you buy the contract, always count up the highcard points.Here, North and South have acombined 24 points. East hasalready produced four, the diamond ace. That leaves at most 12 for West,yet he opened
thebidding.Hemusthavetheheartking. (Alternatively, if East had had that king, he would have had seven points and would not have passed over his partner’s opening bid.) So declarer should wintrick fourand playa hearttohis ace. When theking luckily drops, South can claim.
