The Acadiana Advocate 11-02-2025 by The Advocate

Landmark forsale

Ownerisselling historic HotelCazan in Mamou

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

The HotelCazan in Mamou

hosts Mardi Gras celebrations, paranormal investigations, Pride parties and gatherings of all kinds, in this little Cajun city’s only hotel. Mamou is avillage of about 3,000 people, and thousands more descend annually from all over the world —drawn by the opportunity to experience authentic Cajun prairieculture, chase Mardi Gras chickens, and visit the legendary Fred’sLounge, which is just up the street from the hotel.

OwnerValerie Cahill has operated the hotel for the past 10 years,but its history stretches to the early 1900s, when the building at 508 Maple St. was constructed as abank. Local politician and sheriff FrankCazan Fontenot turned the propertyinto ahotelinthe 1950s, and today

artifacts from each era of the building canbefound in every corner The building’sbar,previously thebanklobby,stands ready to serve drinks or host events. An old malt shop is connected through interior hallways, and the ’50s era

serving counter inside brings back memories of an earlier age. The boutique hotel’s17 rooms, with bathrooms, are all decorated with themes thatrange from nauticalto spooky Lovers of paranormalactivity frequently come to Ho-

telCazan to hunt ghosts and conduct investigations. The resident ghost canusually be found on theupstairs landing, according to Cahill, whosaid it’sasolitaryman who is often observed by guests. She has not seen residents of the spirit world at the hotel herself.

“Wehave investigations here all the time, and people have apps on their phone where youcan look for ghosts. It surprised me to pieces,because allofa sudden people were on their apps, and theysaid, ‘You have aghost in room nine.’ Iwas like, ‘What?’” said thehotel’s energeticproprietor,who frequently travels to Mamou from her home in St. Francisville to oversee the property Anthony Bourdainhas also stayed in the Hotel Cazan —itwas oneofthe stopson the food star’stour of Cajun

Landry embracingfast, bluntstyle

Woodward’s ouster setinmotionby governor’s comments

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

After ﬁringLSU football coach

Brian Kelly on Sunday,athletic directorScott Woodwardbegan preparing to ﬁnd his successor —until Gov.Jeff Landrymade asurprise announcement.

Answering aquestion at anews conference on an unrelated sub-

ject,Landry brought up Woodward’s 2021 hiringofKelly,saying it was a“terrible contract” that left the university on the hook for nearly $54 million for the remaining years As aresult, Landry said, the LSU Board of Supervisors, not Woodward, would choose Kelly’s successor “I can tell youright now,Scott Woodward is not selecting thenext coach,” Landry said. “Hell, I’ll let

Donald Trumpselect it before Ilet himdoit.”

Scott Ballard, theLandry-appointed chair of the board, expressed surprise at the governor’s announcement when aWBRZ-TV reporter asked for his reaction.

“Well then, Ibetter get to it!” he saidashewas leaving the interview Landrykept up his attacks on

Schools leader straddles policy, politics

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

This is Cade Brumley in his element.

Louisiana’sstate superintendent of education parks his Ford Expedition outside arural elementary school.Hegreetsaschooldistrict official and asks about his wife, then strides into a conference room cro wded with school anddistrict administrators. He leadsa lively and wide-ranging discussion on ahost of education shoptalk, speaking aboutmath instruction, tutoring and teacher certiﬁcation with an expert’sacumen anda communicator’sclarity

Then Brumley,aformer teacher and principal, tours afew classroomswhere students use the mathflashcardshehad shipped to every elementary school. “This is where themagical work is happening,” he tells school staffers on his way out. “I can’tthank you enough.”

Theschoolvisittookplace in early October.Several months earlier, in April, Brumley,was on adifferent, morepublic stage —the guest on atalk show hosted by Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, athink tank that opposes same-sex marriage and “LGBTQ indoctrination” in schools. There Brumley discussed the social issues roiling manystates and local districts, and said schools must “reject radical ideologies.”

“Schools don’tneed to be for indoctrination,”hesaid, addingthat students should be taught to read, do mathand “love their country.”

ä See BRUMLEY, page 4A

ä See LANDRY, page 5A

ä See HOTEL, page 4A

STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIE WESTBROOK

The Hotel Cazan in Mamou is being sold by itsowner.The owner has operated the hotel for thepast 10 years, but its history stretches to the early 1900s.

Hotel Cazan owner Valerie Cahill stands at thetop of the stairs Tuesday in Mamou.

Woodward

Brumley

ä Inside the downfall of Brian Kelly at LSU. SPORTS 1C

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff LandryspeaksWednesdayduring anewsconferenceatthe State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

9 dead, dozens injured in surge at Hindu temple

NEW DELHI A crowd surge at a popular Hindu temple in southern India left at least nine people dead and dozens injured, local authorities said Saturday

The incident occurred at the Swamy Venkateswara Temple in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh state where hundreds of devotees had gathered to mark one of Hinduism’s sacred days, Ekadashi, senior police ofﬁcer K.V Maheswra Reddy told The Associated Press.

On this day, the devotees fast and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu, a key Hindu deity

An initial investigation suggests that an iron grille meant to maintain the queue of worshippers at the temple broke, leading to the uncontrolled crowd surge, Reddy said.

Of the deceased, eight are women and one is a child, senior local government ofﬁcial Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said. He added that at least 16 devotees injured in the crowd surge are being treated at a local hospital while 20 others are in a state of shock and put under observation at a different hospital.

State authorities in Andhra Pradesh said the location was a private temple on 12 acres of land and wasn’t under the control of the government administration. Despite its maximum capacity of 3,000 the crowd swelled to around 25,000 on Saturday

Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively officially tossed

Justin Baldoni’s defamation claim against co-star Blake Lively and his libel lawsuit against The New York Times have ofﬁcially been thrown out.

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ on Friday Judge Lewis Liman entered a ﬁnal judgment to the earlier dismissal of the multimillion-dollar suits. Baldoni can potentially appeal the dismissal pending Liman’s ruling on attorney’s fees.

The New York judge in June tossed Baldoni’s $400 million suit against Lively, husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as his $250 million ﬁling against The Times for its December exposé titled, “‘We Can Bury Anyone:’ Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”

Lively at the time accused Baldoni of having sexually harassed her on the set of their film and of waging a retaliatory PR campaign. Baldoni responded by ﬁling a countersuit alleging defamation, in addition to his suit against the Times for its coverage of Lively’s claims. Baldoni’s filing against The Times asserted the deep-dive was “rife with inaccuracies (and) misrepresentations,” which drew signiﬁcantly from Lively’s “self-serving narrative.” He accused the paper of relying on “ ‘cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead.”

However, Liman found that Lively was not liable for her claims because the allegations originated in a civil rights complaint The New York Times — having based its story on the “available evidence” and Lively’s initial complaint — was also not liable, Liman ruled, saying it had “no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events.”

November’s supermoon will be closest of year

NEW YORK The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday night during the closest supermoon of the year

The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle, so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA. November’s supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest: The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles of Earth

Tides may be slightly higher during a supermoon because the moon is closer to Earth, said astronomer Lawrence Wasserman with Lowell Observatory But the difference isn’t very noticeable.

Pope declares new church doctor

Honor bestowed on St. John Henry Newman

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on

Saturday bestowed one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors on St. John Henry Newman, the deeply influential 19th-century British convert and theologian, declaring him a doctor of the church and holding him up as a model for Catholic educators.

Only 37 other people have been given the title “doctor” in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Newman now joins the ranks of such monumental Christian ﬁgures as St. Augustine, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross.

The title recognizes that Newman, beloved in both the Anglican and Catholic churches, has universal appeal and made a timeless, eminent contribution to understanding the Christian faith.

A theologian and poet raised in the Church of England, Newman is best known for his writings and sermons on the development of doctrine, truth and the nature of a university He is admired by conservatives and progressives alike, because he followed his conscience at great personal cost when he decided to convert to Catholicism in 1845.

Leo pronounced Newman a church doctor on Saturday during a special Holy Year Mass for Catholic teachers and students, during

which he also declared Newman a co-patron of Catholic education, alongside St. Thomas Aquinas.

It was particularly ﬁtting: It was Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who made Newman a Catholic cardinal after his conversion, and it was the earlier Leo who declared Aquinas a doctor of the church and patron of Catholic education.

Leo’s decision to hold out Newman as a model for Catholic educators suggests that Catholic teaching will be a priority for him going forward, especially as he emphasizes the ethical use of artiﬁcial intelligence for future generations.

Last week, Leo penned a new document that cited Newman in his call for Catholic schools to be places for spiritual growth and community, and where the use of technology always keeps human

dignity front and center

In his homily, Leo quoted from Newman’s most famous text, the British hymn “Lead, Kindly Light,” to urge that Catholic educators “shine like stars in the world” in the collective search for truth.

“The task of education is precisely to offer this Kindly Light to those who might otherwise remain imprisoned by the particularly insidious shadows of pessimism and fear,” he said. “We are called to form people, so that they may shine like stars in their full dignity.”

The Rev George Bowen, the postulator who oversaw Newman’s canonization and designation as a doctor, said Newman too was confronted with the 19th-century equivalent of the information age, when cheap periodicals were readily available and reading rates shot

up Newman insisted on the need for a holistic liberal education that included Catholic theology, but also focused on students and teachers interacting in a relational way in the quest for truth and knowledge, he said.

“Suddenly, the world was swimming with information,” Bowen told reporters. “So Newman’s ways of coping with this huge ocean of knowledge and making sense of it, having a connected view, is something very, very relevant today.”

When Newman defected from the Church of England to the Catholic Church in 1845, he lost friends, work and even family ties, believing the truth he was searching for could only be found in the Catholic faith. And yet even today, Newman remains beloved in the Church of England. His hymns were sung last week in the Sistine Chapel when King Charles III prayed alongside Leo in the historic ecumenical service.

Several important Anglican leaders wrote to the Vatican supporting his designation as a church doctor, and the Anglican archbishop of York was invited to participate in Saturday’s service. It featured the hymn, “Lead, Kindly Light,” which remains a ﬁxture of Anglican services.

“Newman is a big ecumenical figure in the sense that he owes his faith to his upbringing in the Church of England,” Bowen said. St. John Paul II declared Newman venerable in 1991, in the ﬁrst step to possible sainthood; Pope Benedict XVI beatiﬁed him during a 2010 visit to Birmingham, England; Pope Francis canonized him in 2019 with Charles in the audience, and now Leo declared him a church doctor

Ukraine says it hit key fuel pipeline near Moscow

BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Ukrainian forces hit an important fuel pipeline in the Moscow region that supplies the Russian army, Ukraine’s military intelligence said Saturday as Russia kept up a sustained campaign of massive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The operation was carried out late Friday, according to a statement on the Telegram messaging channel The agency, which is known by its acronym HUR, described it as a “serious blow” to Russia’s military logistics.

HUR said its forces struck the Koltsevoy pipeline, which spans

250 miles and supplies the Russian army with gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from reﬁneries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow

The operation, which targeted infrastructure near Ramensky district, destroyed all three fuel lines, HUR said.

The pipeline was capable of transporting up to 3 million tons of jet fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel and 1.6 million tons of gasoline annually HUR said.

“Our strikes have had more impact than sanctions,” said Kyrylo Budanov, the head of HUR, referring to international sanctions on Russia imposed over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday claimed its

forces defeated a team of Ukrainian special forces that were rushed to the eastern front-line hot spot of Pokrovsk in a bid to stop Russian troops from pushing farther into the city

It later posted videos showing two men it said were Ukrainians who surrendered in the embattled city The videos show the men, one dressed in fatigues and the other in a dark green jacket, sat against a peeling wall in a dark room, as they speak of ﬁerce ﬁghting and encirclement by Russian forces

The videos’ authenticity could not be independently veriﬁed, and there was no immediate public comment from Kyiv on the Russian ministry’s claims.

Russia and Ukraine have pre-

Israel says latest remains handed over from Gaza aren’t of hostages

BY RENATA BRITO Associated Press

JERUSALEM — The remains of three people Hamas handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza do not belong to any hostages, Israel said Saturday, in the latest setback to the U.S.brokered ceaseﬁre in the Israel-Hamas war

The handover followed Israel’s return on Friday of the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza, which completed an exchange after militants turned over remains of two hostages earlier in the week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ofﬁce conﬁrmed that the remains of the three people did not belong to hostages. It was unclear who the remains belonged to.

Hamas’ armed wing said it had offered to hand over samples on Friday of unidentiﬁed bodies but Israel refused and asked for the remains for examination.

“We handed the bodies over to stop the claims of Israel,” the statement said Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits.

Since the ceaseﬁre took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 17 hostages. Eleven remain in Gaza. Militants have released one or two bod-

ies every few days Israel has urged faster progress. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation and Israeli military presence in some areas. Israel has been releasing the unidentified remains of 15 Palestinians for the remains of each Israeli hostage. The number of Palestinian bodies returned by Israel since the ceasefire began now stands at 225. Only 75 have been identified by families according to Gaza’s Health Ministry

It is unclear if those returned were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that sparked the war, died in Israeli custody as detainees or were recovered from Gaza by troops during the war

The fragile truce faced

its biggest challenge earlier this week when Israel carried out strikes across Gaza that killed more than 100 people, following the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city Jordan’s foreign minister warned Saturday that Israel maintaining a military presence in Gaza puts the ceaseﬁre at risk.

Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security summit, Ayman Safadi added it was “imperative” to have a Palestinian police force maintaining security, supported by an international stabilization force with a U.N. Security Council mandate.

Multiple nations have shown interest in taking part in a peacekeeping force but called for a clear U.N. mandate before committing troops.

sented conﬂicting accounts of what is happening in Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the eastern Donetsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed last week that his forces had encircled the city’s Ukrainian defenders.

But Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Saturday that while the situation in Pokrovsk remains “hardest” for Ukrainian forces, who are trying to push Russian troops out of the city there is no encirclement or blockade as Moscow has maintained.

A key goal for Moscow has been to take all of Ukraine’s industrial heartland of Donbas, made up of the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. Kyiv still controls about one-tenth of the coal-rich region.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDREW MEDICHINI

Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass with participants in the Jubilee of the Educational World on the Solemnity of All Saints in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA Tents fill a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in Zawaida, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday.

In his ﬁve years as Louisiana’s education chief, Brumley, 44, has navigated the two overlapping — but distinct realms of education policy and education politics he encountered in that rural school and on that political talk show As a career educator steeped in policy, he’s driven improved student outcomes. As a public ofﬁcial in a conservative state, he’s demonstrated a knack for the politics around education and the ever-roiling culture wars.

Under his leadership, formerly back-of-the-pack Louisiana has shot up in national rankings, with its fourth graders leading the country in reading growth, while Brumley has notched major policy wins, including literacy reforms, a statewide tutoring program and stricter school accountability He’s now setting out to achieve in math what he accomplished in reading.

Students’ rising scores and Brumley’s conservative political stances — opposing protections for transgender students, rejecting diversity programs and endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to shutter the U.S. Department of Education have elevated his national profile, made him a plausible contender to be Trump’s education secretary and attracted the attention of leading Republicans, including the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who Brumley said reached out to discuss “the future of American education.”

Still, Brumley is viewed less as a partisan combatant than an amicable policy wonk and even-keeled executive, according to interviews with 20 current and former state officials, district leaders, advocates and others who have worked with or observed Brumley closely throughout his career He has managed to find common ground with business groups and teachers unions, Democratic and Republican governors, reformers and traditionalists.

“He’s good at working with people,” said Frederick Hess, a center-right education pundit. “He’s not an ideologue.”

Yet at times, advocates argue, Brumley’s political instincts have appeared to drive his decision-making, as when he dismantled an equity ofﬁce he had established or promoted videos produced by a right-wing media company for classroom use.

“In the past few years, I think he’s allowed the political climate to impact the type of leader he is,” said Tramelle Howard, Louisiana

state director of Education Trust, a left-leaning advocacy group. Despite the impressive academic gains, Brumley has acknowledged that student scores remain low, absenteeism is high, racial gaps are stubbornly wide and a slate of math reforms are just getting started.

The question before him is whether he can tackle those challenges and push Louisiana schools to the next level while navigating the job’s political currents.

“My role is one that lives in state and national politics,” Brumley said “My job is to get better outcomes for kids.”

Leader who ‘got it done’

Before that October school visit, Brumley began his day in the usual way — on his knees, praying for the state’s students. Then he hopped in his SUV, radio tuned to a station playing Billy Graham sermons, and headed to the Louisiana Department of Education’s Baton Rouge ofﬁces.

A six-time marathon runner, he climbed the stairs to his fifth-floor office overlooking the state Capitol. He fielded a call from Gov Jeff Landry about a truancy program, met with state higher education officials, then checked in with his math, literacy, attendance and artificial intelligence leadership teams. Leaning forward in his chair, red pen in hand as he posed clarifying questions, he called to mind a school principal.

“What are you struggling with right now?” he asked a deputy who oversees AI work. “Is there anything you need from me?”

Brumley grew up in Converse, a village of about 400 residents an hour south of Shreveport, the son of a school cafeteria worker and a police ofﬁcer School was the vehicle for his ambition.

“I come from a very humble family,” he said. “I was very aware that education was my ticket to the middle class.”

After college, he returned to Converse High School as a social studies teacher and coach. Under his leadership, the girls’ basketball team made it to the state playoffs for the ﬁrst time in over a decade.

“He came in and turned the program around,” said Emily Anderson, 35, who was on the team. “Because he was so motivated and driven, it helped us ﬁnd that in ourselves.”

Brumley rose quickly from the classroom to district leadership In 2012, he became superintendent of DeSoto Parish, a small district of nine schools and about 5,000 students with a budget crisis so severe it was on the verge of not making payroll Brumley had to cut costs and created

a plan that included layoffs and school closures. When he presented it at the School Board meeting, local law enforcement insisted he wear a bulletproof vest.

He weathered the storm, partly by cultivating relationships in the parish’s Black community By the time he left, graduation rates were up, suspensions were down and the district had earned its ﬁrst-ever “A” state rating.

“He was not a loud or a ﬂashy kind of a guy at all,” said Dudley Glenn, a longtime DeSoto School Board member, “but he got it done.”

In 2018, Brumley took the top job in Jefferson Parish, whose enrollment is 10 times the size of DeSoto’s There he led a successful campaign to boost teacher pay through a tax hike by rallying business and teachers union leaders behind the cause.

When state Superintendent of Education John White stepped down in 2020 after eight years in the role, the state Board of Education decided, after two inconclusive rounds of voting, to give Brumley the job.

Critics had cast him as a champion of the education establishment, but he soon defied those expectations. He pushed for looser COVID-19 restrictions and stricter school accountability putting him at odds with teachers unions, superintendents and then-Gov John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who had celebrated Brumley’s selection.

Then he scored a major victory — a literacy campaign that earned national praise and is credited with helping raise students’ reading scores. Working with lawmakers, he developed a package of bills rooted in research-based practices known as the “science of reading.” He teamed up with an advocacy group to establish a statewide tutoring program for struggling readers, which he helped convince the Legislature to fund. And his agency provided schools with on-the-ground support to effectively enact the changes.

“You’re partnering with the people closest to the

work versus just giving policy directives,” said St. Charles Parish schools Superintendent Ken Oertling, adding that such support was “lacking under previous superintendents.”

When Landry, a Trumpaligned Republican, ran for governor in 2023, Brumley said he secured his blessing: “He was like, ‘Cade, if I win man, I’m going to support you.’ ” It was a shrewd political move, since the governor appoints three of the 11 board of education members, but it also reflected their shared views.

“Philosophically, we’re very aligned on basic issues,” Brumley said.

Landry introduced LA GATOR, a private school voucher program like those embraced by Trump and many Republican-led states. Public school supporters fiercely opposed the program, but Brumley championed it, saying that giving parents tax dollars to pay for private school tuition advances “educational freedom.”

While many public school educators were upset, Brumley also advocated for teacher raises and attributed academic gains to their hard work.

“There have been a whole lot of really tough conversations,” said Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Jeff Powell. “But at the end of the day we’re moving forward under his leadership.”

Wading into culture wars Brumley often pursues a nonpartisan agenda, like literacy reform, that he knows works for students But, at times, politics take center stage.

After he was appointed state superintendent in May 2020, just as anti-racism protests erupted across the U.S., he established an Ofﬁce of Equity, Inclusion and Opportunities within the state Education Department

and hired Kelli Peterson, a New Orleans school ofﬁcial, to run it. His agency also announced a partnership with LSU to train school leaders in social-emotional learning, including “SEL through a racial equity lens,” partly to help reduce student suspensions.

But as equity programs nationwide faced a conservative backlash, Brumley dissolved the office and discontinued the training.

In July 2021, Peterson addressed a scathing resignation letter to Brumley

“I choose to no longer serve in an organization that allows political agendas to drive decisions,” she wrote.

When announcing the SEL staff training, Brumley had said that supporting students’ social-emotional health “leads to greater academic outcomes and happier kids.” But a year later he objected to new early learning standards because they referenced social-emotional learning, which he now suggested could be “a Trojan horse for critical race theory.” One of the early education experts who developed the standards called that misinformation, adding that “the department leadership knows that.”

Brumley argued in an interview that he has been consistent in pursuing academic excellence and equal opportunities for all students. He said he abandoned terms like equity and socialemotional learning after others twisted their meaning.

“In so many ways, words got hijacked,” he said. “They got radicalized.”

He’s made other forays into politics. He has spoken at events hosted by Moms for Liberty and the Heritage Foundation, two conservative advocacy groups. He advised schools not to comply with former President Joe Biden’s rules extending Title IX anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ+ stu-

dents and he welcomed the use of videos by the rightwing nonprofit PragerU, including one in which an animated Christopher Columbus downplays the horrors of slavery Brumley said his political stances, such as his opposition to Biden’s Title IX rules reﬂect his genuine beliefs —

“I don’t think that biological males should be in the girls’ bathroom” — and what he thinks is best for students, like reopening schools postCOVID. But he said politics isn’t his main concern.

“I don’t spend my day focused on culture issues,” he said. “I spend my day focused on there aren’t enough kids that can read on grade level, there aren’t enough that can do math.”

Thinking about the future Brumley’s stock keeps rising.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently kicked off a cross-country school tour in Louisiana where she called Brumley “a good resource and a good friend,” and Landry tapped him to lead a new highereducation task force. All the buzz has fueled speculation about his next moves, including whether he would apply to be LSU’s next president.

“I had people talking to me about that, but I didn’t do it,” Brumley said. “I routinely have opportunities presented to do other things, but I haven’t felt the desire to do any of that yet.” For now, Brumley appears to be enjoying his job. During his early October visit to French Settlement Elementary School, he observed a fourth grade classroom where pairs of students were competing to see who could solve multiplication ﬂashcards ﬁrst. Brumley asked the students whether they find math easy or hard One girl said it’s easy because her mom is a math teacher: “I think you have an unfair advantage!” Brumley joked. Then he asked the students to consider what they want to do when they’re older, urging them to choose jobs they’ll love.

Later, Brumley recalled how he had declared in the ﬁrst grade that he wanted to become a school principal.

“I’ve been able to live out that dream,” he said, “and use the pulpit I have to get better outcomes for kids.”

Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.

Continued from page 1A

country, where he experienced a traditional courir de Mardi Gras and ate at local restaurants such as Laura’s II in Lafayette.

Now, a new buyer will have the opportunity to steward all of this history for themselves. The Hotel Cazan is for sale — all 12,600 square feet, with the still-operating hotel, bar and malt shop, two additional retail spaces, and a third-ﬂoor penthouse suite on Mamou’s main drag.

Cahill who is from the New Orleans area, was drawn to the opportunity to own the hotel a decade ago because she wanted to help a historic property thrive in a culturally unique region.

Said Cahill, “I think that the people are fantastic. I think the food is wonderful. I just wanted to be part of the history of it, and I absolutely love it.”

She is selling the mixeduse property by owner, and

“If someone comes in now, they can be ready for Mardi Gras,” said Cahill. “They can open the bar, the malt shop the hotel itself, which gets great reviews consistently “During Mardi Gras especially, we’re always, always full. We’re the only hotel in Mamou, and it all happens right outside.”

interested parties should contact Cahill through Hotel Cazan to inquire about the price and viewings. She said that while the new buyer will likely want to make cosmetic upgrades, the bones of the building are strong.

“I’m not leaving because I don’t like the building. I’m leaving because I can’t take it with me,” she said. “I’ve always known that you can’t ever own the Hotel Cazan. All you can do is be a steward. I’ve been here for 10 years, but so have others, and there will be other people after I think it’s a great thing.”

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

Woodward in interviews on two sports shows Thursday, despite achorus of complaints that he was meddling in theaffairsofthe athletic department.

Hours later,LSU announcedthatWoodward was stepping down immediately

The Governor’sOffice on Friday said Landry had no commentfor now

Landry’srole in forcing out Woodward is only the latest example of hisphilosophy to move fast and break things if necessary His approach has invited comparisons to President Donald Trump and former Gov.Huey Long.

“Whenhave Iever moved slow?I don’t moveslow,” Landrysaid during a2024 interview

As governor,Landry has relishedbattles withcritics, asurprise to no one who has known him since he was a self-described hyperactive teenager in St. Martin Parish.

When opponents of legislation to require schools to post the TenCommandments said they would take him to court last year,for example, the governor shot back, “I can’t wait to be sued.”

Leadership vacuum

Landry’spush into managing LSU’sstoried football program comes during a leadership vacuum at the university Asearch for anew presidentisunderwayafterWilliamF.Tate IV resignedin

May to lead Rutgers University Political insiders havesaid Landry favors McNeese State President Wade Rousse for the LSU job. Landry’s ofﬁce didn’trespond Friday when asked about the presidential search.

Landry has already inserted himself into the hiringof at least one university president.

Last year,the governor said publicly that he wanted the University of Louisiana system board, whose chair he appointed, to hire thenLouisiana Supreme Court JusticeJimmyGenovese to be the nextpresident of Northwestern State in Natchitoches. The board truncated the selection process and selected Genovese.

The LSU presidential search committee, chaired by Ballard, is zeroing in on its pick. The search committee favored James Dalton, executive vice presidentand provost at the University of Alabama, when it winnowed its list to three finalists on Wednesday.Rousseand a former president of the University of Arizona also received strong support. The LSU board, which includes severalmembers on the search committee, is scheduled to choose the university’snew president Tuesday

No ‘businessasusual’

In the meantime, Landry is under fire from some commentators who think he has gone too far in ousting Woodward —the university won six national championships in hissix years—and has created other controversies at LSU.

“Jeff Landry has damaged the university’sreputation,” said James Carville, the Democratic political pundit who has undergraduate and law school degrees from LSU and taught at theuniversity for four years. “It’s not just about football. They have profoundly devalued the degree of everyone who

graduatesfromLSU or is on thefaculty of LSU. Hehas taken an ascendant university and dragged it down.”

Shane Guidry defended Landry’smoves withWoodward.

“Sometimes in business you have to make changes,” said Guidry,a business owner in New Orleans who is oneofLandry’sclosest advisers. “You can’tkeep rewarding bad behavior or bad business decisions. It can’tbebusiness as usual. At the endofthe day,this governorisa businessmanwho wantstobeagood steward for taxpayers and make fans happy.Hewants theright person ascoach andathletic director.”

During Landry’s22months as governor,hehas gotten a Republican-controlled state Legislature to approve aseries of measures that have expanded his already considerable powersand has shoved thestate to theright politically after eight years of aDemocratic governor, JohnBel Edwards.

Most recently,Landry calledfor an extraordinary state takeover of New Orleans’ finances as acondition for hisadministration agreeing to a$125 million shorttermloan for the Democratledcity. New Orleans elected officials dropped the loanrequest to avoidgiving up control overthe city’s finances. Landry gained morecontrol over theLSU andUniversity of Louisiana system boards last year thanks to a measure that allowed him to name the chairs of state boards and commissions, rather than have the boards themselves selecttheir chairs.

During his tenure, Landry and state lawmakers have moved to lockupmoreoffenders, expand private school vouchers and prohibittransgender students from insisting that teachers callthem by their preferred pronouns

Landry has beentouting changes to the state tax systemand announcementsfor billion-dollar investments by such companies as Hyundai and Meta.

“Under Landry’sadministration, we’ve made incredible strides forward,” said state Rep. John Wyble, RFranklinton. “We’re bringing economic opportunities for our communities. That’s whatwill mattermosttoour families. That’sgoing tobe the real measuring stick.”

Aggressive moves

Landry has moved aggressively on many fronts

as governor

Shortly after taking ofﬁce, Landry brought apermanent 20-person State Police unit to New Orleans called Troop Nola. It has deployed drones andcameras in the French Quarter and, while working with the New Orleans Police Department andthe FBI, hastargeted guns, drugs and violent attacks. Crimehas dropped.

Twomonthsago,Landry announced plans to open adetention center forImmigration andCustoms Enforcement at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

“This facility is fulﬁlling thepresident’s promise to make America safeagain,” Landry said, ﬂanked by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and SecretaryofHomeland Security Kristi Noem.

Despite these moves, Landrydid notscore well in apublic survey in midOctober by JohnCouvillon, a BatonRouge-based pollster for Unite America, anational group that opposes closed political primaries, which Louisiana adopted for congressional races last year at Landry’sbehest.

Couvillon’spoll showed that 39% of likely votersin Louisiana held afavorable view of Landry,while 51% viewed him unfavorably

For comparison’ssake, Trump hada 48%favorable rating and a47% unfavorable rating.

Couvillon was struck that Landry’s favorable/unfavorable rating among Republicanswas 65% to 27%, versus Trump’s85% to 13%.

Trump was 34 percentage points morepopular among Republicans than Landry

“He has problemswith his own base,”Couvillon said of thegovernor LSUheadlines

Butit’sLandry’sinvolvementinLSU that often grabsthe biggest headlines because of itscentral role in thestate.

“It is the most indispensable stateuniversity in the country,” Carville said. “We don’thave aMississippi State, an Auburn or an Iowa State.”

Landry won bothapplause and brickbats on Monday night when he called for the university to erect astatue of Charlie Kirk, theconservative activist who was shot to death at Utah Valley UniversityinSeptember.The governorcalled it amove “to defend freedom of speech on college campuses.”

“C’mon, ladies and gentlemen, let’s see if we can be

thefirst campus to do it,”

Landry said in avideo while standing beside the Mike the Tiger statue near Tiger Stadium

TimMiller,aconservative anti-Trumper who lives in NewOrleans,calledthe idea of aKirkstatueatLSU “insane” during apodcast Thursday for The Bulwark. “Heisn’t from Louisiana, he didn’tgotoLSU,hehas no connection to the university, he didn’t even ﬁnish college,” Miller said. “There is no reason tohonor him. There are amillion LSU graduates out there or people from the state of Louisianawho have done great things,who have done honorable things,who have reﬂected the values of free speech, thevalues of the stateand the country you can build statues to.”

Landry also inserted himselfintothe affairsofLSU lastyear by forcing university ofﬁcials to bring alive tiger back to Tiger Stadium for the Alabama game. The tiger,named Omar Bradley, stayed on the ﬁeld for only seven minutes.

Landry’spush intoLSU football came within hours of theteam’sembarrassing loss to Texas A&M last Saturday and aweek after LSU was defeated by Vanderbilt, traditionally aweak opponent. In his initial comments,Landry excoriated thedecision, announced the daybefore theTexas A&M game, to raise ticketprices

next year.OnSunday night, he convened ameeting at the Governor’sMansion with LSU ofﬁcials and others to study Kelly’scontract andthe path forward.

Landry ﬁrst blasted Woodward while answering a question Wednesday during anewsconference devoted to how to help the poor duringthe federal government shutdown.

“Myroleisabout theﬁscaleffect of ﬁringa coach underaterriblecontract, OK?” Landrysaid. “AllI care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook (for). Iwas also not happy with the fact that we were raising ticketprices whilewewerehavinga losing season.And we were paying acoach $100 million, andwewerenot getting the results.”

Jay Dardenne,aformer state senator from Baton Rouge andLSU graduate whooversaw the operations of state government for Gov.JohnBel Edwards, echoed the views of many others in questioning whether paying offthe $54 million remaining in Kelly’s contract would cost state taxpayers. Dardenne said that private donationsto theTigerAthleticFoundation typically pay for that kind of contract

LSU now also will have to payWoodward $6.7 million forthe ﬁnal four years of his contract.

Kim Mulkey,who brought

LSU anational title after Woodward brought herback to Louisiana to coach the women’s basketball team, was “heartbroken” at his departure, said the team’s associate coach Thursday night. Landry hadcriticized Mulkey and her team in April 2024 for not being on the court during the national anthem. Woodward defended his coach. Numerous commentators have said that Landry’sattack on Woodward has sullied LSU’sreputation in the sports world. Stewart Mandel, writing forThe Athletic, said coaching at LSU is adream job. “But withone unhinged press conference moment on Wednesday,” he added, “Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry may have scared offall of the topcandidates.” Landry’smoves with the tiger and hispush to oust Woodward have invited comparisons to Long. Long involved himself in nearly every part of LSU’s campus, but especially the football team.Herecruited players, gave stategovernmentjobs to them and delivered pregame andhalftime pep talks. Landry recently said he is ﬁnishing anew biography of Long, “American Populist.” Long, Landry said, “wasa masterful fellow.”

EmailTyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

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.

Federal food aid uncertainty deepens

BY STEPHEN GROVES, ALI SWENSON and SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press

WASHINGTON The crises at the heart of the government shutdown ﬁght in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills.

The impacts on basic needs food and medical care — underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills

It all added to the strain on the country with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday

The House has not met for legislative business in more than six weeks, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., closed his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to achieve signiﬁcant progress.

Thune said he is hoping “the pressure starts to intensify, and the consequences of keeping the government shut down become even more real for everybody that they will express, hopefully new interest in trying to come up with a path forward.”

The stalemate appears increasingly unsustainable as Republican President Donald Trump demands action and Democratic leaders warn that an uproar over rising health insurance costs will force Congress to act.

The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold $8 billion

needed for payments to the food program starting on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them.

Trump said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court.

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Rhode Island ordered that the government needed to tell the court by Monday how it would fund SNAP accounts. McConnell, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said the Trump administration needed to either make a full payment by Monday or if it decides to only tap $3 billion in a contingency fund, ﬁgure out how to do that by Wednesday “There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown,” McConnell wrote in his order But that still leaves uncertainty about whether the department will use additional money or only

provide partial benefits for the month. The SNAP program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs about $8 billion per month.

Benefits were already facing delays because it takes a week or more to load SNAP cards in many states. Some governors and mayors have stepped in, using what money they have available to ﬁll the program that feeds about 42 million Americans.

“People are just nervous, scared,” said Jill Corbin, the director of the St. Vincent De Paul soup kitchen and food pantry in Norwich, Connecticut. “It’s not really a deﬁnite answer that we have right now.”

As people lined up early Saturday for hot meals and groceries, the organization had 10 extra volunteers to help newcomers navigate the process On Wednesday, some 400 families visited the food pantry and 555 people received hot meals.

“It’s kind of like everything is

unraveling at the same time,” Corbin said.

Democrats demanded that the government fund SNAP but Republicans responded by arguing the program is in such a dire situation because Democrats have repeatedly voted against a shortterm government funding bill.

“We are now reaching a breaking point thanks to Democrats voting no on government funding, now 14 different times,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said at a news conference Friday The annual sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act health insurance began Saturday, and there are sharp increases in what people will have to pay for coverage. Enhanced tax credits that help most enrollees pay for the health plans are set to expire next year

Democrats have rallied around a push to extend those credits and have refused to vote for government funding legislation until Congress acts.

Lincoln Bathroom remade with marble and gold

BY BRIAN NIEMIETZ

New york Daily News (TNS)

President Donald Trump’s efforts to remodel the White House in his image continued Friday with the unveiling of a shiny new Lincoln Bathroom.

The president’s social media accounts shared photos of the renovated restroom in the Lincoln Bedroom — and true to form, the makeover leans heavily on marble and gold, reﬂecting the aesthetics of his hotels in the private sector Trump boasted of the update, declaring that the once-modest, green-and-white bathroom was

“totally inappropriate.”

“It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I did it in black and white polished Statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!”

Numerous photos showing the glitzy new bathroom feature a gold shower head and matching faucets against swirling whiteand-gray walls and ﬂoors.

The Lincoln Bedroom was posthumously named after the 16th

president in 1945, according to the White House Historical Association. Since it’s not designated a State or other ofﬁcial room, funding for its decoration and furnishing falls “outside the purview of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.”

Trump also said Friday that construction crews were working on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which will soon be more shiny as well.

“The exterior columns, which were in serious danger of corrosion if something (wasn’t) done, are completed, and look magniﬁcent in white enamel — Like a dif-

ferent place!” Trump posted.

Claiming the nation’s most storied cultural institution “was dead as a doornail,” he said the “marble is being done, stages are being renovated” and new seats, fabrics and carpeting will soon be installed, making the building “beautiful again!”

An ABC News/Washington Post/ Ipsos poll published Thursday found that 56% of Americans oppose the president’s renovations of the White House. That includes the 45% of respondents who are “strongly” against the demolition of the East Wing to make way for the ballroom.

Lawyer disputes terror plot allegations

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

A Michigan defense lawyer is disputing FBI allegations that his 20-year-old client and four other young suspects were planning to carry out a terror attack on Halloween weekend. Authorities with the FBI and in Michigan have offered few details about the case, however as he announced the arrests on Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel said more information would be released. Spokespersons for the state and national FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Detroit did not immediately respond to messages Saturday

The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people. The other person briefed on the investigation conﬁrmed that there had been a “pumpkin” reference.

Amir Makled, who represents a man from Dearborn who was being detained Saturday, told The Detroit News that he doesn’t believe his client or the four other people who were questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force should be charged. The allmale group of U.S. citizens ranges in age from 16 to 20, Makled said.

“This is not a terrorist cell,” Makled told the News. “There was never any planned mass-casualty event or terrorism plot of any kind that I’m aware of. They might have been on some websites or online chat groups that they shouldn’t have been, but nothing that is illegal.”

Patel said Friday in a post on X that “the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend.”

“Having a curiosity about global events is not illegal,” Makled said. “Being in those chat rooms is not illegal. If there is a threat, if they became radicalized, or if an (FBI) agent is trying to antagonize or get them to agree to do something that is inappropriate or illegal, then you cross a threshold None of that happened in this situation.”

ASSOCIATED

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Louisianahas thenation’shighest childpoverty rate

WASHINGTON —Few likely aresurprised that Louisiana, per capita, has more children living in poverty than any otherstate.

One in 5 Louisiana children live in poverty, according to the report released last week by the inﬂuential Annie E. Casey Foundation. If food stamps were removed from the equation —asthreatened nationwide on Saturday because of the partisan stalemate that prolongs afederal government shutdown —Louisiana’schild poverty ratio would increasetoroughly 1 in 3, the analysis contends. That works out to 263,599 of Louisiana’s 1,066,394 children under the age of 18 years living in poverty right now and 383,902 who would live in poverty withoutthe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,orSNAP In Baton Rouge, 25,520 now live in poverty,which wouldincrease to 37,769 children if food stamps were unavailable. In New Orleans, the increase wouldbefrom 26,664 now to 31,846without SNAP; Jefferson Parish, from 21,881 to 30,444; Lafayette from 4,507 to 6,654; and for the Shreveport area, 16,648 to 23,411. But the study’ssting comes in the ﬁnding that Louisiana had the nation’s steepest jump —up8percentage points —inchild poverty rates from 2021 to 2024.

“With aquarter of childrenliving in poverty and almost athird of children having parents who lack full-time, year-round employment, economic stabilitycontinues to be a widespread challenge for children and communities throughout the state,” the report concluded. The foundation andits supporters in Louisianalink thehike in child povertyto arollback of government beneﬁtsexpanded during the pandemic and now seen as nolonger needed. An extension of the tax credit to offset the high cost of privatehealth

Landrywants LSUtoerect

statue of Charlie Kirk

Gov.Jeff Landry posted avideo on social media last Monday night saying LSU should put up astatue of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist whowas assassinated during a speech on acollege campus.

“We’regoingto put achallengeout to the LSU Board of Supervisors to ﬁnd aplace to put astatue of Charlie Kirk to defend thefreedom of speech on college campuses,” Landry says in the video,in which he is standing next to the Mike the Tiger statue nearTiger Stadium.

“C’mon, ladies and gentlemen, let’s see if we can be the ﬁrst campus to do it.”

Landry posted the video after speaking at an event at LSU’s student union theater hostedby Turning PointUSA, theconservativestudentorganization Kirk founded. More than 1,500 people

insurance purchased by low-income workers and small businessesthrough the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, which is a key cause to themonthlong shutdown, is one of those programs.

“You know,unfortunately, this isn’tnews,” said Jan Moller,executive director of Invest in Louisiana, aBaton Rouge-based progressive think tank. “It just reinforced what we knew,which is public policy has theability to reduce child poverty.”

Teresa Falgoustagreed.

“Wewere able to make ahuge dent during the pandemic; that we made the right investments for

the right kids at the right time,” said Falgoust, director of data and research at Agenda for Children, aNew Orleans-based advocacy group that helps children’sfacilities. She is amember of Gov.Jeff Landry’sChildren’sCabinet Advisory Board.

Both Invest Louisiana and Agenda for Children are independent entities that are partially supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Perhaps the mostimportant program during the pandemic was the Child TaxCredit expanded in 2021, both Falgoust and Moller say

Trumpposthumously awarded him the Presidential MedalofFreedom Kirk frequently generated controversy forcriticizingthe Civil RightsAct and Martin Luther King Jr.and for his commentsabout immigrants andtransgenderpeople, among other issues.

LSU women’sbasketball star Flau’jae Johnsonreposted Landry’svideo calling for astatue with the comment “????.”

Depending on income, many families received the full credit of $3,600 per child under age 6and $3,000 for older children. Money was paid out monthly,which helped needy families cover bills. That temporary program expired in December 2022.

The Republican majority in Congress added a child tax credit to its One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Donald Trump signed into law July 4. Now,the Child Tax Credit is permanent with the maximum credit of $2,200 per child and collectible as alump sum on 2025 tax returns, which

him to take ajob with an industry tradegroup,his ofﬁceannounced

Wednesday

are filed before April 15, 2026. The credit is available, on asliding scale, for families with incomes up to $400,000. Low-incomefilers now have to earn acertain amount to take advantage. But the nation’sattention has turned to the food stamps that help feed 42 millionAmericans, which were set to expire Saturday.Though not part of the pandemic package, SNAP is one of the few remaining relief programs. Twofederal judges ordered the administration Friday to make payments to the food program. However it was unclear as to when the debit cards that beneficiaries use could be reloaded after the ruling. Louisiana gets abrief reprieve, however,because the Republican-run state government diverted about $150 millioninrainy day funds to replace the pause in federal funding to prop up SNAP during the month of November,atleast for the state’selderly,disabled and families with children.

“We’re excited to see that the Landry administration is trying to preserve SNAP beneﬁts for children and families in Louisiana, but it’svery concerning that this is even aquestion at this point,” Falgoust said. Moller added that the movebyaRepublican governor and GOPmajority Legislature showsawillingness forLouisiana to invest in poverty-stricken children that he hopes could extend to other policies.

“So, we know it’spossible to have political consensus around feeding hungry people and giving people public support,” Moller said. Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

our country.”

attended, organizers said. Kirk had been scheduled to speak at the LSU event beforehe was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while addressing students at Utah Valley University Landry,President DonaldTrump and other Republican leaders have praised Kirk as achampion for free speech and Christian values.

After another user replied to her by saying, “I’ma Kirkfan, but this would be stupid. Landryneeds to stay out of LSU business,” Johnson responded: “For the sake of clarity,ifyou alignyourself with or endorse hisracistrhetoric and discriminatory views toward people of color,Irespectfully ask that youutilize the unfollow option at thetop right of my proﬁle.”

Scalise’stop adviser is leaving for trade group

WASHINGTON —U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise’stop adviser as House majority leader is leaving after more than adecade working for

Chief of Staff Brett Horton, of West Monroe, is joining the American Hotel&Lodging Association on Dec. 1, where he will oversee direct lobbying efforts, PACstrategy, grassroots engagement, coalitionbuilding and issue advocacy campaigns.

Horton joined Scalise in 2010, serving as counsel, policy director, ﬂoor director and then as chief of stafffor the leader’sofﬁce.

Since Scalise was elected to a House Republican leadership position in 2014, ﬁrst as GOPwhip and then as majority leader,Horton wasinchargeofcommunicating with House and Senate leaders as well as the White House.

“There are fewpeople that know Capitol Hill better than Brett Horton,” Scalise,R-Jefferson, said in astatement.

“Most importantly,hehas been by my side through challenges that extend far beyond legislating —in the aftermath of theCongressional Baseball Game shooting, Brett’s friendship and steady leadership carried my staff, my family and the entire (Republican) conference through an unprecedented attack on the institution. Iamso incredibly grateful to Brett forhis yearsofdedication and service to

In aplace where top aides often change jobs, Horton has remained in his stressful post running the majority leader’soffice in the U.S. Capitol about twice as long as other leadership chiefs of staff. Scalisealsohas asecond office that works with Louisiana officials and the 1st Congressional District. The chief of stafffor the constituency office is Megan Bel Miller,of Amite.

Scalise plans to run forreelection next year.Noplans for Horton’sreplacement have been made yet.

Horton’snew employment was first reported by Punchbowl, an online news service focusing on Capitol Hill.

PROVIDED PHOTO Gov. Jeff Landryposted avideo on social media saying LSUshould put up astatueofCharlie Kirk, theconservativeactivist whowas killed during aspeech on acollege campus Sept. 10.

Horton

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJ.SCOTT APPLEWHITE

SecretaryofAgricultureBrooke Rollins speaks alongside Speakerofthe House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, Fridayatanews conference at the Capitol in Washington to talk about SNAPfood aid benefits on Day31ofthe government shutdown.

BY CLAIRE GALOFARO Associated Press

CHICAGO The 2-year-old boy was so frightened, he stuttered.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy,” he repeated, clinging to her

His mother, Molly Kucich, had been grocery shopping when her husband called, panicking. She heard “immigration raid.” Then: “tear gas.”

She abandoned her grocery cart and drove as fast as she could to her toddler and his 14-month-old brother, who, on that warm October Friday, were among the hundreds of Chicago children caught in the turmoil of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Parents, teachers and caregivers have been grappling ever since with how to explain to children what they’d seen: how much to tell them so they know enough to stay safe, but not too much to rob them of their childhood A toddler shouldn’t know what a tear gas canister is, Kucich said “I don’t know how to explain this to my kids.”

Children were playing on the monkey bars outside Funston Elementary School just before noon on Oct. 3 when a SUV rolled down their street in Logan Square, a historically Hispanic neighborhood that’s been steadily gentrifying for years. Cars followed behind it, drivers laying on their horns to alert neighbors that these were federal agents. A scooter pulled in front of the SUV, trying to block it in. Suddenly, tear gas canisters ﬂew from the window of the SUV.

The cloud of gas rose, ﬁrst white then green, and the street exploded into pandemonium. Some people ran. Others shouted at agents to leave. Sirens screamed toward them.

Kucich’s son was a half-block away, having lunch in the window of Luna y Cielo Play Cafe, where

testers in keeping America safe.”

The statement said that in Logan Square, agents deployed tear gas along with pepper balls “after repeated vocal attempts to disperse the crowd.”

Oliva-Perez was feet away on the sidewalk and didn’t hear them say anything. Videos show cars and the scooter trying to block the SUV, and a few pedestrians heckling the ofﬁcers. Oliva-Perez ran toward the school, yelling at staff to get the children inside.

“Here I am, a U.S. citizen, a teacher, and I got treated like a common criminal,” she said.

elyn Medina’s gift shop next door to the school gripped each other so tightly their ﬁngers dug into each other’s hands.

“They were so scared,” said Medina, who cries when she thinks about how they looked leaving school that day “It was really hard to see, imagining what’s going on in their little minds.”

children learn Spanish as they play with pretend food and toy cars. His nanny takes him there most days.

Owner Vanessa Aguirre-Ávalos ran outside to see what was happening, as the children’s nannies hustled them to a back room. Aguirre-Ávalos is a citizen; the nannies, Hispanic grandmothers, are citizens or are legally allowed to work in the U.S.

Still, they were terrified. One begged Aguirre-Ávalos: If they take me, please make sure the children get home safe

The SUV eventually drove away, the cloud of smoke cleared, and parents arrived. “What’s happening?” a girl cried, over and over

Kucich’s son, who is White, now worries about his nanny, a U.S. citi-

zen from Guatemala

‘Act like nothing was wrong’

Fifth grade teacher Liza OlivaPerez walked to the grocery store across the street for lunch. She noticed a helicopter circling, then the SUV and its tail of honking cars. That morning, another teacher gave her a whistle, with instructions to blow it if immigration agents were in the neighborhood.

Oliva-Perez fumbled the whistle to her lips. Just then, the SUV’s window rolled down and she saw

a masked man inside throw a tear gas canister “I couldn’t fathom that was happening,” said Oliva-Perez.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Border Patrol agents were “impeded by protesters” during a targeted enforcement operation in which one man was arrested.

The Chicago crackdown, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” began in early September Masked, armed agents in unmarked trucks patrol neighborhoods, and residents have protested in ways big and small against what they see as their city under siege. Agents stormed an apartment complex by helicopter in the middle of the night. They’ve detained U.S. citizens, including elected ofﬁcials. An agent shot and wounded a woman who allegedly used her car to box them in. Protesters have been tear-gassed and shot with pepper bullets. President Donald Trump wants to deploy the National Guard.

DHS wrote that its agents are being terrorized: “Our brave ofﬁcers are facing a surge in increase in assaults against them, inducing sniper attacks, cars being used as weapons on them, and assaults by rioters. This violence against law enforcement must END. We will not be deterred by rioters and pro-

She was shaking when she got to her classroom of 25 students, who wanted to know what just happened. All of them are Hispanic She knows they are having agonizing conversations at home who they’ll call if their parents disappear, where they’ll go. Oliva-Perez became a teacher six years ago, after her daughter died by suicide at 16 years old. She wanted to help kids feel loved and safe. She never had a harder time than on that afternoon.

“I had to act like nothing was wrong,” she said. “I don’t want them to be like, if Ms. Oliva is scared then I’m going to be scared too.”

She and the other teachers spent the afternoon telling the children that everything was ﬁne. But each dreaded the bell at the end of the day They’d have to lead the students outside, and they didn’t know what would be waiting.

First grade teacher Maria Heavener spread the word in community group chats that the school needed help. When the bell rang, she walked her students outside. In every direction, neighbors lined the sidewalk, dozens of them. There were people who’d never considered themselves activists, or even particularly political, standing there, enraged, scanning the streets for unmarked SUVs and masked men. They signed up to come back every morning and afternoon.

‘Our skin color defines us’ Two little boys walking by Ev-

Medina, a 43-year-old citizen, understands the fear these children face: She came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 8. As a child, she worried someone would take her parents away She noticed people picking up multiple children that day, for their friends and neighbors who were too afraid to leave their houses.

A 13-year-old girl wept when she saw a neighbor there to get her Her mother usually comes for her, but not that day When that girl got home, she told her mother she thought the house might be empty, that agents might have been there and taken her away Her mother does not have permanent legal status and asked that her name not be used. Her greatest fear is being separated from her children.

This fear coursing through this community is no longer reserved for families lacking permanent legal status.

One mother whose 12-year-old son was in the school that day, now jolts awake each morning at 4 a.m., her head pounding, her heart racing. She checks social media frequently for reports of people spotting Border Patrol or ICE: another tear gassing; another raid; a 15-year-boy, an American citizen, detained. She and her son are citizens, but she asked that only her ﬁrst name, Ava, be used.

“Our skin color deﬁnes us,” she said.

Her son cries constantly, “I don’t want to lose my grandparents.”

He’s offered to get them groceries so they can stay inside.

“Losing them, it would forever break him apart,” she said. “His question is always: why? Why?

“I don’t know why.”

THE GULF COAST

Waterfront Gautierrestaurantclosesafter 30 years

BY MARYPEREZ Sun Herald

Aslice of the Caribbean with its residentalligator,Willie,and dining decks overlooking aMississippi Coast river closedupshop for goodover the weekend.

Oct. 26 was the last dayfor owners Don and Joann Wornerat Huck’sCove Grill on the Bayou in Gautier.They sold the restaurant to alocal buyer who owns another restaurant on the Coast.

“Sad,” is how they describe the end of the era that began on Oct. 19, 1999, when they purchased the restaurant on the West Pascagoula River.They recently totaled $10million they’veinvested in the business and community since then, the college kids and local staff members who worked there, the bands who entertained and the countless people they fed.

“We’re kind of an icon in Gautier.Like ayacht club where everyone could belong,” Don said. Times change,and it’shard for asmall restaurant to survive, he said, especially when the owners spend six months on weather watch.

“It’scome time for us toretire,” Don Worner said

“It’sayounger person’sbusiness,” Joann Worner said.

Alocal hotspotfor decades

The restaurant was known for its burgers and seafood, and they added Coastfavorites likefried green tomatoes, gumbo and fried dill pickles.

“Wetried to have items none of the other restaurants served, Joann Worner said, like being the

ﬁrst to put gator tail on the menu.

The couple bought the waterfront restaurant from Beau Speed, aGautier pharmacistwho opened Huck’sCove in 1996, bringing a taste of his tropical Caribbean experiences to South Mississippi.

The building was just hit by

The Worners said most of the license plates aretheirs. “Wetraveled alot,” said Don Worner

He was from Ocean Springs and whenthey were ready to settleback on theCoast, they were looking fora place thatreminded themofthe Bahamas, where they hadspent alot of time.

Diners will miss Huck’s Cove Customers could pull up in their boat or set their mapto3000 Oak St. to reach Huck’sCove.

Or they can go with local directions to turn off U.S. 90 by the bridge andhanga right just after the cemetery.

Thenit’sa weave past the separate restroom building like those in the Bahamas, into the entry with its porch swings and out beyond to the decks.

People just seem to ﬁnd the restaurant.

“Wewanted to go somewhere on thewater,” said twocustomers from Cleveland, Ohio, who were having lunchonthe deck with theirdogsafter visiting the alligator Manatees also have been known to swim up to Huck’satimeor two

HurricaneGeorgesbefore the salewent through, andwas repaired.

“We’ve always built back,”Don Worner said, restoring the building, the docks and decks torn up by tropicalstorms and deluged by Hurricane Katrina.

The water line of Katrina is marked above the window in therestaurant, amid the license plates, photosofcelebritieswho atethere and the wallpaper of memorabilia.

“I love this littleplace,” said Lisa Simpson, who wants the new owners to keep the menu and the restaurant the same.

She andJeffreySaylors visit whenever they come to Biloxi from Florida,and shealways orders the same thing.

“I’m not getting crawfish in West Palm Beach,” she said.

As the new owner takes on the care of the building and the history of Huck’sCove, the Worners no longer will have to watch for storms six months of the year

“We’re going to travel some more,” Don Worner said. “Just enjoylife.”

Huck’sCoveisthe third Mississippi Coastwaterfront restaurant to close or change hands in three months.

Tiki Bar&Grill in Gautier and Flamingo LandinginGulfport closed in August.

Huck’sCoveGrill on the BayouinGautier wassoldtoalocal buyerwho owns another restaurant on the Coast, owners say.

Egyptunveils huge museum of antiquities

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO In an extravaganza of pharaonicimagery with adrone light show depicting ancient gods and pyramids in thesky,Egypt on Saturdayinauguratedits longdelayedGrand Egyptian Museum, amegaproject aiming to give the country’smillennia-old heritage a rich, modern display

Twodecades in the making, the museum located near the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx is the centerpiece of the government’sbid to boost Egypt’stourism industry and bring cash into the troubled economy

At the elaborate grandopening ceremony,attended by anumber of European and Arab royals and other presidents and primeministers,EgyptianPresident AbdelFattah el-Sissi sought to give the event an international scale. He called on attendees to“make this museum aplatformfor dialogue, adestination for knowledge, aforum for humanity,and abeacon for all who love life andbelieve in the value of humankind. The museum, known as GEM, is one of several megaprojects championed by el-Sissi sincehe took office in 2014, embarking on massiveinvestments in infrastructure with the aim of reviving an economy weakened by decades of stagnation and battered by the unrest that followed the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.

Egypt’spharaonic historyhas long made it atouristmagnet.But it has also long struggled to organize and display the sheer huge amount of artifacts —everything from tiny pieces of jewelry and colorful tomb murals to towering statues of pharaohs andanimalheaded gods, with more discoveries areconstantly being made

across thecountry

Touted as the world’sbiggest museum dedicated to asingle ancientcivilization,the newbuilding, in acontemporary style, aims to correct that. Its large,open halls give space and rich explanations for some 50,000 artifacts on display,alongwith virtual reality exhibits. It displaysthe entire collection of treasures from the tomb of thefamedKingTutankhamen for the ﬁrst time since its discovery in 1922.

Themuseum replaces theEgyptian Museum, housed in building more than acentury old in downtown Cairo that had become antiquated and was often compared

to awarehouse, overpacked with artifacts with little explanation.

Aplannedgrand opening over thesummer had to be put off after the 12-day-long war between Israel and Iran erupted in June.

GEM is expected to attract 5million visitors annually,said Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathy.In2024, by comparison, Paris’sLouvre brought in 8.7 million, the British Museum 6.5 millionand the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York 5.7 million.

An elaborateopening ceremony Saturday night’sgrand opening stoked the pharaoh-mania.

As an orchestra played fanfares,

lines of actors dressed in ancient Egyptian garb arrayed around the museum,the pyramidsand the Sphinx. Hundreds of drones created alight show in the sky,depicting well-known Egyptian gods like Isis and Osiris and the pyramids. El-Sissi posed with delegates from more than 70 countries, includingmembers of theroyal families from Belgium,Spain, Denmark,Jordan, Gulf nations andJapan, and anumber of European and regional presidents and primeministers. It wasa throwback to thegrand opening of anothermegaproject in Egypt,the 1869 inauguration of theSuezCanal, when Egypt’srulers gathered

ahost of European royal families. Ramses theGreat andKingTut Themuseum boasts atowering, triangular glass facade imitating the nearby pyramids, with 258,000 square feet of permanent exhibition space. It opens to agranitecolossusof Ramses the Great, one of ancient Egypt’smostpowerful pharaohs whoreigned for around 60 years, from 1279-13 B.C., and is credited with expanding ancient Egypt’s reach as far as modern Syria to the east and modern Sudantothe south. The statue greets visitors once they step inside the museum’s angular atrium.

The museum’s 12 maingalleries, which opened last year,exhibit antiquities spanning from prehistorictimestothe Roman era, organized by era and by themes.

Twohalls that will be opened for the ﬁrst time afterSaturdayare dedicated to the 5,000 artifacts from the collection of King Tutankhamen —a boypharaoh who ruledfrom1361-52 B.C. The tomb wasdiscovered by British archaeologistHoward Carter in 1922 in the southern city of Luxor.But the oldEgyptianMuseumdidn’thave enough room to displaythe whole collection.

The collection includes the boy pharaoh’s threefuneralbedsand six chariots, his golden throne, his gold-covered sarcophagus and his burial mask, madeofgold, quartzite, lapis lazuli and colored glass.

Zahi Hawass,Egypt’s most renownedarchaeologist andformer minister of antiquities, said the Tutankhamen collection is the museum’s masterpiece.

“Why this museum is so important, andeveryoneiswaiting for the opening?” he toldThe Associated Press. “Because of Tutankhamen.”

BY AUGUSTASARAIVA

Bloomberg News (TNS)

As Donald Trump steps up his targeting of Venezuela, theregion’sfragmented governments are failing to agree on anyjoint response to rein him in.

Not only have President Nicolás Maduro’scallsfor LatinAmerican solidarity largely fallenondeaf ears, butanew poll shows asigniﬁcant number of people in the region even see U.S. military interventionasthe best shot at restoring Venezuelan democracy That contrasts with the response in 2018 whenthe Venezuelan refugee crisis was nearits peak, and governments from acrossLatin Americaand the Caribbeanput

aside ideological differences to meet and coordinate aresponse. Braziland Colombia,two key players which last year teamed up to mediate with Maduro, now take very different approaches as theU.S. sends ships andplanesto the southern Caribbean in what it says are effortstoﬁght drug trafficking. While Colombian leader GustavoPetro’scriticisms have heightened tensions between Washington and Bogotá, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has adopteda more diplomatic tone as he seeks to convince Trump to lower the50% tariffs imposed on many of his country’s goods Lula distanced himself from Maduro after last year’selection in Venezuela, and never recognized

his victory in avote whichwas widely considered to be fraudulent. Colombia’sleader has refused to condemn Maduroand has continued to engage with Caracas on issues including trade, security and energy.Hehas also been more strident in his criticism of Trump’sactions, and his combative tone made him thetarget of U.S. sanctions. “Latin American fragmentation is central to Trump’sstrategy,” said Carlos Gustavo Poggio, apolitical scientistwho focuses on U.S.LatinAmerica relations.“We’re all on our own, and his strategy is to divide and conquer ” It doesn’thelp for regional leaders that asignificantnumberof theirvoters have apositive view of Trump’sVenezuela policy.A

2moresuspectscharged in Louvre case

BY SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

PARIS The Paris prosecutor said Saturday two new suspects werehandedpreliminary charges fortheir alleged involvement in the crownjewels heistatthe Louvremuseum, three days after they were arrested by police as part of the sweeping investigation.

Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor,said a 37-year-old suspect was charged with theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.Hewas known to authorities forprevious thefts, the statementsaid.

The other suspect, a38-year-old woman, was accused of being an accomplice.They were both incarcerated. They bothdenied involvement,the prosecutor said The lawyer for the woman, Adrien Sorrentino, told reporters his clientis“devastated” because she disputes the accusations. “She does not understand how she is implicated in any of the elements she is accused of,” he said.

Ofﬁcials said the jewels stolen in the Oct. 19 heisthavenot been recovered —atrove valued around $102 million that includes a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise as awedding gift, jewels tied to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress

Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara.

Five people were arrested by police Wednesday in connection with the case, including one tied to the heistbyDNA. That person is suspected of belonging to the team of four who used afreight lift truck to enter the Louvre. The prosecutor did not specify whether the person was amongthose charged on Saturday. The threeothers have been released without charges, Beccuau said.

Twoearlier suspects, men aged 34 and 39 from Aubervilliers, north of Paris, were charged with theft by an organized gang andcriminal conspiracy

Beccuau said both gave “minimalist” statements and “partially admitted”their involvement. The twoare believedtobethe men whoforcedtheirway into theApolloGallery. Onewas stopped at Charles de Gaulle Airport with aone-way ticket to Algeria;his DNA matched ascooter used in thegetaway

Beccuau praised an “exceptional mobilization” —about 100 investigatorsseven days aweek, with roughly 150 forensic samples analyzed and 189 items sealed as evidence. It tookrobbers less than8 minutes to steal the jewels. The team of four used afreight lift, allowing two of them to force awindow and cutinto two display cases withdisc cutters,beforethe four ﬂed on twoscooters toward eastern Paris

survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News found that 39% of people believe the U.S. president is “very committed” to bringing freedom to Venezuela, compared to 17% forLula and 16% for Petro. What’smore, those polledsee aU.S. intervention as offering agreater chance of success in restoringdemocracy to Venezuela thandiplomatic negotiationsor social protests.

The poll of 6,757 people wasconducted Oct. 22-28 and has amargin of error of 1percentage point.

The survey was carried out across theregion, as well as among Latin Americans in the U.S. and Canada. Lulaistrying to avoid aspat with eitherVenezuela or theU.S. before any full-blownconﬂict, according

to Braziliandiplomats who asked not to be identiﬁed.

Awar in Venezuela would be much more devastating forColombia,which is home to millions of Venezuelans and has amore integrated border with its neighbor This mightexplainPetro’s more vocal stance, one of them said. Mexico’sClaudia Sheinbaum and Chile’s Gabriel Boric have made clear their opposition to aU.S. invasion of Venezuela but, like Lula, have avoidedstatementsthatmight jeopardize their relationship with Washington.Withleaders focused on trade talks with the U.S., Argentina grappling with an economic crisis and Boric focusing on an election at home, Trump is beneﬁting from their fragmented attention.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTOSByAMR NABIL

Visitors pose for agroup photo under Hatshepsut statue May23atthe GrandEgyptian Museum in Giza,Egypt

Agrandopening for the museumwas held Saturday.

Data center money to fund jail, raises

Agreement could bring in $90M yearly to West Feliciana

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

West Feliciana Parish may get better roads a new jail and pay raises for teachers and Sheriff’s Department employees thanks to an agreement with a data center developer that could generate up to $90 million in annual revenue for the parish.

Construction is underway at the $2.5 billion data center stewarded by Hut 8, a Miamibased company that will lease the computing services to an undisclosed client, providing thousands of construction jobs and at least 50 maintenance and technician jobs. Thanks to a recently approved revenue structure, earnings from the center are coming sooner to fund priorities for parish agencies

Before Tuesday’s Industrial Development Board meeting, it was unclear how much the parish would be able to reap from the center since the state exempted data centers from paying sales and use taxes. The parish could collect property taxes on the center after construction wraps, but Tuesday’s meeting cleared the way for the parish to collect payments in lieu of taxes

Instead of paying property taxes on the facility, Hut 8 will donate its 611-acre site to the Industrial Development Board. The board will then lease the property back to the company, charging rent equal to what sales and use taxes would be on the billions of dollars worth of sophisticated electronic equipment that will ﬁll up the data center The data center will be about the size of four Walmart Supercenters

The board is comprised of West Feliciana Sheriff Brian Spillman, School Superintendent Hollis Milton and former council member Clay Pinson, who will each administer a third of the revenue.

The revenue could have a significant impact The school system had total revenues of $36.5 million in fiscal year 2025, while the parish adopted a $3.3 million budget for the current fiscal year The Sheriff’s Office had more than $12 million in revenue for fiscal 2024.

“We want to make sure that the people that sat on our board, ﬁrst of all, were the stakeholders,” Parish President Kenny Havard said. “And secondly, that it was people that were accountable to the people.”

The board was formed last week during a Parish Council meeting. Havard said the timing of the formation of the body was in response to Hut 8 ﬁnalizing paperwork on the center The last time the parish formed an IDB was in 1967.

Havard said the company is working with Louisiana Economic Development on the state’s tax structure for the project. LED officials could not confirm their status on an agreement with Hut 8. If the data center were to experience any disruptions in the future, the property would go back to the tax rolls, he said Payment in lieu of taxes would protect the parish from financial pitfalls, as payments are not derived from taxes.

“A meteor could hit us, but we got the best deal for the parish,” Havard said Pursuing revenue via payment in lieu of taxes allows the parish to start benefiting from the data center up front, Havard said, rather than having to wait until construction finishes to collect property taxes. As of now, the parish is set to start receiving payments in 2027, but he is negotiating with Hut 8 to try to receive payment earlier Ad valorem taxes, or taxes levied based on an item’s value, are a local issue and should be handled by locals, he said It’s not the first time West Feliciana has received a major boost from project revenue In 2018, the Louisiana Tax Commission decided to direct $6.6 million in tax revenue from Entergy’s River Bend nuclear plant in St. Francisville to West Feliciana, which the parish used for road repairs, the school system, the Sheriff’s Office and the Fire

MASSIVE BLESSING

ABOVE: Bishop Douglas Deshotel blesses the graves during All Saints’ Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Saturday in Lafayette LEFT: The aspergillum and aspersorium wait to be used for the blessing of the graves.

Mom arrested after baby’s death

Officials also looking for girl’s

BY EMMA DISCHER Staff writer

An infant girl died with broken ribs and internal bleeding from a severed spine, according to the Opelousas Police Department. Officers have now arrested her mother and continue to search for her fa-

ther. The 2-month-old died Oct. 25 in Opelousas after officers responded to a medical emergency call and found her not breathing. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. After an autopsy, investigators said the baby had signs of “severe neglect and physical abuse,” including extreme dehydration and malnourishment and broken ribs with some signs of healing. The infant also had a severed low-

er spine, which ofﬁcials say resulted in internal bleeding and her death. The baby’s mother Kayla Fontenot, was arrested on counts of first-degree murder, cruelty to juveniles and second-degree battery. The infant’s father, Taylor Broussard, is wanted on the same counts.

Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc said this remains an active and ongoing investigation.

“Our hearts are with this

infant who suffered unimaginable abuse. This case is in its early stages, and our investigators are working tirelessly to uncover every detail. We ask the public for patience, cooperation and assistance in helping us pursue justice.” Anyone with information on this case or the whereabouts of Broussard is urged to contact the Opelousas Police Department at (337) 948-2500 or submit a tip anonymously through St. Landry Crime Stoppers at (337) 948-8477.

Lake Charles launching food truck event

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

Saints fans askwhere thegoodtimes have rolled

‘Whentheylose, it ain’tgood’

BY BOBWARREN and DOUG MacCASH Staff writers

David “Doc” Mancina has had alot of rotten Mondays in his 69 years.

AMetairie nativeand a Saints fan all his life, Mancina said he’salways taken losses hard.He’ssuffered through plenty of them through the decades, both from inside the Superdome and in front of his TV.But this year,though Kellen Moore’sSaints are adismal 1-7, it’snot hitting the same way

“Usedtobethatitwould wreck my Mondays. And sometimes my Tuesdays,” Mancina said, laughing. “But it doesn’tanymore.”

Whatgives?

“Maybe I’m getting old,” he said. Or maybe I’m just beat up.” As Saints fans trudge through aseason that at times has felt like ajail sentence, Mancina isn’talonein feeling alittle numb to it all.

Interviews with the team’s faithful over the past week offereda senseofresignation, even if most were taking it in stride.

Moore’sfirst year as head coach has come with asteady beatofpounding losses, missed opportunities and questions about how long the rebuilding process might take. Starting quarterback Spencer Rattler was taken out in the third quarter on Sunday against the Buccaneers and rookie Tyler Shough has been elevated to the starting role for this Sunday’sgame against theRamsinLos Angeles, but there’snot much hope that aturnaround is in the works for this season.

So, most Saints fans say they’re going to grin and bear it, and try to eke out fun during tailgates and other parts of perennialfandom, even if the games are hard to watch.

“It’sbeen tough,” said Larry Rolling, alongtime season ticket holder known as “The Sign Guy,” for his pithy,hand-painted signs andability to getonTV from his front row seat.

“I thinkeveryoneisjust tired.” Rolling’ssign for the last home game offered asense of how far fans’expectations havebeenlowered.

He scrawled “Rattled” one he knew could work no matter what happened on the field. Maybe the Bucs would be “Rattled” by asuperior display of offensive acumen from Rattler and the sign maker wouldprove prescient. Instead, Rattler was benched.

“Rattled” still worked.

Oldmemories

For longtime fans, the last few seasons are bringing back dark, sometimes repressed, memories of empty Dome seats and fans with bags over their heads. There were bad teams spread across the decades, capped by —but certainly not limited to —the disastrous 1-15 season of 1980 Then came the turnaround in 2006. Sean Payton arrived. So did Drew Brees, and with him, winning seasons, aSuper Bowl victory and astring of runs deep into the postseason.The success. The swagger.It was all so intoxicating. Now,some fans liken

DATA

Continued frompage1B

Department. At the time, the parish could spendthe money only in accordance with property tax guidelines.

The revenue from the nuclearplant is depreciating, Pinson said, which has contributed to theparish straying away from making the infrastructural improvements that data center revenue will pay,inorder to avoid building debt.

“We’re just asmall parish; we live within ourmeans,” he said.

STAFFPHOTO By DOUGMacCASH

AshortageofSaintstailgaters on Oct. 26 allowedTampa BayBuccaneers fans to infiltrate ahigh-visibility spot at the corner of Poydras Streetand ClaiborneAvenue —a clear taunting violation if there ever wasone.

thesemorerecentlosing seasonstoa hangover, one that comes with areminder of how great thepartywas “Maybewethought it wouldnever end,”said Mancina, noting that the SuperBowl in 2010seems like eons ago. “It’slike we’re backtothe ’60s.”

Diedre Hayes,a licensed clinical social worker and Tulane Universityprofessor with adegree in psychology and adoctorate in social work,saidit’snot uncommonfor some fanstoexperience the stages of griefas they watch theirfavorite teamsstruggle.

“Wehave anger with the team, we get sad, we’rein denial about howbad they might be,” she said.

Asked Fridayafternoon what fans can take away from theseason sofar Moore saidhe’sstressed to the team that winning is aprocess, and that if they trustthe process, the results will follow

“I feel likethe thing that Iloveand appreciate is our guys battle eachand every week,” hesaid.“AndI think if you do that, and you trust the process, justkeep focusing on the processand doing it theright way,the good things happen.”

‘Wecomeout either way’

Oct. 26 began with cloudy skiesand persistent rain. So even though thesun burst through by noon like TaysomHill hittingthe line in his prime, the tailgating crowd aroundthe Dome featured mostly die-hards.

Hope for victory was slim.

As Slidell Saints fan Roy Provenzano put it, “The Saints are in dark times right now.”

Still, Provenzano was in agaggle of Who Dats who clustered aroundtheir converted school busina Loyola Avenue parking lot as they had for two decades. The team was then 1-6, and only hours away from being 1-7, but Provenzano and his Slidellians remained faithful. “Wecome out either way.Wecome out to have a good time; we’vegot agood group of people,but obviously thevibeisalittle less fun with less people.”

Asked to diagnose the Saints’current torpor, Provenzanoskipped the mixture of youthful inexperience and athleticobsolescence that seems to

Pinson represents the Parish Council on the board becausehehas agrasp of the budget and spending prioritiesfrom his time as chairman of the ﬁnance committee. Parishemployees cannot serve on the board, he said Spillman said his ofﬁce’s cut of the revenue will fund anew jail. Thecurrentjail, built in 1948, can holdonly 38 male offenders. Female offendersand those with disciplinary and medical problems mustbesent toanother facility

“The building is amaintenancenightmare,” he said. An updatedjailisthe SheriffOfﬁce’smain prior-

David ‘Doc’ Mancina, from left, Jimmy Buffett, Mary Mancina and NewOrleans Jazz& HeritageFestival producer Quint Davis celebrate during the Mancinas’ tailgate before the Saints’ NFCChampionship Game against the Minnesota Vikings in January2010.

plague the players and went straight to thetop.

“I’mjust aguy,” he said, “but Ithink theupper managementhas been alittle different (lately) or maybe thesame for too long. I thinkweneed change.”

Most tailgaters seemed to philosophically accept thecycles that affect every football team, yearsofglory —orthe real chance of it followed by decline and the dreaded “rebuilding.”

Tailgater Ronnie Deslatte said he’s been goingto Saintsgames since they startedatTulane Stadium He believes the team’s performance can inﬂuencethe tenor of the region.

“When they win,” he said, “the city is just allhappygo-lucky and everything’s good. Even when you go to work, everything’sgood. Butwhen they lose, it ain’t good.”

Deslatte remembers the so-called “Aints” eraof the 1970s, when the team seemed similarly hopeless. But, he said, he did notresorttodisguising himselfwith apaper bag mask as some disdainful fans did.

Deslatte’stailgatingcrew occupied one of the forlornpatches of land along Poydras Street. Nearby, acadreofinsufferably cheery Tampa Bay fans haderected their own tailgating headquartersatthe

ity,along withsalaryadjustments forstaff to better retain and attract employees. Milton said he is planning “significant” payraises for school faculty and staff. Specifics on the amount increases cannot be shared yet, he said, but he projects the raiseswill bring the salaries to the topfive school system salariesinthe state. Annual salaries for West Feliciana teachers start at $54,272, thethird-highest pay in metroBaton Rouge

Milton said he is recommending to the board that the schools use the revenue to expand student programs, particularly in career and technical education,aca-

intersection of Poydras and Caliborne Avenue,aclear taunting infraction if there ever was one.

The jerseys of visiting teams have lately covered largerareas in the Dome stands. New Orleans, after all, is afabulous road trip, and tickets to the Saints games are pretty easy to ﬁnd these days.

BlessYou Boys

The BlessYou Boys, atrio of Saints superfans who dress as Who Dat pontiffs, looked especially peculiar on Sunday,havingdonned pink bath robes, presumably in honorofbreast cancerawareness month. Before the game,they cavorted with fans and posed for pictures outside of Gate A.

Paradoxically,the three pink popeswereasign of normalcy. Their joyous, theatrical brand of fandom had survived theSaints’ forlorn performance. They continuedtocheer withgusto from their front row seats.

Asked to describe thecurrentmood of Saints fans, DijaiSmith, one of the Bless YouBoys, used the term “sketchy.

“A lot of people are doubting,”Smith said. But, he vowed, the forsaken state of affairs “doesn’tchange my heart for theteam.”

demic support,athletics and the arts. The revenue will also go toward paying off the construction bond that paid forvariousprojects, including anew elementary school, gym and career and technical education center That would reduce the current 6.2-mill property tax levied to pay off the bond.

The River Bendnuclear plant revenue was a“game changer”for the school system at the time because it allowed them to pay staff competitive salaries and establisha universalpre-K program.The data center couldbring asimilar impact, Milton said. “Wewant those business-

Obituaries

Bruder, Charles Harry

It’s just agame

Loyalty aside,the ruinous season has even the most die-hard Who Dats thinking about their checking accounts, including Brian “Signature Saint” Henry who hasmanaged to get171 Saints player autographs tattooed on his body.“My season tickets are$1,900,” he said.

Buthere arewaysto cope, said Hayes, the Tulane professor. Trytohavesome empathy for the players —after all, “They want to win as bad as we do”— and realize thatasfans, we have no control over the teams’ performance.

Oh, andthis: “You have to acknowledge it’sa game,” she said.

For manySaints fans, the cliche rings true hope does spring eternal.

Moore is still in the honeymoon stage,and, as Rolling the sign guy noted, other teams have hadquick turnarounds.

The Doc, for one, says he’ll neverlosehope.

“I tell ya, Ibleed black andgold,” he said. Will he gettowitness another Super Bowl? Who knows.

“I didn’texpect to get one in my lifetime,” he laughed.

Staff writer Luke Johnsoncontributedtothis story

es to thrive, and we want to thrive along withit,” he said.

Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne.salvosa@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY FRIDAY,OCT.31, 2025

PICK 3: 8-9-7

PICK 4: 3-9-9-1

PICK 5: 6-9-6-5-3

MEGA MILLIONS: 2-24-52-66-68

MEGA BALL: 9

Charles Harry Bruder passedaway peacefullyin hishomeinLafayette, LA, on Monday, October 27, 2025. He wasbornon March22, 1940, in Louisville, KY,tothe lateG StuartBruderSr. and Mildred Gensel Bruder. Those wishingtoshare memories or visit withhis familyare invited to join them at FountainMemorial Funeral Home from 9:00 am to 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Agravesideservice for familyand friends will follow at Lafayette Memorial Park. Dr.Bruderearned hisacademic degreesfromthe University of Pennsylvania (B.A.), University of Kentucky (M.A.), and University of Nebraska (Ph.D.). He moved to Lafayette in 1971 to assume afaculty position in theDepartment of English at the University of SouthwesternLouisiana, nowthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Bruder retiredasProfessor of English in 2010, hiscareer marked by leadership roles,both on campus-Executive Officer of the FacultySenate--and at the statelevel--servingmany years on theFaculty Advisory Counciltothe UL System Board of Supervisors, the Executive Committee of theLA Association of Faculty Senates,and theExecutive Committee of theLA Conference of the American Association of University Professors. A man of wide-ranging curiosity andinterests, he wasatvarious timesofhis life an Eagle Scout, amemberofthe freshman crew at Penn,a pilot of planes andultra-lights, anda participant in anthropology digs whilelivingin Nebraska. He foundas much joyinmakinghis son's Halloween costumes andhis ownamateurcarpentry projects as he didin thereadingand writing associated with hisprofessional life. He is survived by hiswife of forty-seven years, Carolyn Reitz Bruder; hisson,Miles StuartBruder(Elizabeth), andhis threegrandsons, Landry, Bennett,and Emerson Bruder. In addition,heissurvived by his brother, G. StuartBruder Jr.(Pam); theirchildren,G StuartBruderIII (Laura), Scott Bruder (Dororthy), andBrooke Hall (Johnny), andtheir grandchildren. Should you wish to honor Harry's memory,inlieuof flowersplease make a contributiontothe charity of yourchoice. Thefamily gives heartfelt thanks to Harry's compassionate caregivers whohelped them navigate thegrueling, sad journeythrough Alzheimer's--Judy Evans, ShirleyLivings, Sharell Dural, andSharonCastille Thanks too to thecaring staff at Hospice of Acadiana, particularly Lauri Duke and Alyssa Verret,whose professional knowledgeand guidance broughtcomfort to Harry andhis family. Allthese women embody empathy andunderstanding andare ablessing to ourcommunity. Online obituaryand guest book may be viewed at www.fountainmemorialf uneralhome.com. Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery,1010 Pandora St.337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

PHOTOPROVIDED By DAVID ‘DOC’ MANCINA

EDUCATION TheTerrebonneParishSchool Board seeksanoutstanding Superintendent of Schoolstoleadits public school sys‐temofthirty(30) schoolsand more than 14,579 students.Applications for thepositionmay be obtained on the District’s website(www.tpsd.org) and arecurrently beingaccepted.

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Applicants must possess, at thetimeof application, avalid Louisianateaching certificate whichdocuments School Superintendent as an area of certifica‐tion or possess aletterfromthe LouisianaDepartmentofEducation certifying theirimmediateeligibilityto serveasa school superintendent in Louisiana. Proof of such certification must be included within theapplica‐tion Allapplications must be postmarked no laterthanDecember9,2025. Please mail theapplicationtothe following address: Terrebonne Parish School Board P. O. Box1818 Houma, LA 70361 Attention: Ramona Brunet Applicationpackets postmarked after that date will notbeconsidered, nor will applications deliveredelectroni‐cally,inperson, or in anyfashion other than mailedtothe addressabove

TheTerrebonneParishSchool Board expectstonegotiate acompetitive salary andbenefitspackage depend‐ingonthe candidate’s experience,ac‐complishments,and credentials. Forfurther information, call (985) 876-7400

trialPneumatic Stapler, Industrial PneumaticCutter, pliers,and forklift Maintenanceofproductionmachinery includes:deep clean, lubricationof moving parts, changing blades,and cutting disks, checking fluids,and changing tires. Localtraveltodifferent crawfish farmersinVermillionParish Louisianatodeliver crawfish traps. No minimumeducation is required.Valid Driver's Licenseisrequired. Contact Daniel Duchamp, Jr.toapplyfor posi‐tion at (337) 643-8014 during thehours of M-F; from 8:00am

ABSHIRE, RAYDELL

4. CASE NO.: 2025-28-BOZ APPLICANT: Jeanne Smith,LCR &Company LLC /CloteauxConstruc‐tionLLC LOCATION:1214 RueDu

STAIGE TINVADE

NATHANIEL JAMAR

BAXTER, ALISHA ANN

BEGNAUD, EMMA KAE

BEGNAUD, CHARLESC

BELLOW,ORELIA LAVERGN

BENTIVOLIO, JILLIAN RENAE

BERNARD, KEYSHAL

BICKHAM, TREY

BJERGA, KRISTOFER KARL

BOONE, KYLA JADE

BORING, LAUREN FONTENOT

BOUDOIN,SAMANTHA B

BOUDREAUX, KEITH ALLEN

BOULET,CALEB MICHAEL

BOURQUE, ZACHARYRENE

BOURQUE, BROCK JOSEPH

BRASHEAR,ANDREW F BRINLEE, CHARLOTTE RENE DUPRE

BROUSSARD, ISAAC

BROUSSARD, ANDRE CORTRELLE

BROUSSARD, TINA PREJEAN

BROWN, IKARA ALEASHA

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BROWN, CHAD MARTS

BROWN, COURTNEY S CAILLOUET,ABEL ANTHONY CALAIS, BRITTANI WESLEY

CAMPBELL, CHERYL ANN

CANEZARO, AMY SEAUX

CARLTON, BRITTANY LYNN

CARRIERE, ARLENE ELIZABETH

CHAISSON, DENISE M CLEMENT,ELLEN GRACE

COLEMAN, BRIANA G COMEAUX, HAROLD JAMES ANDRE

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CRADEUR, CHAD LEONARD CRAIG, DYNISHA LASHE CRAWFORD, TALMADGE PAUL DAMON, DANEILL VICTORIA DARBY,MARGARET B DAVIS, JENNIFER ANN DEBLANC, CHRISTINE S DELAHOUSSAYE, CANDICE ELIZABETH DEVILLE, VICTORIATHERESA DEVILLIER, CARL ANTHONY

DIXON, DAVID N DO, NHU TUYET LILLIAN DUGAS, LISA L DUKE, JONATHAN TERRY

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FAUST,SEAN DAVID FONTENOT,ODILE WILKS FONTENOT,PATRICIAB FOWLER, ALBERTREGNAULD FRANCIS,LASHA DEVONNE FRANCIS, BARBARA JEAN FRENCH, NICKOLAS ISIAH FRUGE, CHASSIDY NICOLE

GALLET,ANGELIA M GEORGE, BARBARA JEAN

GEORGE, TREVOR MICALE GEORGE, WHITNEY TIDWELL

landscaping,parking &

requirements in a CH (Commercial Heavy)zoningdistrict.

5. CASE NO.: 2025-29-BOZ APPLICANT: DavidHens‐gens, Hensgens Trahan EngineeringConsulting / DRHorton LOCATION:204 OakGrove Lane REQUEST: Variance of the frontagebuildout& set‐backrequirementsin a CM-1(Commercial Mixed)zoningdistrict.

6. CASE NO.: 2025-30-BOZ APPLICANT: KirbyPecot / MagnoliaPoint Cottages LOCATION:104 &105 MarbleheadAvenue REQUEST: Variance of the landscaping &bufferre‐quirementsina PD (PlannedDevelopment) zoningdistrict.

7. CASE NO.: 2025-31-BOZ APPLICANT: John Cook Durio McGofﬁnStagg & Guidry/ Lafayette Shoot‐ers

LOCATION:3520 Ambas‐sador CafferyParkway REQUEST: Variance of the signregulations in aCH (CommercialHeavy)zon‐ing district 8. CASE NO.: 2025-32-BOZ APPLICANT: LayneHop‐kins, LMHSteel Con‐struction /Adventure Lafayette LOCATION:618 Verot School Road REQUEST: Variance of the landscaping,frontage buildout& setbackre‐quirementsina CM-1 (CommercialMixed)zon‐ing district IV.OTHER BUSINESS V. ADJOURNMENT *Alternate location:Town HallAuditorium, 220 W WillowStreet,BuildingC 164950-NOV2-1T $28

CUP Arequest fora Condi‐tionalUse Permit for a convenience store(with gas sales) in aCM-1 (CommercialMixed)zon‐ing district locatedgen‐erally northofDulles i f i y Drive,eastof MarieAn‐toinette Street,and

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GUIDRY,ALICE A GUILLORY,RICHARD TODD

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KERGAN,ELIZABETH ANN KERN,LANCE MICHAEL KEYS, MARKAYLAJADE

KHAMPASEUT, ANDREW JUSTICE KIFFE, ALINE ANGERS KING, JERRICAMONIQUE

KIRKPATRICK,HEATHER KOZLOWSKI,SARAH JOY

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LAFLEUR, JOUL P LAJAUNIE,DARYLL JAMES LANDRY, VIVIAN E LATIOLAIS, JEANESE ANN LAWRENCE, JOSHUA LEE

LEBLANC,AMBER NICOLE LEBLANC,HALLIEWILSON

LEBLANC,RODNEY JOSEPH

LEBLANC,KAINDAVID

LEDAY, YVETTE M

LEGER, LISA CECILE

LEJEUNE, URSULA C

LEMAIRE, LUKE MICHAEL LEMEUNIER, BRYTTANIGABRIELLE

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LOGAN,SHELBI G MANESS, SUSAN MARIE

MARKHAM,ANDREW JAMES

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MASSEY,HEIDI SWANSON

MCCARTHY,LORI V

MCDONALD, THOMAS WILLIAM

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OYUELA-ALVAREZ, YOLANDA NORMAN

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PODHANY,VICTORIA ANN POTIER, KEYANNI PRADIER, LOUISMARKEL PRATT,CATHY M PREJEAN, MIRANDA ANNE PREJEAN, JAIDYN TRISHELLEETHEL PRIMEAUX,MARK E PRIMEAUX,LARRYP PRUDHOMME,HANNAH KATE RAYBURN, DONNA C RIOS,SAMANTHA ROBERTS, LATAYNA RENA ROBERTS, SHANTELLE RENEE RODRIGUEZ, LILY DIANE ROMERO, COREY JAMES ROSS,JOHNATHON NATHANIEL ROUSSEL, STEPHENM ROY,MIYALASHAE ROY,ALAINA SHAVAWN RUPPERT,PEYTON MICHAEL SABOE,MEGANKATHLEEN SAFFOLD,STEVEN THOMAS SAM, DANA LATOUR SAM, MONTAZE UNDRA SAM, ROBIN MARIE SCHMID,JEFFREY ALBERT SCHORN, TIMOTHY RAY SEGOVIANO, ROBERTO HERNANDEZ SEGURA, TENAYCHANTILE SIMON, MELINDA MANAGAN SIMON, LESTER SINER, ROCQUEAL R SMITH, BONNIE CHRISTMAN SMITH, ROBERTWHITE SMITH, LAURA SMITH, ELIJAHJUAN DANDRE STANLEY, WILLIAM CLARK STELLY, ROY ANTHONY STIPE,JEIGH L STONICHER, KELLYBURAS STOVER, DOUG STRAHAN, TERA LYNN SUMRALL, MELODY ANN SWINEY, JEFFREY A TAUZIN, MADISON ELAINE TAYLOR, TAURUS CLAUDELL TEKELL, ARLEEN T TERMINE, BAILEY CHRISTOPHER THEAUX, CHRISTIE LHOUSE THIBEAUX, HELENM THIBODEAUX, JACQUELINE FAYE THOMAS, ROXEANNJ THOMAS, CHANDADENISE THOMAS, CORTEZ J THOMPSON, CANDIS A TOWNSEND, THOMAS WILLIAMS TRAHAN, ASHLEY NICHOLE TRAHAN, JAIME NICOLE TRAHAN, COURTNEY ALYSE TURNER, RONALD J ULMER, WENDY SUE VALLIER, TRAVIS LAMAR VENABLE,GARYJ VICTOR, TYREESHA DESHAY WADDELL, ALBERTA WASHINGTON, LAWRENCE EARL WELCH, PHYLLIS G WHITESIDE, CHARLESHOWARD WILLIAMS, PATRICE SHIRELL WILSON, NARIKA JOHNICE WOMACK, CLEVE A WOOD, CARMELINE WRIGHT,VIRGIL DEAN WUNSTELL, BROCKJUDE WYBLE, BRYDGITTE NICOLE

As LSUpicks next leader, here’s what matters

The LSU presidential search committee bore aweighty responsibility—evaluating whoshould be considered to the next leader to usher in anew era for the state’sﬂagship university.Wehave beenwatching the process with interest as it has arrived at threeﬁnalists —Dr. Robert Robbins, former University of Arizona president; James Dalton, executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama; and current McNeese State President Wade Rousse.

The candidates have been scheduled for campusvisits to meet with students, faculty and staff. They have faced questions from members of the committee about their resumes and qualiﬁcations.

Now,after months of suspense, the full LSU Board of Supervisors will convene Tuesday to interview the ﬁnalists and make adecision.

There are afew things we hope they keep in mind as they deliberate. First is simply the tremendous import of this decision. The person chosen to become the 29th president of LSU will shape the directionofthe university for years to come. Acollege president often outlasts gubernatorial administrations and legislatures and so must be independent enough to deftly position LSU to thrive no matter the environment.

The LSU system comprises eight campuses, which are home to 41,700studentsand 1,400 faculty.Its $1.1 billion endowment supports a wide array of scholarships.

In recent years, the system has seen enrollment gains, and its research budget swelled to $543 million under previous president William Tate IV.LSU needs aleader who can keep it on that trajectory of growth, not downsize its ambitions.

The Board of Supervisors also should recognize that whoever it chooses will be immediately faced with some prettybig decisions. LSU’sparting of ways with its head football coach Brian Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward recently means those big vacancies must be ﬁlled. In addition, LSU must come up with astrategy to deal withthe ongoing uncertainty surrounding federal funding to universities, which puts some of its major research at risk. Then there is the ongoing construction on campus with apotential new arena also in the works. Add to that, the struggling University of New Orleans is set to rejoin the LSU system in the coming months. We can’timagine anew president coming in at amore pivotal time. Without adoubt, the stateneeds astrong LSU, one that is able to attract top-notch faculty and students. As we said when this search began, with all that’satstake,there’snoplace for politics or cronyism in thispick. We expect, and indeed all the LSU community demands, that the decision come down to who is best for the job —and nothing else. We urge members of the Board of Supervisors, as they are making their decision, to reﬂect on the fact that the future of LSU, and our entire state, restsin their hands.

LETTERSTOTHE

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Reflection on theBuckley centennial

Do you have any William F. Buckley Jr.stamps? As Itravel to different cities this fall, this has become my routine. Findapost ofﬁce and buy somestamps. Imay go broke on Bill Buckley stamps, but there are worse ways to spend money.Nov.24marks what would be Bill’s100th birthday.And while it would obviously be abig deal at National Review,the magazine he founded, therelease of a U.S. “forever” postage stamp has madeitsomething of abigger occasion.

ﬁed man beyond anypower of the emperors and gold seekers and legions of soldiers and slaves: astar that implanted in each oneofusthat essence that separates us from the beasts, and tellsusthat we were madeinthe imageofGod and were meant to be free.”

Oneofmyfavorite Buckley speeches is one he called “What Americanism Seeks to Be,” which heincluded in a 2,000 volume of talks, “Let Us Talk of Many Things.” In it,heemphasizes that the “majesty” of the United States Constitution has to do withitnot puttingprohibitions on people, but on the government.Ithonors human freedom —agift given by God —and is set up to ensure and promote it. In Buckley’sreﬂections on America’s beginnings, he went right to Bethlehem.The Bill of Rightsitself, in particular,hesaid, “grew out of along, empirical journey,and “the eternal spark of which, of course, traces to Bethlehem, to that star that magni-

Of course. Andyet, lost in whatever the media frenzy of theday might be, this sure can seem like aforeign concept. It reminds us that politics is not themost important thing there is. That’sthe reason, in fact, that theConstitution does what it does. For this whole American experiment to work, we need virtuous people. That doesn’tmean that everyone must be a believer.This doesn’tmean that every believer must be Christian or subscribe to one of the Abrahamic faiths. It means that we need people whovalue bigger thingsthan just themselves.

In celebrating Buckley’s100th, I ﬁnd myself thinking about Playboy Which seems somewhat quaint. One of the crucial relationships of Bill’s life, it could be argued, was the one he had withHugh Hefner,the founder of Playboy.Bill would famously joke that he did an interview forPlayboy so that he could reach his son. Bill had Hefner on his “Firing Line” public-affairs

Questionsand

While we don’thave the capacity to answer all the questions we receive from readers, we do trytoanswer them when necessary In theletters, readers often voice skepticism about how we determine what’s ﬁt to publish. I welcome these concerns. Partof thereason Iwritethis column is to answer questions from readers that we can’talways respond to individually

show,but on Buckley’sterms —WFB madeclear he considered Playboy and its philosophy acultural detriment, mostespecially to the human family.Inturn, Hefner invited Bill to write forPlayboy.So, what did Buckley write about forPlayboy? Virtue! Charity! Perhaps the last topics you might expect in that magazine, whose philosophy wasmore about radical individualistic pleasure and utilitarian relationships —especially the exploitation of women for men’s play It’s all important, because we are not meanttolive forourselves. Life and love involve sacrifice; they often depend on it. As Istop at another post office and dorkily ask foranother sheet of William F. Buckley Jr.stamps, that’swhy I’mdoing it. Because the moreweremember what we are truly about —beyond the possibly inane debate of the day —the better we will all be. And if you can brighten another person’s day with asurprise postcard from the road, even better.Itmay not be your mostimportant action, but it is acommitment to our nation’sfounding principles —tolook beyond selfish desires to see afuller view of life.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

criticismare welcomed

whether an idea is worth sharing on our platforms based on asentence or two. We evaluate the column or letter based on what has been published before and whether the writer has aunique point of view

It is our goal to have aforum where readers can express their opinions. Sometimes, letters suggest that we will not publish criticisms of our reporting or of our Opinions section. Butthat is far from thecase. We welcome critics and supporters alike. Having aconversation about our coverage, as long as it meets our guidelines, is what the Opinion pages are for When we get apitch from readers about whether we would be interested in aguest columnoraletter,Itell them it is generally best to send their letter or the entire piece. We cannot decide

Andplease understand that it can take weeks forustomake adetermination. We receive a large amount of content that we have to consider.Some issues aremore urgent than others. For guest columns, somerequire additional questioning of the writers. We want to make sure that what we publish has merit. Our readers expect that. Onequestion that keeps arising is why we don’tpublish letters on Sundays. That is for thesimple reason that Sunday is our largest circulation day in print, so some might expect that lettersonSundays carry extra weight. All ourlettersfrom readers have value, and we do not wantanyone to assume that someormore important than others. Even letters from pub-

lic ofﬁcials go through our process and are on equal footing with letters from the public, though if alawmaker writes about legislation that is imminent, we maychoose to present that to you while the issue is being discussed. Turning to our letters inbox, forthe week of Sept. 25-Oct. 2, we received 57 letters. The issue of the National Guard being deployed to U.S. cities, and potentially New Orleans, continued to be a top concern.

We received ﬁve letters on the subject, both supporting and opposing the use of troops. We also received three letters each on the following topics: the administration’ssuggestion that use of Tylenol by pregnant women could be asource of autism, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’scalling generals and admirals to a meeting in Virginia and the content of our Opinions pages.

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

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Arnessa Garrett

COMMENTARY

Guns and weed lawshouldgoupinsmoke

Gun laws! Legalized marijuana! In terms of spurring emotional responses pro or con, fewissues have been so consistent for so many decades as those two

Well, please forgive the self-reference, but when a constitutional principle is strong enough to override acolumnist’spreferences and predilections,that’sa signal to pay heed to the principle.

Quin Hillyer

Ihaven’tﬁred agun in decades, andIdon’treally like guns at all. And Ihate pot: I’ve never smoked it, not even once.I despise the smell, and I’ve written dozens of columnsand editorials against its use and legalization.

Still, in acase the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 20 agreed to consider,inappeal of aruling from the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the correct application of principle overwhelmingly advises in favor of the stance that is effectively pro-gun and pro-weed.

My distaste forguns and mari-

juana must bow to the Constitution and to common sense. For 13 years, I’ve written on this gun/pot nexus,and finally,the high court will decide it. At issue is afederal law,18 U.S.C.§ 922(g)(3), that makes it afelonyeven to own afirearm or ammunitionfor someone “who is an unlawful userofor addicted to anycontrolled substance.”The law’sclear purpose is to stop major, violent drug running and to keep people from carrying weapons, much lessusing them,while underthe dangerous influence of narcotics.

Alas, though, the law’slanguage is so broad that it can and hasensnared people who smokea single joint in one place —which at most is barely amisdemeanor and is legal underthe laws of numerous states —while their otherwise legalhandgun sits in aclosetmany miles away.Not only is this application of the law self-evidently senseless, as there is no nexus at all between the gun and thejoint, but it alsoshould be seen as an ob-

vious violation of theConstitution. The ﬁrsteight amendments to the Constitutionprotect rights that the American people have deemed to be fundamental.The Supreme Court twice hasheld, rightly Ibelieve,thatthe Second Amendment right to bear arms is indeed aright pertaining to individuals. The high court in hundreds of cases hasmade clear that government can limit afundamental right in particular waysonly after “strict scrutiny,” whichmeansthe limitation must be “narrowlytailored” andbe the “least restrictive means” of achieving a“compellinggovernment interest.”

Obviously,alaw withholdingthe fundamental right of gun ownership (not actual use,just ownership), andthus of self-defense, merelybecause someone is allegedly committing amisdemeanor 100 milesaway from thegun, is notanarrowlytailored law using the least restrictivemeans to achieve acompellinggovernmental interest. Those phrases, of course, allowfor some interpre-

tive leeway, but the leeway isn’t even within light-years of how this gun law is written and applied.

Note that the law doesn’tsay it appliesonly to people convicted of drug use, or those medically treated for addiction, or any other formal ﬁnding that could be used to take away an otherwise fundamental right after giving proper notice to the individual affected. Instead, the law says, and occasionally has been applied in such a broad way,that any unlawful user may notpossess aﬁrearm. Consider acomparative situation. If Person Adeliberately lets afriend do the driving so Person Acan drink, and then Person A imbibestwo too many beers and walks on the street while publicly inebriated, that public inebriation is typically amisdemeanor

Imagine if afederal law said that anyact of public inebriation, even if unprosecuted, would disallow the privilege of owning acar which, if misused, obviously can be adangerous piece of equipment —even if the car wasn’tin

use that night. The public would howl in outrage, and correctly so. Yetacar, unlike ownership of abasic weapon for self-defense in one’shome, isn’tpart of afundamental right explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. By analogy,then, how can it even make sense, muchless be constitutional, to allow the government to charge someone with afelony for mere possession of a constitutionally protected device, just because he puffed on adoobie 100 milesaway?

The case before the Supreme Court, U.S. v. Hemani, should be an easy one. The law,asapplied in many cases and in the broadness of its actual language, is patently unconstitutional. If Congress wants to salvage its original intent, it should be forced to rewrite that particular provision. Otherwise, anyone reading the current version might think its legislative drafters were smoking something.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Theone name that matterswon’t be on the’26 ballot

Louisiana will choose aUnited States senatorabout ayear fromnow,and here’s the current state of play: Democratscan’t ﬁnd acandidate. And Republicans can’t seem to agree on one.

Let’stake those one by one.

proﬁle Democrat than Edwards.Hesaid he’sgot little appetite for Washington partisanship, which is pretty much theonly thing on the menu anymore.

Stephanie Grace

Last month, Democrats got entirely expected bad news from former Gov John Bel Edwards when he said he would not run. Not so long ago, Edwards would have been acentral casting candidateregardless of his party,assomeone who has won the highest statewide ofﬁce twice and who left with plenty of goodwill.

But even he admits that’s not enough to overcome what has become one of the most immovable obstacles in politics these days: the fact that so many voters treat congressional elections as national referenda on the parties—ormore speciﬁcally,onPresident Donald Trump. Edwards can easily tick off examples of minority party governors like him who’ve lost Senate races,such as Maryland Republican Larry Hogan and Montana Democrat Steve Bullock, both popular chief executives who fell far short when they offered themselvesupfor service in aCapitol where the only thing that often matters is whether acandidatewould empower Trump or stand up to him.

Alsobeggingoff is stateSen. Jay Luneau of Alexandria, avocal but farlower-

With six declared candidates and perhaps more to come, Republicans don’t have adearth of options. What they do have is amuddle of aﬁeld.

This conversation begins with secondterm U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,who in any normal year would be an insurmountable favorite but who now has thedistinction of being both the front-runner and ahot mess.

In his favor are the trappings of incumbency: Amassive campaign account approaching $10 million, amajor committee chairmanship, arecord of passing meaningful legislation that beneﬁted the state and endorsements from his party’s majority leader,John Thune of South Dakota, and the head of the Senatecampaign committee, TimScott of South Carolina, as well as some noteworthyLouisiana Republicans.

Andyet the stench of desperation is strong, ever since Cassidy voted his conscience in 2021 to convict Donald Trump for inciting theJan. 6attack on Congress, only towatch him return to power four years later

This onceproudBaton Rouge physician came off as nothing but desperate when he handed Trump thedecisive vote to conﬁrm amanifestly unqualiﬁed and dangerous conspiracy theorist to manage —some would fairly say dismantle —our

nation’spublic healthand research infrastructure.

That and what has become constant groveling —nominating Trump foraNobel Prize, boasting of being invited to the WhiteHouse (two days in arow!), showing off his autographed Gulf of America hat —are big turnoffs to those who expected better,yet they’ve done little to mend fences with those who won’tforget his one transgression.

Cassidy alsofaces anew party primary designed largely to highlight his impeachment vote, and ahost of candidates eager to be theone to capitalizeonitand proceed to the November generalelection against whatever candidate the Democrats manage to scrounge up.

StateTreasurer John Fleming of Minden

was ﬁrst to announce,but if he hopedto scareoff the anti-Cassidy competition, the parade of subsequent announcements put thatnotiontorest. Soon camestate Sen. Blake MiguezofNew Iberia, and Public ServiceCommissionerEric Skrmetta of Metairie, andSt. Tammany Parish Councilmember Kathy Seiden. The newest entrant is state Rep. Julie Emerson of Carencro,a high-proﬁle chair of the Ways andMeanscommitteeand authorofseveral ideological bills thatshould playwell with GOP voters. The waythings aregoing, she might not be the last.

Cassidy may well enjoy watching all these wannabes ﬁght among themselves. On the otherhand, maybe it doesn’tmatterthatthe ﬁeld is splintered, because in a primary in whicheveryone is aconservative,they’ve allgot the same cardtoplay: The Trump one. If you believe Cassidy’sunforgivable sin is thathedidn’tback Trump’slies aboutthe 2020 election results or horrendous actions that fateful day —and if you’re playing to apartisan-by-design electoratewhere many voters believe that too— thenthe waytorun against him is to prove you’d never, ever do that. So honestly,nomatter how many other Republicans sign up, it’ll be all about Trump. These days, it just always is.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

TheseLouisiana Republicansmay notbered enough

If you think Louisiana is aruby red state with ruby red conservative congressional representatives, think again.

Not so, says one of the nation’s most conservative groups According to the Institutefor Legislative Analysis,yes, Louisianacongressional representatives have decent to good conservative records, but there are better even far better —conservative representatives in the nation. Using arevised Republican policy voting alignment system, ILA —identifying as anonpartisan, conservative nonprofit —used the 2024 RepublicanParty platform to go beyond other Republican scorecards. AccordingtoILA, their scorecardwas produced after “analyzing thousandsofpages of congressional journals, legislativetexts, fiscal notes, andofficial documents to identify every substantive roll call vote related to the Republican platform.”

Will Sutton

him? Start with former U.S. Sen. JD Vance. He got the group’shighestranking at 97.67%. That’sless than3%off of aperfect score. Guess that worked well for him. He’snow Vice President Vance. Apparently thereare enough people in Higgins’ district who think it’sOKwhen he says morally embarrassing, wacko thingslike American SNAP recipients should have amonth of groceries in their pantriesand not collect more beneﬁts unless they “stop smoking crack.”

lican stronglyidentiﬁed across our state as ahard-core conservative. With aratingof84.96%, he deﬁnitely makes the cut.But I would’vethought he’d be ranked higher based on our Louisiana perceptions Youmightnot believe this,but thenext highest-ranking Louisiana politician is theman who’s themaster of the ah-shucks, I’mone-of-you, sound bitepersona, U.S. Sen. JohnKennedy.He’s ranked No. 114, barely getting by thedesired mark with arating of 80.60%. That’sborderline. That’sitfor those who meet McGowan’s thresholdof80%.

Of our six congressional representatives and our two U.S. senators, only one makes the Top50, and he barely makes the list. Coming in at No. 50 is U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette. He almost hit a90% rating withan 89.35% score. Who’s ahead of

Rounding outthe Top 5were U.S. Rep.Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, at 97.27%; U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, 97.10%; U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, 97.01% and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy,RTexas, 96.96%. Though it makesmewince, ILA CEO Ryan McGowan told me on WBOKthathe’spleased to see congressional leaders with that level of conservative consistency He considers 80% the floor for anyone who is areal conservative, not based on party affiliation. Below that, he said, is dangerous territory.Really? Let’slook at more of our Louisiana elected officials. Coming in at No. 76 is House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, anorthwestern Louisiana Repub-

Soooo, who’smissing themark?

U.S. Rep.SteveScalise, R-Metairie, has a77.38% rating, getting him intothe No. 144 position. Yes, themajority leader.Yes, the manwho is thechief Republican strategistinthe House, carefully managingthe ﬂow of bills and ensuring party members vote together on key legislation andﬁnding waystobuild coalitions and consensustomake sure that the party gets what it wants Well, maybe he doesn’tcount himselfinthat number sometimes. The next highest-ranking Louisiana Republican, coming in at No. 156, is U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge,witha ranking of,gulp,

76.12%. I’m OK with the calmer of our two U.S. senators falling below thedesired threshold, but Idon’tthink manyinthe Republican base like seeing that number Iguessthat’swhy he’sgot several challengers who want his job. Not far behind him,coming in at No. 169isU.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Start. She has a75% rating. Maybe that’swhy she’snot jumped in to challenge Cassidy for his seat. Iwouldn’texpect our two Democratic congressional representatives to get an ILA score anywhere close to Letlow’sand theothers. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, did quite poorly with ILA.

He ranks at No. 383 with ascore of only 7.12%. Notsurprising for aDemocrat representing a more progressive district. U.S. Rep.Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, wasn’t included on the scorecard becausehis district is new and the data was based on the ﬁscal year that includes January-December 2024. Without naming names, ILA points out that moretraditional scorecards produced by advocacy organizations and think tanks often use limited subsets of votes and aren’tmore inclusive. “(T)his methodology includes all pertinent votes, thus preventing cher-

ry-picking and providing aholistic picture of congressional actions,” ILA says on its website. Adifferent but related setof ILA data looks at how effective congressional leaders are with the group’slimited government interest. That ranking system uses the group’sviewoftruelimited government as the guide. Usingthat measurement, here’show our state’scongressional representatives,including one whose seat Fields now holds ranked:

54. Clay Higgins, 86.71%

88. MikeJohnson, 81.74%

149. Steve Scalise,74.18%

177. Julia Letlow,70.88% 184. GarretGraves,70.30% 192. John Kennedy,68.57% 238. Bill Cassidy,60.92% 427. Troy Carter,6.05%

As much as we think we’re one of the most conservative states in the South and in the nation, clearlywe’renot. Adeeper look at the records of our lawmakers showsthey’renot. Maybe that’sa good thing. Maybe,just maybe,wehave a chance to seemoreofthem slip belowthat80% threshold and come closer to wheremoreof us are.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO

Sen.Bill Cassidy, R-La

Cajuns’ early surge enough to fend off South Alabama

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

MOBILE,

KELLY’S DOWNFALL

People close to LSU football lend insight into what went wrong, and coach’s ill-fated attempt to reshape program into ‘mold of Notre Dame’

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Inside an area of the home locker room designated for the head coach, Brian Kelly met with top LSU athletic ofﬁcials on the night of Oct. 25 to discuss the future of the team after a 49-25 loss to Texas

A&M. They asked what changes Kelly would make on offense after losing three of the previous four games, the latest a second-half collapse that emptied out Tiger Stadium. Afterward, they agreed to meet again Sunday inside the football oper-

ations building. Entering the day several people connected to the program expected LSU to make offensive staff changes, most likely the firing of offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. But by the end of the meeting, LSU had made a decision on Kelly himself. There was a sense among officials that Kelly could not turn around the team, and sources involved in the decision said he did not have enough internal support anymore. He was informed then of the intention to fire him. Discussions were held over the rest of the day, including about his roughly $54 million buyout, that cul-

minated in a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday night.

“We weren’t getting better,” an athletic official said. “This can’t happen at LSU.” In the midst of his fourth season, Kelly was out. He boasted LSU had the best roster of his tenure after a significant financial investment, and the year began with expectations of College Football Playoff contention. Instead, LSU dropped to 5-3 with the loss to Texas A&M. Kelly had a 34-14 record, results that didn’t match the

Picking another quarterback in first round of draft not out of question

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

to rally the Saints from the bottom of the standings, but the 26-yearold is expected to demonstrate enough encouraging signs to show he’s worth building around for the long haul. But what are those signs? That’ll be the tricky part of the evaluation, particularly as the schedule gets softer once the black and gold gets past the 5-2 Rams.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.

PROVIDED PHOTO By UL ATHLETICS

UL quarterback Lunch Winfield makes a cut to evade South Alabama’s Darius McKenzie on Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Winfield passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 45 and a score.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Brian Kelly argues a call against Arkansas on Oct. 19, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. Kelly was fired last Sunday

4:30

Hamlin in pole position for first NASCAR title

Denny Hamlin’s quest to win his first career NASCAR championship will begin from pole position.

Hamlin will lead the field to green at Phoenix Raceway in Sunday’s winner-take-all finale. The Cup will be awarded to the highest finisher among Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, and William Byron and Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports.

Manning throws 3 touchdowns in win

BY JIM VERTUNO AP sportswriter

AUSTIN, Texas Texas quarterback Arch Manning returned from a concussion a week earlier to pass for 328 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard connection with Ryan Wingo on the ﬁrst play of the game, to lead the No. 20 Longhorns over No 9 Vanderbilt 34-31 Saturday Texas led 34-10 in the fourth quarter before Vanderbilt staged a desperate rally behind quarterback Diego Pavia’s touchdown run, 67-yard scoring pass to Eli Stowers and a final TD toss to Richie Hoskins with 33 seconds left.

The Vanderbilt rally ended when the Commodores’ onside kick bounced through several players and eventually rolled out of bounds.

“Almost a playoff type game in November,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “A great win You’ve got to play 60 minutes in this conference for sure ” Manning had been injured in Texas’ overtime win over Mississippi State and spent the week in concussion protocol. By Friday night, he’d been removed from the team’s injury report to the Southeastern Conference and started against the Commodores

“I felt good the whole time,” Manning said. “It feels good to be back.” His ﬁrst throw of the day was a

short toss to Wingo, who broke two tackles and was off on a sprint to the end zone. Manning also connected with C.J. Baxter as Texas built a 24-3 lead in the ﬁrst half. Against Vanderbilt Manning went 25 of 33. Quintrevion Wisner rushed 18 times for 75 yards and a score, and Wingo had two receptions for 89 yards for Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC).

GAME OF THE WEEK AP TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Manning took a hard hit on his third touchdown pass, this one to Emmett Mosely V, but popped right up and celebrated with his teammates. It was one of few times Manning was under pressure all day “This was the best protection he’s gotten all year,” Sarkisian

said. Pavia struggled to get the Commodores (7-2, 3-2) going until late against a Texas defense that sacked him six times and limited his ability to run over the first three quarters. Pavia ﬁnished with a career-high 365 yards passing and had 408 total yards.

Stockton, No. 5 Georgia rally to beat Florida

By The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes, Chauncey Bowens scored on a late 36-yard run and No. 5 Georgia escaped the rivalry known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” with a 24-20 victory against Florida on Saturday It was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive victory in the series and their eighth in the last nine meetings. But this one was closer than any of those others Georgia stopped Florida on a fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs 18yard line with a little less than eight minutes to play, a momentum-turning moment in a backand-forth game. Stockton and Zachariah Branch took over from there, putting Georgia (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) in position for its fourth come-from-behind victory in six league games. Bowens darted up the middle following the duo’s second connection and scampered untouched to the end zone. Florida (3-5, 2-3) had a chance late, but DJ Lagway’s deep pass short-hopped intended receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant got behind the defense and probably would have scored had the pass not been badly underthrown Stockton, a noted alligator hunter in the offseason, completed 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards. Branch caught 10 passes for 112 yards. Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for 115 yards on the ground.

NO 13 TEXAS TECH 43, KANSAS STATE 20: In Manhattan, Kansas, Berhen Morton threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in his return from an injury, J’Koby Williams ran for 135 yards and a score, and Texas Tech romped past sloppy, mistake-prone Kansas State.

Cameron Dickey also had a touchdown run for the Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 Big 12), who forced ﬁve turnovers while snapping an eight-game losing streak against the Wildcats (4-5, 3-3) with their ﬁrst win in Manhattan since the 2008 season. SMU 26, No. 10 MIAMI 20: In Dallas, T.J. Harden scored on a 1-yard run in overtime, and SMU upset Mi-

ami, handing the Hurricanes their second loss in three weeks and damaging their playoff hopes.

Ahmaad Moses put the Mustangs (6-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast) in position to win even with a ﬁeld goal by intercepting Carson Beck just short of the goal line on the ﬁrst possession of the extra period.

Harden’s score came on the last of his four consecutive runs as the Mustangs won their 13th consecutive home conference game a week after losing an ACC regularseason game for the ﬁrst time in their second season since returning to a power league.

No 2 INDIANA 55, MARYLAND 10: In College Park, Maryland, Fernando Mendoza threw for a touchdown and ran for one, and Indiana remained undefeated with a rout of Maryland Mendoza recovered from an early interception, and he also had to play most of the game without his top target Star receiver Elijah Sarratt left in the ﬁrst quarter with an apparent injury, ending his nationleading streak of 46 consecutive games with a catch. Still, this was another one-sided

game for the Hoosiers (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten), who since winning at Oregon have added victories over Michigan State, UCLA and Maryland by a combined 120 points. No. 1 OHIO ST 38, PENN ST 14: In Columbus, Ohio, Julian Sayin passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns, Jeremiah Smith scored twice and Ohio State pulled away in the second half to defeat Penn State.

The Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) had a 17-14 lead at halftime, but took control in the second half, scoring on three of their ﬁrst four possessions.

WEST VIRGINIA 45, No. 22 HOUSTON 35: In Houston, Scotty Fox Jr threw for 157 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as West Virginia snapped its ﬁve-game losing streak with a win over Houston. Fox was 13 of 22 and threw a touchdown pass of 24 yards to Cam Vaughn. He also rushed for 65 yards and had touchdown runs of 6 yards and 34 yards. Diore Hubbard rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Cyncir Bowers added 65 yards rushing and a touchdown as the Mountaineers (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) outrushed Houston 246-82.

Larson is the only driver in the championship field with a title, while two-time reigning Daytona 500 winner Byron is back in the final four for the third consecutive year Briscoe is making his title race debut, and Hamlin is back in the field for the first time since 2021. Hamlin turned a lap at 133.759 mph to earn the top starting spot.

Grizzlies suspend All-Star guard Morant for 1 game

Memphis has suspended twotime All-Star guard Ja Morant for its game Sunday at the Toronto Raptors, with the Grizzlies citing what they described as conduct detrimental to the team.

Morant scored only eight points in Memphis’ 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. He had a brief postgame interview session, with most of his answers some form of “Go ask the coaching staff.”

Morant also seemed disengaged at times in that game, even walking a few steps away from the bench area during a time-out in the second half.

Asked about what happened in the game, Morant said, “Go ask them,” referring to the coaching staff. He did not score in the second half.

Sinner routs Zverev to reach Paris finals

Jannik Sinner routed Alexander Zverev 6-0, 6-1 in a little more than an hour Saturday to reach the Paris Masters ﬁnal and move closer to reclaiming the No. 1 ranking.

The four-time Grand Slam champion from Italy will replace sixtime major winner Carlos Alcaraz at the top if he wins Sunday’s ﬁnal against ninth-seeded Felix AugerAliassime, who needs a win to clinch the eighth and ﬁnal spot for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, Italy

Auger-Aliassime earlier beat Alexander Bublik 7-6 (3), 6-4 in their semiﬁnal at La Défense Arena.

No. 12 NOTRE DAME 25, BOSTON COLLEGE 10: In Boston, Jeremiyah Love broke free for a 94-yard touchdown run on the ﬁrst play after a Notre Dame interception squelched a potential game-tying drive and the Fighting Irish won their sixth straight, beating Boston College. Notre Dame (6-2) had a surprisingly difﬁcult day against the onewin Eagles (1-8), mired in a scoreless tie after one quarter and giving up a touchdown just before the half that left the Irish with a 12-7 lead.

The Eagles trailed 18-10 early in the fourth quarter thanks to three missed Irish kicks — and had a chance to tie it before Adon Shuler intercepted Grayson James inside the Notre Dame 5-yard line.

No 15 VIRGINIA 31, CALIFORNIA 21: In Berkeley, California, J’Mari Taylor ran for two touchdowns and Virginia extended its winning streak to seven straight games for the ﬁrst time since 2007 by beating California.

Taylor scored on two of the ﬁrst three drives of the game for the Cavaliers (8-1, 5-0 ACC) in their first meeting with the Golden Bears (5-4, 2-3). Virginia held on from there, getting a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kam Robinson with 34 seconds left to seal its ﬁrst win as a top-15 team since 2004.

No. 16 LOUISVILLE 28, VIRGINIA TECH 16: In Blacksburg, Virginia, Isaac Brown rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown before leaving late with a leg injury and Keyjuan Brown scored twice in the second half to lift Louisville to a victory over Virginia Tech.

Miller Moss added a touchdown pass for the Cardinals (7-1 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who rallied from a 16-7 halftime deﬁcit to win their third straight game. Louisville also kept alive its hopes of making it to the ACC championship game. Moss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Caullin Lacy early in the third quarter to pull the Cardinals within two points at 16-14. Lacy’s 65-yard punt return minutes later then set up Keyjuan Brown’s 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Cardinals a 21-16 lead.

Sinner extended his indoor winning streak to 25 matches, including a victory over Zverev in the Vienna ﬁnal last weekend. He beat Zverev for the fourth straight time and leads 5-4.

Swiatek handles Keys in WTA Finals opener In a clash of Grand Slam winners Iga Swiatek swept aside Madison Keys in straight sets on the opening day of the WTA Finals on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. The Wimbledon champion needed just over an hour to beat Australian Open winner Keys 6-1, 6-2 at the season-ending tournament for the world’s top eight players.

“I was in the zone from the beginning to the end,” said Swiatek, who won 58 of 87 points. It was Keys’ first match in 68 days, since her ﬁrst-round exit at the U.S. Open. Swiatek, the 2023 WTA Finals champion, acknowledged such a long absence “can make you a bit rusty.” Keys may need to beat Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina to advance. Rybakina beat Anisimova 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday

Forever Young captures Breeders’ Cup Classic DEL MAR,Calif. Forever Young beat reigning champion Sierra Leone by a half-length to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday giving Japan a victory in North America’s richest race. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young ran 1¼ miles in 2:00.19 and paid $9 to win at 7-2 odds. The colt was third in last year’s Classic behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness. The race lost Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty when the colt was scratched after spiking a fever earlier in the week. Trainer Yoshito Yahagi earned his third career Cup victory while Sakai claimed his first. Fierceness was third and Preakness winner Journalism was fourth Mindframe finished fifth, followed by Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian and Contrary Thinking.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy Texas quarterback Arch Manning runs as he looks to throw against Vanderbilt during the first half of a game in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton looks for a receiver during a game against Florida on Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla.

LSUwillendurepainfromthiscrisis

On the morning of the anniver-

sary of the most legendary moment in LSU sports history —Billy Cannon’sHalloween night punt return against Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium —agroup of LSU ofﬁcials met with reporters Friday at that same stadium to try to describe howthe athletic program moves forward from perhapsthe wildest week in its history

Football coach Brian Kelly: fired Sunday Athletic director Scott Woodward:parted ways with LSU on Thursday.It’salso afiring, but we’ll play along with the official verbiage.

Rarely,historically,havesuch diverse events intersected.Cannon’srun —amoment for thecollege football world to still marvel at —and the Kelly/Woodward double play —amoment forthe world to again have alaugh at Louisiana’sexpense.

Twothings can be true at the same time. Kelly didn’tlive up to his mandate to make LSU achampionship program and was likely, eventually,tobesacked. And Woodward did swing and miss at his two most recent football hires: JimboFisher at TexasA&M

KELLY

Continued from page1C

size of his 10-year,$95 million contract. When Kelly came to LSU in December2021, he never had been ﬁred in three-plus decades as ahead coach He left Notre Dame as the team’swinningest coach with 113 victories,and he believed LSU couldhelp him capture his ﬁrstFBS national championship. After all, the Tigers’ previous three head coacheswon national titles by their fourth seasons

“He built his success at Notre Dame off of his traits of excellence and his total preparation, as he calls it, and that’skind of the thing that undermined him,” a former member of the LSU athletic department said, “because he was too married to what had worked for him at Notre Dame and not open-minded enough to what would work for him at LSU.”

The Advocatespoke to 15 people connected to the LSU program over the past four years. They were granted anonymity in order to speak freely.Kelly has not spoken publicly since he was ﬁred, and former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, who parted ways with the university on Thursday,did not respond to arequest for comment. What the people described was acoach who did not connect with enough of his players, made bad staff decisions and never adapted to recruiting in the SEC. Kelly triedto install his structure, they said, but it did not translate.

“He did not embrace Louisiana, and he didn’t embrace LSU culture,” one former staff member said. “He felt like it needed to be changed, and part of it needed to be changed, but you have to come in and really embrace it.”

Unable to harnessLSU

Inside the footballoperations building, Kelly ﬁlled his corner ofﬁcewith mementos from his career

One of themwas aglasstopped box full of rings from championships and bowl games. It commemorated the highlights from what had been along and successful career,and it wasareminder of what he still neededtoaccomplish when he came to LSU. At Notre Dame, Kelly revived aprogram that had declinedfor years. Notre Dame reached the 2012 national championship game in his third season, and he ﬁnished with ﬁve consecutive 10-win seasons that included two playoff appearances. Kelly came to LSU with a 263-95-2 record. He thought

andKelly here. Butthe timing of both together,and the obviously heavy handofGov.Jeff Landry on thewhole production, have at the very least complicated LSU’s hopesofhiringtheir replacements.

Let’scomb through afew facts andhalf-truthshere:

1. Landry is correct: LSU would be on thehookfor Kelly’s roughly$54 million buyout if no onestepped up.Private donors alwaysstep up,asboosters apparently havedonehere, but there is technically noguarantee.

2. Landry is also correct in saying that these sky-high coaches’ contracts are ridiculous. It is a fact that Kelly’s buyout,atthe moment,isthe second-largest in college football history.Landry said he wantstochange that, and that’sadmirable. But reversing the course of thefreemarket is a Herculean project.

3. Landry is incorrect in saying that Woodward is responsible forthe contractthatled to this buyout (true) AND Fisher’sstillrecord $77 million buyout at Texas A&M two yearsago. Woodward did hire Fisher in 2017 when he was the TexasA&M athletic director,but it was Woodward’s successor there, Ross Bjork, who signed Fisher to theextension that led to hisstaggering buyout.

Woodwarddid some highly

he couldcontinuewhat he had done before while harnessing LSU’sadvantages.

“Wewere not at thesame point in terms of what I needed and what Ifelt like the program needed,” Kelly told TheAdvocatein the springof2022. “Notre Dame, Ithink, wanted to do it. They’relike abig ship that is turning,and it takes alongtime to turn that ship.I needed to turn alittle faster than they did.”

At the time, Woodward hadwatched LSUwin the 2019 national championship,only to go 11-12 over the next two years under coach Ed Orgeron. Woodward ﬁred Orgeron in the middleofthe 2021 season. He thought the football programhad gotten too volatile. Hewanted astable hand, and he believed Kelly could provideit.

Given permission to clean house, Kelly overhauled the staff. He got rid of several longtimeassistants, startingwith strength andconditioningcoach Tommy Moffitt. Thecold way Moffitt was dismissed upset many peopleclosetothe team, especially former players. Multiple staffmembers also said Kelly fixed some thingsthat needed to be in the process.

“The organization fell in some areas, andhereally brought that in,” alongtime staff member said. “I think themessagewas always right. Ireally do. Ithink thethought process behind what we were doingwas right in alot of aspects.

There’sjust acertain edge that this placehas, andthat’swhat ultimately slipped from us.”

Kelly’s approach was “a shock to the system,”one former staff member said. Players had to check in daily on an app that measured their activity throughout the week,and some thought it never resonatedenough. Issues as theCEO

Throughout hiscareer, Kelly has taken aCEO-style approach to beinga head coach.Hewanted to establish accountability, lean on quality assistantsand run the organization from above. Multiple former staff members appreciated that he empowered them to do their jobs instead of micromanaging them,and they respected hisintelligence.

That hasworked inthe past forKelly. Hisﬁve straight double-digit win seasons at Notre Dame coincided with astring of successfuldefensivecoordinator hires in now-TexasA&M headcoach MikeElko, now-Vanderbilt headcoach Clark Lea and now-Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. But that didn’t pan out atLSU. “My ﬁrst four weekshere, Ididn’tsee him,” acurrent

laudablethings as the LSU athletic director.Among them, he hired Jay Johnson to coach baseball, KimMulkeytocoach women’sbasketball andJay Clark to coach gymnastics. Those threehavecombined to winfournational championships since 2023. But at aschool like LSU, athletic directors ultimately are judged by their football hires. Not everyone at LSU was enamored with Woodward and the way he ran the department, including howmuchmoney he spent on coaches and, subsequently, buyouts.

Landry could havetied Woodward to two ultimately ﬁred football coaches,Kelly and Fisher, and saidLSU couldn’tafford to allow him to makeanother football hire and left it at that. Instead, he followed the money to some conclusions that were only partially correct. He also asserted that Kelly’sagent,Trace Armstrong, is Woodward’sagent but no evidence of that has come to light Alot of folks in Baton Rouge like Woodward. I’mone of them. He’sBaton Rouge born and bred, graduated from Catholic High and LSU, and has Mississippi River mud on the soles of his shoes.

Butlet’sbehonest: Most folks wouldn’tcare whether apotted

staff member said.

Multiple people said three of Kelly’stop assistants when he ﬁrst got to LSU— special teamsand recruiting coordinator Brian Polian, chief of staff Beth Rex and mental performance coach Amber Selking rubbed people the wrong way.Polian was let go after one year,and Rex left the program in themiddle of the2024 season.

Still, LSUreached the SEC championship gamein Kelly’sﬁrst season after he inherited aroster with less than 40 scholarship players. An offense led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels was capable of competing for anational title in 2023, but thedefense was so bad that theentire defensive coaching staff was replaced after theyear.Woodward was heavily involved in those decisions.

In themidst of the staff changes, LSU wanted to keep defensive tackle Maason Smith. As Smithdebated whether or not to enter theNFL draft,adonor heavily involved in LSU’s name, image and likeness collective participated in a meeting. He suggested Kelly should call Smith, thinking that could help reassure him during thetransition.

“‘That’sa great idea. If you have his phone number, please share it withme,’ ” thedonor recalled Kelly saying. “It seemsodd that I have his phone number and you don’t.”

Many players on theteam thought they did not have astrong relationship with Kelly,multiple people said. It rubbed some players the wrong way when he messed up their names. Onestaff member said that in the NIL era, establishing relationships with players has becomeeven moreimportantfor the head coach.

“If you love them up, they’re OK with being screamed at and yelled at because they know you really care,” aformer staff member said. “I feel like that was ablindspot, for sure.”

Oneparent of an LSU player did not meet Kelly for almost ayear after he got thejob. He spoke to him for thesecond time ever this summer,even though his son has been on the team theentire time.

“It was just strange,” the parent said. “People would ask me, ‘What kind of guy is he?’ We didn’tknow.”

Mistakes in recruiting

Oneformer staff member remembered looking at LSU’srecruiting boards early in Kelly’stenure.

“Wehad people up there from Providence, Rhode Island, and all kinds of places,” the staff member said. “I thought, ‘Mmmm.’ ” Louisiana’shomegrown

plant is named LSU’s next athletic director.They wanttoknow how all this craziness is going to affect LSU’sability to hire its next football coach.

Friday morning, LSU Board of Supervisors chairman Scott Ballard, board athletics committee chairman John Carmouche and newly named interim athletic director Verge Ausberry met with reporters to try to quell concerns about that. They did their best to squash the notion that Landry would hire the next football coach, like somemodern-day Huey Long, or that all this upheaval wouldpreclude LSU from hiring atop-shelf coach.

“We’re LSU,” said Ausberry, who is leading asearch committee including Ballard, Carmouche and three others to ﬁnd the next football coach. “My phone is still ringing. Alot of people still want to come to LSU. It’s the best job in thecountry.”

This has been atumultuous, stunning andinsomeways embarrassing weekfor LSU, LSU athletics and LSU football. From my time as astudent at LSU in the1980s during the “Crazy Days at LSU” saga through 33 years of covering LSU athletics, Ihave seen astring of crises washover theprogram like storm surges, tearingthings apart.

Eventually,things get rebuilt.

talentisseen as abuilt-in advantage to the job, but LSUsigned only fiveofthe top 10 players in thestate in the 2023 recruiting class, thefirst full cycle under Kelly.That quickly began to change, as LSU signed nine of the 10 ayear later.Now, mostofKelly’sfirst class is gone and only ahandful are starters when it should have formed the backbone of the team.

“Atﬁrst,from arecruiting perspective, it was tough to get him to do alot of things because he didn’t have to up at Notre Dame,” aformer staff member said. “I wouldn’tsay he was necessarily stuck in his ways, but he wasn’tfully willing to adapt at times.”

Kelly was involved in recruiting, but two former staff members noted the recruiting staff was given acertain number of phone calls per week that Kelly would makewith prospects. One former staff member who hasworked at other SEC schools said calls with recruits hadtobearranged for Kelly,whereas theother coaches he worked with didthatontheir own. Kelly viewed himself as thecloser

“The biggest complaint we’d get from recruits, their parents, coaches was, ‘Hey,we’ve heard from coach once since we committed’or‘we haven’theard from coach ever,’ ”the former staff member said.

After astringofrecruiting misses early on, LSU needed to add experienced players going intoKelly’s fourth year,especially on defense. It signed theNo. 1 transfer class in thecountry, according to 247Sports. The roster cost about $18 million,Kelly said, anum-

ber that was morethan triple what the team had spent the year before.

LSU is scheduled to nameanew president Tuesday.Itwill, according to the men on the podium Friday,then hire afootball coach and then (an interesting point) namea new athletic director.That whole process probably will wrap up no earlier than late November or early December That’s5-6 weeks away.It doesn’tseem that long, but who would have thought Kelly and Woodward both would have been ousted five weeks ago? Ausberry is correct. Someone will be eager to take the job no matter the political climate. Maybe it’ll be someone viewed as aproven winner,like Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin or Oregon coach Dan Lanning or even Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. It may well be an upand-comer or afirst-timer such as acurrent college or NFL coordinator Perhaps the latter isn’tideal, but consider this: Seven of the teamsinthis week’sAPtop 10 —Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and BYU —are led by coaches whoeither never had been head coaches before or at least hadn’t coached at the Power Four level. LSU football and LSU athletics will survive this crisis and thrive again. It’s just going to take some pain to get there.

That raised expectations.

“What blowsmymind about this is that the more money that we spent on the roster —and Ithink by all accounts, the better the talent got —the worse the results were,” said the donor involved in LSU’s collective. “And Idonot understand that.”

Aseasonoff therails

Before spring practice started, Kelly expressed conﬁdence in his team,saying LSU could winthe SEC championship now that it had improved the roster But manyofthe sameissues continued from last season, primarily on offense.

Although the defense helped LSU start 4-0, the Tigers quickly fell off. They have the worst rushing offense in the SEC for the second straight year, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has been unable to pick up the slack in the passing gamebehind a shaky offensive line. LSU

ﬁred second-year offensive coordinator Joe Sloan the day after Kelly

“The message with BK was always about the process and our details need to be better,” acurrent staffmember said. “Itcan kind of just go in one ear and out the other.We’d talk about details and process so much. Ihave no idea what our process was,and Ihave no idea if we know what details are.”

On Sunday morning, LSU staffmembers went back to workasthey normally would on the ﬁrst day before an open date. They

hosted recruits, but as the day continued, they could tell something morethan the ﬁring of the offensive coordinator could be coming, especially when Kelly leftthe building. They knew forsure when they were told to come to an 8p.m. team meeting. Now, LSU has to conduct another coaching search while ﬁnishing the season under interim coach Frank Wilson. Interim athletic director Verge Ausberry has been given “full authority” to makethe hire, twomembers of the LSU Board of Supervisors said Friday “BK tried to build LSU in the moldofNotre Dame, and that’snot what LSU needed,” the former member of the athletic departmentsaid. “LSU needed structure, but it didn’tneed to swing so faraway from its identity that it forgot whoitwas.

“And so Ithink he brought in structure, but there was a disconnect between the LSU identity and the identity of the head coach and the football program.”

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

Scott Rabalais

SAINTS GAMEDAY

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH

DEFENSIVE CARRYOVER

GOODSTART

SHOUGH TIME

TylerShough, draftedwiththe No.40overall pick in April, will make his firstNFL startSunday. Chancesare,Shough won’tfacea tougher team therestof hisrookieseason. TheRamshavethe second-mostsacks in theNFL (26).Byron younghas nine.On topofthat, they aretiedfor the fifth-highestpressurerateinthe league (38.4%). So theSaints offensivelinewillbetested, and Shough needsa cleanpocket. A successful dayfor Shough would be taking care of theball like SpencerRattler didthrough the firstsix weeks. Avoiding turnovers is theonlyway theSaintshavea chance

MAKE PLAYS It shouldbepretty clear by now that alot of things will have to go right forthe Saints to pull off ahugeupset.The Saints opened as 131/2-point underdogs.It’ll take either a flawless performance by the Saints or a clunker of aperformance by the Rams forthe Saints to gettheir second win of the season.They need to do allofthe little things right.Catch every ball that hits their hands.Hold on to the ball once theycatch it.Get Stafford down when theyget to him.Line up correctly.Score in the red zone.Make fieldgoals.youget the picture.Themarginoferror is thinner than ever for the Saints. 1 2 3 4

It’sasking alot,but the defense needs to bottleuplast week’s performance against the Buccaneersand takeitout west TheSaints held the Bucs,led by MVP candidate Baker Mayfield, to just 212 total yards. TheRams, led by quarterback MatthewStafford, area step up in weight class, though.They have oneofthe most potent offenses in the league, averaging 360.1 yards per game.TheRams’ passing attack (256.7 yards per game) ranks third in the NFL. Receiver Puka Nacua,whohas battled an ankle injury,is expected to returnthis week,making the offense evenmore dangerous.

TheSaintsneedsomething good to happen early. TheRamsaren’t thetypeofteamthe Saints need to play catch-up against. Especially sincethe Saints are turningtoarookie quarterbackmaking his firstNFL start. TheSaintshave spentmostofthisseasontrying to climbout of ahole. They have had84offensive possessions, andtheyhavebeentrailingfor 70 of those. In five of theirfirst eightgames,the Saints never havehad alead. It wouldhelp if theSaintscould getsome help from specialteams or if the defensecould create aturnover or twotoset theoffense up in good fieldposition.

asset. See: Chicago, 2024, with Caleb Williams-Justin Fields.

So there’salot on the line over the next twomonths, both forShough and the Saints.

The momentoftruthhas arrived for Tyler Shough. All theyears of dreaming and scheming, playing and praying, have delivered himtothis point

It’stime to see whether he has what it takes to be astartingNFL quarterback. This is thesituation he has planned and preparedfor since he was akid, wearing aBrett Favre jersey and slinging the ball around his yard in the Phoenixsuburbs.

Shough said. “What agreat opportunity to go out there and let it rip.”

“We’re really excited about this opportunity forhim,” Moore said. “I feel like Tyler is ready to go.”

“You can callita dream, Iguess,” Shough said. “I’ve always believed it (might happen).”

Shough will earn the ﬁrst start of his nascent NFL career against the Rams on SundayinLos Angeles. In so doing, he will join exclusive company.Onlysix other rookie quarterbackshavestarted for the New Orleans Saints in their 59-year history

Thelast onetobedrafted as highly as Shough, asecond-round selection from Louisville,was Archie Manning in 1971. Shough will be thrown into thedeep end. The Rams run one of the most sophisticated defensive schemes in theNFL. They are ranked in the top ﬁve of almost every majordefensive category.Their defensive line features the best edge tandem in the league: NFLsack leader Byron Young and2024 Defensive Rookie of theYear Jared Verse.

It’ll be asink-or-swim experience for Shough at SoFiStadiumonSunday

“Their defense is incredibly good,

Shough and the Saintsare going into this thingwith their eyes wide open. They know there will be growing pains along the way.With that mind, the clubis giving him along leash. Barring injury Shough will be thestarter,and Spencer Rattler will be thebackup. There will be no ﬂip-ﬂopping between thetwo. This is Shough’sjob and Shough’steam

“We’re not doing this back-and-forth thing,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. He added that having Shough as the permanent starter “is certainly the goal.” Moore declinedtodiscuss the big picture, but it’s evident. This is essentially anine-game audition. How Shough fares over the next two months is signiﬁcant— notjust for his future but also the franchise’s

TheSaints are staring at athree- or four-win season, whichwould land them atop-ﬁve selection in the 2026 NFLDraft.

If Shough passesthe test, he likely will become thepermanent starter freeing the Saints up to look elsewhere for help in the draft. If he fails, the Saints will be forced to look at quarterback options, starting with Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Ty SimpsonofAlabama. Athird optionsremains, albeit an unlikely onethat few have considered: Shough plays well, but theSaints fall in love with aquarterback prospect in the draft and use Shough as apotential trade

He’ll need to be to turn around this listless offense. The Saints rank near the bottom of the league in mostkey offensive categories. They’re 29th in scoring (16 points per game) and 27th in total offense (295.0 yards agame). They’re 28th in rushing and dead last in red-zone offense. The offense gradually has declined in both scoring and yards annually since former head coach Sean Payton acolyte Pete Carmichael was ﬁred as offensive coordinator in 2023.

Can Shough turn things around? Time will tell.

Since Drew Brees retired in 2020, the Saints and their loyal legion of fans have turned their lonely eyes to a parade of offensive saviors in recent years, from Derek Carr to Klint Kubiak to Spencer Rattler to Moore. So far,no one has been able to rekindle the magic of the golden Payton-Brees era.

“It’sone game; it’sone week,” Moore said. “(Shough doesn’t) have to makeit any bigger than it is. The biggest thing is growth.” Moore never would say it publicly,but this was the plan all along. The Saints selected Shough with the No.40overall pick in April to eventually be their starter.Itwas only amatter of time until they handed him the keys to the offense. That timehas arrived. Now, it’supto Shough to deliver

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

If the season were to end today,the Saints would have the No. 1pick —and their choice of any quarterback in the draft,if desired.

First,they must determine whether they have enough in Shough to make taking another quarterback unnecessary

“I’m excited for him,” Saints coachKellenMooresaid.“I think he’sgoing to handle this thing really,reallywell.”

Moore made no bold declarationsabout Shough’sfuture, outside of saying that the rookie would startover Spencer Rattler for therest of theseason Askedabout what he needs from afranchisequarterback, the ﬁrst-yearcoach rattled off alist of traits. Great command. Protect the football. Make plays whenyou have to. Lead

The Saints hope Shough is ready to step in and pounce after sitting for most of the ﬁrst eightgames.The Louisville product got his ﬁrst extended action in last week’s losstothe Tampa Bay Buccaneers,and coachesand players saidthey couldsee the quarterback’s growth after running the scout team.

“I’m going to make mistakes,” Shough said. “SoI’m going to do everything Ican to learn from those mistakes.”

The worst outcome would be if Shough manages to win games withoutperformances that deﬁnitively answer whether he’sthe guy Victories overthe Miami Dolphins, NewYorkJetsand Tennessee Titans —who areright near the Saints at the top of the draft order —have the potential to be misleading, especially if the Saints win with Shough just doing enough while the team steps up in other areas.

Yes, those wins could push the Saints out of the rangeto take the top quarterback prospect, but that shouldn’teliminate the possibility of taking, say,the third quarterback if they end up with the sixth pick instead of the ﬁrst or second Look at the2020draft, for instance.Thatyear,the Washington Commanders— or the Washington FootballTeam, as they were calledthen— passed on achance to take Tua Tagovailoa or JustinHerbert to draft defensive end Chase Young second overallinstead. Washington, at the time, felt it would be better off selecting apass rusher labeled as agenerational talent,since the team also had drafted quarterback Dwayne Haskins in thefirst round the previous year

This decision might have doomed coach Ron Rivera’s four-year tenure in D.C. Haskinswas benched—and then cut —that fall.And while Washington made the playoffs in 2020 with a7-9 record, the lack of afranchise quarterback wasthe hurdle that Rivera and his staff could not overcome. Washington may havebeen persuaded mistakenlyby Haskins’ close to the2019 season. Like Shough, Haskins’ first start didn’tcome until Week 9, but his two victories down the stretch came against bad teams: the DetroitLions, whoﬁnished 3-12-1, and a5-11

Carolina Panthers team that lost eight straight to close the year.Haskins didshow some ﬂashes in that span, but there were warning signs the team overlooked

There are other examples, too.

TheDenver Broncos famously drafted passrusherBradley Chubb over future MVP Josh Allen with the ﬁfthpick in 2018, choosingtosign veteran Case Keenum rather thanrely on a young signal-caller

The Cleveland Browns also traded outofthe picksthat becameCarson Wentz and Deshaun Watson,although that was more centered on the franchise’smultiyear teardown strategy rather thanpreserving hope that anotherquarterbackwouldpan out

Complicating matters, the 2026 draft does not appear to be the star-studded class it seemed before the season began.

Arch Manning at Texas and Garrett Nussmeier at LSU originally wereseen as the prizes for rebuildingclubssuch as theSaints, but both have underwhelmed. In theirplace, Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Dante Moore of Oregon have played well enough totop most mock drafts, but neither hasgenerated franchise-savior hype Alabama quarterback Ty Simpsonand SouthCarolina quarterback LaNorrisSellers —ifthey declare —also ﬁgure to be in the ﬁrst-round mix

“At this pointintime, Iwould saythere’ssome good,”NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said aboutthis year’s quarterback classonthe “Rich Eisen Show” this week. “I don’t necessarily think I’ve seen some great.”

So what does Shough have to show? Asked this question before the season, The Athletic’s Robert Mays compared the situationtoNew Englandand Drake Maye, the third overall pick in last year’sdraft.

Like the Saints, the Patriots sat Maye until he was ready

Therookie then thrived, even with poor pass protection upfront and alackluster passcatching group.

“The numbers weren’tgood for DrakeMayelastyear,but the numbers were way better than they shouldhavebeen,” Mays said. “If youlook at the underlying metrics forthe Patriots last year,itwas way better than it had any right to be, considering some of the personnel deﬁciencies that team had.”

Then again, asking aquarterbackwho went40thoverall to playlike ahighly regarded quarterback from what looks like an all-time great draft class may be setting thebar too high. Perhaps themore apt comparison is what Davis Mills showed for the Houston Texans as athird-rounder in 2021.

The Stanford productkept the Texans in enoughgames down thestretch to prevent Houston fromreaching fora quarterback in aweak draft class.

Eventhen, Mills wasn’t the long-term answer. He wasreplaced in 2023 when theTexansdrafted C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick.

At alectern in the Saints’ facility on Wednesday, Shough seemed to understand the gravity of thesituation.But hisultimate goal, he said, is to win He knows what’s on the line. He plays in aleague where the Arizona Cardinals discarded Josh Rosen just ayear after takinghim 10thoverallto draft Kyler Murray ﬁrst overall. Justin Fields got only three seasons in Chicago beforethe BearstookCaleb Williams with theﬁrst pick.

“If it doesn’tgowell this year, (and) they have an earlier ﬁrstround pick, oneofthose top quarterbacksisavailable to them, then yeah,Iwould absolutely not even hesitatetomake amove,” Walder said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

STAFF PREDICTIONS

RODWALKER

RAMS 37,SAINTS13: Thepotentoffense forthe Rams is averaging360.1 yards pergame, so theSaintsdefense is in for astern test.The Rams aregivingupjust 16.7 points pergame(second best in the league). This is probably thebestoverall team theSaintshavefaced so farthis season.The resultsofthisgamewillshow it

LUKE JOHNSON

RAMS 31,SAINTS17: Weirdthings happen in theNFL,but there’snothing aboutthismatchup that makesmefeel good aboutthe Saints.Matthew Stafford is playingatanelite leveland hastwo AllPros to throwto, andthe LosAngeles pass rush is oneofthe best in theleague. The good news is theschedulegetslighter after this week

JEFF DUNCAN

RAMS 30,SAINTS19: TylerShoughis beingthrownintothe deep endfor his starting debut. TheRamsare SuperBowl contenders andboast oneofthe stingiest defenses in theleague. Still, Ilikethe Saints to keep it closefor ahalforso thankstothe “new quarterback” bump Rams have toomuchtalent, though,to succumbtoanupset

MATTHEWPARAS

RAMS 33,SAINTS14: As much as it’s tempting to focusonTyler Shough’s

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TyLER KAUFMAN Tyler Shough looks to pass against the Tampa BayBuccaneers last Sundayinthe Caesars Superdome.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough calls aplayfromthe huddle during the second half against the Tampa BayBuccaneers last Sundayinthe Caesars Superdome.

Andre Abshire, Ascension Episcopal

Abshire proved to be too much for Westminster-Lafayette as he rushed for 170 yards and five touchdowns on 12 carries in the Blue Gators’ win.

PREP REWIND

FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT

Alex Munoz, Teurlings

Munoz has been stellar all season, and he continued to shine in the Rebels’ win over St.Thomas More. Munoz passed for 162 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-20 passing, while also rushing for 169 yards and three TDs on 17 carries.

Parker Dies, Southside

The Sharks’ rushing attack couldn’t be contained by the Carencro Bears, as Southside recorded 684 yards on the ground in the 70-35 win. Headlining that rushing attack was Dies, who carried the ball 12 times for 297 yards and two TDs.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Owen Morris, Catholic-NI Morris continued his dominant season in the Panthers’ win over West St. Mary. Morris rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries to help the Panthers improve to 7-1.

Joachim Bourgeois, Notre Dame

Bourgeois was everything the Pios needed in a 38-19 win over Lafayette Renaissance. Bourgeois was unstoppable as he rushed 17 times for 282 yards and four touchdowns.

Munoz, Teurlings vanquish rival STM

Rebels ride 35 unanswered points to blow past Cougars

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Things weren’t going quite as planned early on for the Teurlings Catholic Rebels in their annual grudge match with St Thomas More.

The Cougars’ first two drives produced touchdowns, and the visitors led by 11 points.

But once the Rebels shifted the momentum, Teurlings rattled off 35 unanswered points to deliver a 38-14 statement victory over St. Thomas More on Friday to remain undefeated.

“They came to play,” Teurlings coach Michael Courville said. “We knew that. I think it kind of caught us off guard a little bit. They were just kind of more physical at the start of the game.”

The game changed for good with two interceptions. The first one was by Jaxon Broussard thanks to pressure from junior linebacker Carter Macha

“I started noticing what the line was doing on certain plays and I started kind of playing off that,” Macha said of STM’s fast start. “I had a couple of blitzes off the edge. That really helped me to get to the ball real fast. On those third down stops and they were running outside, I just made the tackles in the backﬁeld.”

The Rebels offense turned Broussard’s interception into a seven-play, 63-yard drive in 2:33 to cut STM’s lead to 14-10 with 6:18 left in the second quarter.

Ian Schwander had 35 yards on four carries to set up Alex Munoz’s 3-yard touchdown run.

Teurlings then forced a punt to set up an eight-play 91-yard TD drive in 3:21 to allow the Rebels (9-0 overall, 5-0 District 4-4A) to take a 17-14 lead into the half.

First, Munoz ran for 26 yards, before connecting with A.J. Price for 14 to set up the 12-yard touchdown pass to Quinn Simon for the lead 21 seconds before intermission

“It was just a matter of us settling in and the offensive line doing a great job making adjustments,” Munoz said. “They started moving the front a little bit, which is something they haven’t usually done, but we were able to adjust to it and pound the rock.

“They’re a well-coached team.

We knew they weren’t going to make it easy on you.”

Before that really played out in the second half, though, Jacob Dean caught a deﬂected pass for an interception on STM’s second possession of the third quarter to keep the Cougars offense struggling.

Three plays later, Munoz broke loose for a 32-yard touchdown run and a 24-14 lead with 7:29 left in the third

When asked if running was part of the game plan, Munoz said, “Not usually Coach likes to use me as a backup if we need to get something going, and it worked tonight.”

Did it ever

In addition to throwing for 162 yards and a touchdown on 14-of20 passing, the senior quarterback ran for 169 yards and two scores on 17 carries.

“He’s just having a phenomenal season,” Courville said of Munoz

“I could tell in the spring that he just wants to be a football player I mean, he’s a quarterback, but he plays football the right way He’s tough as heck He’s got to be an AllState player He’s phenomenal.”

After Cole Bergeron scored on a 6-yard TD run and then a 35-yard TD toss to Blake Caillet for an early 14-3 lead, the Cougars (6-3, 4-1) punted three times and threw three interceptions on their next six possessions.

The third interception was by Kaden Chavis late to keep the Cougars from adding a late touchdown.

Two of those punts were directly because of big plays Macha turned in on third down. “He had an incredible game,”

Courville said. “He was so critical on third down. It had to be three or four times where they had to punt on third-and-short because of Macha. He’s a quiet kid, but he’s already won two state championships in wrestling, so you know he’s a great athlete.”

Teurlings put the game away for good when a great 22-yard catch by Andrew Viator set up a Schwander 1-yard TD plunge. Then, a 27-yarder to Viator came before Munoz scored on a 1-yard run and a 38-14 lead.

Viator ﬁnished the game with 86 yards on six catches, while A.J. Price added six receptions for 59 yards.

“We have a motto, ‘Together,’ and it’s just something we say every day, every break and we’re fulﬁlling every aspect. It’s real.”

The Rebels rushed for 307 yards and collected 25 ﬁrst downs in a dominating win that ended a 10game losing streak to the Cougars.

“It’s been 10 years,” Courville said of the win. “I’m going to be honest, I want what STM has — they’re a multiple-time state champion. I just think it was time for our program to take the next step.

“At the end of the day, it’s a great win, but it’s a regular-season win. It doesn’t mean you get a trophy nothing like that.”

“It’s huge for the program,” Munoz said of the win. “It’s a chance to turn the tide and start to make it a competitive matchup. We did a great job tonight. It’s an amazing team. I love these guys.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

Rushing attack helps Notre Dame get past LRCA

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Notre Dame coach Lew Cook has been around long enough to understand things don’t often go as planned. Nevertheless, Cook hoped when adversity struck, his Pios would be able to weather the storm

And he was right.

The Pios, who had to play most of the game without starting quarterback Drew Lejeune, did more than enough in the running game and defensively to defeat the Lafayette Renaissance Tigers 38-19 on Friday

“This is a big win for us,” Cook said. “Especially when you lose the heart, soul and leader of the team on the second offensive play But our kids just kept ﬁghting and found a way to get it done.” Lejeune, who injured his ankle on the second play of the game, exited after throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Brice Duhon that gave the Pios a 14-0 lead with 7:25 remaining in the ﬁrst quarter

“Drew is the leader of the team,” Cook said. “When he went down, we had to regroup. Again, when

you lose your heart, it’s tough. Even I had to regroup.”

Regrouping is easier to do when you have a running back like Joachim Bourgeois in the backﬁeld. Bourgeois carried the Pios’ offensive attack, as he broke several long runs en route to helping Notre Dame stave off a comeback attempt by the Tigers.

“When you have a guy like Joachim in the backﬁeld, you have a chance,” Cook said. “He and Brice (Duhon) are two guys that can score from anywhere on the ﬁeld.”

Bourgeois rushed for a gamehigh 282 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries.

“We had a great night running the football,” said Bourgeois, whose performance helped him surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season. “When I got the football, I just tried to be patient and allow my offensive linemen get to their places. My offensive linemen did a great job blocking.”

Bourgeois’ dominance was equally split between the two halves, as he rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in the ﬁrst half before helping

close out the game with 158 yards and two more scores on 10 carries in the second half.

“We were limited on offense, but I want to tip my hat to Parker Menard for coming in and doing what we needed him to do,” Cook said “We were limited on offense, but those guys up front did a great job of blocking for Joachim.”

It was a night of big plays for the Pios, who had touchdown runs of 27, 84, 60 and 68 yards, while also hitting a 50-yard touchdown in the passing game.

“The big plays we made, those made a big difference in the game,” Cook said “It is nice having guys that once they get free, it is hard to run them down.”

In the losing effort, the Knights were led by quarterback Kennan Brown, running back Jaydon Polk and receivers Ja’Courey Duhon and Shamar Taylor Brown completed 25 of 41 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and one interception, while Duhon (8-91) and Taylor (5-64, 1 TD) combined for 13 receptions for 155 yards and a score. Polk rushed for a team-high 57 yards and a touchdown on 17

while backfield mate Da’Marion Green chipped in with 37 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

thought our defense was really good,” Cook said “Lafayette Renaissance has

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Teurlings Catholic running back Ian Schwander, center, breaks through the St. Thomas More defensive line during a game on Friday at Teurlings Catholic High School.

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Notre Dame running back Joachim Bourgeois, shown crossing the goal line against Lafayette Christian on Oct. 17, rushed for a game-high 282 yards and four touchdowns against Lafayette Renaissance on Friday.

PREP REWIND

LCCP’s running game overpowers Comeaux

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Two of the state’s leading rushers were on display when the Comeaux Spartans hosted Lake Charles College Prep in a nondistrict game Friday

LCCP’s Ayden Carter and Comeaux’s Jaden Celestine both got their yardage, but it was the Trailblazers from Lake Charles coming away with a 56-14 win with one regular-season game remaining

“We made it easy for them by not being disciplined in our gaps,” Spartans coach Marquis Newsome said. “We lost containment a lot. This was probably our worst game of the year.”

The Spartans (5-4), who travel to Westgate (5-4) next week in Newsome’s return to his former coaching staff, were coming off an emotional 28-21 overtime win over Northside in Week 8.

“I would love to say yes and have an excuse, but no,” Newsome said when asked about any hangover from last week. “They outplayed us and outcoached us.”

LCCP (7-2, No. 7 in Division III select) raced to a 32-0 lead behind three touchdowns from Carter and another from sophomore quarterback Phillip Hunter, a converted running back who went for 145 yards on seven carries. The Trailblazers lost QB Dylen Vital to injury in a Week 1 loss to Westgate

“I knew we’d be able to run on them,” LCCP coach Erick Franklin said. “We’ve been able to run the ball all year Myles Joseph and our offensive line have been dominant. Carter and (fullback Kylon) Guillory have been doing it. It’s nothing new.”

Carter ﬁnished with 245 yards on 12 carries and ﬁve touchdowns Guillory (6-53) ran for a score and a pair of two-point conversions.

Hunter completed two passes for 19 yards.

“Carter is a smaller guy — around 5-foot-7, 175 pounds — and built thick,” Franklin said. “He’s the fastest junior in the state. He ran a 10.6 in the 100 meters last year.”

Down 32-0, Comeaux posted two consecutive touchdowns from Celestine, who rushed for 148 yards on 21 carries After a 4-yard Celestine run, the Spartans recovered an onside kick, and the junior ran it in from 55 yards on thirdand-10 with four minutes left in the half.

“The kid is a warrior,” Newsome said of Celestine, who played many of the second-half snaps at quarterback. “He had a chance to go to any high school in the area, and he chose us to help build our program. He put the program on the map Great kid, great parents. He deserves everything he gets, and a few more (scholarship) offers.”

Celestine ran for 142 yards on

16 carries in the ﬁrst half. After halftime, the Trailblazers stiffened on defense and limited the Spartans to five yards on their first four possessions. Earlier, LCCP punched in a ﬁnal score late in the second quarter for a 38-14 lead.

“I would love to get a win over coach (Ryan) Antoine next week at Westgate, but that’s another hard, tall order,” Newsome said. “We’re going to have to watch ﬁlm, make adjustments and play our game, which is good defense and smash-mouth football.”

Asked about his group of departing seniors, who were playing their ﬁnal home game and made headlines by not only snapping a losing streak of 30-plus games, but ensuring at least a .500 record entering the playoffs, Newsome said: “Great group of guys. Started out as 27 strong and got whittled down to eight or nine.

“They stuck through the hard times and losing. It’s a testament to their dedication.”

DiBetta, Acadiana score blowout road victory over Sam Houston

BY NICK FONTENOT

Contributing writer

When Sam Houston trimmed

Acadiana’s lead to just one score midway through the third quarter, the momentum inside the stadium felt like it might be shifting.

Collin DiBetta made sure it didn’t.

Acadiana’s junior quarterback responded immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown, reigniting the Wreckin’ Rams and propelling them to a 49-21 victory Friday night over the Broncos.

DiBetta’s stat line read like a video game: a passing touchdown, a receiving touchdown, two interceptions and that electrifying kickoff return touchdown that halted Sam Houston’s second-half surge.

“It’s all about just bouncing back and overcoming adversity,” DiBetta said. “I threw a pick the drive before and missed a block that led to their touchdown. You just have to respond. That return gave us a spark, but it couldn’t have happened without

my teammates. The blocks were perfect.”

Acadiana had a commanding 28-7 lead at halftime, but a sluggish third quarter allowed Sam Houston back into the game.

The Broncos used an effective run-pass option that gave Acadiana trouble and earned them a bit of momentum.

Acadiana coach Doug Dotson admitted his team came out a little ﬂat in the third quarter, but he said he wasn’t surprised with the ﬁght Sam Houston showed.

“You can’t look at records in this district and assume anything,” Dotson said. “Sam Houston’s got some explosive guys. They had a good game plan, and they made a few plays.

“Their quarterback made some nice reads on those looks. We’ve got to do a better job with our assignments, but holding that offense to 21 points, I’ll take it.”

DiBetta later caught a touchdown pass from Ty Lamartina on a fourth-quarter drive that sealed the win.

That possession also included a clutch fourth-down pass from

DiBetta to Gabriel Decuir down the sideline.

Along with a pair of interceptions on defense, Dotson said DiBetta’s versatility has made him nearly indispensable.

“He’s our best corner, and he’s a weapon on offense,” Dotson said.

“When he touches the ball on special teams, you can see why most people don’t kick to him. He’s just a football player.”

The win Friday keeps Acadiana on track for a potential district title with a showdown looming next week against Carencro.

Dotson said it was difﬁcult for his team not to look ahead, but he said he was pleased with his team’s focus Friday night.

“There’s no way to sit here with a straight face and say we weren’t thinking about next week,” Dotson said. “We’re human. We told the kids from the start of the year: Our goals are still in front of us. District title, playoff run, it’s all still right there.

“We know what that game against Carencro means. No one has to explain to us what’s at stake. It is going to be a battle.”

SUMMARIES STATE SCORES

2-27 1-49 Fumbles-lost 0-0 4-3 Penalties-yards 5-98 8-55

SCORINGSUMMARY EdnaKarr 21 14 7 6

7 3 0 —24 EVA — Johnny Casey 51 pass from Peyton Houston (kick good) LCA — Braylon Walker 48 run (Jude Fairchild kick) LCA — Walker 1 run (Fairchild kick)

LCA — Jace Babineaux 4 pass from Walker (Fairchild kick)

EVA — 61 run (conversion good)

EVA — Damari Drake 8 run (kick good)

LCA — Fairchild 24 FG Loreauville 36, Franklin 20 Team Franklin Loreauville First Downs 9 14 Yards Rushing 47 230 Yards Passing 124 93 Passes (C-A-HI) 10-16-0 9-15-2

Punts-avg 4-20 2-22

Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties-yards 9-65 10-60

SCORINGSUMMARY

Franklin 0 8 6 6 —20

Loreauville 7 7 14 8 36

LOR — Thomas Carter 2 run (Andrew Chambers kick)

LOR — Quintin Taylor 30 pass from Blake Delcambre (Chambers kick)

FRANK — 4 run (conversion good)

LOR — Carter 1 run (Chambers kick) FRANK — 45 INT return (kick failed)

LOR -Ridge Honore 16 run (Chambers kick) FRANK — 74 pass (conversion failed)

LOR — Delcambre 9 run (Delcambre pass from Carter) Northwest 37, Crowley 0 Team Crowley Northwest First Downs 6 8 Yards Rushing 91 189 Yards Passing 0 66

SCORINGSUMMARY Crowley 0 0 0 0 —0

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

Comeaux running back Jaden Celestine tries to power through the Lake Charles College Prep defense on Friday at Comeaux.

UL quarterback Lunch Winﬁeld was 14-of-15 passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 45 yards and a score on 15 carries.

“I was standing right there screaming, ‘Go defense. Let’s go D,’ “ Winﬁeld said of the goal-line stand. “I was there screaming. They probably heard me every play.” Wide receiver Shelton Sampson collected six receptions for 138 yards and two scores

“It feels great,” Sampson said “In practice, we just keep our head down. It was just a matter of time. We just keep our head down, kept working and it ﬁnally clicked this week.” Zylan Perry and Bill Davis both rushed for 56 yards. Perry added a touchdown. The Cajuns outgained South Alabama 393-368.

UL opened the second half like it ﬁnished the ﬁrst half with a sevenplay 75-yard drive for a touchdown in 3:02 to grab a 31-7 lead

Completions of 34 yards to Brock Chappell and 19 yards to Sampson set up a 1-yard scoring plunge for Winﬁeld. The Jaguars would not fold, though. First, South Alabama drove 75 yards on 12 plays in 5:04 which was capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Davenport to narrow UL’s lead to 17 with 6:54 left in the third.

The Cajuns then punted for the first time in the game to give the Jaguars a chance to get even closer South Alabama got a 17yard completion to Micah Woods to reach the UL 32, but a fourthdown sack by safety Tyree Skipper ended that threat. It was Skipper’s first sack of the season, which came after a big tackle in the backfield by Dugger for a loss of 2 yards to slow down

SCOREBOARD

6, Dunn 3, Harden 2 Lopez). Technical Fouls: None. NewOrleans 28 31 25 40 — 124 L.A.Clippers 26 41 27 32 126 A_16,083 (18,000). T_2:17..

CONFERENCE

the Jaguars’ momentum.

“We were in an all-out blitz and man on the outside, so zero coverage,” Skipper said. “I just shot the B-gap free. I don’t think South (Alabama) had the numbers for everybody The quarterback tried to get out and I hit him with a heel swipe.

“That was a great stop. We needed that as a defense. I was excited for that stop.” Offensively the first half couldn’t have gone much better for the Cajuns UL got four possessions in the ﬁrst half and scored on all four The first one was a nine-play 75-yard drive in 4:46 to take a 7-0

lead with 8:05 left in the first quarter Winfield and Sampson started their big days by connecting for a 24-yard touchdown pass to finish the drive. The second possession covered 60 yards on nine plays in 5:04. A 45yard pass to Sampson got UL into the red zone, but a sack on Winfield forced the Cajuns to settle for a 32yard Tony Sterner field goal and a 10-0 lead with 1:24 left in the opening quarter

South Alabama interrupted the Cajuns’ scoring party with a 16play, 84-yard drive in 6:46. Davenport was 6-of-8 passing for 46 yards on the drive, and Keenan Phillips ﬁnished it off with a 15-

yard touchdown run to trim UL’s lead to 10-7 with 9:38 left until halftime. UL responded with a 12-play, 75yard drive in 7:29 to up its lead to 17-7 with 2:09 left until halftime. A critical 14-yard completion to Jaydon Johnson produced a big conversion on the drive, and Perry scored on an 18-yard touchdown run.

Things got a little more interesting over the ﬁnal two minutes. First, South Alabama ran it twice and then threw an incomplete pass on third down to force a punt. That allowed the Cajuns to start their next drive on their own 37 with 1:36 left. Winfield got a 22-

yard pass to Robert Williams and then another 22-yard strike to Sampson to reach the 17 with 17 seconds left. On the next play, Winfield hit Sampson in the back corner of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left for a 24-7 halftime lead. “On the play, I came back to the ball. I had like an in-breaking route, and by the time I broke in, Lunch was pointing at me to go the other direction,” Sampson

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Paddle parade on Bayou Techeagreat starttofall

When avolunteer with The TECHE Projecthanded me asouvenir pin stamped with an image of achickadee last month, Iknew I’d nabbed a treasure. With their black and white feathers that look likea tuxedo, chickadees are among my favorite birds. What Ilike most is their spunk —how they hold their own at my birdfeeders in spite of their small size.

Aﬁtting mascot, in other words, for The TECHE Project, which is pretty plucky itself. Since its founding in 2010, the Acadiana nonproﬁt has done much to advance the goals of its acronym, which stands for The Teche Ecology, Culture and History Education Project.Aspart of its goal to promote the preservation and enjoyment of Bayou Teche, the group helped create the Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail, which extends 135 miles through four Acadiana parishes. Through access docks along the trail, it’sbecome ahaven for kayakers and canoeists.

Isampled afew miles of the trail around Breaux Bridgelast month aspart of The TECHE Project’sannual “Shake Your Trail Feathers Paddle Parade,” atwo-hour procession of kayaks and canoes that concluded at Parc des Ponts Breaux,an oak-shaded public green space. Proceedsfrom the weekend parade and related festivities support improvements tothe paddle trail.

I’m anovice kayaker,but the leisurely pace of the parade is an easy lift for beginners. I was with my more experienced brother, who likesrecreational paddlers because of theircasual sense of fun.That spirit was muchondisplay during last month’sevent, where some of the participants donned plumage and novelty costumes in a nod to the parade’s bird theme It was aﬂawless Saturday to be on the water Early hints of autumn took an edge off the temps, and several dozen of us ﬂoated under asoft blue sky.Cypress trees threw their arms across the water, shading us from the risingsun. Spanish moss hung from oaks along the bank, like curtains quietly drawn againstthe brilliance of noon.

What Ifelt as Iglided through the dark brownwater wasn’tthe largeness of the bayou but its intimacy,asense of enclosure. At times, it was easy to feel as if we paddlers were the only people in the world. But homes along the bank reminded us that thebayou threads through many lives, as it has for centuries.

Dogs barked from the bank

ä See AT RANDOM, page 4D

Workers waterproof and paint the Milneburg Lighthouse on the University of NewOrleans campus in 2021. It was in operation from 1839-1929.

“I remember my grandparents cooking in them on my mother’sand father’s side, and Ijust grew up always seeing them. It really hit me that thesepots were special ” JUDEARTIGUE

‘ITMEANS SOMETHING’

Gettoknow Magnalite, the Ohio cookware that became a Louisianalegend

BY JOANNABROWN

writer

Staff

Few other brands are associated with Cajun cooking quitelike Magnalite. Black potsand cast iron have avery important place in theregional culinary landscape— but Magnaliteroasters, fry pans and rice pots are so ubiquitous throughout Louisiana home kitchens, localsare often surprised to learnthat the company stopped producingcookwareinthe United States over 25 years ago. They arealsofrequently surprised to ﬁndout that Magnalite wasnever aLouisiana product. The famous aluminum andmagnesium alloypots, prizedfor their heat distribution, were manufactured in Sidney,Ohio, by the

Artigue displays various Magnalite pots and dishes. Onceproduced in Sidney,Ohio, the brand was sold and derivativesare nowproduced overseas.

Wagner ManufacturingCompany, which introduced the Magnalite brand in 1934. The Ohio plant closed in 1999, thebrand was sold, and production of Magnalite-derivativecast aluminum cookware largely moved to China,where brands like McWare (owned by CajunClassic Cookware outofMamou) are manufactured. McWare, and similar products

likeMagnaware, preservethe distinctive look andcooking feel of Magnalite, and the home cook won’tnotice much of adifference in their gravy,according to Jude Artigue —alsoknown as the“Magnalite Man.” Artigue, who lives in Lafayette, is achemistand lifelong Magnalite lover

ä See MAGNALITE, page 4D

BY RACHELMIPRO Contributing writer

Twolighthouses on LakePontchartrain, once avital part of the maritime landscape, are still beacons for curious touristsand locals who love New Orleanshistory Metairie reader Perry Dolce, who often visits thesouthshore of Lake Pontchartrain, noticed a lighthouse in the area that used

to be the Pontchartrain Beach AmusementPark. His questions: “Werethere two lighthouses and was the one further into Lake Pontchartrain destroyed? Was the lighthouse on the peninsula moved to the current location further inland on dry land?” Kristi Trail, executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy,shed somelight on the subject. Trail’sorganization runs an outreach and education center out of the New Canal Lighthouse, situated at Lakeshore Drive. Trail sets the scene in the 1830s, the time of the NewBasin Canal construction. The canal, a massive project, created ashipping route to connect the city to

STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD KEMP

The ‘Magnalite Man,’JudeArtigue, cooks apot of shrimp pasta while showing off and explaining the historyof Magnalite pots at his homeinLafayette.

Lafayettehosts French ambassador to theUnitedStates

October has been abusy month for unique events in Lafayette. FestivalsAcadiens brought thousandsout to GirardPark, but it wasn’tthe only party in town.

On Oct.11, ofﬁcials from Lafayette City Government, CODOFIL, and the International Center hosted areception fora special guest, the French Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency LaurentBili. He was accompanied by theConsul General of France in New Orleans,Rodolphe Sambou; Press Attaché Audoin de Vergnette; and CulturalAttaché ThibaultBladek.

Kris Wartelle

The Bourgmestre (mayor) of Lafayette’s Belgian sister-city of Namur,Charlotte Bazelaire, was in attendance. The Namur Commissioner of International Affairs, Frédéric Laloux, also joined the VIP group There was agroup from Poitiers, another oneofLafayette’ssister cities in France.

Organizers say theambassador has been planning tovisit Lafayette for some time,as the city is known as theheart of Louisiana andCreole French.The extraordinary group visit was part of theGrand ReveilAcadien.

The Grand Reveil takes place every ﬁve years, uniting people of Acadian descent from several countries. It is usually timed to happen along with FestivalsAcadiens.

Lafayette’ssister city travel relationships have allowed citizens in both locations to learn about other cultures, as wellas enjoy business, educational,and cultural opportunities that foster economic development.

Thereception to honorthe ambassador andNamur’smayor was heldatthe Acadiana Center for the Arts. It served as a way to acknowledgeall of the international visitors, and top off theFestivalsweekend.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Nov

2, the 306th day of 2025. There are 59 days left in the year.Daylight saving timeends today.

Todayinhistory:

On Nov.2,1948, in one of the most unexpected results in U.S. presidential election history,Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman defeated the heavily favored Republican governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey Also on this date: In 1783, Gen. George Washington issued his Farewell Address to the Army In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln relievedMaj. Gen John C. Fremont of his command of the Army’s Western Department, following Fremont’sunauthorized efforts to emancipate slaves in Missouri.

In 1947, Howard Hughes piloted his Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the “SpruceGoose,” on its only ﬂight; amassive wooden seaplanewith awingspan longer than afootball ﬁeld, it remained airborne for 26 seconds.

In 1959, Charles Van Doren testiﬁed beforea congressional committee that he had conspired with television producers to cheat on the television quiz show “Twenty-One.” In 1976, Democrat Jimmy Carter,aformer governor of Georgia, became the ﬁrst candidate from the Deep South to be elected president since the Civil War, defeating Republican incumbent Gerald R. Ford.

In 2000, American astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev,became the ﬁrst crew to reside onboardthe International Space Station; they spent atotal of 136 days in the station before returning to Earth on Space Shuttle Discovery

Lafayette MayorPresident Monique Boulet, French Ambassador

Laurent Bili and Namur Mayor

Charlotte Bazelaire

In 2003, in Iraq,insurgentsshotdown aChinook helicopter carryingU.S. soldiers, killing 16 and wounding 20 others.

In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush was elected to asecond term, defeating Democratic Sen.JohnKerry as theGOP strengthened its control of Congress.

In 2007, British college student Meredith Kercher, 21, was foundslain in her bedroom in Perugia, Italy; her roommate, American Amanda Knox,and Knox’s Italian boyfriend,Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of killingKercher,but both were later exonerated.

In 2016, ending achampionshipdrought that had lasted since 1908, theChicagoCubs won the World Series, defeating the ClevelandIndians 8-7 in extra inningsinthe deciding seventh game. In 2021, the Atlanta Braves won their ﬁrst World Series championship since 1995, defeating the Houston Astros in Game 6. In 2023, FTX founder anddisgraced cryptocurrency star Sam BankmanFriedwas convicted of fraudbyaNew York jury for stealing at least $10 billion fromcustomers and investors. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison forthe massive scheme that led to thecollapse of the FTX platform for exchanging digital currency

Today’sbirthdays: TennisHall of Famer Ken Rosewall is 91. Political commentator Pat Buchanan is 87 Olympicgold medal wrestler Bruce Baumgartner is 65. Singer-songwriter k.d. lang is 64. Playwright Lynn Nottageis61. Actor David Schwimmer is 59. Jazz singer Kurt Elling is 58. Rapper Nelly is 51 Film director JonChu is 46. TV personalityKaramo Brown (“Queer Eye”) is 45 NFL quarterback Jordan Love is 27.

Does anyone host actual weddings anymore?

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave now been to three (!) weddings where Ifound out that the couple was already married, and just going through themotions

The ﬁrst was acouple who had gotten legally married weeks prior to thewedding so he could go on her healthinsurance.

through it all, congratulating them, and —here’sthe mainpart —spending serious money to buy them somethingfrom their registry list.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

The second was an older couple who said they’d never had a “real wedding.”That mademethink they hadn’treally been married all along, but it turns out they had been; they just hadn’thad the kind of event they’d wanted.

The last one, which sent me over the brink, was our college friends. Since our larger friend group is now spread out in different cities, this couple traveled around, repeating the wedding ceremony to “save people theexpense of traveling.”

My mother asks me whyIcare if people want tomake fools of themselves, and why Ican’tjust “be nice” and celebrate with my friends. The answer is because I’mexpected to go along withthis farce and play the Wedding Guest:dressing up, sitting

In fact, I’m expected to do all of theabove manytimes over,ifIgo to their pre-wedding(but postmarriage!)parties, which Itry to avoid. Am Iright or wrong?

GentleReader: Youare certainly right thatpeople arenow using the word “wedding” to refer to the party associated with the marriage ceremony, ratherthan —asdeﬁned in the Oxford English Dictionary,and dating from Old English —the act of getting married. Thus thefestivities you mention —nodoubt including the heroine’s white dress and thepastry chef’s white iced cake —are considered to be theweddings. Andyou are right that in cases where thepartyis, so to speak, divorced from thelegal ceremony,the guestsgenerally overlook that omission. If you read aboutthe splashy so-called weddingsofcelebrities, you must have noted that the guests scrupulously refer to the already married couple as only afﬁanced until the reenactment has taken place.

Miss Manners can understand your reluctance to play asupporting role

Freezing loaves

in this rerun. The emotional component of witnessing the establishment of amarriage is missing. Youneed only politely decline to attend. Nevertheless, you should recognize that manypeople have transferred their concept of cementing aunion from the ceremony to the celebration. Should you care about such people, you might attend. Perhaps it will help if you think of it as merely adelayed wedding reception or an anniversary party,without the pretense that you are witnessing amarriage ceremony Dear Miss Manners: What is the appropriate nametouse on an envelope containing aletter to awidow?Mrs. John Doe, Mrs. Ellen Doe,Ms. John Doe, Ms. Ellen Doe?

Gentle Reader: What this lady called herself before, Miss Manners cannot guess. Everyone has an opinion about the correct address forladies, and everyone is indignant when others’ choices are different.But Miss Manners can relieve your anxiety about widows: They are addressed exactly as they werebefore their husbands died. However that was

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: As aretired couple, we just don’tuse up bread like we used to. When Ibuy aloaf, I immediately separate it into two-slicepackages in plastic sandwich bags and rebuild therest of theloaf in theoriginal bag. Ithen freeze thewhole loaf. It is easy to use and thaw two slices at atime! —Judi Brauns, in Green Valley, Arizona There’sanapp forthat!

Dear Heloise: Yousuggested atape measure rather than aruler for a college student to have on hand. Cellphones come with an app called Measure.

It is quite handy and accurate!

Robin A., in Bakersfield, California Catching food peelings

Dear Heloise: Instead of putting newspaper or other things in your sink drain to catch vegetable peelings,

why not just use acolander? It’s easy to use and washable. —C.J.E., in Arkansas

C.J.E., there is now anew product on the market that grinds up leftover food scraps and makes the perfect compost out of them. It’s odor-free and can be found online, in appliances stores, and sometimes in hardware stores. —Heloise Ourwonderful libraries

Dear Heloise: Readers recently wrote in about different resources for research, such as bookstores, internet searches, and thelocal library Libraries areconnected to an app titled Libby; by using your library card from your local library,you can access books through your electronic device and also listen to audiobooks. Afriend told me about this when I wasspending too much on electronic books and subscriptions forthe privilege to read them.

—S.C., in Tulsa, Oklahoma Preserving guacamole

Dear Heloise: To keep guacamole from

turning brown, it needs to be kept oxygen-free. Iused to makeguacamoleinarestaurant (using 20 pounds of avocados). After Idivided it up into the serving containers, Iwould take plastic wrap and press it onto the surface of the guac. Then Iwould pat it downsothat there were no air bubbles. Make sure you get around the edges, too. —DawnG., via email Snackmachines

Dear Heloise: Iwanted to mention how back in the day,weused $1 bills for snack machines. Ihaven’tseen asnack machine that takes less than $1 in along time —or rolls of quarters, too! —Daphne K., in Vancouver,Washington Daphne, Ihaven’tused asnack machine in over 10 years. In fact, I’ve noticed anumber of places that used to have snack machines don’thave them anymore or have reduced the number they have. Thanks forthe update! —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

PHOTOSByKRIS WARTELLE

Thibault Bladek, press attaché; Rodolphe Sambou, consul general; Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet; His Excellency Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France to the United States; and Audoin de Vergnette, press attache

Abdou Traore and Emmanuel FouFoundou

Clelie Ancelet,Joseph Dunn and Michele Braud

Conrad Comeaux Frederic Laloux and Jackie Lyle

Charles Boustany, RayCloutier and Dave Domingue

Sophie Warnyand Philip Bart

MikeHuval and Pascale Lozano

PeggyFeehan and David Marcantel

RayTrahan, Donaldand Carla Richard

Frederic Laloux, Mayor-PresidentMonique Boulet, Mayor Charlotte Bazelaire, Sophie Warnyand Phillipe Gustin

DININGSCENE

‘Michelineffect’ couldmeannew eraindining

Restaurant watchers call it the “Michelin effect.” It’sthe impact on arestaurant from havingthe endorsementofthe famousMichelinGuide, and it can also mean the impact on acity orevena region from having Michelin in the mix, too.

The potential to winastar,or just to work in restaurants that have them,can be amagnet for culinary and hospitality talent to areas up forMichelin assessment.

What would aMichelin star restaurant look like in Baton Rouge, or downtownLafayette, or somewhere downacountry highway?

Ian

McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

Michelin attention can turn local restaurants into destinations, make achef’s career and generate more gastro tourism. As with all that seems to glitter likegold, it comes with potential perils.

We’re about to see this in action in our own backyard and around adjacent regionswe know well. We’ll see it both immediately,inbolstered prestige and bulging reservations books for restaurants that pick up the highest Michelinhonors

And we’ll see it over time, through seasonal tourism cycles, in the careers of chefs already here and yet to come, in ways restaurants themselves may change and in ways that willsurely vary by locale, as Michelin plays outin dining scenesasdifferentasNew Orleans, Acadiana and coastal Mississippi and Alabama.

Michelin, of course, is the French-based brand that has set aglobal standard for ﬁne dining with its Michelin Star ratings(it’s part of the same company that makes Michelintirestoo)

It’sabout to releaseits ﬁrst Michelin Guide American South, covering not only Louisianabut also Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, NorthCarolina and Tennessee. The restaurants that win the ﬁrst stars, and awhole harvest of other Michelin distinctions at other levels, willberevealed Monday at an event in Greenville, South Carolina. I’ll be there following the action as it unfolds.

People have been making their own predictions on which local names will get awards, andyou canﬁnd my updated prognostications on New Orleans contenders at nola.com.

Below are my predictionsfor the bigger Michelin effect

Gettingtothe table

From its start early in the20th century,Michelin has been for travelers. The restaurantguide was originally devised to encourage people to drive more (and thus drive the need for more tires), giving recommendations on where to ﬁnd good food along the way Today,Michelin is recognized around the world, but it does not bring its reviews everywhere. From its home base in France, its guides have expanded by market, landing in areasitdeems destination-worthy for great food, and (critically these days) where state andcity tourism agencies help fund its work.

That ﬁnancial backing from groups around the South led to the format and boundaries for

BY HILARYFOX Associated Press

LONDON In the early hoursofthe morning, while everyone is asleep, something magicalisbeing cooked up on the set of “Harry Potter.” Hagrid, Dobby and Voldemort are all there, but …they’re edible.

We’re not talking about the forthcoming HBO TV series. The Food Network show “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” back for asecond season Sunday,ﬁlmed overnight this summer on the sameWarner Bros. set of the eight movies.

thesweepingnew Michelin Guide American South across six states. Michelin saysitretains editorial control of its picks, but thepartnerships bring the brand to the table, and the regions involved arebankingonarise in tourism in return.

The Michelin era could shape the restaurants travelers ﬁnd, too.

Culinaryaccelerator

New Orleans has been afamous food destination at least since the time of Lafcadio Hearn. The millions of visitors who now come annually are not here for mountains or beaches, butfor thecity’s culture, with dining at distinctive local restaurants usually at the top of theitinerary

With Michelin,local restaurants will be recognized in asystem that inspires some people to travel speciﬁcally forbucket list dining experiences.

They’re more likely to ﬂy in now ratherthan bounce along on Michelin tires, and they tend to be awell-heeled,international set, just the type tourism boosters covet. Casual wildcards notwithstanding, Michelin Star restaurants are typically very expensive.

Butthe guide is not limited to theCrescent City, and here’s

Sous-videcooked red

where things could get really interesting.

Great food is abirthright all over Louisiana, but outside of New Orleans, it doesn’talways register as robust restaurant

No strangers to that set, twins James and Oliver Phelps are presiding over proceedings, spoonsat the ready,asThe Associated Press observes Best known for playing Ron Weasley’sbrothers Fred and George in the Daniel Radcliffe era,both estimate they’ve spent about 12 years on set —more than in their childhood home. It might be old hat for the Phelpses, butfor the judges and contestants, beingonthe “Harry Potter” setsisabig deal Multisensorychef JozefYoussef, ajudge, said he ends up “geeking out” every day Chef, author and judge Carla Hall —who “bakes in” an hour a day to enjoy the exhibitions after the crowds have gone —rued leaving her wand at home, scuttling plans to take photoswithitbythe Hogwarts Express. Theshow features paired culinary professionalscompeting by creating showstoppers inspired by the on-screenstories of Harry, Ron andHermione, adapted from J.K. Rowling’s books Hall says when youthink of the movies, you don’tknowhow the special effectswork —and this season works on the same premise. While thefood has to be delicious, it also hastoleave thejudges spell-

bound.

“They put all this timeinto bakingthese beautifulpiecesbut it’s themagic that we want to enthrall us,” Youssef says.

Andwhile Season 1boasted a Slytherin-themed snake fountain, aflame-colored sculptureofthe phoenix Fawkes and 6feet tall Great Hall-themed cakes, things do level up for thesecond season.

“The talentisjust gettingbetter and better,” explains Youssef, citing unique ﬂavor combinations.

Will people mount food tours of rural Louisiana formore than a Cajun butcher shop romp?

This Michelin effect could makeanenormous difference along the Gulf Coast, where a conﬂuence of demographic shifts and trends are already creating a much richer,more modern dining scene, busting the old image of little beyond beach burgers and baskets of royal reds.

Michelin brings international attention wherever it goes, and the possibility of gaining it sets a new goal and reward.

Pressure,identity

For all the excitement evident in the dining scene over Michelin’sarrival, there is also some trepidation.

Michelin Stars and other ratings are not permanent. Guides are updated annually,and restaurants can rise or fall out of them each year.This system can bring enormous pressure to meet and maintain Michelin’sstandards. Operating arestaurant at the level that typically draws Michelin Stars is an expensive proposition, from the staffing levels to the groceries. This new regional guide arrives as restaurants across the spectrum have been grappling for years with higher costs just to maintain their own status quo. One of the often-cited concerns of Michelin’spower is its potential to shape arestaurant scene it covers, with restaurants mimicking styles that have wonstars in other cities. The worst result would be asort of homogenized luxury as chefs play to the guide. After all, the heart of local dining resides in restaurants you can only find here, not restaurants that could be anywhere with enough money to float them

For New Orleans in particular,another concern is how the overlay of aMichelin hierarchy, establishing the star haves and have-nots, could be adisruptor in the local restaurant community Today,it’sone with aremarkable sense of collaboration and mutual support instead of cutthroat competition. Could star chasing change that?

My conﬁdence in the positives of the Michelin effect come from the source material, and the culture underpinning it in New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast morebroadly

The local identity is strong, expressed in acuisine created with asense of place and in restaurants that reﬂect relationships between hosts and guests spanning generations.

scenes. That is starting to change, and Michelin recognition could be apowerful accelerator Restaurants with Michelin recognition immediately become known as “Michelin restaurants.”

That will endure in the Michelin era, wherever the stars land.

Email Ian McNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

“There’sa lotofdifferent ways that they bring the enchantment of thestory intoit,”OliverPhelps says of the contestants. That could include amovement, arevealora surprise —incorporated around athemelike magical transportation —illusions or gravity-defying ﬂoating items. Each twin says they’ve eaten the best thingthey’ve ever tasted in their lives during Season 2—and they were each talking about different dishes, which theywon’t reveal because of spoilers.

This season, Hall, who enjoys tellingstories with herintricate hairstyles like thecontestants do with food, says they’ll explain theMinistersofBakingjudging process morethoroughly,sothat viewersknowexactly whya team doesn’tmake it through to the next round.

Hall also tries to put theviewer in her place, givingthem an analogy of what each dish tastes like For aSzechuan pepper ingredient, for example, she explains how it works likea potion to make the tongue go numb andthe mouth salivate.

Jamesand Oliver Phelps both say that they’ve both become a lot moreinterested in food since hosting the show.This season, they stick around to eat the entries, whereas last season, they’d be wrapped by the judging time.

Standing by aﬁreplace on set, they pick their ideal charmed culinary creation —quietly so that the contestants don’tget ideas. Each opts fora variation on a British classic: James imagines a Goblet of Fire-themed crumble, complete with custard, while Oliver chooses an Eton Mess —adessert explosion caused by awand. Jozef Youssef, one of the judges on “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” passes on these three tips for hosting an enchanted party n “Lots of effort always goes into theming the dining table, from table runners, decorations, minipumpkins forHalloween and holly at Christmas, candles —scented to match the theme (cinnamon at Christmas forexample) —orLED lights can add asense of theater to the table.”

n “For sharing meals, agame changerisusing ‘risers’ —platformsofvarying levels to elevate thefoodspresented on thetable This adds height andfullness to the presentation of the table.” n “Dry iceisalways acrowdpleaserand there’s no denying there is something magical about the smoke it produces and the whimsical smoke thatwafts across the dish or the table.You can buy dry ice as pellets which are easy to activate —just alittle warmwater and you getaspooky or

STAFF PHOTO By IANMCNULTy

Canapes arriveongold-painted oyster shells over adriftofvapor on the chef’stasting menu at Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN MCNULTy

snapper withtomato dashi is servedonthe tasting menuatVestigeinOcean Springs, Miss.

STAFFPHOTO By IAN MCNULTy

Vestal in downtown Lafayette servessteaks, seafood and small plates withamodernedge.

enchanting vapor!”

PROVIDED PHOTO

FoodNetwork shows hosts Oliver Phelps, right, and James Phelps, watch contestants Katie Bonzer,left, and Jujhar Mann on the set of the competition series ‘Harry Potter:Wizards of Baking.’

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

SaundersConroy prepares atable as dinner beginsatEmeril’sRestaurant in NewOrleans.

Birthday partyis nothinglike reader had envisioned

Cole SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

Harriette

Dear Harriette: My 30th birthday just passed, and it was awful. Ihate to sound ungrateful, but what should feel likeamajor milestone felt completely overlooked. Honestly,I’ve had arough year,so Iwas OK with having aquiet birthday this year —just some reminiscing, goal setting and maybe some quality time with friends. Someone asked me if they could plan asurprise for me. While the thoughtwas sweet, Iexpressed that Ididn’t want anyone spending moneyon me, but they insisted on doing something. They asked what I would want, and allIaskedwas that it be low-budget and that my parents be present. Ifound out that everyone who attended had topay,despite it being in my friend’shome, my parents were not invited and the host had aprogram full of her favoriteactivities for the gathering. It didn’tfeel like this party was for me at all. Should Isay something to my friend?Orwill Iappear ungrateful? —BirthdayBlues Dear Birthday Blues: Youcouldask your friend to do adebrief with youabout the party.Treadcarefully.While everyone had to pay something, do you know how much? Shemay haveneeded some cash to defray costs. The party may have had alow budget, even if it wasn’tfree.Not inviting your parents when you made that request was not cool. Youcan ask how she pulled the party together and express disappointment that she didn’t keep your key thoughts in mind. Let her know that you don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you are sad that it felt like your surprise 30th birthday party was not aparty for you at all. Next time, say no to such a thing, and plan yourown event. That’show youmaintain control.

Dear Harriette: My girlfriend of ﬁve years andIbroke up a couple of months ago. It’sbeen difﬁcult as we try to rework our entire lives without each other Honestly,Ikept hoping we’d resolve our issues and patchthings up, but she didn’tsee things that way.Inthe process of breaking up, Idecided Ishould move out and let her keep the apartment; Ididn’thave to do that. To add insult to injury, she is now insisting that she keep our puppy.This is unfair! Idid her afavor by moving out. Icould’ve fought to stay there, but Ididn’t. Nowshe wants to keep the dog we got together, too? This experience has shown me atotally different side of her.What are some reasonable options here? This breakup has been hard enough; Ican’trisk losing my dog. —PuppyCustody

Dear PuppyCustody: Do you have the wherewithal—including the time and resources —toproperly care for the puppy? If so, treat this just like acustody issue for children. Let your ex know that you want to share custody of the puppy,and do your best to work out aplan. Hopefully,she will be reasonable. If not, enlist friend and family support to help you resolvethe custody battle Send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St. Kansas City,MO64106.

AT RANDOM

Continued from page1D

unsettled by the odd pageant we made as we ﬂoated along

“You’re almost there,” a woman cheerfully yelled from the water’sedge, unfazed by so many strangers sliding byher backyard. Her greeting told us we’d nearly reached the ﬁnish line, then church bells welcomed us to the end of our trip

If we want visitors to embraceLouisiana’sbest places, Ithought as we drew in our kayaks,then we should take the time to enjoy them, too Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com

MAGNALITE

Continued from page1D

He said the difference in quality is moresubtle and comes down to poorlycontrolled variation in these brands’ production andmaterials.

“When production of everything in the world moved over to China, quality control got harder,” Artiguesaid. “Wecan scan these potsusing X-ray diffraction, and it gives you theexact contentof aluminumand magnesium. In oldschool Magnalite by Wagner,the compoundsare so exact —soprecise every time.

“When you compare the Chinese products, for example, the percentageofaluminum will be less consistent.They might makethem alittle thicker to makeupsome of thatquality,but it’sall over the place. You’re mass-producing a millionpieces and mixing all these metalsinagiant vat, and there’s just less quality control.”

Thesetopics, and other quality- and care-related issues, often comeupinthe Facebook group Artigueopenedin2022 as ahome for all things Magnalite: “Magnalite Community (Cleaning, Cooking, Collecting, etc.),” now almost 80,000 members strong. The group is apassion project for him, started as away to help people learn aboutand appreciate these culturally and personally signiﬁcant pots andpans.

CURIOUS

Continued from page1D

The name was intended to differentiate the route from the popular previous shipping route, theCarondelet Canal, now known as theOld Basin Canal.

“The New Canal Lighthouse was constructed to navigatethe entrance to thenew canal,” Trail said. “It’sjust alittle bit comical, because theAmericans were so creativewhen they named this newwaterway.Theynamed it the ‘new canal.’ And thelighthouse constructed in 1839 was then namedthe New Canal Lighthouse to navigatethe entrance to the new canal.”

The New Canal Lighthouse has alwaysbeen in thesame place, Trail said,although it has undergone many different iterations, due to multiple storms and the lake land reclamation project of the 1920s. The familiar structure with its red roofs even has an address, 8001 LakeshoreDrive.

Lighthousesofthe past

The ﬁrst lighthouse was acypress towerthat quickly blew over in astorm. The second construction of thelighthouse bears moreresemblance to the lighthouse that can still be seen today,built in acottage style on supports over the water.This version lasted until theconstruction of anearbyyachtclub building, which was so tall that it blocked thelights the lighthouse used to guide vessels, Trail said.

Thelighthouse was torn down and anew lighthouse was built, remaininginplace during the 1920s, when theOrleans Levee Board began ahuge project of land reclamation from the lake. This reclamationproject impacted boththe New CanalLighthouse and the Milneburg Lighthouse, the area’s other notablelighthouse. Situatedbythe former siteofthe

“I remember my grandparents cooking in them on my mother’s andfather’sside, andI just grew up alwaysseeingthem. It really hit me that thesepots were special when therewas adeath in the family on my father’s side, and my dad was lower on the food chain, so he didn’tget the pot.

“I couldtellthathewas really bummed.That was one of the ﬁrst times I’d ever seen him sad or upset. Iwas like, this is something more than just apot. And Iwas only 7or8,” Artigue said, explaining how Louisianans tendtocreate corememoriesinthe kitchen —whether it’s Mawmaw’s gumbo recipe, or the pot she madeitin.

In the early years,Magnaliteproduced everything from tea kettles to drip pans, as new-fangled cast aluminum cookware rode awave of popularityacrosspost-World WarIIAmerica. Louisiana gradually becameits dominant market, andenthusiasm for the brand has continuedalmostunabated ever since, thanks to athriving secondary market stokedbygenerations of shared Magnalite memories.

When it comes to these pots, nostalgia can fetch ahefty price. An 8-quartroaster in mint condition, perfect formaking afamily-sized jambalaya or crawfish étouffée, often sells for $300 or more at ﬂea markets, vintage shops and online.

Artigue’s friend and Magnalite co-aficionado, Bryan Deslatte of New Iberia, has his own Facebook group devoted to buying and selling the brand. “Vintage Magnalite

Swap Shop Buying or Selling” has

65,000 members, all on the hunt for theincreasingly rare cookware.

“People love to cook their meat and gravy in them,” Deslatte said of the pots. “The waythe heat distributesisdifferent. The other day Idid some roux in asmaller roaster,and within 20 minutes, Ihad my roux from start to dark.”

Overthe past fouryears in Deslatte’sgroup, the average price of alarge roaster has gone up to $375 from about $250.

“Some people charge $500, Deslatte said. “If someone says, ‘I have to have it,’ they’ll pay any price. Don’tmean it’sworth that much.”

One lingering myth continues to lurk in Magnalite communities, suggesting alink between aluminum cookware and memory loss.

According to the Alzheimer’sAssociation, that link emerged in Alzheimer’sresearch in the 1960s and1970s, but studiesfailedto prove that everydayaluminum exposure causes Alzheimer’s. Magnalite fear has never withstood the devotion people continue to feel for the brand, especially in Louisiana. Artigueand Deslatte saythat resellers and home cooks have latelytaken notice across the country,and people are hunting for Magnalite all over the U.S., but before Wagner Manufacturing closed down in Ohio, theydid about80% of their business in the South.

“Now it’sjust blown up,” Artigue said. That popularity is partially

thanks to the way Cajun families have themselvesgrown, dispersed and disseminatedtheir generational cookware outside of the region. The wedding sets of Magnalite that Louisiana couples started off withinthe 1950s and 1960s have long been broken up, and are now aging into the homes of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, wherever they happen to live.

SandraCorne, of NewIberia, recentlypassedonher mother’s Magnaliteset to herdaughter Lauren, who lives in Austin. Her family’shistory with Magnalite is atypical onefor the area, with roasters, fryers and pots moving around on both sides of the family, whileeachnew generation keeps an eye on the best specimens.

“When Ipacked that box forher Iincluded the roaster —myroaster,” Corne said. “It meanssomething to her. Youlook at them and they’re kind of used, but it’sbattle wounds. It’sscars. It shows that alot of love was cooked in these pots.” Sandra Corne cooked her first meal in her mother’sMagnalite pot whenshe was11years old smothered pork chops withrice and gravy “It’sa big deal to give life back to these pots, because they’re so pricey now,” she said. “But, oh, they will make the best gravy ever whenyou’re cooking meattoput over rice.”

Email Joanna Brownatjoanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park, the distinctive white-bricked lighthouse was built around the timeperiod of the New Canal Lighthouse, and named for the lakeside resort town built in the 1830s by Alexander Milne.

Trail said theareaaround the Milneburg Lighthousewas ﬁlled in as aresult of the lake land reclamation project.The massive project included building aconcrete seawall and ﬁlling in large swathes behind the seawall with newly created land, stranding theMilneburg Lighthouse. According to theU.S. Coast Guard, thelighthouse was deactivated in 1929, losing status as aworking lighthouse.

“Once that happened, it kind of fell into disrepair through the years as well,”Trail said.

The lighthouse remained abeloved landmark even as the land around it became thePontchar-

train BeachAmusement Park. Today,itstands on the University of New Orleans campus.

AvictimofKatrina

The New Canal Lighthouse, while connected to land after the1920s land project, wasstill out in the water when Hurricane Katrina knocked it downin2005, Trail said. At that time, the location was an active Coast Guard station. After its destruction, the Coast Guard abandoned the location and built anew station in the Bucktown area, Trail said.

“Wewere successful in petitioning to the government at the time, saying we would love to rebuild thelighthouse, but this timewe’re going to turn it into amuseum,” Trail said.

The reconstruction, completed in 2012, was elevated 19 feet due to lakelevel increases from Hur-

ricane Katrina, and built with steel pilings and concrete pillars. Trail said much of the material wassalvaged, such as pine ﬂooring and original wood.

“Wehave amuch sturdier construction now,with wooden siding and steel framing and ametal roof to makeitsurvive the storms of today,” Trail said.

The lighthouse retains its “signature blink” —which is the light pattern unique to each individual lighthouse beacon. All through the night, the lighthouse can be seen with three blinks, then a pause, ﬂashing out over the water

Do you haveaquestionabout something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

BryanDeslatte, left, and the ‘Magnalite Man,’JudeArtigue, talk about the historyofMagnalite pots at Artigue’shome in Lafayette.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

The NewCanal Lighthouse is seen along Lake Pontchartrain in NewOrleans.

TRAVEL

Experience Tuscaloosa beyond game day

BY CHERÉ COEN Contributing writer

When the Crimson Tide rollsintoBaton Rougeto play LSU in Death Valley, there’selectricity in the air. The senses are heightened, and the anticipation is palpable. But this year,the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama Nov.8inBryant-Denny Stadium. For those who are heading north to Alabama for the game, here are afew suggestions for game day activities, restaurants, entertainment and more.

Game day experience

Just like Baton Rouge covers itself with purple and gold, Tuscaloosa ownsa crimson hue.

Home to the University of Alabama and itslegacy of championship football, game day weekends in Tuscaloosa mean asea of red and sometimesthe famous houndstooth that Alabama coach PaulW.“Bear” Bryant wore on his head during his reign.

Like most SEC teams, game day weekendsonthe Bama campus bring hundreds of tents on the Quad lawn serving up tailgating dishes. Don’tmiss the traditional Walk of Championsand theCoaches Walk at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, players andcoaches arrive to the roar of thousands of fans lining the walkway. Paul W. Bryant Museum Amust-visit for any footballfan,regardless of their loyalty,isthe Paul W. Bryant

On Nov. 7, the Paul W. Bryant Museum will mark the centennial of Alabama football’s first national championshipwiththe release of ‘Remember the RoseBowl,’a newbook commemorating the team’s historic1926 victory

ism

Regretfully,the famous barbecue joint gets crowded on game day weekends, but if you don’tmind standing in line, the waitisworth it. Downtown Tuscaloosa Beyondfootball, Tuscaloosa’swalkable downtown is ﬁlled with local restaurants, live music and nightlifethat carries well into game day weekends.

Fora family-friendly break, the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk offers ascenic stretch along the Black Warrior River,ideal for amorning jog, coffee stroll or casual downtimebefore heading to the stadium

Historyand culture

Museum, which tells the story of Alabama football, from Bear Bryant’scoaching legacy to the program’smany national championships. Visitorswill find artifactsand memorabilia, plus videosofplayers and game highlights from the museum’sarchives.On Nov.7,the day before the LSU-Alabama game,the museum will mark thecentennialofAlabama’sfirst national championship with

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

the release of “Remember the Rose Bowl,” anew book commemorating theteam’s historic 1926 victory People mayalso experience the ongoingexhibit “Walking withChampions,” which explores Alabama’s Rose Bowl legacy through

rare photography,memorabilia and artifacts.

For LSU fans traveling in, the exhibitoffersaninside look at the history behind oneofthe SEC’sgreatest rivalries. ThePaul W. Bryant Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. For infor-

mation, visitbryantmuseum.com.

Roll Call at TheAlamite

LSU fans who haven’tbeen to townsince the 2021 game will want to visitthe Roll Call, which opened in 2022 inside The Alamite hotel.

The restaurant is touted as having apolished yet approachable menu that’sperfect for alumni or families looking forareﬁneddinner before or after the game.

The boutique hotel is close to Bryant-Denny Stadium andshould be on afootball fan’slist of possible accommodations.

Alabamaisnationally known for its barbecue, including itsunique white sauce, so avisit to Tuscaloosa means sampling the goods. Family-owned Dreamland BBQ,located south of thecityinJerusalem Heights, remains the most famous. Its ribs and white bread were named one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama” by AlabamaTour-

The Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Trail provides an important perspective on the city’s place in civil rights historywith aself-guided, 18-stop trail that tells the stories of those whohelped break barriers.

Stopsinclude FirstAfrican Baptist Church, where MartinLuther King Jr preached and Bloody Tuesdayoccurred on June 9, 1964, aviolent reaction to a peaceful march to protest segregated drinking fountainsand restroomsinthe county courthouse.

Ashort drive from Tuscaloosa lies aprehistoric community that wasonce the largest north of Mexico.

Moundville ArchaeologicalParkonthe BlackWarrior River contains 28 massive flat-topped earthen pyramids around acentral plaza that was used forcivic and ceremonial events. The park sits on 326 acres and includes amuseum with numerous artifacts found on the property,plus interactive displays describing both the people of the mounds and their lifestyles. For moreinformation, visit www.moundville.ua.edu.

FedExmissedits chance to resolvea luggagecomplaint

My wife and Ishipped two suitcasesfrom IowatoNorway for acruise usingFedEx (via LuggageToShip).

The luggagearrived on time but wassent back to Oslo for customs verification. Despite daily calls to FedEx, agentsprovided conflicting updates and blamed Norwegian customs. Forfourdays, FedEx offered no information on how Icould getmyluggageout of customs.

things, “customs delay,customs or carrier inspection.”

Christopher Elliott

Finally,FedEx claimed it couldn’tdeliver the luggageuntil after our cruise departed, forcing us to pay $1,237 for shipment of luggage, which we didn’t receive whenweneeded it.We contacted FedEx executives using your site’scontacts but received no response.We also sent a

letter.We’vekept allemails and call transcripts. Whydid FedEx fail to communicate clearly or resolve this? Areweentitled to afull refund? —Todd Janus,Des Moines, Iowa FedExshouldhave handled your customsclearance and provided accurate tracking updates. Its International Priority service guaranteestimely delivery,contingent on proper documentation —which youhad.

Youused athird party called Luggage To Ship, which promises “simple, reliable and affordable” luggage shipping, according to its site. But acloser look at the Luggage To Shipterms reveals it is notresponsiblefor shipment delaysbecause of, among other

That let Luggage To Ship off thehook. It would be able to send your luggage to Norway,have it sit in awarehouse and return it without giving you arefund (at least, according to its terms).

ButFedEx is another story.It promises “dependable service,” and at the time of your cruise, it offered amoney-back guarantee.

(At thetime I’m writing this, this guarantee has been revoked.)

In fairness, it looks like FedEx was responsive to you when you asked about the status of your bags, but then failed to update you regularly when your luggage got stuck in customs.

I’m used to writingabout the

perils of checking luggage, so this is anew twist. Next timeyou cruise somewhere, it might make sense to just pack asmallcarryon to avoid the hassle of transporting lots of luggage. Ithink taking this up with FedEx was theright idea. Youpaid to have your luggage shipped to your cruise, and it never got there.

What’s more, you shouldn’thave had any customs trouble, since you were sending clothes and toiletries to your ship.

I’m not sure whythe FedEx executive contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org, did not respond to you. Ipublish the names of theexecutives as aservice to you andthem. For you, it’s

an opportunity to get your case resolved; forthem,it’sachance to avoid an embarrassing story Unfortunately,it’sachance they missed by ignoring your email. Icontacted FedEx on your behalf.Arepresentative responded that it would resolve the case with you “directly,” apparently hoping to keep me from writing astory about this. But as Isaid, FedEx already had its chance. FedEx refunded your $1,237. And the story? Well, here it is.

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.

PROVIDED PHOTO By VISIT

PHOTO By CHERÉ COEN

PHOTO

CHERÉ COEN

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH U.S SEN. JOHN KENNEDy

Stories tell what really happens in D.C.

Senator goes behind the scenes of his bestseller

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy had been thinking about writing a book when an agent approached him and secured a deal with a HarperCollins imprint. Kennedy took a year to write “How to Test Negative for Stupid: And Why Washington Never Will.”

Thanks to his home-spun phrases during frequent appearances on Fox News and other conservative TV networks, Kennedy’s book shot to number one on Amazon.com and has been a New York Times bestseller since being published in early October Kennedy grew up in Zachary, graduated from Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia Law School and obtained a First-Class Honors degree from Oxford University in England He was elected state treasurer ﬁve times before being elected to the Senate in 2016 and winning reelection in 2022. He is 73 years old. The interview has been edited for length and clarity

What was your approach in writing the book?

I talk about policy But I do it through stories. Some of the stories are funny, I think Some are bizarre. But they’re all true. I try to use stories to explain to readers what the Senate and Washington are really like from the inside. I try to use stories to explain to them why in Washington, normal is a setting on a clothes dryer, and I tried to explain why it doesn’t have to be like that if we just use a bit of common sense.

I have stories about President (Donald) Trump, President (Joe) Biden, Sen. (Chuck) Grassley, Sen. (Ted) Cruz, Sen. (Chuck) Schumer I have stories about my meeting with (China’s) President Xi. I have a lot of stories about my work in government in Louisiana. I have stories about growing up in Louisiana. I have stories about college and law school.

You write that your colleague Sen. Lindsey Graham is “whip-smart and can talk intelligently on almost anything.”You also wrote,“If you want to stump Lindsey, just ask him to name a country he wouldn’t bomb.”You’re a fan, right?

I admire him because he’s very, very bright.

He’s also unﬁltered He’s kind of like me — he plays outside of the pocket. He’ll just let it rip. I was visiting with Lindsey in the cloakroom off the Senate ﬂoor before the book came out. He

said, “Kennedy, what did you write about me”? I told him, “I love you because you’re unique.

If I invite you to dinner, I don’t know if we’ll have an intellectual conversation or you’ll vomit in the ﬁsh tank.” He thought that was funny.

Your book is full of clever one-liners.

Like: “I believe this country was founded by geniuses, but it’s being run by idiots.” I think a lot of people wonder: Where do you get these lines?

Some of them are organic. There are expressions that were commonly used when I was growing up.

Most of them are my own.

I’ve always admired people who have a clever turn of phrase. If someone writes something in an especially attractive way, I have a ﬁle on my iPad, and I’ll make a note about the article and the way somebody expressed something. Nobody writes stuff for me. The responsibility, the blame, the credit, whatever you want to call it, is all mine.

In your book, you note that your approach as a senator has generated criticism.What goes through your mind when you hear or read someone calling you

“Senator Foghorn Leghorn”?

It’s just part of the process. I’ve been called much worse than that on social media. I’ve been in politics for a while. It doesn’t take long to learn that to survive, you need to have a big heart, a lot of wind and very thick skin. When the Foghorn Leghorn characterization was ﬁrst used, I didn’t know what Foghorn Leghorn was. I had to go look it up. People have accused me of faking an accent, which isn’t true. Looking back, how do you view the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by the Trump supporters and the ransacking of the Capitol?

It was a dark day for America. I was there. I’ve never thought it was an insurrection. It didn’t appear to be organized to me. But it was clearly a riot. I condemned it very loudly at the time. I still condemn it.

And President Trump’s role in it?

I don’t really know what the facts were.

I wasn’t at the White House that day I don’t know what went into this thinking. I don’t know much about the rally that was organized to march on the Capi-

tol. I don’t even know who organized it. I tried to stick to the facts in the book that I know You noted that Biden pardoned his son and uncle and wrote: “I personally don’t believe that the Trump administration would have prosecuted any of the Bidens.”

Do you still believe that after Trump called on the Justice Department to indict former FBI director James Comey, and they did so, and after he called on the Justice Department to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, and they did so? I still believe that. Sooner or later, the sufficiency of the indictment is tested before a federal judge. I don’t know what supporting facts the Justice Department has. I do know Mr Comey In my opinion, he did more to undermine the legitimacy of the FBI and the Department of Justice than anyone in my lifetime. I do not know Ms. James. I never thought it was appropriate for her to run for office on a claim that if she were elected, she would indict someone and prosecute them, specifically President Trump. In fact, in Louisiana, that would be illegal.

Do you have any concerns that Trump is going too far in calling for these indictments? A lot of people think he is being very vindictive in using his power to seek retribution.

I remember when the so-called lawfare began under President Biden. It’s a term often used up here to refer to the weaponization of the Justice Department.

I remember when Attorney General (Merrick) Garland decided to prosecute a former president, who happened to be his boss’ chief political opponent in the next election. I thought it was a huge mistake. Then you had the prosecutions in Georgia and New York. You had Jack Smith. I remember thinking at the time that President Biden and his people have unleashed spirits that they won’t be able to control. I talked about that at the conﬁrmation of Ms. (Pam) Bondi and Mr (Kash) Patel. I strongly encouraged them to reject the adage that is popular in Washington, which I don’t agree with, that two wrongs don’t make a right. They make it even. My request to them was to go over to the FBI and the DOJ and get rid of the bad people and lift up the good people. They are doing that.

You write: “Trump can be cruel, sometimes he is wrong.” Can you give a couple of examples of either?

I disagreed with what the president did when he put pressure on a lot of private law ﬁrms. It’s true that those private law ﬁrms

are Democratic ﬁrms, and they have been very critical of the president, and they had represented a lot of his opponents, in some cases for free. But that is their right.

Is there an example where you think Trump has been cruel?

The president is clearly not a forgiving person. He believes that if you turn the other cheek, you just get it in the neck. I agree with that, particularly in Washington, but not to the extent the president does. I talk about it in the book. I don’t hate anybody I look for grace in Washington. Up here, you really have to work at it. Once I start hating, that’ll be a pretty good signal for me to come home.

You talk about your candor in the book, but are you like many Republicans in Washington who are very careful in what you say about Trump? Well, yes. He is my president. I have private conversations with President Trump. We have very frank, honest discussions. But up here, if you try to be fair and balanced, the other side will try to make you eat it. So you do have to be careful in what you have to say An issue you don’t address in your book is the state of democracy A lot of people think Trump is acting in a heavy-handed, authoritarian manner Do you share any of those concerns?

No. The people who are pushing back against President Trump are Democrats. When Biden was president, they supported his attacks on democracy They supported his abuse of the FBI and the Department of Justice. They supported his student loan efforts that were struck down by the Supreme Court. As soon as he got the opinion, he said, “I don’t agree with it. Instead of going through the front door, I’m going to go through the side door.” The people who are complaining now never complained when the Biden administration overreached. I think it’s all politics.

You wrote,“I’ll do this job until I run out of gas or my people tell me to come home.” Does that mean you are likely to run for reelection in 2028 when you’re 76?

Yes, I plan to run for reelection. I think I’ve got $20 million in my campaign fund. Last time I ran, I raised a record $42 million. I’ve got pretty good support across the state and the country I plan on raising probably $50 million or $60 million.

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, leaves the White House in March.

TALKING

AROUND THEREGION

MADE IN

GAINING GROUND

Pricetag nearly triplesfor AI data center as Meta points to widening footprintinLouisiana

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staff writer

Nine monthsafter Metabroke ground on itsmassive artificialintelligence data center in Louisiana, the cost of the project is now expected to be nearlythree timesgreaterthan first announced, suggesting the tech giant is already planning for future expansions in Richland Parish. In astatementlast week announcing afinancial partner for theproject, Meta,the parentcompanyof Facebook and Instagram, said theHolly Ridge data center,since named Hyperion, will cost $27 billion, up from the $10 billionannounced in late2024. The company said in an Oct. 21 announcement the larger price tag in-

cludes “the buildings andlong-lived power,cooling, and connectivity infrastructure at thecampus.”

“Weare proud to be part of the RichlandParish community,and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership foryears to come,” said Rachel Peterson, aMeta executive overseeing data centers, in the statement. The announcement, which comesasworkiswellunderwayonthe formerfarmlandin Richland, sheds new light on recent remarks from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. TheFacebook founder saidinJulythatthe north Louisiana data center,which was originally expected to cover an area the size of 70

football ﬁelds, would be much larger, with an eventual footprint the size of Manhattan Afew weeks later,ata Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump praised the planned size of the Hyperion data center,boosting its price tag to $50billion.

“When they said ‘$50 billion for aplant,’Isaid, ‘What the hell kind of aplant is that?’” Trump said at theAug. 26 meeting. “But when youlook at this, youunderstand why it’s$50 billion.

Louisiana Economic Development ofﬁcials, who wooed Meta to the Louisiana site throughout much of 2024, saidthe companyhas notofficially told themofany plans to expand the

scope of the project. But LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois said the new $27 billion price tag is notthe result of cost overruns or inﬂation, and could signal Meta’sfuture expansion plans in Louisiana. “Wehope, as with any company,that theysee potentialfor growth and expansion in Louisiana,” BourgeoissaidMonday. “Wecontinue to have conversations with them and hope the relationship continues.”

Aspokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the company’splans

ä See META, page 2E

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Canyou pick agoodhealthplanthis open enrollment when it’s allpricey?

Continuedfrom page1E

Puttouse

Michelle

Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

My 27-year-old son, who works part-time, justreceived notice of his health insurance premium for nextyear Under his Affordable Care Act plan throughthe Maryland marketplace, his monthly premium will increase by 17.1%. He’salso facing a 10.3% jump to his deductible, to just over $10,000, in 2026. Althoughhis value plan includes preventive services, primary care doctor visits, vision care and prescription drugs,hehas to pay ahigh deductible before other services, such as ahospital stay,are covered. Once he meets the ﬁve-ﬁgure threshold, the plan pays aportion of the costs.

My son is on the autism spectrum and is working hardtoﬁnd steady fulltime employment. After he turned 26, he had to ﬁnd his own insurance and opted for the high-deductible plan to keep down his monthly payments. He can manage the latest premium increase because he lives at home. Iknow my son is fortunate; he can still keep his coverage. Millions of others may not be able to do the same. The federal government is shut down right now because Democrats are demanding that Republicans extend pandemic-era health care law subsidies that could prevent an untold number of Americans from going bankrupt should they have amedical emergency. The premium tax credits, which lower your monthly health insurance bill, expire at the end of this year

This political stalemate is occurring just as we enter open-enrollment season for the ACA marketplace, which started Saturday.If the credits expire, enrollees who receive the subsidy probably will pay about double, from an average of $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026, according to KFF,a nonpartisan health policy organization.

If the price hikes are too high, some folks may opt out of coverage —it’sthat or paying their rent. If they elect to get medical insurance, they make the calculated decision to signupfor aplan that isn’tgreat butat least covers some things, which will still leave them

Continued from page1E

ﬁnancially vulnerable to an expensive hospitalbill or emergency roomvisit.

But the cost jumps won’t justhit the ACA marketplace. Fall is alsoopen-enrollment season for workers coveredbyemployerplans. And if you get insurance on your job, you probably will also experiencesticker shock.

KFFconductsanannual survey of privateand nonfederalpublic employers with at least10employees. In 2025,annualpremiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached$26,993, up 6% from thepreviousyear.On average, workerscontributed$6,850towardthe cost of family coverage.

“Early reports suggest that cost trends will be higherfor 2026, potentially leading to higherpremium increasesunless employers andplans ﬁnd ways to offset highercosts throughchanges to beneﬁts, cost sharing, or plan design,” KFFsaidin its report.

To manage rising costs, employees’contributions toward coverage maygoup, the report concluded.

Asurveyfrom the consultancyMercer alsoforecast highercosts: Basedon projections frommorethan 1,700 employers,employers could see a6.5% increase in health beneﬁt costs peremployee— the highest since 2010

The surveyfoundthat 59% of employersplan to make cost-cutting changes in 2026 thatmight, among other things,resultinhigher deductibles and co-paysto limit premium increases.

So what doesthis all mean for you, whether you get coveragethrough the ACA, an employerorMedicare?

Gettinghealthinsurance in Americacan beanabsolute ﬁnancialnightmare. It’s atestofhow well youcan avoidprofaneoutbursts. Given thisreality,until we have leaders willingtounite to make health care more affordable, you need to be your own advocate. Yes, the documents you receive are dense and confusing. My son’s2026beneﬁtspolicy guide is 168 pages. But don’tgive up. Keep these principlesinmind to save somemoney. First, one of the biggest mistakespeople make when selectinga health insurance plan is focusing only on the monthlypremium. Aplanwith alow monthly premium usually hasa high

beyond what was in the release.

“As Mark shared earlier this summer,this site may grow,and we’ll share more when we’reable,” Meta spokesperson Ashley Settle said.

‘Largerproject newdeal’

TheHyperion datacenter is already transforming Richland Parish, which has apopulation of fewer than 20,000. It is attracting real estate speculators and out-of-state workers to the area, driving up land prices and spawning abuilding boom with aripple effectthat economic developmentexperts have heralded.

It hasalsoraised concernsamong environmentalists and climate activists, who pointtohigher utility rates and water shortages in other places with giant AI data centers. If the 4million-square-foot Hyperion facility grows larger,it’s unclear what it would mean foran area already reeling from rapid change.

Also unclear is what it would meanfor Meta’sdeal with the state. According to the terms of the incentive package announcedlast December by Meta officials and Gov.Jeff Landry,Meta is eligible for a30-year break on its sales and property taxes in return for making a“payment in lieu of taxation,” or PILOT,equal to aportion of its total tax liability

The amount of the annual payment will be calculated by an independent boardand basedonthe amount of new capital investment the company has made. Under theterms of the deal, Meta hasagreed to invest $10 billion and

deductible (theamount you pay out of pocket before the insurer startspaying), along withhigher co-paymentsor coinsurance for services. Conversely,aplan witha higher monthly premium typically offersmoreimmediatecoverage, meaning you’ll pay less —ornothing —beyond that initial payment when visiting thedoctororhospital.

Second, always consider the worst-casescenario —such as an unexpected hospital visit —todecide if the lower monthly payment is worth therisk of ahefty bill later

Youmight think:“Well, I’m healthy and don’tneed alot of care.” For you, a cheaper plan with ahigh deductible might make sense. But what if you get sick and need to go to the emergency room or be admitted to the hospital?

If you have a$10,000 deductible, do you have that much saved? Or would you have to go into debt?

This happened to afamily I’m working with. Their child got sick and was hospitalized, but they didn’thave the money to cover their deductible, forcing them to consider taking money out of their retirement savings. (They ended up avoiding thatscenario by getting ﬁnancial assistance from family.)

Finally,asmuch as it’sa pain, go through the plan materials carefully to pick one thatincludes your preferred doctors and hospitals. Don’tassumewhat you had last year will roll over into 2026.

At healthcare.gov,you’ll be able to preview ACA health plans. If you’re unsure or uncomfortable using the online tool to compare them, workwithabroker. If you’re on Medicare, you can call (800) 633-4227. TTY userscan call (877) 486-2048. Iunderstand why people dread open enrollment, and Irecognizethat procrastinating on reviewing your plan information often comes from feeling overwhelmed: Openenrollment reminds us how financially burdensome finding the right health carecoverage can be. It’s atime of change, confusion and less-than-ideal choices.But don’tlet the confusion paralyze you; focus on finding the best protection you can afford.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com

Wohlstadter,agraduate of Harvard andOxford universities,spent eight years leading his ﬁrst tech startup, Wonder,which he describesnow as “basically ahumanprecursor to ChatGPT” that crowdsourced thousands of researchers to do work forbig companies andconsulting ﬁrms.

His new venture is an example of what is now being called an “AIplatform integrator,” which means its software uses the power of existing tools like ChatGPT or Claude to servecustomers.

The softwaremonitors “signals”online and on social media that are relevant to ad agencies and brands. This could be customer complaints or praise on Reddit message boards, news about acompetitor’s productlaunchona website or industry trends evident in Instagram videos.

“There’stoo muchinformation out there: too many articles, too many people posting on social media and toomany inﬂuencers,” Wohlstadtersaid. “So we use AI to read allofthatfor youand turn it into opportunities.”

Thelatestversion of Waldo might tell afood company howtotakeadvantage of the current craze for protein-enhanced foods or offer speciﬁc ways an airline can market anew route to Gen Zcustomers.

Waldo originally aimed its services at marketing agencies,but nowbrands can sign up directly. Clients include Airbnb, theshortterm rental platform; Kettle &Fire,afood brand; and Conair,maker of smallappliances and personal care products.

“Wewill have read the last 1,000 Instagram posts about hair care, andiftheyare all talking about nostalgia for thelooks of the Roaring ’20s, we’ll suggestthat clients in that space should come up with campaigns inspiredbythat,” Wohlstadter said.

For theservice, brands or theiragenciespay about $1,000 permonth

Less ‘insular’community Wohlstadter is not the ﬁrst in his family to move from New York to New Orleansto start or run abusiness.

Hismaternalgrandparents,Henry andEva Galler made the move around 1960 after seeing an ad for ajob at Rubensteins men’sclothing store in the pages of

The Times-Picayune. Later, Henry Gallerfounded Mr Henry’sCustom Tailor, whichisstill in operation todaynear theintersection of Jackson and St. Charles avenues. TheGallers, both survivors of the Holocaust, spent years teaching students about their experiences during World WarII.

Wohlstadter’sfather, DavidWohlstadter,made asimilar move in the late 1970s to run an ink factory in theWarehouse District, near the site of the current Peche restaurant, before he andJustin’smother moved to Dallas in the 1980s.

TheseNew Orleansconnections meantJustin Wohlstadter visited New Orleans frequently over the years growing up. After attending college and gradschool and then working on the East Coast for adecade, he moved to the city full-time in 2020.Henow liveswith hiswife andtwo children near Audubon Park and his parents ownahomenearby Wohlstadter said in New Orleans he’sfound an escape from the intensity of New York City and asupportive groupofpost-pandemic expats working at high levels of marketing, media and tech.

“In New York, Itried to stay out of the tech world because it’s alittleinsular,” he said. “But here, there’sa handful of people literally within afive-block radius from me who have been executives at bigmediacompanies, and they are working on crazy tech stuff. It’s cool to ﬁnd the little pockets that exist.”

Wohlstadter hopes to help bring more tech activity to his adopted home, where tech entrepreneurs punch above the city’s weightclass farfromthe country’shubs, he said.

ProKeep,based in the Warehouse District, closed a$25 million fundraising round ayear ago, bringing its total haul to around $34 million. The company, which makes software solutions to help distributors in the construction, automotive andtrucking industries, has100 employees in total, aquarter based in NewOrleans.

Founder Jack Carrere said his software has helped handle more than 10 billion transactionssince thecompany was formed in 2016. Nest Health, led by formersecretary of the LouisianaDepartment of Health Rebekah Gee, has raised more than $20 millionand employs 60 people to provide preventive health care through house calls andvirtual visits. AndRep Data, aresearch technology company founded by

Patrick Stokes,receiveda major investment of an undisclosed amount from Colorado-based private equity ﬁrm Mountaingate Capital earlier this year.The company has about 20 local employees out of 100 overall. New Orleans-based Lucid, Levelset and Turbosquid, all of which were acquiredin 2021, are some of the state’s biggest tech success stories that led the way for the new ventures.

Earlyadopters

The global advertising industry that Waldo serves has undergone an intense periodofconsolidationover the last quarter-century.Today,itisdominated by the “big six” holding companies —WPP,Omnicom Group, Publicis Groupe, theInterpublic Group of Companies, Dentsu andHavas —that ownhalf of the world’shundreds of thousands of smaller agencies.

Waldo counts themall among its clients, as well as the remaining independent agencies, includingGulf South stalwart Peter Mayer Advertising, headquartered in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District. Michelle Edelman,who bought PeterMayer in 2022, saidher team uses the tool like a“junior strategic planner,” reducing research time, staying on top of trends and generatinginsights. Because it can monitor existing marketing efforts from rivals, the ﬁrm uses it to avoid duplicating their efforts.

Thetooland others like it come as AI andother technology aredisrupting the industry by giving the impressionthatmachines can compete with people by generating images, jingles, videos and ad copy all virtually instantly

“Some people say, ‘Ifwe can’t tell the difference between an AI and ahumanmadeone,thenwhy pay a human and waitadditional time for theiroutput?” Edelman said. “Butadvertising has to compel humans, not digits, so there always needs to be human intervention to have atruly great idea.”

EdelmansaidWaldo andtechnology like it will change theway young people break into the industry

“The work that is done in afew hours used to be what fresh advertising folks cut their teeth learning how to accomplish,” shesaid. “I see that we willneedtoadjust our approach to growing talent as aresult of what these tools can do faster and as well.”

Email RichCollins at rich.collins@theadvocate. com.

createupto 500 full-time jobsby the endof2032. Thecompany has committed tohiring local workers for as many positions as possible.

Bourgeois said a“hypothetical $27 billion project would mean a larger project and anew deal,” though no such deal has been negotiatedyet. In recent weeks, Meta has been buyingupthe land for its data center that it initially was leasing from the state. In September,itexercised an option to purchase 1,420 acres of state-owned land dubbed the Franklin Farms megasite that is ground zero for the facility,paying $12.5 million for the property

At the same time, it acquired from private landowners an additional 1,200 acres of adjacentproperty for an undisclosed price, givingita totalof2,600 acres so far according to the Richland Parish

Assessor’sOfﬁce. Twopeople familiar with real estate transactions in Richland said the company is negotiating for other large tracts next to the growing 2,600-acresite,though no other sales have been ﬁnalized Ability to walk away?

Documents filed by Metalast week also shednew light on how thecompany plans to pay for the massive datacenter.According to afiling with theU.S.Securities and Exchange Commission, Meta has formed ajoint venture with aNew York-based asset management firm,Blue OwlCapital, to finance the project.

In the statement on itswebsite, Meta says that Blue Owlisproviding privatecredit to thejoint venture andwill retainan80% ownership stake in the facility,withMeta

keeping a20% share. Meta will leasethe facilitiesonthe Hyperioncampus from the joint venture once construction is complete.

Thelease agreements have an initial four-year term with options to extend, “providing Meta with long-term strategic ﬂexibility,” the companysaid in astatement.

In return, Meta is agreeing to paythe joint ventureifitwere to decline to renew the lease or terminate it. Some Wall Street tradepublications last week said thetermsof the deal give Meta an out should it decide to walk away from Richland Parish.

“Meta wants the optionality to be able to walk away from this facility if either theirstrategychanges or theydecide they are going to take adifferent approach to AI training, or Godforbidthis‘bubble cracks’

The Hyperion data center is already transforming Richland Parish, which has a population of fewer than 20,000. It is attracting real estate speculators and out-of-state workers to the area, driving up land prices and spawning abuilding boom with aripple effect that economic development experts have heralded.

andthe world goes adifferentdirection,” Naveen Sarma,amanaging director at S&P,who covers credit ratings for companies in the telecommunication and media sector,told the ﬁnancial publication PitchBook.

Bourgeoissaidshe is not concerned about that hypothetical andsaidMetahas always been up front about its plans to ﬁnance the Richland Parish facility with money from private investorsand lenders.

“The financing deal doesn’t change any of the terms of the company’sdeal with us whatsoever,” she said. “Itdoesn’tmean anything forusorthe parameters of the deal.”

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

STAFF FILE PHOTOBy JILL PICKETT

ASK THEEXPERTS

“There is alot of newactivityinthe market that is building agood economy while existingemployers likeMichoud have fascinating things going on.”

SouthLouisiana’s challenges creating opportunity

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

When Gay LeBretonjoined Chaffe and Associates in 1987, the New Orleans-based financial advisory and investment banking firm was helping its clients —local banks and savings and loans —work through what, at the time, was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Many local institutions didn’tmake it.

“Wewere like hospice workers for banks,” LeBretonsaid. “So many were deadordying.”

The downturn became an opportunity for Chaffe, which helpedits healthy clients repositionthemselves either by acquiring smaller banks or selling themselves to larger ones. Eventually,LeBreton parlayed herexperience with banks into amergers and acquisitions advisory service for clients in other industrysectors.

Today,LeBreton is the managing partner for Chaffe and knows moreabout M&Aactivityinsouth Louisiana than almost anybody.In this week’sTalkingBusiness, she discusses the changes she’switnessed over her nearly 50-year career,how Chaffe positioned itself as one of the foremost ﬁnancial advisory ﬁrms in the areaand whyshe’s stillbullish on hernative NewOrleans,despite downturns and the departure of dozens of corporate headquarters during her time.

Interview has beeneditedfor length and clarity

What aresomeofthe biggestchanges you have seen in the New Orleans business community during your career?

When you say the New Orleans business community,Inever think Orleans Parish. Iamincapable

Q&A WITH GAyLEBRETON

economywhile existing employers like Michoud have fascinating things going on. There is also alot going on in the industrial sector.Some $44 billion in industrial activity is underway in theNew Orleansarea andanother $33 billion is awaiting ﬁnal investment decision. Shell and BP are doing things offshore, and the facilitiesthatare needed to support that are based here. Iget excited by that. We have alot going on. The banking industryhas seen the departure of corporate headquarters of allthe regional and national players. Doesn’tthat concernyou?

ing. Youhave Meta building in north Louisiana. Youhave Radiance Technologiesbuilding afacilityinRuston that is fabulous.

Iﬁnd Ascension Parish fascinating, and Iamstill amazed the ﬁrst newsteel plant being done in the country is being built in theDonaldsonville area.

sector —not only M&A but people building companies. Youseem to be optimistic. Does that just go withyour job?

If youare going to be in M&As, there is acertain amount of optimism youbetter havegoing into the job, and honestly,you have to have abit of astick-at-it attitude because there are bumps in every deal. So, you have to have alittle bit of optimism because youare always looking forhow to make it work.

of thinking at that levelbecause businesses workacross parish lines, state lines, and alot of our businesses servicecustomersnationally andinternationally.But when Ilook at the New Orleans area, Iknowweare not projected to have alot of growth, population wise, in the next year Still, Ilook at Venture Global in Plaquemines; LITinSt. Bernard; investment in the RiverDistrict, and downtown by Tulane and Domain Cos. (which arepartnering to redevelop Charity Hospital); Ochsner’snew Children’sHospital.

There is alot of new activityin the market that is building agood

Our biggest banks like Regions, Hancock Whitney and, obviously, JP Morgan Chase are all out of state,true. Butwehaveseveral local banks— Gulf Coast Bank, ResourceBank, First Guaranty Bank outofHammond, b1Bank outofBaton Rouge, an impressive groupofpeople building across thestate.Innorth Louisiana, we have Origin Bank, and let’s not forgetLiberty BankinNew Orleans, which is agreat bank and is expanding itself. No doubt, losing headquarters of any company is aloss to Louisiana andthat is true in banking. But we have built some sizable banks that are ﬁlling some of the gap. Maybe theyare notgoing to be the bank to Venture Global,but they can handle the needs of most of all our business community in Louisiana. Let me go back to corporate headquarters. Does it concernyou to see Louisiana continue to lose corporate headquarters?

Ilook at what’s coming, not go-

All of our companieshere that operate in industrial construction and maintenance, whichare all over thestate, with the amount going on in the state, they are all going to have alot of workfor a numberofyears. We talkedrecently about all the M&A activity in the market. What do you thinkis driving it?

Third-quarter numbers arejust comingout, andweare seeinga lot more deal activity locally and nationally.Ithink there are several reasons. Youhavestabilized interest rates withthe expectation of at least one or morefurther cuts in the rate, which is giving people conﬁdence.

TheOne Big Beautiful Bill passed andisvery pro-business and supports capital investment. Justknowing the lay of the land, rather than having abig question mark, helps give people confidence. And Ithink we are seeing it across the country

Locally,there are moresales of local companies thanpurchases by local companies, but there are plenty of purchases. And we’re seeing alot of industrial services activity.Everyone is looking at the work that is goingtobein thepipeline.Idothink we will seemore activity in the maritime

That said,how do yousee things right now?

New Orleans proper has an opportunity to change its proﬁle over the next 20 years with higher-paid jobs, industry and it just remains to be seen whether we are going to do it. Tourism has been wonderful, but it generateslower-paying jobs. We have improved our educational system.Now,weneed to build on that. We cannot relent. What kind of challengesdid you face as a woman in this field?

There are some challenges. I never really thought about them. I just wasfocused on getting the job done. That seemed to work. Igrew up at atime when you maybe had to have alittle tougher skin than youdotoday.Ifsomeonecalled me “honey,”atleasttheywere calling me. So long as we were getting the job done, we were employed. That’sall that mattered. Today, thereismoreflexibility in the workforce, so women can define what they want to do alittle more easily.They can work from home if they need to. It is definitely easier today

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By KATHy ANDERSON GayLeBreton is amanaging partner withNew Orleans-based financial adviser Chaffe and Associates, whereshe has been since1987.

AROUND THE REGION

City bonds key to unlocking $1B investment in redevelopment

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

A slate of bond propositions on New Orleans’ Nov 15 ballot could serve as the ﬁnancial linchpin for roughly $1 billion in long-awaited redevelopment projects across the city including the restoration of some of its most blighted and iconic properties.

City ofﬁcials and economic development leaders say the measures, particularly a $415 million infrastructure bond, represent a rare opportunity to combine public funding with major private investment. If approved, the bond propositions could trigger construction at sites ranging from the historic Charity Hospital on Tulane Avenue to the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center in Mid-City, the abandoned Naval Support Activity complex in the Bywater and the long-dormant Six Flags and Lake Forest Plaza properties in New Orleans East

Most of the money tied to those redevelopment efforts is contained in the infrastructure measure, Proposition 2, though related funding is also spread across a $50 million drainage and stormwater management bond and a $45 million affordable housing bond. Together, the three propositions would authorize $510 million in new borrowing to upgrade city infrastructure, spur economic growth and attract outside capital to neighborhoods that have seen little investment for decades, supporters say

“Proposition 2 is so critical because it funds linchpin projects for the future of New Orleans,” said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., the regional economic development agency Hecht and other advocates say that apart from the direct investment, the bond proceeds would also provide the public infrastructure investments — roads, drainage, utilities, and site work that developers need to unlock private ﬁnancing and move forward

Many of the cornerstone devel-

opments tied to the bond proposals include signiﬁcant affordable housing components, a key feature at a time when few marketrate housing projects are being built anywhere in the metro area. Combined, the projects could produce roughly 1,000 new affordable units, helping to address a widening housing gap as insurance costs and interest rates have stalled most private apartment construction.

The city is grappling with a multimillion-dollar deficit and could be forced to slash more than $200 million from the 2026 budget. However, all of the proposed bond funds are designed for capital improvements and could not be used to offset a deficit, city officials have said.

Cornerstone of renewal

The largest of the redevelopment efforts centers on Charity Hospital, the long-vacant art deco landmark that has loomed over Tulane Avenue since Hurricane Katrina About $30 million in city funds has already been earmarked for the project, including $20 million from a June settlement of liti-

gation involving the Wisner Trust. City officials say that additional bond money would likely support the project’s 260-unit affordable housing component.

Tulane University plans to occupy much of the 20-story structure with research laboratories and ofﬁces, anchoring the project’s biomedical and educational focus. The redevelopment is being led by Domain Cos. and LMXD, a New York-based affiliate of L+M Development Partners, which joined the original developer, 1532 Tulane Partners, after the project’s cost ballooned beyond its initial $300 million estimate.

City leaders view Charity as a cornerstone for the revitalization of the surrounding medical corridor, bringing new jobs, residents and retail activity to a part of downtown that has been slow to recover A water and demolition project

Another major project closely tied to the bond package is the redevelopment of the former Lindy Boggs Medical Center, also known as Mercy Hospital, on Bayou St. John. The storm-ravaged struc-

ture has stood vacant since Katrina, one of the city’s most visible reminders of post-disaster stagnation.

The city has earmarked about $10 million from the infrastructure bond to support the site’s transformation — a project officials describe as both an economic catalyst and a flood mitigation investment. Engineers estimate the stormwater retention system planned for the site could hold six times more water than comparable Mid-City drainage projects, making it one of the city’s most effective water management tools. The redevelopment plan calls for replacing the crumbling hospital with housing, retail and public green space, coordinated with Sidney Torres IV, who owns adjacent property along the bayou. Officials say the combined $160 million project will not only eliminate a notorious eyesore but also link Mid-City’s redevelopment corridor to the Lafitte Greenway and the biomedical district anchored by Charity Unlocking HUD financing Farther downriver, the city is preparing to invest bond funds in the former Naval Support Activity site on the Bywater riverfront. The first phase of the NSA East Bank Apartments project, financed in part through the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, will convert two of the three large buildings on the property into housing and commercial space. Before that financing can close, however, HUD has required that the third building also be secured and made presentable, even though it is not part of the first construction phase. The city plans to use about $6 million of the bond proceeds for that work sealing the structure, stabilizing it and improving its exterior — to satisfy HUD’s conditions and clear the way for the main project to proceed. Once complete, the development will bring hundreds of new apartments, including affordable units,

to a riverfront site that has been shuttered for more than a decade, reconnecting the Bywater neighborhood to the Mississippi River Catalysts for New Orleans East In New Orleans East, the proposed bond funding could jumpstart the Six Flags site and nearby Lake Forest Plaza, two of the city’s most visible symbols of post-Katrina decline. The city has already allocated $5 million for infrastructure work at Six Flags — a step officials say is essential for attracting private developers and finally putting the massive site back into commerce. Plans call for a mixed-use redevelopment combining retail, entertainment, and housing, as well as drainage and green infrastructure improvements. Mayor-elect Helena Moreno has singled out New Orleans East as a priority for her administration, calling the Six Flags site “a cornerstone of equitable growth” during her campaign. Funding for the Lake Forest Plaza site, however remains less certain. Property owner Gowri Kailas said he is working to settle millions of dollars in back taxes and repay a loan owed to Lowe’s, steps that would allow him to advance a new mixed-use plan for the sprawling complex. City officials said they intend to see visible progress on the property next year, one way or another, after nearly two decades of dormancy

Other projects include investment to convert Dryades Market in Central City into an outlet providing subsidized food sources, as well as improvements in “commercial corridors and districts,” including Freret Street, Harrison Avenue and the BioDistrict. If voters approve all three bond propositions city ofﬁcials estimate that work could begin as early as 2026, triggering a wave of construction across neighborhoods that have waited years for investment.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The former Lindy Boggs Medical Center overlooking Bayou St. John has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina.

NATION & WORLD

GM’s high-tech pitch: Eyes-off self-driving cars

BY SUMMER BALLENTINE

The Detroit News (TNS)

NEW YORK General Motors un-

veiled plans to offer eyes-off autonomous driving in the batterypowered Cadillac Escalade IQ SUV beginning in 2028 as the Detroit automaker seeks to recast itself for the 21st century

The announcement at a recent swanky, invite-only event in midtown Manhattan is part of a broader pitch that GM is a tech company, not just a 117-year-old auto manufacturer with deep roots in industrial Detroit. At stake is GM’s place in the global auto industry amid competition from China, where carmakers are making more and more advanced vehicles at blazing speeds.

“We’re drawing from our rich heritage, our engineering our design (and) our manufacturing expertise and we’re doing something entirely new,” CEO Mary Barra said as journalists, inﬂuencers and executives sipped lattes topped with the company logo displayed in dusted cocoa. “We’re working to accelerate the future.”

Whether and how that would work remains to be seen. GM faces a tough sell in convincing investors and prospective tech employees that it has moved beyond being a legacy automaker, analysts said

“I don’t think GM can totally shed the image,” Morningstar analyst David Whiston said. “But what they can do is try to show people they are working on this.”

GM at the event also announced plans for what Apple alum David Richardson, now GM’s senior vice president of software and services engineering, described as “conversational” Artiﬁcial Intelligence powered by Google Gemini. The interactive software launches next year GM did not specify on which models the feature will be available.

“GM has been a technology company for a very long time,” said Stephanie Brinley, principal auto-

Detroit automaker GM is facing headwinds in its effort to scale up electric vehicle production and sales as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have scrapped tax credits and moved to roll back emissions regulations — the carrot-and-stick approach of the Biden administration meant to encourage EV adoption.

motive analyst for the Americas at S&P Mobility “This development for GM isn’t like they woke up yesterday and said, ‘Wouldn’t this be cool?’”

GM’s tech showcase took place after the company reported that it outperformed third-quarter expectations from Wall Street, which has long favored Tesla and other EV startups for their potential as innovators. Wall Street responded favorably to GM’s third-quarter earnings report, with the automaker’s stock surging 15%.

After teasing autonomous driving and in-house software development to investors, Barra and other executives showed off a mock lithium manganese-rich battery, an early design of the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ with the autonomous driving features, and equipment for turning the automaker’s EVs

into backup home generators.

To illustrate the capabilities of its forthcoming Level 3 self-driving tech, GM deployed a sevenscreen display that simulated human vision versus the autonomous vehicle system on California’s Highway 1.

The event is not GM’s first attempt at a tech makeover The company, for years, has been poaching high-paid Silicon Valley executives to engineer softwaredeﬁned vehicles, AI programs and self-driving cars — a best-andbrightest talent strategy Barra has publicly acknowledged and endorsed, despite internal grumbling.

GM continues to face internal tensions between its longtime, engineering-minded workers and the tech employees taking their jobs for higher pay The stakes are high

Beyond Boundaries.

Thehealthcareindustryhas asingle constant:change.

As thefastest growingsectorofthe American economy, theindustryisalwaysinastate of change in responsetomacroeconomic forces,the public’s demandfor high-quality andaccessible health care,and ﬁscal constraints. We help our clients successfullynavigateachallenging andconstantly evolving business andregulatory landscape as they create, andrespond to,new delivery models to meet thesenew challenges.

William

H. Hines Managing Partner

as the Detroit automaker seeks to compete with Chinese electric vehicle innovators, as well as U.S. EV leader Tesla and other traditional rivals.

The Detroit automaker also faces headwinds in its effort to scale up EV production and sales as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have scrapped tax credits and moved to roll back emissions regulations — the carrot-and-stick approach of the Biden administration meant to encourage EV adoption.

While Barra recently told investors that electrification remains GM’s “North Star,” the automaker has canceled or scaled back numerous EV investments and ramped up investments to produce V-8 engines and high-proﬁt, gas-powered trucks and SUVs.

The company’s BrightDrop elec-

tric vans were the latest casualty

The company last year scrapped funding for its Cruise robotaxi and absorbed its engineers to work on improving autonomous features for passenger vehicles.

GM executives determined, after spending $10 billion on Cruise since 2017, that it was too expensive, especially in light of its sofar-unprofitable work on EVs. A pedestrian crash in 2023 also opened up Cruise to scrutiny from public ofﬁcials and consumers. In October, GM closed its hydrogen fuel cell program after decades of research failed to develop it as a feasible vehicle power source.

And the company took a $1.6 billion writedown on EV investments that are no longer needed with unfriendly federal policy under Trump and tepid interest in battery-powered vehicles among U.S. drivers Plants that had been slated for EV assembly are being retooled to make more proﬁtable gas-powered pickup trucks and SUVs.

“They’ve made a lot of interesting announcements,” said Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry “But that’s all they are right now is announcements.”

Some automakers have already launched Level 3 technologies in limited conditions BMW AG offers a Personal Pilot L3 feature in Germany, for example, and Honda Motor’s Traffic Jam Pilot was the first certified Level 3 technology in Japan.

In the United States, the Mercedes-Benz Group eyes-off Drive Pilot is certified for most major freeways in California and parts of Nevada. Tesla offers a Level 2 hands-free eyes-on-the-road Full Self-Driving feature on its passenger cars, but also operates fully automated robotaxis.

“GM is every bit as advanced as everyone else in developing (autonomous vehicles), and more than others,” Brinley said.

Evolving LegalLandscape Shapes Digital Healthcare Innovation andCompliance.

Digitalhealthcareinthe United States is continuously shaped by acomplex patchwork of federaland statelawsand regulations.

Federallawsgovernprivacy,while federal agencies regulate medicaldevices and certainsoftware. Telehealth rulesvaryby state, though Medicare andmanystates have expanded coverage andlicensure ﬂexibility,and oversightcomes from multiple agencies. However, challengespersist regardingthe regulation of AI,cross-state telehealth practices, cybersecurity, anddata notcovered by federallaw,sopolicymakers continue to pursue reformstoensure innovationaligns with patientprotections

Ourﬁrm is proudtohelpleadthe wayforward forLouisiana healthcare providersand supportcompanies as they undergo digitaltransformationand navigatethisevolving andcomplex legal andregulatoryenvironment.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

AllisonBell Nadiadela Houssaye

ACADIANA INBOX

PROVIDEDPHOTO

Six studentsgraduated as emergency medicaltechnicians from the National EMS Academy,asister company to Acadian Ambulance.

Thegraduatesare Kimberly Bradshaw, Leslie Gravouilla, Gaige Langlinais, Caitlin McLain, Katheleen Phan and Joshua Poche

They completed arigoroustrainingprogram and arenow equippedwiththe essentialskills to provide critical,life-saving care in their communities.

ThenextEMT course in Lafayette begins on Nov 17. To learn about theprogram, visit becomeamedic. com

Kean Miller,one of the largestlaw ﬁrms in the region, namedfourassociateattorneys in its Lafayette ofﬁce. The hires enhance its capabilities in key practice areas,including real estate, offshore energyand marine litigation, labor and employment, casualty andmasstortdefense,energy,environmental, business and corporate, and construction.

Hired in theLafayette ofﬁce include: Thomas Frederick,who will focus on offshore energy and marine litigation.He is agraduateofLSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Mary-Claire Hollier,who will focus on offshore energy and marine litigation. She is agraduate of LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center Philip Young,who will focus on offshore energy,marine litigation andlabor and employment disputes. He is agraduate of LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette. Mattie Zepernick,who will focus on business and corporate and real estate matters. She is agraduate of LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and Texas Christian University

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Work set to begin on $15M downtown hotel

Work should begin soon on the 83room hotel planned for downtown Lafayette.

Applicants were grantedabuilding permit from Lafayette Consolidated Government tobuild the 56,130-square-foot, four-story Hotel Lafayette at the corner of Taylor and Vermilion streets, documents show

The work is valued at $15million. Southern Cross Construction of Hattiesburg,Mississippi,isthe contractor The full-service hotel is ajoint project with Sans Souci Properties, The Thrash Group and Tandem Hospitality Group. It will alsohouse Bayou Teche Brewery in a4,500-square-foot event space that could openbymid2026

The ownership group of Gus Rezende, Ryan Pecot, BJ Crist and John Peterson joined elected ofﬁcials and others in agroundbreaking in July to kick off construction.

FM Bank to be acquired by Mississippi bank

Mississippi-based Merchants &Marine Bank said it has reached adeal to acquire FM BankofBreaux Bridge in an all-cash deal.

The saleprice was not disclosed. Themergerisset to closeinthe secondquarter,pending regulatory approval. The merger has already been

approved by each bank’sboard of directors.

Theplanisfor FM Banktooperate under its own name as adivision of Merchants &Marine. Fred Mills, FM Bank president andCEO,would continue to serve in aleadership role.

“This partnership withMerchants &Marine Bancorp ensures that we will continue to be atruecommunity bank —one that remains locally focused, committed to servingAcadiana, and dedicated to providing our customers with thesamepersonal servicetheyhave always received,” Mills said in astatement Clayton Legear,chair andCEO of Merchants &Marine, said FM Bank hasa reputationfor providing personalized service across Acadiana, making the deal anatural partnership.

FM Bankwas founded in 1932 and hassix branches in Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and Arnaudville. The bank has nearly $328 millionindeposits as of June 30, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Merchants &Marine, based in Pascagoula, Mississippi, was foundedin 1899. It has more than $642 million in deposits at18branchesacrossMississippi, Alabama andLouisiana. It entered theLouisiana market last year when it acquired Mississippi River Bank, which hasbranches in Belle Chasse and Port Sulphur. Mississippi River Bank is operating underits own nameasa division of Merchants& Marine in an arrangement similarto theplans for FM Bank.

Fool’sTake: Growth potential, dividend yield

Motley Fool

Danishpharma company Novo Nordisk(NYSE:NVO) is abig player in the GLP1drug market, withWegovy (for weight loss) and Ozempic (for diabetes) being twocoreproducts thatgenerate billions of dollars in revenue for its business.

Itsshare price crashed in late July after the company lowered its projections for theﬁscal year, as growth was abit slower than expected. And Novo Nordisk has been ﬁghting alosing battle to keep knockoff versions of its popular drugs off the market

These twoheadwinds have resultedinthe stock price falling by half over the past year

There’splenty of reason to remain bullish on Novo Nordisk. Even with the challenges it has faced recently,the company boastsa strong pipeline of products in development,solid revenue growth and promising growth prospectsindiabetes treatment and weight management.Inthe ﬁrst half of the year, totalrevenue rose 16% year over year

The health care stock recently traded at aforward-looking price-to-earnings ratio of only 14, which makes it look like an

excellent deal given its longterm growth potential. While it’s not having agreat year,Novo Nordisk is likely to rebound. Patient long-term believers can enjoy adividend recently yielding 3.2% while they wait. (The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk.)

Fool’sSchool: Warren

Buffett’s‘secret sauce’

Dividend-paying stocks are often underappreciated, as many investors chase highﬂying growth stocks instead of income-producing investments. But some growth stocks also pay meaningful dividends, offering a win-win scenario. Consider Warren Buffett, who has one of the best investing records around: He grew the value of his company,Berkshire Hathaway,byanaverage of closeto20% each year for a whopping 60 years. He achieved thatinlarge part by investing in dividend-paying stocks. Agreat example is Coca-Cola.

As Buffett noted in his 2022 letter to shareholders, in asectiontitled “The Secret Sauce,” Berkshire Hathaway had spent $1.3 billiononshares of Coke by 1994 and collected $75 millionin dividends from it that year.As withmost healthy and growing income stocks, that payout was increased over time, and “by 2022, the dividend had increased to $704million.”

Buffett added: “American Express is muchthe same story Berkshire’spurchases of Amex were essentially completed in 1995 and, coincidentally, also cost $1.3 billion. Annual dividends received from this investment have grown from $41 millionto$302 million. Those checks, too, seem highly likely to increase.”

That’show Buffett and Berkshire are proﬁting from longterm investments in dividend payers. Even companies held for shorter periods can be boffo dividend producers. In his 2020 letter to shareholders, Buffett noted that the company had bought about 1billion shares of Apple (a growth stock!) between 2016 and 2018, and that it had since collected around $775 million in dividend income from Apple —annually Don’tdiscount income stocks: They can be your secret sauce, too. Youmight seek healthy and growing dividend payers on your own. Or you could

Six students graduated as emergencymedical technicians from the National EMS Academy,a sister company to Acadian Ambulance.

Frederick Hollier

Young Zepernick

MADE IN LOUISIANA

Meet the ‘caftan lady,’ a designer making ‘wearable fun’

Viral video spurred demand for Mardi Gras-themed clothing, more

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

When Kelsey Campion started making handmade Mardi Gras-themed clothing from a 200-square-foot bedroom nearly a decade ago, she never expected to get stopped on the street and asked if she’s the “caftan lady.”

But a viral video and strong local demand for her signature sequined items — jackets, dresses, vests, shirts and the full-length caftans seen everywhere on local parade routes — propelled her home-based sewing enterprise into a pair of businesses with millions in revenues and a growing clientele from the Gulf Coast and beyond.

Campion and her business and life partner, Liz Ellis, now operate both businesses from a hot pink former paint factory on Howard Avenue. One is an e-commerce retailer called Fringe & Co. that sells Campion’s creations directly to consumers. The other is a growing manufacturing arm, Fringe Factory, that makes clothes for Fringe & Co. as well as for other local and regional businesses in search of domestic clothing manufacturers.

“I create pieces that I want to see in the world,” Campion said “And when I found gaps in the market for certain pieces, I was like, ‘Well, if no one’s going to make them, I’ll make them.’”

Campion a Minnesota native got into festive clothing after abandoning her pursuit of a Ph.D. in forensic psychology a decade ago. She taught herself to sew, moved to New Orleans shortly before Mardi Gras in 2016 and, not long after, started selling homemade

headwraps in purple, green and gold at pop-up markets in her new home. Fringe & Co. was born.

She expanded into online sales, ﬁrst on the Etsy platform and later via her own e-commerce website.

From the outset, she has deﬁned her brand as creative, whimsical, size- and gender-inclusive “wearable fun” with a commitment to ethical production. Her creations, besides clothing, include jewelry and accessories suitable for Carnival, festivals or routine fabulousness. By far her most popular product is the sequined caftan, which starts at $150. In fact, it was a brief, direct-tocamera video of her in a shimmering caftan that went viral on TikTok in 2021 and propelled Fringe & Co. to the next level.

“Within 20 minutes, I knew something was up,” she said of that video. “Within a day, I knew that something was really up. And within a week, I knew that my business had fundamentally changed.”

That week, the email waiting list for Campion’s products went from about 500 to 13,000. For the next 16 months, Fringe sold out of every item it released. Unable to keep up with demand. Campion began searching for a local manufacturer, which was a priority she said. She found one in Terrytown.

“People really liked that they were made in New Orleans when I was handmaking them, and I knew that a value of mine was local manufacturing,” she said.

Three years ago, the owners of

the Terrytown facility decided to retire and shut down. Campion and Ellis purchased their sewing machinery and launched the Fringe Factory from the West Bank plant, retaining its eight-person production staff.

In July, they moved the equipment to their 4,000-square-foot headquarters, bringing both businesses under a single roof. Their dozens of clients now include a trio of New Orleans Mardi Gras krewes as well as local and regional companies that make bags, bedsheets and school uniforms and, like Campion and Ellis, want their products to be manufactured closed to home.

Currently, the two Fringe companies have combine annual revenues of between $1 million and

$5 million, Campion said. Her goal is to expand the factory side of the business until it makes up the majority of revenue. She also hopes to soon offer a white-label program to allow brands to “plug and play” with existing designs, cutting the costs of developing new designs while offering licensing fees.

Fringe Factory offers several advantages over its cheaper overseas competitors, making it appealing for clothing brands just starting out, Campion said. Its minimum order size is 10 compared with triple-digit minimums overseas. And while it takes 12 to 18 months to make a product from scratch overseas, Fringe can do it locally within six months — without any language barriers or transportation complications.

Also, clients get assistance with design and development, as well as support with production costs, pricing, margins and marketing strategy

“We really look at ourselves as like a creative boutique manufacturer that can help at all phases of the product development,” Campion said. “We’re not just making your pieces. We really want to be a creative partner.”

Fringe is also more sustainable than its “fast fashion” competitors abroad because it uses “deadstock” — surplus material from larger manufacturers — for much of its fabric supply

But because all that fabric and all those sequins are produced overseas, new tariffs have increased Fringe’s costs across the board. Campion and Ellis have responded by reducing inventory and adjusting new releases on the retail side. It’s not all bad, though: The import duties have attracted interest from potential new manufacturing clients.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” she said. “It helps one business and hurts the other.”

Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah. Meadows@theadvocate.com.

Science, Jobs,and Balance: RethinkingLouisiana’s Menhaden Buffer Zone

Brought to youbythe Louisiana Commercial Fishing Coalition,LLC

Louisiana’sworking coast has long depended on the Gulf menhaden ﬁshery -asustainable industry thatsupports morethan 2,000 jobs contributes $419 million annually,generates $25million in state and local tax revenue, and purchases $62 million in goods and services from 32 parishes.Yet,despitethisenormous positiveimpact,recent regulatory changes threatentoundermine thislifeline industry and the communities thatdepend on it

At issue is the decision to extend the state’s menhadenbuffer zone in recentyears. Historically,the fishery operatedalong the Inside/Outside Line and Double RigLine -longstanding boundariesfor commercial fishing thathad already limited where menhaden vessels could operate.In2021, the buffer zone wasextended by one-quarter mile, and again in 2024toahalf-mile from the original line. While thesechanges maysound incremental, the impact has been anything butsmall. The half-mile restriction has excluded thousands of acres of historically productivefishing grounds. In just 3years, the industry experienceda25% reduction in fish caught. Foranindustryalreadyoperating on tightmargins,this lossisunsustainable, harming not only the companies thatfish for menhaden but alsothousands of Louisiana families whoselivelihoods depend on this fishery

An Industry ThatFuels Local Economies Louisiana’smenhaden industry is powered by twocompanies -Westbank Fishing out of Empire, LA (Plaquemines Parish) and Ocean Harvestersout of Abbeville,LA(Vermilion Parish). Contrary to the misinformation thathas been spread, both thesecompanies areU.S.-based, U.S.-owned and aretotally controlled by U.S. citizens.Together with the twoprocessing companies (Daybrook Fisheries and OmegaProtein), theyemploy morethan 800 people directly on vessels and in processing plants,while another 1,200 jobs ripple acrossrural communities through suppliers, service companies,and transportation providers. Theseare stable, year-round jobs thatanchorsmall-town economies in parishes whereeconomic opportunitiesare limited. Beyond economics,menhaden plays a critical role in globalsupply chains.These small, oily fish areprocessedintofishmeal andfish oil essentialfor petfood, animalfeed, and aquaculture. Without areliable domestic menhaden supply,the United States would be forced to rely on imports, raisingcosts forconsumers and weakening food security. Bycatch NumbersTell the Real Story Toooften, buffer zone expansions have been driven by perception rather than science. Proponents citeconcerns about bycatch, particularly the unintended capture of reddrum. But Louisiana’sown $1 million bycatchstudy tells adifferentstory -one that underscores howsustainable and responsible the menhadenfishery is

Thestudy foundthe menhadenfleet accounts forjust 3.4% of reddrum caught. In addition, the ﬁshery operatedwellbelow the 5% total bycatchset by theState of Louisiana as amaximum bycatchthreshold. By contrast,the recreational sector -nearly 407,000 licensed saltwateranglersin202324 accordingtothe Louisiana Departmentof Wildlifeand Fisheries-accounts for96.6% of all reddrum mortalities off Louisiana’s coast.Infact, LDWF data showred drum areexperiencing overﬁshing drivenbythis recreational pressure.

What’smore, the bycatchstudy found that 84% of reddrum surviveafter beingrolledout of the nets after the completion of menhaden sets.Industry-led innovations aredriving this survival rate even higher.The adoption of newhose-end cage technology industrywide, forexample, has reduced the menhaden industry’s reddrum mortalityby24% in 2025.

The menhaden fleet has alsoinvested heavily in improving gear to preventpast issues. Since 2023, companieshavespent $6.5 million upgrading to Spectra/Plateena nets,which arestronger,moredurable, and significantly reduce net tearsthatonce led to unintended spills Takentogether,the data showa fishery that is meeting bycatchstandards,innovating to improve, and ensuring reddrum populations arenot negatively impacted.

The Myth of Predator Dependence Another argumentoften cited against menhaden harvesting is thatpredatorﬁsh like speckled trout and reddrum depend almost exclusively on menhaden as food. Yetnew

research disprovesthis claim. AUniversity of Southern Mississippi study found Gulf predatorspecies do not exclusively rely on menhaden. Instead, theyconsume avariety of prey,including shrimp,crabs,and other forage ﬁsh.

This evidence underscores thatthe ecological role of menhaden, while important, is not thesole factor sustaining predator populations.The buffer zone expansions therefore, do littletoprotect prizedgamefish but imposeenormous costs on the menhaden industry and the communities it supports ACall for Balance Louisiana has long prided itself on balancing conservation with economic opportunity. The recenthalf-mile buffer zone extension has introduced quantifiable challenges forthe menhaden fishery,limiting areas wherevessels canoperate and reducing accesstohistorically productivewaters. The industry remains asignificant contributor to thestate’s economy and operates under state science-based managementstandards,which aredesigned to ensuresustainability.

Forthe thousands of Louisiana workers, families,and communities connected to this ﬁshery,the issue is morethan abstract policy Menhaden has long been aresource thatfeeds people, pets,and economies,and decisions around its managementwill help shapehow it continues to playthatrole in the future.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Kelsey Campion and Liz Ellis are the co-owners of Fringe & Co. and the Fringe Factory, a pair of clothing businesses operated out of a warehouse in Gert Town.

Gallagherhelps protectbusinesses of all sizesand acrossall sectors —not only through the insurancecoverweprovidebut also by offering arange of risk managementand consultancy servicesthatwecan tailor to your business.

Connect with your local broker today.

LOUISIANA

Assessingrisks

BY MARGARETDELANEY

Staffwriter

The window of opportunitytoaddress risk factors for birth defects lies in prepregnancy care, accordingtoa study based on responsesfrom5,374women that published in August. Research, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, gathered survey responses between 2007 and 2020 from non-pregnant women between the ages of 12 and 49

The 13-year study found thatjustover

two-thirds of women have at leastone of ﬁve modiﬁable risk factors that can lead to birth defects.

The ﬁve risk factors include reducing obesity,addressing food insecurity,limiting smoke exposure,controlling diabetes and increasing folate levels (also knownasvitamin B9 that decreases the risk of defectslike spina biﬁda).

Dr.Jane Martin, who lives in New

Orleans, is an OBGYN andhigh-risk pregnancyspecialist andisthe medical director for labor and delivery at Ochsner Health throughout Louisiana Every day, Martinmanages high-risk and complicated pregnancies. To Martin, the newrisk factors as described by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention don’tcome as asurprise.

“The (CDC) ﬁndings arenot necessarily new to those of us that practice in theﬁeld of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine,” Martin said. “But they definitely put numbers to it that we

haven’tbeen able to quote before.” Researchers specifically looked at more common birth defects in this study —babiesbornwith congenital heart problems, neural tube defects (brain and spine problems) and facial birth defects. Those are just some of thesystems that can be affected when ababy is growing. Birth defects arerelatively common, according to Martin, with 2% to 3% of babies are born with abirth

ä See RISKS, page 2X

Research explores music’simpactonwell-being

Scientists explore howpainperception canchange

BY CHRISTINALARSON AP sciencewriter

Nurse Rod Salaysay workswith all kinds of instruments in the hospital: athermometer, astethoscope and sometimes his guitar and ukulele. In the recoveryunit of UC San

Diego Health, Salaysay helps patients manage pain after surgery Along with medications, he offers tunesonrequest and sometimes sings. His repertoire ranges from folksongs in English and Spanish to Minuet in GMajor andmovie favorites like“Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Patientsoften smileornod along Salaysay even sees changesin their vital signslike lower heart rate and blood pressure, and some mayrequest fewer painkillers. “There’soften acycle of worry,

pain,anxiety in ahospital,”hesaid, “but you can help break that cycle with music.”

Salaysay is aone-man band, but he’snot alone. Overthe past two decades, live performances and recorded music have ﬂowed into hospitals and doctors’officesas research grows on how songs can help ease pain.

Thehealingpower of song may sound intuitive given music’sdeep rootsinhuman culture. But the science of whether and how music dulls acute andchronic pain

technically called music-induced analgesia —isjust catching up.

No one suggests that acatchy song can fully eliminate serious pain. But several recent studies, including in the journals Pain and Scientiﬁc Reports, have suggested that listening to music caneither reduce the perception of pain or enhance aperson’sability to tolerate it.

What seems to matter mostis thatpatients —ortheir families choose the music selections themselvesand listen intently, notjust

as background noise.

“Pain is areally complexexperience,” said Adam Hanley,a psychologist at Florida State University.“It’screated by aphysical sensation, and by our thoughts about thatsensation and emotional reaction to it.”

Twopeople with the samecondition or injury may feel vastly different levels of acute or chronic pain. Or the same person might experience pain differently from

GETTy IMAGESPHOTO

Martin

HEALTH MAKER

Doctors perform pediatric robotic spinal surgery

First such operation done in Gulf South

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

Louisiana doctors, Dr Lawrence Haber and Dr Ryan Farmer, have performed the ﬁrst ever roboticassisted pediatric spine surgery in Louisiana and the Gulf South. The duo at Ochsner Children’s work with patients with varying degrees of scoliosis, a curving of the spine.

About 2% to 3% of the U.S. population develop scoliosis that’s approximately 6 to 9 million people. The prevalence is higher in children with the primary diagnosis happening between 10 and 15 years old, according to the National Scoliosis Foundation

Up to 8% of patients with scoliosis may develop Scheuermann’s kyphosis, a structural spinal curve in the upper back that makes the top part of the spine rounded so it looks hunched over

The procedure to straighten the spine of a patient with Scheuermann’s kyphosis involves surgically attaching various chords to vertebrae in the spine. Using the ExcelsiusGPS robotic system Haber and Farmer were able to improve the accuracy of the placement of these chord.

Although used in adults for two years, Farmer said the inclusion of the robot-assisted surgery for pediatric patients can lead the way to faster safer recovery Farmer lives in Lafayette, but travels across the state to see patients and perform procedures like the robotic-assisted surgeries as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Originally from Colorado, Farmer fell in love with the South and Louisiana when he got his master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Even when he moved back to Colorado for medical school and postgraduate training, he came back to visit Louisiana a few times each year He settled down in Louisiana with his wife in 2019 and has been at Ochsner Children’s for two and

in Louisiana and the Gulf

a half years

What is scoliosis? What does it look like?

Scoliosis is a 3D curvature of the spine It’s not only visible from the front and back sides of the body

There’s a rotational piece of the puzzle that you can’t necessarily see on an X-ray or in person.

Sometimes we see it present as one side of the back looking longer than the other — that’s a very visual cue that something is happening in a spine

Diagnostically scoliosis is a curve in the spine greater than 10 degrees in a speciﬁc plane or direction. Curves in the coronal plane, facing the eyes, are all quite normal.

Of the 2% to 3% of the population with scoliosis, 10% have a recommendation of surgery

What are the current treatments for children with spinal curves?

Treatment is largely dependent on how big or how old a child is. The golden standard for care with scoliosis is monitoring.

If the spinal curve is between 20 and 40 degrees, and there is some growth-time remain for the patient, we utilize a brace to prevent

GETTy IMAGES PHOTO

The window of opportunity to address risk factors for birth defects lies in pre-pregnancy care, according to a study based on responses from 5,374 women that published in August

RISKS

Continued from page 1X

defect each year in the U.S. — whether it’s major or minor

“It’s important to note that the women included in this study were not currently pregnant,” Martin said. “And the modiﬁable risk factors are something that we can change or impact prior to a pregnancy that could then improve a pregnant woman’s outcomes.”

The study found that:

n 33.8% of the women studied had obesity, a condition that can affect early cell growth when a baby is forming days to weeks after conception.

n 19.5% of the women studied had low folate concentrations, an essential vitamin regularly supplemented for pregnant women. Folate can decrease the risk of spina biﬁda, a condition where parts of the spinal cord and membranes that line the skill are exposed

n 18.8% of the women studied were exposed to smoking. Previous CDC studies have linked smoking and smoke exposures to cleft lips or cleft palate birth defects.

n 6.7% of the women studied reported very low food security.

n 4.8% of the women studied had diabetes, including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. How wellcontrolled the diabetes is Martin said, will determine how likely a baby is to have a birth defect.

In theory, if mothers are healthier, babies will be healthier, too. Addressing the risks will not completely eliminate birth defects — sometimes mothers who exhibit no risk factors have children with birth defects.

“I take care of many pregnant women who are very unhealthy and have totally normal, uncomplicated pregnancies,” Martin said. “On the ﬂip side, I take care of very healthy women — who are doing everything right — and have babies with really devastating birth defects. This is not direct cause and effect, but it’s just an accurate reﬂection of a larger population.”

The underlying message, according to Martin, is that improving pre-pregnancy health among women of reproductive age will have downstream positive beneﬁts for both future mothers and future babies.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

the curve from getting signiﬁcantly worse. If the spinal curve is between 40 and 45 degrees, we recommend surgical intervention.

In most studies about scoliosis, is a patient does not receive treatment, the curvature of their spine will get worse over time at a rate of about one degree per year

A 15-year-old with a 26-degree spinal curve might just need monitoring. But, if we let it go untreated or unmonitored, that patient may have a 60-degree curve in their spine at age 50.

Once a spinal curve reaches 80 degrees, the spine starts to affect lung function making it difﬁcult to walk long distances or do much activity

If we can catch these curves at an earlier time, at a young age, we feel that we can prevent these curves from reaching high-degree thresholds. Plus, kids heal signiﬁcantly better than adults.

In my mind, with scoliosis treatment, it’s an important distinction between recommended surgeries and required surgeries. We are not treating an infection, a tumor or a

fracture. We really have to do sur-

gery to improve a patient’s quality of life as they get older

We allow patients and their families some time to think about it as well.

How have spinal treatments and technologies changed over the years?

Spine fusion procedures introduced in the 1960s infused a Harrington rod, or metal rod, to the spine surgically in order to straighten spinal curves. Patients would be in body casts for an extended period of time to heal.

In the ’80s, spinal fusions moved to placing screws into the bony column of the spine within each individual vertebrae. Then, surgeons would attach that to the rod, a ﬁxed object. Over the last 40 years, we have gained incredible knowledge of the normal balance of the spine. Implants have also improved in both their material science — like special threads to attach the screws and what the rods themselves are made out of.

Past spinal fusions made the natural curve of the spine in the side place of the chest region straight,

HEALTH NOTES

which causes huge balance problems. The spine should not be completely, ‘ramrod’ straight.

What patient was the first to receive a robot-assisted surgery? Why was it an important step in pediatric care?

The ﬁrst patient that we treated was young man who had Scheuermann’s — a speciﬁc type of disorder where a patient has a spinal curve in the frontal plane.

There’s a normal lean forward in the chest region where the spine curves naturally for balance. With Scheuermann’s, a patient will have a more than signiﬁcant curve in that area resulting in a fairly large hump on their back.

When we do spinal fusions, we place the screws on each individual vertebrae (freehand). We use landmarks to ﬁnd the bony column of the spine. We take and instrument and make a path along the spine.

We are 93% accurate in placing those screws freehand in a safe fashion. With robotics assistance, we are 97% accurate. With the robotics, we are improving the accuracy of screw placement and reducing risks associated with the surgery

The robot itself has been used in adult spine surgeries for many years, but we can safely use the robot on our smaller patients as well. We used the robot-assisted arm in a patient who was 8, a young girl who had the body size of a 4-year-old. This patient had extremely small bony columns to place those screws, and having the ability to safely put those screws in was a huge win for both me and Dr Haber

This robot, speciﬁcally, is used to hold a tube that instruments are then placed through. We are the ones examining X-rays and CT images to pick the best, and safest, pathway — the size, the length, how the implant goes into the body That information that we decide and collect gets translated to the robot.

The robot holds that tube for us so that we can place the screws and instruments in the appropriate positions. The robot simply acts as a third, unmovable hand in the operating room.

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s and LSU launch culinary medicine training

Staff report

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health is partnering with Louisiana State University’s School of Human Ecology to provide resident physicians with hands-on culinary medicine training to better counsel patients on nutrition and healthy eating.

The “Chefs-in-Training” session gives residents the opportunity to apply evidence-based dietary guidance, practice meal preparation and knife skills, and learn how to translate complex nutrition concepts into patient-friendly recommendations. Recipes and exercises focus on balance, portion control and practical, sustainable dietary strategies that residents can use when advising patients.

Tulane scholar elected to National Academy

Anita Raj, a globally recognized scholar whose research on gender, public health, violence prevention and numerous other areas ranks among the most widely cited in the world, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Raj serves as the executive director of Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute and the Nancy Reeves Dreux Endowed Chair and Professor of Public Health in the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She has more than two decades of leadership in advanc-

ing research at the intersection of health, gender and global development.

Her work has shaped public health strategies around the world.

Election to the National Academy of Medicine honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and a commitment to service. New members are elected by current members through a highly selective process that acknowledges those who have made major contributions to advancing medical science, health care and public health.

Ochsner

launches genetic wellness assessment

The Genetic Wellness Assessment, announced by Ochsner Baton Rouge, is a screening tool that allows individuals to determine whether they may have a higher genetic risk of developing cancer by answering a few simple questions that evaluate individual risk factors. Those identiﬁed as having a high risk, or anyone interested in further evaluation, can schedule an appointment to discuss genetic testing.

The results of genetic testing are used by health care providers to offer personalized recommendations for cancer screening, prevention and further evaluation for patients and family members.

The Genetic Wellness Assessment is now available for adults interested in learning more about

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

their cancer risk at Ochsner.org/ GeneticWellnessSurvey

LSU Health professor releases new book

World-renowned neuroscientist and director of LSU Health New Orleans’ Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Dr Nicolas G. Bazan, has released his new book, “Brain Aging and Resilience: Exploring the Adaptability of the Human Brain in the Face of Aging and Adverse Conditions.” Bazan’s book is now available as an eBook from Springer Nature Hardcover and softcover editions are also available. In this new publication, Bazan explains how the human brain adapts and stays resilient as it ages or faces challenges such as disease or injury Drawing on decades of groundbreaking research, he explores how brain cells communicate and support one another; and what happens when those systems begin to fail. His earlier studies on epilepsy, for example, revealed how tiny structures in brain cells change during stress, offering new clues into how aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s affect the brain.

Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

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.

PHOTO PROVIDE By OCHSNER HEALTH

Louisiana doctors Lawrence Haber and Ryan Farmer have performed the first robotic-assisted pediatric spine surgery

South.

Eat Fit LiveFit

Sleep: Thethird pillar of wellnesswecan’taffordtoignore

DaylightSavingTime endsthisweekend, andI’lladmit:I’mnot afanoftheearlysunsets thatcomewithit.Darkness fallingat5p.m.makes mefeelliketheevening isoverbeforeitbegins. ButasmuchasIdislike theseasonaltimechange it’saperfectreminderof howpowerfullylightand darknesssetourinternal clocks—andwhysleep deservesthesamepriority astheothertwopillarsof wellness:nutrition andexercise.

Recently,Iinterviewed oneofmyfavoritesleep experts,ErinHanlon,Ph.D.aresearch associateprofessorattheUniversityof Chicago,formyFUELEDWellness+ Nutritionpodcast.Dr.Hanlonstudies howsleepandcircadianrhythmsaffect everythingfromcravingsandglucose controltoweightandevenkidneyhealth.

“Our sleep needs vary person to person,” she said. “But everyonebeneﬁts from optimal sleepduration and quality. For too long, we’ve treatedsleep as the time left over after everythingelse. We need to ﬂip that.”

WhyItMatters

Thisisourﬁfthpodcastinterview together,andinearlierepisodeswe alsoexploredthesciencebehindsleep. Forexample,sleepaffectshungerand thefoodswecrave.Whenwe’resleepdeprived,shesaid,weeatabout300 extracaloriesaday—mostlyfrom ultra-processedfoods.

“Thoseappetitesignalsdon’tgoupfor fruitsandvegetables,”Hanlonsaid.“They goupforsweetsandsaltysnackfoods.” Lackofsleepcanalsoaffectmood,

reactiontimeandinﬂammationthroughout thebody.Itinterfereswithglucose regulationandcanincreasetheriska personwilldevelopdiabetes.There’sno questionthatprioritizingsleepisn’tjust aboutfeelingrested—it’salsoaproven nutritionandmetabolicstrategy

PracticalWaystoProtectSleep

The good news: Helping our bodies adjust to earlier darkness and keeping sleep strong year-rounddoesn’t have to be complicated. Here are thesciencebacked basics for bettersleep Dr. Hanlon and Idiscussed on the podcast •Getmorninglight.Lightisthe strongestsignalforourinternalclocks.

Aimfor10–15minutesof outdoorlightsoonafter waking,evenoncloudy mornings.Thishelps suppressmelatoninat therighttimeandsets usuptofeelsleepy whenbedtimearrives.

•Keepaconsistent waketime.Bedtime matters,butwake timeisreallythetrue guide.Goingtobedand wakingupatroughly thesametimes—even onweekends—keeps circadianrhythms steady.Thisiseasy tosay,Iknow,but understandablyharder toimplementwhenreallifehappens.

•Giveeveningsa“dimmerswitch.” Anhourbeforebedtime,turndown thelights,shutdownallscreensand shifttocalmingactivitieslikegentle stretchingorreadingarealbook.If youcan’tfallasleepafter20to30 minutes,getupanddosomething quietunderlowlightuntilyou’re feelingsleepyagain.

•Bemindfulofcaffeineandtiming.

Caffeine’s half-life means that a2 p.m.coffee can still be active in our system at bedtime, subtly delaying the body’s natural rise in melatonin andmakingitharder to fall asleep

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

THENUMBERS

MORE THAN HALF OF ADULTS REPORTED HIGH BLOODPRESSUREINONE PARISH

In the United States, nearly half of adults have high blood pressure —approximately 119.9 million Americans

Louisiana had the fourth-highest rate of high blood pressure in the U.S.,with 39.9% of adults reporting the condition diagnosis by ahealth professional in 2023, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-based data says.

High blood pressure,also called hypertension, is amajorriskfactor for heart disease and stroke, whichare theleading and fifth-leading causes of death in the United States.

These parishes had the highest percent of adults whowere told by apractitionerin 2022 that theyhavehigh blood pressure, in descending order: n East Carroll Parish with 51.4%, n Madison Parish with 45.6%, n Tensas Parish with 45%,

MUSIC

Continued from page1X

one day to the next.

Acutepainisfeltwhen pain receptors in aspeciﬁc partofthe body—like a hand touching ahot stove —send signals to the brain, which processes the shortterm pain. Chronic pain usuallyinvolves long-term structural or other changes to the brain, which heighten overall sensitivity to pain signals. Researchersare stillinvestigating how this occurs. “Pain is interpreted and translated by the brain,” which may ratchetthe signal up or down, said Dr Gilbert Chandler,aspecialist in chronic spinal painat the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic. Researchers know music

Everyone’s sensitivity is different, but many peoplesleep better when they stop consuming caffeine by late morning or early afternoon

•Reconsidereveningcocktails. Alcoholdeservesitsowncaution sign.“Alcoholmighthelpustofall asleep,butitdeﬁnitelydoesn’tkeep usasleep,”Hanlonexplained.Itactsas asedativeatﬁrst,Hanlonsaid,helping usdozeoff,butalcoholfragments deepsleepandshort-circuitstheREM cyclesthatrestoreourmindandbody.

•Skiplate-nightsnacks.Evenasmall servingofbreadordessertlateat nightcansendglucosehigherthanthe samefoodwouldearlierintheday. Melatonin,whichrisesintheevening naturallyinhibitsinsulinsecretion. Finishingdinnerafewhoursbefore bedhelpsourbodykeepbloodsugar levelsstable.

•Knowwhentoseekhelp. If sleep issues are interfering with your qualityoflife, consider discussing them with your healthcare provider. Cognitive behavioral therapyfor insomnia (CBT-I)can be an effective, unmedicated approach.

AClosingThought

Whenitcomestowellness,muchofour focustendstobecenteredoneatingwell andstayingactive.Truewellbeing,though, includessleepasanequalcomponent. “Sleepisessentialforwhole-bodyhealth —notonlyourenergyandmood,but alsoperipheralorganslikethepancreas, liverandkidneys,”Hanlonemphasized.As thedaysgrowshorter,thinkofthistime changeasyourcuetoprotectthisthird keyelementofwellness.

Foradeeperdiveandmorepractical tips,listentomynewestFUELEDWellness +NutritionpodcastepisodewithDr. Hanlon—availablenowwhereveryouget yourpodcasts.

Louisianans with high blood pressure

Thepercent of adultsineach Louisiana parish whohavebeen told by apractitioner that

have

n Claiborne Parishwith 44.6%, n Morehouse Parishwith 44.5%, n Avoyelles and Concordia parishes with 43.2%, n St. Helena Parishwith 43.1%, n Webster Parishwith 42.9%, n Bienville Parishwith 42.8%

Theseparishes had thelowest percentage of adults whowere told by apractitioner in 2022 thattheyhavehigh blood pressure, in ascending order: n St.TammanyParishwith 32.9%, n LivingstonParishwith 33.2%, n Ascension Parishwith 33.9%, n Bossier and Vernon parishes with 34.2%, n Cameron Parishwith 34.5%, n Beauregard Parishwith 35.3%, n Jefferson Parishwith 35.4%, n St. Charles Parishwith 35.9%, n East Baton Rougeand Jefferson Davis parishes with 36.1%

NurseRod Salaysayplays guitar for patient Richard Hoang on Sept. 30 in the recoveryunit of UC SanDiegoHealth.

can draw attention away from pain, lessening the sensation. But studies also suggest that listening to preferred music helpsdull painmore than listeningto podcasts.

“Music is adistractor.It draws your focus away from the pain. But it’sdoingmore than that,” said Caroline Palmer,a psychologist at McGill Universitywho studies music and pain.

Scientists arestill tracing thevarious neural pathways at work, said Palmer

“Weknowthatalmostall of the brain becomes active when we engage in music,” said Kate Richards Geller,a registered music therapist in Los Angeles. “That changes the perception and experience of pain —and theisolationand anxietyofpain.”

The idea of using recorded music to lessen pain associated with dentalsurgery beganinthe late 19th century before local anesthetics were available. Today researchers arestudying what conditions make music mosteffective.

Researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlandsconducted astudy on 548 participants to seehow listening to ﬁve genres of music —classical, rock,pop,urbanand electronic —extended their ability to withstand acutepain,

as measured by exposure to very cold temperatures.

All music helped, but there was no single winning genre

“The morepeople listened to afavorite genre, the more they could endure pain,”said co-authorDr. Emyvan der Valk Bouman. “A lot of peoplethought that classical musicwould help them more Actually,weare ﬁnding more evidencethatwhat’sbestis just the music you like.”

Theexact reasonsare stillunclear,but it maybe because familiar songs activate more memories and emotions, she said.

The simple act of choosing is itself powerful, said Claire Howlin, director of the Musicand Health Psychology Lab at TrinityCollege Dublin, who co-authored astudy that suggested allowing patients to select songs improved their pain tolerance. “It’sone thing that people

can have control over if they have achronic condition —it gives them agency,” shesaid. Active, focused listening also seems to matter Hanley, theFlorida State psychologist, co-authored a preliminary study suggesting daily attentive listening might reduce chronic pain.

“Music hasa wayoflightingupdifferentparts of the brain,”hesaid, “so you’re giving people this positive emotional bump that takes their mind away from the pain.”

It’sa simple prescription with no side effects, some doctors now say Cecily Gardner, ajazzsinger in Culver City,California, said she used music to help get through aserious illness and has sung to friends battling pain.

“Music reduces stress, fosters community,”she said, “and just transports you to a better place.”

Staffmap

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAVIER ARCIGA

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

At care pers you cl w Withsame-dayandnext-dayappointments,gettingthecare youneedhasneverbeeneasierormoreconvenient Visitochsner.org/primarycaretolearnmoreorto scheduleanappointment

LOUISIANA

Foundation of service

Women’sorganization hasshaped BatonRouge for90years

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Agroup of Baton Rouge women is a testamenttothe power that comeswith working together —despitethe internationalorganization folding in 2020 and the national organization closing in 2024 TheBaton Rougewomen carryon, along with other local clubsdottingthe globe. They pool their time, talents and resources to helpothers.They have been doing so since June 1935, when 17 women gathered together at Anderson’sTea RoomonFourth Street to do something good for their city

During the Great Depression, people were in need. Professional women of the city,led by respected attorneyFrances L. Landry,started QuotaBaton Rouge,a 90-year-oldclub founded on the mission of leadershipand service.

“Those were challenging times,” current Quota Baton Rouge president Laurie Allen said at the 90th anniversary celebration, “and yet these women got togetherand they said,‘We cannot save the world, but we can do something in our small part of the universe tolend ahelpinghand,tobringhope, to bring comfort, and to some sunshine, where it’sdesperately needed.’

The long history of servicecontinues to sustain the club’s work.

On Oct. 12, Quota Baton Rouge celebrated the organization’s 90thbirthday and honored 24 past presidents at the Old Governor’sMansion. The theme was the 1930s, which wasrepresentedin holding theevent at thestately landmark built in 1930.

“While we may dress differentlyand the things and activities that we dohave changed andevolved,” Allen said, “we are still built on the foundation of selflessness, service,friendshipand sharing. So that’swhat guides us,and is the foundationofabedrock that has sustainedusfor ninedecades.”

Quota Baton Rouge’s membership is comprised of accomplished professional women who areleaders in their respective ﬁelds. Though working and leading in diverse industries, Quotarians —the name for Quota members —share a commitment to service and purpose

After refreshments and ajazz serenade, Allen spoke about the club’s achievements andintroduced Bobbie Carey,amember of Quota Baton Rouge since 1979, the owner and CEO of the CommunicationInstitute, former Quota Baton Rouge president and formerQuota International president.

PHOTO By

Past presidents of Quota Baton Rougeattend the group’s90thbirthday celebration on Oct. 12 at the Old Governor’sMansion.

‘Weshare’

Nearly 16 yearsbeforeQuota Baton Rouge began, Wanda Frey Joiner founded Quota Club International in Buffalo, New York. Joinerstarted the international service organizationasa response to women’sinvolvement in WorldWar I and to popular all-men’sclubs.

WhileQuota International was still functioning, the Baton Rouge chapter was the only club in the world to have three of its presidents become international presidents. Theclub’sguiding mottois“We share,” and the name is derived from the Latin word, quota, which signiﬁed aportion or ashare.

Over theyears, Quota has held ﬁrm to the commitment to serve women, children, and people who are Deaf, hard of hearing andspeech-impaired.Quota’s early service projects sponsoredBrownie and Girl Scout troops.

In 1939, Quota Baton Rouge partnered with the East Baton Rouge School Board and the federal government to establish thestate’s ﬁrst National YouthAdministration clerical unit for girls. During World WarII, Quota Baton Rougecreated the ﬁrst nursery school fordefense workers’ children. Quota also helped establishYWCA in Baton Rouge. By the 1950s,Quotahad expanded its reach with programs such as Aid to the Hard of Hearing, youth mentoring and emergency assistance funds formothers and children.

The long-running fundraiser,Open Door Tour of Baton Rouge homes, started in 1951 and lasted until 2006. Funds raised helped start the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, which is now the Emerge Center.Another event that raised moneyfor Emerge Center

Lessons from my grandmother

Afew weeks ago, in the rubble of our house ﬁre, Ifound the soggy quilt my grandmother made from scraps of clothes she’d sewn for me throughout my childhood.

My grandmother was aseamstress.

She made everything from wedding dresses with hundreds of handsewn pearls on long, frilly trains, to cheerleader uniforms with complicated red, white and blue pleats —and, on amore personal level, the majority of my dress clothes while I wasgrowing up.

Some of my most delightful childhood memories happened in fabric stores, where Iloved mixing prints and textures —and enjoy it still. For her,fabric stores were social outings. She would talk to the women who worked there, including a woman we called “Aunt Beatty,” though Inever understood how she was related to us. Meanwhile, I would wanderthe aisles, imagining the wonders we could make.

In aworld that didn’thave many artistic outlets, fabric stores were where my imaginationcould test its boundaries.

To my grandmother’scredit, she would listenasIdescribed the dress or outﬁt Isaw and could usually see it herself —and she could take it one step further: She could make it.

She had expensive taste and thrived on apauper’sbudget. She often reused zippers and saved every button that ever cameher way. She repurposed clothing in ways that would wow“Project Runway” judges. Iloved watching hercreate beautiful things. Working with my grandmother on an outﬁt took aspecial touch. She thrived on ﬁnding clever shortcuts and wasamaster at making do. She grew up during the Depression. Frugality wasbaked deep into her being. She loved to save fabric, even whenthere wasplenty Her thriftiness led to some legendary moments —like Christmas of 1989, when she gave me acute organizer wallet that included acalendar.Itwas from 1987.

Marie Kondo would make my grandmother’shead spin. Ican’t imagine the level of absurdity she would attach to the idea of only keeping things that “spark joy.”

My grandmother saved every scrap of fabric she ever cut, which often led to beautiful things —like the quilt she gave me whenIgraduated from high school, made from the clothes she’d sewn for me since Iwas ababy.Ifound it in the rubble after the ﬁre —soggy,smoky,ﬁlthy, but, in her words, “with agood washing, it will be as good as new.”

She knew joy often comes later pieced together,one scrap at atime She saw the potential in leftovers and pieces others discarded. These days, she’d be called asustainability expert. Back then, we tried to keep her over-the-top frugality on the down-low Working with heronasewing project required patience —and veto power.She always had multiple, sometimes ridiculous, ideas for ﬁxing problems. But she taught me there was rarely just one wayto make something work. Thatlesson has stayed with me more than any stitch or seam.

In the weeks sinceour house ﬁre, I’ve thought about her constantly Like me,she would’ve been sick over the waste of it all —the piles of things that couldn’tbesalvaged, the ruined family photos. But she also would’ve found joy in the challenge of rebuilding, of ﬁnding creative ways to make things “as good as new.”

And Iﬁnd myself doing the same —sorting through the wreckage, saving whatIcan, imagining what beauty might comenext —piecing life back together,one scrap at a time.

PROVIDED

CAROL BEHRMANN

PROVIDED PHOTO

Quota Baton Rougemembers gather together to compile baby items for their mothers’ starterkits. Theymade90inhonor of the club’s90th anniversary

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS

ASK THE EXPERTS

St. Landry woman works to lower maternal mortality rates

Doula-turned-nonprofit founder reaches out to moms in need

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Staff writer

Devin Bailey-Nicholas, affectionately known as Divine, is a charter member of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical SocietyLouisiana Chapter She is a cultural worker with a focus on Black folk healing and Black midwives in the South. In 2012, Bailey-Nicholas founded Community Birth Companion, a nonproﬁt in St Landry Parish.

Bailey-Nicholas serves as the executive director and works toward lowering infant and maternal mortality rates among low-income mothers through childbirth education, breastfeeding promotion and community doulas.

She is also a certiﬁed lactation counselor maternal-child community health worker, student-midwife and doula trainer. Currently, she’s the local ambassador for the National Perinatal Task Force and member of Healthy St. Landry. She lives with her husband and five children in Opelousas.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity

How did you identify what gaps Community Birth Companion would focus on in maternal and infant health?

In 2012, I trained as a doula and at the time, the doula organization was called The International Center for Traditional Childbearing, based in Oregon. But they did a training in New Orleans, and one of our training sessions talked about disparities.

For America to be so technologically savvy, we had a lot of mothers and babies dying for things that could be prevented, no matter what cultural background someone had.

When we saw the statistics we were seeing that the mortality and morbidity rates in Black mothers and Black babies were three to four times higher than our White

QUOTA

Continued from page 1y

counterparts. The 2024 March of Dimes Report Card gave Louisiana an “F” for preterm birth. The rates of those babies among communities of color is very dismal

We know that preterm babies are often born too small, and they have a failure to thrive a lot of the time.

It’s happening in all communities, but sometimes it’s happening more within different cultures That really touched me and made me want to dig in more to see how I could help in my local community

How has this work changed your view on motherhood and your community?

I had my second child by the time

I became a doula.

When I really dug into what was happening in the maternal health world, it made me understand how much support and education our families needed to navigate the maternal health system really understanding what their medical providers are telling them, what to expect during prenatal care and how to best communicate their needs

I understood how doulas can step in, by teaching grandmas, boyfriends and husbands how to be the best support systems as they’re going through this journey of parenthood.

How does Community Birth Companion build trust within the community?

When we were ﬁrst starting, and we still do this, we went to community baby showers, had a table and communicated with the parents.

We’re asking questions like, “Who’s your doctor? Where are you delivering?” We would educate right then and there, and then pass out ﬂyers for our childbirth education classes and breastfeeding support groups, because that’s open to both pregnant and postpartum moms That was the way, and still is the way, we continue to build bridges.

I became a community liaison with Opelousas General Hospital when they were ﬁrst establishing their Baby Friendly initiative. That was a way I was able to talk with the hospital and understand the needs of the mothers in the com-

and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital was the “Eyes on the Ties” 2019 gala that featured a live auction of celebrity ties modeled by community leaders in a men’s fashion show

In the 1960s, Quota was involved in bringing Margaret Neely to Baton Rouge from Canada, and she became the ﬁrst director of the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, which is now Emerge.

Other prominent examples of major giving and sharing that Quota Baton Rouge has done through the years include:

n Co-founding what is now The Emerge Center

n Establishing Girls Hope of Baton Rouge

n Pioneering programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Louisiana State University.

n Endowing a Top Scholar Program at Louisiana State University with a grant of $100,000.

n Funding construction programs at Woman’s Hospital, Mary Byrd Perkins

Q&A WITH DEVIN BAILEy-NICHOLAS FOUNDED COMMUNITy BIRTH COMPANION

munity Then we had folks who wanted to support and volunteer and become doulas. When they call, we show up. What we don’t know, we connect to resources that we share, and I believe that’s how we maintain our trust in the community

On a policy level, what changes need to be made to make a difference in maternal health outcomes in Louisiana?

We’ve had some positive changes. Medicaid now covers doulas, even private insurance is reimbursing doulas. That was an item that a lot of maternal health advocates were pushing for because we don’t want doulas to be a luxury that only certain people can get. We need to educate our moms that, if they’re low risk, there is an option in Louisiana that they can have a midwife and birth at the birth center or at home. What makes that safe is only when we all work together and breakdown

Cancer Center and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

n Providing ampliﬁcation equipment to school classrooms and the Performing Arts Center

n Providing infant hearing testing equipment to hospitals and encouraged the program internationally

n Funding for Louisiana Public Broadcasting Children’s Programs

“There’s not a hospital in Baton Rouge that hasn’t beneﬁted from Quota,” Carey said. When Carey was Quota International president, she initiated the Universal Hearing Screening program, which encouraged Quota Clubs to fund the new technology for hearing screening for infants. Through the international conference and Quota International taking on the charge, it was adopted around the world.

“Many people don’t really know our name, but we know our name, and we know the impact that we’ve had over many, many years,” said Carey

Current Quota projects include sponsoring Magnolia Woods Elementary and its STEM program, helping with ﬂooring repairs in the Louisiana School for the Deaf library, supporting CASA through the Stars for a Cause beneﬁt,

those silos. We’re moving in the right direction, but we can’t put the weight just on doulas, because at the end of the day, they’re not medical providers. We want to continue to educate our doctors to support mothers and have the best outcomes possible.

And, also, just listen to moms. When we sit down and really listen to their concerns, whether they’ve had a vaginal birth or cesarean section, they want to be listened to. They want to feel like they’ve had a part in the care they received. They want to know that they were able to give educated consent.

But we can’t do that when we’re rushing to the next person. We can’t keep treating people like numbers.

From your experience working with families, how are Black mothers treated compared to White mothers? In our state, and even nationally, Black moms and babies die at three times the rate of our White

counterparts. What’s so important is that it crosses socioeconomic boundaries.

A Black mom that has her master’s degree would still have a worse outcome, say, from a White mother that didn’t graduate high school. It’s a racial gap there, and we know that, for whatever reason, when Black mothers go into the hospital, they’re not listened to as much as others.

The hope is that all mothers, no matter where they come from, when they step into a Louisiana hospital, they feel heard, respected and that their concerns are taken into account so we can have those great outcomes those beautiful, bouncing babies who are going to be cared for and who are our future.

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.

Nominate someone for the Inspirit Awards Name who makes a difference in the lives of others

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Louisiana Inspired is all about shining a light on people and organizations who are working toward solutions in Louisiana neighborhoods, communities, towns, cities and throughout the state — it’s work that takes extra effort by special people, demonstrating the good stuff of the human spirit.

Nominate someone you know who is making a positive difference in the lives of others at www

nola.com/site/forms/the_ inspirit_award/ by Nov 12. We encourage nominations of people of all ages — those who systematically go about doing their best to make the world a better place. The nomination process focuses on people who are working toward solutions in their workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, communities and state. Be sure to include stories of impact and details of personal stories that inspire change. Award recipients will be announced in December in Louisiana Inspired.

Email Joy Holden at joy holden@theadvocate. com.

At Our Lady of Lourdes JD Moncus Cancer Center,webelieve expertise makes allthe difference. Withmorethan 10 nationally certiﬁed oncology nurses on our team,your careisled by professionals who meetthe highest standards in cancer treatment. It’s part of our decades-long commitment to delivering compassionate, comprehensivecarefor Acadiana families. That’s whywe’rethe region’strusted cancertreatment destination. That’s why it allcounts here. LearnmoreatLourdesRMC.com/cancer

PROVIDED PHOTO

Devin Bailey-Nicholas, affectionately known as Divine, is a charter member of the Afro-American Historical and

Genealogical Society-Louisiana Chapter In 2012, she founded Community Birth Companion, a nonprofit in St. Landry Parish.

12-year-old named to Time ‘Girls of the Year’ list

New Orleanian is an organ transplant advocate

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Naomi DeBerry decided she wanted to be a transplant surgeon on the day her father got a kidney transplant. When her father former columnist at The Times-Picayune Jarvis DeBerry, got sick, Naomi DeBerry didn’t understand what her father’s medical diagnosis entailed. The experience was a confusing whirlwind, she said, but she knew she wanted to make a difference.

“I want to be able to give back, and I want to help people in the way that those doctors were able to not only help my dad, but my mom and myself as well,” Naomi said.

While Naomi, 12, works toward her dream of becoming a doctor, she’s already made an impact in other ways. Last year, she published a book, “My Daddy Needs a Gift,” that tells her story of a young girl spreading the word about organ transplantation and bringing her community together to support her dad

Her ongoing advocacy around organ transplantation landed her a spot this August on Time’s inaugural “Girls of the Year List,” featuring 10 girls around the world who “challenged stereotypes, tackled problems head-on and sought to build solutions from the ground up,” according to the magazine. DeBerry, a born and raised New Orleanian, is the only girl from the United States on the list.

“That selflessness of

thinking of others was really inspiring,” said Dayana Sarkisova, a senior editor at Time who selected DeBerry for the award.

“Her putting together her book so others didn’t have to go through the process alone was really what made us want to include her in the list.”

Promote organ advocacy

The other nine winners, all between the ages of 12 and 17, include a young pilot from Turkey pushing for gender equality in her country, a skateboarding Olympian from Japan and a Zimbabwean-New Zealander fantasy writer

The idea for Time’s newest list came in the months before Sarkisova welcomed her first daughter into the world and considered the qualities she wanted her child to one day carry: bravery, intelligence and kindness. The award is sponsored by Lego.

“Even though I’m being honored, what I really want to do is promote organ advocacy and organ awareness,” Naomi said.

Her ongoing advocacy keeps Naomi busy. She’s been featured on “The Tamron Hall Show” multiple times, most recently in April. Over the summer, she attended a medical and science program at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley where she was one of the few kids who didn’t get too squeamish in a lung dissection activity.

In September, Naomi spoke on a youth panel at the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation, alongside a boy who received a heart transplant. Disparities in needs

Her book may soon be reaching a wider audience. Naomi’s mother, Kelly Har-

ris-DeBerry, said there’s been an interest in translating the story into other languages to reach more disadvantaged communities.

Helping address health disparities within Black and other minority communities is a key component of Naomi’s advocacy work.

According to the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, or LOPA, 68% of those in the state waiting for a kidney transplant are Black.

“When it comes to transplants, especially in African American communities, there is a lot of mistrust in these ﬁelds and a lot of misrepresentation, which is one of the reasons

why I do want to become a transplant surgeon,” Naomi said.

Cheryl McGee-Hills, a community educator at LOPA, was a navigator for the DeBerrys during their journey The educator championed Naomi’s plan to write her book when the story was in its infancy

With McGee-Hills’ support, LOPA sponsored the book, offering background information and donating funds for its publication.

“It’s a miracle, it’s a blessing to have a second chance in life,” McGee-Hills said. “(Naomi), as our next generation, she’s going to be that individual to help young as well as folks like me understand the need.”

‘Raised by New Orleans’

While Naomi is making strides as a pioneering individual, her advocacy is a reflection of the city that raised her, said her mother, Harris-DeBerry Watching the New Orleans community support her father helped inspire Naomi’s book and ongoing activism. Her cousin, Aisha DeBerry, even donated her kidney “She’s been raised by New Orleans, truly,” Harris-DeBerry said. “To me, this honor really reflects New Orleans.”

Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@theadvocate. com.

Naomi DeBerry displays copies of her book, ‘My Daddy Needs a Gift,’ at the 2024 New Orleans Kidney Walk.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By THE DEBERRy FAMILy Naomi DeBerry, 12, wrote a book about her experience as her father underwent kidney transplant surgery, and the ways that her family’s New Orleans community came together to support him.

FAITH & VALUES

Christian muralist found calling painting mosques

BY ULAA KUZIEZ Contributing writer

In the Lebanese countryside where church bells and calls to prayer echo together, Harout

Bastajian grew up walking to afternoon Mass with his mom, then crossing the street to spend hours with friends at a mosque.

“I used to play with my matchbox cars on the mosque’s carpet frames,” said Bastajian, who now lives in Dearborn, Michigan. “I somehow grew up in the part of Lebanon during the war where Christians (and) Muslims lived in harmony.”

Bastajian’s interfaith upbringing has continued to inspire and motivate his work as an artist. An Armenian Christian, he has helped to restore several churches, including a landmark 19th-century Roman church and an 18th-century Armenian monastery in Lebanon

But the muralist has come to be known most for the nearly 50 mosque domes he has painted, including in the U.S. Weaving together traditional arabesque patterns, natural motifs and elegant Arabic calligraphy, Bastajian’s work graces dozens of grand mosques, such as Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Lebanon’s largest, Nigeria’s Ilorin Mosque and the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit (IAGD)

A new exhibition at the Arab American National Museum in Michigan celebrates these domes and offers visitors an intimate look at Bastajian’s large-scale designs through original panels and photographic displays

“It’s the pride of the community that we are in America and we brought our culture, our art here, and we’re putting it in a nice display,” Bastajian said. “The best place to put your history is the museum or the house of worship where all the people come together.”

The artist has not always worked in sacred places. For years after studying interior design in college,

he painted murals for palaces and mansions owned by Middle Eastern mafias and politicians. Now, he said he is “lucky” his work is fulﬁlling.

“I am doing something for the house of God not somebody’s house,” Bastajian said.

Father Hrant Kevorkian was among dozens of attendees at the opening night for Bastajian’s exhibition on Sept. 25. Kevorkian, the pastor at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Dearborn, ﬁrst saw Bastajian’s work nearly 15 years ago at the Islamic Center of America, one of the largest mosques in the country which sits adjacent to Kevorkian’s church.

They met many years later when Bastajian moved to Dearborn and came to Kevorkian’s church for Sunday Mass. Since then, the two Armenian men have become friends.

“It’s his passion. It’s a God-given gift that he wants to give back to God, and that’s how I see it,” Kevorkian said, adding that Bastajian is designing a cross for the church.

Bastajian conceives each project from the ground level where worshippers will view the art. He said it sometimes takes months to come up with a design that blends his own artistic touch with traditional styles appropriate for a particular sect and ethnic group Islamic art avoids physical representation of animated beings in places of worship. Instead, Muslim artists across ethnic backgrounds developed elaborate geometric designs, ornamental Arabic calligraphy and natural motifs. Bastajian said those elements together are meant to remind worshippers of the divine.

“God created this world filled with beauty and harmony And calligraphy and ﬂoral representation can connect a person with God,” said Zulﬁqar Ali Shah, the director of religious affairs at IAGD.

“So when you enter a mosque, the coloring scheme, the carpet, the woodwork, the calligraphy all of them take you away and you tran-

scend the concerns of the material world.”

The “Art of Spiritual Enlightenment” exhibition, on display until December traces Bastajian’s artistic process and showcases the sometimes risky task of painting mosque domes as high as 150 feet.

Mark Mulder a curator at the museum who worked with Bastajian over the summer to create the displays, said he hopes people engage with the exhibition “and then apply something that they take to their life.”

For Mulder, the exhibition is a lesson in compassion.

“It’s a lesson in caring, but it’s also that you don’t have to belong to a group to learn about them, to understand them and to care about them and to produce things for them,” Mulder said.

Providing diapers for parents who need them most

BY CHABELI CARRAZANA

Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story created by Chabeli Carrazana for The 19th is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world.

In America, diapers have long been treated as a luxury good rather than a necessity

Half of families with young kids struggle to afford all the diapers they need. A quarter of families miss work as a result, often because they don’t have enough diapers to send with their children to child care.

It’s a largely invisible issue with enormous consequences for the health of parents and children. Studies have found that diaper need is a greater contributor to postpartum depression than food insecurity and housing instability And when parents don’t have enough diapers, they make do with sanitary pads, rags or other materials. Some report having to leave their children in soiled diapers for extended periods, raising the risk for urinary tract infections and diaper rash.

So Amy Kadens, who has worked in the diaper space for nearly 15 years, wondered: What if diapers were free for the parents who need them most? For decades, the United States has not had a good answer. So she came up with her own.

Diaper banks started popping up across the nation in 2011, collecting donations and dispersing diapers to families through a complex network of local partnerships. They are one of the few lifelines for parents.

Kadens, who co-founded a nonproﬁt that provides diapers called Share our Spare in 2011, knew that diaper banks often operate with limited staff and resources, and operationally can only address a small percentage of a massive need. Without more government support, they can only get at a slice of the problem.

Federal assistance programs that help low-income families, such as food stamps and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), have never allowed families to use those funds to purchase diapers.

“Diaper banks are doing heroic work with very little. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” Kadens said. But, “I wanted to continue to sink my teeth into this.”

So Kadens started to work on a solution that could give people the funds to get whatever diapers they needed, without the warehouses to store donations or the teams to get those donations out.

That solution was Diaper Dollars, a $40 e-card that users get in their email every month. The virtual card comes with a barcode they can scan at checkout at most major retailers, including Walmart, CVS and Walgreens, that will cover the cost of diapers. So far, users in Illinois and Ohio can access the program.

The idea, Kadens said, was to make it as simple as possible, while also giving parents the ability to choose what brands they preferred

“Families have brand loyalty,” Kadens said. “I wanted to keep dignity and choice at the forefront of everything we did.”

The Diaper Dollars team went through months of market research to reﬁne the tech to work well for participants. They didn’t want coupons because there was too much fraud in the system, and gift cards meant users could be limited on where to shop.

Instead, they landed on a system that allowed them to build out a catalog of diapers at 6,200 retail locations in the country The bar code on the digital card recognizes the diapers when it’s scanned and deducts the price from the total purchase. That catalog of diapers is monitored daily and updated in case brands come out with new box sizes or products. It also works for online purchases.

The system does have some limitations. It’s not valid in Amazon or Target, two retailers that don’t yet accept that form of payment. And it also likely only covers a portion of the need: The average family spends about $100 on diapers a month but families earning a median income can only afford to

cover about $65, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute. It’s also more expensive parents are paying retail prices plus sales tax (23 states charge sales tax on diapers). By contrast, products at diaper banks are donated or sold to the banks from the manufacturer at deeply discounted rates.

To find participants, Diaper Dollars partners with organizations such as WIC clinics and local hospitals to refer people to the program, which is funded from a mix of philanthropy and ﬁnancial support from those same partners. Partners establish the eligibility criteria, how long participants can be a part of the program, and whether the stipend will be higher for those with multiple babies.

A pilot program launched in 2023 with 100 people, then in 2024 the Illinois Department of Human Services dedicated $1 million to run its own pilot at a larger scale. Nearly 8,000 people have been served so far, with 10,000 projected by 2026. Illinois Lt Gov Juliana Stratton told The 19th that she had been looking for solutions that could support people in the postpartum period, when maternal mortality is high, particularly for Black women Diaper need, speciﬁcally, is linked to maternal mental health and considered a potential risk factor for moderate to high maternal depressive symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, in 2023, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. For White women it was 14.5 deaths. So when Illinois launched a birth equity initiative to address the needs of postpartum parents, from a home visiting program to better diaper access, it chose to partner with Diaper Dollars.

“Giving someone a card where they can go to the store of their choice, decide what’s best, that is what’s part of dignity,” Stratton said. “Every woman deserves to bring life into this world safely and with dignity.”

Brendan Kitt, Diaper Dollars’ program director, said the program was able to offer an operational solution to a problem the state wanted to address but didn’t have a mechanism for The system works similarly to a universal basic income, where people in need are given a cash stipend, but it’s more targeted.

“Both for funders and supporters, it’s always a question when you talk to people about where the money goes,” he said “The fact that we can limit the transactions to the speciﬁc needs that we’re trying to serve, I think, is one of the biggest things that legitimized our operation over just giving basic cash assistance.”

Parents who beneﬁted from Diaper Dollars told the organization

in testimonials that they’ve had to turn to using underwear or old T-shirts when they didn’t have the money for diapers, often making decisions between paying for rent or diapers.

After going through the program, parents reported that the funds gave them the wiggle room to buy their children other essentials or to make them better meals.

About 90 percent of those who went through the program reported being able to better afford essentials like food, rent and other bills. Some 95 percent felt less stressed about not having enough diapers.

Joanne Samuel Goldblum, the CEO of the National Diaper Bank Network, which has more than 240 partners nationwide, said a model like Diaper Dollars can address unmet needs, particularly in rural areas where it’s harder for diaper banks to distribute products.

“The need is really so big, and it’s not going to be addressed through just one sort of answer or one type of program,” Samuel Goldblum said. “It’s really important to have ways to reach people in all sorts of different communities.”

The Diaper Dollars program has raised about $2 million so far — 45 percent from the state of Illinois, 35 percent from philanthropic donors and 20 percent from grants from community partners. It is now also running in Ohio and expected to expand to Washington soon.

Kadens’ dream is to take the program to every state. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned and some red states instituted abortion bans, conservative lawmakers have been looking for ways to support postpartum parents.

In Tennessee, for example, where abortion was banned in 2022, the state rolled out a new policy in 2024 that allowed families enrolled in Tennessee’s Medicaid program to receive up to 100 free diapers a month for the ﬁrst two years of life.

Samuel Goldblum said the National Diaper Bank Network has seen more bipartisan support for addressing diaper needs this year “than we’ve ever seen before.” It should be that simple, Kadens said: “It doesn’t matter if you’re blue or red. Babies need diapers.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By ULAA KUZIEZ

Artist Harout Bastajian poses with a variety of his work on display at the Arab American National Museum on Sept 25 in Dearborn, Mich.

A group of women view art by Harout Bastajian during the opening of ‘The Art of Spiritual Enlightenment’ exhibition.

SUNDAY, November 2, 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 —VAnisHed: VAN-ish'd: Disappeared.

Average mark 38 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Canyou find 58 or more words in VANISHED?

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

goren Bridge

Overlooked

Bidding the “other” major after Stayman to show a fit and slam interest is a common tool for today’s experts. North-South looked good in the bidding but South dropped the ball in the play

He won the opening heart lead in dummy and led a spade to his king. When West showed out, he tried to cash two more hearts to discard a club from dummy, planning to give up a club and ruff a club. East ruffed the third heart and led a club to West’s ace for down one.

South had an alternate line of play that is often overlooked — a dummy reversal. After West’s discard on the first trump, the chance of a 6-2 heart split became greater than usual. South should havecashedthekingofdiamonds, led a diamond to the ace, and ruffed a diamond with the queen of spades

monds split 5-2, South would have to decide whether to continue the reversal and hope the opponent with the ace of clubs was out of diamonds, or lead a high club immediately to set up his club trick.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Bothopponentsfollowingsuitto three rounds of diamonds would make this line a sure thing. A low spade to dummy would be followed by another diamond ruff, this time with the jack. South could then draw all the trumps and concede a club, knowing that the opponents would not be able to cash a diamond. Had dia-

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. 24-Nov. 22) Check out what’s available in your community, and participate in local events. Protect yourself from injury or illness by prioritizing safety. Be bold; ask, and you shall receive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be the one to make a positive shift, and you will flip a switch and turn your expectations into a reality Trust and believe in yourself, and follow your heart.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your energy is rising, and opportunity is within reach. Make a commitment to yourself and those you encoun-

ter and follow through; the results will make a difference and bring you pride. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep moving. Refuse to let others tempt you or push you in a direction that makes you forego what’s meaningful to you. Use your intelligence and move forward alone if necessary. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Let discipline and unique ideas carry you forward Use your imagination to figure out how to turn your plans into something great, and you’ll meet requirements and surpass your expectations.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) You can waste your time lazing around, overreacting and creating drama, or you can make every moment count. Take the initiative with a positive attitude and a grateful heart.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Take advantage of an opportunity to get closer to the people in your circle. The effort you put in and the emphasis you place will help you recognize who is worthy to sit at your table.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Balancing equality and structuring your life to fulfill your needs and please

others will help you make some decisions. Speak up, take a leadership position and make your voice heard.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) The extra hours you put in helping others will make a difference. Refuse to let negativity set in or indulgent behavior interfere with progress.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Turn anger into passion and pursue goals that make you feel good about yourself and your accomplishments. Change what you don’t like and clean up unfinished business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Calm down before you address domestic issues

or other personal conflicts. How you approach situations will make a difference. Simplify, minimize and say no to excessive behavior

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Reach out to people who have something to offer you in return. Put more effort into your surroundings to ensure that you spend your downtime in an atmosphere that helps you rejuvenate.

wuzzLes

1. Softball. 2. Golf.3.Basketball. 4. Hockey 5. Soccer.6.Triple jump.7.Badminton. 8. Football. 9. Tennis. 10.100-yard dash. 11. Lacrosse. 12. Volleyball. 13. Cricket.14. Shot put. 15. Squash

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: Remember me, though Ihavetosay goodbye. Remember me, don't letit make youcry.— Hector,"Coco"