The Advocate 10-26-2025

LOSING ITS CROWN

Louisianacottonfarmers fighting to keep harvests bountifulafter decadesofchallenges

BY AIDAN McCAHILL |Staff writer

Kade McMahon glides atop afield of bleached cumulus tufts. With a joystick, he steers aset of massive yellow teeththatgobblethe white like asnowplow. Summerhas again overstayed its welcome in northeast Louisiana, but McMahonis sealed from the hot and dusty air, sitting comfortably inside an airconditionedcotton picker

It’snot abad gigfor the21-yearold, who got his start mowinggrass during summersinhigh school. Now he operates amachine worth nearly $1 million.

“I can’ttell youhow manyfarmers are jealous we got Kade,” said Marshall Hardwick, his boss. “Locally grown, hardworking …they just don’texist anymore, it seems like.”

In October,Tensas Parish —long the state’s top cotton producer can look more like an early winter in New Hampshire,aswhite flakes dust the shoulders of La. 65. In Newellton, Hardwick and his brother Mead farm 9,200 acres of the 20,000-acre SomersetPlantation, the rest owned by 45 other family members.

The fourth-generation farmers grow soybean and corn more than

anything else, but dedicate 1,600 acres to their passion: cotton. This year’sharvest is shaping up to be agreat one; the brothers are averagingabout 3bales peracre— or roughly 1,400 pounds. That’sover 500 pounds more than atypical year

“Wemay potentially have arecord cotton crop,” Hardwick said.

“And we maystillpotentially lose money.” In fact, it’srare for anyfarmers in northeast Louisiana to have turned aprofit on cotton in the past decade. Demandand prices remain too low,asgrowers face pressures like tariffs andanongoing

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL |Staff writer

In his day job as president of Woodward Interests, Bill Hoffman hasn’tmuch noticed the federal government shutdown. His New Orleans real estate development firm is still planning projects, like the redevelopment of the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center in MidCity,and operating as usual with no disruptions to supply chains or services.

ä Louisiana Politics: Shutdown adding anotherlayer of stress to state PAGE 14A

As avolunteer forSecond Harvest Food BankofGreater New Orleansand Acadiana,however Hoffman has seen the effects up close. He’sworked with the nonprofit organization’sleadership to identifynew funding sources at a time when more people around New Orleans need food assistance and federal support is drying up. He fears it’sabout to get alot worse. Thousands of federal workers in the state have been furloughed or are working without apaycheck. Loans and other federal funding sources are no longer flowing. And beginning Nov. 1, food

Much of La.hasn’tseeneffects yet, butasstalemate continues, consequences will broaden ä See SHUTDOWN, page 6A

Alldistrictpersonnel must go throughprocess for2026

BY CHARLESLUSSIER |Staff writer

All active and some retired public school employees in East Baton Rouge Parish will soon lose their health insurance if they fail to formally enroll by Friday Throughout October,school leaders have been blasting current and former employees with emails, printed mailand texts.

Aspecial district webpage loaded with information on the topic opens with this stark message in large type: “Open Enrollment is mandatory and must be completedbyall employeesand retirees by October 31st! If you don’tenroll in anew medical plan, you will lose medical coverage for2026.” Current employee coverage ends Dec.31.

STAFF PHOTOSByJOHNBALLANCE

Hardwick Planting Co. pickscotton in Tensas Parish at Somerset Plantation. After decades of challenges, Louisiana farmersare harvesting their lowest acreageofcotton in state history.

Mead Hardwick, left, andhis younger brother Marshall Hardwick, owners of Hardwick Planting Co.atSomerset Plantationstand in acotton field in Tensas Parish.

Venezuela’s leader says U.S. fabricating war

CARACAS Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro said the U.S. government is forging a war against him as the world’s biggest warship approached the South American country, while moving to revoke the citizenship of an opponent he accuses of egging on an invasion.

Maduro said in a national broadcast on Friday night that the administration of President Donald Trump is “fabricating a new eternal war” as the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which can host up to 90 airplanes and attack helicopters, moves closer to Venezuela.

On Saturday, the Venezuelan president also referred to the pressure he has felt from the U.S. government as he started legal proceedings seeking to revoke the citizenship and cancel the passport of opposition politician Leopoldo López.

“They promised they would never again get involved in a war and they are fabricating a war that we will avoid,” said Maduro in Friday night’s address. Trump has accused him, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.

“They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal and totally fake one,” Maduro added. “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.”

American forces have destroyed several boats off the Venezuelan coast, allegedly for their role in trafficking drugs into the United States. At least 43 people were killed in those attacks.

Video shows rescue of baby pinned under car

FORT WORTH, Texas A baby is expected to make a full recovery after being pulled from under a vehicle that had flipped during a crash, authorities said Friday after releasing dramatic video that showed the rescue effort along a busy highway

Officers responded to the scene Thursday morning after getting reports that the child and mother had been ejected from the car

Body camera footage shared Friday by the Fort Worth Police Department shows an officer running toward the overturned car and beginning to search for the child as a distraught woman can be heard in the background yelling for her baby The officer rallied other motorists who had stopped at the scene to help him lift the car

The child was unresponsive, but one officer said he felt a pulse. They attempted to get the baby to take a breath, with one officer using his fingers to push on the child’s chest. The baby eventually began to make noises and then started to cry Police said both the mother and child were expected to make a full recovery

One hurt, suspect held in Texas library shooting

AUSTIN,Texas Someone was shot inside a downtown library in Texas’ state capital city on Saturday, police said, prompting emergency vehicles and personnel to converge on the building and a shelter-in-place alert to be issued. A suspect later was taken into custody in another part of the city. The shooting victim was taken to a hospital, where the person was in serious but stable condition Saturday afternoon, the Austin Police Department said.

Shortly after noon, Austin’s 911 system received reports of a shooting incident at the Austin Central Library, Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers said.

A suspect left the scene before the arrival of officers but the person was later located and placed into custody in the city’s South Austin neighborhood about 1:25 p.m., police said. Rogers said had no more information on the suspect or where specifically in the library the shooting occurred.

Melissa reaches hurricane strength

Storm threatens catastrophic flooding in northern Caribbean

By The Associated Press

KINGSTON, Jamaica

U.S forecasters is-

sued a hurricane warning for Jamaica

Saturday as Storm Melissa reached hurricane strength, threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.

A hurricane warning means winds of at least 74 mph are expected in the area within 36 hours

Melissa is ”likely starting to rapidly intensify and expected to become a major hurricane tomorrow,” the U.S National Hurricane Center said Saturday afternoon as Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

The slow-moving storm was expected to drop torrential rain, up to 25 inches, on Jamaica, according to the U.S National Hurricane Center

A similar forecast was issued for the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Monday Lifethreatening flooding and landslides were possible, with up to 35 inches of catastrophic rain across the Tiburon peninsula in southwestern Haiti, the center said.

The Cuban government on Saturday afternoon issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin.

The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” Jamie Rhome, the center’s deputy director, said earlier on Saturday He said the storm will continue to move slowly for up to four days

Melissa was located about 130 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 250 miles west-southwest of Portau-Prince, Haiti. It was slowly moving westward at 3 mph, according to the hurricane center.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch remained in place for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti.

Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine

Zelenskyy pleads for air defense

BY SAMYA KULLAB and ELISE MORTON Associated Press

KYIV Ukraine Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine’s president for Western air defense systems.

In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and 13 were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv’s police said.

A fire broke out in a nonresidential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.

“Explosions in the capital The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, act-

The center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica early next week, forecasters said. Melissa was expected to become a major hurricane by Sunday and possibly reach Category 4 status by early Monday, U.S. forecasters said. It is forecast to hit eastern Cuba early Wednesday, where up to 12 inches could fall in some areas.

Authorities in Jamaica said on Saturday that the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will be closed at 8 p.m. local time. It did not say whether it will close the Sangster airport in Montego Bay, on the western side of the island.

More than 650 shelters were activated in Jamaica. Officials said warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for quick distribution if needed.

“I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “Take all measures to protect yourself.”

The hurricane center confirmed the risks in a key message Saturday afternoon.

“Jamaica prep should be completed today Melissa’s slow motion brings multiday damaging winds plus heavy rainfall, catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, damage, long-duration power communication outages, isolation,” the center said.

Haitian authorities said three people had died as a consequence of the hurricane and another five were injured due to a collapsed wall. There were also reports of rising river levels, flooding and a bridge destroyed due to breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, in the northeast

The storm has damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic and knocked out water supply systems, affecting more than half a million customers. It also downed trees and traffic lights, unleashed a couple of small landslides and left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology said Melissa could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to islands in the Southeast and Central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early next week.

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov 30.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Smoke bellows Saturday from a warehouse that caught fire after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine.

ing regional Gov Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the strikes.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.

In Russia, the Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine’s need for Patriot defense systems.

“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems — to be able to protect our cities from this horror It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” he wrote in English on X.

“America, Europe and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten lives,” he said.

Trump threatens Canada with 10% tariff hike over ad

BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Associated Press

ABOARDAIR FORCE ONE President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he plans to hike tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10% because of an anti-tariff television ad aired by the province of Ontario.

The ad used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs, angering Trump who said he would end trade talks with Canada Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would pull the ad after the weekend, and it ran Friday night during the first game of the World Series.

“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform as he flew aboard Air Force One to Malaysia.

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.”

It was unclear what legal authority Trump would use to impose the additional import taxes. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when the 10% hike would come into effect, and whether it would apply to all Canadian goods. Canada’s economy has been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been trying to work with Trump to lower them. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to

the U.S., and nearly $2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border daily Spokespersons for Carney and Ford did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Many Canadian products have been hit with a 35% tariff, while steel and aluminum face rates of 50%. Energy products have a lower rate of 10%, while the vast majority of goods are covered by the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement, and are exempt from tariffs. That trade agreement is slated for review Trump negotiated the deal in his first term, but has since soured on it. Trump and Carney will both attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia But Trump told reporters traveling with him that he had no intention of meeting Carney there.

Trump said the ad misrepresented the position of Reagan, a two-term president and a beloved figure in the Republican Party But Reagan was wary of tariffs and used much of the 1987 address featured in Ontario’s ad spelling out the case against tariffs. Trump has complained the ad was aimed at influencing the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of arguments scheduled for next month that could decide whether Trump has the power to impose his sweeping tariffs, a key part of his economic strategy. Lower courts had ruled he had exceeded his authority Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Josh Boak in Tokyo contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks Saturday with reporters aboard Air Force One at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICARDO HERNANDEZ

People wade through a street flooded by rains caused by then-Tropical Storm Melissa on Friday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The storm grew to hurricane strength on Saturday.

Trumpaimstostart Asia trip with talkswithMalaysia

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN, DAVID RISING and EILEENNG Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

President Donald Trump plans to burnish his reputation as an international dealmaker on Sunday by solidifying atrade agreement with Malaysia andoverseeing the signingofanexpanded ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, two nations that skirmished along their disputed borderearlier this year

The two accords could be finalized while Trump attends the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whichisbeing hosted in KualaLumpur

It’sthe first stop of athreecountry swing across the continent, with visits to Japan and South Korea and a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

TheRepublicanpresident is scheduled to touch down in Kuala Lumpur around 10 a.m. localtime and will attend aceremony marking the agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, which he said he had been proudto broker Trump had threatened to withholdtrade agreements from the two countries after five days of combat in July

that killed dozens of people anddisplaced hundreds of thousands. Cambodia and Thailand have competing territorialclaims,and violence periodically flares alongtheir border.

Trump’sdisplay of economic leverage has been credited with spurring negotiations.Ashaky trucehas persistedsince then.

“Thefactthat Trump was holding the tariff card was actually very,verysignifi-

cant,” said Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh’sFuture Forum think tank. “That’s probablythe mainreason,if not theonly reason,but definitely the main reason why the two sides agreed immediately to theceasefire.”

Now,hesaid, “there’s a ceremony for Trump to be in front of cameras” so he can be “seen as the champion thatbrings an end to wars and conflicts,” giving him ”more ammunitionfor his

JusticeDepartmentplans to send election monitors to Calif.,N.J.

BY JILL COLVIN and MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press

LOS ANGELES The Department of Justice is preparing to send federal election observers to California and New Jersey next month, targeting two Democratic states holding off-year elections following requests from state Republican parties. The department announced Friday that it is planning to monitor polling sites in Passaic County New Jersey, and five counties in southern and central California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno. The goal, according to the department, is “to ensure transparency,ballot security,and compliance with federal law.”

“Transparency at the polls

translates intofaith inthe electoral process, andthis DepartmentofJusticeis committed toupholding the highest standards of election integrity,”Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in astatement. Election monitoring is aroutine functionofthe JusticeDepartment,but the focus on California and New Jersey comes as both statesare settohold closely-watched elections with national consequences on Nov.4.New Jersey has an open seat for governor and Californiais holding a special election aimed at redrawing the state’scongressional map to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts elsewhere ahead of the 2026 midterms. The department’sefforts arethe latest salvoin the GOP’spreoccupation with

electionintegrity after PresidentDonald Trump spent years refusing to accept the resultsofthe 2020 election andfalsely railing against mail-in voting as rifewith fraud. Democrats fear the newadministration will attempt to gain an upper hand in next year’s midterms with similarly unfounded allegations of fraud.

The announcement comes days after theRepublican parties in both states wrote letters to the department requesting theirassistance. Some leading Democrats in the states blastedthe decision. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin called the move “highly inappropriate” and saidthe department “has notevenattempted to identify alegitimate basis for itsactions.”

Dozens indicted in Pa.ondrugcharges

By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA More than two dozenpeople have been indicted on drug-related charges as part of a yearslonginvestigation into agang in Philadelphia,the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Friday Cocaine, fentanyl and heroin were sold in the Kensington area in “one of the most prolific drugblocks in the city” from January

2016 to October 2025, according to the indictment. Thecharges come as President Donald Trump scales up federal law enforcement operationsaround the U.S. to crack down on crime, though rates have gone done in recent years in citiesincluding Philadelphia.

“Wehavepermanently removed adrug trafficking organization out of thestreets of Philadelphia, and they’re going to stop pouring guns

and chemicals and drugs intoour communities,” said FBI Director KashPatel at anews conference Friday, touting collaboration between federal andlocal law enforcement.

The group of 33 people werecharged with41 counts related to drug distribution,and theindictmentsaidtheymaintained controlofthe area through violence andthreatsagainst rivals

relations.”

He also saidthere has been an agreement to address Thaiconcernsabout land minesand heavyartillery along the border,aswell as other issues.

“It’snot an endinitself,” Nikorndejsaid. “Workhas just begun.”

On Sunday, Trumphas plans to meet with MalaysianPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who played akey role in the ceasefire. He also planned to join regional leaders fordinner —though he hassaidhedoes notplan to meet with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney Trumpisangry with Canada becauseofatelevisionad protesting his tariffs, and on his waytothe summit, announced on social media he would hike tariffs on Canada because of it.

bid for Nobel Peace Prize.” Trump has explicitly campaigned forthe honor, continuously adding toalist of conflictsthat he either helped resolveorclaimsto have ended.

Thaiforeign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters on Saturday that the“joint declaration” to be signed on Sunday will state that Thailandand Cambodia “are committedtorenew their

Another trade war is front and center on his trip —this one, with China.Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One thathewas optimistic his meeting with Xi could yield progress on arangeofissues, including fentanyl trafficking and soybean trade.

“I think we have areally goodchance of making a very comprehensive deal,” Trump said. “I want our farmers to be taken care of. And he wants things also.”

Details about Trump’s agreements have been characteristically scarce, even after Trump departed Washington. It remains to be seen whether Trump’sdealmaking addresseslong-standing issues or puts them off for another day Trump expressedconfidence about the prospect of finalizing trade agreements with Japanand SouthKorea, two long-standing allies and trading partners, during the trip. In Southeast Asia,trade talks appear further along with Malaysia, and adeal is expected to be signed while TrumpisinKuala Lumpur “Wehave deals with alot of people andthey’re very good deals,”Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One. One leader whowill be absent from the summit is Indian PrimeMinister NarendraModi. Although he was close with Trumpduring his first term, the relationship has been moretense lately Trump caused irritation by boasting that he settled arecent conflict between India and Pakistan, and he has increased tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil.

Associated Press writer Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Kamala Harris leaves door open for2028presidentialrun

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Kamala Harris isn’truling out another run for theWhite House.

In an interview with the BBC posted Saturday,Harrissaid sheexpectsawoman will be presidentinthe coming years,and it could “possibly” be her “I am not done,” shesaid.

The former vice-president saidshe hasn’tdecided whether to mount a2028 presidential campaign. But she dismissed the suggestion that she’d face long odds.

“I have lived my entire career alife of service and it’sinmybones.And there are manyways to serve,” shesaid. “I’venever listenedtopolls.”

She’s recently given aseriesofinterviews following theSeptember release of herbook, “107 Days.” It looksback on herexperience replacing then-President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after he dropped outofthe race. She ultimatelylosttoRepublican President Donald Trump.

Local support. Local impact. TheAmerican RedCross in Louisiana serves4.65millionresidentsacrossall64parishesandextendshopeto communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President DonaldTrump, right, meets with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on SaturdayaboardAir Force OneatAlUdeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar

American cardinal celebrates oldLatin Mass in St.Peter’s

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Atop American cardinal celebrated a traditional Latin Mass on Saturday in St. Peter’sBasilica with the explicit permission of Pope Leo XIV,thrilling traditionalist Catholics who had felt abandoned after Pope Francis greatlyrestricted the ancient liturgy Afew thousand pilgrims, many of them young families with multiple children and the women covering their heads with lace veils, packed the altar areaofthe basilica to standing roomonly capacity Cardinal Raymond Burke, the conservativeAmerican figurehead, presided over the 21/2-hour liturgy,which was rich in hymn, incense and priests bowing to thealtar,their backs to the faithful in the pews.

For many traditionalists, the moment was atangible sign that Leo might be more sympathetic to their plight, after they felt rejected by Francis and his 2021 crackdown on the old liturgy Francis had takenaction after the spread of the ancient liturgy,especially in the United States, dovetailed with the rise of religiously inspired political conservatism and decline in church attendance at more progressive parishes.

“I’m veryhopeful,”said Rubén Peretó Rivas, an Argentine organizer of the pilgrimage. “Thefirstsigns of Pope Leo are those of dialogue and listening,truly listening to everyone.”

HEALTH PLAN

Continued from page1A

In the past, district employees could indicate whethertheywantedto continuetheir current coverage. This year,the medical plans offered through Blue Cross Blue Shieldof Louisiana have changed, and district personnel need to go throughthe whole enrollment process, even if they don’twant coverage.

“Even if you plan to waive coverage, you must log in and submit yourselections before 4:30 pm on October 31,” warns one employee letter

The bulk of retirees don’t need to participate in the mandatory enrollment. There are about 3,400 individuals who participate in aMedicare Advantage plan throughUnited Healthcare. In addition to multiple written materials and videos, thedistrict’sBenefits Office has been holding one-on-one sessions with hundreds of employees. More 130 appointments are scheduled for the final week of open enrollment. The sign-up deadlinehas passed, but arepresentative from Blue Cross is available for the final days of the push.

Communications Direc-

gave his permission, Marquant said. Francis, too, hadallowed Latin Masses to be celebrated in thebasilicaeveninthe immediateaftermath of his 2021 crackdown,but only by low-ranking priests. In 2023 and 2024, the traditionalists couldn’t findanyone even willing to approach Francis to askpermission, Marquant said.

Francis’ stated reason for having imposed the restrictionsinthe first place: Francishad said he was responding to “the wishes expressed” by bishops around the world who had responded to a2020 Vatican survey, as well as theVatican doctrine office’sown opinion.

telephone interview.

Even though Rodiohad alwayshad access to atraditional Mass in Cleveland, he andotherparishioners felt “frustration” at Francis’ crackdownand therestrictions thatheimposed.

The latestrounds in the liturgy wars date back to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetingsthat modernized the church. Among the reforms was the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular,rather than Latin. In the decades that fol-

crackdown seemed to further drive awedge.

“Weare orphans,” said Christian Marquant, a French organizer of Saturday’spilgrimage.

Leo, history’sfirstAmerican pope, was elected with abroad consensus among

On Saturday,Burke didn’t mention Francis, his crackdown or Leoinhis homily, the key section of which he deliveredinItalian, Spanish, French and English. But he referred repeatedly to Benedict and his2007 reform liberalizing theold liturgy as if it were still very much in force.

Through Benedict’s reform, “the wholechurchis maturing in an ever deeper understanding and love for thegreat gift of the sacred liturgy,asithas been handed down to us in an unbro-

Butthe documentssuggestedthatthe majority of Catholic bishopswho responded to the survey had expressedgeneral satisfactionwith the oldLatin Mass andwarnedthatrestricting it would “do more harm thangood.”

James Rodio, apsychiatrist and fatherofthree, hasbeen attending the traditionalLatin Mass with his family for nearly three decades in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I was just struck by the reverence andbeautyand symbolism in action and gesture, and of course the content too,” he said in a

“Behind it all, there was asadness” and sense that Francis didn’tunderstand them, he said. “Howcould any organization have an approach for16or17centuriesand thensay it wasn’t valid anymore?”

Rodio said he and his fellow parishioners are optimistic about Leo andhope he will allowmoreparishes to offerthe traditionalliturgy.Inrecent weeks, the diocese of Cleveland receiveda two-yearextension to keep allowing the Latin Mass at two diocesan churches.

“My guess is Leo maytry to do alot by notdoing alot publicly,” Rodio said.

stamps benefits — which help put food on the table for nearly 19% of Louisianans and more than 1 in 5 people in New Orleans are set to run out.

The severity of that potential loss in food support prompted Gov Jeff Landry on Friday to issue an emergency order aimed at helping him replace that federal funding with state dollars. But Second Harv e st worries that food banks and other service agencies, still reeling from federal budget cuts earlier this year, will continue to see a strain.

“We’re already seeing more federal workers coming to us, and that number is going to grow,” said Hoffman, who also serves as Second Harvest board chair

“We will start to see this ripple out into the broader economy and will all start to feel it.”

Until now the federal government shutdown, which enters its fifth week Wednesday, has mostly been a problem for the nation’s federal employees, who have been furloughed or, in the case of air traffic controllers and other essential employees, forced to work without pay States like Virginia or Maryland, which have high numbers of federal workers, feel it acutely In Louisiana, the impact has been more muted because the federal workforce is relatively small and President Donald Trump’s administration has selectively shifted funds to ensure that some employees, like active duty troops, continue to get paid. At least for now

But economists and public policy groups say a quiet storm is brewing. Louisiana is already one of the poorest states in the nation, with a higher percentage of residents on federal assistance than almost any other The longer the shutdown drags on, the greater the impact will be across the state as furloughed workers and those who rely on federal assistance tighten their belts and brace for potentially unprecedented times.

“The dominoes are about to start falling,” said economist Stephen Barnes, executive director of the Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “Once they do, it’s going to be very challenging for families across the state.”

Stopgaps in place

Experts say it’s not surprising that many across Louisiana in the private sector haven’t felt the effects of the shutdown yet. In part, that’s because the roughly 64,000 federal military and civilian employees in Louisiana make up only about 3% of the state’s total workforce. Some are still collecting paychecks, or were until last week.

Others have been helped by institutions like Keesler Federal Credit Union, based in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is offering paycheck protection relief to the mostly federal government employees that make up its membership. So far about 1,535 members have enrolled in the plan, which will cover them for 90 days, according to Keesler spokesperson T. Bradley Keith.

Also insulating the broader economy from the effects of the shutdown is the fact that the largest federal programs, Medicare and Social Security, have not been touched. Neither has Medicaid though the extension of tax credits to help low-income patients afford health insurance is at the heart of the dispute between Democrats and Republicans in Congress that led to the shutdown.

“The two big programs and Medicaid are safe for now,” said Jan Moeller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, a think tank that advocates for inclusive economic policies “So, in a state like Louisiana, which has a huge amount of federal money but not a huge number of employees, it is going to be hard to see the effects of the shutdown in most communities.”

Just because the effects of the shutdown are not widely visible, however, doesn’t mean they’re not being felt in various pockets of the economy, Moeller said

The National Flood Insurance Program is shuttered, which means new homeowners are unable to buy into the program, and the state’s existing 400,000 policyholders aren’t able to increase their coverage.

Louisiana’s 25,000 farmers have been unable to get a loan from the U.S Department of Agriculture, apply for a conservation program or receive a market report, hampering their ability to plan for the upcoming planting season.

And the state’s nearly half a million small businesses have been unable to access loans through the Small Business Administration, though data released by the SBA last week showed that

only 12 loan applications totaling about $7.2 million in Louisiana went unprocessed last week because the agency was closed.

Stretched thin

If federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP runs out, as Trump’s Department of Agriculture has warned, the shutdown will become real for a lot more people across Louisiana.

More than 800,000 people in Louisiana receive SNAP benefits. That’s more, as a percentage of the population, than almost any other state in the nation, where some 4.5 million rely on the program to help make ends meet.

On Wednesday, Landry, a Republican, said the state would shut the program down next month, blaming Democrats in Congress for the stalemate that has led to the current funding crisis.

“Without the funds, we cannot provide the benefits,” Landry said in a statement.

But on Friday, he reversed course, declaring a state of emergency and saying that “any interruption in SNAP benefits will significantly increase food insecurity among Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children and individuals with disabilities.”

He also began working with legislative leaders on a plan to keep the program afloat while the government remains shuttered. The plan would repurpose existing funds from the Louisiana Department of Health to keep benefits flowing through November and potentially tap other state money if the shutdown continues beyond then.

For Marcus, a New Orleans East resident and licensed practical nurse by training who declined to give his last name, the political finger-pointing among elected officials is frustrating.

The monthly SNAP benefits he has received for the past two years since he lost his job barely puts food on the table now If he loses them, the 64-year-old says

his cellphone is about the only “luxury” item he could trim from his monthly expenses.

“I don’t know how much more I can stretch,” he said Friday at the Harry Tompson Center, a day shelter downtown. “I guess I’ll be shopping more at Dollar Tree and coming more to the food pantry.”

Food pantries, however, are already hard-pressed. At an event at Second Harvest last week, Chief Strategy Officer John Sillars said the food bank will receive about 5.8 million fewer pounds of food from the federal government this year than it did last due to federal funding cuts since Trump took office.

As a result, Second Harvest will provide about 5 million fewer meals to a food-insecure population that had grown by 30,000 — before the shutdown.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat who visited Second Harvest to call attention to the growing crisis, said he’s worried about “the avalanche effect” that will happen if the shutdown persists.

“It impacts our families

but also the grocer, the person who is stocking the shelves, the person who is selling the milk, the cereal, the egg, the bread,” Carter said.

Landry’s announcement Friday that the state would work to continue SNAP benefits for the time being was a welcome development that will mitigate the worst outcomes for the state’s neediest residents, policy experts said. But more pain is on the way if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.

“The impacts will be acute in some places,” Barnes said. “Hopefully, we can weather those.”

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

If You’re Over Thirty -

Finally, there’sa treatmenttoconquer lowback, neck, leg andarm pain without dangerousmedications or painfulsurgery.

If yousufferfrom:

•LOW BACK PAIN

•SCIATICA

•NECKPAIN

•HIP PAIN

•LEG PAIN

•NUMBNESSINARMS, LEGS OR FEET

Non-surgical Spinal Decompressionmay be theanswerfor you!

We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, a husbandand wife team,thatown LeBlancSpine Center. We have helped thousandsofpatientsget outof pain with Spinal Decompressiontherapy treatments, andwelove what we do.Discissuesare common,and patients sufferingare usuallygiven limitedoptions of treatment. We runthese bignewspaper advertisementstolet people in thecommunity know thereis anotheroptionoftreatment forpain- withoutmedication,injections, or surgery!

NON-SURGICALSPINAL DECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasive treatmentthathas been proventoreverse disc herniationsand relievenerve pain in theneck andlow back.Duringthe procedure, aspinaldiscisisolatedand aseriesofdistraction andrelaxationphasesoccur at averyspecificangle, targetingthe source of pain.A vacuum canbecreated inside thediscand thenegativepressuredeliversnutrients, oxygen,and fluidfromsurrounding tissues, to assist with repair of thedamaged disc Thetreatment is not painfulatall,and most patients read or even take anap whileontreatment!

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’splentyof researchtobackupthe claims of Spinal Decompression Therapyand itseffectiveness. Here arejusta few of thepublished scientificstudies

•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvementin back pain andbetterfunction. No patientrequired anyinvasivetherapies (e.g.epiduralinjections, surgery).”-AmericanAcademy of Pain Management

•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesa surgical procedurewhich permanentlyaltersthe anatomyand function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.”-Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completedthe therapy reported immediateresolutionofsymptoms.”-Orthopedic Technology Review

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successfulin71% of the778 cases” -Journal of NeurologicalResearch

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmericanJournal of Pain Management

•“Decompression Therapyreporteda76.5% with complete remissionand 19.6%withpartial remission of pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery

At LeBlancSpineCenter, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-clearedtechnologythatisproventoeffectively

IcametoLeBlancSpine Centerbecause I hadbeensuffering with extremebackpainand legpainfor severalweeks.I hadtriedother treatments,massage, NSAIDs andTylenol, butI wasstillinpain.

Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatments andnow Ifeel100%improved! What Ilike most aboutmytreatment is that it is noninvasive anditeliminatedmypain. My treatmentappointmentsare notlong, and thetreatment is pain-free. Sincebeginning treatmentatLeBlancSpine Center, Iamnow able to do allofmypreviousactivitiesand work withoutpain. Ialsohavemorerange of motion.I wouldhighlyrecommend LeBlanc SpineCenter! Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

alleviatepain.

It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is a candidatefor Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athorough individual assessment for each person whowalks throughour doors. Our high successrateinpainreliefstems from our commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

•Anin-depthconsultationabout your health andwellbeing wherewewilllisten. really listen .tothe detailsofyourcase.

•Acompleteneuromuscular examination

•Afullset of specializedX-rays(if clinically necessary)

•Athorough analysis of your exam andX-ray findings

Youwillsit with thedoctorone on onetogoover your x-rays,and you’ll gettosee everything first hand

At LeBlancSpine Center,weare honestwith our patients andwegivepersonalized attentionand analysis to each case. We trulyenjoy meetingwith patients to answer theirquestions andtohelp find outifSpinalDecompression treatments couldbe theanswertotheir pain

Thereisnochargeatall andyou don’tneedtobuy anything.You have nothing to lose by taking us up on this specialoffer andyou will getanswers to

what is causingyourpain. If youhaveseenour adsinthe past and have thoughtabout calling, don’thesitate. Youdon’t have to go on living in pain,missing outonactivitiesand otherpartoflifethatyou enjoy. Call us today!

I firstcametoLeBlancSpine Centerwith numbness in my arms andlegs. Iwas also experiencinglower back pain andneckpain. I hadbeensufferingwiththisfor over10years Ihad previouslytried oneepiduralinjection in my lowerbackand physical therapy, an I wasstillsuffering with thesesymptoms. Since beginning Spinal Decompressiontreatments, Ihavehad consistent improvement in my back condition, andIamnow 70%improved! Iam liftingwithout pain,sleepingbetter, andInow have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommendDr. LeBlancand LeBlanc SpineCenter!

L. J. Dupuy

(College Baseball Coach) Hometown -Addis,LA

treatments-ITWORKS! DebraEarl Hometown-Baton Rouge

IcametoDr. LeBlancbecause Ihad been suffering with severe sciatica. Thepaininmylow back andlegswas so severe that Ibegan staying home rather than attendingsportingorsocial events

Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatmentsand sincethen, Iam70% improved! Iamfeeling well enough andenergetic afterworking allday to cook,dohousehold chores,attendfunctions etc. Ihavemoremobility andI am notexhausted from thepain! Thestaff andDoctors here are wonderful.Everyoneissokindand friendly and will do whatever is needed to decreasethe pain What Ilikemostabout my care at LeBlancSpine CenterisTHE RESULTS! Ihighlyrecommend LeBlancSpine Centerdue to thenon-invasive treatmentand results! As amatteroffact, Ihave recommendedDr. LeBlanctopeoplealready SabrinaRuggiero Customer ServiceRepresenative/Insurance Agent Hometown -Plaquemine, LA

government shutdown, plus deeper challenges like rising input costs, an outdated farm bill and growing competition from countries like Brazil.

While other markets, such as corn and soybeans, face similar challenges, the state of Louisiana’s cotton industry reflects decades of hardship. This year, the state will harvest about 84,000 acres of cotton, almost half of that in Tensas. It’s the smallest crop grown since the Louisiana Purchase, and more than a 90% decrease from about 1 million acres harvested 30 years ago, according to the Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association.

Yet farmers like the Hardwicks are still holding on to cotton, not working for profit, but to preserve a tradition — however complex woven into the fabric of the land.

When the market moves on

Like their young farmhand, the Hardwicks are a rare breed. Marshall Hardwick, 38, has long hair and a thoughtful demeanor more akin to a musician. In 2013, he returned to the family farm originally bought by his maternal greatgrandfather in the 1940s — after earning a master’s in environmental science from LSU. Mead Hardwick, 44, looks more the part of a farmer with a thick beard, but worked in commercial real estate for a decade in Dallas before home called around the same time.

Their father, a former professor at Southern Methodist University, fell in love with a woman from Tensas and began farming the property in the 1980s. Back then, the parish had twice its current population, and the U.S textile industry consumed 15 million to 16 million bales of domestically grown cotton a year which sold for almost 70 cents a pound, according to Teddy Schneider, a third-generation cotton

farmer in East Carroll Parish and former chairman of the National Cotton Council. But it was the tail-end of the crop’s heyday: polyester was surging, and free trade agreements in the 1990s sent much of the textile industry to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where labor was far cheaper China, India and now Brazil all where farming costs are lower — have surpassed the U.S. in cotton production, flooding the market and driving down demand. American textile manufacturers now consume 2 million U.S.-grown bales a year, and today’s prices hover around what they were in the 1980s. As Marshall stoops to admire a fruiting branch, he describes a demanding process that begins with planting in May, though each seed represents years of genetic refinement. Left unchecked, the plant would grow into a small tree, so the Hardwicks apply a growth regulator to push more energy into the

lint. By summer, the flowers blush red before withering in the heat. Eventually, the

cellulose. Then Hardwick must carefully time when to spray defoliants that strip the leaves for harvest.

“It’s an art,” said Marshall. “It requires a little more attention than grains.”

But by the mid-2000s, that same meticulous care was pushing Louisiana farmers to shift to other crops like corn, rice and soybeans — all seen as easier to grow and less susceptible to damage by hurricanes. Unlike cotton, they don’t require unique infrastructure; the same combine can be used for just about everything but cotton. For the same reason, when one decides to stop growing cotton, it’s usually for good, and Louisiana now ranks near the bottom of cotton-growing states.

“In Louisiana, we are blessed to be able to grow whatever the market asks us to grow,” said Bobby Skeen, executive vice president of the Louisiana Cotton & Grain Association, a farm lobby “But it’s both a blessing and a curse.”

Yet since the pandemic, costs for things such as fertilizer, seeds, equipment, fuel and insurance have exploded, while interest rates rose. Last year, the average expenditure per farm was $254,043, up from $182,130 in 2020, according to the USDA. With global markets setting commodity prices, farmers can’t simply charge more when their costs rise. Cheap imports keep prices low, leaving many in Louisiana barely breaking even this year — regardless of what they grow

“We’re still having to buy and produce these inputs, but we can’t say we’ll sell it at 80 cents,” said Marshall. Between 2017 and 2022 — the last two years an agricultural census was taken — Louisiana lost more than 2,000 farms. According to the trade publication Farm Journal, 91% of 70 agricultural economists surveyed in September believe the U.S. crop sector is in recession.

“Every generation has had struggles; agriculture is not easy,” Mead said. “But the risks today are so amplified.”

‘That’s all they know’

As McMahon drives the picker, it blows cotton fibers into a collection basket that automatically compresses it into a round module about 5,000 pounds of plastic-wrapped fluff that rolls off the picker, ready for transport to the nearest gin. Down the road from the Hardwicks, Andy Hazel operates Planter’s Gin, one of two left in the parish.

“We just have farmers where that’s all they know,” he said. “If they are losing money on their crop, they want it to be cotton.” At 32, Hazel juggles life as a taxidermist, cattle rancher and gin operator He wears industrial earmuffs and a worn-out, boyish smile. In October and November, Hazel works 12-hour days to process between 16,000 and 20,000 bales of cotton, less than half of what he

bolls that protect the seeds split open, exposing the white fiber of nearly pure

Bobby Skeen, executive vice president of the Louisiana Cotton & Grain Association, stands in a cotton field.

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN BALLANCE

Hardwick Planting Co. harvests cotton near Newellton in Tensas Parish at Somerset Plantation.

handled when he took over from his father in 2017.If his gin shuts down, little would stand in the way of most farmers giving up cotton altogether,asshippingit farther would be too costly

“Dad’swatcheda bunch of these guys grow up. It’sjust abig,tight-knit community,” Hazelsaid. “I’m here as long as the industry holds.”

“There are14cottongins left in the state,” said Skeen, down from 56 acouple decades ago. “Do we need that many cotton gins? Probably not. But if the markets come back, you want to maintain thatlevel of infrastructure to support it.”

Most gins in Louisiana are farmer-owned nonprofits, so growers don’tpay to use them. Hazel keeps his operation afloat by selling the seeds, often processed into cottonseed oil used in cooking methods like frying Café Du Monde’sbeignets. At Planter’sGin, afew dozen workers oversee machines that break up and dry the cotton modules before a“gin stand” separates fiber from seed. The lint is then cleaned of twigs and leaves, packed for transport and shipped overseas.

The process, which makes cotton much cheaper and easier to produce,was first developed on the eve of the Louisiana Purchase and Industrial Revolution— the latter initially driven by textile manufacturing. According to John Bardes, an LSU professorand ahistorian on the American South, the timing brought astampede of cotton farmerstothe Mississippi and Red River deltas in Louisiana, considered untilthen an economic backwater

“The way we think about oil in the 20th-century economy,cotton was that in the 19th-century economy,” he said. “Suddenly, Louisiana contains some of the most valuable land on theentire continent. Louisiana as we know it is aproduct of that land rush.”

By 1860, 70% of the world’scotton was grown

in the South.New Orleans becameanagricultural Wall Street where financiers evaluated and bought cotton, and most of thenation’s millionaires lived on plantations between New Orleans and Natchez,Mississippi, Bardes said Of course, theimmense wealth relied on the forced, brutal labor of Black men, women and children. After the international slave tradewas outlawed in1808, Bardessaid, over 1million slaves were transported to theDeep Southfrom places like Virginia. By the outbreak of theCivil War, half ofall Louisianans were Black,hesaid

“I would dare to say most Blackresidents primarily trace their ancestry to peoplewho wereforcibly transported from the upper South to the lowerSouthduring the cotton and sugar revolution,” said Bardes.

BBB,tariffs,fresh avenues

Though many plantations collapsedafterthe Civil War, Bardes says the industry didn’tseriouslyfalter until the1920s,when theboll weevil —a beetlethatfeeds on cotton budsand flowers —begantodevastate crops. Mechanization,chemical fertilizers and improvements to crop genetics all followed, further reducing both farmland and farmjobs.While the boll weevil has been largely

eradicated,today’s cotton growersstill battle pests like thetarnished plantbug, though those threats pale beside economic pressures.

Farmers are hoping that current tariffs —whichhave so far pushedmajor importers of U.S.agricultural commodities, including cotton, elsewhere —will eventually lead to fairer global trade But in the long run, farmers saythe best way tokeep cotton alive is to boostdemand. They say that starts with putting pressure on polyester, cotton’s petroleum-based rival.

AUnited Nations report estimates thatproducing polyester consumed 70 million barrelsofoil in 2022,and washing synthetic fabrics may account for up to 35% of microplastics released into theworld’soceans.

“Ifyou canget people to really change from polyestertocotton,the pricewillbe at aplace where everybody is profitable, everybody is making money,” saidMarshallHardwick

But cotton production isn’t exactly the darling of environmentalists.It’sfuel-intensive and reliesonheavy pesticideuse.

Still,cotton is biodegradable,and the Hardwicksare strivingtoshowitcan be grownsustainably.Driving through theirrollingcropland, the brothers point out reduced-tillage fields that

limit erosion and pockets of reforestedbottomland whereblack bears now forage. Beside one field, aheap of chicken litter —ofwhich they use about1,000 tons each year—sits readyasa natural, though costly, fertilizer

The practices earned them certification as regenerative, or “regen-agri,” farmers—a designation similar to organic,though less extreme and more attainable for conventional operations,saidMarshallHardwick “Thereare plentyofpeo-

ple that do it better than us, but we’re always trying to find these new techniques, newpractices that make us better,”hesaid. It’salso amore practical way for larger companies to shrink their carbon footprint, and the Hardwicks have supplied J.Crew with regenerative cotton forthe last fiveyears. Marshall Hardwick says the growing trend helps eco-minded producersfind large buyers willing to paymorefor a better crop —another possible avenue forkeeping U.S.

farmers afloat

“Our ag is safe and the qualityissafe to use, sustainable andtraceable,” said Skeen. “In the U.S., that is one of the banners we can wave.” For now,that banner flies over fewer and fewer fields. ButinplaceslikeTensas, farmers keeponplanting, kindling awhiteglowover thedelta soil in hopesthatit will last.

Email Aidan McCahill ataidan.mccahill@ theadvocate.com.

storiesfromBluebirdCafesongwriters: TimNichols,Lee Thomas Miller,and WendellMobley. These Nashville hitmakerswrite songs forcountry musiclegends including: TimMcGraw, GarthBrooks, Chris Stapleton,Trace Adkins,RebaMcEntire, Jo DeeMessina, FaithHill,Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, George Strait,Jason Aldean, KennyChesney,CarrieUnderwood LukeBryan,Keith Urban, Alabama, Trisha Yearwood,RascalFlatts, and more

When freshmanmiddledistancerunnerKeeton Johnsonsat down to fillout hisapplication forJaguars

Uncaged: Building Beyond theBluff Next Up,a new programfor Southern University Student-Athletes,he decidedtobefully honest

“I wasabletobevulnerableand expresshow Ireally felt,” Johnsonsaid. “Certain people only know me as a runneror thekid whoalwayshas asmile in class.Iwant them to seebothsides of me.”

That type of personal reflectionwithaneye toward future goalsisexactly what Dr.Tambria Bradford, Southern’s Director of Student-AthleteDevelopment andAcademics,hoped to inspirewiththe initiative whichisdesignedtohelpJaguars explore whotheyare beyond thegame.

Launched this fall as part of Southern’s JAGS Elite developmentframework,Jaguars Uncagedisfunded throughanNCAAgrant.Overthenextseveralmonths,23 Student-Athleteswilllearnhowtobuildapersonalbrand anddefine theirpersonalvalues–the non-negotiables that shape theircharacter anddecisions “Yousetthestandardwhenyouknowwhoyouareand what thestandardisfor you,”Dr. Bradfordsaid. “We’re doingmoreintensive programming with this cohort of students to help them gettothatlevel of claritywhere theyknow,‘thisiswhoIamandthisiswhatIwanttodo. Dr.BradfordsaidtheprogramalsoaddressestheNIL landscape, in whichcollege athletes canearnmoney by partnering with businesses andorganizations through name,image andlikenessdeals “Inhelpingthemdiscoverwhotheyareandwhatthey standfor,ithelps them connectwithpeoplewho tieinto that imagewho they canalsosupport,” shesaid. Jayden Rogers,adefensive tackle on theJaguars football team,saidheislooking forwardtolearning howtopublicize hisnameand brandwhile also finding ways to become abetterperson. Rogers, atop academic

Student-Athletewhoisstudyingmechanicalengineering, saidhebelievesthoseskillswillhelphimbuildpersonal connectionsthatwillultimatelyleadtoasuccessful career.“I’mjusthavingfunlearningnewthings,”hesaid Dr.Bradfordsaidshe originally expected thefirst JaguarsUncaged:NextUpcohorttoinclude fewer Student-Athletes,but thestrengthofthe applications wastoostrongtoignore.Manyofthemwerecreativeand openabouttheirpersonalgoals,includinghowtheywant to engage with theircommunities,helptheir families andsupport localyouth.“It wasreallyencouraging to seethat,”she said Johnsonsaidthe applicationprocessand first few sessions with thecohorthavemadehim realizethat he wantstocomeout of hisshell andopenupmoreasa person.Healsohopestolearnhowtobecomeamentorto youngerstudentsinhishometownofLeesvilleandshow them what is possible beyond high school

“That’swhatSouthernispushingforus,especiallyas Student-Athletes,” he said Kira Manganello,a catcheronthe Lady Jaguars softball team,saidJaguars Uncagedarrived at an ideal time.The applicationprocess helped herreflectonher experiencesasanathlete,astudent,aleaderandabudding professional.Now that sheisinthe cohort,Manganello wantstobuild on that foundation

“Iwanttolearnhowtobuildconsistency,”shesaid.“I’m tryingtofindtimetotaketimeformyselfandmakingsure thatIcanbeconsistentandmakingsurethatIcanreally hone in on my niche. HopefullybyApril,I’llhave really discoveredwhatitisliketoputmyselfoutintotheworld.”

STAFF

PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

AJohn Deere cotton harvester getreadytodropa cotton module in a field near Newellton in Tensas parish at Somerset Plantation.

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Cotton bolls open in a field near Newellton in Tensas Parish at SomersetPlantation.

Beloved TV mother figure June Lockhart dies at 100

Actor

known for parts

in ‘Lassie,’ ‘Lost In Space’

BY BOB THOMAS and BETH HARRIS Associated Press

LOS ANGELES June Lock-

hart, who became a mother figure for a generation of television viewers whether at home in “Lassie” or up in the stratosphere in “Lost in Space,” has died. She was 100.

Lockhart died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, family spokesman Lyle Gregory, a friend of 40 years, said Saturday

“She was very happy up until the very end, reading The New York Times and L.A. Times everyday,” he said. “It was very important to her to stay focused on the news of the day.”

The daughter of prolific character actor Gene Lockhart, Lockhart was cast frequently in ingenue roles as a young film actor Television made her a star

From 1958 to 1964, she portrayed Ruth Martin, who raised the orphaned Timmy (Jon Provost), in the popular CBS series “Lassie.” From 1965 to 1968, she traveled aboard the spaceship Jupiter II as mother to the Robinson family in the campy CBS adventure “Lost in Space.”

Her portrayals of warm, compassionate mothers endeared her to young viewers, and decades later baby boomers flocked to nostalgia conventions to meet Lockhart and buy her autographed photos.

Off-screen, Lockhart insisted, she was nothing like the women she portrayed.

“I must quote Dan Rather,” she said in a 1994 interview. “I can control my reputation, but not my image, because my image is how you see me.

“I love rock ’n’ roll and going to the concerts. I have driven Army tanks and flown in hot air balloons. And I go plane-gliding — the ones with no motors. I do a lot of things that don’t go with my image.”

Early in her career Lockhart appeared in numerous films. Among them: “All This, and Heaven Too,” “Adam Had Four Sons,” “Sergeant York,” “Miss Annie Rooney,” “Forever and a Day” and “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

She also made “Son of Lassie,” the 1945 sequel to “Lass-

ie, Come Home,” playing the grown-up version of the role created by Elizabeth Taylor New life on television

When her movie career as an adult faltered, Lockhart shifted to television, appearing in live drama from New York and game and talk shows. She was the third actor to play the female lead in “Lassie” on TV, following Jan Clayton and Cloris Leachman. (Provost had replaced the show’s original child star, Tommy Rettig, in 1957.)

Lockhart spoke frankly about her canine co-star:

“I worked with four Lassies. There was only one main Lassie at a time Then there was a dog that did the running, a dog that did the fighting, and a dog that was a stand-in, because only humans can work 14 hours a day without needing a nap.

“Lassie was not especially friendly with anybody. Lassie was wholly concentrated on the trainers.”

After six years in the rural setting of “Lassie,” Lockhart moved to outer space, embarking on the role of Maureen Robinson, the wise, reassuring mother of a family that departs on a five-year flight to a faraway planet in “Lost in Space.”

After their mission is sabotaged by a fellow passenger, the nefarious Dr Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), the party bounces from planet to planet, encountering weird creatures and near-disasters that required viewers to tune in the following week to learn of the escape.

Throughout the three-year run, Mrs. Robinson offered consolation and a slice of her “space pie.”

As with “Lassie,” Lockhart enjoyed working on “Lost in Space”: “It was like going to work at Disneyland every day.”

“So smart, quick, and funny — she filled her 100 years with curiosity, laughter, and rock ’n’ roll,” Angela Cartwright, who played her daughter on “Lost in Space” posted on Facebook. “I can only imagine she’s feeling right at home as she steps off this planet and into the stars.”

Bill Mumy, who played her son in the film, posted on social media: “A one of a kind, talented, nurturing, adventurous, and non compromising Lady She did it her way June will always be one of my very favorite moms.”

In 1968, Lockhart joined the cast of “Petticoat Junction” for the rural comedy’s last two seasons, playing Dr

“The Remake” and the animated “Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm,” for which she provided the voice for Mindy the Owl.

She also used her own media pass to attend presidential news conferences, narrated beauty pageants and holiday parades, and toured in the plays “Steel Magnolias,” “Bedroom Farce” and “Once More with Feeling.” “Her true passion was journalism,” Gregory said. “She loved going to the White House briefing rooms.”

Lockhart liked to tell the story of how her parents met, saying they were hired separately for a touring production sponsored by inven-

Janet Craig.

A little bit of everything Lockhart remained active long after “Lost in Space,” appearing often in episodic

television as well as in recurring roles in the daytime soap opera “General Hospital” and nighttime soaps, “Knots Landing” and “The Colbys.” Her film credits included

Actors June Lockhart, right, and Jon Provost, left, who played mother

series, pose

Bomb found in Gaza’s rubble wounds twins

BY ABDEL KAREEM HANA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Shorbasi family was sitting in their severely damaged house in Gaza City, enjoying the relative calm of the ceasefire. Then they heard an explosion and rushed outside to find their 6-yearold twins bleeding on the ground.

The boy, Yahya, and his sister, Nabila, had discovered a round object while playing. One touch, and it went off.

“It was like a toy,” their grandfather, Tawfiq Shorbasi, said of the unexploded ordnance, after the children were rushed to Shifa hospital on Friday “It was extremely difficult.”

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are seizing the chance to return to what’s left of their homes under the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10. But the dangers are far from over as people, including children, sift through the rubble for what remains of their belongings and for bodies unreachable until now Shorbasi said the family had returned home after the ceasefire took hold. Gaza City had been the focus of the final Israeli military offensive before the deal was reached between Israel and Hamas.

“We’ve just returned last week,” the grandfather said at Shifa hospital, fighting back tears. “Their lives have been ruined forever.”

The boy, Yahya, lay on a hospital bed with his right arm and leg wrapped in bandages. Nabila, now being

and combatants in its count.

The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Luke Irving, head of the U.N. Mine Action Service, UNMAS, in the Palestinian territories, has warned that “explosive risk is incredibly high” as both aid workers and displaced Palestinians return to areas vacated by the Israeli military in Gaza.

As of Oct. 7, UNMAS had documented at least 52 Palestinians killed and 267 others wounded by unexploded

ordnance in Gaza since the war began. UNMAS, however, said the toll could be much higher

Irving told a United Nations briefing last week 560 unexploded ordnance items have been found during the current ceasefire with many more under the rubble. Two years of war have left up to 60 million tons of debris across Gaza, he added. In the coming weeks, additional international demining experts are expected to join efforts to collect unexploded ordnance in Gaza, he said.

“As expected, we’re now finding more items because

we’re getting out more; the teams have more access,” he said.

Friday’s explosion that wounded the twins happened outside a multistory residential building that, like many across Gaza, stood badly damaged, with rubble piled outside. At the top of its outer steps was a small hole in the concrete from the blast.

“We ran outside and found the boy thrown to one side and the girl to the other,” said their uncle, Ziad AlShorbasi. As he spoke, another small child stood in the same doorway

treated at Patient’s Friends hospital, had a bandaged forehead

Both children’s faces were freckled with tiny shrapnel wounds.

A British emergency physician and pediatrician working at one of the hospitals told The Associated Press the twins had lifethreatening injuries including a lost hand, a hole in the bowel, broken bones and potential loss of a leg

The children underwent emergency surgery and their conditions have relatively stabilized, the doctor said But concerns remain about their recovery because of Gaza’s vast lack of medicine and medical supplies, said Dr Harriet, who declined to give her last name because her employer hadn’t authorized her to speak to the media.

“Now it’s just a waiting game so I hope that they

both survive, but at this point in time I can’t say, and this is a common recurrence,” she said.

Health workers call unexploded ordnance a major threat to Palestinians. Two other children, Yazan and Jude Nour, were wounded on Thursday while their family was inspecting their home in Gaza City, according to Shifa hospital.

Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, said five children were wounded by unexploded ordnance over the past week, including one in the southern city of Khan Younis.

“This is the death trap,” Dr Harriet said. “We’re talking about a ceasefire, but the killing hasn’t stopped.”

Already over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians

N.J. officer charged with misconduct

Officials say man stopped at ATM, pizzeria instead of probing murders

By The Associated Press

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J A New Jersey officer has been charged with misconduct after prosecutors say he didn’t quickly respond to and properly investigate reports of a shooting that turned out to be a double murder, instead stopping at an ATM and pizzeria. Franklin Township Police Sergeant Kevin Bollaro was the on-duty officer on the evening of Aug. 1, when police received 911 calls reporting gunshots and screaming in Pittstown about 60 miles from Manhattan in central New Jersey, according to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renee Robeson’s office.

But rather than responding immediately, prosecutors say GPS data and surveillance video show Bollaro drove nearly two miles in the opposite direction of the caller’s location to a bank ATM.

Dispatchers relayed other calls from concerned neighbors as Bollaro proceeded toward their locations without activating his police vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens, they said. When he arrived at the location of the first caller the officer told the dispatcher he didn’t hear anything and said he would continue to the locations of the other callers. But Robeson’s office said GPS data shows he never visited those locations before he asked the dispatcher to clear him from the scene. They say Bollaro instead headed to Duke’s Pizzeria in Pittstown, where he remained for nearly an hour Witnesses later saw him park and enter another local restaurant, where he remained for roughly another hour prosecutors said Bollaro later submitted a report in which prosecutors say he made false statements about the extent of his investigation. They note that during the time frame he claimed to be canvassing the area, the officer was already on route to the pizzeria.

The following day, Aug. 2, the bodies of Lauren Semanchik, 33, and Tyler Webb, 29, were found in a home

roughly 600 feet away from the location of the first 911 caller Prosecutors say the two had been shot to death by New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Ricardo Santos, who had later killed himself. Bollaro has been charged with official misconduct for knowingly refraining from performing his police duties, prosecutors said. He also faces a charge of tampering with public records for knowingly making false entries in his incident report.

Bollaro is due to appear in court Nov 5.

His lawyer, Charles Sciarra, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday but, in a statement to the New York Post, called the charges “unfortunate.” He maintained “nothing Kevin Bollaro did or did not do that day impacted or could have stopped” the killings.

The families of the two shooting victims, meanwhile, have said they are “shocked at Sgt. Bollaro’s egregious conduct” and believe it is the “tip of the iceberg of the many failures by the local and state police” in the killings, WABC-TV reports.

At TheBaton RougeClinic, breast cancer care is aboutmorethantreatment. It’s aboutproviding comprehensive, compassionatesupport at every stageofthe journey. With afullrange of screening, diagnostic,and surgical services offered under one roof,patientscan access advanced care in asetting that is both familiar andconvenient.

Fromroutinemammogramstosurgicalintervention patients areguidedbyatrusted team,startingwith theirinternist andextending to leading specialists in breast health.Among thoseexperts is Dr.Everett Bonner,asurgicaloncologistand breast specialist whohashelpedshapetheclinic’sapproachtobreast cancer care

Dr.Bonnermadehistoryin2016asthefirstsurgeon in theGreater BatonRouge Area to performHidden Scar BreastCancerSurgery,atechniquethatremoves canceroustissuethrough asingle, discreet incision This approach preservesthe naturalshape of the breast andminimizes visiblescarring. Beyondsurgery,Dr.Bonnerandhisteammanage awiderange of breast health concerns,including abnormal mammograms,breastpain, lesions, and sentinel node evaluations.

“I thinkthe most importantthing is to make sure youare comfortable with theteamyou’rewith becauseit’sa journey. You’re in it for thelongterm. It’s alifelongrelationship.”, says Dr.Bonner. Thatcommitmenttolong-term,patient-centered careisespeciallycriticalintheCapitalRegion,where ratesofbreastcancerare higher than both thestate andnationalaverages, Louisianaalsoranks among thetop states forbreastcancermortality However,Dr.Bonnernotesonebrightspot:Louisiana

is also aleaderinbreastcancerscreenings, which is akey factor in improvingoutcomes.

“Ifthe cancer is detected early, in Stage1or2, thesurvivalrateisinthe high 90 percentrange,” Dr.Bonner said.“If it is detected at Stage0,there is almost a100 percentsurvivability.That’swhy mammograms arekey.”

Thegeneral recommendation is for womento beginannualmammogramsatage 40,but earlier screenings maybeadvised forthose with afamily historyoradditionalriskfactors such as obesity, smoking, or excessive alcoholuse

In addition to regularmammograms, Dr.Bonner encourages womentoperform self-exams,see their doctorsfor regularphysicalexams,and consider advancedimagingtechniqueslikeMRIsorultrasounds especially if they have densebreasttissue.

“Early intervention saveslives,” he said.“We hear womenwho saytheydon’t want to have a mammogrambecause they don’twanttoknow if they have cancer.Wecan’t have earlyintervention for somethingwedon’t know about. We work really hard to breakdownthatfear.”

To learnmoreabout breast cancer care at The BatonRouge Clinicortoscheduleascreening,visit batonrougeclinic.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Nabila Shorbasi, who was injured by an unexploded ordnance along with her 6-year-old twin brother, yahya, lies on a bed on Saturday at Patient’s Friends Charity Hospital in Gaza City

Data is keytosolving absenteeism, leader says

Q&A WITH SHARON LATTEN CLARK STATEBOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO

Staff writer

Sharon Latten Clark, aschool

leaderand Louisiana state board of education member,understands better than most how crucial attendance is to student success.

ANew Orleans native with30 years of teaching and administrative experience, Clarkworked at schools in Houston and Phoenix before returning home in 2002 to become director of Sophie B. Wright High School, awellregardedcharter school inNew Orleans.

Since then, she’sserved on a state task force aimed at improving student attendance and was elected to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last year.She also heads anew truancy work group, which the Legislature formed last spring to study chronic absenteeism and provide policy recommendations to lawmakers, including whether to tie school funding to daily attendance rates. The group held its firstmeeting in Baton Rouge last week.

The group has its workcut out for it: Even as other states saw their chronic absenteeism rates decline after the pandemic, Louisiana is one of ahandful still struggling to get children back into the classroom. The number of students regularly missing school rose between 2022and 2024, before falling slightlylast year

Clark said the first step in boosting attendance is for schools to consistently track how many days

students miss so that they can intervene early on.But one road block, Clark said,isthat different schools measure chronic absenteeism differently,making it difficult to studystatewide trends.

”Wewant to makesure we’re usingthe samecollection methods across thestate,”she said.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What didyou takeawayfrom the recent truancy task force meeting?

It was an eye-opener.Itwas very interesting to sit with people whobring other perspectives —a community perspective, alegislative perspective, (the Louisiana Department ofEducation) perspective —and talk about what we canall bring to the table to solve this for the state.

Oneconcern Ihave is every district is using adifferent standard for data collection.Some districts say astudentis chronically absent after 10 missed days, others say five. That makes it moredifficultfor data collection.

Can you explain thedifference between absenteeismand truancy?

Truancy is when astudent has unexcused absences. According to state statute, achild is considered chronically truant at five unexcusedabsences.Chronic absenteeism is when astudent is out of school for anyreason, whether it’sanexcused absence or not

What is therole of the courts in tackling absenteeism, andwhat are ways to avoid getting families engagedinthe criminal justicesystem?

Courts are alast-ditch effort to involve the families of students who have become chronically absent, butwealso need their support. State statutelists con-

sequences for parentswho don’t follow thecourt’srules.

When Italk to our FINS (Families in Need of Services, acourt program meanttokeep children out of the juvenile justice system) officer in New Orleans, he tells me they reach out toparentsover and over but they don’thear back. So after we try to contact those parentsand go to their houses several times, we issue asummonsbecause there’snocollaboration withthe parent

Iknow LouisianaChief Justice John Weimer is asking for additional funds for FINS so that we have moreprevention options before it getstothat point

What does Sophie B.WrightHigh School do to address absenteeism?

Even though the district tells us to report studentstoFINS at 15 days absent,wesubmitted over 40 cases at five days or more, because at 15, those studentsare gone, and it’s hard to get them back. ButFINS didn’thave the capacitytoget to all of those cases. There was abacklog, and there were some issues.

At theschool level, we’re making sure parents are being contacted at three days missed. We explain to them the impact of their student being absent, and if thingsdon’timprove from there, Irefer the family to FINS. If they opt out or the situation still doesn’timprove, thefamily will get asummons.

I’m in theprocess of hiring an attendance coordinator at my school once we’ve put somestatewide initiatives and best practices into place. Iwant to be amodel to other schools, and Iwant to makesure Ihave research-based

practices that Ican bring back to DOE and to these committees and say,‘This doesn’twork. This does work —weshould look at this platform somemore.’ Things like that.

Does your schooluse anyincentivesto getkids into the classroom?

This year,we’re implementing aperfect attendance award every month. The kids whoget the award get areward, like abook or ashirt,and we have aquarterly attendance award where we takethe kids somewhere of their choosing. We also send out letters to parents recognizing them and thanking them formaking sure their kids are going to school, just to let them know we appreciate their efforts.

What supportcan schools provide students to address the root causes of absenteeism? Is there enough funding forthat?

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THESTATEHOW TO TACKLE THEBIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA SCHOOLS. HAVE AN

Ithink there are someissues with funding, but you have to ask what your priorities are. We make sure we have uniforms we can give to students whoneed them, and we ask our distributors to give us acertain number of free uniforms as acontribution, since we’re using them as avendor Ikeep stuff that students might need, like deodorant and snacks, and schools can do mealsafter school if it’sabout kids being hungry

What are your thoughts on tying school funding to attendance rates?

I’mnot forthat. If we’re struggling with the funds we have now to implement programstomake sure children are there, if you take those funds away,we’ll be at adeficit.

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Sharon Latten Clark,a member of the state education board and presidentofLouisiana’snew truancy work group, talks about ways the state can tackleits absenteeism crisis.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Shutdown ‘addinganother layerofstress’ to residents

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —AsDemocrats and Republicans continue to jockey over thefederal government’s shutdown with no end in sight, a key question is how to compensate active-duty military and federal civilian employees who have been required to work without pay for the past three weeks.

Americans are starting to feel the effects of the government not operating since Oct. 1. Foodstamps won’tbeavailable in Louisiana starting Nov.1,although Gov.Jeff Landry and the Legislature are working to offset that.Farmers and small businesses can’tget loans. Flights are being delayed and some canceled. Thousands of Louisiana federal workers won’treceive paychecks

In Louisiana, that means 15,235 active-duty military personnel at three major bases won’tget paid at the end of the week, reports the Defense Department.

About 1.1 million active-duty service memberswere stationed at 326 bases across the country in June.

Many of the 19,537 civilian federal workers in Louisiana also didn’treceive paychecksFriday

They include federal law enforcement, park rangers, immigration officials, Transportation Security Administration agents, FEMA responders and air trafficcontrollers. And 19,715 National Guard and reserve members in Louisiana receive at least part of theirpay from the federal government.

The Senate voted 54-45not to proceed on Thursday afternoon with abill that would authorize the federal government to pay “essential” workers who have been onthe job during the shutdown, now entering its fourth week. Three Democratic senatorsjoinedthe Republicans on the pay measure, but60votes were neededtoadvance the legislation.

“This is wrong,” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-BatonRouge,saidmomentsafter thevote. “Ifyou can’t bring yourself to cross party lines to ensure our troops geta paycheck, you should reconsider why you ran for Congress.” Cassidy is aco-sponsor of theRepublican bill.

The main sponsor of the legislation, U.S. Sen.Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told reporters moments after the

Bill Cassidynominates

Trump for Nobel Prize

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, introduced aresolution last week to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for “Operation Warp Speed,” the federal efforttodevelop aCOVID vaccine during Trump’s first term in office.

“President Trump’sdecisive action in Operation Warp Speednot only saved millions of lives but brought the American economy backtolife. When Americans needed avaccine in record time to stop aonce-in-a-generation pandemic, President Trump delivered,” Cassidy said in anews

Transportation SecretarySean Duffy,left, and Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, walk through

StatuaryHall at the Capitol on ThursdayinWashington, D.C.

vote that he would try again.

Thebill was the latest Republican strategy to breakthe stalemate.

But Democratic senators also forwarded abill that would have paid all federal workers since Oct. 1, when disputes between the parties caused federal spending authority to lapse

Federal employees who are not required towork were furloughed and willget paidfor their time away from theoffice after theshutdown ends

The lead sponsors of the two bills said they could work out the differences between whetherto pay all employees or just those who have been working during the shutdown. But they could notfind accommodationfor the difference on whether theTrump administration would be allowed to reduce the federal workforce during the shutdown.

The Democratic measurewas sidelined bya procedural maneuver Exactly when the paychecks will be skippeddependsonthe payroll processing system of aparticular agency.The first full missed paycheck forsome civilian employees was Friday and will be Tuesday or

release. “The Nobel Prizehas been given for alot less. He should receive the next one!”

Cassidy is chair of theSenate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. His resolution is also sponsoredby John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming and the Senate Majority Whip.

The Warp Speedproject, launched as COVID-19 killed thousands ofpeople aday and forced muchofthe country to shut down, providedgrants to companies developing vaccines andcleared regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles to rapidly distribute the shots. Cassidy,who is adoctor,isa strong supporterofvaccines. That hasperiodically put him in ten-

Thursday for others.

The Military Family Advisory Networkreportedthat morethan 50,000 military familieshave reachedout forhelp. The organizationrecommended thatfamilies reviewoptions forfinancialassistance and alerted members that grocery boxesare being shipped this week.

Louisiana has5,615 active-duty spousesand 10,226 childrenat Barksdale Air Force Base near BossierCity,Fort James H. Polk & The Joint ReadinessTraining Center in VernonParishand theBelle Chasse Naval AirStation near New Orleans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, RBenton,saidThursdaythe Trump administration hasbeen looking for pots of money andlawsthat would allow diversion of those funds.

For instance, theWhite House used a1930s law to allow tariff proceedstoprovide funding for aprogramthat helps low-income mothers andmothers-to-be with formula and other essentials for newborns.

Thelastvote theHouse made was Sept. 19. After that, Johnson sentmembers home, saying the Housedid itsjob by passing a

sionwith Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’sSecretaryofHealth and Human Services and aprominent vaccine skeptic.

Cassidy,who is running for reelection next year in acrowded Republican primary, has been emphasizing his ties to Trump. His GOPcriticshave criticized him for his vote to convict Trump on his impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at theU.S. Capitol.

Nungesser criticizes open primaries in op-ed

Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser issued an op-ed this week criticizing Louisiana’srecent change to closed party primaries.

Lastyear,the LouisianaLegislature changed the way races are run for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, stateSupremeCourt, Public Ser-

resolutiontocontinuegovernment operations while finishing up appropriations measures for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. Senate Democrats have rejected the continuing resolution at least adozen times.

Johnsonsays there’snothing to negotiate withDemocrats because the continuing resolution has no partisanlanguage and merely allows government to operate at budget levelsestablished during the Bidenadministration If five more Democratic senators would approvethe continuing resolution, then everyonewould get paid and money would flowfor governmentservices, such as food stamps, Johnson said.

He contends Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., is holding up approval as asop to aDemocratic base that wants to fight PresidentDonaldTrump. Democrats want Republicans to extendtax creditsonpremiums used by low-incomeindividuals and many small businesses to buy health insurance on the Affordable Care marketplace. Unlessthe tax creditsare extended, those workers will have to pay roughly double for their insurancecoveragein 2026.

vice Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Democratssay theshutdown gives them leveragethatwon’t exist when the government reopens, claiming they don’ttrust Republicans to then negotiateingoodfaith. Republicans counter that the credits were expanded and set to expire Dec. 31 during the COVID pandemic when Democrats controlledCongress andthe White House.

While many Republicansdon’t oppose theextension, theyargue that the high premium prices, which the taxcredits help offset, are aresult of the Affordable Care Act —and those high costs should be addressed

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray fromWashington state, who is vice chaironthe Senate Appropriations committee,said: “President Trumpcould not be less focused on reopening the government or preventing premiumsfrom exploding. But he is very focused on bailing outArgentina and buying privatejetsfor Secretary(Kristi) Noem, andbulldozing theWhite House so he can build afancy new ballroom.”

Trumphas indicated that he is willing to negotiate, but not until thefederal governmentreopens He left Fridaynight foratripto Asia.

In the meantime, airports are reporting longer waits to clear security,takeoff delays and canceled flights.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, often six days aweek, according to TransportationSecretarySean Duffy.Theyare worried about payingtheirmortgages andcar notes.

“They have to make choices. And the choices they are making is to take asecond job,” Duffy said Thursday.“Idon’twantthemdrivingfor DoorDash.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said keeping thousands of planes safely taking off, landing and flying is extremely demandingeven underthe best of circumstances.

“Adding another layer of stress to an alreadystressful job is really straining thesystem,” Scalise said. “The American people, especially federal workers, are considered by Democrats to be leveraged, to be pawns in theirgame.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Louisiana previously had “jungle primaries,” in which all candidates, regardless of party affiliation,ran together in one primary election. Now in those races, Republican and Democratic candidates will first compete in primaries to decide who will represent their parties in thegeneral election.

In an op-ed that ran in Friday’s edition of The Advocate |The Times-Picayune, Nungesser argued open primaries reduce the role of partisanship in elections.

“When elected officials aren’t catering to asmallgroup of party voters in closed primaries, they

can focus on solving problems affecting everyone,” Nungesser wrote. “We’re farfrom perfect, but by manymeasures, Louisiana punches above its weight. Our election system is abig reason why.”

Nungesser,aRepublican, also argued that the open primaries were good forhis party

“Webuilt Louisiana’smodern Republican Party under the open primary system.Itworked because it forced us to talk to everybody,not just people wearing the samejersey,” Nungesser wrote. He continued: “The reason conservatives have astrong majority today is because we had to campaign across every parish, every community and every kitchen table. The open system madeus better candidates, better leaders and ultimately madeLouisiana stronger.”

Cassidy

Nungesser

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Left-leaningindependent Connolly wins Irishpresidentialvote

BY SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

LONDON Left-wing independent CatherineConnolly, who secured the backing of Ireland’sleft-leaning parties including Sinn Féin,has won the country’spresidential election in alandslide victory against her center-right rival.

Official results showed strong voter support for Connolly as president, alargely ceremonial role in Ireland. She won 63% of first-preference votes once spoiled votes were excluded, compared to 29% of herrival Heather Humphreys, of the centerright party Fine Gael. Connolly,68, said Saturday evening at Dublin Castlethat she would champion diversity and be avoice for peace and one that “builds on our policy of neutrality.”

“I would be an inclusive president for all of you, and

Russia’sfull-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Irelandhas atraditionof militaryneutrality, buther critics have saidshe risks alienatingthe country’sallies.

Connollywill succeed Michael D. Higgins, whohas been president since 2011, having served themaximum twoseven-year terms. She will be Ireland’s10thpresident andthe third woman to hold the post Thepoliticianhas garnered the backingofarange of leftleaning parties, including Sinn Féin,the Labour Party and the Social Democrats.

hosting theEUpresidency in the second half of 2026.”

Irish presidents represent the country on the world stage, host visiting heads of state andplayanimportant constitutional role, but they do not have executive powerssuchasshaping laws or policies.

Nonetheless, parties on the left celebratedthe results as asignificantshift in Irish politics.

Iregard it as an absolute honor,”she said. Humphreys conceded she had lost earlier Saturday before vote counting hadfinished. Connolly,aformer bar-

risterwho has served as a lawmaker since 2016, has been outspoken in criticizing Israel over thewar in Gaza. She has also warned against theEuropean Union’sgrowing “militarization” following

Prime Minister Micheál Martin on Saturday congratulated Connolly on her “very comprehensive election victory.” He said he was looking forwardtoworking with the new president as “Ireland continues to play asignificant role on the global stage, and as we look forwardto

“Wehaveseen areal appetite forthe change that Catherine represents,” said Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik. “Webelieve this really does mean anew sort of politics is possible, that we can now realize the ambition that Italked about ayear ago: The real prospect of acenterleft-ledgovernment afterthe next general election.”

Connolly and Humphreys were the only contenders after Jim Gavin, the candidate forMartin’sFianna Fail par-

ty,quit the race three weeks before the election over a long-ago financial dispute. Martin, who headsIreland’sgovernment,had personally backed Gavin as apresidential candidate. Though Gavin had stopped campaigning, his name remained on the ballot paper because of his late withdrawal from the race. He won7%offirst preference votes. Others —including musician Bob Geldof and the former mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor —had indicated they wished to run for president but failed to receive enough backing foranomination. Theelectoral commission saidSaturday that there was a“significantly higher than normal”numberofspoiled ballots, and that there will “clearly be aneed fordeeper andfurtherreflection” about voter dissatisfaction.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By NIALLCARSON

Left-wing independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly arrives SaturdayatDublin Castle for the countin Ireland’s presidentialelection. She wonthe vote to replace Michael D. Higgins,who has

THE GULF COAST

BelovedWavelandeateryreopens 20 yearsafter Katrina

‘Rickey’sisour Hubig’spie’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

An hour after doors opened last Thursday,nearly every table at chef Rickey Peters’ revived restaurantinWaveland,Mississippi, was filled with locals and plates piledhighwithfried artichokes, ciabatta sandwiches and barbecue shrimp.

It had been aweek since the return of Rickey’sonColeman, but it seemed as if it had never closed. Mayor Jay Trapani sat at acorner table and ate lunch with his family Peters occasionallystepped out of the kitchen to greetold friends, exchanging handshakes and brief remarks, while servers took orders in soft Southern drawls.

The popular restaurant served New Orleans fare for nearly six years until Hurricane Katrinadismantled it in 2005. But locals never forgot the classic dishes made by Peters, aChalmettenativetrained by famed chefPaul Prudhomme.

The crowds filing into the lone restaurant on Coleman Avenue made that clear,packing the original spot for fried trout with shrimp, crawfish and crabmeat tossed in cream sauce and seafood pasta with tasso and andouille sausage.

“They’ve been waiting for it

They really missed him.(Peters) was such astaple herebefore Katrinaand afterKatrina ”said Scott Sutherland, aco-owner of Rickey’s. Peters has revived the restaurant before, reopening sixmonths after the storm in Bay St. Louis, where it ran for nine years before closing as he battled severe burnout. Years later,hetried again with arebranded version, Rickey’sOff the Track, which also eventually closed.

But the idea to reopen in 2025 began taking shape lastyear,when Thomas Genin, arestaurateurin Bay St. Louis, who once owned the building housing Rickey’sbefore

selling it in September,asked Peters if he wanted to bring the restaurant back His response? “Hell yeah.”

Resurgence on Coleman Since then, its opening date has

been highly anticipated. Sutherland compared theexcitement to thecomebackofHubig’s Pies bakery —the maker of New Orleans’iconic sugar-glazed hand pies thatwas destroyed in afire —playfully adding, “Rickey is our

Hubig’spie.”

Therestaurant launchedthe week of Cruisin’ theCoast, an annualclassic car showalong the Mississippi Coastthatdrewin thousands this year andhundreds into the restaurant on its first few days. Peters said Coleman Avenue “looked like Mardi Gras on Canal

Street,” nodding to another New Orleans tradition.

The return of Rickey’smarks the rebirthofalocal staplebut also foreshadows theresurgence of a small coastal city,and astreet that never fully healed after the storm Before Katrina, ColemanAvenue waslined with three restaurants, twobars, condos, aconvenience storeand otherneighborhoodfixtures.

Then it becameaghost town: grassy lots, crumbling foundations, prolonged stillness. In recent years, though,developers havebegun breathing life back into what wasonce the heart of Waveland withaKatrina museum, abakery and now,Rickey’s.

ServingupNew Orleansdishes Rickey’sisanode to what it was before the storm

Near the entrance is awallcovered in photographs and old newspaper features about the restaurant. Like its former location, the interior is decorated with nautical touches—manila rope wrapped around columns andtarponreplicas mounted on the wall.

Themenuresurrects beloved dishes, including veal Parmigiana and trout treasures, and Peters’ dedication to quality remains unchanged.

There are ahandful of appetizers, including one named the crabby cheese crostini, with layers of melted cheese over crabmeat dressing on toasted ciabatta bread.

Lunch entrees include fresh salads and sixsandwiches on ciabatta bread.

Served with abowl of au jus, the French dip sandwich is stuffed with roast beef andprovolone cheese, while another features all thefixingsofa dressed fried shrimp po-boy —shredded lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise —minus the French bread.

But most of all, the crowd remains thesame as it was20years ago, with regulars walking through the doors of arestaurant they long missed.

Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ theadvocate.com.

LEVITAN

dismantled by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago.

The crabbycheese crostini has layers of melted cheese over crabmeat dressing on toasted ciabatta bread.

Hispanic viewsofTrump have changedsince

BY ADRIANA GOMEZLICON and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s favorability has fallen among Hispanic adults since the beginning of the year,anew AP-NORC poll shows, apotential warning sign from a key constituency that helped secure his victory in the 2024 election.

The October survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for PublicAffairs Research finds that 25% of Hispanic adultshave a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of Trump, down from 44%inanAP-NORC poll conducted just before theRepublican took office for the second time. The percentage of Hispanicadults who say the country is going in the wrong direction has also increased slightly over thepastfew months,from 63% in March to 73% now

The shift could spelltroublefor Republicans looking to cement support with this groupinfuture elections

Many Hispanic voters were motivatedbyeconomic concerns in last year’selection, and the new poll shows that despite Trump’spromises of economic revitalization, Hispanic adults continue to feel higher financial stressthan Americans overall. Hispanic voters made up 10% of the electorate in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, asurvey of interviews with registered voters,and the number of eligible Hispanic voters has been growing rapidly in recent decades.

Alejandro Ochoa, 30,isa warehouse worker in Adelanto, California. He identifies as aRepublican and voted for Trump last year,but he’s nowunhappy with the president. He criticized someof Trump’sbudget cuts, adding that the cost of groceries is too high and buying ahome is still unattainable for him.

“He was kind of relying on essentiallythe nostalgiaof, ‘Hey,remember,beforeCOVID? Things weren’tasexpensive,’”Ochoa said. “But now it’slike, OK, you’re in office I’m still gettingdonedirty at the grocery store.I’m still spending an insane amount of money.I’m trying to cut corners where Ican, but that bill is still insanely expensive.” Hispanic voters shifted towardTrump in the last election, though amajority still backed Democrat Kamala Harris:43% of Hispanic voters nationally voted for Trump, according to AP VoteCast, up from 35%inthe 2020 presidentialelection, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. But the poll now finds that Hispanic adults are slightly less likely to approve of Trump’shandling of the economy and immigration —two issuesthatwere major strengths for him in last year’spresidential campaign —and their views of his overall presidential performance have slipped alittle as well. In March, 41% of Hispanic adults approved of the way Trump was handling his job as president,but now that has fallen to 27%.

Over thepast few months, Hispanic communities have also been atarget of thepresident’shard-line immigration tactics. The poll foundthat Hispanicadults’ approval of hishandling of immigration has declined slightly since March. Some see the two issuesas linked. Trump’sattacks on immigration have affected low-wage and high-skilled workers alike, at amoment

areopposed and the rest don’thaveanopinion. Among U.S. adults overall, about 4in 10 favordeporting allimmigrants in theU.S.illegally, while 34% are opposed and about 2in10don’thave an opinion.

RickAlvarado, 63, aRepublican who lives in San Diego, sayshestill supportsTrump and praised his actions to cut public spending. Alvarado,a property manager,isbehind

Trump’simmigration crackdownincitiesincluding Los Angeles and Chicago, saying he believes some immigrants are involved in organized crime.

But he added that he would like to seeasolutionfor those without criminal records to obtain legal residency status.

“The people who are productive should have apathway to stay here somehow,” Alvarado said.

when theeconomy is already uncertainbecause of hiserratic tradepolicies.

Fel Echandi, of WinterHaven, Florida, is abehavioral specialist who identifiesas aDemocrat but sometimes votesfor Republican candidates. He saidheappreciates Trump’sviews on transgender issues, including restroom access for transgender women.

But he’sconcerned that Trump’simmigration policies leave many people living in fear,with negative effects on theeconomy.

“A lotofpeoplerelyonimmigrants to do laborincertain areas,” Echandisaid.

“When that gets affected,all prices go up. Our foodcosts more becauseofthe costs to getpeople to do that work.”

The poll found particularly high levels offinancialstress among Hispanicadults, compared with the rest of the country.MoreHispanics say the cost of groceries, housingand health care andthe amountofmoney theyget paid are “major” sources of stress, compared withU.S adults overall.

ViewsofTrump have even soured alittle amongHispanic Republicans In the latest poll, 66% of Hispanic Republicans saidthey have a“very” or “somewhat” favorableview of Trump. That’saslight shift compared with where Trump stood in anAP-NORC poll from September2024, when 83% of Hispanic Republicansviewed him at least “somewhat” favorably About 8in10White Republicanshad afavorable view of Trump in the newpoll, which was unchanged from the yearbefore.

In anotherpotentially worrying signfor the president, younger Hispanics and Hispanicmen —two groups that swung particularly dramatically towardhim in last year’selection—alsosee him abit more negatively

About two-thirds of Hispanic adults under age 45 and Hispanic men now view Trump unfavorably,according to the newpoll.That’sa slight uptick from September 2024, when about halfin both groups hadanegative opinionofhim.

Other concerns about Trump’schaotic second term emerged in interviews Teresa Covarrubias, a 65-year-old retired schoolteacher from LosAngeles, feelsthings are going in the wrongdirection and said she wastroubledbyhow some of Trump’sactionshavedefied norms and may impact social safety netprograms.

“My major concern is the disregard for the Constitution and the law, and then also the level of cronyism,” said Covarrubias,who is an independent voter.“The peopleat thetop are just grifting and taking, and then there’s the rest of us.”

There are signs in the poll that Trump’stoughimmigra-

tion approach may be alienating some Hispanic adults. Over thepastfew months, the president has doubled down on hispledge of mass deportations, with escalating crackdownsinLatino neighborhoods in cities including Chicago.

The poll found that, in general, Hispanic adults are morelikely to sayimmigrationisanimportant issue to thempersonally.About twothirds of Hispanic adults prioritize immigration, compared with about6in10 White adults andabout half of Black adults

Andalthough theirviews on immigration enforcement aren’tuniform, Hispanic adults are much less likely than U.S. adults overall to favor deporting allimmigrants living in the U.S. illegally.About one-quarter of Hispanic adults support this policy,the new poll found, while roughlyhalfofthem

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

Supporters hold asign before then-former President Donald Trump arrives Sept. 12, 2024, to speak at a campaignevent in Tucson, Ariz.

Board seeks changes in election maps

BR schools ask for proposals from several firms

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

For the second time this year, with just nine months left until candidates qualify to run for of-

fice, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is seeking proposals from firms willing to draw new election maps. Absent any action by the school system, Registrar of Voters Steve Raborn says that in fall 2026, par-

Council OKs carbon capture resolution

Residents join in support against projects in parish

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

The Livingston Parish Council, after fierce vocal support from residents, approved a resolution Thursday night taking a stand against carbon capture projects in the parish

About 100 people packed into the council chambers for Thursday’s regular meeting, with 75 residents signed up to publicly speak in support of a resolution opposing permitting and establishment of any Class VI injection wells and pipelines in the parish.

Council member Dean Coates proposed the resolution, which said the council is prioritizing the well-being of its residents and local environment by taking the action.

The crowded chambers erupted in applause and cheers when the council unanimously approved the resolution.

Every resident who signed up to speak was in support of the resolution, with reportedly none in opposition

“There’s not one person in this room who wants this,” said Bill Whittington, president of the Lake Maurepas Preservation Society The resolution comes a few weeks after Gov Jeff Landry issued a moratorium on new applications for carbon capture injection wells in Louisiana. State officials selected six carbon capture projects as priorities; none are located in Livingston Parish

This is not the council’s first attempt at trying to locally prevent carbon capture projects In 2022, the parish adopted a moratorium over a proposed carbon capture field under Lake Maurepas and another project in Holden. However, a federal judge eventually blocked the moratorium Residents like Todd Phillips of Denham Springs who owns a camp in Maurepas, told the council that carbon capture projects would negatively impact the activities his family enjoys at the lake, such as crabbing and power boating.

“Where does it stop? Are they going to take my place from me?

We’re not going to stand for it,” he said.

Former Livingston Parish council member Jim Norred expressed his disappointment that state and federal leaders were not in the council chambers for the resolution.

“We need to kill this now and

ish voters will select their elected public school representatives based on a nine-member map approved in 2014. That map was used in 2022 for what was supposed to be one last time due to litigation that year

“I would assume that they are the boundaries that we held last election on, unless they inform me otherwise,” Raborn said. Raborn said he uses election maps from the most recent elec-

tion until the government body in question gives him new maps. In this case, that hasn’t happened.

“It’s not the registrar’s responsibility to determine what a district’s boundaries are,” he said.

The uncertainty about election maps means potential candidates for the School Board in the fall of 2026 remain in the dark about which district they would run in and who they might face at election time. Qualifying, which is handled

by Raborn’s office, begins July 29. Of the nine current members, only board member Mark Bellue, who is finishing his third term, is barred from running again.

The 2014 maps, if used again, would be vulnerable to a court challenge since they don’t reflect significant population changes revealed in the 2020 U.S. Census.

In 2014, the nine board districts all had about the same number of residents. By 2020, four of the districts had populations that were out of whack they were more than 10% above or below the ideal

population of 43,019 residents.

The would-be replacement map that the board approved in 2022, known as Plan 22, is still an option. The litigation that temporarily sidelined it in 2022 is over However, only three board members from 2022 are still serving. The other six have all taken office since then.

And a fresh court fight is still a possibility A federal lawsuit challenging school board maps is still on file and potentially revivable.

ABOVE: LSU catcher Luis Hernandez, from left, shortstop Steven Milam and right fielder Josh Pearson show off their rings Saturday during the championship ring ceremony at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center BELOW: LSU third baseman Michael Braswell III presents his championship ring.

Longtime nursery owner dies at 82 Marshall Clegg helped to expand his family’s business

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

Marshall Clegg, the former owner of Clegg’s Nursery who expanded the business founded by his parents, died Oct. 21 at 82. “It is with a heavy heart that we share” his passing, the company said in an online post last week.

Clegg was the son of Sam and Effie Clegg, who started their business by selling plants from the back of their truck on a bare lot at 4411 Florida Blvd., his family said in a state-

ment. The nursery business grew over the years and moved in 1968 to North Donmoor Avenue, one of the business’s four current locations. In 1981, Clegg purchased the business from his parents and went on to expand it. He added a Siegen Lane location in 1982, and a Greenwell Springs Road store in 1983, the company said. In 1991, Clegg launched a separate business, CNI Wholesale Nursery now operated by his son, Bryon, offering local landscape contractors a source for plants and supplies. In 1999, Clegg sold Clegg’s Nursery to two managers, Tom Fennell and Scott Ricca, who had been with him since 1983, the company said. A fourth location of Clegg’s Nursery opened in 2000 on La. 16 in Denham Springs.

“Retirement allowed him to spend more time enjoying his favorite pastimes hunting fishing and gardening,” the family statement said. “Whether collecting daylilies, growing crape myrtles or tending a vegetable garden, Marshall was happiest outdoors.”

“He was always working on a project, and it was usually for someone other than himself,” the family said. “Serving others brought him his greatest joy.”

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Nov 1 at Bethany Church-South, at 11107 Honore Lane, Baton Rouge The family will receive visitors from 10 a.m. until the service begins, and following the service, until 1 p.m. In

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Clegg

LIVINGSTON PARISH

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Bills to push back upcoming election date moves forward

Lawmakers await Supreme Court ruling on maps

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

The Louisiana Senate on Saturday morning swiftly passed Republican bills to push back the April primary elections by a month, keeping the plan on track for the House to pass it by the middle of the following week.

Republicans say the change will help give the state more time to respond to a potential ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on a challenge to the state’s congressional

voting map. But on the third day of a special session, Democrats continued to criticize the legislation, arguing it would cause voter confusion and potentially get the state in legal trouble.

“The midterm election process is already underway,” said Sen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, referring to the fact that the window has already opened to collect signatures to qualify by nominating petition for 2026 congressional races.

“You’re changing rules in the middle of the game,” Jenkins said.

“I’d like to see Brian Kelly do that today for LSU,” he added, referencing a football game scheduled for that evening in Baton Rouge.

Jenkins also argued that pushing back the election dates this close to the election was unconstitutional and interferes with the “Purcell principle,” a Supreme Court precedent that cautions governments against making changes too close to an election date.

“Every page of this bill is asking us to ignore dozens of established election laws,” he said.

Bill sponsor Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, disputed the idea that the plan would undermine voting rights.

He noted the Legislature is not moving the elections forward, but pushing them back, which adds more time to the election process

“This bill does not violate any people’s rights,” he said. “We move

elections all the time.”

The Legislature could be working on drawing a new congressional map, Kleinpeter said, but “that’s not what we’re here doing.”

Instead, he said, lawmakers are simply waiting for a ruling and more direction from the Supreme Court.

The plan, which consists of Senate bills 1 and 2, passed on partyline votes. Should it pass the Legislature as expected, elections for closed party primaries for major races like U.S. House and Senate as well as some municipal primary races that are set for April 18 would be held on May 16 instead.

Five proposed constitutional

Calcasieu deputy terminated, arrested and booked

Man accused of withholding evidence

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

A 26-year-old Calcasieu Parish

Sheriff’s Office deputy has been terminated, arrested and booked on counts of malfeasance in office and injuring public records after allegedly failing to turn in evidence.

In September, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office began to in-

BOARD

Continued from page 1B

Opponents of Plan 22 have argued that it violates state and federal law The map preserves a 5-4 White majority on the board, even though East Baton Rouge has become more racially diverse in recent years.

The latest hunt for a redistricting firm, the second search this year, grows out of a November 2023 deal in which the board agreed to seek proposals for “the development of a board reapportionment and redistricting plan” as long as the state lawsuit that halted the boardapproved 2022 plan was dismissed, which it was in June 2024.

In February, the school system issued a “request for qualifications,” and two demographic firms submitted proposals.

An in-house review team ended up recommending Kenner-based Data Center, a firm led by former Jefferson Parish School Board member Cedric Floyd. The other applicant was Virginia-based CensusChannel, a firm led by Anthony Fairfax, who has been active in Louisiana and across the country Fairfax engaged James Finney, a mathematician and math instructor at ITI Technical College in Ba-

AMTRAK

Continued from page 1B

passengers from mid-August to the end of September a daily average of 109 passengers, according to Knox Ross, the chairman of the Southern Rail Commission As of Thursday, that total has climbed to almost 30,000.

The figure is more than double Amtrak’s original estimate for ridership, despite the line debuting during the company’s slower months, Ross said. The projection for the entire first year of service was 71,000 passengers.

Trains run twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, stopping in the Mississippi cities of Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, with oneway fares starting at $15. The service revives the Gulf Coast Limited, a route that began in 1996 but was discontinued within nine months due to funding issues among the states and limited service, with only one train running per day Restoring the line cost $278 million and decades of work from political leaders and civic boosters who argued the importance of reconnecting the Gulf Coast cities.

Trains on the Gulf Coast Limited were 75% full on some days, according to reports at the time. On the new Mardi Gras service, Ross said, ridership averages about 90%.

The route’s early success, after years of delays and skepticism about whether it would draw enough pas-

vestigate theft of a credit card and funds at a Lake Charles business, according to a news release.

Detectives learned that Deputy LilPaul Williams Jr., of Lake Charles, had responded and collected the initial information and evidence for the case to turn over to detectives.

Further investigation uncovered that Williams intentionally left the suspect’s information out of the case due to having previously known the individual, the release states. Detectives also learned

ton Rouge, as a contractor Finney was also a plaintiff in the 2022 litigation that temporarily blocked Plan 22.

The board, however, chose neither firm when it finally considered the issue at an Aug 7 meeting. Instead, it voted to seek proposals yet again.

A second request for qualifications was issued Sept. 30 and is due Nov 5.

In 2021, a similar in-house review team recommended Floyd’s business, but the board opted to go instead with another firm, Strategic Demographics, which is based out of Baton Rouge. Weeks later, that firm withdrew, citing the failure of three board members to sit down with the firm.

Weeks later, the board passed over Floyd again, this time in favor of Mike Hefner’s Geographic Planning & Demographic Services in Duson Plan 22 was one of several maps either drawn or reviewed by Hefner

The latest request for qualifications is different from the one earlier this year in that there will be no in-house review by district staff.

At the Aug. 7 board meeting, Vice President Mike Gaudet objected to the recommendation process, saying that redrawing elec-

sengers, has made some advocates for regional train travel hopeful that it could strengthen the case for other lines.

Restoring the passenger rail service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which stalled due to gaps in state funding, may now have a stronger footing, according to Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc. Hecht said he is “both excited and confident” that the Gulf Coast route’s success will support the case for a service between the two Louisiana cities

“Of particular interest is that much of the Mardi Gras (service) usage is business travel; it is not just for leisure,” Hecht said. Still, restoring that line would require more funding and support from Gov Jeff Landry While the New Orleans-Baton Rouge rail was a priority for former Gov John Bel Edwards, who dedicated $20.5 million to the project in his final days of office, Landry has said that while he’s not opposed to the service, he would rather put state dollars toward widening Interstate 10. Games and celebrations

The Mardi Gras line’s popularity has continued to surge since Amtrak added a third train car to accommodate football fans traveling to New Orleans for Saints home games creating 60 additional seats that have sold out multiple weekends

The highest ridership weeks so far, Ross said, came during Cruisin’ the Coast, an annual classic car

Williams failed to turn in evidence submitted by business personnel that pertained to the theft.

An investigation was conducted by the Sheriff’s Office’s Internal Affairs.

On Thursday, Williams was terminated by Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory a warrant was issued for his arrest, he was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center

Williams faces charges of malfeasance in office and injuring public records. His bail was set at

tion maps is an inherently “political thing” that elected board members should be left alone to decide. Gaudet made a similar point when the board agreed on Nov 2, 2023, to look for a remapping firm, but it was not included in the motion the board approved that night.

Neither Strategic Demographics nor Hefner’s firm submitted proposals this spring and are unlikely to do so this second go-round.

Hefner said he’s staying out. He said he’s already given the board a lot of options that “cover a broad spectrum of possible district configurations.”

“In my personal opinion, putting in a response to any proposal that essentially starts the process from scratch is not a wise use of taxpayer funds when they already have a good buffet of maps to select from,” Hefner said. “It would be far more efficient and fiscally responsible to just tweak any one of those 12 plans to meet any current considerations than to start over The expense would be minimal as compared to a start-from-scratch scenario.”

Dannie Garrett, a Baton Rouge attorney, however, said he plans to submit a proposal under the name, LA Government Strategies, a firm he created for nonlegal work he does. Garrett has worked under

$175,000.

Williams had been with the Sheriff’s Office for about two months and working as a patrol deputy

“When I was elected sheriff, I took an oath to uphold the law, and that is exactly what I’ll do, even when it involves one of our own deputies,” Guillory said. “Like I have said before, our deputies are held to a higher standard, and they will be held accountable for their actions. No one is above the law, including those who wear a badge.”

contract with Strategic Demographics in the past, including its work with the board.

“I have given some thought to what they should consider doing,” Garrett said. Garrett said there are two upcoming events that will influence school board remapping: a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, a case where the high court may further restrict the use of race in redistricting; and the creation of a St. George school district, which is scheduled for a statewide vote on April 18 and, if approved would start operations in July 2027. The Supreme Court could prompt big changes in how local governments such as school boards draw election maps, Garrett said. And a yes vote for a St. George school district, he said, would require drawing yet another East Baton Rouge Parish School Board map, but this time without St. George.

Under current law, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board members whose districts include St. George — three currently do — would serve out their term, which would end in December 2030. Any new map without St. George would not go into effect until the fall 2030 elections.

amendments would also appear on the May 16 ballot.

And there would be a subsequent June 27 election for municipal general races and, if needed, a runoff for the closed party primary contests.

Qualifying would happen Feb. 11-13 rather than in mid-January Kleinpeter in an interview said he expects to present his two bills before the House and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, and they will be debated on the House floor Wednesday

Of the special session as a whole, he said, “If all goes as planned, it will end on Wednesday.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

CARBON

Continued from page 1B

really need to push our federal representatives to get on board with this,” Norred said.

State Sen. Valerie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, was the only elected state official in the mix Thursday night. Hodges told the room that she was a “huge supporter of oil and gas” but that carbon capture sequestration is different, and she questioned the safety of the projects.

“I’m not against carbon capture sequestration, I’m just against it in Livingston Parish,” she said.

Parish President Randy Delatte took some heat from residents at the meeting for the government accepting donations from Air Products, which has previously announced plans for carbon injection wells beneath Lake Maurepas.

Delatte, who supported the 2022 moratorium when he was on the council, defended accepting previous donations and said that he was in support of the opposition to the projects from the governor and parish.

“I got to be honest with y’all, I have left $100,000 on the table in just the last month, but it’s important that the perception of our people know that all of us are working for them,” he said.

Legally, the resolution is only a formal expression of opinion and doesn’t have the force of the law But it is meant to signal that the parish stands against carbon capture projects.

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com.

show along the Mississippi Coast.

While the service’s success marks the return of a longlost route, Ross said it also offers a sign of the revival of coastal communities, from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis, that were decimated by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago.

“To look at where they were then to where they are now is quite remarkable,” Ross said, “And (Amtrak) is just on top of that work and effort. I would call it a cherry

on top.”

The route has helped spur new developments and improvements at its stops, including the Depot District in Bay St. Louis, a thoroughfare once ravaged by Katrina that has since been revitalized with restaurants, fitness centers and vacation rentals. Each community has rallied around the service.

A Facebook group named Friends of Amtrak Mardi Gras Service has drawn more than 27,000 followers who

share their experience riding the train. Assisted living centers along the Mississippi coast are organizing trips to Mobile.

In Ocean Springs, Kay Cox, a travel adviser, has been arranging itineraries for multiple groups of clients heading to New Orleans, with reservations at fine-dining restaurants and hotels.

“Everybody’s working together to make (Amtrak) a success,” Ross said. “The local communities are taking ownership of it.”

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

Mardi Gras Service on the Gulf Coast.

Community Center

75700 Rosedale Road in Rosedale,at2 p.m

Obituaries

Adams, Helen Robinson 'Nan' Helen (Nan) Nanette Robinson Adams was born on October 18, 1935 in New Orleans, LA and passed from this life on Sept 24, 2025 in Los Alamos NM. She was raised and attended school in Ponchatoula. Gonzales was home most of her married adult life After her husband's passing in 1999 she lived several years back home in Ponchatoula. Later moving to Prairievilleand eventually residing in Los Alamos NM. Preceded in death by husband Hulen OAdams and parents Helen and Bruce S Robinson. Survived by children Teri and husband Randy Roberts of Los Alamos NM, Marsha Kayof Maurepas, LA and Bruce and Marilyn Adams of Prairieville, LA. Four grandchildren, Beki Dupuy Lambert (Matt), Ryan Dupuy, Ben Adams (Tiffany), and Eric Adams (Tricia). Eight greatgrands Lily, Alex, Ava, Ceci Lambert; Emma, Cooper, Madelyn, Holden Adams. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, Nov 1st at Graceworks Church in Prairieville. Visitation at 9:00 am with service at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Graceworks Church, 16131 Hwy 44, Prairieville, LA 70769

Bahm, Michael Len 'Mike'

Michael Len "Mike Bahm, beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Friend, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025. He was born on August 8, 1951, in Baton Rouge, LA. He proudly served his country as a Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard. Mike later dedicated 33 years to working with the East Baton Rouge City Parish Department of PublicWorks. In his free time he enjoyed hunting, fishing, dispensing free advice, and most of all, spending time with his children and grandchildren. Mike is survived by his devoted spouse of 53 years, Patricia Pourciau Bahm; son, Michael "Eric" Bahm and wife, Bethanyanne; son, Christopher Brandon Bahm and wife, Hannah; daughter, Tiffany Bahm Oster and husband, James; grandchildren, Peyton, Pierce, Claire, Prescott, Levi, Blaire, and Luke; and sister, Jackie Bahm Milam and husband, Tim. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Wallace E. Bahm Jr. and Joan Dana Bahm. Avisitation will be held from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on 2025-10-27 at Seale Funeral Home, 1720 S. Range Ave. Afuneral service will be held from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM on 2025-10-27 at Seale Funeral Home, 1720 S. Range Ave.

Marshall Clegg, 82, of Zachary, Louisiana,passed awaypeacefully on October 20, 2025,atClarityHospice of Baton Rouge,surroundedbythe love of his family Marshall was bornon January 7, 1943, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi,toSam L. and Effie H. Clegg. He was one of threechildrenand is survived by his sister, SandraClegg Travis. He was precededindeath by his sister, TerryClegg Fagane. Marshall marriedthe love of his life, Brenda Kirkland Clegg, and together they builtafamily rooted in love, faith, and service to others.Hewas a devoted fathertoDenee CleggAnderson (Brad), Bryon Clegg, Lacy Tolle Faith McElwee (Wesley), CaitlinMartin(Luke), and Dreher Tolle.Hewas also a proud grandfather"Peepaw" to Quinn Clegg, Colesie Bourgoyne (Ed), Kayleigh Davidson, Lawson Clegg, Emmett Nettles, and Ava Hopkins—and agreatgrandfatherto Magnolia Bourgoyne. He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Rainey Jon Clegg. Marshall is bestknown throughout the community forhis life's work at Clegg'sNursery,founded by his parentsin1955.Heisalso well knownbymanylocal landscapersfor CNI WholesaleNursery.Hehad agift for seeing potentialinoutdoor spaces and sharing that vision with others—often sketching plans on the spot and givingadvice freely. For Marshall, it was not justabout plants; it was about people, relationships, and educating others to create beautiful surroundings.Hebelieved in doing things right.Quality and customerservice wereatthe heart of everything he did.

Outside of work, Marshall enjoyed fishing. He was amemberofCentral ChurchinZachary, where his faith was his guiding light. He wasthe kind of person who never hesitated to lend ahand,sharea laugh, or brighten someone's day with hisquick wit.

Above allelse, Marshall valuedhis faith, hisfamily and his friends. He hada servant's heart. Whether it was helping with aproject supporting and encouraging his loved ones, or simply giving goodadvice,he showed up with generosity, kindness, and ahumble spirit.

ACelebrationofLifewill be held Saturday, November 1, 2025,atBethany Church- South, located at 11107Honore Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. The service will begin promptlyat 11:00a.m. The familywill receiveguests from 10:0011:00a.m., and again following the serviceuntil 1:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to Caring to LoveMinistries (ctlm.org) or the Tim Tebow Foundation (timtebowfoundation.org).

The family wouldlike to extendtheir deepest thanks to the compassionate team at ClarityHospice of Baton Rouge fortheir lovingcareinMarshall's final days. "He livedwith joy, servedwith love, and left beauty whereverhewent."

Bernadette E.

BernadetteElizabeth Dupuy, 45, died in Baton Rouge on Saturday, October18th, 2025. BornOctober18th, 1980 as thefourth of five, she attended St Alphonsus CatholicSchool, graduated Redemptorist HighSchool class of 2000, and worshiped at St.Louis, King of France parish. Known to many as "Bernie" or "B", family called her "Dette". She forged many strong and lasting friendships.

Dette was preceded in death by her father, R. Craig, Sr., and her mother, Delores Marie Dupuy née Smith. She is survived by her brothers Richard Craig, Jr. (Kerry),AdamJoseph, Sr. (Hope), Christopher Allen(Tammy), and Max Elliot; her nephews Adam Joseph, Jr., Daniel Jeffrey, and Galen Conrad Diderot Dupuy; and innumerable other relatives.

We havesuch gratitude forthe many who helped our sister live fully.

Visitation at St. Thomas More willbegin on Thursday, October 30that10AM, followedimmediately by a funeral mass at 10:30 AM, then internmentinthe northwestmausoleum chapel at Greenoaks Memorial Park at 12 PM and finallya repast at Lake HouseReceptionCenter from12:30 PM to 3:20 PM In lieu of flowers,please donatetoWCRC@ wcrcbr.org,AbbaHouse Boarding and Living c/o Dhana "DJ"Johnson, or any reputable mental healthcharityyou prefer.

Melissa Iris “Missy” Johnson departed this life onFriday, October17, 2025, atThibodaux Regional Medical Center.She was 58, anativeofThibodaux LA. Visitation on Monday, October 27,2025, at Moses Baptist Church from 9:00amtoreligious ser‐vices at 11:00am. Inter‐mentinSt. Paul Baptist Church Cemetery.Arrange‐ments by Williams & SouthallFuneralHome, 1204Cleveland St., Thibo‐daux, LA 70301.(985)4472513. To sign guestbook or offer condolences, visitour website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome. com.

tober16, 1928, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the youngestdaughter of the lateGroverand Alice Louise Nesbit.Tootiewas a proud graduateof Louisiana StateUniversity, where she earneda degree in Home Economics. Throughout her life,she was adevoted member of Our LadyofMercy Catholic Church and participated actively in the Harlequins social club. She found joy in music and dancing. Aboveall,Tootiecherished her family.A dedicated mother and wife, she filled her home with warmthand laughter. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 45 years, F. Ashley LaCour; her parents, Grover and Alice Nesbit;sisters,RoseNesbit Doiron, Alice Carmelitte Nesbit Daigle, and Betty Nesbit Boudreaux; brothers, Grover Eustis Nesbit Jr., John Philip "Jack" Nesbit,Wilbur D. "Boots"Nesbit, George"Buff" Nesbit, William David "Bill"Nesbit, and Richard Alvin "Dick" Nesbit. She is survived by treasured children Jane LaCour, Suzanne Carter (JamesCarroll), and Jeffrey LaCour;and her granddaughter ClareMarie Carter. The family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to Chaplain JayBusbyand thecompassionatestaff of The Hospice of BatonRouge for their utmost care, support and prayersfor our mom and family.A private service willbeheldinhonor of Tootie at alaterdate. The family appreciatesthe outpouring of love and support and asks forcontinued prayersasthey navigate throughthis time of loss. Your kind words and thoughts havemeant theworld to them. Memorial donations may be madetoThe Hospiceof Baton Rouge,3600 Florida Blvd.,Baton Rouge, LA 70806. Family and friends may signthe online guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Oursopassed away on Oc-

tober22, 2025 at the age of 84. JimBob has been alife long residentofBaton Rouge,marriedhis childhood SweetheartMartha MartinOurso and together they raisedtheir 3children in Baton Rouge after Jim Bob graduated from Loyola School of Dentistry. He lovedhis faithand as a familytheyattendedOur Lady of Mercy Church wherehewas aVincentian. He also looked forward to hisyearly retreat at Manresa whichhe started attendingafter his high seniorretreat.That tradition of faithand love of Manresa continues to this day with hisremaining son and hisson-in-law Many know himasDrJim Bob or Dr Oursoashe practicedDentistry until he was65yearsold andhe deeply lovedhis staff and patients, theywereanextension of his family. He wasonthe RuralLife Board andenjoyed horse backriding, snowskiing andwas known as agifted gardener. JimBob is survivedbythe love of his life, hiswife,Martha Martin Ourso; daughter, Allison Brigham (Chuck); son Chad M. Ourso(Shawn); daughter-in-law, Becky Ourso; grandchildren,MartinBrigham (Katelyn), Walker Ourso,Hawkins Ourso, Catherine Ourso, Sarah Jack Oursoand Nicole Ourso; great-grandchildren, Dakota Brigham,

RosemaryBrigham; sister, Carol AnnBryan (Redfield); brothers, David M. Ourso (Jane) andJ.Clifford Ourso, Jr.Hewas preceded in death by hisparents, Helen andJ.Clifford Ourso, Sr.; grandparents, Marieand William DayPitchford, Bernadette andD.R.Ourso; son,Robert"Bob" T. Ourso; brother, William D. Ourso, Sr.and nephew, William D. OursoJr. The familywould like to extend heartfelt thanks to Nell Paynewhose calm, sweet andkinddemeanor always broughtcomfort to all,the exceptional care of Amedysis Hospice,his RN calm Danielle, Regina hiskind aide, andsweet Angela whobegan thefamilies lovely association with Amedysis. Thank you all so much. Visitationwill be held at OurLady of Mercy Catholic Church,445 Marquette Ave,Baton Rouge, Tues Oct. 28, 2025 starting at 9amwith Mass beginning at 10am. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. RabenhorstFuneralHome is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to OurLady of MercyCatholic Church or a Charityofyourchoice.

Arrangements arebeing handled by Rabenhorst Funeral HomeEast. Condolencesand memories may be sharedat www.rabenhorsteast.com

Dupuy,

Johnson, Melissa Iris 'Missy'

Nesbit LaCour, Mary Clare 'Tootie' Mary Clare Nesbit La-

RosemaryDucote

Rachal, age 82, anativeof Cottonport,and aresident of Port Allen, passed away October 15, 2025, at The Butterfly Wing of BRG Medical Center, after ahard fought, 5yearbattle with cancer.She was adevoted homemaker, avid reader, and genealogy enthusiast. She also loved conquering puzzles and brain teasers, along with painting. Time fishing from the houseboat with her husband was much enjoyed, as long as there were no snakes around. She is survived by her two sons, Brent, and Keith and wife Carol; four grandchildren, Chad and wife Kaitlen; Allison, and Devin Rachal,and Briley Roberts; five great grandchildren; Oliver Mayes, Finley, Emmett, and Elliott Rachal, and Olive Hebert; sister Yvonne Wyble and husband Melvin; brothers Carl Ducote, and David Ducote and wife Karla, along with numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Carwyn, parents, Anthony and Sadie Ducote, sister in law Kathryn Ducote,and nephews James and Joseph Ducote. The family would like to give huge thanks to the staff at La Plantation Retirement Community, Hospice of Baton Rouge, and her numerous caregivers. Visitation will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church, 369 Jefferson Avenue, Port Allen on Monday October 27th from 9am until 11am, with Mass following. Burialwill be at Resthaven Gardens of Memory in Baton Rouge at alater date. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Hospice of Baton Rouge,ora charity of your choice.

Helen Skolfield, age91, of Mandeville, LA passed awaypeacefully at home in hersleep while holding the handofher favorite caregiver, Tiffany. Sheis survived by her husband of 70 years, John andtheir threechildren,Kay Skolfield, twins Julie Bleichner (Barry) and StacyLee (Ron). She is also survived by hertwo grandchildren,John Lee(Ariana) and Samantha Lee (fiancée Jacob), her closest cousin, Rosemary Jouet and other cousins and friends. She was an only childand was preceded in death by her parents, Everett Cerix (Bob) Thibodaux and Sylvia Agnes LeBoeuf Thibodaux. Helenwas bornatHotel Dieu hospital in New Orleans,but spent her early childhoodinMorgan City, LA growing up with her manycousins, in particular,Earl Eues. By the time she began school,her father was asurveyor and partychief fora Shell Oil Company seismic crew which required the family to move frequently around Louisiana,Mississippi and Texas. Helenhad to enroll in anew school nearly everyyear butthatincluded time at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans.She ultimately graduatedfromJ Ray High School in Corpus Cristi,TX. Upongraduation, she enrolledatLSU in BatonRouge, whereshe joinedAlpha OmicronPi sorority. John was attending LSUand was amember of Alpha TauOmega fraternity, which hosted aparty forthe AOPi ladies. John was takenwith the seated girl in the brightred dress and askedhis housemanager to introduce herto him. They dated,became engaged, and enjoyed a70 year longmarriage together.Helen majored in Education and graduated from LSU witha Bachelors Degreeatthe ageof20in December1954.The following month, she and John

were married at Our Lady of the Rosarychurch in NewOrleans. John had majored in Petroleum Engineering and Military Science and was amember of ROTC.Hegraduated fromLSU prior to Helen and immediately enlisted in the US Army Corpsof Engineers. After theirmarriage, Helen joinedJohnin Lampasas, TX near Fort Hood,where he was stationed. Helenbegan her teaching career shortly after. Following his discharge, John beganhis career with Superior Oil Companywhich required John and Helen to move several times. However, Helen continued her career as ateacher with each move. In 1959, Helen and John livedinCarmi,IL where their first child, Kay was born. Helen paused her career to be afull time housewife and mother Julie and Stacy were born in 1961 and Helen chose to restart her career after they were oldenoughtobe enrolled in Kindergarten. She continuedteaching in Carmi,St. Martinville, LA and Slidell, LA until her retirementin1994. Helen and her doctor were not aware that she woulddeliver twins and twodaysprior to their birth,John was notified that he had been transferred to Casper, Wyoming. John had to move there almost immediatelyand Helen arrived laterona plane withtwo newborns and twoand a half year oldKay.John recounts that when she emerged fromthe doorof theairplane and thecold wind hit her face thetears were flowing. Helenwas faced with theprospect of living in an unfamiliar place with no friendsor family close by, butbeing thestrongwoman that she was she acceptedthe challenge and thrived. When John was transferred to NewOrleans in 1987, he and Helen built their house in oldMandeville,next door to thehouse that his parents had movedtoin 1960 upon their retirement. During thetime thatHelen was teaching and raising her daughters, she focused on enriching thelives of her daughters by enrolling them in alltypesoflessons and organizations, including GirlScouts(where she also volunteered as aleader), piano,band,dancing, Catechism, diving, horse back riding, baton, and 4H. She always strove to immerse her daughters in the art of properetiquette and d hil i

good manners. While involving herself withthe activities of her daughters, teaching and preparing threehome cooked meals aday,she also found time for herself, playing in bridge clubs, tendingto gardens (Zinniasand Irises were her favorites) and most of all, she enjoyed listening to her collection of classicalmusic and opera albums. Helen was also a voracious reader, withher favoritegenre beingfictional murdermysteries. During thesummers, John and Helen packed their daughters intotheir yellow, woodpaneled station wagonand traveledall over thecountry together to teach and showthemall of the wonders of this greatcountry. The family saw nearly all 50 states with John at thewheeland Helen directinghim from one Holiday Inn to the next,armed with nothing excepta directory -prior to thetime of cell phones and theinternet. After moving to Mandeville, Helenenjoyed goingfor walks on theLake Pontchartrain lakefront. She and John lovedopera and forseveral years had seasontickets for theNew Orleans OperaAssociation. After retirement,John and Helen continuedtraveling togetherbut much more frequently.They wanted to explore moreofAmerica butthey also beganto travel extensively in Europe.During some of these trips,theygenerously included theirdaughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. Their generosity was also extended to many otherpeoplein many different ways. Helen lovedeverything having to do withEnglish history and literature. She was determined to visit London and in 2005 she madeher first trip there, spending several days theretouring the city completely on her own before Kayjoinedher for another few days.In1979 she enrolledina six weekFrench immersion programin QuebecCanada. Being the curious and intrepidtraveler that she was, she completed theprogram allon her own. Another of Helen's favorite places to travel to was Aspen, CO where she greatlyenjoyed thesummertime Aspen MusicFestival,which featuresclassical music. One year she was convincedto trya rafting trip and she saidthatshe enjoyed the experience butonce was h! H l l

enough! Helen was also devoted to herparents and spent agreat deal of time and energy, even whileshe wasstill teaching,tocare for them andtoensure that they were well cared for in theirfinal years. Helenwas very smartand will always be rememberedfor beingselfless, generousand above all,for beinga gentle,truesouthernlady.

Aprivate funeral Mass will be held forHelen and herfamilyonOctober 25, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. at St Charles Borremeo church in Destrehan,LA, where she will also be laidtorest in thecemeterythere.The familywould like to acknowledge thesupport providedbySt. Tammany Hospice and thegentle care she received at home from herprivate caregivers, andthoseprovided by Home Insteadand AmadaSenior Care.

E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. TheSkolfieldfamily invites you to share thoughts,fondest memories,and condolences online at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home Guest Book at www.ejfieldingfh.com

Glynn David Smith, age 88, oilfieldroughneck and engineer wasbornon November 20, 1936, in Orange,Texas to Lyle E. Smith, Sr.and Ruth Alton Roarkand passedawayon Monday, October 20, 2025. Private funeral services for Glynn David Smith were held on Friday, October24, 2025, in theLafond-Ardoin Funeral Home Chapel in Melville, La. Pastor Grant Chustz conducted theservice Glynn grew up in Baton Rouge,LAand graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1954. After workinginthe oilfields and serving on active Army reservedutyduringthe Cuban and BerlinCrisis, he graduatedfromLSU witha degree in Petroleum EngineeringinAugust of 1963.

In 1968, he marriedhis longtime sweetheart, AnnieBellFletcher, of Melville, Louisiana and moved to Bahrain to begin alifeoutside theUSA. DuringGlynn's career in foreign operations, he and AnnieBelllived in eight countriesand worked in or visiteda total of 60 differentcountriesaroundthe world. Glynnwas a1979 Stanford graduate of the School of Business Executive Program. Glynn and AnnieBellenjoyed art and spent considerable time collecting artworksmostly from theUSA and Europe. Glynn is survivedbyhis loving wife, AnnieBell; his youngerbrother,Jerry Smith; his sister-in-law, Ruby LeBlanc; hisbrothers -in-law,George Fletcher (Linda) andJohnFletcher anda host of nieces and onenephew. He is preceded in death by parents,Lyle Edward Smtih andRuth Roark Smith; hisoldest brother, Lyle whopassedaway in 1964 and hisbrother-inlaw,Floyd Fletcher In lieu of flowers, please considermakinga donation to anyAlzheimer's foundation in Glynn's memory Familyand friends are invited to sign and view theonline guestbook at www.lafondardoin.com Lafond-ArdoinFuneral Home of Melville, 607 1st Street,Melville, LA 71353 (337-623-5823), hasbeen entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Skolfield, Helen Joyce Thibodaux

Smith, Glynn David

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

If children go hungry during shutdown,shame

on Congress

There are few things more devastatingtoa parent than to see achild go hungry. Andindeed, it should shock the conscienceofeveryone in this country of abundance when anychild doesn’thave enough to eat

Yetanestimated 18 million households— around 1in7—were food insecure in 2023, according to statistics by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s why it’s hard to stomach what’s happening in Washington at this moment. With the federal government shutdown, the USDA recently notified states that therewon’t be enoughmoney for the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP,topay full benefitsinNovember to the47millionfamilies who rely on the program.

Republicans are blaming Democrats, and Democrats are blaming Republicans. Butinthe meantime, children across the country could needlessly suffer unless Congress reaches a deal to open the governmentbefore theend of the month.

Thankfully,Gov.Jeff Landry has stepped into the breach for Louisiana citizens. In an emergency declarationsigned Friday,hesaid the stateshouldprovide stopgapfunding to continue SNAP benefitsfor the disabled,elderly and children in November.Landry’s executiveorder calls on lawmakers —currently in aspecial session —toconsider using money from thestate’s Revenue Stabilization Fundtohelpaffected residents.

We can’tcommend the governor enough for taking this swift action to relievethe stress some families were already beginning to feel.

As is often thecase, in Louisiana theproblem of food insecurity is even more dire than elsewhere. Over the past three years, we have seen oneofthe sharpestincreases in child poverty in thenation, newfigures from the Annie E. Casey Foundation show.The child poverty rate here rose to 24.8%in2024. Only Mississippi, at 25%, is worse.

Nearly 800,000 people in Louisiana received SNAP benefits in 2024. Theprogram, whichuses federal funds but is administered by thestate, provides assistance based on income andfamily size. Afamily of four can get upto$994 a month.

That money is critical to families as theholidays areonthe way,and children will be outof schooland not able to receivefree andreduced lunches. Some families say that as food and medical costs rise, they may have to makestark choices if SNAP benefits don’tcomethrough.

In Louisiana, we know we have arobust networkoffood pantries like SecondHarvestto help familiesinneed. We knowthatmanygenerously give to help feed theirneighbors Landry’saction gives us areprieve, butitis not apermanent solution.Congress still must act. It should not be lost on anyonehow unfathomable this situation is to thenormalorder of things. In most families, parents andgrandparents would forgo food at thetable to allow theiryoung to filltheir bellies. But at ourtable in America now,Congress is still gettingpaid whilefood aid to children dries up Children can’teat politics, and words won’t satisfy hunger.Wecall on members of Congress to hear the cries of our neediest,tofind away to keep aidflowing and to open their eyes to their responsibility as elders of thisnation

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

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

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

Collegeathletes’ payshouldbepublicrecord

It should be unquestioned that the 2019 LSU football team had thegreatest college football season ever As it turnsout,itwas also the last season of what was once known as college football.

The next year,the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the sport; in June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court’sdecision on name, image, likeness gave college athletes theright to earn money from endorsements. Other developmentsfollowed, like the transfer portal andrevenue sharing, which allows athletic departments to pay athletes directly In short, college sports look far different in 2025 than they did in 2019. The old image of thestudent-athlete, on life supportfor decades, is now fully and completely dead.

university setting,especially at public universities, is troublingly vague. Consider anew report by this newspaper’s Joseph Cranney, in which Louisiana’spublic universities declined to disclosehow much they are paying individual players. Some did give the total they plantodisburse to theirathletes collectively,and one, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, disclosed salaries they are paying, but not which athletes arereceiving them.

For years, these athletes put their bodies and minds on the line so that theschool —and often its coaches could enrich themselves. Now it’sthe playerswho earnremuneration for theirwork. That’sthe way it should be. They are, essentially,professional athletes.

Butthat doesn’tmean things are much better than they were before. In fact, thesituation is moremuddled than ever

How college athletes are defined, compensated and function within a

That means, for example, that Louisianans whose tax dollarsflow to LSU andthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette and other schools cannotknow how much they’re paying Garrett Nussmeieror Lunch Winfield. Some athletesmay be earning in the highsix or even seven figures,making them among the highest-paid public employeesinthe state. Butwedon’tknow for sure,because theuniversities won’tsay.Theyargue that funding and pay formulasare proprietary, and that disclosing them would put theschools at acompetitive disadvantage.

That makes athletes aunique class of public university employee. Every other employee’spay is knowable through apublic records request. The highest-paid professor? Public record.The mid-level administrator? Public record.The part-time student

who works 10 hours amonth in the library? Public record. But notthe quarterback or third baseman. It also makes these players unique as athletes: NFL, NBA and Major League contractsare subject to some public disclosure,and teams compete for players’ services. This state of affairs must not be allowedtocontinue.

First, it’snot fair to the athlete, who, like anytalentedperson, should be able to offer his services to the highest bidder. Further, every athlete should be able to judge his relative worth to the university,his employer

Second, it’snot fair to the Louisiana taxpayer,especially the ones who make those university brands valuable andbuy tickets, donate to sports fundraising andpack the stadiums andarenastocheer on those athletes. And finally,it’snot fair to the other university employees, whose salary informationispublic The obvious solutionistorelease the payinformationofall college athletes. But thatwould probably fall to the NCAA, where, of course, rules are votedonbythe schools that don’t want to share this information in the first place.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Some guardrails around health care issues

publish letters.

Lettersabout vaccines, Medicaid and other health care topics are trending among readers as we seevast changes on the state level and in Washington that affect how everyday citizens access care.

Readers often point to abill in Congress that could help in the diagnosis or treatment of diseases they have struggled with.

week of Sept. 18-25, we received 56 letters.

We know these are life-ordeathissues in somecases. However,here are afew words of caution when writing about health care issues.

First,while we recognize science is constantly evolving, we do not publish letters that are presented as medical advice or advocating unproven treatments.Similarly,health care data can be very complex, so we are very wary of letters that purport to represent theresults of any studies. Doctors and others who have medical expertise in an area are identified as such when we

Secondly,weknow there are many healthcare groups advocating that letters be sent to newspapers on behalfoftheir cause. We prefer to publish letters that are in your own words and come from the heart, rather than letters that follow some format sent by others.

Andlastly,beabsolutely sure that when you send aletter to theeditor about amedical condition that you may be affected by,you want that information in the public domain. Ourcontent, including letters, is published online and is searchable for years to come. Letters involving you or your minor child’scondition are generally permissible. But if you are writing about the condition of afriend, neighbor or adult child, we would hesitate to publish without that person’s knowledge. Turning to our letters inbox forthe

Many of you wrote about the aftermathofthe killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. There were 10 letters on that topic and another six on the efforts to stifle free speech with the suspension of “The Jimmy Kimmel Live” show,amongother things. Immigration issues continue to prompt concerns, with four letter writers opining on the topic. We also received arange of letters on local civic concerns in the manycities we cover —from the Baton Rouge jail to the New Orleans mayor’srace. I’malways pleased to see that our readers are as engaged in their communities as they are in national politics. It’s on the local level where true change is made.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

COMMENTARY

Legislatorspoked privateschoolparents in theeye

One would think an overwhelmingly Republican, presumably conservative Louisiana Legislature would protect, rather than discriminate against, faithbasedschools.

That thought would be wrong. Bizarrely,the Legislature this year passed abill burdening faithbasedand other private preschools, but not public schools or Montessori schools, with ahost of costly,invasive and counterproductive regulations.

Twoschools and some parents

filed suit Oct. 20 to block thenew law,asserting that by disfavoring religious schools it violates the First Amendment (free exercise of religion), and also that bytreating certain classesofschools differently from others it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

SarahHarbison of the Louisiana-based Pelican Institute,aconservative think tank, is the lead attorney,joined by alawyer for the Center for American Rights On its face, the lawsuithas a good chance of success,and rightly so. Along series of Supreme

Court cases in the past 25 years has made clear that constitutional protections are strong for faithbasedentities,especially schools, which are treated differently than other similar institutions that aren’tfaithbased. And faith-based parentshave rights, too, to have equal opportunityto choose faith-based educational options. About 80% of the 254 preschoolsaffected statewide are faith-based —mostly Christian,but also Jewishand Muslim. Buteven for nonreligious private schools,why should they and theirfamilies be subject to regulations that Montessori schools or public schools escape? That’spatently unfair

TheLegislature passed this law unanimously, supposedly to ensure safe treatment of young children by requiring thepreschools to meet thesame licensing requirementsthatday care centers do. Butwhy treat 3- and 4-yearoldsunderthe same rules as infants? That’swhatthis law does, even if thepreschools are part of larger schools going up to fifth or eighth grade. As the lawsuit

notes, almost all the schools affected already undergo rigorous accreditation reviews through their churches or regional accrediting agencies.

Why are church schools assumed tobeless safe than Montessori schools or public ones? Indeed, one reason many parents choose private schools is that they are presumed safer than institutional public schools that are too big for moststudentsto receive individual attention. Meanwhile, apart from constitutional issues and basic notions of fairness, let’sget to the specifics of the voluminous regulations the law effectively imposes. Some of them make so little sense in any context that it’sbaffling why legislators even considered mandating them.

For example, thelaw requires schools tomake “immediate notification to emergency personnel, law enforcement as applicable, and other appropriate agencies” if —get this —achild is bullied.

So: Anytime a3-year-old bullies another three-year-old, the school must notify outside authorities.Children have bullied each other since time immemorial, and

teachers and schools presumably have expertise and experience in handling bullying. Why should privateschools —but not public —need to report each incident to thestate?

Alsoabsurdly,the law prohibits schools from punishing misbehaving children by “having active play time withheld” formore than four minutes. Why? Isn’tthat one of the mosteffective ways to keep kids in line: to tell them they won’thave recess if they act up?

How does this rule makesense?

Speaking of recreation, the law mandates that schools provide at least 60 minutes of play timeper day.Plenty of pre-K outfits only operate for half days anyway; are they,too, supposed to let children play for afull hour of the four hours from 8tonoon?

The law requires that any preschool with morethan 42 studentshave its own “director,” even if it is part of alower-school program that goes through fifth grade that already has its own principal —and the director must meet numerouscredentialing requirements while literally being prohibited from also filling a teachingrole.

Why,pray tell, should the state tell administrators forsmallpreschools that they can’talso teach?

Finally —amonghundreds of other utterly inane rules —the private schools must provide teachers with training on preventing “shaken baby syndrome” and “sudden infant death syndrome.” Comeagain? Last Ichecked, 3-year-olds aren’tinfants, and thus almost never susceptible to those tragedies.

The plaintiffs say the costs of compliance with these hundreds of rules are so prohibitive that mostschools would be forced either to raise tuition beyond the ability of someparents to pay or even to shut downentirely

The federal district court should issue an immediate injunction blocking this crazy new law from being implemented, and eventually should nullifyit altogether.Topass an unconstitutional law is bad enough, but —excuse the bluntness —sometimes what’sworse than an unconstitutional law is one like this that is just plain stupid.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

La.voters really like theiropenprimaries

If only Louisianans could voteonhow they vote, the outcome wouldn’tberemotelyclose.

Theopenprimary system that’s been (mostly) in place for ahalfcentury is, simplyput, immensely popular.Anew poll by JMC Analytics, sponsored by the election reform group Unite America, found that 69% of likely Louisianavoters favor allowing all voters to support candidates of their choice, regardless of party Youwouldn’thave known that from watching the Louisiana Legislature last year,when it changed the rules and adopted party primaries for Congress, thestate Supreme Court, the Board of Elementary andSecondary Educationand the Public Service Commission. The argument for this system is that people whoidentify strongly with aparty should have outsized power to pick which candidates advance to general elections, even in this era in which many voters are fleeing both major parties. Unite America released itsdata last week intentionally,hopingthatlawmakers now in Baton Rouge for aspecialsession on election matters mightfeel public pressure to reverse themselves.

SupremeCourt invalidating Louisiana’s congressional district map.And thelawmakers gathering are thesameones who changed the rules in thefirst place, at the bidding of the same governor whocalled the special session, Jeff Landry

In fact, thelatest move to switch to party primaries was largely fueled by partisan Republican furor over one of their own breaking ranks. That would be U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,very much aconservative but alsosomeone who committed the originalsin of acting independently Amonghis alleged offenses against his ownteam were his work with Democrats on thetype of big infrastructure bill that once drew support across party lines. Then there was thebig transgression, his vote to convict Donald Trumpafter he was impeached forinciting theJan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress—for which Cassidy’sfrantically overcompensating now that he faces aparty primary and runoff dominated by MAGA forces, rather than an open primary andrunoff in which he’dstill be the favorite.

fellow U.S. Sen. John Kennedy’srare but harsh criticism of unqualified judicial nominees during Trump’sfirst term as evidence that open primaries often produce moremoderate representatives. That 2022 sentiment seems less convincingin2025, as polarization has only grown and both senators now rarely stray from theparty line, even rhetorically

Butthe report also makes amore compelling argument in favor of open primaries: that, at least sometimes, they produce governing resultsthat cut across party lines and have widespread popular support

than the rule in moststates,” said Nick Troiano, Unite America’sexecutive director.“There’sadirect throughline between how Louisiana votes and how its leaders govern.”

Fat chance of that happening, at least right now.The special session wascalled specifically to push back nextyear’s primary dates in anticipation of theU.S.

It’sall quite thereversal from what the Unite America Institute, in a2022 analysis, arguedmakes politics in Louisianaatleast somewhat more functional and representativethaninother states. In fact,the report points to Cassidy’simpeachmentvoteand

Oneexample is Louisiana’sembrace of charter schools, which had opposition from theleft (teacher unions) and the right (small government/local control types), but strong backing from acoalition of business leaders and civil rights advocates. Another is Louisiana’sexpansion of Medicaid under Obamacare, which other Republican states have refused to accept despitethe obvious benefit of federal resources for healthcare. Obama’sname in a red state notwithstanding, expansion is so popular withLouisiana’selectorate at large that in 2015 all major candidates forgovernor from both parties said they’d take themoney.The Democrat whoimprobably won, John Bel Edwards, did so on his first dayinoffice.

“That is usually theexception rather

In fact, the report singles out Edwards, whose socially conservative positions might have poisoned aDemocratic primary electorate against him,asanexample of the type of centrist, widely acceptable candidate that open primaries can produce. Another is Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,who supports Unite America’s workand whorecently pointed out in these pages that the state Republican Party was built under the open primary system by leaders whospoke to everyone.

Yetlongtime watchers of Louisiana politics know party primaries aren’tanew idea; in fact, the Legislature adopted them forCongress back in 2006. Just five years later,amidwidespread confusion and complaints over the high cost of holding three elections per office rather than two, the experiment quietly ended.

Alot about politics has changed since then, but it seemsthat public sentiment on this has not.

Louisiana voters still wanttheir open primaries. And too manyofthe people they put in power still aren’tlistening.

Email Stephanie Graceatsgrace@ theadvocate.com.

No onewinswhenredistricting becomesa game

Let’smake this perfectly clear: Nobody made Gov.Jeff Landry and the LouisianaLegislature changethe dates of next year’s congressional elections so they could remake congressional districts that they approved in January 2024.

Nobody Unless it’ssomeone in Washington, D.C., who likes to demean people, call people names and make people jump through his hoops.

Texas Gov.Greg Abbott was the first to jump as high as President Donald Trump wanted him to jump, working with his GOP state legislature to push through to gain five more congressional seats ahead of the 2026 congressional elections. The districts were signed into law by Abbott. Becausethe changes would mean loss of Black and Latino representation in Congress, some groups are challenging the maps as designed. California Democrats responded. California Gov.Gavin Newsom got to work with his Democratic state legislature, agreeing to put Proposition 50 on the Nov 4ballot for voters’ consideration. Also known as the Election Rig-

ging Response Act, if approved, themeasure would createupto five more districtsfavorable to Democrats. Missouri Republicans followed California.Inlate September,Republican Missouri Gov.MikeKehoe signed arevised congressional map intolaw.ItgivesRepublicans an additional congressional seat. The GOP would hold sevenof thestate’seight seats. But there is fierce pushback as groups collect signatures to overturn that action North Carolina is apolitical swing state, apurple state. Neither Democrats norRepublicans have strong control. The governor,Josh Stein, is aDemocrat. TheGeneral Assembly is led by Republicans. Thestate has14 congressional districts. Republicans control 10. Justa fewdays ago, Republican legislative leaders said they would design amap to achievetheirgoal of adding one more. That would come at theexpense of adistrict that has been represented by Black Democrats for decades. Two-term U.S. Rep. Don Davis is in the seat now,but likely he won’t be if this happens.

There are moreRepublican governors than there are Democraticgovernors. There are 27 Republican governors. There are 23 Democraticgovernors

There are more Republicanledstate legislatures thanthere are Democratic-led state legislatures. Republicans control 28 state legislatures, meaning both the House and the Senate. Democrats control only 18. Of the states with firm party control with apartymemberinthe governor’s seat andthe same party controlling both chambers of a state legislature, Republicans control 23 andDemocrats control only 15. Nebraska is the only unicamerallegislature in the nation. Republicans did the work to getthatleverage. Still, it doesn’t seem fair to voters to willy-nilly change congressionaldistricts, whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge. That’swhy 11 statesspecifically prohibit mid-decadecongressional districtand/orlegislative changesbytheir state constitutions. Theyare Alabama,Alaska, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, NewMexico, New York, North Carolina,Pennsylvania,Tennesseeand Utah,according to the National ConferenceofState

Legislatures

That’swhy Trump calledMissouri state senatorsastheywere caucusing afew weeks agoand why the president calledIndiana Republicans just afew days ago. He’slooking forevery congressionalseat he can gettoholdonto aRepublican congressional majority led by U.S. HouseSpeaker Mike Johnson,R-Benton Indiana hasnine congressional seats. Seven are held by Republicans. Twoare held by Democrats. Indiana Republicanswanttoget rid of both of those.

As the Louisiana Legislature continues itsredistricting special session, keep these things in mind.

Louisiana hassix congressional districts. Fourseats are held by Republicans.Two seats are held by Democrats, both Black:U.S Rep. Troy Carter,D-NewOrleans, and U.S. Rep.CleoFields,DBaton Rouge. This very Legislature approved the maps that give us this nearequal representation. Nowit seems they are eager to disavow that decision. Imagine Louisiana,astate with more than 30% Black people,not having asingle Black representative in Congress.Orimagine the

state withonly one, after fighting foryears to getnear-equalrepresentation

Landryand GOPlegislators knowthatthe Louisiana v. Callais case recentlyarguedbefore theU.S.Supreme Court could reshapethe Voting RightsAct as we have known it fordecades and reshapewhatstates can do with congressional districts across thecountry.Theywanttodelay theApril primary electionsuntil May, delaying January qualifying, withthe hope that they can quickly undo whattheyapproved in favorofWhiteRepublicans. That’swrong. Those who want to keep these districts as they are should support Democraticlegislatorswho will be fighting against thechangesand calling Republican legislatorstotellthemthey don’tagree. Considerjoining thePower Coalitionfor Equityand Justice’s “FairMapsMobilization”on Mondayat1p.m. at theLouisiana State Capitol If this can’t be stopped, at least ourlawmakersshould knowhow thepeople they represent really feel

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Will Sutton

Stephanie Grace

Quin Hillyer

ADVERTISEMENT

When you’re comparingplans.



Many Americans arefortunate to have dental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-providedbenefits. Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can comeasashock,leading people to put off or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage

thenumber of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoveragewith no deductibles.Someplans may require youtopay hundreds out of pocket before benefitsare paid.

 Shop forcoverage with noannual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

SIXINAROW

Southern’s losing streakextends afterlosstoFAMU, Page 3C

Shortcomings thwart positivesbySaintsoffense SPORTS

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Foster Moreau stood in front of hislocker last Sunday after the New Orleans Saintslost their sixth game in seven tries to start the season, and he tried to find the rightwords for what had been happening offensively When the Saints have had the ball, they have been alternately goodand bad, often on the same drive. They will spendanentire game successfully operating the offense between the 20s, only to falter once they get near the goal line. They’re good on third down …until they need toconvert acertain yardage. They spent six weeks taking care of

ä Buccaneers at Saints 3:05 P.M. SUNDAy,FOX

theball and then spent last Sunday coughing the ball up in bunches.

Without question, the Saints have shown offensivepromise in theirfirst year under head coach and offensive play-caller Kellen Moore. Yet, as they getready for Sunday’s matchup against theBuccaneers, the Saints rank bottom 10 in virtually every offensive category,including total offense (23rd) and scoring offense (29th).

“It’sthe unending battle of process versus result,”Moreau said after aWeek 6lossto theNew England Patriots. “You could be so

uplifted and empowered by the process and how we’re calling plays and how we react to adverse scenarios, and how our second-year quarterback is playing football, like, wow, this is awesome. There’ssomany things you can be positive about.

“Thenit’slike, OK,but the results aren’t there. So then you have to be confident enough to be self-critical and start looking at the process, like what’s wrong with my process.Ifyour processislacking somewhere,it allshows up in that three hours and 15 minutes on Sunday.”

Things always were goingtobea

ä See SAINTS, page 9C

LOST RECEIPTS

LSU wide receiver Barion Brownispushed by TexasA&M cornerback Dezz Ricks while trying

Saturday at TigerStadium. LSUlost to the Aggies 49-25.

Aggies pummel Tigers in second half to endany championship talk

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

After LSU’swin over Oklahoma in the final game of the 2024 season, Brian Kelly made astatement

“We’re takingreceipts,” the LSU coach confidentlystated, “and we’ll see you at the nationalchampionship.” But after eight games, Kelly’sproclamation for 2025 already has fallen flat. LSU droppedits third contest of theyear Saturday againstTexas A&M, losing 49-25 despiteleading 18-14 at halftime.

Thevictory was TexasA&M’sfirst in Tiger Stadium since 1994 and LSU’smost lopsided loss to the Aggies since 1991. “Thefootball buckstops with me, and Ihave to takeagood, hard look at what we’redoing,and howwe’re doing it,” Kelly said after thegame Saturday,“both fromapersonnel standpoint and from acoaching standpoint.”

The Aggies scored 35 unanswered pointsinthe second half. Texas A&M found theend zone on itsfirst three

Withseason’spromise in rearview mirror,Kelly’s fate is hottopic

From contender to pretender From excitementtoembarrassment From fired up about aseason that looked like it would be filled withthrills to chants of “Fire Kelly” —when they could be heard above the delirious if unintelligible chants of the Texas A&M fans, anyway So many thoughts in the wake of an LSU game that devolvedfrom a brewing upset at halftime into an upsetstomach of a49-25 loss to the No. 3-ranked Aggies, but here’sabig one:

LSU announced Friday that it’sraising ticket prices next year …for this? It maynot matter foralot of LSU fans whostarted filing out of Tiger Stadium midway through A&M’s21-0 thirdquarter rout. Alot of them won’tbeback forthe Tigers’ final twohome games in what now shapes up as ahollow and meaningless November Someofthem may not be back until Brian Kelly is gone.

Saints QB Spencer Rattler

AP PHOTO By ERIN HOOLEy

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

4

Chambliss leads Ole Miss to win

BY CLIFF BRUNT AP sportswriter

NORMAN, Okla. — Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards and a touchdown and Kewan Lacy ran for two scores to help No. 8 Mississippi defeat No. 13 Oklahoma 34-26 on Saturday Ole Miss finished much differently than last week, when the Rebels led by nine in the third quarter before falling apart late in a 43-35 loss.

“Same Georgia feeling crowd started coming alive,” coach Lane Kiffin said “And then obviously much different response by us. And I didn’t feel like they ever, you know, kind of freaked out. And they had each other’s back.

Chambliss also rushed for 53 yards and often scrambled to create extra time to make throws.

“He’s a winner,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “It’s what he’s done against everybody But we needed to play better (to) have a chance to win. We needed to do a better job against him. So I didn’t have them ready to do that.”

Lacy had a hard-earned 78

yards on 27 carries and Winston Watkins had four catches for 111 yards for the Rebels (7-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference).

Against Oklahoma, Ole Miss put up 431 yards on a team that led the nation in total defense and

ranked second in scoring defense heading into the weekend.

John Mateer was 17 of 31 for 223 yards and a touchdown and an interception for Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2). Isaiah Sategna had six catches for a career-high 131

yards, but he had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter that stunted the Sooners’ momentum. Xavier Robinson ran for 109 yards and two scores.

“A lot to learn from in a really painful way,” Venables said.

AP TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Bernard’s TDs help Alabama rally past S. Carolina

By The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Germie Bernard scored two touchdowns in the final 21/2 minutes, and No. 4 Alabama rallied to beat South Carolina 2922 on Saturday for its seventh straight win.

Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and DeShawn Jones returned an interception 18 yards for a score for the Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference).

“We knew that this was going to be a dogfight coming in, right?” Simpson said. “... But there was not one ounce of nonbelief, right? We knew what we had to do and we made sure that we were going to be unbreakable with everything that we had — and that’s what we did.”

LaNorris Sellers threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards and another score for South Carolina (3-5, 1-5), but had a costly fumble late which led to the winning TD.

The Tide trailed 22-14 late in the fourth quarter, but drove 79 yards on 14 plays with Simpson finding Bernard for a 4-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone with 2:16 to play Simpson then connected with Josh Cuevas, who caught a TD pass earlier in the game, for the 2-point conversion to tie the game. On the ensuing drive, linebacker Deontae Lawson stripped Sellers, giving Simpson and the offense the ball at the South Carolina 38. On a third-and-10 play, Bernard took a direct snap and raced around right end and stayed inbounds for a 25-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left.

MEMPHIS 34, No. 18 SOUTH FLORIDA 31: In Memphis, Tennessee, quarterback Brendon Lewis connected with Cortez Braham Jr for a 10yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining to give Memphis a come-frombehind victory over South Florida. South Florida kicker Nico Gramatica missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to preserve Memphis’ victory Memphis trailed 31-17 entering the fourth quarter, but a 13-yard run by Greg Desrosiers Jr early in the period and a 28-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic pulled Memphis (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) within 31-26. That set the stage for the winning drive by Memphis, including the 2-point conversion. No. 16 VIRGINIA 17, NORTH CAROLINA 16: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina,

J’Mari Taylor scored on a 1-yard run in overtime, lifting Virginia to a victory over North Carolina.

The Tar Heels answered with Davion Gause’s 9-yard touchdown grab, but Ben Hall was stopped just short of the end zone on the ensuing 2-point try.

No. 2 INDIANA 56, UCLA 6: In Bloomington, Indiana, Aiden Fisher intercepted the first pass of the game and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and the Mendoza brothers Fernando and Alberto — each ran for scores as Indian routed UCLA.

The Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) extended their school-record home winning streak to 14, protected the highest ranking in school history for the second straight week and now open a second straight November with a perfect record. No 7 GEORGIA TECH 41, SYRACUSE 16:

In Atlanta, Haynes King threw two touchdown passes to Josh Beetham in the second quarter and accounted for five on the day, and Georgia Tech cruised to a victory over Syracuse in its first home game as a top-10 team since 2009.

The Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) briefly fell behind 3-0 early, but even Syracuse’s lone points of the first half felt like a missed opportunity

The Orange (3-5, 1-4) had the ball first-and-goal at the 1, but two presnap penalties and a sack killed the momentum and forced a field goal attempt.

WASHINGTON 42, No. 23 ILLINOIS 25:

In Seattle, Denzel Boston threw and caught a touchdown pass, and finished with career highs of 10 catches and 153 receiving yards to lead Washington to a victory over Illinois.

Boston, who entered the game 10th in the Big Ten in receiving yards, put the Huskies (6-2, 3-2

Big Ten) up for good at 21-17 with a 12-yard TD pass to Jonah Coleman on a trick play with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.

No. 10

VANDERBILT 17, No. 15 MISSOURI 10: In Nashville, Tennessee, Diego Pavia dove across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:52 left as Vanderbilt beat Missouri to extend the Commodores’ best start in more than 80 years.

Vanderbilt improved to 7-1 overall (3-1 Southeastern Conference) putting the Commodores a win off the 1941 squad that started 8-1. They came in with the highest ranking since 1947 playing before a second straight sellout crowd and snapped a five-game skid to the Tigers.

No.11 BYU 41,IOWA STATE 27: In Ames, Iowa, BYU safety Faletau Satuala returned an interception for a touchdown to help BYU pull away in the fourth quarter, and the Cougars stayed unbeaten with a win over Iowa State.

Bear Bachmeier threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston each had over 100 yards receiving for BYU.

No 21 CINCINNATI 41, BAYLOR 20: In Cincinnati, Brendan Sorsby threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to help Cincinnati beat Baylor The Bearcats (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) have won seven straight for the first time since 2021 when they reached the College Football Playoff.

No 14 TEXAS TECH 42, OKLAHOMA STATE 0: In Lubbock, Texas, J’Koby Williams returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and took a short pass 26 yards for a score on Texas Tech’s first play, jumpstarting the Red Raiders’ victory over Oklahoma State.

Jacob Rodriguez returned a fumble 69 yards for a TD as Texas

MLB’s Manfred expects players in next Olympics

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is increasingly confident big-league players will participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, when Nippon Professional Baseball interrupted its season and Japan beat the U.S. 2-0 in the gold medal game.

MLB has discussed creating an extended All-Star break to allow participation in the 2028 Games, to be held from July 14-30. An agreement with the players’ association is necessary and sponsor deals could be affected.

“I am positive about it. I think that the owners have kind of crossed the line in terms of, we’d like to do it if we can possibly make it work,” Manfred said Saturday before World Series Game 2.

Back problem forces Rybakina to withdraw

TOKYO Elena Rybakina pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open on Saturday, citing a back problem a day after her quarterfinal victory clinched the last remaining spot for the WTA Finals.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion was due to face Linda Noskova in the semifinals at the Tokyo tournament.

Noskova will face Belinda Bencic in Sunday’s final after the Swiss player beat Sofia Kenin 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal match. Bencic heads into her 10th career final, which comes 10 years after her previous Pan Pacific Open final appearance, a loss in 2015 to Agnieszka Radwanska. Bencic also won the Olympic singles gold medal and doubles silver in Tokyo four years ago.

Liberty hires first WNBA coach of Indian descent

New York assistant Sonia Raman has agreed to a deal to become the head coach of the Seattle Storm, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press late Friday night.

Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) bounced back from its first loss, a 26-22 defeat at 24th-ranked Arizona State that dropped the Red Raiders out of the top 10. It was Texas Tech’s first home Big 12 shutout since beating Baylor 28-0 in 2005.

No 22 TEXAS 45, MISSISSIPPI STATE 38, OT: In Starkville, Miss., Matthew Caldwell threw a touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley in overtime after Arch Manning was knocked out of the game with an injury and Texas came from behind to beat Mississippi State.

Manning finished 29 of 46 for 346 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and he also had a rushing touchdown.

Manning’s injury happened on the first play of the OT period as he was diving to the ground and took a solid hit from two Bulldogs defenders and stayed on the ground before team personnel came onto the field to check on him.

No.9 MIAMI 42,STANFORD 7: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Mark Fletcher Jr rushed for 106 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, Miami’s defense was airtight for much of the game and the ninthranked Hurricanes pulled away for a win over Stanford.

Carson Beck — coming off the first four-interception game of his career — completed 21 of 28 passes for 189 yards and a score for Miami (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), while Jordan Lyle and Girard Pringle Jr also ran for touchdowns.

No. 6 OREGON 21,WISCONSIN 7: In Eugene, Oregon, Jordon Davison ran for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Oregon overcame a slow start to hand Wisconsin its sixth straight loss with a lackluster victory on a rainy Dante Moore threw for just 86 yards the Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten), who didn’t score their first touchdown until late in the opening half. Moore left with an apparent face injury in the third quarter

NO 17 TENNESSEE 56, KENTUCKY 34: In Lexington, Kentucky, Joey Aguilar threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, DeSean Bishop ran for a pair of touchdowns, and Tennessee took advantage of two first quarter turnovers to beat Kentucky Aguilar completed touchdown passes of 35, 13, and 62 yards to pace the Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference). Chris Brazzell II had 138 yards receiving and Mike Matthews added 107 yards receiving and a touchdown each.

Raman was an assistant with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies for four years before coming to the New York Liberty this past season. She’ll make history as the first person of Indian descent to be a head coach in the WNBA. Seattle fired coach Noelle Quinn after the Storm was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. With this hire, New York is the only team still without a head coach. The Liberty didn’t renew Sandy Brondello’s contract after New York lost in the opening round to Phoenix.

UFC heavyweight title bout a no-contest after eye poke

Champion Tom Aspinall and topranked Ciryl Gane couldn’t make it through the opening round of their heavyweight main event at UFC 321 inside Etihad Arena before the match was ruled a no-contest.

Aspinall (15-3-0) and Gane (13-20) both came out with a lot of energy until an accidental double eye poke prompted an official timeout at the 4:35 mark of the first round.

Aspinall (15-3-0) could not see out of his right eye during the allotted five-minute break, and at 4:09 into the stoppage, the match was ruled a no-contest. It was Aspinall’s first defense as undisputed heavyweight champion.

“What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see,” said Aspinall, responding to a chorus of boos throughout the arena.

Henderson, Hsu propel World team to semifinals

GOYANG, South Korea Brooke Henderson of Canada and Wei-Ling Hsu of Taiwan beat Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Ingrid Lindblad, a former LSU golfer, 4 and 3 on Saturday to qualify the World team for the International Crown semifinals.

The win gave the World team its fourth point in Pool B from three wins and two ties in the LPGA team event at the New Korea Country Club.

In a later match, Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden beat the World team’s Charley Hull and Lydia Ko 3 and 1.

Australia also qualified for the semifinals from Pool A, as did Japan from Pool B.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALONZO ADAMS

Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss throws a pass during a game on Saturday against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SCOTT KINSER

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard runs in for a touchdown against South Carolina in the second half on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.

FAMU 43, SOUTHERN 35

THREE AND OUT: TOyLOy BROWN’S TOP TAKEAWAyS FROM THE JAGUARS’ LOSS TO THE RATTLERS

TACKLING ISSUES PERSIST

1

Southern’s failures on defense were again exposed in the fourth quarter.The Jaguars gave up three explosive touchdowns, two of which were rushing, and let the Rattlers’ skill players go largely untouched to the end zone The tackling angles taken in that period were grotesque With the last two long scores Southern allowed, defenders looked either gassed or uninterested in giving a full effort.

HOLLY EXCELS

2

LSU transfer Trey Holly is no doubt Southern’s No. 1 running back, and his number of carries has continually grown.Without Southern’s second-best running back, Mike Franklin, Holly has had back-to-back games with a season-high in carries.The 5-foot-7, 192-pound tailback had 21 carries last week.Against FAMU he had 26 attempts for 145 yards. Holly deserves those touches since he’s the best Southern has.

OFFENSE BETTER

3

The Jaguars scored more than two touchdowns in a game for the first time since their only win on Aug. 30 against Mississippi Valley State.There seemed to be some complementary play between the run and pass games for the first time in a while with 217 yards rushing and 197 passing While Ashton Strother completed just 42.9% of his passes, he threw for a season-high in yardage.

NOT QUITE

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Concentration was going to be a necessity for Southern if it wanted a win against Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon.

The Jaguars were five days into their new reality of having interim coach Fred McNair take over for a team that hasn’t won a game since Aug. 30.

With plenty of issues capped by the firing of coach Terrence Graves on Monday, ignoring the “outside noise” was a phrase one of their leaders, wide receiver Darren Morris, said was crucial for his team.

“(I) thought the guys prepared themselves very well,” McNair said after the game. “Practicewise, they were very intense. They were motivated. Then coming into the ball game, we knew we had a chance.”

Even though the Jaguars played their most inspired game of the season, it wasn’t enough in a 4335 loss to FAMU at A.W. Mumford Stadium. It was the sixth-straight defeat for Southern (1-7, 0-4 SWAC)

The opening drive for FAMU (3-4, 2-1) looked like a replay of what most opponents have done to Southern.

Rattlers quarterback RJ Johnson converted a pair of thirdand-12 plays to get an early drive going. Fortunately for the Jaguars, a 17-yard touchdown run by tailback Thad Franklin was negated on a holding call and FAMU settled for a Daniel Porto 29-yard field goal.

Porto added a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter On Southern’s first possession, quarterback Ashton Strother completed three of his first four attempts. Strother threw a 21-yard strike to Cam Jefferson and found Jefferson again on a 33-yard pass play On the latter play, the junior bought time in the pocket and found Morris who stepped out of bounds at the 9-yard line.

One play later, tailback Trey Holly scored on a 7-yard run.

Southern’s defense then forced a three-and-out and followed the defensive stand with its best punt return of the year from wide receiver Kobe Brown. The sophomore found room on the left side of the field and dashed 45 yards to the Ratters’ 38. A personal foul penalty moved the ball to the FAMU 23. Holly, who finished with 26 carries for 145 yards and two TDs, capped a short drive with a 3-yard run. Following the touchdown, Southern had consecutive three-andouts that the Rattlers converted into touchdowns. The last score of the half was a 26-yard run by Johnson Southern trailed 19-14 at halftime. The last time Southern scored at least two touchdowns in the first half was in its win over Mississippi Valley State on Aug. 30.

Southern’s most determined drive was its second of the third period, culminating with a Strother 1-yard touchdown run. On the drive, the Jaguars marched 91 yards while leaning mostly on Holly

Holly did a great job running the football,” McNair said. “You talk about 26 carries, that’s a lot for one, for (145) yards. That’s big time for him I’m proud of him, and the O-line did an excellent job too of really widening splits out and opening up the gaps to run in.”

The Jaguars scored again in the fourth quarter when Strother found wide receiver Malachi Jackson on a drag route toward the left sideline. The 6-foot-2 transfer broke a tackle and dashed 49 yards to Rattlers’ 7-yard line. The possession concluded five plays later with a Strother 1-yard run. After the extra point, Southern led 28-22 with 12:55 remaining. FAMU responded with three straight drives leading to explosive touchdowns. Running back Jamal Hailey had a 39-yard rushing touchdown at the 9:08 mark, Johnson threw a 74-yard touchdown at the 6:43 mark and Hailey — on a one-play drive ran for 56 yards to the end zone. The Rattlers led 43-28 lead with 5:41 remaining. Hailey had 18 carries for 154 yards and three touchdowns as he filled in for Franklin.

Southern drove 75 yards for a touchdown with 2:07 left in the game. The drive was capped by Strother’s third 1-yard scoring run McNair said Strother missed on a couple of passes that would have kept drives alive.

“If he just looks at the guy right over in front of him. There’s a guy standing right in front of him twice, wide open,” McNair said “And he missed those guys We’ll get better at that. We’ll get him better, and he will watch film and learn from it and see why he didn’t throw it.” Southern’s next game is at Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 2 p.m Saturday

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com.

Jaguars offense comes alive

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Malachi Jackson only saw grass in front of him at A.W Mumford Stadium.

On third and 2 from the Southern 44-yard line, the Southern wide receiver caught a short pass on a drag route going to the left side. When the junior turned upfield, no one was within 30 yards of him.

Jackson had only a safety to beat on his way to the end zone but was taken down at the 7-yard line. The 49-yard pass from Ashton Strother was Southern’s most explosive play in a 43-35 loss to Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the defeat, the Jaguars’ offense went from horrid to solid for the first time since a 34-29 win over Mississippi Valley on Aug. 30.

Interim coach Fred McNair who was promoted Monday after Terrence Graves was fired, said he was pleased with how the offense performed.

“I tell the guys that all the time during the course of the week, you have great potential. (The) only thing you have to do is just stay out your own way,” McNair said. “I thought they did a great job of that through the course of the week and preparing for this ball game And executing the way they did, I mean it was phenomenal. You talk about putting up 35 points the way they did. Man, I’m so proud of that side.” With 414 total yards, the Jaguars eclipsed the 400-yard mark for the first time this season. Their five TDs matched their total in their previous five games combined.

Trey Holly’s presence was massive. Alongside an offensive line that created gaps with regularity, the LSU transfer finished with a season-high 26 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Several times, he didn’t go down on first contact.

“He’s an outstanding running back, and he definitely makes it a lot easier for the entire offense when you know he’s running downhill,” Strother said. “They have to worry about him in the backfield. And you know, it gives me a chance to run the ball too pretty much everybody on the offense it opens up.” Freshman Armariyan Asberry, a 6-foot, 200-pounder, added seven rushes for 36 yards.

Strother had his best start of the season despite completing just 42.9% of his passes. Before the incompletions piled up in the fourth quarter he kept the offense moving with 197 yards passing.

After having a fumble and an interception last week, he had no turnovers against the Rattlers. The passes to Jackson and Darren Morris, who finished with a team-high four catches for 82 yards, kept Southern moving.

“They were kind of running a cover-one robber, (and) was switching the backside safety in the corner,” Strother said. “So, yeah, the middle of the field was open pretty much all night.” Strother finished with nine carries for 36 yards and three 1-yard touchdown runs For each score, the Jaguars brought more big bodies in to help power the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Strother across the goal line.

McNair said an extra emphasis on third-down conversions in practice paid off.

“You can talk about (9 of 15) on third down,” he said. “That’s pretty good It could be a little bit better, but these guys fought.” Southern’s progress was a welcome sight, Strother said.

“Simply (it’s) what we’ve been trying to do for the past seven, eight weeks,” Strother said. “We executed the simple plays. You know, we had a great week of practice. And we’ve still just got to finish.” Holly said he hopes the game will give the Jaguars confidence.

“I mean, they see we can score the ball,” Holly said.

“So hopefully it gives everybody a boost. We’re capable of doing it and if we don’t,

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Southern running back Trey Holly tries to turn the corner against Florida A&M on Saturday at A.W Mumford Stadium. Holly had 26 carries for 145 yards and scored two touchdowns in Southern’s 43-35 loss.

Florida A&M tight end Miles Campbell can’t hold onto a pass as Southern safety Herman Brister defends on Saturday.

Zacharycontrolsits destinyinDistrict4-5A

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

With the conclusion of Week 8, high schoolfootball teams in the Baton Rouge area willlook to finish strong with only two weeks left in the regular season.

Several teams made astatement this past week. Here are four takeaways from football games around the area.

Zacharybounces back

The Broncos were unbeaten before falling 52-31 to Libertyin aDistrict 4-5A matchupOct. 17. Zachary responded to the loss with aresounding 44-8 win over WoodlawnonFriday.The Broncos (6-1, 2-1) held the Panthers to 168 yardsofoffense and forced twoturnovers.

Zachary is still behind Catholic (6-2, 3-0) in the district standings but will play Central (6-2, 2-1) and the Bears to close out the regular season. The Broncos’losstoLiberty mayhave setthemback,but two wins to close out the season stand between Zachary and aDistrict 4-5A title.

“Wecan take this thing week by week,” Broncos coach David Brewerton said. “If you get awin

there, then you set yourselfupto go try and win adistrict championship in Week 10.”

Three-waytie in District 5-5A

District 5-5A could come down to the finalweek of the regular season with athree-way tie atop the standings after Week 8. Denham Springs (6-2, 3-1) won itsfourth straight game in a51-13 win over Prairieville. The win was also the Yellow Jackets’ fourth straight game scoring more than 40 points. They’re averaging 49.3 points per game over the stretch.

Dutchtown (5-2, 3-1) held on against Walker in a19-14 win to remain in the district hunt after a loss to Denham Springs in Week 7.

EastAscension(5-3, 3-1) lost to Teurlings Catholic 64-29 this past week, but the nondistrict loss does not affect its District 5-5A record.

TheSpartans andGriffins will play in Week 9. Denham Springs plays Walker and St.Amant to closeout theseason.

East Ascension alreadybeat Denham Springs earlier in the season.

Dunham stillthe classof8-2A

TheTigersshowedonceagain this past week that they are the team to beat in District 8-2A. Dun-

hamhandledEastFeliciana 42-0 on Fridaynight,marking the team’s second straight shutout.

The Tigers (7-1, 4-0) losttheir lone gamebysix points and have won all of their games by double digits. Dunham’sseven wins have been won by an average margin of 41 points.

ACHS makes statement

The Bulldogs opened the season with a2-2 record. Ascension Catholic then ripped off three straight wins andfaced oneofits biggest tests yetagainstNorth Iberville, which entered the gamewith a7-0 record.

The Bears lost to Ascension Catholic 56-14 last year,but looked to turn the tide at homewith abetter record. The Bulldogs weren’t having any of it. Ascension Catholic dominated North Iberville 5028 to move to 6-2and 3-0inDistrict 8-1A.

Senior running back Trevin Simon ranfor four touchdowns in the win. With games against White Castle (0-8)and East Iberville (26), theBulldogs rise to the topof the standings, seeking another district title.

Peak Zion,impressiverookies providehopefor Pelicans

TheNew Orleans Pelicanshave played 101 minutes of basketball this season.

That’s48minutes in the seasonopening road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and 53 minutes in Friday’sovertime loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the Smoothie King Center

utesplayed againstthe Spurs are more than Williamson played in any game last season.

It’sasmall sample size in the long grind of an 82-game season,especially for ateam with so many new faces. Buthere arefive things we have learned about the Pelicans so far:

Peak Zion

Zion Williamsonlooks as good as he has since arriving in New Orleansin2019.

Forget the 27 points he scored against both the Grizzlies and Spursinthe first two games of the season. Scroll past the 9.5 reboundshe’s averaging. Skip the six assists per game he’sdished out.

Heck, there’snoneed to even talk about the league-best four steals per game he’shad through the first two games of the season

The real stat that matters is the one under the “minutes played” column.

He played 33:28against Memphis in Wednesday’sseason opener and 36:59 against the Spurs in Friday’shome opener.The min-

“It means alot,” Williamson said about his minutes. “It definitely shows the work that I’ve put in. It definitely shows that my coaches and thestaff trust me to go outthere and do that. It felt great. and I’m going to keep that momentum going.”

Count Spurs coach Mitch Johnson among those who said this could beaspecialyear for Williamson.

“He’sadynamic player that continues to add to his game,” Johnson said.“He’sa unique athlete, something like we’ve neverseen. It’s good to seehim healthy and playing ata high level. I’m sure he’s readyfor arock-star year becausehe looks very sharp.

Johnson has arock star of his own in Victor Wembanyama.

Wembyscored 29 points, grabbed 11 reboundsand blocked nine shots Friday.He’sthe reason the Spurs were awarded22nationally televised gamesthis season.

ThePelicans, meanwhile, are on national TV just twice. If Williamson continues playing like he’s playing,he’ll show the league they gotitwrong.

Still fallingshort

The Pels are 0-2 because of their inability to finish games. They gotoutscored 41-22 in the third quarter against theGrizzlies.

“If we’re trying to win, we can’t

The inability to finish games or put afull four quarters together is why the Pelicans have lost nine games in arow dating to last season.

Trusting thenewbies

Youknew rookies Jeremiah Fearsand Derik Queen would contribute this season, but nobody expected the duo to play in crunch time in their second NBA games.

But therethey were —along with Williamson, Trey Murphy and Jordan Poole —inthe final minutesof regulation and most of the overtimeperiod Friday Queen played 35 minutes and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Fears played 29 minutes and scored 13 pointstogowith four rebounds, two steals andanassist.

have quarters like that,” Williamson said.

On Friday,the Pels trailed 109107 when Wembanyamafouled out with 4:17 remaining in overtime. These are thekind of games thePelicans should win, but they didn’t.

“I thought we got afew good looks that we missed,” coach Willie Green said. “They madea couple more plays than us. That’s really what it comes down to.”

“I saw alot of poise from both guys at the end of the game, throughout the whole gamereally,” Green said. “You can tell they want it.”

As far as the other new pieces Joe Dumars brought it, you knew what Poole would bring. But the addition of Saddiq Bey is one that may be even better than anyone imagined.

Biggestearly concerns

The 3-point shooting, particularly in the second half,has been underwhelming. The Pelicans

have made20of593-pointers. They are 14 of 34 beyond the arc in the first half

The numbers dip in the second half, when they have made just 6of25. After Friday’sgame, the Pelicans’ 29.5 3-point attempts per game ranked 27th in the league. They’ll need to shoot moreof them.But moreimportantly, they’ll need to makemore. And the lack of size with Yves Missi, Kevon Looney and Karlo Matkovic all nursing injuries is also aconcern. The Pels got outrebounded 59-45 Friday night. The addition of DeAndre Jordan should help.

It feelsdifferent

This will sound like I’mtalking out of both sides of my mouth after mentioning the record earlier.Yes, they are 0-2. But there appears to be somepromise with the depth and talent. The talent alone should makethis team fun to watch.

“I just think our sense of urgency as ateam and as players as we have growninour careers is higher,” Murphy said. “I feel like we are playing with alot more fight than we have played with in the past. So Ithink it’sastep in the right direction.”

Twogames into the season, he may be right.

Toobad they don’thave the wins to show forit.

Email RodWalkeratrwalker@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

TEXAS A&M 49, LSU 25

BOX SCORE

Borné sets the Tiger Stadium scene one more time

Staff report

Dan Borné stepped to the mic one more time just as the sun settled beyond the horizon before LSU’s game with Texas A&M on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

You know the rest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the sun has found its home in the western sky,” LSU’s longtime publicaddress announcer said in his familiar refrain. “It is now Saturday night in Death Valley.”

Borné, who retired before the season, was the voice of Tiger Stadium for 38 seasons and of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for men’s basketball for 36, his iconic voice becoming part of many of the school’s greatest home athletic moments.

Besides his honorary return to the announcers’ booth, Borné was presented midway through the first quarter with a framed photograph of a sunset at Tiger Stadium with his famous quotation printed on it. LSU coach Brian Kelly walked over from the sideline to shake Borné’s hand during the timeout.

Perhaps fittingly, no precipitation fell during the game despite a forecast full of rain, echoing Borné’s other famous line, now played as a recording before every game: “Chance of rain? Never!”

First time since . Saturday’s game included several rare occurrences, most of them negative for LSU.

Start with this: The victory was Texas A&M’s first in Tiger Stadium since 1994. The Aggies beat the Tigers 18-13 that day, then didn’t play in Baton Rouge again until they joined the SEC. Since then, LSU had won all six meetings at home. In fact, this was the first victory for the road team in the series since LSU’s 54-39 win in College Station in 2016.

Part of the problem? KC Concepcion’s 79-yard touchdown for Texas A&M in the third quarter which was the first time the Tigers had allowed a punt return for a score since a 2019 win at Alabama; the first time in Tiger Stadium since a

2015 win against Florida; and the first time in a loss since the 2005 Capital One Bowl vs. Iowa.

LSU did make a little positive history when Jhase Thomas blocked the punt of Tyler White early in the second quarter, resulting in a safety when the ball bounced out of the back of the end zone.

It was LSU’s first safety in SEC play since Nov 30, 2019, also against Texas A&M, and the Tigers’ first blocked punt for a safety in SEC play since Oct. 16, 1999, against Kentucky The Wildcats won that game 31-5.

Delane injury scare

LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane briefly left the game with an injury during the third quarter

The Aggies were driving on their opening drive of the second half when Delane dove to make a tackle and his head hit the turf at an awkward angle. He initially got to his feet but sat down before the next play and raised his finger for medical attention.

Delane, a transfer from Virginia Tech who’s projected to be a firstround NFL draft pick, walked off under his own power but imme-

diately went into the injury tent on the sideline. He emerged from the tent with his helmet on but did not return for the final plays of the Aggies’ touchdown drive. He did return to the game for Texas A&M’s extra-point try after the Aggies scored on a punt return later in the third quarter

Because Delane was attended to after the ball was spotted for the next play, LSU was charged with a timeout. That’s according to a new rule this year created to prevent defenses from faking injuries to disrupt offensive tempo. Had LSU been out of timeouts, it would have been assessed a 5-yard penalty for delay of game instead. The LSU offensive line also took another hit in the fourth quarter when freshman left tackle Carius Curne stayed down after a fourthdown play Trainers attended to his left leg before he was helped off the field and into the injury tent. He did not return and was replaced by DJ Chester Curne was filling in for starter Tyree Adams, who was out with an ankle injury suffered last week at Vanderbilt.

LSU also played the game without starting linebacker Whit Weeks

Birthday blues

Kelly coached a game on his birthday for just the second time in his 22-year career as an FBS head coach Neither has gone well. The first time one of Kelly’s teams took the field on Oct. 25, his 2008 Cincinnati squad lost 40-16 to UConn.

Mathieu to be SEC legend

Former LSU and Saints defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will be honored as the Tigers’ SEC football legend at this year’s SEC championship game. Mathieu, who played for LSU in 2010-11, was an unanimous AllAmerican, Bednarik Award winner and Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011. He was also MVP of the Tigers’ SEC title game victory over Georgia. Mathieu, 33, retired from the NFL in July after 12 seasons with the Chiefs, Texans, Cardinals and Saints. The SEC championship game is Dec. 6 in Atlanta.

drives and scored a fourth touchdown on a 79-yard punt return from KC Concepcion. After a somewhat promising opening 30 minutes, the night turned into an embarrassment for LSU. The only team in Baton Rouge on Saturday with a shot of reaching the College Football Playoff was No. 3 Texas A&M.

“Our fans are disappointed, like any fan base would be, whether here at LSU or any other school,” Kelly said. “The head coach, it stops with the head coach, and so that responsibility falls with me.”

The Aggies ended with 426 total yards and 224 yards on the ground. Quarterback Marcel Reed finished with just 202 yards passing, but, like last year, he proved to be a problem with his legs, with 108 yards on the ground.

As Texas A&M accomplished whatever it wanted on offense in the second half, LSU’s attack sputtered. The Tigers had 14 yards in the third quarter. They had -4 yards on the ground and just one first down in that same time span.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier exited the game with less than six minutes left to play after getting sacked for the fifth time. As sophomore Michael Van Buren replaced him, Nussmeier threw his helmet down in disgust on the sideline Van Buren found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kyle Parker for a touchdown on the drive, but the only thing the score accomplished was making sure the loss wasn’t LSU’s most lopsided home defeat since 1999 against any team other than Alabama.

“I’m an LSU Fighting Tiger till I die,” LSU fifth-year senior linebacker West Weeks said. “So every chance I get to represent those three letters on my chest, I’m go-

ing to come in every single day, I’m going to work my tail off, and I’m going to bring everybody else around with me.” Two game-changing interceptions gave LSU the lead heading into halftime. First, with Texas A&M on the doorstep of the end zone with 7:38 left in the opening half, senior LSU safety AJ Haulcy intercepted Reed’s pass and returned it 25 yards. Thanks in part to an unnecessary

roughness penalty on third down that kept the ensuing drive alive, LSU turned Reed’s interception into six points. Nussmeier hit senior wide receiver Barion Brown for a 41-yard reception that set the Tigers up in the red zone before Harlem Berry found the end zone four plays later on a 7-yard carry The score gave LSU a 15-14 lead despite kicker Damian Ramos missing the extra point. Berry’s run was the second touchdown of his career as he finished the half

with eight carries for 56 yards. But despite the strong first half, Berry had just one carry the rest of the night.

“I think if we had come up with a stop or didn’t have the punt return (for a touchdown),” Kelly said, “I think we would’ve saw more balance (between the run and the pass) from that perspective.”

The second interception came on the Aggies’ next drive. Senior cornerback Mansoor Delane batted Reed’s pass into the air, and

redshirt junior Harold Perkins caught it for the pick.

LSU failed to capitalize on the error with a touchdown, but Ramos made a 30-yard field goal to hand the Tigers an 18-14 advantage at the half.

LSU finished the half with 189 total yards and won the time of possession battle. Nussmeier completed 13 of 20 passes for 121 yards, but he was also sacked twice.

“I would just be giving you lip service right now if we weren’t going to be committed to getting this football team better and having them have better outcomes than tonight,” Kelly said when asked about LSU’s struggles in pass protection. “Our fan base should be upset.”

The Tigers punted on their first drive but found the end zone on their next one, thanks to a touchdown pass from Nussmeier to sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green that tied the score at 7-7.

LSU surrendered a touchdown on the Aggies’ ensuing drive, but freshman safety Jhase Thomas blocked Texas A&M’s punt on its next drive, batting the ball through the end zone for a safety to cut the LSU deficit to 14-9. It was LSU’s first blocked punt since Micah Baskerville accomplished the feat against Southern in 2022, which was Kelly’s first season in Baton Rouge. For LSU fans, that was a year filled with hope and positivity about Kelly’s tenure. Now three years later, those same fans chanted for his dismissal before Saturday’s loss had come to a close.

“That second half was unacceptable at any level,” Kelly said, “and I’ve got to figure out the ways that we can get our football team to play better football consistently.” LSU is off next weekend, then faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Nov 8.

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU running back Harlem Berry leaps over Texas A&M safety Dalton Brooks in the second

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

between the Tigers and the Aggies on

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

A fan in the LSU student section shows off a ‘Fire Kelly’ T-shirt late in the second half between the Tigers and the Aggies on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

THREEAND OUT: SCOTTRABALAIS’ TOPTHREE TAKEAWAySFROMLSU’S LOPSIDED LOSS TO THEAGGIES

DEFENSEWILTS IN CLUTCH

1

LSU relied on its defense during the first halfofthe season to great effect. But aunitlacking an injured Whit Weeks gotgashed time andagain, once again, by a mobile quarterback.Aweek agoitwas Vanderbilt’s DiegoPavia. This time it was A&M’sMarcelReed.Reed mademistakes, throwing twobig first-half interceptions that bothled to LSU scores. Buthemade up for them with four totaltouchdowns to keya big Aggies’ comeback just like he did in 2024.

COASTALEROSION

2

LSU fancied itselfa championshipcontendercoming into the2025 season.An openingwin at Clemson made it look likethe Tigers were well on their way, but theteam has regressedmightily since then.The defensehas been ashell of itselfthe past twogames.The offensestill has notcracked the 25-point, let’scall it abarrier,all season.And after ablocked punt for an earlysafety, special teams gave up abig punt returnbyKCConcepcion fora score.

NOWWHAT?

3

With their third loss, the Tigers are out of the SECrace. They’re out of CollegeFootball Playoff contention. For the first timesince 2021, when LSU firedEd Orgeron on Oct.17, the Tigers are facing the prospect of afairly meaningless November with nothing more to playfor than being aspoiler to teamssuch as Alabama and trying to get bowl eligible.For fourth-yearcoach Brian Kelly,the backlash of this defeat is likely to be loud, long and relentless

Special-teamsmiscues add stingtoA&M loss

BY REEDDARCEY Staff writer

Once TexasA&M’s punt returner got loose, coach Brian Kelly reachedabove his head, grabbed his headset andspiked it into the ground.

Just afew minutes earlier, his LSU team controlled agame it couldn’tafford to lose.

But once Aggies receiver KC Concepcion broke through one tackle,tightropedpastKelly down the sideline and burst into the open field —finding the open space he neededtoscore a 79-yard punt return touchdown —LSU’sfour-point halftime lead had suddenly,frustratingly turned into a10-point thirdquarter deficit.

Previous LSU offenses could’ve perhaps clawed back into the game.

But not this one, which let 35 second-half points go unanswered in a49-25 losstoTexas A&M that ended LSU’shangingby-a-threadhopes of sneaking into the College Football Playoff, this time before November Struggles on eitheroffense or defensehad defined previous losses, but on Saturday,LSU added special-teams miscues to apile of disappointing showings in alopsided loss

“Wecouldn’tget (Concepcion) on the ground,” Kelly said “Then we hadsome situational substitution issues that are unacceptable, and they fall on me.

I’ve got to get that corrected.”

It wasn’tall bad on special teams for LSU. In the second quarter,freshman defensive back Jhase Thomassqueezed through aholeinTexas A&M’s protection unit, then blocked apunt through the back of the endzonefor asafety.The score marked thefirst time the Tigers hadblocked apuntfor asafety against an SECopponent since 1999,and it sparked aseries of plays in which LSUtookthe lead from the Aggies. But what happened in the second half overshadowedthat impressiveplay First, LSUgaveupthe 79yard return touchdown.

RABALAIS

from page1C

Ican’tpretend to tell youwhen that will be. But back-to-back losses to Vanderbiltand now Texas A&M may be too muchfor him to come back from. This season Nextseason. Whenever Kelly was asked point blank after the game whether hecould come back from this. Hisrapid reply was“Oh, yes,” but there was much more to add.

“This is an extremelydisappointing night,” Kellysaid. “Our fans are disappointed likeany fan base would be. This stopswith me. This is aproud tradition.”

There’snot much for LSU to be proud about right now

The Tigers started the season withalandmark 17-10 win at Clemson, breaking afive-game losing streak in seasonopeners. That gave LSU apuncher’s chance, better than that it seemed, of making it to theCollege Football Playoff and possibly winning the whole thing.

And now? Now the Tigers’ season is apunchline. Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed told reporters that A&M strength coach Tommy Moffitt, the former longtime LSU strength coach that

Kelly didn’t retain, put Kelly’s picture onablocking dummy and brought it to practice Thursday

If you’re an LSU fan, you can laughuntil it hurts. That won’t take long

“LSU’sdreams died here tonight,” ABC announcer Chris Fowler said gravely after the Aggieswent up 49-18.

Hey,at least the Tigers reached 25 points for thefirst time this season against aPower Four foe.

Whoopee, no?

Um, no.

It’s amazing how this game turned.How this season has turned.From wondering whether LSU would play ahome College Football Playoff game or get abye to thequarterfinals to wondering how many Tigers will opt out of the Liberty Bowl or whereverLSU’s disappointing season finally ends.

Theanswer: probably alot.

Many ofthe modern-day football mercenarieswho dotted this $18 millionLSU roster didn’thave any emotional ties to LSU and maynot stick around for theanticlimactic conclusion.

That’sfor another day.For the moment,the question is how did this gamegotopieces so badly forthe Tigers?

LSU went to the halftime locker room up 18-14 after ascrappy,imperfect, but hard-fought

Then it lined up its punting unitagain anddowned Texas A&M near itsown 25-yard line. But an illegal-formation penalty forced the Tigerstopunt again, andthis time they gave the Aggies the ball at midfield after failing to recover amuff.

LSU’soffense went three-andout on its nextdrive,and the Tigers punted to Concepcion

again, this time surrendering a 39-yard return that set up Texas A&M on the Tigers’ 33. “Wedidn’tkickthe ballthe way we normally kick it,” Kelly said, “but that’snoexcuse. We’ve got to go cover thedarn kick and, and we did notcover it very well today,sokickoffcoverage, punt coverage —those things really showed themselves tonight and acouple situ-

ational errors as certainly part of an incredibly disappointing second half.”

Texas A&M capitalized with touchdowns both times, which showed that special teams wasn’tthe only phase in which LSU struggled on Saturday The LSU offense punted on each of itsfirst four drivesofthe second half. On the 16 plays it ran across that stretch of the game, it pickeduponly 15 netyards. GarrettNussmeierthrewforonly168 yards before he waspulled late in thefourth quarter,and he was sacked six times. The Tigers finished with only 60 yards rushing.

The LSU defense allowed 426 totalyards and224 yards rushing. Texas A&M converted seven of its 10 third-down tries and scored touchdowns on six of its 10 drives.

The Aggies also collected 205 more yards on special teams They returned four punts for 137 yardsand twokicks for68yards. Kelly kept his composure earlier in the season whenprevious offensive and defensive strugglesimperiled LSU’splayoff hopes.

But everything fell apart —for him, for the season and perhaps hisentire LSUtenure —whenhis special teams unit surrenderedone back-breaking punt return.

“You’re going to evaluate everything,” Kelly said. “You have to look at everything Everything we do offensively, everything that was being done defensively.Specialteamswas atrocious.

“All of those things fall on me, so when it comes to the football, that’swhat Ihave to fix, and we have to do that immediately.”

first 30 minutes. Highlighted by Jhase Thomas’ blocked punt through the south end zone for asafety andAJHaulcy’sinterception in the north endzone to spark the Tigers’ go-ahead touchdown, it was ahalffull of promise for theTigers.

The second half turned out to be an approximation of Kelly’s four seasons at LSU: full of halfpromises that ultimately go unfulfilled. The Aggies poured it on with 35 unanswered points before backup quarterback Michael Van Buren threw acosmetic 12-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Parker with 59 seconds left. He came in

for Garrett Nussmeier with about 51/2 minutes lefttoplay

As Nussmeier headed to the sideline —head down, shoulders slumped —you could imagine the weight of the disappointment on theTigers’ fifth-year senior He didn’tcome back forthis. He came back forJanuary confetti in Miami after LSU wonanother CFPtitle. That won’t happen.At5-3 and2-3 in the SEC, theTigers are outofthe championshipdreamsbusiness. They’ve entered nightmarishterritory just in time for Halloween Texas A&M,now 8-0 and 5-0 in theSEC, is the team LSU aspired

to be. One of the SEC’smost balanced squads, the Aggies used that balance (224 yards rushing, 202 passing) to blow out LSU with the Tigers’ mostlopsided defeat in the series since a45-7 pasting in 1991 in College Station. That wasinthe early days of the Curley Hallman era. If you’re an LSU coach, you’d rather be subjected to an IRSaudit than be compared to Hallman.

Will this loss lead to changes in player roles? Changes in his staff? Kelly could be seen on TV clearly questioning acall by offensive coordinator Joe Sloan on his headset just before halftime. Sloan’sskill as aplay-caller is hardly LSU’s only problem.Kelly acknowledged abigger picture than afew play calls or offensive philosophy

“The football buck stops with me,” said Kelly,who turned 64 on Saturday.“Ihave to take agood, hard look at what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, from apersonnel and coaching standpoint.

“I have to evaluate everything from the top down.”

The question that has come into sharp focus is whether or not Kelly will be the LSU coach after this season, or at least the next.

“We’ve got to get it turned around,” Kelly said. “It’snot my decision whether I’mhere or not.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSUcoach Brian Kelly dropshis head on thesideline after thedefense gave up a first down to Texas

A&Minthe third quarter of their game on SaturdayatTiger Stadium.With the loss to the Aggies, LSU drops to 5-3.

INJURY REPORT

SAINTS No players with injurydesignations. BUCCANEERS

QUESTIONABLE: DT Vita Vea(foot)

OUT: OLB Haason Reddick (ankle/knee), RB Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), OT LukeHaggard (shoulder), WR Chris Godwin Jr.(fibula)

And just like that, Sunday’sbiannual matchup between the Bucs andSaints gotmuchmoreinteresting. Whatwould have been asnoozer between arebuilding Saints team and an injury-riddled Bucs squad suddenly got alot juicier While Mayfield’scomments made headlines andcaught the attention of the Saints, they refused to return fire or engageina pregame war of words. The players Ispoke to downplayed Mayfield’s comments andsaid they took no offense to them. Even veteran defensive endCam Jordan zipped his lips. The loquacious stalwart was noticeablyabsent from the locker room when reporters were pres-

everysingle week,” he said. “You can find motivation in every possible way.These aredivision games. Everyone’sexcited about division games.” True dat. While the AtlantaFalcons always will be Public Enemy No. 1toSaints fans, the Bucshave become thebiggest rival to the players. After all, thesetwo teams have combined to win the last eight division titles. It was theBucs who eliminated the Saints in theirlastplayoff game, ending Drew Brees’legendaryplaying careerin January 2021. Former SaintssafetyTyrann Mathieu referred to the Bucs-Saints series as “spiritedwarfare.” Few NFL rivalries

“I love trash talk,” Davis said. “I’m forall the smoke inside the white lines. But, Imean, this ain’tWrestleMania. So the pregametalk ain’twhere it’sat. (In football) we get achance to really duke it out inside the white lines. Idon’tthink there’snobody (with the Saints) that’s duckin’ smoke.” Mayfield’scomments added some much-needed spice to Sunday’sgame. The Bucs-Saints is always entertaining, and this one should be no different. Throw the records out the window.Let the smoke show begin. Email JeffDuncanatjduncan@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK

Saints defensivetackle BryanBresee reaches across the face mask of Tampa BayBuccaneers quarterbackBaker Mayfieldonthe sack on Dec.31, 2023,atRaymond James StadiuminTampa, Fla.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

challenge for the Saints thisseason after their starting quarterback surprisingly announced his retirement four months beforethe season opener.But Moorehas coaxedsolid play out of quarterback Spencer Rattler to this point.

EnteringSunday’sgame, the 2024 fifth-round pick Rattler ranks 15th among NFLquarterbacks in QBR (55.8) and 13th incompletion percentage (67.7%). On several statistical levels, he’splayed roughly the same or better than many of his first-round peers from theloaded 2024draft class.

But the Saints are 1-6 for areason. While the defense and special teams have played big parts in that record, the offense is coming up short in several key areas. Take the red zone, for instance.

Though it has found more explosive plays in the passing game lately,New Orleans largely has been forced tosustain long drives, stringing 10 or more plays together to drive downfield. That hasn’tbeen much of aproblem, but finishing drives off has been.

“Weknowwe’ve gottofix it, we know we’ve got to clean up in (the red zone) and make it happen on game day,” Rattler said. “Weare really good betweenthe 20s, it feels like, and then we getdown there and stallout.”

to do that without some success on third down.

In some ways,the Saints aredoing wellin that critical situation: When facing athird and 5orless, New Orleans is converting first downs at a62.2% clip, the sixth-best percentage in the NFL. But add1 yard to what theSaintsneed,and those numbers plummet. Whenneeding 6or more yardsonthird down,New Orleans has converted just 9of52(17.3%).

Third andlongisconsidered alow percentage play,nomatter who the team is, but the Saints’ percentageismuchlower thanitshould be.

“Wehaven’tdone agood enough job putting our guys in positiontocapitalize,” Saintsoffensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said. “We’ve hadopportunities; we haven’tseizedthe opportunities. We all need to do abetter job.” Rattler,inparticular,has struggled in those third-andlong situations.

“There’sbeen some things we’re doing good. ... It’s

frustrating,

He has dropped back 42 times when needing 6ormore yards on third down, and he has taken nearly as many sacks (four) as he’s thrown passes thatconverted firstdowns (five)

OFFENSIVELEADERS

TEAM STATS

because Ithink we’ve gottalent. Ithink we’ve gota

Thosefive conversionsrank 31st among NFL quarterbacks, tied with Minnesotabackup Carson Wentz(who hasplayed in two fewer games), despite Rattler ranking eighth in such attempts.

lot of guys

that want to

do the

right things, and sometimes the execution isn’tthere.”

NFL quarterbacks are completing 58.1% of their passes inside the opponent’s20-yard line. Acrossthe league, teams are converting 61.7% of theirtrips to the red zone into touchdowns. The Saintsare completing 48.3% inside the red zone and are converting only 45% of their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns (9 for 20). Of the 24 quarterbacks with at least 20 red-zone passing attempts, only three are completing alower percentage in that area than Rattler Most of the Saints’ red-zone issues are tied to their passing offense. They are averaging 4.4 yards per carry insidethe 20 —No. 2inthe NFL—and their +.21 Expected PointsAdded (EPA) per rush in thered zoneranksseventh. Butthey rank 27th in EPAper drop back in the red zone. Scoring three points instead of seven has come back to hurtthe Saints several times, as three of their six losses have come by seven or fewer points. Moore said he needs to do abetter job of sequencing hisplay calls in that phase of the game, and find ways to manipulate the defense and create avenues to attack. Then there’sthe third-down issue. New Orleans is doing agood job when it comes to sustaining long drives. The Saints have had 17 drives that spanned 10 or more plays, which are tied for the second most in the NFL. They would not be able

ALVINKAMARA,

Saints running back

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye converted three third downsof9 yardsorlonger against the Saints alone. The Saintshave not converted in the same situation or longer this season.

Sometimes,even thethings that have been working for the Saints have comeundone, like they did lastweek against the Chicago Bearswhen theSaints doubled their season turnover total,took aseason-highfour sacksand rushed fora seasonlow 44 yards.

“There’sbeen some things we’redoing good, and then there’ssome thingswhere it’s like we’vegot to figureitout to gettowhere we want to be,” running back Alvin Kamara said.“At times, it’s frustrating, because Ithink we’vegot talent. Ithink we’ve got alot of guys that want to do the right things, and sometimes the execution isn’tthere.”

With the results not where theywant them to be, the Saints and Mooreare forced to turn a critical eye toward their process

“Always,”Moore said.“You’ve gotthings youbelieve in, but you’re constantly trying to get better,whatever that may be. Whether that is the way we studythe redzone, do we need to find better solutions there? Or third down on offense, or defense, the third-down pressuregame.

“You’re constantlytryingtosay,‘Thisiswhere we’reat, we feel good aboutthese things, what are theareas we can keep growing in?’

That’s all aspectsofour organization.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@the advocate.com.

STAFF PREDICTIONS

JEFF DUNCAN

BUCS 21,SAINTS19: Division gamesare always competitive, and theBucsare playing withoutthree of theirbestplaymakersbecause of injuries. AfterBaker Mayfield’s incendiary comments this week,the Saints will be ready. I’mjustnot sure it will be good enough

LUKE JOHNSON

BUCS 30,SAINTS20: The Buccaneers have been battling injuries throughout theseasonbut it hasn’t mattered much thanks to the play of QB BakerMayfield. He’s the difference in this game becauseof hisability to escape pressure and connectonbig playsdownfield. MATTHEWPARAS

BUCS 31,SAINTS20: The Buccaneers have anumberof significant injuriesbut still have enough firepowertoput up points on theSaints. QuarterbackBaker Mayfield—anMVP candidateinhis thirdseasonwithTampa Bay—

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Saints coach Kellen Moore talks with quarterback SpencerRattler after adrivethat led to a 29-yard field goal against the NewyorkGiants during the first half of their game on Oct. 5atthe Caesars Superdome.

Pittsburgh

Panthers aim to run streak to 4

Rodgers plays G.B. for first time Aaron Rodgers will face Green Bay for the first time since he left the club when the Steelers host the Packers in a prime-time showdown Rodgers won four MVP awards and a Super Bowl as the Green Bay starting quarterback from 2008-22. The Steelers are 4-2 and atop the AFC North but smarting after getting upset on the road in Cincinnati a week ago. The Packers have won two straight since a tie against Dallas Green Bay edge rusher Micah Parsons seems to be settling in with his new team. Parsons had three sacks in a victory over Arizona last week.

2 1 3

Texans stingy defense faces 49ers Houston coach DeMeco Ryans will face his former boss in San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan for the first time Sunday when the Texans host the 49ers Ryans worked as an assistant for Shanahan with the Niners from 2017 until he became the Texans coach in 2023. Houston’s top-ranked scoring defense will be challenged by Christian McCaffrey, who had 201 yards of offense and scored two touchdowns last week agains the Falcons. Texans defensive end Will Anderson had five tackles and a strip-sack that he pounced on for a touchdown against the Seahawks on Monday night

Eagles seek revenge vs Giants

The New york Giants are set to face the Philadelphia Eagles with the Eagles favored by 71/2 points Both teams have identical records against the spread at 4-3. The Giants defeated the Eagles in Week 6 Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has been impressive for the Giants The Eagles also will focus on stopping Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who excelled in their previous matchup. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts completed 19 of 23 (82.6%) attempts for 326 yards and three touchdowns all for 25-plus yards without an interception and finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating last week against the Vikings.

If the Carolina Panthers are going to beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday to extend their winning streak to four games, they’ll need to control the time of possession and keep Josh Allen off the field. That means effectively running the football, something they have done extremely well Carolina has 580 yards rushing over the past three games. The Panthers will again employ a two-back approach Last week, Rico Dowdle gained 79 yards rushing on 17 carries while Chuba Hubbard added 14 carries for 31 yards The Bills defense ranks 31st out of 32 NFL teams against the run.

Bengals try to return to 500 The Cincinnati Bengals look to get back to the .500 mark when they host the winless New york Jets on Sunday. With franchise QB Joe Burrow sidelined by an injury, Joe Flacco has given the Bengals hope they can be competitive after passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Justin Fields will start at quarterback for the Jets. Fields was benched last Sunday for the second half against Carolina after going 6 of 12 for 46 yards Owner Woody Johnson pinned a lot of the blame for New york’s 0-7 start on Fields. 5 4

GAME OF THE WEEK

Broncos

face Cowboys, their former RB

it to go. I’m here now so.”

BY ARNIE STAPLETON AP pro

football writer

DENVER Sean Payton didn’t get to face his former quarterback Russell Wilson last week, but he’ll get to see plenty of his ex-running back Javonte Williams on Sunday Williams is having a career revival in Dallas, where he signed after the Broncos let him go during the offseason.

He’ll try to help the Cowboys (33-1) end Denver’s eight-game home winning streak, the longest in the league.

“It was just a good atmosphere,” Williams said of his four seasons in Denver which featured an outstanding rookie season in 2021, an injured knee in 2022, and plodding comeback seasons in 2023 and 2024 “I loved the team. I loved the staff, the coaches. I had a good time. It probably didn’t go the way I wanted

In just seven weeks in Dallas, Williams has tied his career-high from his rookie season with seven total touchdowns. Williams is second in the NFL with 592 yards rushing and tied for third with six rushing TDs entering Week 8

The Broncos are enjoying a resurgence in no small part to their revamped backfield of J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey They’re 5-2 for the first time in nine years and they sit all alone atop the AFC West for the first time since Week 4 of the 2016 season

Both sides are excited for the reunion Broncos run-stuffer John Franklin-Meyers echoed many of his teammates’ comments in saying he was proud of Williams.

“I think it’s a testament to his character ” he said. “We all knew he was a good player We saw what

he did here and he got a fresh start and it’s working out for him So, good for him, but we’ll try to slow that down this week.”

Williams said he immediately clicked with Cowboys rookie head coach and play-caller Brian Schottenheimer while entertaining offers in free agency

“He just said he liked to run the ball, he liked to be physical,” Williams said. “I felt like that was right up my alley I like those things, too.”

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said he’s “super proud” of Williams, “knowing everything that he went through, to battle back and not only battle back and play but to play at this level, such a high level. Super excited for this matchup.”

The Cowboys have lost seven consecutive times to the Broncos, whom they last beat in 1995.

Ravens QB Jackson to miss another game

Lamar Jackson will miss a third consecutive game with a hamstring injury when the Baltimore Ravens (1-5) host the Chicago Bears (4-2) on Sunday

The Ravens ruled Jackson out Saturday while also saying he was not a full participant in practice the previous day Jackson was initially listed as a full participant Friday and questionable for Sunday’s game, but now the team has downgraded him to out and said he was actually limited Friday Tyler Huntley is expected to start Sunday in Jackson’s place.

Falcons make move in case QB Penix is out

The Atlanta Falcons promoted quarterback Easton Stick to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, providing more depth with starter Michael Penix’s status uncertain. Penix is listed as questionable with a bone bruise on his left knee after being limited in practice through the week.

Kirk Cousins, the former starter who lost his job to Penix last season, would start if Penix is held out. Saturday’s move would allow Stick to serve as Cousins’ backup.

Packers activate WR Watson for Sunday Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson appears set to make his season debut Sunday after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The Packers (4-1-1) activated Watson from the reserve/physically unable to perform list Saturday, a move that clears the way for him to play Sunday night at Pittsburgh (4-2). Watson hasn’t played since tearing the ACL in his right knee during Green Bay’s 2024 regular-season finale. He returned to practice three weeks ago and said this week he believed he was ready to return.

Eagles to face Giants without Brown, Graham

The Philadelphia Eagles will play without wide receiver A.J. Brown and defensive end Brandon Graham on Sunday against the Giants.

Brown was ruled out with a hamstring injury while Graham was not ready to play after he returned this week from a short-lived retirement.

The Eagles also will play without cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (concussion), center Cam Jurgens (knee) and linebacker Azeez Ojulari (hamstring).

Graham practiced for the first time on Wednesday and hadn’t yet ruled out playing against the Giants.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KAREEM ELGAZZAR

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16 in Cincinnati.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks on from the sidelines during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 12 in Baltimore.

AP PHOTO By NICK WASS

OUTDOORS

Rules of the field

young hunters have more special regulations to heed

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

CALENDAR Notebook

The first shots in the modern firearms season for deer hunters were taken last weekend in three of our state’s deer-hunting areas, and opening dates for the other seven areas are fast approaching.

For older hunters, having the proper license(s) is all that’s needed to be legal — other than obeying the regulation about carrying tags and using them after taking a deer in the field.

For younger hunters, those born on or after Sept. 1, 1969, it’s not that simple. It’s state law that any hunter born after that date must have successfully completed a stateapproved Hunter Safety Course in order to be able to purchase a hunting license OK, so that regulation has been around for years, and you have to be at least 56 to be exempt, so anyone south of that age should know the licensing drill by now

But how does this rule apply to young hunters?

A basic hunting license and other hunting fees (like the $15 deer license) begin at age 18, and a recent change has put a $5 licensing fee on our younger folks. It’s the youth hunting license and is required for anyone 17 and younger to hunt deer, turkey, to trap and to participate in youth lottery hunts.

Deer and turkey tags come with the license, and youngsters do not have to have an ID or show proof of residency to get this license.

And, like older hunters, when they take a deer or a turkey, they must affix the tag to the animal in the field before it is moved to home or to a camp. After that $5 license, state law is anyone born after that 1969 date “must complete a (approved) Hunter Education Course before hunting,” unless the young hunter is under direct supervision of a qualified hunter which is anyone 18 and older holding a “valid, unrestricted Louisiana hunting license.”

“Direct supervision” means being within voice range and having direct visual contact.

A

grand start

Henley Pharis made the most of the recent youth-only deer season in Rapides Parish to take this solid 6-point buck. The 11-year-old borrowed his grandfather’s .308 rifle to take his first deer, a whitetail first seen on a game camera.

If you’re taking a youngster hunting, even for small game, it’s advisable to take the Hunter Safety Course with them, even if it to reinforce some small part of the hunting adventure. All rules for deer hunting and other game are listed in the 2025-2026 Louisiana Hunting Regulations pamphlet. For more on the safety course’s dates, times and locations, go to Wildlife and Fisheries’ website: louisianaoutdoors.com/events

Lost, then found

Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents do more than check hunters and commercial and recreational fishermen as proved when agents in Vernon Parish mobilized to find a lost hunter The unidentified 73-yearold man called 911 in the middle of a recent afternoon saying he could not find his way back to his vehicle. Five agents fanned out and located the man just minutes before dark and made sure he got home.

Permit holders Commercial fishermen with USC 558 permits

due for renewal will have their permits remain valid through the federal government shutdown The announcement came late last week.

More largemouths

Wildlife and Fisheries’ Inland Fisheries staff teamed with a private fisheries conservation organization, the Lafourche Parish-based Responsible Anglers United to stock 32,000 Florida bass in Lake Boeuf earlier this month.

The plan calls for state biologists to collect fin samples from existing bass to determine genetics then to use that as a baseline “to evaluate the effects of future stockings on the lake’s bass population,” in what was labeled a “multiyear initiative” to determine the survival of Florida bass in coastal environs.

Red snapper

The end is near for the private recreational season after the Oct. 12 estimate by Wildlife and Fisheries managers showed the LA Creel estimated catch hit 865,619 pounds.

STATE COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Nicholls hammers McNeese; Southeastern takes down HCU

By The Associated Press

THIBODAUX Ean Rodrigue

threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, Miequle Brock added 104 yards rushing and Nicholls State beat McNeese State 31-7 on Saturday afternoon Rodrigue, a sophomore from Thibodaux making his first career start, completed 12 of 20 passes for 161 yards and added 77 yards on 12 carries for Nicholls (2-6 2-2 Southland Conference). He broke loose on a 34-yard TD run on the game’s opening drive, and his 69-yard touchdown pass to Karaaz Johnson capped the scoring with about 12 minutes to play

Ty Marsh also had a 45-yard pick-6 for the Colonels, who snapped a sixgame losing streak.

Jake Strong threw a 20yard TD pass up the middle to Logan Mauldin for McNeese (2-6, 1-3). Strong was 10-of18 passing for 170 yards and threw two interceptions

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 38, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 14:In Houston, Brandon Hayes returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown for the second straight game and Calvin Smith rushed for two

scores in the Lions’ fourth consecutive win Hayes’ kickoff return covered 85 yards. A 50-yard pick-six by Jaden King cut Southeastern Louisiana’s lead to 21-14 early in the third quarter but the Lions (6-2, 4-0 Southland Conference) scored the final 17 points, including Carson Camp’s 16-yard TD pass to Cade Collier and Smith’s 2-yard run midway through the final quarter The Huskies (2-6, 1-3) managed only 199 yards of offense, including 85 passing. Darryle Evans ran for 90 yards and Xai’Shaun Edwards rushed for a TD.

GRAMBLING 26, JACKSON STATE 24: In Las Vegas, Josh McCormick kicked a 44-yard field goal with 21 seconds left and Grambling stunned No. 11 Jackson State in the HBCU Classic at Allegiant Stadium. McCormick’s game-winning kick for Grambling (5-3, 2-2 SWAC) came after Jared Lockhart’s 1-yard touchdown run had given Jackson State (5-2, 3-1) a 2423 lead with 2:15 remaining.

C’zavian Teasett directed the game-winning drive and finished with 232 yards and

That was an increase of only 8,762 pounds from the previous week’s report. Still, that total leaves just 3.3% of the 894,955-pound annual allotment.

The projection is the season will close in the first week of November What a trip

The International Game Fish Association’s annual Great Marlin Race results produced the top three billfish from IGFA’s program of tagging billfish with telemetry packages, then following the progress of those fish.

The Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30 race used 54 satellite tags — the total is now 650 tagged fish since 2011 to better determine migration patterns and what habitat billfish use at various times of the year Of the 25 blue, white and striped marlin tags read by the tracking devices, biologists determined these fish covered an estimated 42,654 nautical miles.

The winner was a striped marlin tagged by The New Zealand Research Foundation and New Plymouth Sportfishing and Underwater Club. The 264-pound marlin was tagged Feb. 7 and, 179 days later, traveled 5,771 nautical miles where it showed up 360 miles south of the equator in the central Pacific.

Second went to a blue marlin tagged in the Bermuda Triple Crown tournament. The 180-pound fish covered a straight-line distance of 2,829 nautical miles and showed up about 100 miles off the Senegal coast.

No. 3 was a 300-pound blue marlin tagged off Panama and showing itself after traveling 2,763 nautical miles.

MONDAY RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY

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

TUESDAY

LA. CRAB TASK FORCE MEET-

ING: 10 a.m., Terrebonne Parish Council Chambers, 8026 Main St., Houma.

THURSDAY

TIGER CHAPTER/DUCKS

UNLIMITED GUN BASH & BANQUET: 5:30 p.m., Bowie Outfitters, Perkins Road, Baton Rouge. Tickets website: DUTigers.com

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

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

TOLEDO BEND RENDEZVOUS: North Toledo Bend State Park, Zwolle. Fly tiers from Louisiana, Texas & Arkansas. Open to the public. Daily fees $10, $20 overnight stay/ meals. Website: flycasting. bravesites.com

HUNTING SEASONS

DEER/YOUTH & HONORABLY DISCHARGED VETERANS: Through Oct. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 & 9.

SNIPE: Nov. 2-Dec. 7, first split, statewide.

DUCKS/YOUTH-ONLY: Nov. 8-9, West Waterfowl Zone.

DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Nov. 8-14, State Deer Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 & 9. Either-sex take allowed.

GEESE: Nov. 8-Dec. 7, West Waterfowl Zone. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes.

RAILS/GALLINULES: Nov. 8-Jan. 7, statewide.

DOVES: North Zone, through Nov. 16; South Zone, through Nov. 30.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Nov. 30, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS:

a pair of touchdowns on 16for-26 passing.

LAMAR 41,NORTHWESTERN STATE 14: In Natchitoches, Robert Coleman threw a touchdown pass, Xavier Coleman ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and Lamar scored 24 unanswered points in a rout. Xavier Coleman had a goahead 35-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter for Lamar (7-1, 4-0 Southland Conference).

Johnston totaled 284 yards on 13-for-23 passing for Northwestern State (1-7, 0-4).

SOUTHERN MISS 49, UL-MONROE 21: In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Braylon Braxton threw four touchdown passes and the Golden Eagles routed the Warhawks to remain undefeated in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Golden Eagles led 2114 at halftime before Matt Jones had his second short touchdown run of the game and Braxton threw two of his TD passes to make it 4214 with about 13 minutes left in the game.

Braxon completed 18 of 23 passes for 248 yards. His touchdowns went to four teammates — Tychaun Chapman, Kyirin Heath, Bralon Brown and Carl Chester

Through Dec. 2, State Deer Area

PROVIDED PHOTO

Trustisn’t given. It’s earned. Just like athletes on the field, our doctors earn it every day through commitment, precisionand passion.Whether you’repushinglimits or recovering from them,you can trustthe team that understandsboth.

From championship athletes to everyday champions, Our Lady of the LakeHealth is wheretrustedcarebegins

Harold Perki LSU,Lineb

J.Michael Robinso Sports Me ns ba n, edi ,Jr. cker MD cine

Acadiana singer garners millions of views on social media

Singer S. Dott, aformer college football player and Opelousas police officer,can’t look away from the numbers. The figures have nothing to do with touchdowns or arrests.

TwoofS.Dott’sline dance originals, “Slow Wind”and “Cowgirl Trailride (feat. Tonio Armani),” have collected 400 million TikTok views. That doesn’tinclude the millions of views that fans have generated with video selfies of both dances.

Herman Fuselier

S. Dott can also figure in his acting role as the hunky boyfriend of R&B star Leela James in her latest video, “Right on Time.” The video has been viewed 4million times in just five months on YouTube.

The stardom is almost overwhelmingfor anative of Lawtell —aSt. Landry Parish village that has no traffic light but holdsdeep roots in zydeco music and Creole cowboy culture.

“It’sablessing,” saidS.Dott, 35, aka Shone Richard. “A lot of people don’tunderstand it because they’ve never seen it happen before. After ‘Slow Wind,’ alot people were like, ‘That was just luck.’The next one comes and it’sbigger than ‘Slow Wind.’ I’m thankful.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

Singer S. Dott is aformer college football playerand Opelousas police officer

Richard enjoys popularityin music worlds that fly beneath the mainstream radar.Zydeco, fueled by Creole accordion and flavors of R&B and rap, draws thousands of fans to clubs, festivals and trail rides throughout south Louisiana and southeast Texas.

Zydeco is finding favor with fans of Southern soul,ahaven for party songs and blues, like Mel Waiter’s“Holeinthe Wall” and “Keep on Rollin’”byKing George. Buttunes about cowboys, cowgirls, trailridesand country life, with accompanying line dances, now dominate the scene, eveninmetro areas outside of the South.

ä See S. DOTT, page 4D

Asmall bridge in Broussard, nicknamed the MaryJane Bridge, is thesite of a local ghost tale.

Skelebrity graveyardturns BatonRouge’s Bocage Boulevardintoa bone-a-fide spectacle

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

Inthe crisp October air,cars linedBocageBoulevardas onlookers walked beneath the live oaks’ dappledshade Neighbors satingolf carts mouths agape, staring at the over-the-top Halloween spectacle Rebecca Rathbone Harrod had created in herBatonRouge front yard. Meanwhile, Harrod sat on her bedroom floor,blissfully painting red flowers on a$1brown suit she boughtata thrift store for Ludacris (Luda-crypt). Her mother, Michele Rathbone, sat nearby,hotgluing braidstoaskull that would soon belong to Snoop Dogg.

For years, Harrod, aBaton Rouge mother of six, told friends she wanted to create acelebrity graveyard. In previous years, she decorated her yard withskeletons for Halloween but never did it up big.

On Oct. 1, when afriend told her, “If you’re going to do it up big, now’s the time,” Harrod took theplunge. With her twin sons away at college, she thought aboneyard would

to be

be fun for her younger children

Within the first week of committing to the task, she had named, decorated and situated at least 80 skeletons —and she has not stopped since.

“I hadasked my family to send me suggestions, but no one sent me

any at first,” she said. “But once I gotitstarted,theykeepsending me more. My brother just sent me one. We’re acreative bunch —and it’sfun, lots and lots of fun.” Harrod, herfriends and family have takenthe skeletalideatothe next level.

They’ve lost count of how many bones they’ve outfitted andghoulishly named after local and national celebrities. The resulting front yard spectacle is all the evidence anyone wouldneedtoknowthat Harrod doesn’tdothings halfway Yes, it’s in thespirit—sotospeak —ofthe famous St. Charles Avenue skeleton display in NewOrleans, but the comparison doesn’t scare Harrod. The lineup of skeletons is as punny as it is elaborate.

There’sabasketball-sporting Grim Mulkey,the Scream Queen of Sparkles in sequins and Nick Satan —Heads will roll Tide. There’s The Nader-Sin Sisters, and Gorgon McKernan(One Maul that’sall) situated beside acar accident.

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

The darkest part of night seems to linger at the bridge where, according to Google Maps, Parish Road 140 becomes

STAFFPHOTOSByJAN RISHER

Lana del Dia losMuertos stands by her Louisiana, camouflage-wearing husband,JeffreyDead-frene, amongst other characters in Rebecca Rathbone Harrod’scelebrity graveyard in Baton Rouge.

Signswait

added to Rebecca Rathbone Harrod’scelebrity graveyard

TRAVEL

Explorethe‘happyaccident’ of Coca-Cola

Popintothese museumstosee howitbegan

BY CHERÉ COEN

Contributing writer

JosephBiedenharnwasn’tasinterested in his father’sshoestore on Washington Street in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi, as he was in hisuncle’scolorful confectionary shop.

At ayoungage at theturnof the 20th century,hetook more pleasure in learning how to create avariety of confections. After Uncle Henry Biedenharn left the business to Joseph, then 22, the young entrepreneur added asoda fountain to serve cool drinks to his customers. His invention that followed woulddeliver abrand that took the world by storm.

Ahappy accident

Soda fountains in the early years produced drinksmade from carbonated water flavored with avariety of syrups that were served to customers in small glasses.

Joseph Biedenharn, the son of German immigrants, servedhis from Biedenharn &Son on Vicksburg’sbusy Washington Street. In 1891, acustomer ordered 10 cases of soda waterfor their Fourth of July picnic, but thelocalbottling companycouldn’thandlethe big order

Discouraged, he decidedtotry his hand bottling and distributing flavoredsoda water

Around the same time, pharmacist John Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia, struggled with pain resulting from asaber wound inflicted during the Civil War. To alleviate his morphine addiction, he created adrink containing alcohol and cocaine. He later perfected the blend, lowering the spiritsand adding carbonated water. He promoted it as asoda which his friend nicknamed “Coca-Cola.”

Pemberton sold the patent and recipe to Atlanta pharmacistAsa Griggs Candler,where it became acompany in 1892 and later the world’smost popular drink

But at the time of Pemberton’s invention, Coca-Cola was only sold

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

individually in soda shops, such as Biedenharn’sinVicksburg where it enjoyed robust sales. JosephBiedenharn began bottlingthe dark brown concoction in the summer of 1894 and its popularity soared despite its initial slowprocess.

“Bottling Coca-Cola was slow and labor-intensive,”said Ralph Calhoun,executive director to the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens in Monroe. “They hadtomake the bottles one at atime.”

Monroe connections JosephBiedenharn hadenormous success with his bottling of Coca-Cola, and advancements in bottlingtechniques expanded the operation

Members of his family joined thebusiness, and in 1912 theBiedenharn Candy Company opened bottling plants in Monroeand Shreveport with later bottling establishments in Texas, Arizona and Wyoming

Visitors to Vicksburg can view the early machinery Joseph Bie-

denharn used, plus theoriginal bottles and avariety of memorabilia —even receive aCoke float at thesodafoundation —atthe Bie-

denharn Coca-Cola Museum at the original business location at 1107 Washington St. In Monroe, visitors can also

Afterstranding flyers, AirCanadawon’t

learnthe Biedenharn bottling story at the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens,plusenjoy the accompanying Bible Museum established by Joseph Biedenharn’sdaughter Emy-Lou, who enjoyed asuccessfuloperaticcareerinthe 1920s and 1930s.

TheMonroe family homecompletes the museum complex, which includes Emy-Lou’selaborate Elsong Garden and Conservatory Wheretostay

Another German family that immigrated to Vicksburg wereLazarus andLeonaBaer,who built an Eastlake Victorian homein1870 in today’shistoric district.

The two-storyBaer House Inn with its six guest roomsand elaborate parlors reopened in early October under new owners and serves as an elegant bed-andbreakfast. Visitors mayenjoy breakfast in the formal dining and living area,play billiards or read in the well-stocked library Each room has been accented by period antiques, regional history books and Civil Warmemorabilia. The Hotel Monroe in downtown Monroe is another newcomer to the scene, locally owned but part of theTapestryCollectionbyHilton.

Twobuildings, one agrocery and the neighbor ahardware store, nowcombinetoserveasa boutique accommodation with 69 guest rooms,adramatic ballroom on thesecondfloorand the lively Star Bar lounge on the rooftop. Don’tmiss dining at Heirloom Restaurant on the lobby level which serves up innovative dishes and Louisiana favorites.

Did youknow?

Early bottles of Coca-Cola consisted of Hutchinson glass bottles toppedwitha wire hook to maintain its carbonated bubbles. When thehookwas removed, it made apop sound, thus initiating the term “soda pop.”

Because producing soda at a soda fountain requiredthe clerk to move ahandle back and forth from aspigot as the soda poured into aglass, customers referred to the action as “jerking.”

This led to customers calling the clerks serving customers “soda jerks.”

Christopher Elliott

My husband and Iwere stranded in Toronto on ourway from Stockholm to Cleveland after Lufthansa rebooked our flights due to a flightdelay.The flights included aleg on Air Canada from Toronto to Cleveland. But even though we had boarding passes and arebooking itinerary,Air Canada denied me boarding, claiming my ticket was not valid. (My husband’s boarding passes were valid.) Lufthansa refused to help,leaving me to pay$178 for ahotel. Neither airline will takeresponsibility.We flew homethe next day.What can Ido? —BonnieThiel,

Broadview Heights, Ohio WhenLufthansa rebooked your flights, it should have ensured your ticketwas valid on all segments —including the Air Canada leg backtoCleveland. Under EU Regulation261/2004, which governs your initial delayed flight fromStockholm, Lufthansa had aduty to reroute you and cover necessary expenses caused by its delay.Issuingafaulty boarding pass and leaving you stranded in Toronto is aclear breach of that obligation. Air Canada also failed you. The Montreal Convention requires airlines to honor valid tickets and

boarding passes. If therewas a ticketing error,itshould have worked withLufthansa to resolve it immediately,not abandon you at the gate. The “notour problem” responsesare unacceptable. Youdid almost everything right: Youkept records and escalated your case to bothcarriers. Could you have done more? Maybe. First, booking ahotel yourself should have been your lastresort If you’re stuckinastopover city, you need to apply pressure to your airline tohelp you then and there.Don’tbook ahotel and then try to negotiatearefund, because airlines will always trytoavoid

paying.

Second, abrief, polite email to one of the airline’sexecutives might have helped. Ilist the executive contacts for Air Canada and Lufthansa on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Also, an appeal to the U.S. Department of Transportationcould have helped the airlines see the error of their ways So what went wrong? This was classic code-share confusion. In the correspondence you provided, Lufthansawanted Air Canada to take responsibility for the flight because it was the “operating” carrier. But Air Canada wanted

Lufthansa to take responsibility because its flight from Frankfurt to Toronto was delayed. As aresult, no one would take responsibility.Comeon! Irecommended that you send a complaint to the DOT,which regulates airlines in the United States, where you booked your ticket. You did, and you received afull refund for your hotel from Lufthansa.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

PHOTOSByCHERÉCOEN

An earlyBiedenharnCoca-Cola deliverytruck is on displayatthe BiedenharnMuseum and Gardens in Monroe.

The newly opened Baer House Inn in Vicksburg,Miss.,was built in 1870 and is located in the city’s historic district.

COMMUNITY

Attic Trash & Treasure

PROVIDED PHOTO

The past presidents of Attic Trash & Treasure held their quarterly luncheon on Oct. 14 at Mansurs on the Boulevard. For this event, hostess Virginia Bogan chose a Halloween theme. Shown are, from left, seated, Iris Eldred, J’on Blumberg and Alice Greer; standing, Linda Montagnino, Virginia Bogan, Bobbie Stiglets, Kathleen Howell and Chris Jackson.

GLAD Red Hatters

PROVIDED PHOTO

The GLAD Red Hatters met at Kabob’s for lunch on Sept. 16. Gathered are, from left, seated, Judy Smith, Linda Crane and Beverly Grant; standing, Debbie Harris, Gilda McDowell, Carol LaRouche, Liz Walker and Gerri Cornett.

PROVIDED PHOTO

LSU School of Art to present its biennial cup show

LSU School of Art’s biennial “cup show,” 8 Fluid Ounces, will be on view, with works for sale, from Nov 7 to Dec. 12. The exhibition will feature 100 ceramic cups and vessels by 20 artists invited from across the country by guest curator and visiting artist Ruth Easterbrook.

Artists included in the 2025 8 Fluid Ounces show include Maria G. Albornoz, Chris Alvershere, Samantha Briegel, Ray Brown, Jessica Faulk, Celia Feldberg, Katherine Hackl, Jeremiah Ibarra, Quinn Maher Marret Metzger, Lindsay Oesterritter, Jennifer Pak, Kourtenay Plummer, Austin Riddle, S.C. Rolf, Eileen Sackman, Josh Scott, David Swensen, Amal Tamari, Karen Tharp and Dallas Wooten.

Ghosts stories

The LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., will host “Ghost Stories in the Galleries: A Night of Creative Writing and Sketching” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 for visitors age 16 and older. Step into the galleries after dark for an evening of spooky storytelling inspired by the artworks on view. Let the artworks guide you as you dream up ghostly tales and eerie sketches inspired by what you see. Using our prompt sheet, you’ll build a story piece by piece — following your ghost as it moves through the museum. Writing and sketching supplies will be provided, along with prompts to spark your creativity. Admission is free. For information, visit lsumoa.org.

Animals in Art

The 31st annual International Exhibition on Animals in Arts runs through Oct. 31, at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, LSU campus. The exhibit will be on display from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Admission is free. For info, visit lsu.edu/vetmed/ events/animals_in_art.php.

At the Manship

Tickets are on sale for the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s production of “Billy

Phi Mu Alums

Phi Mu Alumnae Baton Rouge Chapter members and guests were guided through the process of easy and fun decorating techniques for fall-themed cookies at a social on Oct. 7 at the Bluebonnet Highlands HOA clubhouse. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Children’s Miracle Network of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. Shown are, from left, front row, Laura Gibson, Sheila yellott, Laura Collet, Danielle Gueho, Kelsey Larsen of Kookie Dough and Diana Harris; middle row, Adrienne Mire, Leah Paternostro, Connie Butler, Jennie Chatelain, Shalane Crick, Debbie Harvill and Sally Martin; back row, Brenda Bellemin, Donna Guillot, Maris Jones, Tricia Merrick and Melissa Martin.

This exhibition is organized in conjunction with the LSU School of Art Ceramic Artist Student Association, which selected Easterbrook as guest juror and visiting artist. All exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public. Sales support both the artists and Glassell Gallery’s exhibitions and programming. Visit https://design.lsu.edu/news-andevents/events/ for more College of Art & Design exhibitions, events and programs. Essential tools and branding help available for nonprofits

EDL Investments will host a free educational workshop about the Microsoft for Nonprofit program that can save nonprofits 75% on their Microsoft subscription from noon to 2 p.m. Nov 7 at the Goodwood Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge. A free light lunch will be available.

Goats Gruff & Other Family

Tales at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 in the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. The show will be followed by a free block party in the Shaw Center Plaza. Tickets are $10. Visit manshiptheatre.org.

‘Fright Night’ concert

Tickets are on sale for the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s “Family Fright Night: A Concert in the Cosmos Featuring Halloween Favorites” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29-30 in the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s Pennington Planetarium, 100 S. River Road, Baton Rouge. Tickets are $40-$60. Visit brso.org.

In West Baton Rouge

The West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen, is showing the exhibits “An American War in Vietnam” through Dec. 30; “Weaving Nature: Louisiana’s Native American Basketry” through Dec. 28; and “Angela Gregory: The Allen Monument” through July 19. For more information, visit westbatonrougemuseum.org.

At UpStage

Tickets are on sale for “An Evening of Performing Arts” at 7 p.m. Oct. 26, at UpStage Theatre, 1714 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge. Tickets are $27.

At NuNu NuNu, 1510

Whether you call it fall or autumn, here’s why I love it

BY JIMMIE PAPIA

Contributing writer

Human Condition

I love fall. I like its interchangeable name “autumn” even better Everyone’s attitude seems different, more vibrant. It’s the anticipation of leaving behind the summer sweat dripping off our foreheads, to brisk air turning our noses and cheeks red. Pumpkin spice starts appearing in all manner of food, except maybe jambalaya. Children’s shoulders droop as school begins; parents think it is the happiest time of the year We get cheerier as we put away our gardening equipment in favor of seasonal decorations. It’s about getting our morning motors running by warming up with a bowl of buttery grits and finishing the day with sassafras expanding our nostrils from a pot of steamy gumbo. Teams kick around the pigskin as football season gets underway and our hopes of winning another Super Bowl are dashed before the middle of the season. But there’s always next year John and Mo, our friends who

S. DOTT

Continued from page 1D

Earlier this year, “Boots on the Ground,” a line/fan dance from artist 803Fresh, of South Carolina, went viral from ABC’s “Good Morning America” to the NBA Finals. With rural life in his blood, Richard said his boots have long been on the ground.

“I went to Northwest High School (near Opelousas),” Richard said, a graduate of Arkansas Baptist College. “You’d go to school with your boots on. It’s nothing to see people in the store with boots and a cowboy hat. Now everybody is wearing boots. It’s not a uniform for me. You can tell by the end of the night who has boots in their hands. Their feet start hurting.” Richard started his music career with childhood friend Leon Chavis, leader of the popular Zydeco Flames band. After nine years, he went solo when “Slow Wind,” backed by singer and accordionist Koray Broussard, became a breakout hit in 2020. When he wasn’t on stage, Richard worked with the Opelousas Police Department from 2012 to 2018. He moved to Houston with continued police work in mind. But music kept calling him back to the stage.

“Just having that passion for it and staying faithful to it, that’s where my blessing came from. I tried other things, but they just weren’t working,” he said. “But I went back to music, I made double or triple of what I used to make in two weeks. It’s been amazing.” Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

But the motor will be dead — as dead as the darkness surrounding the bridge. And all passengers can do at this point is get out and start pushing. Once the car crosses from the bridge to the road, the motor should restart, that is, if the car crosses over before Mary Jane “gets you.”

“It’s said that Mary Jane shows up on the bridge after you call her three times,” Breaux Bridge resident and musician Yvette Landry said. “You have to push your car off the bridge as fast as you can before she gets you.” Landry has tried her own hand at the legend.

“I vaguely remember going out there with some friends when I was in high school,” she said “We stopped the car and said her name twice, but we never made it to the third time. We were too scared We started the car and got out of there as fast as we could.” How and why?

Though it’s the irresistible terror that attracts most adventurers to the bridge, Josh Hall is more intrigued by the story behind the ghost

“Who was Mary Jane?” the Lafayette resident asked. “I’ve heard about the legend, but was

live in Chicago, have a different perspective on autumn They start testing their heater in September as temperatures in the North are descending. Their leaves turn red, yellow and orange, whereas ours turn brown as they fall to the ground. While we’re busy storing our lawnmowers, John is tuning up his snowblower and digging out his oversized shovel. They don’t look forward to subzero tempera-

DISPLAY

Continued from page 1D

Travis Kill-see (outfitted in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey) is on a knee proposing with a ring to Slay-lor Swift. Livvy Dunn-hitthe-Jackpot is doing the splits near Paul Skins (wearing an LSU baseball jersey). Lana del Dia los Muertos stands by her Louisiana, camouflage-wearing husband, Jeffrey Dead-frene.

The dressed-up skeletons stretch across the full width of the yard, most with appropriate footwear and accessories For example, Prince Harry wears a crown.

Harrod keeps fans updated on the ever-growing resting place through her Instagram page, @skelebritygraveyard.

As the mother-daughter skeleton crew sat on Harrod’s bedroom floor amidst braids, paints, bones, signs and other paraphernalia for the front-yard spectacle, Harrod was complimentary of her mother’s work “Look at that,” Harrod said,

she real? And when and how did this story start?”

The first part of the question is a little easier to answer than the second, and even here, details are null and void

Mary Jane’s story can be found on several Acadiana-based websites. Authors Cheré Dastugue Coen and Tim Wescott also include the story in their respective books, “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Weird Louisiana.”

The gist of it goes something like this: Mary Jane and a date were taking a ride along Bayou Tortue Road after leaving their high school prom, when the prom date stopped the car at the bridge. He’d been drinking and wanted more than hand holding and kissing, but Mary Jane wasn’t having it Her date went into a rage, struck her with a whiskey bottle then dumped her body into Bayou Tortue.

It’s said her body was never found

Meanwhile, Mary Jane’s last name never appears in any version of the story, and her prom date’s identity is always nonexistent. Yet here is this legend with no clear origin.

“I’ve called my brother, and he’s made some calls,” Landry said. “I’ve called around to other people I know, but no one knows how this story got started.”

Still, Landry’s mother, Breaux Bridge resident Mary Alice Landry remembers the story popping up some years after she

tures and I tease him on mild winter nights when my wife Pam and I barbecue in the crisp air of our backyard and dine on our dimly lit patio, whereas John and Mo are sliding on ice-covered streets in the frozen “Nawth” as Smiley Anders would say Three of the most popular holidays are in autumn Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, even though Christmas is technically a winter holiday

For many people, Halloween is the pinnacle of the autumnal equinox as they welcome ghosts and goblins walking the streets and strange noises howling in the night. Houses decorated in the macabre are eclipsed later by winter wonderland displays, whose reality is not often seen in south Louisiana. Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, gives us pause to remember the graces and blessings bestowed on us throughout the year Thanksgiving is about family and friends gathering for feasts and not about Christmas shopping, which is supposed to begin on Black Friday, even though retailers keep pushing it back. It’s the busiest time of year for travel as people make annual pilgrimages to visit family and friends they haven’t seen in months. I start my day by attending 6:30 a.m. Mass, then hurry home to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, which in our family, are just as traditional as turkey. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and continue the cooking we started the previous day We especially enjoy watching the high school bands and

listening to the stories of what obstacles they had to overcome to get to the parade Christmas, the highlight of the season, is the excitement of holiday parties, the eagerness of Santa Claus, shopping, gift giving and receiving, the aroma of an evergreen Christmas tree wafting through the air, days off from work and school, eating too many cookies, hearing Christmas music spewing everywhere, and watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Holiday Inn” or “White Christmas” for the hundredth time. Lest we remember Christmas is a religious holiday Autumn is all the above, and as it ends, so does the current year as we bring in a new one and with it another wave of hope, wonder, excitement and attitude. Happy Autumn.

Jimmie Papia lives in Metairie.

Human Condition submissions of 600 words or fewer may be emailed to features@ thedvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is not guaranteed. There is no payment for Human Condition.

pointing to her mom’s work hotgluing braids to a plastic skull. “She did the hairline just right.” Rathbone nodded, pleased. She had worked to get it correct.

The Snoop Dogg skeleton would soon find his place near his buddy Martha Stew-warts, wearing her orange-is-the-new-black prison garb.

Meanwhile, Harrod continued working to decorate the outfit Ludacris would wear The solid red flowers looked just fine, but she continued to work on them, dabbing white and black to add depth and dimension. Her mother looked over occa-

graduated high school.

“She said she doesn’t remember hearing when she was in school, but I was in school in the ’70s and ’80s when I first heard it,” Yvette Landry said. “So it had to be some time between then.”

A preventative measure?

As for how it started, Yvette Landry has her own theory She’s not only a musician but an author and storyteller, and one of her stories could hold the key to the Mary Jane mystery

“When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me a story about a witch who would drift into your attic if you misbehaved,” she said. “At night, her long, bony

fingers would slink down through the rafters and snatch up any kid who was not doing as told.”

She published the story in her 2016 children’s book, “Madame Grand Doigt.”

“Sure, it was terrifying, but it was meant to be preventative,” she said. “You made sure you were being good, because you didn’t want this witch reaching down and snatching you. I think it’s the same case with the Mary Jane Bridge story.”

Yvette Landry remembers Bayou Tortue Road as being a popular hangout for high schoolers in the 1970s and ’80s. However, the area wasn’t a safe place.

“The road was dark, and someone could have gotten hurt,” she said. “So, I think the Mary Jane

sionally, beaming at the results.

Jaime Glas Odom, founder of Baton Rouge-based Queen of Sparkles, came by the spectacle to see her skeleton.

“It was such fun to see,” Odom said. “I felt honored to have been included in such big Baton Rouge names — Livvy Dunn, Paul Skenes, Gordon McKernan and the list goes on.” Harrod is thrilled people appreciate the effort. She’s careful not to mock or offend anyone — it’s all about fun.

In the weeks since the idea began to come together, she has spent more time than expected on

story might have been made up by adults as a preventative measure. It was a scary story to keep them from hanging out there.”

Did it work? While the story might have scared away some kids, others surely wanted to test it. Even today, the call-out of Mary Jane on the bridge is just too irresistible for both teens and adults.

Another dimension

Meanwhile, Joan Broussard shared another dimension to the legend.

“I went to Comeaux High School, and we always went to Stone Road and the Mary Jane Bridge,” the Lafayette resident said. “I always thought it was called Stone Road, because that’s where the high school kids gathered to party.”

Anyway, the legend was a little different for Broussard and her friends.

“Back in those days, the legend was that you turn off your car, and it will still go over the bridge,” she said. “Now, I really can’t say that I remember that because I’m such a scaredy cat. If I did it, I was on the floorboard.”

According to this version of the legend, ghostly crying can be heard after the car crosses.

“There have been a lot of deaths on that road,” Broussard said.

“And that’s because people drive too fast around the dangerous curve before the bridge. That may have something to do with

the project. “I like a challenge,” Harrod said. “I don’t do things halfway If I’m going to do it, it’s going to be good. I’m not putting three out there it’s got to be really good.”

Even so, she says the public reaction has been much more than expected.

Judging by the smiles and laughter echoing down Bocage Boulevard, Harrod has done what she set out to do create something joyful enough to make people stop, smile and stay awhile.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

the crying part of the legend.”

But that didn’t stop Broussard, now 53, from returning to the bridge with her 19-year-old daughter Sylvia.

“I asked her if she wanted to go down Stone Road,” Broussard said. “She didn’t know what was going to happen. When we got there, we saw that someone had hung some ghost decorations in the trees. I told her that this is where the urban legend begins, and I explained the story to her She said, ‘Mom, I thought we were going to see Halloween decorations.’”

Sylvia gunned the gas pedal, but she was still in the middle of Mary Jane’s territory

“Our GPS and radio went silent,” Broussard said. “Now, that could have been no pun intended — a dead spot for a signal, but both started working as soon as we crossed the bridge.”

And the song playing on the radio?

“It was Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’” Broussard said, laughing. And somewhere within the darkness of Bayou Tortue, Mary Jane was smiling.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

Rebecca Rathbone Harrod paints red flowers for a Ludacris skeleton for her celebrity graveyard display.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAN RISHER

Livvy Dunn-hit-the-Jackpot is doing the splits near Paul Skins (wearing an LSU baseball jersey) in Rebecca Rathbone Harrod’s celebrity graveyard.

AT THE TABLE

Sunday visits,coffeeand acanesyrup cake treat

BY DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN Contributing writer

“Tee, will youserve the coffee, please? Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Fred are coming. Aunt Rita and Aunt Nell might come, too,” said Momma.

“Yes, Iwill,” Ireplied. “I will servethem some of the syrup cake Imade, too.”

It was Sunday and this was our usual routine. We would attend 8a.m. Mass at thelocal Catholic church, spend therestofthe morning making Sunday lunch, and then relatives would come over for an afternoon visit.

Our home was the old homestead, and ourrelatives enjoyed visiting theold Acadianfarmwhere they had been raised. They would meander around the farm and reminisceabout theold days.

Depending on the season,theywouldpickpecans from our many treesorvisit theorchard to get satsumas or persimmons. Believeitornot, there wasatime when there was not much elsehappeningonSunday afternoon.Stores were closed,and there was not much on TV excepta Sundaymovie at 2p.m. Sundays truly were aday forresting. Syrupcakewas one of the favorites in the repertoireofdessertsImadeasateenager.Itisa simple recipe and we always hadthe ingredients on-hand. Cane syrup was thatone ingredient that we served on many things. It wasusedontop of hot cornbread, pancakes, biscuitsormixed with peanut butter to make agreat spreadserved on salted crackers. This was afavoritechildhood after-school snack.

Sugar cane grows abundantly inthe area, and when the cane is harvested in the fall,the juiceis squeezed from each stalk, andboiled downtomake thedarkcanesyrup. The syrup was then usedas the main ingredient for my syrup cake

The saucers were spread onto alargetrayand a coffee cup set on each. Thesaucers alsoheld demitassespoonsplacednearthe cups.The creamer was filled with evaporatedmilk andthe sugar bowlwas topped to full with whitesugar.Onceour guestsarrived, Iwould goaround the room, with thecoffee-filledcups, stand infront of each guest and serve them coffee. My secondgo-round was the cake service. Then we’d allsit around, have our coffee and cake, and catch uponfamily andcommunity news.

As Iwrite this, Ireflectonthe deep connections made in thissimple ritualofsittingtogether,enjoying coffee and cake, and holding spacewhere we shared stories of the past andmade plans forfuture family events. Some of these oldrituals might just be what is needed these days. Lessscreen time connections and more of being in the same place together,sharing coffeeand homemadecake. I hope that you give this simple recipe atry andinvite afew friends over to share thistreat.

Cane SyrupCake

Cane Syrup Cake Makes 1(13-inch-by-9-inch) cake.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a13-inch-by-9inch-by-2-inch pan and set aside.

2. In the bowl of astandmixer,add sugar,cane syrup, eggs, flour,vegetable oil and soda. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is well-blended.

3. Boil water and measure 1cup. Addvanilla extract. Add hotwater mixture to the other ingredients. Mix slowly.Increase speed to medium and mixuntil well-blended.

4. Stir in chopped pecans.

5. Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured cake pan. (Note: the cake batter is very thin in consistency.)

6. Bake for25minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes outclean and the cake springs back when touched. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

PHOTO By DEBRA TAGHEHCHIAN

Composer’snew book discusseshow LSUvet school inspired hismusic

NOTED INTENTIONS

BY ROBINMILLER Staff writer

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine was still fresh in Charlie Rauh’s mind when he started writing his book, “simply,patiently, quietly: an approach to creating intentional music.”

He’d spent August 2024 as the school’sartist-in-residence working withfaculty, students, staff and animalpatients,all of whom inspired his work as acomposer

As acomposer,headmits that he was an unusual choice for the school’sresidency program, which hostedavisual artist and writerinprevious years.

But the match between Rauh andthe veterinaryschool proved to be perfect,and he reflectsonthat experience in hisbook.

The book, “simply,patiently,quietly,” released in March by String Letter Publishing, is acombination of Rauh’s essays andmusical compositions from the residency,complemented by illustrations drawn by his sister,artist and author Christina Rauh Fishburne.

“All of the essays are basicallytalking about my life experience as amusician and how Ithink those qualities are

ABOVE: Charlie Rauh wasthe 2024 artist-in-residence at the LSU School of VeterinaryMedicine. TOP: Rauh plays hisguitar outside an exam room in the Stephenson PetClinic while Dr.Kielyn Scott and her assistant performacupuncture on acockerspaniel.

important in how somebody approaches being creative,” Rauh said, speakingfrom his New York home. “So, Italk about afew differentthings, experiencesI’vehad,people I’ve met and alot of what happened at the residency.The experience was an integral part

of making the book happen.” Rauh didn’tknowwhatto expect when he firstwalked into the vetschool. That’snot saying he wasn’tfamiliar with hospitals “I spent alot of time in hospitals whenI was achild,and like alot of people who had early

surgeries, Iwasn’tveryfond of hospitals,” Rauh said. “But I had never spent time in an environment like the veterinary school. Ihad no ideawhatthey wantedmetodoasanartist making music, so Iwas kind of goinginto theresidency blind in alot of ways.But Idecided to do it.”

All apprehension disappeared the momentRauh walked into the vet school and stepped into the role of observer He often played improvised tunes on his guitartocalmanimals before treatments. Other times, he could be found playing for studentsduring alunch break.

He also collaborated on a composition with LSU’schoral program.

“Itwas an interesting perspective to have,”hesaid.

“That’ssomething Ididn’treally unpack until recently,and that is definitelyinthe book

with how Imade the music and how Iapproached making the music —just having thatopportunity to sort of be a specter floating around ahospital. Notmanypeople getthat perspective.

Rauhalsocreditsliterature andtravelfor inspiring his compositions, and, at onepoint, explains howhe’scombined theinfluence of EmilyBrontë’s poetry with his experience at thevet school in his lullaby compositions.

“I composed these lullabies as away of translating intention,” he writes. “The subject matter is widely varied: Literature, travels to remote locations, wellness, family —but the core of this music is its intention. Fromtraveling to Djupavik, Iceland, to experiencing the poetry of Emily Brontë for the first time,toexamining the intricacies of wellness withthe medical staff at LSU VetMed, Iwanted to musically capture the messages that Ireceived.”

Rauh still keeps in touch with the school andisintalks of revisiting the school if funding becomes available

“I’d like to continuethe research we were doing to see the impact of intentionalmusic on veterinary medicine andhow it can be leveraged,” he said. “We’re still very much talking about it andtrying to figure out away for me to get back down there.”

Email Robin Millerat romiller@theadvocate.com.

At 91,New OrleanspoetCatharine Savage Brosmanisstill writing

Primate scientist Jane Goodall, who died this month at 91, argued that old age should nudge us to stay busy,not slow down.Asshe sawit, the less time one has, the more one should focus on what’s left to do.

Brosman

Isuspect that Goodallwould have gotten along wellwithanother 91-year-old, poet and former Tulane professor Catharine Savage Brosman. Brosman, who taught French for many years at Tulane and now divides hertime between Houston and New Orleans, has just published “Metates and Other Poems” through University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. It follows two other recent collections, “Arm in Arm” and “Aerosols and Other Poems.”

DannyHeitman

“Partial Memoirs,” aprose reflection on her longand eventful life, appeared last year,and another book, “New and Selected Poems,” is slated for next year Meanwhile, Brosman is planning aschedule of appearances that mightchallenge a20-yearold.She’ll be at Conundrum Books in St.Francisville at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 30,then atthe Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge Nov.1, where she’sonauthor panels at 9a.m.and 1:15p.m. She has a poetry reading atthe West Baton Rouge Museum in PortAllen at 2p.m.Nov.2,followed by apro-

gram at the Center for Louisiana Studies in Lafayette at 10:30 a.m. Nov.3

Local listeners who attend Brosman’s readings will hear familiar locales in her poems.

One, “Metates and Other Poems,” has ageographical theme, revisiting manyofthe places that have shaped her life. Anative of Colorado, she’smadehomes in New Orleansand Texas, and her new collection recalls other stopping points, including Virginia, Florida, west Texas, Arizona and Hawaii.

Ametate (pronounced “mehtotty”) is agrinding stone often used by native peoples, including those in theSouthwest

In thetitle poem of her new collection, Brosman recalls her visit to ahouse in Arizona where she sees “metates strung like beads along apath.” Spotting these old implements “nowreturned to earth as ornaments,” she greets

them as small monuments of a sort “toour ancienthunger,ancient toil.”

In this way,Brosman asks us

to consider how aplace, like the mealsmade on an old stone, can be asource of nourishment, too. That themeacquires amore whimsical tone in “Dinner on St. Charles Avenue,” in which she recounts asplendid evening meal with friends in her beloved New Orleans.

“Last week, acabbie praised the crab cakes here,” she notes of their choice of venue.

Soon, the diners get downto business: “The plates arrive; moredrinks and endless talk /accompany our feast. We even have dessert.”

Brosman hints that the city where these cherished friends share dinner is at least as intoxicating as anything in the martinis and white wine that flow freely These are poemsthat go places, inviting readers to tag along.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

Fishburne

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHARLIE RAUH

STAFF PHOTO By ROBIN MILLER

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Oct. 26, the299thday of 2025. There are 66 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Oct. 26, 1881, four lawmen,including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, exchanged gunfire with five outlaws, killing three of them, in the “Shootout at the O.K. Corral” in Tombstone, Arizona

Also on this date:

In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.

In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate NewYork, connecting LakeErie andthe Hudson River

In 1861, the legendary PonyExpressofficially ceased operations, giving waytothe transcontinental telegraph. (The last run of the Pony Express was completed the following month.)

In 1979,South Korean President ParkChunghee was shot to death by the head of theKorean Central Intelligence Agency,Kim Jae-kyu. In 1984, “Baby Fae,” anewborn with asevere heart defect, was giventhe heartofa babooninanexperimental transplantinLoma Linda, California. (She lived 21 days with the animal heart.)

In 2000, the New York Yankees became the first team in more thana quarter-century to win three straight World Series championships, beating the New York MetsinGame 5of their “Subway Series.”

In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA PatriotAct, givingauthoritiesunprecedented ability to search, seize,detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists

In 2002, ahostage siegebyChechenrebels at aMoscow theater ended with129 of the800plus captives dead, most from aknockoutgas used by Russian special forces whostormed the theater; 41 rebels also died.

In 2020, Amy Coney Barrettwas confirmed to the Supreme Court by adeeply divided Senate, installing President Donald Trump’snomineedaysbeforethe U.S.general election.

In 2024, Israel launched predawn airstrikes against military targets in Iran in retaliation forabarrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel on Oct.1.Itwas the first time Israel’smilitaryhad openly attacked Iran.

Today’sBirthdays: MusicianMilton Nascimento is 83. Actor Jaclyn Smith is 80.TVhostPat Sajakis79. Politician, diplomat andformer first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is 78. Musician Bootsy Collins is 74. Artistand filmmaker Julian Schnabel is 74. Actor James Pickens Jr.is71. Actor-singer RitaWilson is 69. Actor Dylan McDermott is 64. Actor Cary Elwesis 63. Singer NatalieMerchantis62. Country singer Keith Urban is 58. Actor TomCavanagh is 62. Writer-producer SethMacFarlane(TV: “Family Guy”) is 52. Actor FlorenceKasumba is 49.Actor Jon Heder is 48.Actor FolakeOlowofoyeku is 42. Rapper Schoolboy Qis39.

Canweall stop comparingweights?

Dear Miss Manners: In 2011, I hadweightloss surgery.It was very successful, and I’ve managed to keep theweight off. Of course, alot of people thinkI“took the easy way” to lose weight, but surgery is not amiracle cure, just atool. My best friend has a slight weight problem,orat least she believes she does. Isuredon’tsee her as needingtolose weight. (AndIsure don’tjudge people who are overweight, as I’ve been there and know just how hard it is.)

My current problem is actually keeping my weight UP where my doctor (not the weight-loss doctor) wants it. I’m only 5-foot-3, and Ifeel

too heavy at the weight my doctor says is healthy What people don’trealize is that it’sjust as much astruggle for me to gain weight as it was to lose it. I am VERYcareful not to brag, or even talk, about my weight (although others will bring up how small Iam). It seems to be OK for them to mention their own weight problems, but heaven help me if Imention that my doctor is not going to be pleased when I weigh in next week.

My friend recently snapped at me, saying she has struggled all her life to loseweight, and that she doesn’twant to hear about mehaving to gain it. Ijust said “OK,” and that I didn’tsee her as being overweight. Idecided to let it go, but it bugs me that everyone else can talk about losing weight,

but Iamnot allowed to talk about gaining it. For what it’sworth, when Iwas much heavier,I would look at thin people and wish I had their problems.

Gentle Reader: So you do understand. Instead of weighing (sorry) the relative inequities of who gets to talk about size and who does not, Miss Manners will tell everyone equally: Just stop it. Nothing good can come from these discussions. And clearly,assuring your friends that you do not consider them overweight —and therefore, that it is OK foryou to talk about it —isnot the comfort you think it is. Lead by example and do not contribute to these demoralizing self-assessments. Complaintoyour not-weight-loss doctor instead.

Dear Miss Manners: My neighbor/friend came over and said, “I madeyou acake for your birthday,and it is also your gift.”

That would be fine, except she only gave me part of the cake!

Of course Ididn’task where the rest of it was.I waskind of in shock! Should Ibeupset that Iwasn’tworthy of the whole cake as my birthday gift?

Gentle Reader: Maybe she thought it wasyour half birthday

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www.missmanners com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 WalnutSt., Kansas City,MO64106.

enamel?

Dear Heloise: I’ve been reading your column all my life. (I’m 72.) Thanks for all the great tips! Iwanted to clarify somethingthat Sarah P.,from Bakersfield, California, asked about using ceiling fans 24/7. Ceiling fans, or really all fans, do not cool the air.They cool our bodies by evaporating the perspiration from our skin. So, if you are notactually in theroom with thefan, there’snopoint in running it.The temperature of the room will not drop.

Paula M., via email Paula, ceiling fans can also lower utility bills by keeping us cool while using less energy than air conditioning.

—Heloise Bleachingour teeth

Dear Heloise: Is it harmful to bleach teeth with over-thecounter products? Will the bleaching products harm my

—Jill H., in Albuquerque, New Mexico Jill, bleaching products with ahigh concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide can soften the enamel temporarily.Overuse or misuse of whitening agents can cause tooth sensitivity and enamel erosion. Abrasive whiting toothpaste can also do thesame over time. The best way to whiten your teeth is usually done by adentistwho can carefully monitor thewhitening process

However,ifyou use an overthe-counter whitening agent, follow thedirections to the letter.Don’teat or drink anythingafter you’ve bleached your teeth

Bleaching before going to bed is probably thebest time to use awhitening product but do not sleep withwhitening strips in your mouth

After bleaching your teeth thoroughly,rinse your mouth out with water —Heloise Healthyplants

Dear Heloise: When Iwas a

software engineer,acolleague used to pour her leftover coffee into aplant she had on her desk. It looked great! But as aformer landscaper,I knew about the secret of coffee grounds. I saved my used coffee to put in my compost or around my shrubs.

The reason coffee grounds make plants grow is because they are rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen will produce lots of green growth, but forgood root growth and flower/fruit production, plants also need phosphorousand potassium There are inexpensive soil test kits that are easy to use. No need to send them to alab for results. —Robin B.,via email

Keepingceleryfresh

Dear Heloise: Abunch of celery will keep formuch longer if you remove it from the plastic bag and wrap it in aluminum foil. Icut apiece about twice as long as the bunch and wrap it lengthwise, and it lasts forafew weeks this way —Stacy T.,via email

Peskyelbows

Dear Heloise: Isaw aletter from Ruth, in Minnesota, asking what she should use for her dark elbows. Ihad one elbow that was very dark, and nothing Iused lightened it. After my doctor did blood tests, Irealized this was caused by aniacin deficiency When Istarted Bcomplex supplements, my elbow lightened. Iwould advise Ruth to do amicronutrient test to see if her dark elbows could be a sign of something moreserious. —Lisa, in Florida Lisa, nearly every unusual thing that occurs on the body should be seen by adoctor Things such as amole that suddenly pops up, adiscoloration of skin, or alumpthat starts to grow need attention. It might be harmless, but if it’snot, then it’sbest to get it seen as soon as

& BUSINESS

HOPS,SKIP AJUMP

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

When Abita Brewing Co. opened on the northshore in the mid-1980s, there were onlyafew dozen craft breweries in the U.S. Today,the number of independent breweries churning out smallbatches of specialty brews has grown to nearly 10,000,thankstoacraze that took the nation by storm in the 1990s and early 2000s. Despite thegrowthofthe category, however,which nowaccounts for onefourth of nationalbeer sales by dollar amount,per-capita beer consumption nationwide has actually been on adownward trajectory formore than adecade. With the exception of abrief, pandemicera spike, younger people aredrinking less in general, and consumersare

the craft category deals with oversaturation.

“Welike to say we have alot of drinkers in Louisiana,but at the end of day,there are markets, like Houston alone, that can sell more beer than our entire state,” said ZacCaramonta,owner of Gnarly Barley,the Hammond-based maker of the popular Jucifer IPA. “There are only so many customers to pick up six-packs off shelvesoruse taphandles in bars.”

embracing new options, including hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails and increasingly popularTHC beverages, which debutedinLouisianasix years ago. These challenges to the roughly $117 billionbeer marketmeanbrewersofall sizesare looking for innovative ways to maintain or grow theirbusinesses —as

Boosters hype La.’sframework

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

“Interest from studios andindependent filmmakers remains strong.We’reactively focused on rebuilding that volume by showcasing Louisiana’sunique advantages and ensuring ourincentive program continues to attract top-tier productions.”

JASON WAGGENSPACK, president of lobbyist group

Film Louisiana

In light of this, some of Louisiana’s most high-profile craft brewers are looking “beyond beer” to keep their businesses buzzing.

Somecompanies, like Urban South Breweryand Parish Brewing Co., are now making THC seltzers of their own. Others, including Abita and Port Orleans BrewingCo., are keeping theirtanksfull

try lobbying group, saidLouisiana’s film businessisstruggling through one of its most difficult years in recent memory. But he insisted the downturn reflects global market pressures, not aloss of competitiveness for thestate.

“Like much of the industry nationwide, Louisiana has experienced a slowdown this year,withroughly 50% fewer projects produced

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER Workers build sets fora film

‘There are only so many customers to pick up sixpacks off shelves or use tap handles in bars,’ says Zac Caramonta, founder of Gnarly Barley Brewing in Hammond. Despite the growth of independent breweries, which now accounts for one-fourth of national beer sales by dollar amount, per-capita beer consumption nationwide has actually been on a downward trajectory for more than a decade. With the exception of a brief, pandemicera spike, younger people are drinking less in general

PROVIDED PHOTO

BEER

Continued from page 1E

by manufacturing beverages of all types for other brands. Still others, including NOLA Brewing Co in New Orleans, Bayou Teche Brewing near Lafayette and Crying Eagle Brewing Co. in Lake Charles, have changed their business model altogether and stopped supplying supermarkets and bars to concentrate, instead, on their own brew pubs and taprooms.

“It’s a way of hedging our bets,” said Parish Brewing founder Andrew Godley, who is planning an expansion of his Broussard facility. “I can grow the business with only beer, but it’s certainly easier with other products. It’s like having a diversified investment portfolio.”

Adding to the lineup

Local brewers have reason for concern. Several of their former colleagues and competitors have folded in the last two years, including Faubourg Brewing Co., Zony Mash Beer Project and Calliope Beer Works in New Orleans, Tin Roof Brewing Co. in Baton Rouge, and Red River Brewpub in Bossier-Shreveport.

The Brewers Association, a national craft brewing trade group, estimates that its members are using only about 50% of their brewing capacity Adding to the troubles, aluminum imports have raised the costs of cans and bottles, and the price of labor health care, leases and other expenses has risen significantly since the pandemic.

Local brewers who have endured, however are optimistic about the new strategies they’ve adopted to remain viable and competitive.

Urban South is trying to beat the competition by joining it. The 9-year-old brewer, which has a brisk regional distribution business, has gone all-in on mak-

FILM

Continued from page 1E

compared to 2024,” Waggenspack said in the remote briefing.

“This shift reflects broader market conditions rather than a decline in our state’s appeal. Interest from studios and independent filmmakers remains strong,” he added. “We’re actively focused on rebuilding that volume by showcasing Louisiana’s unique advantages and ensuring our incentive program continues to attract top-tier productions.”

Initiatives to revive production

Waggenspack said Film Louisiana is pursuing several initiatives aimed at reviving production. Earlier this month, he and other industry leaders traveled to Los Angeles to meet with studio executives, producers and independent filmmakers to promote Louisiana’s production infrastructure. They unveiled a new “Louisiana Lookbook” a digital catalog of distinctive filming locations across the state — designed to make it easier for productions to scout sites.

ing THC seltzers that can sit on shelves near its six-packs of Paradise Park, Holy Roller IPA and other popular brews.

Made by combining carbonated water and flavors with an extract from hemp plants, the new category of beverage was enabled by a 2018 federal law that legalized the manufacturing of products using THC in limited quantities. THC is the chemical compound found in hemp and all forms of cannabis that can create the feeling of a euphoric “high.”

Urban South debuted its Driftee line of THC seltzers at the end of 2023 and added Stratus, a fruitier and sweeter variation, last year Today, the seltzers have grown to make up about 20% of the brewer’s production volume.

“Louisiana is down maybe 7% selling beer, but we’ve completely closed the gap with seltzers. It’s definitely a huge part of keeping us level,” said Jacob Landry, founder of Urban South, which is selling the beverages at Rouses Market,

Total Wine and retailers in a halfdozen states.

The category is growing nationally, Landry said, but “some states are shutting down, some are opening up, and it’s happening in fits and starts, so there’s no clear federal coherence yet.”

He hopes more consistent regulation will further legitimize the drinks.

Urban South also makes a hard tea product — technically a flavored malt beverage — called Juvie Juice, in partnership with Juvenile, the famed New Orleans rapper It launched a line of hard seltzers in 2020 but now makes them only to use in its New Orleans taproom

“Those did well for the first couple years, but then you get drowned out by the marketing power of brands like White Claw and Truly,” Landry said.

Parish Brewing Co., less than 10 miles southeast of Lafayette, has also gotten in on the THC market.

A major selling point on that trip, Waggenspack said, was Act 44, legislation passed in June that modernized and extended Louisiana’s film tax credit program The measure keeps the state’s signature incentive in place for several more years while adding workforce training credits and above-the-line incentives to attract higher-budget studio projects.

Key changes include removing caps on project and individual credits, giving Louisiana Economic Development more flexibility to adjust incentives and providing bonuses for hiring locals or using Louisiana-based scripts.

“The new law makes our incentives more competitive and predictable — exactly what productions are looking for when deciding where to film,” he said “It’s one of the most forward-thinking film incentive programs in the country.”

Brittany Chandler, head of Film New Orleans, said the effort is to remind the industry that there is a well-established infrastructure in the state even in lean times.

“Like the rest of the country, we’re watching the industry recalibrate after a couple of slower years, but the infrastructure, crews and cre-

ery’s biggest customer is Louie Louie, the 3-year-old, New Orleansbased maker of THC seltzers.

“It’s adapt or die,” said Ryan Mears, Port Orleans director of operations “Everybody is figuring this out at the same time, and people are sharing notes. The spirit of craft beer has stretched to a new category.”

needed to make them have kept his company out of the market for now

“It’s the Wild West,” Ashley said. Getting out of distribution

Several medium-sized Louisiana breweries are surviving not by making more beverages but by making less.

Known to many Louisianans as the maker of Canebrake, an easydrinking wheat beer, the company’s most successful product nationwide is Ghost in the Machine, a flavorful and pricey double IPA brew that has a cult-like following among beer aficionados and is a favorite at Disney’s EPCOT theme park in Florida.

Now, the 16-year-old brewery is making a new brand of THC drinks under a separate brand name: Veri. The label’s first product is a tropical-flavored beverage that has the state-maximum 5 milligrams of THC, enough to create a “buzz” equivalent to drinking the same amount of beer, Godley said. ‘Adapt or die’

New Orleans-based Port Orleans Brewing has adopted a slightly different strategy Founded in 2017 by a partnership group that includes former Saints player Zach Strief, Port Orleans is making THC seltzers and other products as a “contract manufacturer” for other brands.

The Tchoupitoulas Street brew-

In total, the company has made more than a dozen products — including nonalcoholic seltzers, teas and energy drinks — for its partners. Abita, the state’s oldest and largest craft brewer, is doing the same.

The brewery’s Abita Springs facility is capable of packaging and kegging about 350,000 barrels annually after an expansion during beer’s boom years. Now it cranks out its iconic Amber, Purple Haze and Andygator brews alongside beverages for companies that either don’t have facilities of their own or who have exceeded their brewing capacity and don’t want to invest in an expansion.

“It’s a way to diversify our revenue streams and grow our business,” Abita President Troy Ashley said. “It allows us to hire new employees, and we’re growing despite a time in the market that’s challenging for our core business in craft.”

Abita has long made soft drinks like its well-known root beer and has experimented with “readyto-drink” cocktails in a can. It also launched a new nonalcoholic Hop Water, essentially a mildly beerflavored sparkling beverage.

Ashley said the uncertain regulatory climate related to THC beverages and the additional equipment

These businesses have given up on distribution altogether and focused on the hospitality side of their business, selling their products primarily to on-site customers.

Louisiana law doesn’t allow brewers who distribute to retailers and bars to also sell wine, spirits or other “outside alcohol” in their taprooms and brew pubs.

NOLA Brewing traded in a manufacturer’s license for a brewpub license in 2023 and now has a full bar

“It’s had a huge impact on both the music entertainment component of business and our private event business,” NOLA Brewing owner Doug Walner said. “Many events wouldn’t book when we could only sell beer.”

Other breweries have made the same move, as drinking habits are changing.

“There actually are more craft drinkers than ever before, but beer is a lower percentage of their overall consumption,” said Bart Watson, president of the Brewers Association. “I’ve been trying to coin this super nerdy term: The new generation of drinkers is ‘omnibibulous.’”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

ative energy here in New Orleans are all still very strong.” Louisiana officials are also involved in discussions about a potential federal initiative that could help U.S. film hubs compete with cheaper international locations

Waggenspack said he and Baton Rouge-based advocate Katie Pryor have been working with Film USA, a coalition of state film offices, to push for a Federal Film Office and possibly a national incentive for investors. The proposal is still in early stages and unlikely to advance before next year

An industry in transition

The slump in Louisiana mirrors a broader malaise in the U.S. entertainment business. According to analyses by American Movie Co., Reel 360 News and PwC, the national film and television production industry is in a slow recovery phase — with project volume rising but overall spending still below prepandemic and pre-strike levels. Consolidation among major studios, the evolving economics of streaming, and shifting audience habits have left the industry cautious about greenlighting new content. Analysts expect a modest

rebound over the next year, but the path forward remains uncertain.

Waggenspack said one of the biggest challenges is cost competition from abroad.

“Things are cheaper in Europe and Canada,” he said. “That’s really the case of what we’re running into. But studios are telling us they plan to shift more of their slates back to the U.S. in 2026, and we’re preparing to take advantage of that.”

The downturn follows several turbulent years for Louisiana’s production workforce. The writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023 halted filming nationwide, leaving crews across the state idle When the labor disputes ended later that year, it took months for studios to restart projects — and many smaller operators never fully recovered.

At the start of 2024, only one show, “Leverage: Redemption,” was filming in Louisiana. It provided a brief lifeline for local crews before wrapping, leaving thousands again searching for work

The state’s production labor force, estimated at roughly 10,000 workers, includes carpenters, electricians, caterers and other skilled tradespeople whose livelihoods depend on a steady flow of shoots.

Abita Brewing Co. has a New Orleans taproom located on Tchoupitoulas Street. The state’s oldest and largest craft brewer, which has a brewery in Abita Springs, is now cranking out its iconic Amber, Purple Haze and Andygator brews alongside beverages for companies that either don’t have facilities of their own or who have exceeded their brewing capacity and don’t want to invest in an expansion.

Big investments, quiet stages

Before the recent slump, investors poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Louisiana’s production infrastructure. Second Line Stages in New Orleans tripled in size after its 2020 acquisition by Hackman Capital Partners, which invested $100 million in new soundstages and facilities. In St. Rose, Quixote Studios expanded under Blackstone-backed Hudson Pacific Properties beginning in 2022. Those expansions were built on the assumption that Louisiana’s generous incentives and experienced workforce would continue to attract major productions. For now, much of that capacity sits idle, a reminder of the industry’s volatility and dependence on national trends. Even so, Waggenspack said Louisiana’s fundamentals remain strong.

“We have world-class crews, diverse locations, and a film-friendly culture,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure that when the next wave of production comes, Louisiana is ready to capture it.”

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JONAH MEADOWS STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Nine-year-old brewer Urban South, which has a brisk regional distribution business, has gone all-in on making alternative products to sit alongside its beers. That includes a partnership with native Louisiana rapper Juvenile making a hard tea product called Juvie Juice.

Godley

Landry

Mears

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Franciscan Missionaries investing in health system

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

On a TV mounted to the left of his desk, E.J. Kuiper watches the census numbers of the Our Lady of the Lake facilities rise and fall.

Q&A WITH E.J. KUIPER

The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System CEO has an eye on the live feed all day which displays the number of occupied beds in the system’s five markets. Kuiper said he monitors upticks in admissions to ensure the hospitals have the manpower they need.

“We stay very connected with the people in the trenches, because they are the most important asset that we have,” Kuiper said The health system, which serves greater Baton Rouge, Acadiana, the northshore, northeast Louisiana and the Jackson, Mississippi, area, committed to more than $425 million in project and staff investments for this fiscal year, largely concentrated in expanding the capacity of its hospitals Demand from smaller, rural communities has risen, and Baton Rouge’s Our Lady of the Lake has felt the pressure. But the health system is stepping up to the plate In Baton Rouge, it’s developing a $67 million cancer institute while conducting a $55 million remodel of the emergency department at its regional medical center Kuiper said a new overnight care unit in Livingston Parish and medical office building in Ascension Parish will help offload the demand in Baton Rouge proper

The $100 million “Advancing Acadiana” project will add beds and expand NICU capacity.

Kuiper said the expansions are the health system’s response to a roughly 10% increase in admissions year after year “We went from close to being

E.J Kuiper, CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, says that the system has been expanding the capacity of its hospitals throughout south Louisiana. ‘Certainly, the demand has always been there, but we, philosophically as a system, decided a year and a half ago that we have to make sure that we always say yes when a patient needs to be transferred into our hospital,’ he said.

full, to full, and then some,” he said. In this week’s Talking Business, Kuiper discusses the system’s investment priorities serving rural communities and more. This interview has been edited for length and clarity What is driving the priority of expanding capacity?

Certainly, the demand has always been there, but we, philosophically as a system, decided a

year and a half ago that we have to make sure that we always say yes when a patient needs to be transferred into our hospital Obviously, all our hospitals were busy to begin with, but we also have a lot of requests for a higher level of care.

Let’s say there’s an emergency department somewhere in a rural community It’s 2 o’clock in the morning. The patient really needs to be in a hospital that has the capabilities to take care of sicker

Beyondthe Workplace.

Jones Walker’s Labor&Employmentattorneys offer clientsone of thelargest,mostdiverse,and experienced laborand employment lawpractices in theregion. We counselanarray of regional andnationalcompanies in awiderange of industries in allaspects of laborand employment law. We help clientsfind solutions to labor andemploymentlaw mattersusing practical, commonsenseapproaches. We believeour ability to combine our depthinlabor andemploymentlaw withJones Walker’s broadbaseofexperienceinother practice areasto addressuniqueworkplaceand industry situations gives ourclients adistinctadvantage notavailable from small boutique lawfirms.

William H. Hines

patients.

Philosophically, we feel it is better to be at Our Lady of the Lake, maybe having to wait in the (emergency department) for a room to open up. You’re in a stretcher in an ED room, but you have access to all the state-of-the-art technology, the great staff, specialists and sub-specialists, versus being in an ED somewhere in a small community hospital. They’re great, those small community hospitals, but they don’t have all those resources. They don’t have the specialists and sub-specialists. We need to make sure that we’re there for every patient that is in need of care.

You’re bringing health care to folks that may not have had this type of access before, like overnight care. Can you talk about the significance of that mission?

For more typical, lower-level care that really should be taking place in their home community, so they don’t have to travel to Baton Rouge or any of the other big facilities that we have. It’s easier for the patients, for the family members.

We really are trying to make sure that we build access points where the patient demand is, so we partner with independent rural facilities as well. They’re still in Louisiana, probably 50-plus independent hospitals out there all by themselves. They don’t have a big organization like us supporting them. We talk to them all the time about how we can make things easier for you. And it’s not just about transferring patients from their facility to Our Lady of the Lake. It’s also about, can we bring specialists into your community once a week or twice a month, or whatever the need might be, and that then will help patients stay in their community and they don’t have to travel an hour and a half or two hours to come to Our Lady of the Lake. Earlier this year, you increased the base pay of your staff by 4%. How’s that impacted your team? Everybody was very excited

about that. We really believe that while we’re blessed with a great balance sheet and we’ve been able to post solid profits, we really believe that every single dollar needs to be reinvested in our people, in technology and in our buildings, and people first. We are blessed with state-of-the-art technology, and we have beautiful hospitals and clinics and ambulatory centers. But without our people, it doesn’t matter It’s just real estate. It’s the people that make our health system home, and so we’re very proud of our people, and we have to take care of our people. For that next big push in projects,what are the priority areas?

One of the things that we’re starting at Our Lady of the Lake is what we call a master facility plan.

We’re kind of landlocked there. We’re at capacity at the Lake, and so we need to think about where’s the next patient tower going to go.

Our census in the Baton Rouge market is well over 700 every day

We probably need 1,000 beds to meet the demand over the next five or 10 years. We need to think about where the next patient tower we’re going to go, where the next critical care unit is going to go, and whether the operating room needs to be expanded.

We do believe, over the next five to 10 years, that the demand is going to go up for places like Our Lady of the Lake, trauma centers, regional referral centers, tertiary quaternary centers, because the environment is getting more and more challenging because of Medicaid reform and reimbursement cuts. We believe that those independent hospitals that we talked about are going to be relying on us even more to accept patients. We need to invest today to make sure that number can go up to 1,000 in five or 10 years from now, because I believe that’s what demand will be.

Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

ForLouisiana businessleaders,labor and employmentlaw is no longeraback-office issue—itisacorebusiness concern that directly impactsoperations, talent retention, andlong-termgrowth. Employersmust prepare forseveral upcoming labor and employmentchallenges.

Strong workplacemanagementiscriticaltolimitingturnover andavoidingdisputesthatcan lead to an arrayofissues. Accommodation andleave complianceisalsocomplex,as state-levelprotections maygobeyondfederallaw,particularly forpregnancyand disability.OSHAoversight also remainsa priority in Louisiana’sindustrialsectors,wheresafetyauditsand updated training canreducebothriskand penalties. Benefits complianceadds furtherpressure, with COBRAnotices,401(k) administration, andhealthplan parity drawingscrutiny.

Proactiveattention is keytoworkforcestability—and we are proudtohelpleadthe wayforward.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

SidLewis

AROUND THE REGION

Startups embracingAIbut cautious on rent,salaries

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New Orleans entrepreneurs have embraced artificial intelligence more than their counterparts nationwide, but they are being cautious about spending money on office space and salaries.

Those are some of the takeaways from the 2025 Greater New Orleans Startup Report, produced by Tulane University’s A.B.Freeman School of Business.

The seventh annual report, released Thursday,isbased on a survey of more than 120startup businesses in a10-parish region in south Louisiana.

This year’sedition shows that 77% of respondents think AI will have amajor long-termeffecton their business, and 67% believe it represents their biggestopportunity.Ofthose already using the tools, 85% had good things to say about them, noting productivity gains, expanded market share and cost savings.

“Historically speaking,when trends happen, we’re not usually the first movers,” said Rob Lalka, a Tulane business professor who helped create the GNO Startup Report in 2019. “We’re maybe middle of the pack or later, but with AI, there are more people here using it, and we are trying to really harnessits tools to get acompetitive advantage.”

Aseparate report from the U.S. ChamberofCommercesupports

Tulane’sfindings, ranking Louisiana seventh in the nation for adoption of generative AI,a categoryof AI capable of creating text,images, audio, videoand otheroriginal content.That report put adoption among the state’ssmall businesses at 65%, topping the58% national average.

Tulane’sreport shows that highgrowthstartups —usually tech-

based venturesthataim to scale quicklyand disruptindustries gained more from AI thantraditionalsmall businesses.

In othercategories,the report reveals mixed feelings among entrepreneurs about hiring andacquisitionofoffice space

Aslight majority of companies saidthey plan to add employees over thenextyear,while 22% say they do not, which is the highest percentage in the report’shistory

High-growth companies in particular are more bullish about hiring than others, and construction startups reported the mostrecent hiringwhile food and beverage respondents described net employee losses.

Survey respondents saidthey

are mostly“bootstrapping” —using personal finances or taking on credit carddebt —tolaunch their businesses. The next most common sources of funding, include friends andfamily,angelinvestors, convertible debt and venture capital.

Thetop categories of surveyed companies are software, professionalservices,food and beverage, media and healthcare. Founders answered additional questions about demographics,revenue and office space.

Goingstatewide

The startup report’sauthors have announced plans to expand statewide next year Tulane’sAlbertLepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innova-

tion, run by Lalka, plans to partner with Louisiana Innovation, adivision of the state’seconomic developmentagency,tobuild acomprehensive snapshot of startup activity in Louisiana

“What beganasa local effortto understand ourstartup landscape will now serveour entire state,” said Paulo Goes, dean of Tulane’s businessschool, in aprepared statement. “Louisiana Innovation’s decisiontoadopt our approach as thefoundation for statewide innovation measurement validates the comprehensive system we’ve built —one that captures notjustdata, but thefullstory of entrepreneurial growth.”

The survey,whichwill be renamed the Louisiana Startup Re-

port, will provide parish-by-parish data designed to help stakeholders track regional trends, emerging innovation clusters, capital gaps,sector momentum and deal sizes.

The expansion of the startup report, and the creation of the Louisiana Innovation office —nicknamed “LA.IO” —are two of the latest efforts to formalize the state’sentrepreneurial ecosystem and to use information to promote its growth.

Earlierthis month, aseparate group calledthe NOLA Entrepreneurship Council met for the first time. The committeeisa“working group that will take up issues, from policy to fundingtoquality of life, that are critical to thesuccess of ourinnovation ecosystem,” accordingtoMichael Hecht, presidentand CEO of Greater New OrleansInc., theregion’seconomicdevelopment nonprofit.

In 2022, GNO Inc. created Startup NOLA, an initiative that produces onlineheat maps of entrepreneurial activity,anews page about startups and an events calendar

All of these efforts come four years after ahandful of high-profile acquisitions of Louisiana-based tech startups brought an infusion of cash into the region and proved that Louisiana, despite being far from the country’scoastal tech hubs, wasable to producesome winners of its own.

The architects of theexpanded Louisiana startupreport hope to gather moredata to help tell the state’sstory,spark moreactivity and boost its rankings.

“We’re now at the stage where measuring our progress is critical to strengthen the ecosystem,” said TimWilliamson, who helped launch the city’sstartup scene 25 years ago by co-founding The Idea Village,the city’smost prominent business accelerator.“The GNO Startup Report provides insight to what’s workingwhat’snot and where we need to spend more time and energy.”

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The recently released 2025 Greater NewOrleans Startup Report,shows that high-growth startupsgained morefromartificial intelligence than traditional small businesses but also reveals mixed feelings among entrepreneursabout hiringand acquisitionofoffice space.

Lalka

NATION & WORLD

Colleges are fighting to prove returns on investment

BY COLLIN BINKLEY AP education writer

WASHINGTON For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price?

Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a dismal job market plus ideological concerns from conservatives. Now, colleges are scrambling to prove their value to students

Borrowed from the business world, the term “return on investment” has been plastered on college advertisements across the U.S. A battery of new rankings grade campuses on the financial benefits they deliver States such as Colorado have started publishing yearly reports on the monetary payoff of college and Texas now factors it into calculations for how much taxpayer money goes to community colleges.

“Students are becoming more aware of the times when college doesn’t pay off,” said Preston Cooper, who has studied college ROI at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. “It’s front of mind for universities today in a way that it was not necessarily 15, 20 years ago.”

A wide body of research indicates a bachelor’s degree still pays off, at least on average and in the long run. Yet there’s growing recognition that not all degrees lead to a good salary, and even some that seem like a good bet are becoming riskier as graduates face one of the toughest job markets in years.

A new analysis released earlier this month by the Strada Education Foundation finds 70% of recent public university graduates can expect a positive return within 10 years — meaning their earnings over a decade will exceed that of a typical high school graduate by

amid plummeting public confidence in

A wide body of research indicates a bachelor’s degree still pays off, at least on average and in the long run. Yet there’s growing recognition that not all degrees lead to a good salary, and even some that seem like a good bet are becoming riskier as graduates face one of the toughest job markets in years.

an amount greater than the cost of their degree. Yet it varies by state, from 53% in North Dakota to 82% in Washington, D.C Louisiana comes in just below the national average, at 69% of graduates see-

ing a return. States where college is more affordable have fared better, the report says.

It’s a critical issue for families who wonder how college tuition prices could ever pay off, said Emilia Mattucci, a high school counselor at East Allegheny schools, near Pittsburgh. More than two-thirds of her school’s students come from low-income families, and many aren’t willing to take on the level of debt that past generations accepted. Instead, more are heading to technical schools or the trades and passing on four-year universities, she said. “A lot of families are just saying they can’t afford it, or they don’t want to go into debt for years and

years and years,” she said.

American higher education has been grappling with both sides of the ROI equation — tuition costs and graduate earnings. It’s becoming even more important as colleges compete for decreasing numbers of college-age students as a result of falling birth rates.

Tuition rates have stayed flat on many campuses in recent years to address affordability concerns, and many private colleges have lowered their sticker prices in an effort to better reflect the cost most students actually pay after factoring in financial aid.

The other part of the equation making sure graduates land good jobs — is more complicated. A group of college presidents

recently met at Gallup’s Washington headquarters to study public polling on higher education. One of the chief reasons for flagging confidence is a perception that colleges aren’t giving graduates the skills employers need, said Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, one of the leaders at the meeting.

“We’re trying to get out in front of that,” he said.

The issue has been a priority for Guskiewicz since he arrived on campus last year He gathered a council of Michigan business leaders to identify skills that graduates will need for jobs, from agriculture to banking. The goal is to mold degree programs to the job market’s needs and to get students internships and work experience that can lead to a job.

Bridging the gap to the job market has been a persistent struggle for U.S. colleges, said Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, a think tank that studies the workforce. Last year the institute, partnering with Strada researchers, found 52% of recent college graduates were in jobs that didn’t require a degree. Even higher-demand fields, such as education and nursing, had large numbers of graduates in that situation.

“No programs are immune, and no schools are immune,” Sigelman said.

The federal government has been trying to fix the problem for decades, going back to President Barack Obama’s administration. A federal rule first established in 2011 aimed to cut federal money to college programs that leave graduates with low earnings, though it primarily targeted for-profit colleges.

A Republican reconciliation bill passed this year takes a wider view, requiring most colleges to hit earnings standards to be eligible for federal funding. The goal is to make sure college graduates end up earning more than those without a degree.

NewStudy DebunksRed DrumCrisis Claims: Louisiana’sGulfMenhaden FisheryNot to Blame

Thisarticle is brought to youbythe Louisiana CommercialFishing Coalition LLC

Alandmark Louisiana-funded study confirms whatdecades of fisheries science have long suggested: the Gulf menhaden fishery is not amajor contributor to reddrum mortalityinLouisiana waters

The comprehensivebycatchassessment, conducted by LGL Ecological Research Associatesand administered through the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, found thatcommercial menhaden harvesters were responsible forjust 3.4% of reddrum removals by number statewide in 2024.In contrast,96.6% of removals were from the recreational sector Thesefindingscome at atime when misinformation about reddrum bycatchhas fueled public pressurefor newrestrictions on commercial harvesters. But the data tells aclear story: Louisiana’smenhaden fishery is both sustainable and responsible —and not a threattored drum populations

Backed by IndependentScience

Thestudy wasfunded through a$1 million appropriation by the Louisiana Legislature and carried out during the 2024fishing season. It is the most extensivebycatchstudy ever conducted in the Gulfmenhaden fishery, with data collected from 418 purse seine sets —3.2% of total effort,exceeding theoriginal sampling goal by morethan50%.

Observersand electronic monitoring systems were used to gather and verifydata. The study employedadvanced techniques such as ReflexActionMortalityPredictors

(RAMP) and24-hour live holding tanksto assess fish survival.

Keyresults include:

•Menhaden harvestersaccounted forjust 30,142 reddrummortalities in 2024—only 3.4% of statewide removals

•Anestimated26,847red drum were released aliveafter incidental capture, with an 84% survival rate in rolloverreleases

•Overall, the fishery remained well below Louisiana’s5%bycatchlimit by weight, with acombined bycatchrate of just 3.6%.

ProactiveConservation in Action

The study alsoclarified howred drum mortalitycan be reduced through better handling practices.When fish are retained in thenet and released after pumping, mortality drops sharply —akey operational takeaway thatis nowbeing applied across the fleet

In responsetothe study’s findings, the Louisiana menhaden industry has proactively standardized anew hose-end cage design acrossits fleet prior to the 2025fishing season. This design, shown to significantly improve the survivability of reddrum and similar species,isalready delivering results.Fleetwide upgrades reflect an ongoing commitmenttoconservation and demonstrate howscience candrive improvements in real time.

Putting Croakerand SeatroutinContext

The report also documentedAtlantic croaker and sand seatrout (whitetrout) in the retained catch. While some critics have highlighted thesefiguresfor political gain scientists notethat:

•Thesespecies are not overfished or undergoing overfishing, per federal and state assessments

•Theyare short-lived forage fish with high natural mortalityand would not be expected to survivetoadulthood even withoutfishing pressure.

•Their retention is primarily due to small size, not gear inefficiency

This context is importantto accurately interpret the data and avoid mischaracterizing the fishery’s overall impact

AModel of RegulatedSustainability

The Gulf menhaden fishery is among the most tightly regulatedinthe state,overseen by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, the Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission, andthe Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries

It is alsocertified as sustainableby the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) —the gold standardfor global fisheries certification. According to the 2024stock assessment, Gulf menhaden stocksare healthier thanatany pointinthe past 40 years, with spawning stock biomasshaving morethantripled since the 1990s. Fishing mortalityhas declined to just one-thirdof 1990s levels

The fishery harvests lessthan 2% of the total Gulf menhaden biomass, leaving ample resources in the ecosystemfor predators such as reddrum, speckled trout,and marine mammals

An Economic Engine for Coastal Louisiana

In addition to its environmental track record, the menhaden industry plays a critical economic role in Louisiana’scoastal communities.The sector:

•Generatesmorethan $419 millionin economic output annually

•Supports over2,000 jobs across 32 parishes

•Paysmorethan $25million in state and local tax revenue

•Provided roughly$60 millioninemployee compensation in 2023alone Menhaden also contribute to global food systems.Rich in omega-3s,protein, and essential nutrients,theyare used in aquaculturefeed, pet food, and human nutritional supplements

Letting Science Lead

The findingsofthis independentstudy offer aclear conclusion: theGulf menhaden fishery is operating responsibly,within regulatory limits,and with minimal impact on reddrum and other species of concern. Gear innovation and betterhandling are already helping to drivemortalityevenlower Forthe thousands of Louisianans whose livelihoods depend on this fishery —and for policymakerscharged with overseeing its management— this newresearch provides a firm foundation fordecisions rooted in data, not speculation.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Students visit the Quad on LSU’s campus. Colleges nationwide are scrambling to prove their value to students

higher education.

Staff report

The following new hires and promotions were announcedby south Louisiana businesses in recent weeks.

BatonRouge

Eric Clay has been hired aschief security officerfor Franciscan Missionaries of OurLady of Health System, where he will overseesafety and risk management systemwide. With experience with the Walt DisneyCo. andthe U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, Claymost recently was vice president of security services forHoustonbased Memorial Hermann Health System.

Investar Bank promoteda trio of its executives to new roles

Jeff Blum went from being executive vicepresidentand regional president for the bank’s western division to its chief banking officer

Another executive vice president, Jeffrey Martin,who had also been chief credit officer,was promoted to chief risk officer.

And Corey Moore,the bank’sexecutive vice president and chief accounting officer,has been pro-

Fool’sTake:

Chips and more

motedtodeputychieffinancial officer.

Pelican Credit Unionhas promoted Sharon Collins to become vice president of facilities, property management and purchasing. Collins started with the company in 2000 as ateller and has beeninstrumental in theconstruction of the credit union’slocationsinHouma, St. Landry and Mid City,aswell as itscorporatecampus.

KeanMiller announced the hiringoffournew attorneys.

Hannah Grace Babin focuses on ca-

sualty and mass tort, Elizabeth Bueche focusesonemployment and construction matters, Samantha Sharp is atitle insurance agent who will focus on real estate law, and Lorin Wales Staup focuses on energy and environmental law.All four graduated lawschool earlierthis year

Sharp earned her law degree from Southern UniversityLaw Centerwhile Babin, Bueche and Staup earned degrees from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center NewOrleans

Ryan Gootee General Contractorspromoted apair of employees to new rolesand added atrio of newstaffersin recent months.

Chris Perrier was promoted to senior superintendent,while Jake Hammant was promoted toproject manager Meanwhile,the Metairiebased firm hired Brandon Bourgeois and Noah Labrosse as assistant project superintendents and Kristina Miller as senior project manager

Frank Cook has been appointed thenew generalmanager of theDoubleTreebyHiltonHotel New Orleans, which is undergoing a$5million renovation.

as powerfulbut are well-suited to specific tasks, andthat’s where Broadcom comes in.

tinued growth. (TheMotley Fool recommends Broadcom.)

Fool’sSchool:

Cook previously oversaw 19 hotels as vicepresident of operations for South Caroli na-based Hos pit al ity America.

TheNew OrleansRegional Leadership Institute announced four new board members and a new staffer. Christine Briede,executive director of JeffersonCommunity Foundation; AmyCorcoan,CPA/ shareholderofCorcoran & Bernard CPAs; CarmenCummings, chief administrative officer at InclusivCare; and Adams&Reesepartner WilliamWrightIV joined theinstitute’sboard, while Frances Love joined its staffasprogram and office manager

served as its first CFO.

Kean Miller also announced the hiring of Haley Bible as an associate. Bible, whoearned alaw degree from Loyola University in 2022, will focus her practice on commercial litigationcybersecurity and data privacy

Zehnder Communications has promoted Katherine Simon to the director of account strategy Simonhas 15 yearsofexperience with the employee-owned advertising agency,where she leadsclients in finance, consumer goods, education, health care, hospitality and travel sectors.

The PortofNew Orleanshas appointed Adam Laurie as its new chief financial officer.Laurie, aformer Navy officer,previously worked forMacquarie Infrastructure Corporation, where he managed the $2.7 billion sale of IMTT,and the local lawfirmMouledoux, Bland, Legrand &Brackett, wherehe

The market for semiconductors is red-hot, as investment continues to pour into data centers for artificial intelligence. Research company IDTechEx expects themarket for AI chipstoexceed $400 billion by 2030. While graphics processing unit leader Nvidia is apopular pick, investors should also consider Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO) Nvidia’schips are the most powerful in the world, butthey’re also power-hungry and expensive. There is growing demand for more affordable chips that aren’t

Broadcom expects its AI revenuetogrow from $20 billion this year to $120 billion by 2030. For perspective, itstotal revenue over thelast 12 months was $60 billion. Beyond chips, Broadcom also offers advanced networking solutionsthat allow chips to handlemassivedata flow for AI trainingworkloads. While total revenue grew 22% year over year last quarter,AIrevenue specifically grew 63%.

The company’s main risks include reliance on ahandful of massivecustomers and expectations that mayalready be running too hot. Butithas along history of operatingexcellence. Broadcom appears well-positioned for con-

Retirement mistakes

As you approach and enter retirement, makesure you avoid making the mistakes below —as somecould cost you alot.

n Not having asolid retirement plan beforehand. Each of us should make conservative estimates of how much income we’ll need in retirementand how we’ll arrange to save and invest enough toproduce that.

n Assuming Social Security willprovide enough income As of August,the average monthly Social Security retirementbenefit was just $2,008, or about $24,100 for the year.Aim to retire withadditional income

streams, such as from dividends, interest, rental properties, pensions or annuities. (Tolearn how much you can expect from Social Securitybased on your earnings so far,visit ssa.gov and set up a “mySocialSecurity” account.)

n Not signing up forMedicare on time. If you’re not already receiving disabilitybenefits, you becomeeligible for Medicare at age 65. You should sign up within the three monthsleading up to your 65th birthday,during the month of your birthday or within the three monthsthat follow.Fail to enroll on time, andyou may end up paying higher premiumsfor the rest of your life. (Visit medicare.gov for info.)

n Failing to takeyourrequiredminimum distributions once you turn73. Those with traditional (not Roth) IRAs

Breazeale, Sachse &Wilson has hired Kenneth Nilsson.Nilsson, a2025 graduate of LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center,will focusonlabor employment andcommercial litigation.

Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas forour business coverage? Drop us alineat biztips@theadvocate.com.

(and someother accounts) are required to withdraw aminimum amount each year.The penalty fornot doing so is up to 25% of the amount you didn’twithdraw on time. (Tolearn more, search online for“RMD rules.”)

n Underestimating what health care maycost you According to Fidelity,a65-year-old person retiring in 2025 can expect to spend $172,500, on average, on medical and health care expenses throughout retirement. That doesn’tinclude long-term care. For amarried couple, the average total is $345,000. Plan and save accordingly! Search online for“retirement mistakes,” and you’ll find many moreblunders to avoid —such as borrowing from your 401(k) account or retiring too early

Clay

Perrier

Cook

Collins

Laurie

Bible

Nilsson

Hammant

Labrosse

Bourgeois

Miller

Babin

Sharp Bueche

Staup

ONE BIG QUESTION

How is AI affecting local lending institutions?

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Even as recently as 2022 when Open AI unveiled Chat GPT, the first generative artificial intelligence product — it might have been tempting to wave off AI as a fad with more of a following among the tech savvy set than the mainstream. But in the three years since, it’s becoming increasingly clear that AI is here to stay and assuming an ever-larger role in every sector of the global economy, influencing whether health insurers authorize coverage for medical procedures, where oil companies decide to drill and how sales teams prioritize their leads.

At the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors’ annual FORECAST symposium earlier this month, a panel of lenders discussed the role AI is playing in their banks and financial institutions. We thought their diverse answers would make for an interesting installment of our inaugural feature, One Big Question. We also posed

the question to a couple of Baton Rouge-based banks to include a broader, statewide response.

John D’Angelo

PRESIDENT AND CEO, INVESTAR BANK

We’re using AI in several ways.

The main one is fraud detection.

We have two systems driven by AI that are capable of learning from prior transactions. A third system scans driver’s licenses and is also able to learn from the bank’s transaction history and other databases. On the investment side, we have three technology funds that we are invested in, each with companies that are developing banking technology solutions with AI integrated in the solution.

I believe that AI will continue to grow in use for activities that are repetitive and labor consuming.

Our core system for the bank is working on bots and other things that will eventually take over other bank processes. If you look across the entire Investar enterprise, we use a lot of predictive modeling,

which is in fact a type of AI, just not the new shiny type of AI that is being referred to in the media.

Percy Manson

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HOPE CREDIT UNION

We are actually running a pilot right now involving AI and how it can be used to help small businesses. We see it as an opportunity, but we’re not there quite yet. It’s clear we’re all going to be heading in that direction.

Jude Melville CEO, B1BANK

We use AI every day to help us operate efficiently It’s embedded in many of our vendor-provided platforms and applications, including fraud prevention tools and prompting software in support our call center, for example. We’ve also begun developing internal capabilities including a language model we recently built and rolled out in which employees can quickly query topics ranging from loan policy parameters to em-

ployee benefits rather than sorting through hundreds of pages of documents to find the answer. We are just beginning but are excited about the growing opportunity

Thomas Ogg

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMERCIAL LENDER, GULF COAST BANK AND TRUST

We’re using it in risk analysis. It’s becoming more mainstream, and actually even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have automated systems that will upload tax returns, read those returns and spit out a decision on where the income is, and they have instituted what’s called 1 Day Certainty

It’s not a perfect situation, and brain power is more important than AI power when it comes to underwriting. But I think within the next couple of years, all loans will be run through AI to calculate the income on the front end. Then, there are going to be two sets of banks or lending institutions. You’ll have the Rocket Mortgages that run through AI and if you

don’t like the decision then you’re going to decline it. And you’ll have banks that have expertise from underwriters that have been in the business for 20, 30 years that can find ways to massage that deal, rearrange it and get it through a conventional loan.

Richard Ziegler

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT BONVENU BANK

The only AI that we’re using is something behind the scenes for marketing and a lot to do with fraud detection Fraud is off the charts, and I know we’re utilizing it in that regard I don’t think we’re using it yet in any sort of underwriting.

Drew Remson MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER, FIRST HORIZON BANK

We’re not there yet with underwriting, but I’m sure it’s coming in the future.

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

HancockWhitney.com/Beth-Holden •NMLS699394 NATE BEECHAM HANCOCKWHITNEY

225-248-7428 •Nathaniel.Beecham@hancockwhitney.com

HancockWhitney.com/Nate-Beecham •NMLS115300

JAREDGARY

HANCOCKWHITNEY

•Jared.Gary@hancockwhitney.com

225-603-2505

HancockWhitney.com/jared-gary •NMLS88626

TIMDUBNANSKY

HANCOCKWHITNEY

225-252-6976 •Tim.dubnansky@hancockwhitney.com

hancockwhitney.com/tim-dubnansky •NMLS82027

JUDEBRIDWELL

HANCOCKWHITNEY

JEREMYWEIMER

225-603-1777 •Jude.Bridwell@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jude-bridwell•NMLS 92661

HANCOCKWHITNEY 225-978-2592 •Jeremy.Weimer@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/jeremy-weimer• NMLS 175288

BILL HOLT

HANCOCKWHITNEY

225-229-8783 •Bill.Holt@Hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/bill-holt •NMLS 148394

ANGELLEWIS

HANCOCKWHITNEY

225-413-6094 •Angel.Lewis@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/angel-lewis•NMLS 700876

MICHAEL HEBERT

HANCOCKWHITNEY 225-715-1133 •Michael.Hebert@hancockwhitney.com hancockwhitney.com/michael-hebert •NMLS 79769

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of CHAD EDWARD MCCAA, please contactAtty Emily Lindig at (225) 999-1100 or email: emily@brockpalmintierlaw.com. 164169-Oct25-27, 3t $97

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of Chiquita Selders, please contact B. Kyle Kershaw, Attorney at Law, 212 Laurel Street,Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70801,telephone number (225) 336-9600. 164358-Oxt25-27, 3t $109

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of FAMILY OR HEIRSFOR DOROTHY MAEFREEMAN OR DOROTHY BROWN, please contactAttorney ALLISONB.COSTANZA, 225-664-4335 acostanzalaw@gmail.com. 163974-10/25-26-27-3t $109.00

Anypersonknowing the whereaboutsofthe following describedpromissorynote: That certainpromissory note dated September26, 2017 by Doreen Allemond payabletoFirst ConsumersFinancial of Lafayette, LLCinthe amount of $2160.00 together with interest at therateof 35.7%%until paid,payable in 18 equalmonthly installments of $120.00 each.Pleasecontact Richard D. Bankston,427 SouthFosterDrive BatonRouge,LA70806, (225) 3461999. 164355-Oct25-27, 3t $217

Vin#1C4AJWAG0FL542934-If all currentcharges arenot paid on vehicleclaimed by ownera permit to sell will be issued forDale'sAuto Repair call Mona 225-274-0702 164009-10/25-26-2t $91.00

GENERALHELP We arehiringexp FT dry-cleanlaundry presser, applyinpersonat4463 Main St.Zachary or call 225-654-9396 or 225287-5933 forinformation

FARMING HarrisSeafood Distribution LLChas an openingfor Farmworker in Springfield, LA.Dutieswill includeoperation of largefarmequipment including, but notlimited to,tractorswithvarious im‐plements,sprayers, andcombinesto prepareand maintain land andirrigate fertilize, cultivate, plant, harvest, load, andtransport rowcrops;alsoperform repair andmaintenanceonfarmequip‐ment whenrequired. Usehandtools, such as butnot limited to shovels, trow‐els, hoes,tampers,pruning hooks, shears,and knives.Transplant, weed thin andprune crops; applypesticides Participateinirrigation activities such as maintaining, repairing, andoperat‐ingirrigation equipment, setupand/or maintain aridge of eartharound fields to maintain an adequate watersupply, drainexcesswater from fields;create openings fordrainageoverfill; walk each fieldtocheck forstandingwater During non-peak season,job duties in‐cludeplant,inspect,and harvestcrops; irrigate farmsoil; preparationofthe land,maintenance of waterinprepara‐tion forupcomingseason; assist owner in year-round daily tasksoftakingcare of farmbycutting grass, weed eating andgrowing crops. Jobinvolvesfre‐quentstooping, exposure to extreme temps. No minimumeducation or pre‐viousexperiencerequired. Maybe travelingtounanticipated worksites throughout Livingston Parish and Tangipahoa Parish,Louisiana.Contact Rachel Harristoapplyfor theposition at (985) 969-7552 during thehours of MFfrom7:00am- 3:00pm. Must referencejob 22194.1.3

OursoFarms,Inc

INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY Software Developer: BS in comp/eng w/ 2-3yrexpr. in IT.Expertise in soft‐ware engineering(agile), data analy‐sis, OOPs, DB mgmt (SQL Server & MongoDB), computer &operating sys‐tems,AI& ML,ProgLang(Python NET C#)& Dist.Processing (CI/CD), abilityto provideeffectivesolutions.Resumes to:TEI Software DevelopmentInc 14452 AirlineHighway, BatonRouge,LA 70817.

Memory IN LOVING

JULY–SEPTEMBER2025

Memory IN LOVING

WilliamAbadie

Ellisville,MS 8/4/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

DeborahAbshire

DenhamSprings,LA 10/20/1959-9/19/2025

SealeFuneral Servicein

DenhamSprings

MercedesAcosta

SmokeBend, LA 7/3/1928-8/30/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

MarilynAllgood

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1932-8/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

SadieMaeAngeron

BatonRouge,LA 10/18/1938-8/22/2025

Twin City FuneralHome

FreddieAntoine

PortAllen, LA 8/10/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

GloriaAlexander

LosAngeles,CA 5/24/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

NellAlexander

Zachary, LA 8/1/1933-8/29/2025

SealeFuneral Servicein

DenhamSprings

RobertAllchin

Greenwell Springs,LA 11/12/1936-8/13/2025

CentralFuneralHome

MaryAllen

DenhamSprings,LA 7/31/1932-7/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

WillieAllen

Jackson, LA 8/13/2025

CharletFuneralHome

BenBabin

Prairieville,LA 1/6/1938-6/29/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Annette Banks

Houma, LA 7/17/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

Carl Babin

Maurepas,LA 2/16/1966-9/20/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Icie Banks

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

MayolaBabin

Plaquemine, LA 2/16/1926-8/1/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

James Banks

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

SharonApplewhite

BatonRouge,LA 12/27/1968-8/1/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

NancyBabington

BatonRouge,LA 4/2/1946-7/26/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

SandraBanks

BatonRouge,LA 12/27/1943-8/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

EllenArmstrong

10/28/1937-7/2/2025

CharletFuneralHome

JosephBabin

BatonRouge,LA 7/18/1953-6/26/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

LouisBarbato

BatonRouge,La 3/20/1946-6/29/2025

Church FuneralServices

JosephAsh

Long Town,Mississippi 11/25/1949-7/5/2025

Pate-JonesFuneralHome

Paul Bagalman

Metairie,LA 4/19/1936-6/23/2025 Leitz-Eagan FuneralHomes

Sallie Barlow

DenhamSprings,LA 11/3/1944-9/11/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHomeinHammond

SusanAtor

BatonRouge,LA 5/20/1956-7/2/2025

Church FuneralServices

MableBailey

Edgard,LA 8/19/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

LuzBarona

BatonRouge,LA 9/14/1934-8/13/2025

BarbaraBabin

BatonRouge,LA 3/29/1935-9/4/2025

Church FuneralServices

NancyBallard

BatonRouge,LA 9/13/1957-8/23/2025

Church FuneralServices

Alfred Barr,Sr.

BatonRouge,LA 11/17/1940-8/15/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

LOVING

Memor

Matthew Bateman

Wilson, LA 8/15/2025

CharletFuneralHomeClinton/Zachary

Josephine Batiste

CharlesMackeyFuneral Home

Lucy Baudry

BatonRouge,LA 1/19/1928-7/29/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

BobbieBeamon

Maringouin, LA 3/31/1937-8/7/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Ernest Bean

Farragut,TN 6/10/1936-9/12/2025

ClickFuneralHome

Florence Beard

Amite,LA 7/15/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Amite

Deanna Beasley

Prairieville,LA

8/26/1952-6/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Julie Beaulieu

BatonRouge,LA 5/21/1960-7/8/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

RichardBeeson

DenhamSprings,LA 8/5/1957-8/14/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Louise Bell

BatonRouge,LA 2/15/1930-8/23/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein

Clinton

Nora Bell

Plaquemine, Louisiana 8/24/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

Linda Belleu

Gonzales,LA 6/7/1948-9/23/2025

OursoFuneralHomein

Gonzales

WilliamBelleu

Gonzales,LA 9/9/1942-8/8/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

LouisBellinaJr.

BatonRouge,LA 9/14/1945-8/31/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Albert Berry

DenhamSprings,LA 11/6/1933-7/10/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Howard Betz

BatonRouge,Louisiana 3/11/1940-8/23/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Austin Bickham

BatonRouge,LA 11/30/1992-9/13/2025

LighthouseFuneral and CremationinAmarillo,TX

Edgar Blanchard

Brusly,LA 9/25/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

MinnieBlanchard

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/15/1932-6/27/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Beth Bonanno

PortAllen, LA 8/8/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

DebraBendily

BatonRouge,LA 11/30/1954-8/21/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Randall Benoit

Zachary, LA 8/1/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

Gwynne Bordelon

Lutcher, LA 1/26/1940-7/13/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

WilliamBorskey

Gold Bar, WA 12/11/1978CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

JohnBoudreaux

St.Amant,LA 7/17/1944-7/12/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

Rose Boudreaux

Plaquemine, LA 1/12/1936-7/17/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Alfred Bourgeois

Brusly,LA 1/29/1938-9/18/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Emelia Bourgeois

Gonzales,LA 6/30/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

LauraBonaventure

Walker,LA 7/22/2025

Church FuneralServices and Crematory

Andrew Bourgoyne

Plaquemine, LA 12/11/1946-6/29/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Shirley Bonin

BatonRouge,LA. 6/19/1932-8/9/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Simone Bourgoyne

PortAllen, LA 7/13/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

LOVING

Memor

IraBowen

NewRoads,La 12/26/1937-7/27/2025

Niland's FuneralService

Luther Boyd

BatonRouge,LA 6/30/1936-6/25/2025

D.W. RhodesFuneralHome in NewOrleans

NathanielBradford

BatonRouge,LA 9/19/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Jimmy Bradley

BatonRouge,LA 3/12/1934-9/8/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Lory Braud

BatonRouge,Louisiana 10/16/1938-6/29/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Hugh Braymer

BatonRouge,LA 3/28/1933Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

CliftonBrimmer, Jr

NewOrleans, LA 8/1/1951-6/25/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ChrisBringol

Zachary, LA 10/29/1950-7/19/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

JohnBrooksJr.

BatonRouge,LA 2/8/1961-6/22/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

CharlesBrou

5/3/1934-8/10/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

Patricia Broussard

BatonRouge,LA 12/15/1946-8/26/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rose Broussard

BatonRouge,LA 7/7/1932-7/16/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Betty Brown

Central, LA 7/13/1932-8/25/2025

Church FuneralServices

CornellBrown

Plaquemine,LA 1/27/1948-7/15/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Loretta Brown

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Mickey Brown, 1stSgt. (Ret.)

BatonRouge,LA 2/5/1951-7/9/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

SarahBrown

BatonRouge,LA 10/11/1950-6/20/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Lawrence BrownJr.

Algiers, LA 7/5/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Oliver BrownJr.

Donaldsonville,LA 7/11/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Donaldsonville

Gerald Brumfield

BatonRouge,LA 5/21/1963-6/25/2025

RestingPlace FuneralHome -Baton Rouge

Robert Brunet

DenhamSprings,LA 7/29/1946-6/26/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

BarbaraBullock

BatonRouge,LA 5/1/1964-9/6/2025

Church FuneralServices

Margaret Burk

Zachary, LA 7/10/2025 CharletFuneralHome

JosephBurks

Baker, LA 9/2/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Shirley Burris

Jackson, MS 8/12/1928-8/20/2025

SebrellFuneralHome

MichaelBurroughs

DenhamSprings,LA 9/23/1945-6/21/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation Service

DorisBrunett

SaintGabriel,LA 9/8/1933-7/26/2025

Hixson Brothers Funeral Home in Pineville

Brenda Butler

NewOrleans, LA 8/17/1950-8/24/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Adrian Brunson

St.Amant,LA. 8/22/1953-7/12/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Yvette Butler

BatonRouge,LA 9/22/1951-7/19/2025 CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Dianne Buhler

BatonRouge,LA 11/9/1949-9/21/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Robert Buxton

7/21/2025 BakerFuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Wanda Caffarel

Grosse Tete,LA 9/15/1930-9/15/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

AliceCain

Clinton, La 11/10/1954-8/28/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Judy Cain

Twinsburg, Ohio 12/9/1945-9/13/2025

Hummel FuneralHome

Ronald Callegari

NewRoads,LA 12/4/1940-8/8/2025

Niland's FuneralService in NewRoads

Joan Campbell

Baker, LA 11/5/1954-8/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

VincentCannatella

BatonRouge,LA 12/27/1933-7/22/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

ShirleyCannon

Prairieville,LA 10/27/1940-7/11/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Sherman Carlin

Plaquemine,Louisiana 10/3/1937-7/15/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

JackCarr

BatonRouge,LA 8/13/1961-7/17/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Nell Carraway

BatonRouge,Louisiana 7/14/1937-7/28/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Benny Carringone

Plaquemine,LA 1/10/1952-7/11/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Mary Carter

BatonRouge,La. 11/23/1932-7/15/2025

CapitalFuneralHome

Molly Carter

Kentwood, LA 8/7/1931-7/20/2025

McKneelyFuneralHomein Kentwood

Virginia Carter

BatonRouge,LA 6/6/1923-6/22/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

RichardCappo

BatonRouge,LA 6/2/1952-8/28/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Judy Causey

9/19/2025

CharletFuneralHomein

Zachary

EmmitChapman

BatonRouge,LA 3/27/1941-6/19/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Robert Causey

BatonRouge,LA 11/5/1948-7/13/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

GeraldineChapman

BatonRouge,LA 9/16/1942-6/30/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Mickey Cavalier

Plaquemine,LA 10/2/1958-9/26/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

CharlesChenier

BatonRouge,LA 2/26/1942-7/12/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JaniceCedars

BatonRouge,LA 7/8/1945-7/15/2025

Church FuneralServices

Judith Chambers

Smithdale,MS 7/20/1942-7/18/2025 HartmanJonesFuneral Home in McComb,MS

Joanna Champagne

NewOrleans, LA 4/26/1921-6/26/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services in NewOrleans

Rosemary Chandler

BatonRouge,LA 9/10/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

JohnCastello

Ethel, LA 7/22/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

Clarence Chapman

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 8/24/1951-9/18/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Cathey Chustz

Greenwell Springs,LA 9/10/1956-8/27/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Joan Cicero

Shreveport, LA 11/9/1936-7/20/2025

OsbornFuneralHomein Shreveport

HelenClement

BatonRouge,LA 9/23/1936-8/29/2025

Church FuneralServices and Crematory

Arte'Clothier

BatonRouge,LA 8/17/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Frances Cobbins

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1932-7/29/2025

ProfessionalFuneral Services

Memory IN LOVING

ClydeCockerham

Walker,La 9/22/1941-8/4/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

HenryCockhomosJr.

BatonRouge,LA 10/9/1955-6/28/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Joe Coleman

BatonRouge,LA 2/5/1961-6/29/2025

Miller& DaughterMortuary

MozelleColeman

BatonRouge,LA 7/1/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

SamCollette

BatonRouge,LA 11/13/1942-8/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Brittany Collins

Erwinville,LA 2/15/1979-7/11/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Rose Collins

BatonRouge,LA 7/8/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Anna Colomb

Walker,La 8/6/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

DebbieComager

BatonRouge,LA 10/29/1960-8/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Emma Conner

BatonRouge,LA 7/31/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

NicodemusCook

Crescent, Oklahoma 9/18/1997-7/24/2025

Abernathy-AaronFuneral Home

JoyceCooks

Thibodaux, LA 8/10/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

DebraCooper

BatonRouge,LA 10/23/1950-7/26/2025

Church FuneralServices

CharlesCorbitt Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 10/31/1933-9/2/2025

SealeFuneralHomein DenhamSprings

RosalynCordell

BatonRouge,LA 11/23/1944-8/8/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

BarbaraCoreil

Plaquemine, LA 12/21/1937-9/13/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

NevisCormier

Fordoche,LA 1/31/1933-9/8/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Terry Cormier

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/21/1954-6/27/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Samuel Costley

BatonRouge,LA 6/23/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

KevinCouhig

St.Francisville,LA 10/2/1951-7/1/2025

Rose-NeathFuneralHome in Shreveport

Sammy Covington

BatonRouge,LA 10/7/1946-8/26/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

MichaelCowan

Prairieville,LA 11/19/1946-6/28/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

JoyceCowart

Zachary, LA 7/30/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Rhonda Crawford

Gonzales,LA 3/17/1962-8/21/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

BatonRouge,LA 8/24/1950-8/7/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

Mary Cupit

Samuel CrifasiJr. Watson, LA 8/10/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

FrankD'Gerolamo

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/1/1945-7/5/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Jerry DaffinJr.

BatonRouge,LA 4/18/1958-8/30/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Earnestine Daggs

Napoleonville,LA 9/19/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

JosephDaggs Jr.

Napoleonville,LA 8/19/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Anne Daigle

BatonRouge,LA 7/16/1947-7/25/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Mercedes Daigle

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/15/1928-6/30/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

LanceDakin

Pittsburgh, PA 11/26/1940-9/24/2025

Sperling Funeraland CremationCareinWexford, PA

Thomas Darensbourg

BatonRouge,LA 3/25/1957-6/22/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

AmyDarensburg

Clinton, LA 8/16/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

JessieDarsey

Ethel, LA 6/19/1935-9/4/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Mary Daves

Austin,TX 12/5/1935-7/2/2025

Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home

ChristopherDavis

Slaughter,LA 9/12/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

DeborahDawan

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/29/1952-7/14/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

JessieDawsey

Baker, LA 7/31/1935-7/31/2025

Neptune SocietyinKenner

DorisDawson

BatonRouge,Louisiana 5/24/1939-9/21/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Billy Dean

BatonRouge,LA 11/19/1929-9/1/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Kathleen DeLouche

BatonRouge,LA 3/16/1952-9/7/2025

JacobSchoen& Son

KimberlyDismukes

BatonRouge,LA

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JohnDenstorff

Geismar, LA 8/10/2025

Katherine Dodd

NewLondon, Connecticut 4/6/1943-6/18/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Patricia Dear

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

DwightDepland

BatonRouge,LA 6/26/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

ClaiborneDomino

BatonRouge,LA 8/16/1956-9/1/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

RooseveltDeBate

Prairieville,LA 8/30/1945-9/5/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

JosephDeRoger

BatonRouge,LA 8/1/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

Joan Dornier

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/16/1945-8/19/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Mary DeCongéWatson

BatonRouge,LA 10/4/1933-7/26/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

JosephDelatte

Maurepas,LA 5/5/1935-7/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

BarbaraDelaune

12/5/1937-7/3/2025

BakerFuneralHome

EldonDelaune Jr

PortAllen, LA 1/16/1936-7/23/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Mary de Wet

Manville,NJ 4/1/1970-7/28/2025

KetuskyFuneralHomein Manville,NJ

Patricia Dorsey

Belle Rose,LA 7/8/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

JoyceDiez

Gonzales,LA 9/18/1931-8/5/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

SharonDoucet

Paulina, LA 6/29/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

Steven Diffey

PortAllen, LA 11/30/1956-9/24/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Louise Drouilhet

BatonRouge,LA 8/3/1934-9/2/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

JaniceDimattia

BatonRouge,LA. 3/24/1943-6/28/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

RichardDubuisson

Slidell, LA 10/16/1934-7/20/2025

HonakerFuneralHomein Slidell

Memory IN LOVING

KathrynDubus

BatonRouge,LA 11/3/1930-9/22/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomesEast

CharlesDuchein III

St.Francisville,LA 8/27/1943-7/21/2025

LouisianaFuneralServices &Crematory in Broussard

Thomas Duhe'

BatonRouge,LA 9/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Carl Duhon

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

EleanorDukes

BatonRouge,LA 9/15/1965-8/31/2025

RestingPlace FuneralHome

BrettDuncan

Plaquemine,LA 2/18/1972-6/30/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Sara Dunham

BatonRouge,LA 6/16/1936-8/1/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

DavidDupont

Plaquemine,LA 7/28/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

DorothyDupuy

Brusly,LA 8/22/2025

WilbertFuneralHomeof Plaquemine

MillerDwyer

BatonRouge,LA 10/11/1936-7/28/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Daniel Ebert

Eagan, MN 6/23/1988-6/26/2025

CrescentTideCremation Services in St.Paul, MN

Tommy Edmonson

BatonRouge,LA 3/27/1943-7/25/2025

CentralTexas Mortuary Management in Temple,TX

WilliamEdwards

Bayou Sorrel, LA 11/16/1963-7/26/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Clarence Ellis

BatonRouge,La. 7/5/1946-9/18/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

James Everett

Sontag,MS 4/23/1941-9/7/2025

Wilson FuneralHomein

Monticello,MS

Mark Engemann

NewRoads,LA 1/31/1954-8/27/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

CharlesEdwards,Jr

BatonRouge,Louisiana 12/10/1949-7/6/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

CalebEisworth

BatonRouge,LA 11/27/1980-8/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Robert Ellis

BatonRouge,LA 4/22/1948-6/6/2025

Neptune SocietyinKenner

IndiaEnnis

BatonRouge,LA 11/8/1970-9/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ChristineEnright

BatonRouge,LA 8/7/1947-9/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomesEast

Shirley Epps

Batchelor, LA 10/7/1960-7/5/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

JohnMaynardEvans

White Castle,LA 11/30/1942WilbertFuneralHomein Plaquemine

JohnWayneEvans

10/17/1937-8/23/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHomeinHammond

ClydeEvansJr.

DenhamSprings,LA 6/8/1949-9/23/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Margery Fabre

BatonRouge,LA 2/16/1930-7/19/2025

RichardFahey

St.George, LA 8/8/1924-9/13/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Ramsey Falconer Jr.

Madisonville,LA 10/21/1932-8/26/2025

E.J. Fielding FuneralHome in Covington

LouisFalterman

Napoleonville,LA 7/15/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Donald Farrow

BatonRouge,LA 10/30/1933-9/13/2025 Church FuneralServices

Lionel Favret Jr.

Metairie,LA 9/6/1942-9/2/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

BettieFazende

Clinton, LA 9/18/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

Memory IN LOVING

CarolineFazende

7/18/2003-7/28/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

Armondo Fernandez

Donaldsonville,LA 12/2/1998-7/5/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Joycelyn Fernandez

Franklin,LA 7/24/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Lora "Bunny"Ferris

BatonRouge,LA 11/20/1951-6/29/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Patricia Ficklin

Pride, LA 8/12/1941-9/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

RaymondFicklin

Prairieville,LA 8/16/1940-8/30/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

BeverlyFife

BatonRouge,LA 12/4/1928-7/31/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomeEast

DeborahFiresheets

GreenwellSprings,LA 4/15/1958-7/26/2025

CentralFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Evelyn Fleming

BatonRouge,LA 6/5/1922-8/1/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Cheyenne Fleniken

BatonRouge,LA 8/1/1952-9/2/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Floyd Fletcher

Zachary, LA 7/8/1938-7/31/2025

CharletFuneralHome

JohnFlowers Jr.

DenhamSprings,LA 7/27/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

CharlesFloyd Sr.

Allen, TX 12/17/1929-9/18/2025

WilledBody Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX

Mary Fontenot

Oscar,LA 2/16/1929-8/19/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Shirley Foreman

BatonRouge,Louisiana 11/11/1938-6/27/2025

Duhon FuneralHomeof Rayne

LeroyForrest

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/9/1942-6/27/2025

Winnfield FuneralHomeof BatonRouge

Willie Forrest

BatonRouge,La 6/12/1946-7/19/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

GustaviaForte

St.James,LA 8/15/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

James Foster

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Nicolette Foster

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 9/19/2016-8/31/2025

SealeFuneralService

SteveFourrier

NewRoads,LA 5/9/1943-9/1/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Frances Fox

Prairieville,LA 11/2/1950-7/26/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

IdellForest

PortAllen, LA 1/16/1958-8/27/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ClaudiaFrancis

Atlanta, Georgia 7/27/1955-7/4/2025

SouthCareCremation& FuneralSociety

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Rebecca Frederic

Fredrick Franklin St.Amant,LA 7/25/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

PresleyFrederick

BatonRouge,LA 10/12/1935-8/8/2025

BakerFuneralHome

Bertha Freeman

BatonRouge,LA 2/3/1939-6/30/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

FreddieFreeman

BatonRouge,LA 9/13/1939-9/4/2025

TerranceFreeman

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Harvey Freeman Sr

BatonRouge,LA 3/22/1948-8/11/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

Sherry Frink

MontgomeryVillage,MD 3/21/1932-8/30/2025

DeVolFuneralHomein

Gaithersburg, MD

Memory IN LOVING

Frederick Frisby

Baker, LA

8/14/1927-7/14/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JulesFryouxIII

Livingston, LA 3/14/1928-7/8/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinDenham Springs

MaggieGales

BatonRouge,LA 3/17/1923-7/7/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

BarbaraGallegos

BatonRouge,LA 12/31/1931-8/28/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory

Susan Gaudet

BatonRouge,LA 8/4/1953-7/3/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Frances Gaudin

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/20/1933-9/17/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

EllenGauthier

Central, LA

4/11/1970-8/4/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

TimothyGautreaux

St.Paul, Minnesota 12/18/1956-5/25/2025

VincentGennardo

Hammond, LA 2/5/1937-7/4/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHome

Martha Gray

Gonzales,LA 1/30/1934-8/16/2025

Ascension FuneralHomein Gonzales

BarbaraGerace

Plaquemine, LA 12/5/1935-7/9/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

LaurinaGeraci

BatonRouge,La 7/14/1943-8/16/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

OraJeanGibbs Chandler

Knoxville,Tennessee 9/7/1951-8/11/2025

PattonFuneralHome

Clifford Gillie

BatonRouge,LA 9/2/1935-6/30/2025

Lucille Godchaux

Zachary, LA 2/9/1930-7/1/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

Holly Godwin

Nashville,TN 3/15/1960-9/3/2025

Austin Funeral&Cremation Services in Brentwood, TN

Horace Goodroe

Greenwell Springs,LA 1/29/1953-9/5/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Carl Grayson

BatonRouge,LA 3/7/1976-7/5/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

AnnieGreen

BatonRouge,LA 12/21/1950-8/18/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home -Baton Rouge

Glenn Green

BatonRouge,LA 9/17/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

James Gremillion

St.Francisville,LA 2/23/1956-9/23/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Cathie Griggs

BatonRouge,LA 4/19/1950-8/23/2025

Neptune SocietyinNew Orleans

RayGrimmerSr.

Livonia, LA 11/30/1944-7/2/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

Patti Guedry

Greenwell Springs,LA 8/17/1953-8/3/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Mary Guelfo

Houston, TX 7/17/1931-9/5/2025

Neptune Society

Marian Guercio

White Castle,LA 7/31/1931-7/28/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

Albert Guerin

Erwinville,LA 2/9/1939-9/10/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

James GuerinJr.

Plaquemine, LA 8/4/1945-7/27/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Megan Guerra

St.Francisville,LA 8/25/2025 CharletFuneralHome

MelvinGuichet

BatonRouge,Louisiana 3/1/1937-6/27/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Roland Guidry

Jackson, LA 9/8/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

MichaelGuillory

Rosedale,LA 8/12/1957-7/9/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Memory IN LOVING

Alex Guillot

Fort WaltonBeach,FL

5/18/1940-7/30/2025

Landry'sFuneralHomein Labadieville

Willie Hamilton

BatonRouge,LA 2/9/1945-8/12/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

Dr.Harry GustafsonJr.

Covington, LA 7/18/1940-7/7/2025

E.J. Fielding FuneralHome in Covington

RobertaGuy

Kentwood, LA

7/3/1956-8/18/2025

CentralFuneralHomein Central

T. Guzik

BatonRouge,LA

8/21/1952-8/19/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

MaryAnnGwin

Kingwood, Texas 9/11/1932-8/16/2025

Kingwood FuneralHome

DavidHamilton Sr.

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

August Handy

Plaquemine,Louisiana 10/16/1942-9/1/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

CraigHarris

BatonRouge,LA 7/8/1972-8/30/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Lillie Harris

Baker, LA 2/24/1941-7/21/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

Alta Hayes

Douglasville,GA 6/15/1951-9/9/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Kyra Hayes

BatonRouge,LA 7/25/2001-8/4/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

RoynailHarris

Jackson, Louisiana 6/8/1965-9/1/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

LauraHayes

BatonRouge,LA 8/24/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

FannieHarbin

Gonzales,LA 9/8/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Wanda Harris

BatonRouge,LA 5/18/1947-6/30/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

JackHaynes

BatonRouge,LA

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Veridine Harden

Rosenberg,TX 8/28/1946-7/2/2025

Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home

Samuel HarrisJr.

BatonRouge,LA 9/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

KimHaynes

Baker, LA 8/17/1958-9/24/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Ledric Hall

BatonRouge,Louisiana 4/15/1963-8/10/2025 Pughs Mortuary

RixbyHardy

Springfield,LA 7/22/1937-9/4/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinHammond

Catherine Harrison

Flower Mound, TX 3/23/1942-9/13/2025

MJRFriendlyService FuneralHome- Denham Springs

LeonardHaynes

White Castle,LA 7/28/1960-9/2/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Marion Hall

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Lynette V. Harelson

BatonRouge,LA 2/20/1937-9/11/2025 Church FuneralServices

ChesterHawkins

Lafayette,LA 8/31/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Thibodaux

Robert Hays

Maurepas,LA 5/11/1940-7/16/2025

ResthavenFuneralHome

Milton Hallman

Mableton, GA 4/15/1937-8/21/2025

DunbarFuneralsand Cremations

BennelHarp

Donaldsonville,LA 1/31/1952-9/11/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

HattieHawkins

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

WilliamHays

BatonRouge,LA 9/3/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

Memo

AdeleHazlip

Lake Concordia, LA 12/30/1959-7/5/2025

Young'sFuneralHomein Ferriday

CarolynHebert

Baker, LA 11/11/1950-7/4/2025 BakerFuneralHome

Floyd Hebert

Plaquemine, LA

7/5/1929-8/6/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

James Hebert

PortAllen, LA 7/15/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

StephenHebert

PortAllen, LA 3/5/1955-7/23/2025

Church FuneralServices

DavidHedgepeth

Ruston, LA 4/7/1956-9/7/2025

Kilpatrick-RustonFuneral Home in Ruston

Ronald Hedrick

BatonRouge,LA 3/3/1947-8/23/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

BruceHeinze

BatonRouge,LA 2/7/1938-9/8/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

DeloresHenderson

BatonRouge,LA 4/30/1945-8/14/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Larry Henderson

NewIberia, LA 5/13/1945-8/7/2025

PellerinFuneralHomein NewIberia

Larry Henning

BatonRouge,LA 7/14/1938-8/24/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

HellenHenson

Bayou Sorrel, LA 7/27/1943-6/28/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Ronald Hernandez

BatonRouge,LA 1/8/1978-9/4/2025

Mobile FuneralHome& Crematory, LLC

Lisa Hill

Springfield,LA 8/10/1967-8/20/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Monica Hill

BatonRouge,LA 5/25/1961-7/5/2025

West Cobb FuneralHomein Marietta,GA

Judith Hillman

BatonRouge,LA 12/29/1939-9/15/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

MichaelHills

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/17/1958-9/4/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

TheresaHimel

BatonRouge,LA 8/30/1955-7/8/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

JohnHertel

Aiken, SC 6/6/1950-6/21/2025

HatcherCrematorium in Langley,SC

ChristopherHicks

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/11/1994-8/23/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

JuanitaHill

Grosse Tete,LA 2/16/1942-7/6/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Hanni Hollier-Smith

Baker, LA

8/9/1982-8/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

GregoryHollins

Gibsonton, FL 12/11/1956-7/24/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Lucile Holmes

NewIberia, Louisiana 6/4/1943-8/15/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

WilliamHood

Amite,LA 6/29/1950-9/20/2025 McKneelyFuneralHome

Dr.Edwin Hoover

Ponchatoula, LA 8/17/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Kenneth Hirschey

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/14/1934-8/4/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services

GwendolynHouston

Lafayette,La 2/16/1930-9/14/2025 KinchenFuneralHome

Willona Hogan

Baker, LA 9/18/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

RichardHowell

Jackson, LA 6/7/1949-8/23/2025

CharletFuneralHomeClinton/Zachary

Lisa Holland-Richardson

BatonRouge,Louisiana 6/8/1969-7/2/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

OuidaHumphreys

Batchelor, LA 3/14/1935-8/5/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Memory IN LOVING

James Hunt Sr.

Clinton, LA 10/26/1938-7/16/2025

CharletFuneralHome

CharlesHutchinson

PortAllen, LA 10/2/1941-7/25/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

WilliamHutchinson

Central, LA 8/3/1941-7/16/2025 Zoar BaptistChurch

StetsonHuval

Greenwell Springs,LA 6/24/2025

CentralFuneralHome

AllenHymel

Vacherie,LA 4/12/1937-8/12/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

DorothyJackson

BatonRouge,LA 3/17/1933-9/4/2025

Verrette'sPointeCoupee FuneralHome

James Jackson

BatonRouge,LA 10/29/1941-7/23/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

Lecery Jackson

PortAllen, LA 4/12/1967-7/6/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

PercyJackson

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Bayou Goula, LA 7/3/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Patricia Jacobs

Paincourtville,LA 7/23/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Earl JacobsSr.

Paincourtville,LA 8/5/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Glenda Jagneaux

Livonia, La 7/18/1943-7/16/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Lenora James

Walker,LA 5/11/1957-8/5/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

RonquinciJames

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Alfrieda Jarreau

BatonRouge,LA 4/13/1958-7/3/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

MaryaliceJarreau

Highland, UT 10/12/1937-7/19/2025

Anderson &Sons Mortuary inAmerican Fork,UT

Dr.James Jeansonne

BatonRouge,LA 9/10/1949-8/30/2025

Shirley Johnson

BatonRouge,LA 7/21/1940-9/17/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

LeroyJenkins

BatonRouge,LA 7/24/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Tamara Johnson

Zachary, LA 1/19/1975-7/21/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

PennieJenkins

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Dr.WilliamJohnson

BatonRouge,LA 9/9/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

AnitaJohnson

Plaquemine, LA 12/5/1937-9/9/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Cami Jones

DenhamSprings,LA 8/15/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

Curtis Johnson

BatonRouge,LA 6/7/1953-8/12/2025 Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home -Baton Rouge

Danielle Jones

NewOrleans, LA 8/10/1973-9/9/2025

ProfessionalFuneral Services in NewOrleans

FrankJohnson

Zachary, LA 8/3/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

EssieJones

BatonRouge,LA 2/23/1923-7/29/2015

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Irma Johnson

Zachary, LA 12/28/1942-8/1/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Louvella Jones

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Mary Johnson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

NeldaJones

Walker,Louisiana 1/8/1941-8/7/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Memory IN LOVING

Ronald Jones

Pine Grove, Louisiana 12/3/1952-8/14/2025

BrandonG.ThompsonDenhamSprings

Lawrence Jones Jr

Geismar, LA 10/11/1935-8/15/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home inDonaldsonville

GenevieveJordan

BatonRouge,LA 2/14/1925-7/2/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Robert Jordan, Sr.

Springfield,LA 6/28/1946-9/19/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Patricia JordanTyson

BatonRouge,La 7/31/1949-7/16/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

AledaJoseph

Belle Rose,LA 7/22/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Dr.EratJoseph

BatonRouge,LA 8/16/1936-7/5/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Ernest Joseph Sr.

Grosse Tete,LA 2/8/1947-7/12/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Wilbert JosephSr.

Donaldsonville,LA 6/28/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

RayJuneau

Hammond, LA 1/2/1942-8/13/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinHammond

Celiner Jupiter

NewOrleans, LA 8/16/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

ElvieJupiter

Thibodaux, LA 7/19/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

FrankKeanIII

BatonRouge,LA 6/30/1938-9/12/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RichardKeller

BatonRouge,LA 4/29/1940-7/3/2025

SealeFuneralHomein DenhamSprings

Larry Kidwell

Clinton, LA 8/10/2025

CharletFuneralHome

WilliamKinberger Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 5/3/1950-9/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Earl Kinchen

Albany,LA 5/31/1944-7/29/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHomeinHammond

Lisa Kiper

Zachary, LA 9/15/2025

CharletFuneralHome

ShelleyKling

Central, LA 6/3/1951-8/29/2025

CentralFuneralHome

Curtis Knighten Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 12/26/1956-8/13/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

Warren Knobloch

BatonRouge,LA 4/8/1942-8/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Edward Kornbacher

BatonRouge,LA 8/7/1945-4/28/2025 Church FuneralServices

Peggy Kimble

BatonRouge,LA 2/5/1943-7/28/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

James LaCour

NewRoads,LA 1/3/1933-6/29/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Clerice Lacy

PortAllen, Louisiana 10/31/1975-7/5/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

James Laiche

Montgomery, TX 4/8/1935-9/19/2025 McNutt FuneralHomein Conroe,TX

WilliamLambert

Sorrento, LA 7/14/1943-7/9/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

PatriceLamotte

PortAllen, LA 2/6/1970-9/7/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services in PortAllen

CharlesLandry

Napoleonville,LA 3/12/1932-8/26/2025

Landry'sFuneralHomein Labadieville

Lainey Landry

Houston, TX 3/30/2016-7/4/2025 KleinFuneralHome

DorlaneKrieger

Gonzales,LA 2/27/1960-7/25/2025

Church FuneralServices

Mary Landry

Plaquemine, LA 12/12/1936-9/14/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Memory IN LOVING

MavisLandry

Pierre Part,Louisiana 5/23/1940-8/30/2025

OursoFuneralHome

PierreLandry

Greenwell Springs, Louisiana 6/6/1959-7/19/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Brenda Lanieu

Plaquemine, Louisiana 10/18/1961-6/28/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

MorrisLapeyrouse

AlgiersPoint,LA 10/20/1927-8/13/2025

MotheFuneralHome- New Orleans/Harvey/Marrero

Brenda Lapeze

Plaquemine, LA 11/9/1958-7/23/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

ConstanceLarkin

Apollo Beach,FL 5/23/1953-7/29/2025

UnitedTissueNetwork

Gary Larson

Bayou Sorrel, LA 10/20/1948-7/22/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Derrick Lathan

BatonRouge,LA 9/11/1970-7/8/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Lloyd Laurent

Reserve, LA 11/27/1930-9/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Donaldsonville

JacquelineLawson Harrison

BatonRouge,LA 7/18/1950-7/16/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Donald LeBlanc

Prairieville,LA 1/6/1963-8/20/2025

Church FuneralServices

DorothyLeBlanc

Plaquemine, LA 9/20/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Jeanette LeBlanc

Zachary, LA 8/22/2025

CharletFuneralHome

LouisLeBlanc

Donaldsonville,LA 8/3/1930-7/3/2025

OursoFuneralHome

MarieLeBlanc

Destrehan, LA 7/23/2025

H.C.AlexanderFuneral Home

AnnLeBlanc Guercio

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/24/1955-7/19/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

ChristopherLeDoux

BatonRouge,LA 6/11/1973-8/7/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Kerry LeSaicherre

Prairieville,LA 5/2/1957-7/18/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

ElizabethLee

BatonRouge,LA 4/18/1939-8/27/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

TimothyLee

Montgomery,Alabama 7/22/1961-8/28/2025 Leak Memory Chapel

Bobbery Lee-Holliday

BatonRouge,LA 9/22/1941-8/14/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

PeterLege

Brusly,LA 9/7/2025 WilbertFuneralHome

CarltonLeGrange

BatonRouge,LA 6/28/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

ClaraLejeune

BatonRouge,LA 7/24/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Mary Lemoine

BatonRouge,LA 8/18/1938-8/31/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Navoris Lewis

BatonRouge,LA. 4/16/1958-7/18/2025

Scott'sBluff Morticians Funerals andCremations

Robert Lewis

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1954-7/1/2025

Neptune Society

BatonRouge,LA 9/29/1961-7/7/2025

ChurchFuneralServices in St.Amant

Kenneth Lindsly

Jeffrey Lindsey Central, LA 10/30/1957-9/11/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

George Livers Jr

BatonRouge,LA 12/21/1925-8/28/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

Jalanski London

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Willie London

BatonRouge,LA 8/22/1941-7/3/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

Memo

JanellLorrain

Metairie,LA

9/26/1939-7/13/2025

Leitz-Eagan FuneralHome

Carl Lott Sr.

White Castle,LA 1/19/1953-7/1/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Genell Louis

BatonRouge,LA 8/10/1952-7/22/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

LornaLouque

Lutcher, LA 8/2/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

Gary Love

DenhamSprings,LA

4/11/1948-8/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Jimmy Lovett

Holden,LA 8/20/1942-8/25/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

JosefinaLuce

Prairieville,LA 7/27/1957-6/29/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Robert LukerSr.

BatonRouge,LA 8/30/1940-8/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Jeffery Luquette

St.Amant,Louisiana 10/1/1965-9/6/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

MarilynMabile

PortAllen, LA 7/4/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

AntoniaMackie

Baker, LA 4/20/1936-7/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

GloriaMackie

Batchelor, LA

3/25/1946-9/18/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Gary Magee

BatonRouge,LA 1/18/1960-9/13/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rosetta Mainieri

BatonRouge,LA 1/15/1933-9/3/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Jeffery Major

Ventress, LA 11/26/1974-7/3/2025

Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Virginia Major

11/6/1925-8/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome

JosephMajor Jr

Fordoche,LA 8/7/2025

Church FuneralServices

GabrielMartin

BatonRouge,LA

12/9/1953-7/28/2025

A. HamiltonPlatinum FuneralService

Mary Malone

BatonRouge,LA 5/5/1937-8/18/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Kenneth Martin

DenhamSprings,LA 7/15/1950-8/25/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Jessica Mann

Denver, CO

8/29/1977-8/8/2025

Be aTreeCremationin Denver, CO

SidneyMartin

Jackson, LA 8/8/2025

CharletFuneralHome

DouglasManship Jr

9/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory &FuneralHome

WilliamMartin

BatonRouge,LA 11/25/1954-8/11/2025

WinnfieldFuneralHome

Tara Manzullo

BatonRouge,LA 11/14/1963-8/9/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Steven Matherne

French Settlement,LA 11/24/1965-7/7/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Caroll Marchand

BatonRouge,LA 5/9/1950-7/11/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHomes &Crematory

TheresaMathews

7/11/1962-7/26/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHome

ElizabethMarquette

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/1/1959-7/18/2025 Church FuneralServices

RaymondMay

BatonRouge,LA 6/25/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

BettyeMartin

12/16/1948-7/31/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Randy Mayer

BatonRouge,LA 4/16/1963-7/4/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

BennieMayfield

Lafayette,LA 9/6/1929-8/2/2025

Maressa Mays

BatonRouge,LA 8/6/1991-7/19/2025

Wilson Woodale Funeral Home

Marian McCain

Gonzales,LA 11/14/1955-7/29/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

WilliamMcCarthy

BatonRouge,LA 7/7/1922-7/18/2025

HarryMcKneely& Son FuneralHome

WilliamMcKenzie

Brusly,LA 4/2/1982-8/10/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Dianne McKinney

Donaldsonville,LA 2/5/1955-6/26/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

MalcolmMelcher

NewOrleans, LA 10/25/1941-7/22/2025

ProfessionalFuneral Services

Gail Meliet

BatonRouge,LA 7/2/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

JohnMcKowen

Zachary, LA 8/30/1934-8/5/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Jerry Mendoza

12/6/1949-8/3/2025 WilbertFuneralHome

Audrey McPherson

Thibodaux, LA 9/12/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Mary Messenger

Walker,LA 6/16/1936-8/4/2025

Church FuneralServices & Crematory

WilliamMills

Plattenville,LA 8/11/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

DeweyMizell

Zachary, LA 7/22/1940-9/14/2025

CharletFuneralHome

MurrayMollere Jr

Paincourtville,LA 8/16/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

CarrieMoore

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

BatonRouge,LA 10/13/1946-6/29/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Travis McCray

Dorothy'Dot' McConnell Livingston, LA 8/3/1980-7/21/2025

McLin& Manley Funeral Home andCremation ServiceinWalker

DorisMcCray- Bell

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/11/1955-9/17/2025

AHamiltonFuneralServices

Patricia McElroy

BatonRouge,LA 8/11/1950-8/5/2025

Church FuneralServices

JaneMelancon

NewRoads,LA 9/3/1931-9/12/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Katherine Melancon

BatonRouge,LA 6/25/1947-8/1/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services in NewOrleans

Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Melancon

Paulina, LA 11/7/1952-7/4/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

Walter Melancon

White Castle,LA 12/18/1971-8/19/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

Paul Milano

Darrow, LA 12/17/1936-8/10/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Glenda Moore

Prairieville,LA 7/21/1942-8/23/2025

Church FuneralServices

EliMilesJr.

Donaldsonville,LA 7/16/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Donaldsonville

Margaret Moore

BatonRouge,Louisiana 11/25/1932-9/14/2026 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Catherine Millet

Gramercy,LA 7/16/1944-9/23/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHome

Neva Morein

DenhamSprings,LA 2/24/1950-7/10/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

MaeMillet

Prairieville,LA 8/17/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Nelson Morgan Sr

St.Amant,LA 9/2/2025

OursoFuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Reginald Morten

Plaquemine, Louisiana 7/7/1951-8/23/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

EliotMotlow

Lake Leelanau,MI 5/18/1972-7/5/2025

MartinsonFuneralHome Ltd. in Suttons Bay, MI

Virginia Mott

8/8/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Lucy Murray

CharlesMackeyFuneral Home

Glenn Murray

BatonRouge,LA 11/21/1946-7/8/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Jaynel Nadler

Plaquemine, LA 12/28/1938-7/29/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Steven Naquin

Greenwell Springs,LA 11/17/1953-7/10/2025 Church FuneralServices

JonathanNed

BatonRouge,LA 9/5/1962-6/30/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Shirley Nettles

Central, LA

2/24/1937-8/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Thomas Newsham, LTC. U.S.Army (Ret.)

BatonRouge,LA 3/29/1939-8/11/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

EddieNewton

BatonRouge,LA 10/14/1938-8/13/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Homes

EddieNewtonJr.

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

BobbieNeyland

Baker, LA 2/12/1936-7/24/2025 CentralFuneralHome

RichardNice

BatonRouge,LA 8/23/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Gudrun Nicholson

BatonRouge,LA 2/12/1941-7/22/2025 Church FuneralServices

Molly Nicosia

Zachary, LA 6/22/1956-8/10/2025

CharletFuneralHomein Zachary

BertellNoble

Baker, LA 7/12/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Rev. Kenneth Norton

Bossier City,LA 9/1/1938-9/3/2025

AuldsFuneralHomein

Shreveport

Lawana Nottingham

Sweetwater, TX 11/20/1953-3/23/2025 McCoyFuneralHome

EleanorNovotny

DenhamSprings,LA 6/29/1933-6/28/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

EliseO'Conner

BatonRouge,LA 4/7/1929-7/7/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

ChristopherO'Neal

Pierre Part,LA 6/22/1970-6/23/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Estella Oliver

BatonRouge,LA 10/11/1930-7/26/2025

Wilson-Wooddale Funeral Home

HildredOlson

BatonRouge,LA 9/23/1927-9/25/2025

Ascension FuneralHomein Gonzales

J. DavidOrlansky

Madison, MS 10/5/1930-8/2/2025

Sebrell FuneralHome

Linda Osterberger

2/16/1956-9/11/2025

CharletFuneralHomeClinton/Zachary

Howard Oubre

Plaquemine, Louisiana 7/3/1936-7/1/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

Robert Oubre

BatonRouge,LA 8/7/1965-7/29/2025 ChurchFuneralServices

Robert Oudkirk

Zachary, LA 9/22/1953-8/29/2025 ChurchFuneralServices

Robert Palermo

Addis, LA

ChurchFuneralServices

Paul PalineJr.

PortAllen, LA 1/16/1929-9/8/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

BurnellPalmerSr.

BatonRouge,LA 10/12/1963-7/18/2025

Schaffer Family Funeral Home in Rosedale

Memory IN LOVING

JohnParkerII

BatonRouge,LA 3/30/1946-7/11/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

WilliamParks Sr.

Fordoche,LA 5/25/1938-8/5/2025 Niland'sFuneralService in NewRoads

Jay Perkins

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Richmond, VA 9/26/1942-7/20/2025

CremationSociety of Virginia in Richmond, VA

JohnPerry

Ethel, LA 3/24/1948-9/20/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein

Clinton

Martha Parson McElderry

Charlotte,NC 2/11/1932-6/23/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

WindomPhillips

BatonRouge,LA 2/23/1944-8/22/2025

Church FuneralServices

GregoryPatin

BatonRouge,LA 8/25/1956-6/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

AnthonyPichon

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/30/1952-7/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rebecca Poarch

BreauxBridge,LA 12/14/1963-7/29/2025

PellerinFuneralHomein BreauxBridge

JohnPollard

Gonzales,Louisiana 7/6/1938-6/27/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

JosephPopeJr.

Spring Hill, FL 8/30/1954-9/6/2025

Grace Memorial Gardens andFuneralHomein Hudson, FL

Brenda Powers

Plaquemine, Louisiana 7/4/1953-9/10/2025

Pugh'sMortuary

DenhamSprings,LA 7/8/1936-9/10/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

MauricePearl

Martin Patterson Baker, LA 9/14/1970-9/14/2025

A. Hamilton Platinum FuneralService

Vivian Peebles

BatonRouge,LA 6/11/1944-8/8/2025

A. Hamilton Platinum FuneralHome

Albert PerezII

BatonRouge,LA 1/22/1945-7/30/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rebecca Pierson

BatonRouge,LA 9/2/2025

Donald Powers

Prairieville,LA 10/16/1941-7/11/2025

Church FuneralServices in St.Amant

WilmaPierson

St.Amant,LA 3/11/1930-9/16/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

George Pray

DenhamSprings,LA 8/6/1946-7/21/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Dr.JeromePlanchard Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 6/20/1937-9/4/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Howard Prejean

BatonRouge,LA 9/10/1946-6/29/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

RodneyPlauche

BatonRouge,Louisiana 1/6/1949-7/5/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Rashenda Price

Convent,LA 8/7/2025

Treasures of Life Funeral Services in Gramercy

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

ChesterQuebedeau

AnthonyPursley Central, LA 4/19/1941-8/21/2025

CentralFuneralHome

BeverlyRabalais

BatonRouge,LA 7/21/1929-7/14/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

TacieRabalais

Prairieville,LA 2/4/1976-7/16/2025

MinnieRaby

Gonzales,LA 5/2/1939-9/8/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

Alfred Ramoin

BatonRouge,LA 7/29/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

August Ransom

Erwinville,LA 5/23/1946-8/22/2025

Hall Davisand Sons Funeral Home

ClaraRawls

Gonzales,LA 4/29/1936-6/16/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

ErvinRecer

Roanoke,VA 5/19/1930-7/3/2025

Oakey'sFuneralService & Crematory- NorthChapel

Robert Reilly

BatonRouge,LA 1/18/1954-9/13/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

KennethReine

Baker, LA 8/20/1944-7/19/2025

BakerFuneralHome

Linda Reneau

BatonRouge,LA 11/7/1941-8/11/2025

Kilpatrick-RustonFuneral Home inRuston

AndreRichard

Morganza, LA 11/15/1971-7/14/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome

DeWanna Richard

BatonRouge,LA 1/14/1933-8/22/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

GlenRichard

DenhamSprings,LA 9/19/1941-8/17/2025 Church FuneralServices

Jerry Richard

BatonRouge,LA 9/28/1967-5/24/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

JohnRichard

BatonRouge,LA 11/2/1932-8/31/2025

ResthavenFuneralHome

Rosa Richardson

BatonRouge,LA 5/28/1948-8/3/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

BonnieRicker

BatonRouge,LA 12/18/1944-9/2/2025

TheNeptune Societyin Kenner

Betty Ruth Riner

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/25/1939-7/15/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

James RitchieJr.

St.Francisville,LA 12/4/1939-8/1/2025

CharletFuneralHome

JosephRizzo

BatonRouge,LA 6/27/1944-8/29/2025 ProfessionalFuneral Services

BarbaraRobert

BatonRouge,LA 6/3/1938-8/17/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Bertis Robert

BatonRouge,LA 10/9/1923-8/23/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Erwinville,LA 3/1/1943-7/24/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

ShelbyRobert

Mary Robert Gonzales,LA 9/28/1934-8/3/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Gary Roberts

BatonRouge,LA 12/13/1954-8/22/2025

Gilbert Roberts

Baker, LA 11/19/1964-8/13/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Eric Robertson

BatonRouge,LA 8/7/1952-7/23/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

James RobertsonJr.

Gonzales,LA 9/5/1941-8/30/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

Ronald Robillard

SanAntonio, TX 4/13/1959-7/20/2025

HeartofTexas Cremationin

SanAntonio, TX

MarieRobinson

BatonRouge,LA 8/11/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Oliver Robinson

BatonRouge,Louisiana 9/8/1935-8/31/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Reather Robinson

Gonzales,LA 4/13/1939-7/31/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

AnnieRodosta

12/27/1942-6/29/2025

CharletFuneralHome

BatonRouge,LA 9/21/1957-8/26/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein

Clinton

Eugene Rogers Jr.

Larry Rogers Walker,LA 12/11/1944-7/1/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Donald Root

BatonRouge,LA 6/5/1961-7/24/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Alfred Roper

Gonzales,LA 6/30/1944-8/14/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Carl Rosby

BatonRouge,LA 12/21/1951-6/22/2025

Memory IN LOVING

ElizabethRoth

BatonRouge,LA 10/2/1936-7/27/2025

ResthavenFuneralHome

Fred Rube Jr

Hammond, LA 8/18/1946-7/5/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHome

Gerald Rushing

Plaquemine, LA 9/20/1935-9/8/2025

WilbertFuneralServicePlaquemine

Peggy Rushing

Plaquemine, LA 8/5/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

Lana Sandefur

Oakdale,Louisiana 10/30/1943-9/13/2025

Rush FuneralHome

Holly Schwendimann

Zachary, LA 11/2/1946-8/19/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Thomas Sandeman

TheWoodlands,Texas 2/11/1948-6/17/2025

Neptune Society

Earl Sanderford

BatonRouge,LA 12/11/1954-7/18/2025

MJR FriendlyService FuneralHome- Denham Springs

Linda Savoie

Lafayette,LA 2/25/1948-7/28/2025

CypressFuneralHome& CrematoryinMaurice

Braxton Scott

BatonRouge,LA 8/26/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Julia Scott

BatonRouge,LA 6/1/1933-7/17/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JosephSherwood II

Sierra Vista,AZ 3/12/1993-7/14/2025

Hatfield FuneralHomein

Sierra Vista,AZ

Donald Shipley

Greenwell Springs,LA 12/27/1932-8/19/2025 ChurchFuneralServices

Robert Sikes

Liberty,MS 5/22/1993-8/3/2025

Liberty ChurchofPrayer

Vivian Scott

Covington, LA 9/9/1944-7/28/2025

Grace FuneralHomein

Covington

Jodie Simmers

White Castle,LA 9/21/1955-8/21/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

ElizabethRuss

BatonRouge,LA. 8/19/1957-7/24/2025

A. Hamilton Platinum FuneralService

CharlesRussell

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

DavidRutledge

Maringouin, La 5/26/1962-8/15/2025

Niland'sFuneralService

Joe Salter

BatonRouge,LA 8/13/1943-8/16/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

BatonRouge,LA 1/14/1941-7/20/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Louise Saynes

Thomas Sawyer Baker, LA 9/3/1932-7/4/2025 BakerFuneralHome

JohnSchneider

Salt Lake City,Utah 6/18/1948-8/17/2025

Neil O'Donnell Funeral Home

Jimmy Schwartz

Slaughter,LA 10/10/1939-7/26/2025

McKneelyFuneralHome

AllenScott

Zachary, LA 12/31/1955-9/11/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Kenneth Simmons

St.Francisville,LA 8/20/2025 CharletFuneralHome

Roland ScottSr.

BatonRouge,LA 8/2/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

Dr.AlbertaSims

9/3/1929-8/29/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Fredie Seab

Luling, LA

6/2/1930-8/30/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

DavidShanks

BatonRouge,LA 11/30/1946-7/15/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Robert Sims III

Thibodaux, LA 8/13/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Alanna Singleton

Zachary, La 5/4/1971-8/3/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Memory IN LOVING

KarenSingleton

White Castle,LA

8/9/2025

Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

James Slay Jr.

BatonRouge,LA 3/3/1958-9/21/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Glenda Smelser

Grosse Tete,LA 8/17/2025 WilbertFuneralHome

KaySmith

BatonRouge,LA 9/15/1948-7/6/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

KennethSmith

BatonRouge,LA 9/4/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

MarilynSmith

Prairieville,Louisiana 12/11/1937-9/13/2025

Ascension FuneralHome

Mary MadisonSmith

Metairie,LA

12/14/1995-5/28/2025

Leitz-Eagan FuneralHome in Metairie

RogerSmith

NewOrleans, LA

7/5/1942-9/22/2025

Tate Mortuary in Tooele,UT

Walter SmithIII

Atlanta, GA

6/7/1970-9/23/2025

Lakeside FuneralHomein Woodstock,GA

Walter SmithIII

BatonRouge,LA 3/20/1952-7/4/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Goldie Smith-Wiley

Plaquemine, LA 8/16/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

ConnieSolar

7/4/2025

Church FuneralServices & Crematory

James Solar

Osyka,MS

6/10/1950-8/27/2025

HartmanJonesFuneral Home in McComb,MS

Rosa Songy

Norco, LA 1/12/1930-7/15/2025

H.C.AlexanderFuneral Home

Norman Spann

Slaughter,LA. 12/3/1954-8/30/2025

Richardson FuneralHomeof Clinton

Virginia Spears

Zachary, LA 7/14/1933-7/18/2025

Millerand Daughter's Mortuary

Mary Spencer

BatonRouge,LA 3/4/1946-8/12/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

ShannonSpringer

BatonRouge,LA 2/10/1957-9/25/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Robert Square Sr

BatonRouge,LA 1/28/1947-7/5/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JosephSt. Romain

BatonRouge,LA 9/23/1965-9/9/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

GladysStampley

Zachary, LA 9/22/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Billie Stelly

Plano, TX 4/25/1933-7/14/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

SandraSpears

BatonRouge,LA 3/8/1957-8/3/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

MarilynStephens

BatonRouge,LA 8/27/1937-9/26/2025 CentralFuneralHomein Central

BatonRouge,LA 8/27/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Leon Stevenson

Curtis Stevenson Danielson, CT 9/1/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

OdresStewart

BatonRouge,LA 3/21/1953-8/29/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Megan Stiles

Harrison,AR 3/11/1978-9/18/2025

Holt Memorial Chapel in Harrison,AR

Steen Stroud

BatonRouge,LA 1/4/1961-9/22/2025 CharletFuneralHome

WilliamStuartJr.

Zachary, LA 3/29/1950-8/31/2025 Greenoaks FuneralHome

Austin Sumner

SouthBurlington, VT 8/24/1938-8/30/2025

ReadyFuneralHomein Burlington, VT

Emily Svendson

Boulder, CO 4/26/1940-7/21/2025

Greenwood &Myers FuneralHomeinBoulder, CO

Memory IN LOVING

Jerome Sylvester

Napoleonville,LA 8/16/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Alfred Taillon

Gonzales,La 9/8/1937-8/17/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

DelosTalbert Jr.

Clinton, LA 11/19/1946-9/13/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Iris Tannehill

Walker,Louisiana 6/21/1937-9/16/2025

Brandon G. Thompson FuneralHome- Denham Springs

Daniel Tapia

St.Amant,LA 3/23/1956-9/24/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

ErwinTaylor

Colyell, La 5/18/1940-9/12/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

JohnTaylor

Millington, TN 12/26/1938-9/12/2025

MunfordFuneralHomesMunfordChapel

BeverlyTerrellJr.

BatonRouge,LA 1/13/1936-8/25/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Thomas Thibodeaux

BatonRouge,LA 7/10/1947-7/10/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

James Thomas Sr

Baker, LA 9/6/2025

Richardson FuneralHome

Kirby Thibodeaux Sr.

PortAllen, LA 9/8/2025

WilbertFuneralService in PortAllen

GeraldineThomas

NewOrleans, LA 10/7/1941-8/19/2025

Dickey Brothers Memorial Home in Biloxi,MS

Hazel Thomas

BatonRouge,LA 2/27/1946-7/19/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Larry Thomas

Thibodaux, LA 7/7/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Newton Thomas

BatonRouge,LA 6/11/1944-7/19/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

StacyThomas

BatonRouge,LA 7/21/2025

Millerand Daughter Mortuary

GuyThomasSr.

Maringouin, LA 1/15/1933-7/10/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

Sue Toler

Baker, LA 8/29/2025

George Thompson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Albert Town

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/3/1935-7/25/2025

RabenhorstFuneralHome& Crematory -Government Street

XeniaTillery

Potomac, MD 10/9/1938-9/14/2025

RobertA. Pumphrey Funeral Home Bethesda-Chevy ChaseinBethesda, MD

Carole Tilley

Melbourne,FL 7/16/1940-6/9/2025

Beckman-Williamson FuneralHomeinRockledge, FL

Edna Tillman

6/26/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary

Edward Tillman

Plaquemine, LA 7/5/1944-7/9/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral ServiceinPlaquemine

MaeTillman

Maringouin, LA 2/19/1932-9/15/2025

A. Wesley's FuneralHome in Maringouin

CarrieTobias

BatonRouge,LA 3/23/1940-7/13/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

KendraTrahan

BatonRouge,LA 8/4/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Roland Trahan

DenhamSprings,LA 7/12/1936-7/31/2025

SealeFuneralService in DenhamSprings

Lana Tramonte

Hammond, LA 9/22/2025

Harry McKneely& Son FuneralHomeinHammond

Virginia Tricou

Columbia,LA 11/12/1938-7/19/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

DavidTrusty

BatonRouge,LA 1/25/1954-7/29/2025

ChurchFuneralServices

Linda Tucker

Addis, LA 9/1/2025

Pugh'sMortuary in Plaquemine

Memo

Renette Turner

Gramercy,LA 10/16/1927-8/15/2025

Rose Lynn FuneralHomein Lutcher

DianeTygres

St.Francisville,LA 8/18/2025

CharletFuneralHomeClinton/Zachary

Dianna Underhill

BatonRouge,LA 7/4/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

JohnUnderwood

Jackson, LA 5/4/1946-7/14/2025

LouisianaFuneralServices &Crematory

Julia Upkins

CharlesMackeyFuneral Home

Robert VanKerkhove

BatonRouge,LA 4/26/1944-6/22/2025 Church FuneralServices

CarolVaughn

BatonRouge,LA 8/18/1946-8/29/2025 Church FuneralHome

Netric Vaughn Scott

BatonRouge,LA 1/13/1963-7/30/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

Melba Venison

BatonRouge,LA 7/6/1949-8/10/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Donna Vetter

BatonRouge,LA 6/11/1943-7/5/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Jeffrey Vicari

BatonRouge,LA 9/3/1957-9/18/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Santiago Vilas

BatonRouge,Louisiana 8/15/1931-6/16/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

GeraldineVillarrubia

BatonRouge,LA 8/22/2025

Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home

MichaelVince

Central, LA 7/25/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

EveVoigt

BatonRouge,LA 1/1/1941-7/14/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Joy Wagener

BatonRouge,LA 1/16/1936-7/9/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

ElizabethPace Waggenspack

Broussard,LA 8/27/1938-9/2/2025

Ibert'sMortuary

Etheldra Warren

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Ollie Waggenspack LeBlanc

Gonzales,LA 4/1/1928-8/17/2025

OursoFuneralHomein Gonzales

James Wainwright III

BatonRouge,LA 11/17/1950-7/27/2025 Church FuneralServices

AlvinWalker

White Castle,LA 7/16/1959-7/27/2025

Roscoe Mortuary in Plaquemine

TafferonWalkerVance

BatonRouge,LA 12/9/1965-7/20/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

HenryWallace

BatonRouge,Louisiana 2/23/1936-8/31/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Robert Walsh

BatonRouge,LA 2/15/1942-8/1/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Louise Ware-Stringer

Mandeville,LA 11/17/1946-7/9/2025

TheBagnell &Sons Funeral Home

GloriaWashington

Plaquemine, LA 6/25/1930-9/9/2025

Demby& SonFuneral Home

Kelsey Watson

Gonzales,LA 5/27/1991-8/9/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

Rebecca Watson

BatonRouge,LA 8/16/1967-8/11/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

TorianoWatson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Lois Watterson

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

DorothyWax

BatonRouge,LA 3/30/1939-8/6/2025 ChurchFuneralServices

WayneWeams

Prairieville,LA 2/7/1961-7/23/2025

Lawson –RollinsPurple Shield FuneralHome

Memory IN LOVING

Geneva Weatherspoon

BatonRouge,LA 5/22/1951-7/8/2025

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

RemenderWeatherspoon

BatonRouge,LA 9/7/1958-7/27/2025

Winnfield FuneralHome

DeborahWebb

Zachary, LA 11/15/1959-8/15/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

EliWebb

St.Francisville,LA 7/16/2025

MIller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

JessieWebster

BatonRouge,LA 4/5/1944-7/14/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

JohnWeiler

Merritt Island, FL 2/17/1944-9/3/2025

WilbertFuneralHome

AleciaWesley

Plaquemine, Louisiana 10/20/2000-7/4/2025

Roscoe Mortuary

Victor Weston

BatonRouge,LA 1/31/1943-9/15/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Ronald Whicker

BatonRouge,La 1/5/1957-7/30/2025

S. L. BookerFamily CelebrationCenter

Robert White

BatonRouge,LA 8/24/1934-8/2/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Mary Whittle

Zachary, LA 9/11/2025

CharletFuneralHomeClinton/Zachary

Shelia Wicks

BatonRouge,LA 5/23/1943-9/6/2025

Desselle's FuneralHome

DorisWiggins

Napoleonville,LA 7/22/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home in Napoleonville

Crawford Wilkerson

BatonRouge,LA 8/31/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

Antionette Williams

Marrero,LA 8/6/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

BeverlyWilliams

BatonRouge,LA 8/25/1964-8/25/2025

Richardson FuneralHomein Clinton

DebraWilliams

7/19/2025 Pugh'sMortuary

Plaquemine, LA 8/6/2025

KaylaWilliams

Darrow, LA 8/18/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Keosha Williams

BatonRouge,LA 8/23/1982-6/26/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Martha Williams

Baker, LA 9/25/1923-8/2/2025 BakerFuneralHome

Mary Williams

Brusly,LA 8/30/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

NathanielWilliams

7/11/2025 Pugh'sMortuaryin Plaquemine

Willie Williams

CharlesMackey Funeral Home

Ziva Williams

Napoleonville,LA 7/26/2025

Williams &Southall Funeral Home

Pugh'sMortuary in Plaquemine

Chiquitta Wilson

EddieWilliams Jr. Baker, LA 8/9/2025

Pugh'sMortuary

GildaWilson

BatonRouge,LA 2/20/1951-8/9/2025

Scott'sBluff Morticians Funerals andCremations

JuanitaWilson

BatonRouge,LA 11/27/1934-6/30/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Mary Wilson

Wilson, LA 7/12/2025

CharletFuneralHome

Carl Wilson,Jr.

DenhamSprings,Louisiana 10/20/1938-6/11/2025

SealeFuneralServiceDenhamSprings

Alfred Wims

Zachary, LA 9/12/2025

Hall Davis& Sons Funeral Service

Robert Wissner

BatonRouge,LA 6/27/2025

ChurchFuneralServices & Crematory

Memory IN LOVING

BridgetWolfe

BatonRouge,LA 10/9/1957-7/29/2025

Greenoaks FuneralHome

Lawrence Womack

BatonRouge,LA 3/12/1940-8/14/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Visitobituaries.theadvocate.comtoexpressyourcondolences.

WilliamWomack

Walker,LA 6/23/1952-8/21/2025

Church FuneralServices and Crematory

Emouri Woodard

BatonRouge,LA 9/5/2025

Miller& Daughter Mortuary in Zachary

DavidWoodward

DenhamSprings,LA 7/6/1957-7/1/2025

Rabenhorst FuneralHome& Crematory- Government Street

Murphy Yelverton

Gonzales,LA 6/18/1937-9/20/2025

OursoFuneralHomeGonzales

BarbaraZeigler

BatonRouge,Louisiana 10/2/1947-8/6/2025

ResthavenGardens of Memory andFuneralHome

Lloyd Zeringue

Plaquemine, LA 7/3/1939-8/9/2025

WilbertFuneralService in Plaquemine

Sympathy

with deepest

Sympathy

Readytoapply?

Submit allrequired documents to the first-choiceprogramwithin seven

□ □ Iuploaded allrequired documents and signed the signaturepage electronically.

3easy ways to deliver required documents!

□ Iopted to hand-deliver allrequired documents to thefirst-choice program shownonthe signature page within seven(7) days. □ □ Iscanned andemailed all requireddocuments to the first-choice program shown on the signature page within seven(7) days.

Scan theQRcodetothe rightto learnmoreabout our MSAP Magnet Programs

Broadmoor Elementary Broadmoor Elementary

MagnetProgram Themes

ACADEMIC

BR FLAIM K-5

Baton Rouge High9-12

Forest Heights AcademyofExcellence K-5

IstroumaMiddle 6-8

Istrouma High 9-12

Mayfair Lab K-8

McKinley Middle 6-8

Scotlandville Middle 6-8

Sherwood Middle6-8

Westdale Heights K-5

Woodlawn Middle 6-8

Woodlawn High 9-12

MONTESSORI

Belfair Montessori PK-8

The DufrocqSchool PK-5

COMMUNICATION/DIGITALARTS

Broadmoor Elementary K-5

GlenOaks9-12

Istrouma High 9-12

Liberty High 9-12

McKinley Elementary K-5

Southeast Middle 6-8

GOVERNMENTAFFAIRS/LAW

ScotlandvilleHigh9-12

CREATIVESCIENCES&ARTS

Belaire High 9-12

Park Forest Elementary K-5

Park Forest Middle6-8

Villa DelRey K-5

VISUAL&PERFORMINGARTS

BRCVPA K-5

Forest HeightsK-5

McKinley Middle6-8

MEDICAL

Glen Oaks High 9-12

Liberty High 9-12

FOREIGNLANGUAGEIMMERSION

Baton Rouge FLAIMK-5

Westdale Middle6-8

STEM/ENGINEERING

Liberty High 9-12

ScotlandvilleMiddle 6-8

ScotlandvilleHigh9-12

Tara High 9-12

CARE on the MOVE

Traveling to offer mammograms for over 30 years, program makes screenings accessible in Louisiana

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Every day, Robert Walker wakes up before the sun and drives 12 minutes across Baton Rouge to Woman’s Hospital off Airline Highway. There, he trades in his 2008 Toyota Camry for a 45-foot bright pink bus. He then starts his trek Walker goes somewhere different each day A clinic in Port Allen. A hospital in Assumption. A community center in Covington.

He is the driver of the Woman’s Hospital Mobile Mammography Unit a traveling bus that provides mammogram screenings to underserved communities across Louisiana and parts of Mississippi.

Walker stepped into Woman’s Hospital back in 2006 for a comfortable, easy job working for the hospital that treated and saved his mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer

“I didn’t expect to stay for 19 years,” Walker said.

Walker has plenty of experience, not only as a former DJ and teacher but as a driver — he drove a truck in the Army when he was stationed in Japan

“I always thought I would move to Houston or Florida,” the Baton Rouge native said. “But this is just a good way to give back. I never left.”

The mobile mammogram program initially started back in 1995, when studies indicated that women in outlying areas were not accessing screening mammography as they should. The initiative began as a van that contained a mammography machine that could be taken into a physician’s office or a health unit.

Lisa Baker and Wendi Chapman remember having to take out the light box for each X-ray, capture the film and haul the heavy equipment back into the van.

Both women were pregnant at the time

When Woman’s Hospital upgraded to

the digital mammography in 2005, the unit needed a bigger vehicle to accommodate the new technology The first mobile coach arrived in Baton Rouge on Nov 15, 2006, just in time for Walker to start his first shift.

The mammogram unit, called the “big-ole pink bus” affectionately by all who know it well, travels to 37 different parishes and five counties in Mississippi, bringing mammogram screening services to clinics, community centers, prisons, doctor’s offices and more.

The bus stops in time to open at 8 a.m., regardless of destination, each day and stays parked in one place until 3 p.m. Walker sometimes has to leave the hospital at 4 a.m. in order to make to the northern parts of the state like Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes before the first appointment. Each year, the bus travels to more than 200 sites, visiting 70 lo-

cations, and logging more than 20,000 miles.

The coach requires seven to eight parking spaces. Walker arrives at sites an hour early to make sure everything is in the proper place, including having to ask people to move their cars every once in a while.

After the coach arrives, Baker, the lead technologist checks the mammogram machine to make sure any bumpiness or movement along the way didn’t cause problems — that would cause shadows (called artifacts) that could confuse Xray results. If there are any artifacts, the bus turns around and heads back to Woman’s Hospital for service.

“The mobile unit moves around a lot on the roads to get to each place,” Baker said. “So we have to check every time

Doctor warns of ‘silent threat’ of A-fib

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is the most common type of arrhythmia, affecting at least 2.7 million people in the United States. This number is expected to grow to more than 12 million by 2030, which makes understanding the risks extremely important as A-fib can be lifethreatening.

Dr Michael Bernard called A-fib a “silent threat” because symptoms can go unnoticed for months or years.

Bernard is the section head of cardiac electrophysiology at Ochsner Health.

A-fib is when the atrium of the heart, or the upper chambers of the heart, start to beat erratically and rapidly Instead of the heart pumping together, chambers of the heart pump out of sync.

“It’s all chaos,” Bernard said “The heart shakes.”

A-fib treats people differently Some people are very symptomatic, but many or most, people don’t feel it.

The common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and chest pain.

Younger people may feel the symptoms more than older patients because the arrhythmia is faster

“I’ve noticed that with patients, the more rapid the arrhythmia or the more rapid the heartbeat, the more likely they are to feel it,” Bernard said. “The more normal heart rate a patient has, there’s a higher chance of going undetected.”

A-fib is progressive and tends to get worse every month, every year The symptoms, most likely, will get worse or become more prevalent the longer a patient has A-fib.

Atrial fibrillation may be:

n Occasional: This is called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. A-fib symptoms come and go. The symptoms usually last for a few minutes to hours. Some people have symptoms for as long as a week. The irregular heartbeat can happen again and again. Symptoms might go away on their own. Some people with this type of A-fib need treatment.

n Persistent: The irregular heartbeat is constant. The heart rhythm does not correct itself. If symptoms occur, medical treatment is needed to reset the heart rhythm.

n Long-standing persistent: This type of A-fib is constant and lasts longer than 12 months. Medicines or a procedure are needed to correct the irregular heartbeat.

n Permanent: The irregular heart rhythm can’t be reset. Medicines are needed to control the heart rate and to prevent blood clots.

Having a healthy lifestyle, limiting alcohol intake, controlling

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

The crew of the Woman’s Hospital Mobile Mammography Unit, from left, Wendi Chapman, Krista Stark, Lisa Baker and Robert Walker, stand on Oct. 10 in front of their vehicle.

Wendi Chapman demonstrates how the mammogram machine rotates so it can produce images in different planes.

HEALTH MAKER

Louisiana midwife praises ‘holistic care’

Midwives offer education for the whole family

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

A midwife is a licensed health care professional

who specializes in caring for women throughout all stages of life, including pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

Jimi Aucoin, a certified nurse midwife, has assisted in the births of 1,156 babies in the Baton Rouge area over the past decade.

Most midwives today are certified nurse-midwives, like Aucoin. They provide comprehensive care that includes prenatal visits, labor/birth support, newborn care and family-planning services

In the Ochsner Medical Complex – O’Neal midwifery group, nine certified midwives support births from natural, low-intervention births to epidural-supported deliveries to water-based births in tubs.

The program serves people with low-risk pregnancies, with seamless transfer options to OB/GYN physicians or additional hospital support if needed.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners will grow about 35% between 2024 and 2034.

The number of certified midwives in Louisiana has risen steadily, from about 65 in 2021 to 86 in 2025 — a 32% increase over four years.

Aucoin is originally from Baton Rouge and completed her undergraduate nursing degree at UL Lafayette

While working as a labor and delivery nurse, Aucoin received her master’s in midwifery from Frontier Nursing University

What sparked your interest in midwifery?

When I graduated nursing school, I worked as a labor and delivery nurse. The other nurses at the unit talked to me about what a midwife was and how there weren’t a whole lot of practices in Louisiana that’s why they worked as labor and delivery nurses.

Those conversations sparked my interest in midwifery My colleagues encouraged me to go back and get my license as a certified nurse midwife

As a labor and delivery nurse you’re helping the patient with their delivery, but ultimately, the major decisions are between her and her physician.

As a certified nurse midwife, I get to be that person that’s helping my patient make important decisions in their deliveries — encouraging her, educating her Seeing her throughout the pregnancy too. As a labor and delivery nurse you’re there for the actual labor part, but as a certified nurse midwife, you’re there throughout the process.

In our practice, we typically see our patients for the first time shortly after they find out that they’re pregnant. Certified nurse midwives also see patients from puberty until menopause, and even some after menopause.

What do you talk to expecting mothers about when first meeting them? What is your first question?

The first thing I say when I walk in with a patient is, “Do you know what a midwife is?”

A lot of them say, “No, not really.”

Typically I have to ex-

plain that you don’t have to deliver naturally in the tub via candlelight We have a lot of options for delivery, and we can do all of them as midwives.

From the very beginning, I feel like expecting mothers have so many questions, especially first time moms In

our first meetings, it’s a lot of advice. It’s a lot of answers of any kind of question.

Some of my patients never see an OB. One of the best parts of being with a midwife is that patients get that holistic care. When I meet my patients for the first time, I

ask them questions that are probably not typical of what they get from a physician. I want to know: Where do they work? Who do they live with? Is the father involved? How many children do they have? What are their kids names?

We allow our parents and mothers to bring all of their children to each visit with us. It’s a very nice experience because I get to meet the siblings of the future baby I get the kids involved in the care too. The siblings are often helping me measure mama’s belly or listen to the heart rate. It gets them excited to have a new baby in the house too. We do a lot of education when it comes to midwifery care, or what to expect when a new baby comes home. But we’re not just educating the mom, we’re educating the dads, the grandparents — all of people in a mother’s life that come to their midwifery visits with them. What has changed since you started as a midwife in 2015? When I graduated, there were not a whole lot of spaces in Louisiana that supported the work of midwives. Ochsner was one of the only practices in the Baton Rouge area that had midwives, especially such a big group of midwives like we have. There were no schools in Louisiana

trends changing as far as mortality and morbidity rates in the state as a whole.

Expert: Walking backward can add to health benefits of walking

BY STEPHEN WADE AP sports writer

Here’s a simple way to switch up your walking rou-

tine: try walking backward

Taking a brisk walk is an exercise rich in simplicity, and it can have impressive mental and physical benefits: stronger bones and muscles, cardiovascular fitness and stress relief, to name a few But like any workout, hoofing it for your health may feel repetitive and even boring after a while.

Backward walking, also known as retro walking or reverse walking, adds variety to an exercise routine. Turning around not only provides a change of view, but also makes different demands on your body

Janet Dufek, a biomechanist and faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has researched the mechanics of both walking and landing from jumps to identify ways of preventing injuries and improving physical performance. And as a former college basketball player and a regular exerciser she’s also done her fair share of backward walking. In humans, reverse locomotion can increase ham-

Continued from page 1X

weight and exercising regularly help to reduce cardiovascular problems as a whole. Be on the lookout for dehydration, poor sleep or excess stress all things that can lead to A-fib.

“If you have obstructive sleep apnea that puts pressure on the heart that can lead to atrial fibrillation,” Bernard said. “If you want to prevent atrial fibrillation, do all the cardiac healthy things that can reduce your chance to developing it.”

To manage the heart rate, and suspected symptoms, Bernard recommends regular visits to family medi-

string flexibility strengthen underused muscles and challenges the mind as the body adjusts to a new movement and posture. “I see a lot of people in my neighborhood and they walk, and that’s good,” she said. “But they are still stressing the same elements of their structure over and over again. Walking backward introduces an element of cross-training, a subtly different activity.”

Kevin Patterson, a personal trainer in Nashville, Tennessee, recommends the treadmill as the safest place to retro walk. You can adjust it to a slow speed. However, Patterson likes to turn off the treadmill — termed the “dead mill” and have clients propel the belt on their own

“It can take a while to get the treadmill going, but from there we have them be the horsepower for the treadmill,” he said Patterson said he uses backward walking with all his clients as an “accessory exercise” — a weight-training term for add-on movements designed to work a specific muscle group — or during warm-ups The activity typically makes up a small part of the workouts,

cine doctors

“Screening starts at primary care offices,” Bernard said, “with routine physicals once a year where they check your heart rate.” The next wave of atrial fibrillation includes treatment that uses artificial intelligence to help map the heart and find the source of A-fib — Bernard said Ochsner is an early adapter of this technology to help treat patients. Volta software is a type of the treatment meant for patients who have had prior ablations that have not held up over time.

A-fib is most often detected by an EKG, but smartwatches and rings with monitoring technology have made the condition easier to detect in some cases.

he said.

“The treadmill is great for older clients because you have the handles on the side and you reduce that risk of falling,” he said.

Dufek suggests working a one-minute segment of backward walking into a 10-minute walk and adding time and distance as you get comfortable.

You can also do it with a partner; face each other, perhaps clasp hands. One person walks backward, and the other strolls forward and watches for problems. Then switch positions.

“At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining. You are learning a new skill,” Dufek said. “You’re using muscles in different ways.”

If you work your way up to running and get really good at it, you can try running a marathon backward — 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers Yes, people have done that.

Dufek classifies backward walking as a form of crosstraining, or incorporating a mix of moves into a fitness program. Doing a range of exercises can help prevent overuse injuries, which can occur after repeatedly using

Smartwatches and rings, according to Bernard, have the advantage of getting a patient’s heart rate for an extended period of time, allowing the device to get a comprehensive look at how the heart behaves in motion or at rest.

“There’s some commercially available gadgets that can find and detect arrhythmia,” Bernard said. “We also have heart monitors that people wear now, or if you have a pacemaker or other type of medical device, those can detect (Afib) too.”

According to Bernard, these devices are good, not great. The watches and the rings are a little farther from the heart than a pacemaker or heart monitor, so

ASSOCIATED

LOCHER

Janet Dufek, a professor at the School of Integrated Health Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, stands Sept. 8 at the school. Dufek has researched the mechanics of both walking and landing from jumps to identify ways of preventing injuries and improving physical performance.

the same muscle groups. For many people, crosstraining involves different activities and types of exercise: for example, running one day swimming the next, and strength training on a third day But the modifications required to walk backward work in the same way, but on a micro level. Do small tweaks make much of a difference? Once an avid runner, Dufek said she had several pairs of run-

the reliability of the data isn’t always great. But Bernard said he can’t argue with results.

“If people have a symptom event, we can’t go back in time — it goes undetected,” Bernard said. “What we’re

WE

ning shoes and did not wear the same pair two days in a row

“The shoes had a different level of wear, a different design,” she said. “Just by changing that one element, in this case footwear, it would provide a slightly different stress to the system.”

Physical therapists instruct some of their clients to reverse walk, which can be useful after knee injuries or for people in rehabilita-

seeing now with smartwatches, wearable devices and some other things, is that we’re tracking more people who didn’t know they had a problem. We’re catching these things a little more upstream with new

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

tion or recovering from surgery

“Backward walking is very different than forward walking from a force perspective, from a movement pattern perspective,” Dufek explained. Instead of landing heel first, “you strike the forefoot first, often quite gently and often the heel does not contact the ground.”

“This reduces of the range of motion in the knee joint, which allows for activity without stressing the (knee) joint,” Dufek said. Backward walking also stretches the hamstring muscles, the group of muscles at the back of the thigh. Dufek is interested in finding out if it improves balance and reduces fall risks in older adults by activating more senses of the body There is nothing unnatural about backward walking. If fact, backward running is a key skill for top athletes. Basketball players do it. So do soccer players. American football players — particularly the defensive backs — do it continually “I played basketball and I probably spent 40% of my time playing defense and running backwards,” Dufek said.

technology a new phase of information where we’re able to see A-fib earlier than we used to.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Jimi Aucoin, a certified nurse midwife, shares a laugh on Oct. 10 with 6-month-old Nell Bozeman at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN

EatFit LiveFit

Healthy Halloween:Tealpumpkins, toytreatsand fairymagic

I’vebeenonabitofacrusadefor thepastdecadeorsotonormalize theconceptof“non-candy”treats atHalloween.Theresponsehasbeen, let’sjustsay,lessthanrobust.Lastyear, though,broughtaglimmerofhope. Ahandfulofpeopleagreedtojoin mynon-candyrouteandallhadgreat feedback.Theexperiment,theysaid,was surprisinglysuccessful.

It’snotaboutbeingaHalloween Scrooge,byanymeans.Wearen’tgiving awaydentalflossandnickelsatmyhouse. I’mhandingoutfunstuff,likeHalloweenthemedtattoosandPlay-Doh,stickers, bubbles,glow-in-the-darkvampireteeth, slime,bouncyballsandmore.I’mhopeful thatevenmorepeoplewilljoinmethis yeartohandoutfuntoysandother noveltiesthatencouragekids’creativity andimagination.

SomethingforEveryone: TheTealPumpkinProject EventslikeHalloweencanbe particularlychallengingforthosewith foodallergies.Kidscanhaveatoughtime enjoyingallthattrick-or-treatinghasto offerbecauseofcertainfoodlimitations andconcernsaboutcross-contamination. Anaddedbonusofnon-foodtreatsisthat virtuallyallfestivetoysareautomatically allergen-friendly.

TheTealPumpkinProjectisspecially createdforkidswithfoodallergies, encouragingpeopletoprovideoptions thatarefreeofcommonallergens likepeanuts,treenuts,milk,eggs, fish,shellfish,wheatandgluten.To participate,simplypaintapumpkin teal(oroptforareusable,teal-colored metalorplasticpumpkin,availablein someretailers)sothattrick-or-treaters knowyouhaveallergen-freetreats.

BeyondHalloween:Teaching HealthyAttitudesTowardFood Attemptingahealthierapproachto Halloweenalsomodelsahealthyattitude towardfoodthatbenefitskidsyearround.Andthatmeansnotmakingcandy totallytaboo.

“If you make something so off limits or elevate it to this halo of atreatthat you can’t have any other time, that’swhen kids and adults will only cravecandy

more,” said Brittany Craft, aregistered dietitian on theOchsner Eat Fit team. “When we arehaving atreat,weshould give ourselvesand ourkids permission to enjoy it —really savor it —and then move on.”

InadditiontoherworkwithEatFit, Brittanyisalsoamomandbeautifully balancesaparent’sperspectivewitha dietitian’sphilosophy.

“I’vewantedtogothenon-candyroute

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

HPVVACCINATIONSUPINLA.

Approximately37,800 annual cancercases in the United States are attributable to human papillomavirus, 35,000 of which mayhavebeen prevented through HPV vaccination.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S.,affecting about 85% of sexually activepeople in their lifetime.

Each year,13million Americans, including teenagers, are newly infected.HPV infections cancause cancer as well as genital warts.

Louisiana ranks 20th in the nation for HPV vaccinations among adolescents with 66.2%of 13-to17-year-olds in the state whoreceived allofthe recommended doses of the HPV vaccine in 2023, according to America’sHealth Rankings data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Louisiana’sHPV vaccination rates for teens have steadily climbed in the last five years, from 46.7% in 2018 to 66.2%in2023.The state nowhas ahigher percentageofHPV vaccinations among teens than the national average, which sits at 61.4%.

These states had the highest percentageof adolescents whoreceived theHPV vaccine,in

MAMMOGRAMS

Continued from page1X

we stop the bus.” Each appointment takes 15 minutes. Results are sent to Woman’s Hospital at the end of each day to be reviewed by aphysician at the hospital. Patients should get their results back in aweek. If apatient needs to be screened again, aphysician from the hospital will contact them and notify themoftheir next steps.

From January to July 2025, the bus saw 787 patients with 60% of the patients seen on the coach being noninsuredorunderinsured.

Thetriooftechs on thebus

The real stars of the show are Baker,Chapman and Krista Stark —the three friends who have been traveling around the statetogether for over 15 years, providing care to women across Louisiana. The trio is at adifferent location each day,but are sometimes

forthepastfewyears,butitseemedlike justonemorethingtodoinanalready busyschedule,”shesaid.“Lastyear, though,ourdaughter’sschoolasked parentstobuylittleHalloween-themed toysinsteadofcandy,andtheyactually endedupbeingcheaperthanthebagsof candywetypicallyget.Istockedupfor trick-or-treatersatourhouseaswelland waspleasantlysurprisedtoseehowwellreceivedtheywerebykidsofallages.”

TheSwitchWitch

Evenifyou’rehandingoutnon-candy treats,it’salmostinevitablethatkidswill stillendupwithanentirepumpkinfullof candy.Oneapproachtooffsetapotential candyoverloadistheconceptofthe “SwitchWitch.”Thinkofherassomething ofaHalloween-themedToothFairy Aftertrick-or-treating,kidsgettopick outafewpiecesoftheirfavoritecandy, thentheyleaveouttherestfortheSwitch Witch.Inthemiddleofthenight,the SwitchWitchtakesthecandyandleaves atoyinitsplace.Itcanbewhateveris age-appropriate—asmalltrinket,atoyor somethingmoresignificant—that’supto theSwitchWitch. Similarly,whattheSwitchWitchdoes withthecandyisuptohimorher.They mightdonateittoorganizationsthat supporttroops,localchurchesoryouth programs—orfindanothercreativeway torepurposeit.Regardless,thekidsare happy,andthecandyisoutofthehouse. DishingOutHealthful HalloweenHandouts

ConsiderjoiningmethisHalloween inofferingcreativetrick-or-treating alternatives.Whetherprovidingallergyfriendlyoptionsmarkedbyatealpumpkin orswappingcandyforfuntoysand creativeactivities,everysmallstepgetsus closertoahealthierHalloween.

HPVvaccinationsbystate

Percentage of adolescents, aged 13-17, whoreceivedall recommendeddoses of thehuman papillomavirus,orHPV,vaccine in each statein2023

descendingorder:

n RhodeIsland with 84.2%

n Massachusetts with 82.3%

n NorthDakota with 78.3%

n Michiganwith73.2%

n Delaware with 73%

n SouthDakota with 72.3%

n Connecticut with 71.2%

n NewHampshire with 70.6%

n Hawaiiwith 70.4%

n Wisconsin with 69.9%.

These states had the lowest percentageof adolescents whoreceived the HPV vaccine, in ascendingorder:

n Mississippi with 38.4%

n Georgia with 40.5%

n Oklahoma with 44.2%

n Kentucky with 47.9%

n Nevada with 48.5%

n West Virginia with 49.8%

n NewJerseywith 50.2%

n Arkansaswith 52.9%

n Idahowith 53.4%

n Wyoming with 54.2%

n Alaska with 54.4%.

circlingback to locations monthly.Theycan actually remember most of theplaces they go based on some singular characteristics of bathroomsavailable to them across thestate. “Isthatthe one thatsmells like fried shrimp?” Chapman said when discussing atripsouth of New Orleans. Baker andChapman have known each other since their Denham Springs days aschildren. At ages 6and 4, they were fast friends. Now,they work with fellow DenhamSprings High School alumnae Krista Stark Stark works patient registration. All of herdocuments andthe computer accessing the electronic medical record are precisely stored within thebrown cabinets of the unit. Her desk is small, but she has asystem

“I always leave the patientforms in the same place, on aclipboard by the sink, so Wendi knows where to find it,” Stark said. “When Wendi’snot here, Ihave to explain the process all over again.

The close-knit triohave raised their children together —who all attendedDenham SpringsHigh School —and have made lifelong friendships with patients, some of whom come back annually

“Wetry to make it fun,”Chapman said. “As much fun as abreastscan can be.Because if it’snot at least ‘not miserable,’ people won’twant to come back. And we want them to keep getting their screenings.”

Chelsa Rainey,apublic relations specialist at Woman’sHospital, said her84-year-old grandmother schedulesher annual screenings with themobile unit.

“She’salways looking for that bright pink bus,”Rainey said. Now, themobileunithas abuddy Andtwo mobile units can be found hopping around the state. Both unitsare equipped with3Dmammogram screening services,and a familiar face in thefront seat

Baker,aslead technologist, now organizesthe locations of each unit andoften worksfrom Woman’s Hospital these days.

Walker’sbrother,James Walker,

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS WendiChapman and Krista Stark share alaugh on Oct. 10 as theywait for patients to arrive in the Woman’sHospital Mobile MammographyUnit.

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Halloween! Hallowe

Halloweenisamagicaltimeforchildren,andtheexcitementisbuildingrapidly

Storesarefullofdisplayssignalingthearrivalofthespecialday.“Whatareyou goingtobeforHalloween?”isthequestionoftheseason.

Thisyear,HalloweenfallsonaFriday.Thatmeansperhapssomeextratrick-or-treat timesincethereisnoschoolthenextday,andwithalittleluck,we’llhaveideal weatherfortrick-or-treaters

AsweanticipatetheexcitementofHalloween,wemustalsofocus onmakingsurethisspecialdayissafeforthecostumedkidsthat willdescendonneighborhoodstocollectgoodiesandhavesome old-fashioned,screen-freefun.

Tips forplaying it safe

Parentscanhelpensuretheirchildrenstaysafeonthespookiestofholidays. Herearesomesafetyrules:

Beforetrick-or-treating,discusssafetyruleswithyourkids.

Carryglowsticksorflashlights,usereflectivetapeorstickersoncostumes andbags,andwearlightcolorstohelpkidsseeandbeseenbydrivers.

Joinkidsunder12yearsoldfortrick-or-treating Remindkidstocrossthestreetatcornersorcrosswalks.

Sticktoareasthatarereasonablywelllit.

Whenselectingacostume,makesureitistherightsizetopreventtrips andfalls.Choosefacepaintovermaskswhenpossible.Maskscanlimit children’svision.

Examineallofyourchild’sHalloweentreatsbeforetheyareeatenandlook forsignsofopenpackaging.Don’tallowyourchildtoeathomemadetreats preparedbystrangersortreatsthatarenotcommerciallypackaged.

Forthosewhoaredriving,slowdownandbealert!Kidsareexcitedon Halloweenandmaydartintothestreet.Turnonheadlightsandbeespecially cautiousinareaswherecarsareparkedalongthesideofthestreet.

AsHalloweenapproaches,manyAmericanscarvefreshpumpkinsaspartofa fallfamilytradition.Whilepumpkincarvingcanbeafunartisticexperience,it canpresentdangers.

Here’showtohaveasafecarvingexperience:

Makesuretheexteriorofyourpumpkiniscleananddry.Anymoistureon yourhands,toolsortablecouldcauseyourhandtoslip,whichcanlead toinjury.

Considercarvingbeforetakingthetopoffthepumpkin.Avoidholding yourpumpkinfromtheinside,whichputsyourhandsinthedirectpathof knivesandcarvingtools.

Allowchildrentodrawthedesignonthepumpkinwithamarker,but adultsshoulddothecarving.

Halloweenisfun,butitcanalsofeelstressfulforparents,especiallyifyour childhasfoodallergies,intolerancesorsensitivities.Buthavenofear.Managing nutritionalneedsdoesn’tneedtobescary.

Herearethreesimplestrategiestoenjoythetrick-or-treatingexperience:

1. Readalllabelscarefully.Often,Halloween-specificcandyandtreatscanbe manufacturedinadifferentplacethanthenormalmanufacturingfacility, leavingroomforcross-contaminationrisks.Anddifferentvarietiesandsizes ofthesamecandymayhavedifferentingredients.

Letthekidsemptythepumpkin.Sincechildrenshouldavoid sharptools,letthechildrengrabaspoonandtakeoverthejobof emptyingthepumpkin.

Youcanalsodecorateyourpumpkinswithoutcarvingthem.Getcraftywith paint,stickers,yarnorglittertodecoratepumpkins.

2. Ifacandydoesn’thavealabelorifyoucan’tfindtheingredientlist, throwitaway.

3. Thereisnosuchthingas“allergy-free”candyortreats.Peoplecanhavean allergytoalldifferenttypesoffood.

WeshouldalsorememberthatHalloweenhandoutsneednotbecandy.Stickers, bubblesandminiglowsticksareamongthemanythingsthatcanbegivenout bythosewhowanttoprovide100%food-allergen-freetreats.

LOUISIANA

FROM BAY TO BAYOU

Traveling photographer staysto capture Louisiana

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Documentary photographer Philip

Gould has traveled the world, captured numerous landscapes and arichvariety of people, butnowhere compares to the soul connectionhefeelsinsouth Louisiana. At the age of 20,San FranciscoBay Area native Gould found his futurebehindthe lens of acamera whenhis mombought one that, as he says, “wasn’t halfbad.”

“It was 1971. Icommandeereditand started taking pictures like crazy,” said Gould.

The new hobby led him to study journalism at alocal community college and aphotojournalism degree from SanJose State, knowing that he needed to make photography his career

“It spoke to me loudly,” he said Right out of college in 1974, Gould landed ajob in New Iberia taking picturesfor The Daily Iberian. The assignment turned out, for Gould, to be “the best first job a photographer could hope for.”

In atownwhere therewas little news, he had free rein to photograph anything

as long as readers enjoyed the pictures.

Gould says theopportunityinNew Iberia made allthe difference in acareer that hasspannedfive decades, multiple countries, several museum exhibitions and more than 20 books.

After ayear anda half in New Iberia, in 1976, Gould moved to Dallas to workat theDallas Times Herald. In 1978, the oak

trees, Spanish moss, waterways, music and people lured him back to Acadiana.

“I found that Louisiana had awonderful sense of rootedness,”Gould said, “in that people are from here —and not only that, their ancestors are from here.”

He says he liked that it was aFrench speaking area and that people had awonderful sense of humor here.

“I just somehow viscerally connected to Cajun culture,” he said.

Thatconnection led to his first book “Les Cadiens D’Asteur:Today’sCajuns,” which was released in 1980, and it became atraveling exhibit Sincethen, Gould’swork has been exhibited in the Field Museum of Natural History,the HilliardUniversity Art Museum, theLouisiana Art &Science Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Gould has created and co-authored 16 books that range from “Ghosts of Good Times,” about abandoned dance halls in southLouisianato“Bridging theMississippi,”a conclusive look at every bridge that crosses the Mississippi River—and contributed to many more.

His mostrecent project is “Louisiana from theSky,” which will be published by UL Press and available Dec.9

Long distance isn’tathing anymore —aside from international calls,which can be bypassedby any number of apps or online options

Even still, Iremember the first long-distance call Iever received as clear as abell. Iwas 14 and was outside playing basketball in the driveway with ahalf-dozen neighborhood kids

My mother threw open the front door and said, “Jan, you have along distance call!”

Everyone froze, unable to processthat someone would be calling one of our motley crew long distance.

Back then, along-distance call was validation. Seconds counted. Someone, somewherebeyond the city limits thought Iwas worth spending money to reach.

Afterwhat my mother said registered, Iran inside to the black phone hanging on the kitchen wall. Its long coiled cord stayed tangled. Iknew exactly how far Icould wander while talking on the phone.

“Hello,” Isaid, breathlessly. Aman from Roosevelt State Park in Morton, Mississippi, a whopping 15 miles away,was calling for me

He was calling about askateboarding contestfromthe summerbefore. He worked at the parkand remembered that Ihad won thecompetition the previous year —which is another story all together.(Ihad been the only girlinthe contestand had won againstatleast15young men, most of whom were well into their 20s.Itwas the stuff of dreams.)

ButIdigress. This man’sjob was to relay to me that parkadministrators had hoped Iwould return to defend my title.

Much like the legendary(in my own mind) skateboarding contestofthe previous summer, this was heady stuff.

Alas,Ihad ajob and had to work that Saturday.Iwas unable to join the skateboardcompetition again. Iremember that I wasn’t even verydisappointed. The long-distance phone call (witnessed by friends) was a sort of prizeinand of itself. Sitting in the newsroom, considering the difference in attitudes now about receiving phone calls,Ilooked around to the three 20-somethings whosit near my desk.

Ihad ahunch as to what the answer would be, but Iasked anyway

“Do y’all know about longdistance calls?” Isaid.

At 22, the youngestofthe trio said, “Do you mean alandline?” Iquickly realized that shehad no idea long-distance calls had ever been athing.

Another veteran journalist jumped in to help me explain. The 22-year-old was shocked that there used to be charges for calls based on the distance between two places

The other journalist and Iwent on to explain how much timing mattered with long-distance calls —along-distance call made in the middle of the day was high dollar

After5 p.m., the rates dropped and after midnight they dropped even further

We told her that in the not-sodistant history of cellphones, there were charges for roaming and other long-distance features —that if you traveled with your cellphone and called in another region, there were costs that went along with theconve-

Make every minute count ä See RISHER, page 2Y

PROVIDED PHOTO By PHILIP GOULD

Barrier reefs in Point AuxChien from the book ‘Louisiana from the Sky’

PROVIDED PHOTO By PHILIP GOULD

Philip Gould captures amoment of Louisiana culture at Fire and Water Fest.

PROVIDED PHOTO By COLIN GOULD

Photographer Philip Gould testing out adrone for his photography

ASK THE EXPERTS

Trombonist retrained his brain to play again

New Orleanian plays weekly despite developing focal dystonia after Katrina

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

New Orleanian Craig Klein is a Grammy-winning trombonist, educator and composer His influence spans over 200 recordings with legends like Dr John and the Neville Brothers, and he actively performs with top brass ensembles. Klein has championed brass band music on international stages and through media like the radio station WWOZ. His advocacy for musicians’ health has also encouraged more open conversations and resources around artist care. Klein struggled with focal dystonia, making trombone playing difficult, but he remains dedicated. In addition to playing weekly at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, he hosts jazz shows on WWOZ and advocates for the station. Tell me about yourself and your life in music in New Orleans. I grew up in Metairie. My inspiration comes from my uncle, who is my mom’s younger brother, Jerry He is seven years older than me and plays trombone. I came up watching him, admiring him, and I wanted to be just like him. We still play together in a brass band called The Storyville Stompers since 1981.

As I was growing up in the suburbs in the 1970s, we would go to the French Quarter as 15- and 16-year-old kids because Bourbon Street had good music going. It was jazz and blues.

I specifically remember coming out of Pat O’Brien’s with my friends, and Preservation Hall is right next to Pat O’s. In those days, they would open up the shutters so you could look through the old New Orleans-style glass windows and see what was going on.

I can still see it like it was yesterday. It was just so mesmerizing and magical. The window sits right behind the drums and the trombone player When I looked in, I thought it was a dream. I’d never really heard the music like that before, and so I left my friends. I stayed there and listened. Every time we would go back to the corner, I would go to that window and hear as many songs as I possibly could. And then sometimes, if I had an extra $3, I would pay the cover charge and go in and stand along that back wall. I thought it would be cool to

BAYOU

Continued from page 1y

The book offers a distinct perspective on the Bayou State as seen from overhead with drone photography This idea for the collection of overhead photos grew from his childhood in California, where he was used to seeing mountains and more dynamic landscapes.

The flatness of Louisiana had always lacked that kind of drama, or so he thought.

“I felt this void,” Gould said “My premise has been that you really can’t see Louisiana in its full glory and potential from the ground You have to put something up in the air — so the whole flat landscape spreads out before you, and you can see its true drama.”

When asked about his favorite subject to capture, Gould said that he loves photographing people living in amazing architecture.

He also said that he’s often inspired by unusual concepts that become full-scale projects like his early 2000s series on train stations in France, “Les Plus Belles Gares de France.”

‘He’s like our memory’ Mark Tullos, executive director at the LSU Museum of Art, met Gould in 2002 when in Lafayette

The first time he saw Gould, the photographer was standing on top of a 14-foot ladder at a festival, documenting Louisiana’s joie de vivre. Tullos was worried for Gould’s safety, but the photographer was undeterred.

“I remember meeting him soon after that,” Tullos said, “and I was having a conversation about the lengths he will go to get a marvel-

Q&A WITH CRAIG KLEIN GRAMMy-WINNING TROMBONIST, EDUCATOR AND COMPOSER

play there.

When Storyville Stompers started in ‘81, that’s when I started really chasing New Orleans music, after the Olympia brass band.

What is it like to play Preservation Hall?

It’s a dream come true. Preservation Hall started in 1961, and it’s still the best place in the world to hear traditional jazz.

It’s an honor and a privilege and an obligation to keep this music going for the elders.

Can you tell me about your experience with focal dystonia?

Focal dystonia only affects maybe 2% or 3% of musicians and normally it’s a muscle movement disorder Have you heard of the term “the yips” in sports? It’s like that, but with musical instruments.

The neurons in your brain become tangled, and the wiring becomes unwired. It happened after Hurricane Katrina. We had to move to Baton Rouge, and I started coming back to New Orleans to help musicians rebuild houses.

There was so much stress. The stress affects different people in different ways For me, I started noticing I couldn’t start a note.

I felt like something was happening. Then I started noticing more and more, “Man, something’s wrong on my chops. I can’t start this note, this passage. I’m really suddenly not so good.”

I knew I could play, but it just felt like my playing disappeared.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with I had never been more depressed in my life.

At some point, I went online, and focal dystonia pops up and it lists all of the symptoms. I’m going, check, check, check.

It affects different musicians.

For instance, like clarinetists or pianists, they get it in their fingers. Guitar players will sometimes get it in their fingers. It only

shows up when you have your instrument So for me, whenever I put the horn on my face, my chops would lock up.

I didn’t tell anybody except for my fellow trombone players, so they knew I had this. I was able to hide behind them in the band.

How did you eventually get help?

I started finding people I reached out to another horn player Dion Tucker in New York, and he helped me get some help.

One way to come out of this is you have to retrain your mind.

We already know we know how to play the instrument. We have to

rewire our brain. Neuroplasticity is what it is. So I had to almost relearn everything I’m thinking I’m probably about 75% there I took sessions with specialists over Zoom. They have taken me to a level that I never even thought I would even get to at some point. I work on it every single day.

Has this condition changed your relationship to music and performing?

I always appreciated (music) because I love it, but (focal dystonia) made me appreciate it even more. You just have to be able to play and to contribute to what this culture is.

When you lose something, and you love it, man, and when you have a chance to get it back, you appreciate it more than you can ever imagine

What is your relationship to WWOZ, and what does the jazz station mean to New Orleans?

Growing up, I didn’t own a lot of the records they were playing.

On Saturday, Big Mama Rankin had the traditional jazz show, and I would put her on the radio. I would get my horn out, and I would play along. And that’s how I learned a lot of music, by playing along with it.

In my beginning years, WWOZ played that important part of my career, teaching me the music. I wasn’t going to be able to go out and buy all of those records. It just couldn’t possibly be done It’s a very important resource for musicians.

I wanted to do a show on OZ. It was always on my bucket list. So, I started sitting in on the other DJ shows and watching and learning. And then they started calling me to sub.

The next thing you know, a Saturday morning slot is open. To now be a part of the OZ family, and to play music that I love it’s just a special thing for me. I feel like it’s almost full circle Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTO By PHILIP GOULD Raymond Manson prays under the Crescent City Connection.

ous capture, a marvelous image. And he’s a master of that. He’s a real visionary He’s in that same family of great artists like Fonville Winans and C.C. Lockwood.”

Tullos in his role back then as director of the Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette, used to take visitors to nearby zydeco clubs to hear local music, where he would often see Gould taking pictures.

“I remember so clearly going to festivals or different events that were important in Louisiana, and seeing Philip like this sort of ghost walking around with his camera,” said Tullos. “He’s like our memory,

he goes through gathering all these images — and then you go back to an exhibition (at a museum) later and you see an image. You go, ‘I remember that, and I remember that day.’” UL history professor Michael Martin says that Gould’s work goes beyond documenting. He says Gould’s photographs evoke and convey things that are easy to identify with even for those not from Louisiana or the United States, for that matter “He’s going beyond documenting. You can hear the music. You can feel the dance floor kind of

bouncing up and down. You can see the dust coming up off of the floor,” Martin said of Gould’s work. “You can look at his photographs and say, ‘You know what, I can kind of sense what it would be like to be there.’” Five decades in, Gould’s photographs often do more than record a moment — they remind the people of south Louisiana who they are. Through his lens, the ordinary becomes luminous, and the familiar turns timeless. Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1y

nience. She was amazed. As we talked, I could see how foreign “long distance” seemed to her To her, calls had always been free and endless. I remembered when they had been a currency of care. These days, we can FaceTime someone in Singapore for free, yet often feel thinner more disposable. There was something about knowing the seconds counted — the cost of the call made the words matter more. Perhaps we didn’t realize that we were rationing conversations, but I wonder if most of us chose words with more care because each minute ticked away like dropping money in a jar I don’t miss long-distance bills or busy signals. However, I do miss the magic that came with the phone ringing and having no idea who would be on the other end of the line but knowing it was someone who knew or had an important reason to be reaching out. How lovely to think of hearing my mother opening the front door and yelling, “Jan, you’ve got a long-distance call!” It all still matters.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By PRESERVATION HALL

Trombonist Craig Klein, front center, busks with other musicians in the French Quarter in the 1980s.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON

Craig Klein performs on the Gentilly Stage on April 29, 2016, during Jazz Fest in New Orleans

PROVIDED PHOTO By MOLLy REEVES Craig Klein and Kevin Louis recorded a tribute to Lucien Barbarin.

PROVIDED

LouisianaDigital Librarycontinues preservation work

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

In thebasement of the LSU Hill Memorial Library,down several hallways andpast roomswith desks full of papers and boxes and books, Gabe Harrell is at work scanning pages from journals written in the 1800s

“Right now,we’re working on this manuscriptcollection, the Capell family papers,” Harrell, the LSU Special Collections’ Digitization Lab Manager,explained.

“These are plantation recordsthat we are working on getting digitized and put in the digitallibrary once the new one is up andrunning.”

That library,the LouisianaDigital Library,isanextensive online archive of more than 350,000 items from libraries, museums andother repositories across the state. Accessible for free to anyone, itincludes manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, oral histories and other items.

It’snow undergoing an upgrade.

Gina Costello, LSU Libraries’ Associate Dean of Technology and Special Collections, said that a$190,320 grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents hasfunded anew microfilm scanner after the previous one stopped working.

“Wewere not going to beable to afford to replace it unlesswegot a grant, so this has been wonderful for us,” she said.

‘Freefor anyone to use’

The digital library started in 1999 and has grownextensively since its beginning, withmaterialsspanningcenturies.Scansof American Sugar Cane Leaguebulletins are interspersed withportraits of LSU students from1870, architectural drawings of university buildings, AscensionParish Libraryscrapbooksand audiorecordings of Cajun folktales.

Elisa Naquin, LSU Special Collections’ Metadata and Digital Strategies Librarian, said that whileLSU manages the software, institutions around the state can

contribute.

“Wemanage it, provide it for the state, and… it’sfree for anyone to use, anyone who has an internet connection, but also free for any institutioninthe statethatwants to contribute,”she said. “Itgives them aplatform to use, and then theydon’thave to purchase their own.”

Around 32 organizations have added to the library,including the HistoricNew Orleans Collection, East Baton Rouge Public Library Amistad Research Center and State Library of Louisiana. Beyond purchasing thenew microfilmscanner,Naquin saidthe fundsare also paying for asystem to host the digital library online.

“Wewereable to, withthe helpof this grant,purchaseareally nice sort of modern system that’s goingtobemoreuser-friendly,both for theinstitutions that contribute andalso forresearchers searching for materials,” she said. “I thinkit will both increase theamount of materials going intothe LDL, and I thinkit’llincrease access as well.”

Hundreds of years

The grant will be used to also digitize aspecific collection. Deep in the library’sarchives six floors of floor-to-ceiling shelves containing everything from miniaturebooks to maps —are large filingcabinets filledwith roughly 600 microfilm reelsofhandwrit-

tenpolice jury minutes. The minutes cover meetings in 60 parishes from 1811 to the1940s, and one reel of film covers between 500 and1,000 images.

“We’re probably going to do just about 150 (reels) to start out, and then it’llbea long-termproject,” Costello said. Yetthe LSU Special Collections maintains far more documents than thoseavailable online. Costello andHarrell explainedthatmany materials arefrequently usedby university classes, leading to them being prioritized fordigitization.

“Wehave an active instruction programwhere undergraduate andgraduate student classes come in,” Costello said. “They can handle

thematerials, andsometimesit’s thefirst time they’veseen things that are, you know,that old.”

TheCapellfamily papers are onesuchexample,withCostello stating that history and English classes frequently studythem. Beyond university use, the library also prioritizes itemsthatneed to be preserved in theface of decay or deterioration.

“Wewant to keep them for hundredsofyears to come,” shesaid. “Wewant them to be here when none of us arehere. That’s our mission.”

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gina Costello, Associate Dean of Technologyand Special Collections, looks

are goingtobedigitized viaa scanner at LSU Hill Memorial LibraryonSept. 18.

FAITH & VALUES

Tibetan Buddhist nunnery shifts gender norms

BY PRIYADARSHINI SEN Contributing writer

When Geshema Delek Wangmo was 12 years old and starting her Tibetan Buddhist journey, she joined her teacher on a pilgrimage.

The journey, which involved traveling on foot from the high-altitude town of Litang in the Kham region of Tibet to Lhasa in a valley of the Himalayas both spiritually significant locations in Tibetan Buddhism — required her to beg in villages, sleep in tents, embark on meditative practices and live with villagers who offered the monastics vegetables, butter, cheese and milk for their sustenance. A year-and-ahalf later the young nun traveled hundreds of miles, enduring harsh weather and terrain, to reach Kailash, a sacred mountain in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Now Wangmo, 44, is the first woman principal of a nunnery in north India’s Dharamshala, home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. In April, when the nonsectarian Dolma Ling Nunnery transitioned to female academic leadership for the first time in its three-decade history, it marked a radical shift in the landscape of Tibetan Buddhism in exile.

“If more women take on leadership roles in religion, there’ll be a spurt in positive thinking, compassion and quality of education,” said Wangmo, who came to the nunnery in 1990.

Along with two senior nuns in charge of the nunnery’s administration, Wangmo is showing more than 270 nuns from various lineages what’s possible for women in religion today

“Geshema has gone through many hardships and understands the inner world of nuns,” said 30-year-old Tenzin Dolma, who arrived at the nunnery five years ago from a Tibetan refugee settlement in Kathmandu, Nepal. “She’s inspiring younger nuns to think big and aim high.”

Nestled in the foothills of the Lesser Himalayas and surrounded by the snow-capped Dhauladhar peaks, the Dolma Ling Nunnery’s compact red and white buildings, set around a central courtyard, was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama

in 2005. Surrounded by lush, landscaped flower and vegetable gardens, Wangmo urges the nuns to apply Buddhist principles in their daily lives. In their classrooms dedicated to studying Buddhist philosophy, dialectics, Tibetan language and ritual arts, she instructs them on the spiritual development of the community.

“In traditional society, female monastics prayed and recited from holy scriptures,” said Nangsa Chodon, director of the Tibetan Nuns Project, a nonprofit based in Seattle and Dharamshala that supports refugee nuns from Tibet and India’s Himalayan regions. “But now, the Dalai Lama is helping nuns become leaders in their own nunneries.”

From the late 1980s to early 2000s, many Tibetans who had been marginalized through occupation escaped on foot over the Himalayas to Dharamshala. Many feared torture and persecution like their forefathers faced between 1949 and 1950, when independent Tibet was invaded by China. In exile, many Tibet-

ans wanted to practice Buddhism, the religion woven into the fabric of their society, influencing their daily routines and worldview

“Initially it was just survival for the nuns and monks who fled to India,” said Venerable Ngawang Palmo, who is in charge of the nunnery’s administration. “But now, education is being emphasized so that it fosters equality in the monastic community and beyond.”

For nuns, the Geshema degree is the highest academic title, awarded after 17 years of studying five great canonical texts of Tibetan Buddhism. The degree — which allows nuns to receive public recognition as teachers and leaders in the Buddhist world — was first approved for women in 2012, previously only available to monks. Four years later, 20 nuns were recognized as Geshema by the Dalai Lama, who many credit for allowing women to take on leadership and teaching roles previously reserved for monks.

“Now with women in leadership roles, the monastic community has been infused with fresh energy,”

said Gyurmey Dorjey, a monk who has been teaching Buddhist philosophy at Dolma Ling for 18 years.

Dorjey attributes the shift to the Tibetan Nuns Project’s founding director, Rinchen Khando Choegyal.

A founding member of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Dalai Lama’s sister-in-law, Choegyal promoted social, political and economic equality among Tibetans in exile and is credited with informing the international community about the plight of Tibetan refugees, Dorjey said. At Dolma Ling, she encouraged the nuns to grow as scholars, teachers and administrators.

“Her visionary mindset has helped 23 nuns become Geshemas since 2016,” said Wangmo, who received her degree in 2017.

Wangmo often serves as a kind of guide mother and adviser at the nunnery In a life dominated by the ideal of selfless service to others and the pursuit of spiritual truth, nuns often face inner struggles and psychological distresses navigating strict routines and basic living conditions, loss of personal autonomy,

and dealing with interpersonal conflicts within the community

“Males are more ego-driven while women lead with their heart,” said Tashi Yangzon, a 35-year-old nun from Ladakh who made Dolma Ling her home in 2010. “With our new female leadership, younger nuns will be more comfortable opening up about their struggles.”

Yangzon said it will take time for nuns to fully embrace women’s leadership. Even though Buddha’s teachings emphasize spiritual equality — that men and women are equally capable of achieving nirvana male leadership has dominated nunneries due to hierarchical structures and monastic restrictions placing monks in positions of authority

“Even for women to accept this complete upturning of structure isn’t easy,” Yangzon said. “It’s a revolutionary act because nuns so far were required to show deference to monks.”

The three nuns’ leadership tenure will last three years, after which either a committee will nominate the next leaders or there will be a communitywide election, according to the Tibetan Nuns Project.

“This leadership change is critical,” said Tsering Norbu, a male English teacher at Dolma Ling. “It will even help nuns step up at oldage homes, orphanages and other institutions.”

In its core philosophical studies, debate sessions and projects like tailoring and tofu making, some see a shift in the nuns’ confidence at Dolma Ling.

“The change shows how capable women are at managing entire communities,” said Tenzin Palkyi, coordinator of the Tibetan Nuns Project in Dharamshala. “This not only breaks a set pattern, but also the belief that female leadership is an exception.”

When the workload overwhelms Wangmo, she said she reminds herself of Buddha’s compassion and his deep and unwavering care for the suffering of all sentient beings.

“If we have compassion, we can see problems clearly,” Wangmo said. “But on difficult days when even compassion seems hard, I remind myself about the need for good action.”

Iowa monks protect forest while crafting caskets

Federal funds help them and others do more

BY OLIVIA COHEN Staff writer

The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Editor’s note: This story, created by Olivia Cohen for Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world Whirring saws and buzzing power sanders can be heard from the New Melleray Abbey as Trappist monks craft wooden caskets between communal prayer calls The wood for the caskets comes from the abbey’s property, about 1500 acres of hardwood forest — the second largest, privately-owned timberland in the state less than 10 miles from Dubuque’s city limits. The business, Trappist Caskets, launched in 1999 and brings in about $5 million in revenue each year Rather than profit, the monks’ work is driven by their desire to work with their hands and give back to their community and the earth in their lifetime, said Sam Mulgrew, a layperson who manages Trappist Caskets. To that end, the abbey has long prioritized forest conservation as part of their business.

“We’re really focused on trying to create a genetically diverse ecosystem out there,” Mulgrew said. “And when that ecosystem can provide us material for caskets, only then do we (harvest) it.”

Now, more than 25 years after the business launched, the monastery is getting some help with their conservation work.

The U.S. Forest Service which is housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture — awarded the New Melleray Abbey over $3 million to protect their land indefinitely from development

The funds are part of the Forest

Legacy Program, which works to support the permanent conservation of environmentally important forests across the country

So far in 2025, the program has supported more than 259,000 acres of private and economically important forested areas across 18 states.

John Schroeder, the abbey’s fulltime forester, said forestry and monastery labor work well together because they are both focused on the long term.

It “makes forestry a natural fit for the Trappists,” he said.

Forest Legacy Program

In the 1980s, New Englanders worried about losing access to privately owned but publicly accessible forestlands due to development

In response, in 1990, Congress established the Forest Legacy Program to preserve privately owned forested areas across the country.

A majority of U.S. forestland is privately held, particularly in the eastern part of the country In 1996, Congress amended the program to allow states to participate, too.

The program provides grants which can be used to purchase land for preservation or to put forestland into an easement, a legal agreement that prohibits a landowner from developing the land.

Aron Flickinger works as a forestry program specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, where he oversees the Forest Legacy Program for Iowa.

The program is federally funded and is administered individually by each state, Flickinger said. He said it is up to each state to identify and assist landowners who are willing to participate.

Oftentimes, he said, woodland owners put their land in the program to ensure it is safe from commercial development or urban sprawl and to maintain healthy forest. Program participants can still log their land as part of their management.

“Keeping (forests) natural, that means they’re more easily managed for timber, but also managed for wildlife habitat,” Flickinger said. “Really that depends on the owner’s goals.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By NICK ROHLMAN

Brother Joseph cuts wood to size for the frame of a casket’s lid at the New Melleray Abbey, a Trappist monastery near Dubuque, Iowa, on Sept.

8. The abbey’s monks work alongside lay people to assemble caskets using timber from the abbey’s forestland.

He said the monastery project was selected because of how “unusual” it is; the land plot is large and close to Dubuque’s city limits.

“The threat of selling off 40 acres to a developer and turning that into a housing unit is real in that area,” he said.

Another Iowa project received funding, too. About 60 miles northwest of Des Moines, the state received nearly $1.5 million to expand an existing wildlife management area. The state will purchase about 250 acres of land to add to the Saylorville Wildlife Management Area in the Des Moines River Valley

The project will provide three new public access points to the wildlife area for hunting, trapping, hiking and camping, which is estimated to add about $5 million to Boone County’s economy annually, according to grant materials.

Outside of Iowa, 21 additional conservation and forestry projects were funded this year under the Forest Legacy Program.

A lumber company has received $10.2 million to put over 20,000 acres of forested land across Montana, Idaho and Washington into an easement that will preserve wildlife habitat and connect timberlands that help sustain regional

mills. The property will be permanently accessible to the public for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking and snowmobiling.

Oklahoma has been allotted $15.9 million to acquire 11,333 acres of land to establish Oklahoma’s first state forest, the Musket Mountain State Forest.

Arkansas has been allocated $7 million to protect over 11 miles of streams that feed into the drinking water supply for 500,000 people.

The money will pay for 3,471 acres to create a contiguous forested conservation corridor from central Arkansas to Oklahoma.

In Mississippi, $435,000 was allocated for an easement protecting 270 acres of privately held longleaf pine savanna within the borders of the De Soto National Forest. Trappist caskets

Forested hills and creeks stretch across the monastery’s 1500 acre property

The monks grow apples, peaches and mushrooms on a portion of the land. But the majority of it is diligently managed hardwood forest. Mulgrew said many different tree species grow in the forest but the monks use the wood from pine, black cherry, walnut and red oak

trees to make the caskets. He said that they also grow white oak, both hard and soft maple, ash and hickory trees.

They harvest by various methods. One approach Schroeder likes is to rip up soil under a stand of oak trees that have dropped acorns, thereby helping the seeds root, then to harvest the trees above. He’s also clear cut and done large overstory harvests of the forest, where the tallest trees were removed from a stand. He always actively manages replanting.

“I planted over 800 seedlings per acre on any of the harvests that we do,” Schroeder said. “In the next couple of years, I will be going in to look at one of our clear cuts, our overstory removal harvest, to start weeding out trees and to try and get specific oak species to move up through the canopy.”

Brother Joseph, who doesn’t use a last name as part of his religious vows, works in the monastery’s gardens and helps with casket making. He said each time a casket is sold they plant a symbolic tree. If they have a surplus of one kind of wood, the monks make sure there is a use for it and it doesn’t go to waste.

During the COVID pandemic they started installing 300 foot buffers — strips of permanent vegetation that slow water runoff by filtering out sediments, nutrients and pesticides — along creeks on their property to clean the water that runs off agricultural land. Schroeder said the buffer will help curb erosion along the creek, as well.

“The forest here is managed in a way that costs a lot more in terms of cost of goods because of the amount of expense that we put into our forest,” Mulgrew said.

With the Forest Legacy Program funding, the monastery will put their property into an easement, permanently prohibiting development on the land. Back at the workshop, the monks put the finishing touches on each casket, polishing the wood and adding metal handles. They bless each casket before sending it to families all over the world. They make cremation urns, as well.

PROVIDED PHOTO By PRIyADARSHINI SEN

Buddhist nuns prepare during evening prayers and meditation at the Dolma Ling Nunnery in Dharamshala, India, Sept. 1.

SUNDAY, OctOber 26, 2025

CURTIS /byRay Billingsley

SLYLOCKFOX / by BobWeber Jr

GET FUZZY / by DarbyConley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE/ by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM /byMikePeters

ZIGGY / by TomWilson

ZITS / by JerryScott and JimBorgman

SALLYFORTH / by FrancescoMarciuliano &Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a2-to7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add pointsof each word, using scoring directions at right.Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” usedas any letterhave no point value All thewords are in theOfficial SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary,5th Edition.

Axy DL BAA xR iS LO NgFELLOW One letterstands foranother.inthis sample, Aisusedfor the three L’s, xfor the twoO’s,etc.Single letters, apostrophes, the lengthand formation of the words are allhints. Eachday the code letters are different.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by theaddition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are notallowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are notallowed.

todAY's Word —PercePtiVe: per-SEPtiv:Discerning or observant.

Average mark 29 words

Time limit 60 minutes Canyou find 55 or more words in PERCEPTIVE?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

Back and forth

North couldn’t help but bid a slam after South opened the bidding. South had a dead minimum, however, and slam was a tricky proposition.

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: “BIRD” NAMES

Identify the person with a name containing the name of a bird. (e.g., He was known as “The Red Eminence.” Answer: Cardinal Richelieu.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1. Comedian who played an alien on “Mork & Mindy.”

Answer________

2. Singer actor and onetime partner of Jerry Lewis.

Answer________

3. Comedian who was the host of “The Tonight Show” from 1992-2009.

Answer________

The first sight of dummy told South that he only had nine top tricks and he needed three more. The club suit had a reasonable chance for development, needing a 3-3 split or for East to hold the queen. That would only give him two extra tricks, however, and he needed three, so he decided to play on hearts first. He won the opening spade lead in hand with the king and led a low heart toward the dummy West had to play low or South would have four heart tricks, and dummy’s queen won the trick. Had East held the king, South would have needed a 3-3 heart split. South still needed a 3-3 heart split if he continued playing on hearts, but the club suit, with the extra chance of East holding the queen, now became a better chance. South led a low club from the dummy and East hopped up with queen South won the spade continuation

with dummy’s ace and led a club to his jack. When both opponents followed suit, he could claim his slam. Two spade tricks, two heart tricks, four diamonds, and four clubs. Well played!

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

SCORPIO (Oct.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec 21) Size up whatever situation you face. If it isn’t necessary to form alliances, you are best to work alone. Create a space you can call your own and pursue the journey and destination you desire CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep your thoughts and emotions to yourself. No one will understand your reasoning or your need to head in the direction you choose. Less conflict, greater gain and satisfaction will come with independence. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention to how you feel, look and what you can do to ensure a healthy future. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or down a path that is emotionally, financially or physically excessive. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Check options, see what makes sense and pursue your objective. Don’t buy into someone else’s dream or overpay for something you want. Stay focused and reasonable, and pursue your dreams.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Emotions will be close to the surface. It’s essential to stick to the facts and verify information. Be willing to help others, but refuse to let anyone take advantage of you or what you can offer TAURUS (April 20-May 20) An opportunity to partner with someone or to work from home looks promising. Trust your instincts and check out what you need to do to reach your expectations.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Reach out; participate in a function that addresses something that concerns you. An opportunity to discuss pos-

4. He starred in “Hogan’s Heroes.” Answer________

5. She was known as “The Lady with the Lamp.” Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. English architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Answer________ 7. Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Her songs include “Soak Up the Sun.”

sibilities will be informative and profitable. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You’ve got your finger on the pulse, and you’re ready to optimize your talents and excel in ways you never thought possible.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep your eye on what’s happening around you. Not everyone will be trustworthy or out to help you. Be ready and willing to take the initiative and to do the work yourself if you want to make progress.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Listen carefully, and don’t hesitate to do your own thing. Working under the con-

fines of what others want will not get you where you want to go. Size up the competition. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Focus on home and yourself, and it will help you look and feel your best. Take steps to disclose the necessary information to achieve your objectives. A move or lifestyle change will deliver the boost you need to advance.

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

goren Bridge

Answers to puzzles

1. Robin Williams. 2. Dean Martin. 3. Jay Leno. 4. Bob Crane. 5. Florence Nightingale. 6. Christopher Wren.7.Sheryl Crow. 8. Peter Finch. 9. Ryan Gosling.10. Taylor Swift. 11. Robert Falcon Scott.12. Howard Hawks 13.JamesMcNeil Whistler.14. DennisWeaver 15. Wesley Snipes.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue. —IchabodCrane, "SleepyHollow"

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend

dustin /bySteve Kelley&JeffParker