The family of Gabriella Sharp, a senior at Acadiana High School, is remembering her shining spirit while seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding her death. Sharp, who dreamed of becoming a beautician, was known by family and friends for her radiant smile and her love of doing hair and makeup. According to her family, she had a gift for making others feel beautiful.
“She could brighten any room she entered,” family friend Hailey Matthews said. “She had the ability to make anybody smile, no matter what they were going through ” Family members said they know little about the circumstances surrounding Sharp’s death. What has been confirmed is that Lafayette police officers responded about 3:40 a.m. Saturday to a convenience store in the 2400 block of West Congress Street after reports of an unresponsive person. When they arrived, officials found Sharp and attempted life-saving measures, but she died at the scene Preliminary autopsy findings show her death to be “medical
ä See TEEN, page 4A
PROVIDED PHOTO
Gabriella Sharp, a senior at Acadiana High School who died Saturday, dreamed of becoming a beautician.
McNeese president picked to lead LSU
Rousse promises corporate-oriented leadership
Board also appoints chancellor for BR campus
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
After a monthslong process and two hours of deliberation by the LSU Board of Supervisors McNeese State University President Wade Rousse is LSU’s 29th president.
A Louisiana native, Rousse pitched himself as a nontraditional candidate who would shake up the university with corporate-oriented leadership after past presidents had lengthy academic backgrounds. He said the exact date he will start hasn’t been set. In an unexpected turn of events Tuesday afternoon, the
board simultaneously appointed another finalist for the president position James Dalton, executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama — as the executive vice president of LSU. The position will include the traditional chancellor role of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge and signals a significant change to the current system.
Accepting his position, Rousse said he intended to put a detailed organizational chart out in the next 30 days and called the appointment “the honor of my life.”
“Thank you for thinking creatively,” he told board members.
“As we started this process, we started thinking about structure.
At every event I went to, I talked about structure. In my mind, I have a 90-day, a 180-day and a 360-day plan.” Rousse will take control of LSU under intense public scrutiny: In the past two weeks, football coach Brian Kelly was fired and Athletic Director Scott Woodward left under pressure from Gov Jeff Landry
Additionally, the Trump administration has been attempting to cut federal grant funding to universities nationwide, including LSU. Yet total enrollment in the LSU system is at a record high, adding some financial stability
ä See LSU, page 4A
Former Vice President Cheney dies at 84
He was a powerful and polarizing figure
BY CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON Dick Cheney the hardcharging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84. George W. Bush’s vice president died Monday from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday in a
statement. In Cheney’s hands, the vice presidency became a nexus of influence and manipulation — no longer the timid office whose occupants had tended their boss’s ambitions, gone to endless banquets and often waited in the wings for their own shot at the prize. “The Darth Vader of the administration,” as Bush described the public’s view When he bunkered in secure undisclosed locations after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, that was less an inconvenience for Cheney than a metaphor for a life of power that he exercised to maximum effect from the shadows. No one seemed more amused at that
perception than Cheney himself. “Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole?” he asked. “It’s a nice way to operate, actually.”
Cheney served father and son presidents, leading the armed forces as defense chief during the Persian Gulf War under President George H.W Bush before returning to public life under his son.
Cheney had a hand, often a commanding one, in implementing decisions most important to the president and some of surpassing interest to
ä See CHENEY, page 6A
Food needs on the rise
Donations, funds sought at area community pantries
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Meals donated to the Lafayette Community Fridge on East Simcoe Street these days are gone almost immediately Shelves at other community pantries and refrigerators in the city empty quickly too. Many were nearly empty Monday, and the need for food is likely to increase.
Community organizations, even the state, are asking residents to help their neighbors by donating cooked meals and food items at least as long as federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is withheld.
“As long as that goes on, the community needs to step up and fill those holes,” said Jason Stoner, of Foodies of Lafayette, a group that manages the Lafayette Community Fridge. The shutdown of the federal government starting Oct. 1 and President Donald Trump’s refusal to use backup funds to continue to pay food subsidies to those in SNAP formerly known as food stamps, have left some families struggling to pay for food. Despite a court order, Trump said Tuesday he will not release SNAP funds until Congress returns to session. In Louisiana, 800,000 people
ASSOCIATED
president.
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS Wade Rousse, front, and James Dalton receive a round of applause and shake hands on their way to the podium after being named LSU president and executive vice president respectively during the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday
PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHUCK BURTON Dick Cheney served two terms as George W. Bush’s vice
BRIEFS
2 charged with setting off fireworks at Harvard
BOSTON Two men who were in the Boston area for college Halloween parties last weekend set off fireworks inside of an empty Harvard Medical School building, authorities said Tuesday in announcing their arrests Logan David Patterson, 18, and Dominick Frank Cardoza 20, were taken into custody Tuesday on federal charges of conspiracy to damage by means of fire or an explosive.
Hours later, they were escorted into U.S. District Court in Boston in handcuffs as relatives of at least one of them looked on. Judge Jessica Hedges asked if they understand the process, and both said they did. She then ordered them released pending trial and forbid them from possessing explosives or visiting Harvard while free.
According to the charging document, witnesses said the defendants were visiting the Wentworth Institute of Technology for Halloween activities, including parties at area schools. On the morning of the blast, surveillance footage captured the two walking toward Harvard’s medical school wearing face coverings. Witnesses said the pair chose the building because it looked abandoned and got into it via the roof by climbing up scaffolding, the charging document states.
4th person in 3 weeks dies at Disney World
A woman died at Walt Disney World on Sunday, marking the fourth death at the Orlando park over just three weeks.
“On Nov 2, a woman in her 40s was transported to Hospital, where she passed away,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Daily News. “There were no signs of foul play. It’s unclear where the woman was on the property when authorities were called as well as whether she was guest or employee.
The spate of Disney deaths began on the West Coast in early October when a female guest in her 60s became unresponsive while riding the Haunted Mansion at Anaheim’s Disneyland. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital near the Southern California park.
In mid-October, 31-year-old Summer Equitz died by apparent suicide in Orlando at Disney’s Magic Kingdom-area hotel, the Contemporary Resort Days later, OCSO confirmed to the News that a male in his 60s then “experienced a medical episode” on Oct. 22 reportedly while a guest at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground’s Cottontail Curl loop, also near the Magic Kingdom.
Two days later, 28-year-old Matthew Cohn also died at the Contemporary Resort, where OCSO believed he was staying Passenger, cargo trains collide in central India
NEW DELHI A passenger train crashed into a cargo train in central India Tuesday killing at least eight people and injuring about 20 others, a senior government official said.
The incident happened near the city of Bilaspur about 70 miles northeast of Chhattisgarh’s state capital of Raipur Local television channels showed images of one train colliding with another Rescuers were searching through the debris for survivors.
The local passenger train hit the cargo train from behind, and one of the coaches ended up on top of a wagon of the cargo train, senior government official Sanjay Agarwal told The Associated Press.
More casualties were feared because “two or three” additional passengers were trapped inside the mangled coach and feared dead, said Agarwal, who is the government administrator for Bilaspur After hours of struggle, the rescue team pulled down the passenger train’s damaged coach and were using a crane and iron cutters to try to cut it open, he said.
Among those declared dead was the locomotive driver of the passenger train while its copilot, a woman, was critically injured and admitted to a private hospital, Agarwal said.
MIDDLE EAST
Remains of hostage turned over
BY JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press
JERUSALEM The remains of a hostage in Gaza have been turned over and are now in Israel, the military said Tuesday, in the latest sign of progress under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Ahead of the announcement, Hamas had returned the remains of 20 hostages to Israel under the ceasefire that began Oct. 10. If the latest remains are confirmed during forensic testing, that would leave the remains of seven others in Gaza.
The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Palestinian militant group
The military wing of Hamas said earlier Tuesday it had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier in Gaza and intended to hand over the remains. Israel’s statement did not indicate whether the remains were of a soldier Militants in Gaza have released one to three bodies every few days. Israel has pushed to speed up the returns and in certain cases has said the remains were not those of hostages. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation.
For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. So far the bodies of 270 Palestinians have been handed over under the current ceasefire. Fewer than half have been identified. Forensic
work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
Israel responded with a sweeping military offensive that has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.
Arab and other countries that have expressed interest in participating in the stabilization force have indicated that U.N. backing of the plan is necessary to persuade them to contribute troops. One official said the document had not been formally circulated to other U.N. Security Council members and had been prepared as a starting point to find consensus.
The United States has produced a draft text for the U.N. Security Council that would provide a mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza for at least two years. The draft, confirmed to The Associated Press by two U.S. officials, is an early template for what would likely be extensive negotiations among council members and international partners The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
UPS cargo plane explodes on takeoff; 3 dead, 11 hurt
By The Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. At least three people are dead and 11 injured after UPS plane crashed in Kentucky The governor says Tuesday those numbers are likely to grow
The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said
Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball.
Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway
“We know that there are injuries. We don’t know yet about fatalities, but we’re asking all Kentuckians to pray for those that have been impacted,” Kentucky
Gov Andy Beshear told The Associated Press.
Mayor Craig Greenberg told WLKYTV there could be about 280,000 gallons of fuel on the plane, an “extreme reason for concern in so many different ways.”
UPS’s largest package handling facility is in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour
A shelter-in-place order was extended to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River The Louisville airport is only a 10-minute drive from the city’s downtown, which sits on the river bordering the Indiana state line. There are residential areas, a water park and museums in the area.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airplane owned by UPS was manufactured in 1991.
Texas troopers will have immigration enforcement powers under ICE pact
BY AARÓN TORRES The Dallas Morning News (TNS)
AUSTIN — Texas Department of Public Safety troopers have been deputized as federal immigration officers under two agreements the agency entered into with Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month.
The agreements between DPS and ICE, known as a 287(g) contract, empowers some troopers with the state’s largest law enforcement agency to arrest individuals they believe are in the country without proper legal status.
The two divisions of DPS that joined the program are the highway patrol and the criminal investigations division.
“It is just one piece in a collaboration with our federal partners that has been ongoing for years to combat illegal immigration and remove criminal illegal immigrants from our communities — that partnership remains in full force,” a DPS spokesperson said in a statement.
President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed for state and local law enforcement agencies across the country to enter into these agreements to help federal immigration agents find undocumented migrants who could be deported.
The contracts with DPS are for the task force model, meaning eligible troopers could arrest individuals if they encounter them while out on patrol or on the job
In a statement, the Texas Civil Rights Project warned that the task force model is “far more dangerous” for communities as it empowers officers to act as ICE
agents.
“This expanded authority for one of Texas’ primary statewide law enforcement agencies, which includes highway patrol, will inevitably result in more non-safety, racial profiling traffic stops by law enforcement, creating danger on roadways, diverting attention from real public safety concerns, and exposing more people to unnecessary law enforcement interaction and potential arrest,” said Danny Woodward, a staff attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project.
The contract between DPS and ICE comes as Gov Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 8, which requires every sheriff’s office in Texas that operates a jail to sign 287(g) agreements.
The 287(g) program has three models two are enforced only at jails. The Trump administration revived a third model, known as the task force model, which authorizes assigned patrol officers to question and arrest individuals suspected of violating immigration laws.
ICE is responsible for training the officers under all of the models.
DPS is the third state agency to sign a 287(g) agreement with ICE under the Trump administration. The Attorney General’s Office and Texas National Guard signed agreements earlier this year
In a Jan. 20 executive order Trump directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to find agencies across the country to “perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States.”
2nd escaped monkey fatally shot; 1 still loose
By The Associated Press
HEIDELBERG, Miss. — A second monkey has been shot and killed and authorities said Tuesday that they were still searching for a third missing monkey a week after their escape from a truck that overturned on a Mississippi highway Someone shot the monkey after seeing it cross the highway on Monday evening about a mile from the scene of the Oct. 28 crash, Jasper County Sheriff Sheriff Randy Johnson said. Johnson said he was contacted by a person with the transport company who recovered the monkey after a civilian shot it.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks confirmed Tuesday in a news release that one monkey was still unaccounted for after two of the escaped monkeys were “recovered deceased.” Officials have warned that people should not approach the Rhesus monkeys, saying they are known to be aggressive.
Over the weekend, a woman who said she feared for the safety of her children shot and killed another escaped monkey after her 16-year-old son saw a monkey outside their
home near Heidelberg.
A truck carrying 21 monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg last week and several monkeys escaped Video from the scene showed monkeys and wooden crates in tall grass beside the interstate. Searchers in protective equipment were seen scouring nearby fields and woods for missing primates. Five monkeys were killed during the search and three were missing initially officials said.
The monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university Tulane has said it wasn’t transporting the monkeys and they do not belong to the university The remaining 13 monkeys arrived at their original destination last week, according to Tulane. Prefabs said in a statement Monday that a vehicle transporting non-human primateswasinvolvedinthe crash and the animals were being lawfully transported to a licensed research facility It stressed that the monkeys weren’t carrying any known diseases.
Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 337-234-0800
A fireball erupts near airport property after reports of a plane crash Tuesday at Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Ky.
Talkstoend shutdown intensify
BY LISA MASCARO and MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON Signs of a potential end to the government shutdown intensified Tuesday with behind-thescenes talks, as the federal closure wasontrack to become the longest ever disrupting the lives of millions of Americans. Senators fromboth parties, Republicans and Democrats, are quietlynegotiating the contours of an emerging deal. With anod from their leadership, the senators seek away to reopen the government, put thenormalfederal funding processbackontrack and devise some sort of resolution to the crisis of expiring health insurance subsidies thatare spikingpremium costs from coast to coast.
“Enough is enough,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he opened the deadlocked chamber On Day35ofthe federal government shutdown, the record for the longestwas broken overnight. With SNAP benefits interrupted for millions of Americans depending on federal food aid, hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay and contracts being delayed, many on and off Capitol Hill say it’stime for it to end.
“We’re not asking for anything radical,” SenateMinority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., said. “Lowering people’shealth care costs is thedefinitionofcommon sense.” Unlike the earlier shutdown during President Donald Trump’sfirst term, when he fought Congress in 201819 for funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the president has been largely absent from this shutdown debate.
With House Speaker Mike Johnson having sent law-
BY OLIVIA M. BRIDGES
CQ-Roll Call (TNS)
WASHINGTON President DonaldTrump on Tuesday said the administrationwon’t pay food stamp benefits until after the partial government shutdown ends, in potential defiance of afederal court order and in conflictwith whathis administration told ajudge Monday,but he was contradicted several hours later by his spokesperson. Trump’spost on the social media site Truth Social came even as the AgricultureDepartment was giving state agencies directions on how to distribute partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November.A USDA memo said the agencies must notify households about areduction in the monthly benefit. WhiteHouse press secretary Karoline Leavitt said later the administration has released funds in compliance with afederal court order.She warned recipients that it would “take some
makers homeinSeptember, most attention is on the Senate. There,the leadership has outsourced negotiations to aloose groupofcentrist dealmakers from both parties who have been quietly chartingaway to end the standoff.
“Wepray that today is thatday,” said Johnson, RBenton,holding hisdaily process on the empty side of theCapitol.
Central to any endgame will be aseries of agreements that wouldneed to be upheld notonly by the Senate, but also the House, andthe White House, which is not atall certain in Washington where Republicans have fullcontrol of thegovernment.
Firstofall, senators from bothparties, particularlythe powerful membersofthe Appropriations Committee, are pushingtoensure the normalgovernment funding process can be put back on track
Among the goalsisguaranteeing upcoming votes on asmaller package of bills where there is already widespreadbipartisan agreement to fund various aspectsofgovernments, like agricultural programs and military construction projectsatbases.
time to receivethismoney.”
Trump’spost also came the same dayafederal courtin Rhode Island was asked to order theUSDA to fully pay November food stamp benefits.The USDA said Monday it would deplete a contingency fundthatcould cover roughly half —about $4.65 billion —ofthe monthly benefit using aSNAP contingency fund.
“SNAPBENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’sdisastroustermin office (Due to thefactthat they were haphazardly “handed”toanyone for the asking, as opposed to just thoseinneed, whichisthe purpose of SNAP!),will be given only when the Radical Left Democratsopen up government,which they can easily do, and not before!” Trumpsaid in his post Leavitt, asked about the post, said he was referring to usingthe contingency fund in thefuture.
Chief Judge John J. Mc-
“I certainly think that that three-bill package is primed to do alot of good thingsfor the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has also been in talks.
More difficult, asubstantial number of senatorsalso want someresolution to the standoff over thefunding for the Affordable CareAct subsidies that are set to expire at year’send.
The White House says its position remains unchanged andthatDemocrats must vote to fund thegovernment until talks over health care can begin. White House officialsare in closecontact with GOP senatorswho have been quietly speakingwith key Senate Democrats, according to asenior White House official. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy. With insurancepremium noticesbeing sent,millions of Americansare experiencing stickershockon skyrocketing prices. The loss of federal subsidies, which come in the form of tax credits, are expected to leave manypeople unable to buy healthinsurance.
Thune has promised Democrats avote on theirpreferred proposal, on adate certain, as part of any deal to reopen government
Connell Jr.ofthe U.S. District Courtfor the District of Rhode Island ordered the USDA on Saturday to use acontingency fund to pay benefits. He said reduced benefitshad to go out by the end of the day Wednesday But the Rhode Island StateCouncil of Churches and other groups bringing thecase asked thecourt in a new filing Tuesday to order full SNAP payments in November Trump’scomment initially appeared to return the administration to its position last week, when it said it wouldn’tpay benefitsduring theshutdown. The USDA had also said it couldn’tuse acontingency fund for SNAPduring a shutdown butsaid Monday it wouldcomplywiththe court order from Saturday.But theUSDA alsosaidMonday thebureaucratic work of reducing benefits could takeweeks in some states, making it unable to make thepayments by thejudge’s deadline.
Transportation secretarywarns of ‘masschaos’ifshutdowncontinues
BY JOSH FUNK AP transportationwriter
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies next week if the government shutdown drags on and airtraffic controllers missa second paycheck There have already been numerous delays at airportsacross the country sometimes hours long —because the Federal Aviation Administration slowsdown or stops traffic temporarilyany time it is short on controllers. Last weekend saw someofthe worst staff shortages.
Duffy and the head of the air traffic controllers union have both warned thatthe situation will only getworsethe longer theshutdown continues andthe financial pressure continues togrow on people who are forced to work without pay.FAA employees already missed one paycheck on Oct. 28. Their next paydayisscheduledfor next Tuesday
“Many of the controllers said‘Alot of us can navigatemissing one paycheck Not everybody,but alot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks,’”
Duffy said. “So if you bring us to aweek from today,Democrats, you will see mass chaos. Youwill see massflight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, andyou may see us close certain partsofthe airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’thave air traffic controllers.” Most of the flight disruptions so farduring the shutdown have been isolated and temporary.But if delaysbecome more widespread andstart to ripple throughout the system, the pressure will mount on Congress to reach an agreement to end the shutdown.
It’sdifficult to predict how muchworse the situation will get once controllers miss asecond paycheck. Theimpact of the staff shortages could also be magnified if controllers coordinated alarge effort to call out sick across acertain region of thecountry.Both theNational AirTraffic Controllers Associationand Duffy have urgedcontrollers nottoconsiderthatand continue reporting to work.
The U.S. Travel Association said in aletter to congressional leaders this weekthat the economy has already lost more than $4 billion because of the shutdown.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, joined by SecretaryofLabor LoriChavez-DeRemer,left, pauses while meeting withreportersTuesdayatthe CapitolinWashington.
Theboardvoted 12-1 to accept both men, with Laurie Aaronson voting no.
The pair replaces formerLSU President William F. Tate IV,who left earlier this year for Rutgers University.The roles of president and chancellor had been combined but have now been separated by the BoardofSupervisors, which unanimously authorized legalcounsel Trey Jones to draft amendments to thebylaws to reflect the changes.
The proposed structure laid out by Rousse andDalton in theiracceptance remarks has Dalton overseeing most of the academic and research components of the university External affairs, governmental affairsand athletics will report to Rousse, whileoperations on the flagship campus, the AgCenter,the twohealth science centers andthe Pennington Biomedical Research Center will report to Dalton. Dalton will serve under Rousse.
Rousse strongly advocated for bringing back achancellor position in his interview with the LSU Presidential Search Committee last week. At anews conference Tuesday afternoon, he said he approached Dalton and discussed the idea withhim overthe past few
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receive SNAP benefits, one of the highest rates in the country.The state is covering some of the halted federal SNAP benefits on a limited basisinNovember for the elderly,disabled and families with children.
More than 50,000 others on SNAP,who Gov.Jeff Landry defined as able-bodied, should contact local food banks, the Louisiana DepartmentofHealth said in anews release, because they won’t receive anythingfromthe stateorfederal government.
Larger food bank distributors have seen their federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut this year,sothey’re already feeling pressure.
Paul Scelfo, chief regional officer forSecondHarvest Food Bank, told KATC-TV the reach of food banks isn’t near the scale of support SNAP provides.
“For every pound afood bank contributes to food security,SNAP benefits contribute around nine,”he said. “So now,once those go away,and you’re relyingon the food banks to provide those extra people with those meals —that’sahuge, huge liftand it’sgonna take alotta
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related,” but the cause and manner of deathremain under investigation. Police consider the case suspicious, though it has not been ruled ahomicide. Full toxicology andcardiopath reports are pending,according to the Police Department. TheLafayette Parish school system said counselors have been made available on Acadiana’scampus to support students and staff.
WADE ROUSSE
PRESIDENT,LSU SySTEM
CURRENTLY: President,McNeese
State University
EDUCATION:
B.S.inBusiness, Nicholls State; PhD. in economics, University of Illinois at Chicago
OTHER EXPERIENCE: marine logistics; FederalReserve Bank of Chicago;founder,investment firm; associatedean, NorthernArizona University; business dean, McNeese HOMETOWN: Golden Meadow
days. Ballardsaiditwas discussed during theboard’sexecutive session Tuesday —leading to the long session—but it was “not thefirst timeweknewthat they were discussingit.”
Politicalinsiders said Rousse wasLandry’s favoredcandidate forthe job and had an inside track withthe board, though theGovernor’sOffice has declined to comment on thesearch.
Dalton was an unexpected entranttothe search, officially being announced the day thecommittee interviewed candidates to pick three finalists.
Rousse grewupinGolden Meadow, asmallfishing town
help and alottasupport.”
TrafficatsomeLafayette community food banksand refrigerators has increased recently
“I feel likewehave acrisis right now,and Ithink it’sgoing to continue to get worse,” Stoner said Almost as soon as cooked mealsare delivered, he said, they’re gone,atleast within two hours.
Several Lafayette pantriesand refrigerators on Monday were either empty or contained only afew nonperishableitems
Unlike large food distributors that require registration,collect personal information and set specific times to pick up food,community fridges and pantries are open to all without the need to register andprovide aname and address, Stoner said. Anyone in need can driveuporwalk upand take what they needanonymously, allowing people whohaven’tneeded help to obtain food with dignity.
Thestate Department of Healthaskedresidentswho can donateto theirlocal food banks while SNAPbenefits are cut.
Social mediaposts in the Lafayette area show residents are willingtodoso, asking whereand how to donate
Some local businesses al-
along Bayou Lafourche. He attendedMcNeese State for three years before transferring to Nicholls State University, wherehe earned abusiness degree.While still in college, he began working at aLouisiana-based marine logistics company,and he climbed the ranksover11years to eventually become apartner He earned several moredegrees before joiningMcNeese State in 2019 as thebusiness collegedean andlater becoming vice president of universityadvancement. In that position, he said, he boosted fundraisingand corporate sponsorships andhelpedbring to fruitiona newLiquefied Natural Gas Center of Excellence, which trains studentsinthe LNG industry and will hostanew federal research center
At one point,the center was in jeopardy,soRousse and his team flewtoWashington, D.C., to convince federal officials and lawmakers to keep supporting it.
“Werefused to come home until we did get it back,”hesaid during an interviewMondaywith LSU facultymembers. “Wewere able to secure it and bring it back.”
At Tuesday’snewsconference, Rousse said Jason French would lead the transition team at LSU effective immediately.French formerlyservedasexecutivedirector of the McNeese LNG Center and is aconsultant in thatindustry Rousse said he’sready for ajob
ready arehelpingout. Lagneaux’srestaurant in Lafayette donates cooked food left over from its buffet, Stoner said, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
He invited others, including homecooks,tobox up simplemealsintoindividual plates that can be labeled and placed in theLafayette CommunityFridge orothers.
“Insouth Louisiana, in Acadiana, when there’sa need, we pull together,” Stoner said. “It’samazingwhatwe do and what this community does timeafter time.”
Foodies of Lafayette,Stoner said, works in collaboration with other community pantries and refrigerators as well as food drives, posting on its Facebook page updates on other pantries andprograms. With 115,000 members, it can be avoice for good, he said.
The group soon will announce afood drive, urging companies, neighborhoods andgroups to participate. Foodies of Lafayette will arrange to pick up thedonations anddistribute them, Stoner said.
Anyone wanting to donate to pantriesand community fridges closest to them should visit Linktree’smap.
Here are someofthe communitypantries and refrigerators in Lafayette where donations can be made:
could.
JAMESDALTON VP LSU SySTEM/CHANCELLOR LSU
CURRENTLY: ExecutiveVP/ provost, University of Alabama
EDUCATION: B.S. in pharmacy, University of Cincinnati; Ph.D.inpharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry,postdoc fellowship, Ohio State
OTHER EXPERIENCE: Dean, CollegeofPharmacy,Universityof Michigan; chiefscientificofficer, pharmaceutical firm;fellow,American Association forthe Advancementof Science and American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
as all-encompassing as LSU president At McNeese State, he wakes up at 4a.m. and goes to sleep by midnight,hesaid in one of his LSU interviews. He and his wife spend most nights in theirdorm suite, only sleeping at theirhome off campus ahandful of times over the past two years, he added.
“I love to work,” he said. “I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive.”
Roussewants more corporate partnerships at LSU to fund research. He also said he would closely reviewthe universitysystem’s
n Lafayette Community Fridge, pantryand refrigerator,2905 E. Simcoe St. n St. BarnabasEpiscopal Church, pantry and refrig-
budgetand create performance metrics for jobs across the system, like what he did at McNeese.
“Everyone on that campus has some sort of metric that says I’m going to have apositive effect on either recruitment, retention or job placement,” he said in an interview Monday Dalton hadpitched amore “student-centric” approach, and he reiterated that as his priority Tuesday in his final pitch to the board.
Originally from Ohio, he earned abachelor’sinpharmacy at the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics andpharmaceutical chemistry from Ohio State University.Hewent on to serveasdeanofthe Collegeof Pharmacy at theUniversity of Michiganbefore movingtothe University of Alabama.
Since 2020, he has managed the academic and research goals of 13 colleges and academic divisions at the university.Intotal, the area he oversees hasincluded more than 2,000 facultyand 40,000 students, with an annualacademicbudgetof morethan $1.2 billion.
After accepting the vicepresident role, Dalton said he was“tremendously honored” for the opportunity
“I’m just so excited about it,” he said. “I cannot imagine amore perfect partnership with Dr.Rousse.” Patrick Wall and Tyler Bridges contributed to this report.
erator,400 Camellia Blvd. n Space Cat Pantry,pantry and refrigerator,213 Mudd Ave. n Oasis Community Food
Pantry,MLK Center,309 Cora St. Someofthe food pantry providersalsoacceptmonetary donations.
According to Matthews, Sharp’s mother receiveda call early Saturday morning from one of her daughter’s friends, saying Sharp wasn’t feeling well.
“She was going to meet them at thegas station to pick Gabriella up,” Matthews explained.“When she got there, Gabriella was alreadygone.”
Family and friends say there have been unsubstantiated rumors spreading about what happenedtoSharp that night. Matthewsclarified that Sharp hadn’tbeenleft alone at the gas station; she was with afriend, which is somethingSharp cherished, accordingtoMatthews Sharp was active in her church community,participatinginthe youthprogram and oftenbabysittingor volunteering wherever she
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of one of our students who passed away over the weekend,” schools spokesperson Tracy Wirtz said in astatement. Sharp’smother shared her heartbreak on Facebook: “My gorgeous girl. Ican’t put R.I.P.I don’tknowwhat to do orsay.Iloveyou forever and will miss you till I’m with you.”
“Anytime youtalked to her,she would tell stories abouther day,”Matthews said. “She just loved being around people andhelping however she could.”
Matthews said Sharp’s mother has faced heartbreak before, having already enduredthe lossof heryoungestchild.Asthe middle child, Sharpwas partofaclose-knit family with twobrothers —an older brother and ayounger brother who died from cancer at just 5years old.
“Seeing her mom lose another child breaksmy heart,” Matthews said. “Any family would want justice, andwejust wanttoknow what happened.”
The Lafayette Police Department is asking anyone with information to call Lafayette Crime Stoppers to report atip anonymously at (337) 232-8477.
himself — all while living with decades of heart disease and, postadministration, a heart transplant. Cheney consistently defended the extraordinary tools of surveillance, detention and inquisition employed in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
“History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held,” Bush said Tuesday Spoke out again Trump
Years after leaving office, Cheney became a target of President Donald Trump, especially after his daughter Liz Cheney became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Trump’s desperate attempts to stay in power after his 2020 election defeat and his actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who was a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a television ad for his daughter “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He is a coward.”
In a twist the Democrats of his era could never have imagined, Cheney said last year he was voting for their candidate, Kamala Harris, for president against Trump.
Trump said nothing about Cheney publicly in the hours after his death was disclosed. The White House lowered flags to half-staff in remembrance of him but without the usual announcement or proclamation praising the deceased.
For all his conservatism, Cheney was supportive of his daughter Mary Cheney after she came out as gay, years before gay marriage was broadly supported, then legalized. “Freedom means freedom for everyone,” he said.
A survivor of five heart attacks, Cheney long thought he was living on borrowed time and declared in 2013 that he awoke each morning “with a smile on my face, thankful for the gift of another day,” an odd image for a figure who always
seemed to be manning the ramparts.
Cheney made his vice presidency a network of back channels from which to influence policy on Iraq, terrorism, presidential powers, energy and other conservative cornerstones.
The Iraq War
A hard-liner on Iraq who was increasingly isolated as other hawks left government, Cheney was proved wrong on point after point in the Iraq War, without losing the conviction he was essentially right
He alleged links between the 9/11 attacks and prewar Iraq that didn’t exist. He said U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators; they weren’t.
He declared the Iraqi insurgency in its last throes in May 2005, back when 1,661 U.S. service members had been killed, not even half the toll by war’s end
The U.S. intervention unseated the longtime autocratic leader, Saddam Hussein, but opened up a security vacuum that led to years of brutal civil war, the rise of extremist groups including the Islamic State and the expansion of Iranian influence.
Well into Bush’s second term, Cheney’s clout waned, checked by
courts or shifting political realities.
Cheney’s relationship with Bush
From the beginning, Cheney and Bush struck an odd bargain, unspoken but well understood Shelving any ambitions he might have had to succeed Bush, Cheney was accorded power comparable in some ways to the presidency itself. That bargain largely held up.
As Cheney put it: “I made the decision when I signed on with the president that the only agenda I would have would be his agenda, that I was not going to be like most vice presidents — and that was angling, trying to figure out how I was going to be elected president when his term was over with.”
His penchant for secrecy and backstage maneuvering had a price. He came to be seen as a thin-skinned figure orchestrating a bungled response to criticism of the Iraq War. And when he shot a hunting companion in the torso, neck and face with an errant shotgun blast in 2006, he and his coterie were slow to disclose that episode. It was “one of the worst days of my life,” Cheney said. The victim, his friend Harry Whittington, recovered and quickly forgave him. Comedians were relentless about
it for months. When Bush began his presidential quest, he sought help from Cheney, a Washington insider who had retreated to the oil business.
Cheney led the team to find a vice presidential candidate.
Bush decided the best choice was the man picked to help with the choosing.
Together, the pair faced a protracted 2000 postelection battle before they could claim victory Recounts and court challenges left the nation in limbo for weeks.
Cheney took charge of the presidential transition before victory was clear and helped give the Republican administration a smooth launch despite the lost time.
Jokes abounded about how Cheney was the real No. 1 in town; Bush didn’t seem to mind and cracked a few himself. But such comments became less apt later in Bush’s presidency as he clearly came into his own.
On Sept. 11, 2001, with Bush out of town, the president gave Cheney approval to authorize the military to shoot down any hijacked planes still in the sky By then, two airliners had hit the World Trade Center and a third was bearing down on the capital from nearby Dulles airport in Virginia.
A Secret Service agent burst into the West Wing room, grabbed Cheney by the belt and shoulder and led him to a bunker underneath the White House. “He didn’t say, ‘Shall we go?’ ” Cheney told NBC News years later “He wasn’t polite about it.”
After Bush’s return to the White House that night, Cheney was taken to a secret location to keep the president and vice president separated and try to ensure that at least one of them would survive any further attack.
Cheney said his first reaction to hearing of the crash of the fourth hijacked plane, in Pennsylvania, was that the U.S. might have shot it down per his order It came down after passengers fought the hijackers.
The youngest chief of staff
Politics first lured Cheney to Washington in 1968, when he was a congressional fellow He became a protégé of Rep. Donald Rumsfeld, R-Ill., serving under him in two agencies and in Gerald Ford’s White House before he was elevated to chief of staff, the youngest ever, at age 34.
Cheney held the post for 14 months, then returned to Casper, Wyoming, where he had been raised, and ran for the state’s lone congressional seat.
In that first race for the House, Cheney suffered a mild heart attack, prompting him to crack he was forming a group called “Cardiacs for Cheney.” He still managed a decisive victory and went on to win five more terms.
In 1989, Cheney became defense secretary under the first President Bush and led the Pentagon during the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War, which drove Iraq’s troops from Kuwait. Between the two Bush administrations, Cheney led Dallas-based Halliburton Corp., a large engineering and construction company for the oil industry Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, son of a longtime Agriculture Department worker Senior class president and football cocaptain in Casper, he went to Yale on a full scholarship for a year but failed out.
He moved back to Wyoming, eventually enrolled at the University of Wyoming and renewed a relationship with high school sweetheart Lynne Anne Vincent, marrying her in 1964. He is survived by his wife and daughters.
Franciscan health system set to rebrand
Our Lady of Lourdes to add FMOL Health to name
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health system is rebranding to FMOL Health to represent the unity between the system’s facilities across the Gulf South.
The Baton Rouge-based health system, which serves areas across Louisiana and Mississippi, has invested about $425 million this fiscal year in facility remodels, overnight care units and employee pay raises. With the growth, Stephanie Roussell
FMOL Health’s senior director of brand and strategy, said the company felt like it was time to refurbish the brand to match its “collective strength.”
Over the next few years, the system’s hospitals and clinics will adopt the FMOL Health name across building signage, patient materials and digital platforms.
Roussell said the company is still “building the budget” for the rebrand, but it will be conducted in-house.
“It’s not changing who we are,” she said. “It’s just embracing how
Fields to have town hall on shutdown concerns
BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer
As the federal government shutdown continues into its 35th day, U.S. Rep Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, of Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, will host a town hall in Lafayette on Wednesday evening. The town hall is one of three Fields will be holding across his district this week, with an event in Shreveport on Tuesday and in Baton Rouge on Thursday His Lafayette visit will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Clifton Chenier Center at 220 W. Willow St. Fields, who returned to Congress this year after a four-year stint between 1993 and 1997, is expected to take questions and hear concerns from constituents, while also providing an update on the so-far fruitless negotiations to end the government shutdown. The Lafayette town hall will take place on what is almost certain to be the record-breaking 36th day of the shutdown.
To contact Fields, visit fields.house.gov or his Acadiana office at 1310 S Union St., No. 5, in Opelousas
‘Vampire Diaries’ actor holding bourbon event
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
Actor Ian Somerhalder is returning to his home state to sign bottles of his bourbon whiskey in Lafayette.
Somerhalder will sign bottles of Brother’s Bond Bourbon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Lafayette Costco, he announced in a video on TikTok this week.
“Please come down and see me,” he said in the video. “I’m excited to be back in my home state.”
Somerhalder, who is from Covington, portrayed Boone Carlyle on the TV series “Lost” and later starred in the TV series “Vampire Diaries” as Damon Salvatore.
While filming “Vampire Diaries” and other media, Somerhalder and Paul Wesley who played brothers on the popular show, drank bourbon together on and off screen and dreamed of starting a whiskey company, according to the Brother’s Bond Bourbon website. The two launched Brother’s Bond Bourbon in 2021. At the signing, there will be at least four of the Brother’s Bond Bourbon varieties: the straight bourbon whiskey, bottled-in straight bourbon, cask strength straight bourbon and regenerative grain straight bourbon.
we are different in a brighter, a bolder way, leaning into who we’ve always been, grounded in that Catholic mission but offering some pretty world-class health care. We want our communities to tangibly see the difference.”
The rebrand has been in the works for the past 18 months FMOL Health conducted focus groups and interviews of patients, physicians and staff where it found that people across its five markets were not aware that its local health care providers, like
Baton Rouge’s Our Lady of the Lake, were connected to a larger health system. Our Lady of the Lake, in addition to Our Lady of Lourdes in Acadiana, St. Francis Health in northeast Louisiana, Our Lady of Angels on the northshore and St. Dominic in Jackson, Mississippi, will add FMOL Health to the beginning of their title to represent their belonging to the health system.
The original names of FMOL Health’s facilities stemmed from the system’s origins, when the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady sisters traveled to Monroe over a century ago to provide
health care, eventually branching out across the state and Mississippi. Roussell said the refreshed brand honors the legacy of the market brands, while also showing the connectivity between the institutions.
The system is also rolling out a new tagline, “This is how we healthcare,” along with bolder brand colors, a revised logo and a more casual voice in communication materials.
“That is to really showcase the energy that’s within the health system, within our team members, within our leadership, out into the communities,” Roussell said.
Shielding shade
Louisiana irises and shield ferns are set out in a flower bed along Jefferson Street on Tuesday in Lafayette. Scapes, Inc., of Lafayette, Downtown Lafayette and Parish Proud are partnering to host the Downtown in Bloom event this Saturday. Volunteers will beautify the streetscape and plant over seven thousand plants.
Sheriff seeks detention center security upgrade
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
Four inmates have died of drug overdoses this year in the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center and parish leaders are searching for solutions.
One idea the sheriff plans to implement is a full-body scanner system, which would cost more than $200,000.
“While I’m always exploring
new technology and its benefits to enhance safety and efficiency, the recent inmate deaths have prompted a deeper evaluation of this technology and its ability to strengthen security within our facility,” Sheriff Jeff Bergeron wrote in an email. Body scanners in jails and prisons often use low-level radiation to detect concealed items such as drugs or weapons. The Sheriff’s Office said the new scanner will be used on all inmates. A spokesperson said the department has not yet created a policy on whether visitors, attorneys and guards will also be subjected to the scanner
The department is looking into different manufacturers and speaking with other correctional facilities about which system to purchase, Bergeron said. Contraband drug overdoses caused four deaths at the detention center this year, according to the Sheriff’s Office The most recent inmate who died, Nicholas Henderson, 26, allegedly supplied a synthetic cannabinoid to 30-year-old Jeremy Paul, who overdosed in August. Paul was pronounced dead due to drug toxicity, with a synthetic cannabinoid identified as a significant contributing factor in the coroner’s report. When Henderson was found unresponsive several weeks later, the Sheriff’s Office said it had conducted multiple shakedowns leading to arrests and the confiscation of contraband. The coroner’s investigation for Henderson found he had overdosed on fentanyl and a related drug, acetyl fentanyl. A news release in March alluded to another inmate overdose as a result of access to contraband drugs. Ryan Moreau, 38, was observed receiving an unknown item from a fellow
4 WBR inmates have died of drug ODs this year ä See SHERIFF, page 4B
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
OUR VIEWS
Michelin Guidemet thetest in Louisiana
Michelin, publisher of thefamed French restaurant guide, has finally turned its eyes to Southern cuisine, and we welcome the attention it is sure to bring to ourstate’svibrant food scene.The Michelin Guide American South, which debuted Monday,covers thesix-state region of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina andTennesseeinaddition to metro Atlanta.
Naturally,webelieve our unique culinary heritage in Louisiana —influenced by French, Spanish, African and NativeAmerican sources —puts us in aclass all by ourselves. But a Michelin star is indisputably oneofthe most coveted prizes in theglobal restaurantindustry, and chefs here aren’tafraid to be judged by any yardstick. The inaugural awards forthe American South recognized several Louisiana standouts.It’snosurprise that NewOrleans is home to the only two-starrestaurantinthe region: Emeril’s, founded by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.
Now headed by his son,chef E.J. Lagasse, therestaurantwas describedbyMichelin as “bringingcontemporary refinement and vibrant originality to thefore.” E.J. Lagasse wasalso honoredwith the Young Chef award. The city is also home to two restaurants that received one star: Saint-Germain and Zasu In addition to stars, Michelin also gives awards to awide range of restaurants worthy of public notice. Its “Bib Gourmand” designation recognizes eateries that serve tasty food at good value, something we in Louisiana excel at. Eleven New Orleans restaurants were awardedthis honor.Another 18 restaurantsinNew Orleans and two in Baton Rouge were listed as recommended by Michelin.
AMichelin star no doubt represents the hard work and dedication it takes to be thebest, but itsvalue to arestaurant isalso tangible.There’s anoticeable spike in reservationsand interest once the awards are madepublic. Our restaurant industry has faced aturbulent time in recent months, especiallyinNew Orleans, where spring saw several restaurantsclose rather than face the typically slowsummerseason.If the Michelin Guide can ignite excitementabout all that we have to offer,weare all forit.
But while Michelin may have itsstars, we here each have our own finely chosenculinary constellation, made up of the placesthathonor the tastes and time-honored traditionswefirst encountered in our grandmothers’ kitchens. So whenyou ask 10 differentlocals what’s thebest place to eat, you’ll probably get 10 different answers. And in Louisiana, they’ll all be right. So,Michelin, we wish you well. Youobviously did your job with the utmost professionalism. But the most important guidetoLouisiana food probablycan’t be found in anyone book. Our guides are more likelytobe seen at boucheries and crawfish boils, festivals andfish fries, or presiding over tables in the French Quarter and rural plate lunch spots—any place there’s adeep appreciation for what makesour cuisine special.
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence
TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.
TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE
Trumpiscorrect in not treating Chinaasa friend
The Oct. 21 edition of the newspaper Advocatecontainsamisguided leftwing rantbyFroma Harrop entitled “Trump loves farmersintobankruptcy.” The column blasts President Donald Trump for losing the Chinese markets for U.S. farmers while praisingPresident Joe Biden for allowing America’sfarmers to become dependent on these markets. China systematically violates international agreements. They steal patentsand copyrights. They appropriatetechnologies, manipulate their currency and dump productsonthe market temporarily below costtowin market share and drive out competitors in thehopes of bankrupting them. They have killed massive numbers of Tibetans,invading and taking over Tibet;and morerecently visited
atrocities on China’sMuslim population.China has steppedupits military spending and hopes to controltrade with Asia by controlling those seas Thereisalot more that can be said about China’snefarious activities. Unfortunately,the limitsoneditorial letter space do not permit that. Trump is right.Harrop and President Biden arewrong. China is not acountry we should be dependent on for any exports or imports. To do so is for theU.S. to invite disaster and destruction by the totalitarian communist government of China. Is that what Harrop and Biden want to achieve? Making U.S. farmers dependent on China’smarkets will certainly help to do that.
HERBERT CANNON Baton Rouge
Twostories exemplified what asad statewe’re in
Who knew thenewspaper’s publisher, editorsand reporters had developed suchafine sense of irony? The front page on Oct. 20 is agreat example: Photos of President Donald Trump in the gilded WhiteHouseapplauding LSU’s 2025 national championship baseball teams side by side with the report that food stamps mayrun outinNovember for about 800,000 Louisianans.
Page 4showed Speaker Mike Johnson in afront-rowseat and listedmembers of CongressSteve Scalise, Julia Letlow John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy in attendance, as well as Gov.Jeff Landry and state representatives MarkWright and Mike Bayham.
Thanks to thenewspaper for directing readers’ attention to how obscene it is to celebrate privilege and athletic skill in the same space as desperate people in Louisiana about to have resources kept from thembyTrump and these “representatives of the people.” Better reportagewould have covered howmany of theseathletes’ siblings and families will run out of grocery money just as school meal programs areclosing down and Thanksgiving arrives.
Oh, well, it’sonly hunger Keep on with the irony!
KATHLEEN RANDALL Baton Rouge
Don’tlet SupremeCourt setbackLouisiana’s progress
The same year as BloodySunday in Selma, Alabama, there was acivil rightsmarch from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge. In contrast to Alabama Gov.George Wallace’sorder to block and provoke theprotestors, La. Gov.John McKeithan told police to step aside so that thecivil rights marchers could reach thecapital safely While Louisianahas along history of horrific treatment of Black people, there are also numerous bright spots that lift Louisiana above our neighboring states. We have one of those oppor-
tunities now The Supreme Court seemspoised to completely undo the Voting Rights Act. Most punditsare predicting our Legislature will obliterate Louisiana’s two African American majority districts,ensuring an all-White congressional representation. While it might feel like an inevitability nationwide, it does not have to be true here in Louisiana. All it takes is ahandful of Republican legislators to embrace the best of this state’stradition. THE REV.NATHAN RYAN Baton Rouge
Stateneedsto learna lesson from Kellysaga
It isn’tthat coach Brian Kelly failed to deliver on expectations at LSU.There are ahundred reasons forthe inevitable demise of acoach’s tenure, including bad luck. To be kind, let’sjust say Kelly had arun of bad luck and now somebody has to pay Millions of words will be written and spoken about what went wrong and whoistoblame. But I’d like to challenge the working press to provide acomplete list of every individual responsible forKelly’s contract that has exposed the school to such liability,aswell as those who executed the dismissal. Inquiries should include their justification for approving such acontract. Further, were there any pledges to contribute to the cost of abuyout should one be required?
There will be another coach and another contract, but it shouldn’tbe negotiated by the samepeople. Ican’thelp but fume when Ithink of how those funds could have been better spent forreal educators in Louisiana.
JERRYDUPAS
Metairie
Shutdown is nonpartisan
Let’sstop calling this aRepublican or Democrat shutdown. It is neither This is an American shutdown. Every member of Congress was elected by the people, and together they represent all Americans. They are also the only body that can reopen our government. It is their shared responsibility to do so, and quickly
Blaming one party or the other only continues the division. The people suffering from this shutdownare both Republicans and Democrats. They are teachers, families, veterans, small business owners —all Americans. Congress must come together,put party politics aside and get the job done that they were elected to do. Enough blameand hate.
The American people deserve leadership, not stalemate.
KATHY ADERMAN Baton
Rouge
Anchor’s ouster speaks volumes
Will Sutton
Beloved former New Orleans journalist Michelle Miller is outatCBS and we’re watching anewsdrain that seems targeted to destroydiverse new content in favor of the homogenous perspectives of the past. Miller,aCBS national correspondent and co-anchor of the “CBSSaturday Morning” show,was one of hundredsofjournalists and other staff laid off as part of what Paramount Skydance sees as anew day.The new company was created in August when the FCC approved themerger of ParamountGlobal, which owned CBS, and Skydance Media in July.There were antitrust concerns expressed and alarm bells went off, but the FCC considered thoseconcerns something less than important. Perhaps the new ownersdidn’tlook at the data that shows that CBSSaturday Morning scoredbetter than theweekday “CBS Morning Show” some days. Perhaps they didn’tappreciate the diverse storylines and the long-form journalism.
What Isee is adeepening of White, conservative, Republican values having agrave impact on news media we have counted on to go beyond reporting one side of astory to includetwo, three and more sides of an issue. Let me take you beyond Miller’sunceremonious dismissal.
Our nation is about to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026. For nearly all of that time, White men owned,operated and decided what was news. Sure, there were some smaller publications that provided some differentperspectives, but none that rivaled those that became major,“mainstream”media: ABC, CBS, NBC then CNN, ESPN and MSNBC. The New York Times, The Washington Post,the Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Advocate and The Times-Picayune. More recently,we’ve seen avariety of news startups, including Politico, Axios andHuffPost.
I’ve had the opportunityto meetand get to know some of the leaders of those news organizations. To aperson,I believe that each thought they were doing the right thing as they determined and shaped the news.The best among them knew that their White, largely male experiences alone were not enough to accuratelyreflect thenews of the day.So, they deliberately made
their staffs more diverse —even welcomingBlack, Latino, Asian and other journalists and media professionals into high-profile roles such as anchors, executiveproducers, editors and managing editors in recent decades. Lots of people know thename of conservativebusinessman Rupert Murdoch. He created News Corp., and that led to Fox News, Fox Sportsand ownership of The Wall Street Journal, oneofthe world’smost respected newspapers. Youmight remember Oracle founder Larry Ellison. He becamerich from his company’stech success. He passed on business to hissons, including David Ellison, who negotiated the Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger, approved byPresident Donald Trump’s administration. What we’re seeing happen atCBS is just thebeginning of a conservativenews media reset. And it doesn’tstop there. David Ellison’syounger brother is going afterWarnerBros. Discovery which ownsHBO and CNN. Meanwhile, theelder Ellison, the 81-year-old father,ispart of aU.S. buyer group that wants to buy TikTok from the Chinese to win the hearts of Trumpand otherswho want to save America from dataleakages.
What is happening is anews media collapse as some news outlets fold and others merge, consolidating operations to cut costs while also saving or redirecting money by cutting people. Mill-
er’sshow was cut so much that only a handful of people are left.Oftentimes, we’ve seen more diverse news coverage led by diverse weekend staffs as those journalistsadvance to theweekdays. These cutscome as some major outlets cut their staffs. CNN said it had to lay off about 200. By theway,this is thesame CNN that created arace and equality team in 2020 only to disband it in 2024 as political winds blew in adifferent direction.
I’m all for adiversity of opinions in news and commentary.But takinga conservative approach to news coverage isn’tthe way togo.
I’ve known Miller for decades. I’ve watched her grow as ajournalist, as a writer,asananchor and as anational correspondent. CBS and its new ownership madeits decision. Likemany of us in this news media world, she’shad someprofessional ups and downs. ButI’ve never seen her stop working to use her unique set of personal and professional experiences to educate and inform viewers,readers and students. As I’ve often heard her say,“Asetback is nothing but asetup for acomeback.”
Miller always has something going on. She’sfinishing asecond book. With theCBS decision, she’sexploring news, writing and other opportunities. I’ll tell you this:The sister ain’tdone yet.
Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com
Nostalgianeeds areality check
Nostalgia used to be something produced and consumed on an artisanal scale. Youcould rifle through theattic and stare at glassy-eyed daguerreotypes, or huddle around the fireon a winter evening and let grandpatell you ‘bout the fine, hardworking folks he fought with at theSecondBattleof Bull Run.
Once or twice ayear abig historical novel or biopic might make you wistful for the days when men were real men, women were real women and children died of scurvy Today nostalgia is mass-produced, and Ifear it is getting out of hand. Ifollow five Facebook pages devoted to mid-centurykitsch, afew more dedicated to vintage appliances and influencers who specialize in old recipesorcostumes. Iheartily urge this pleasant pastime upon all my readers. But Ialso urge you to remember thatthese delightful snapshotsofhistory are not thewhole thing. The inability to puthistory into perspective is not just deformingour perception of the past; it is deforming ourpolitics.
In Democrat-run areas, please turn off thelights
The phrase about turning off the lights when one leaves someplace appears to have originated with two real estate agents in Seattle. It was 1971 and Boeing was laying off employees during an economic downturn. It was meant to be humorous, though the unemployed probably didn’tsee it that way
During the Arab oil boycott in 1973, Houston newspapers invoked the phrase as they sought to lure people from the North, which was suffering from high unemployment, fuel shortages and economic stagnation. Newspaper ads told of job openings with good salaries and benefits. Now comethe folks at Unleash Prosperity anonpartisan group focused on “educating policymakers and the public about government policies proven to maximize economic growth,” who have resurrected aform of the phrase (linked to aBilly Joel song) and applied it to Tuesday’selections in New York City and New Jersey.Prosperity’sbillboards, which have been placed along major thoroughfares, say respectively: “New Jersey isn’tmoving up. Families are moving out.” And “New Yorkers aren’tmoving up. They’re moving out.” That would be to places like Texas and Florida, where there are no state income taxes and life is perceived to be safer and less expensive.
Stephen Moore, co-founder of Unleash Prosperity,and aformer senior Trumpeconomic adviser writes, “New York has lost nearly two millionresidents to other states over the last decade and New Jersey almost ahalf million. New York has lost roughly $111 billion in income and New Jersey has lost $31 billion. These states must change or the last person in the state will have to turn off the lights.” Democrats, who have mostly run New Jersey and New York City (and state) for decades are prisoners of their bad economic philosophy and seem unwilling or unable to change. One can already hear the excuse for another tax increase should Democrats continue to prevail: “Wehave lost much of our tax base, so taxes must be raised.”
your seat for an entire day,which is why long international flights still offer better food and amenities than short domestic hops.
More people will then leave and Democrats will repeat themselves, including punishing “the rich,” who are the ones paying the most taxes and hiring people who pay taxes. Astudy published last year and billed as “the first-ever systematic analysis of 110 years of state income tax implementation throughout the United States,” highlighted the consequences when taxpayers leave high tax states for states with lower or no state income taxes. It was published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy and titled “The Introduction of the Income Tax, Fiscal Capacity,and Migration: Evidence from U.S. States” and co-authored by Ugo Antonio Troiano, an economist and associate professor at the University of California, Riverside. The analysis looks at pre-World WarIIand post-World WarIIpersonal incometax impacts.
ega McArdle M n
Yes, you might (if you are like me) yearn for agorgeous 1950s Chambers range with its retro-space-agedesign. Its sturdy cast-iron construction and superior insulation meant that the food continued cooking longafter you turned the gas off. Youshouldalso note thatfew people todayare so strapped for cash that they will go to great lengths to economize on afew minutes of gas. That fortresslike construction unfortunately left little room for triflessuch as ovens. A1952 Consumer Reports rating lists the oven dimensions of a Chambers range as 12 by 19 by 19 inch-
es, which was typical for the period, while modern ranges frequently offer twice thecubic footage. It lacked contemporary features such as self-cleaning or automatic ignition. Oh, anditcost $439, roughly 20% of themedian annual income in 1952. One of thecheapest models Consumer Reportstested was $129.95, about $1,500 in today’sdollars —orabout two times what you’d pay if you ran down to HomeDepot and selected abasic Whirlpool or GE model. As ashare of income, thedifference is even more dramatic: Abasic gas stove cost almost 6% of median income in 1952, vs. about 1% today Or take travel nostalgia, a perennial favoriteamonglower-tier white-collar workers. As we cram into cattle class and contemplate our grim bags of stale pretzels, we salivate over those old ads featuring steak dinners or cut-to-order charcuterie being served to grinning passengers dressed to the nines. We forget why those passengers were dressed in their Sunday best rather than their sweatpants. Airtravel was extremely expensive, so it was an elite experience that people dressed up for. (Inthe 1950s,mymother was required to wear ahat and gloves just to pickpeopleupatthe airport.) In 1951, Trans World Airlines would fly you from New York to Los Angeles for only $110 —almost $1,400 in today’s dollars, for an 11-hour trip on anoisy propeller plane. That’s one way.Today American Airlines, which bought TWAin2001, will sell you a round trip for $427 that goes nonstop in halfthe time. The food was in part compensation for the cost and experience —the quality of thefood matters more if youare going to be stuck in
That goes double if you are tempted to romanticizethe bygone glamour of ship or rail travel, with wood-paneled dining cars and bunks to sleep in. Those amenities existed because people took along time to make journeys we now cover in afew hours.
You’re apt tobemoreinterested in thequalityofthe dining experience and more willing to pay apremiumfor nice surroundings —when that’sall you have for days on end. Especially if they distract you from thesoot that tends to blow everywhere when your trip is powered by asteam engine. Old things were better in certain ways, but they were not better,period, unless you ignore critical dimensions such as convenience, safetyand cost. Dreaming of the past while imagining all the drawbacks away is …well, a dream While dreams are fine, in their place, I’m afraid we’re not doing agreat job of keeping them there. Those fantasies belong to therealm of pure imagination,along with fairies, elves and Powerball tickets. Butmysocial media feed is filled with people who seem to takethem seriously,including the vice president,who has athing for old refrigerators, and thepresident of the United States, who wants to tariff our way back to theMcKinley administration
We can’tgoback to those days, but moreimportantly,noone would want to, if they actually understood what it would cost.
MeganMcArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo
The state-level tax policies from 1900 to 2010 examined in the paper reveal that income tax adopting states increased revenue per capita by 12% to 17%, but those increases did not correspond to increases in total revenues for the government in monetary terms. This is because the introduction of state income taxes in the post-World WarIIera led to out-migration by wealthy Americans.
“Personal income tax means atax upon labor income, first introduced for the purpose of redistribution of wealth,” said Troiano, whose expertise includes politics and economics. “The idea was to provide services to poorer parts of the population and reduce inequality between low-income and highincome residents.”
Unfortunately,the tax-raising Democrats failed to take human nature into account. People who have the resources also have the option of moving to more economically friendly locations. Many have, but like aVietnam anti-war song said: “We’re waist deep in the big muddy and the big fool says to push on.” In this case, it’snot an unpopular war, but debt and taxes, because Democrat-run cities and states can’tlive within the means they are given.
Democrats are being held prisoners to their failed ideology by the far left. As aresult, more people in New York City,New Jersey and other states with high taxes have their fingers on the light switch and their car engine is running.
Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com. He is on X, @CalThomas.
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Former U.S. AttorneyGeneral Eric Holder,right, is interviewedbyCBS News correspondent Michelle Miller at the 2023 NewOrleans Book Festival at Tulane University
Jeffersonteacher wins $25K excellence award
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
Sarah Watkins sat on the bleachers with her students during an assembly at Worley Middle School in Westwego on Tuesday to listen to what they thought would be apresentation aboutthe school’s academic progress.
Instead, the crowd erupted into stunned cheers as officialsannouncedthatWatkins, who teaches eighth grade English at Worley,was the only educator in Louisiana this yeartoreceive one of the highest national honors in teaching.
“Thisisone of the best educatorsinthe entire country,” Joshua Barnett, CEO of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching, said as colleagues helpedashocked Watkins to the podium to receive an oversized check Watkins is one of just 30 recipients across the country to receive the prestigious Milken Awardfor the202526 school year.The distinctioncomes with a$25,000 prize, which recipients can spend however theychoose.
Watkins’ colleagues said sheiswellknowninthe school as atough butfair educator whogoes above and beyond to help her students and fellow teachers.
BYMATTBRUCE Staff writer
For three years, Samrat Mukherjee was living the dream of being ayoung doctor.Hehad access to Baton Rouge hospitals, he wore a flight surgeon’suniform to work, he often showed off his medical degree and he even threw himself aparty to celebrate his graduation from medical school
But there was one glaring problem: It was all alie, part of what federal prosecutors described as a“yearslong fantasy” Mukherjee hadof being alicensed physician
On Tuesday,afederal judge sentenced Mukherjee to six months in prison for masquerading as adoctor at several Baton Rouge-area hospitals.
Mukherjee, 37, pleaded guilty in March to afelony count of making false statements relating to health care matters. The charge carried afive-year maximum. But in their presentencing report,federalprobation and parole investigators recommended aprison stint between six months and ayear
U.S. District Judge John deGravelles opted for the low end, citing the fact that the defendant had no pre-
SHERIFF
Continued from page1B
hometown to teach.
After earning an undergraduate degree in secondaryEnglish education from Dillard University in New Orleans, she made good on that promise, starting out her career at acharter school in Algiers before moving on to Gretna Middle School in Jefferson Parish.
“I fell in love”withteaching, Watkinssaid. “I never wanted to do administration, Ionlywanted to be in the classroom.”
At Worley,Watkins fosters alove of learning by encouraging her students to ask questions and participatein lively debates, school leaders said.
parentand familyengagementcoordinatorand helps plan homecoming and the school’s eighth grade “movingup” ceremony. Watkins’ firm but loving approach hasearned herthe respect of colleagues and students, manysaid
“She shows us thatshe understands us, andshe takes time to instill lessonsinus,” said Lyrice Alveris, one of Watkins’ students.“Ithink herbeing understanding andconsiderateofusiswhat makes her abetterteacher.”
Westwegoschool on Tuesday.
“There’snoone more deserving than her,” said PrincipalDahme Bolden, “because she’sinspiring not only to students,but staff gravitate to her.” The award, sometimes referred to as the“Oscars of Teaching,” is anational recognition given by theprivate Milken Family Foundation to midcareer K-12 educators whohave displayed excellence in the classroom. Winners receive$25,000and a summertrip to Washington, D.C., where they’re givenan opportunity to meet and col-
laborate with other Milken recipients from across the country
Candidates are selected through aprocess that prioritizesteachers who have demonstratedeffectiveness as instructors, according to thefoundation—a trait Watkins’ colleagues say has defined her 16 years in the classroom
An Illinois native whose parents have roots in New Orleans’ Algiers neighborhood, Watkins said she always knew she wanted to move backtoher family’s
Atechnology coordinator and mentor teacher at her school, she coaches other educators and demonstrates teaching practices. The Louisiana Department of Education has used her lessons as amodel to train other teachers, and the Jefferson Parish school districthas featured recordings of Watkinscoachingother teachersand giving themfeedback during staff trainings.
Outside of class, Watkins tutors students and attends school athletic events, where she oftenworks theconcessions stand, school officials said. She also serves as a
Thestate’s largest school district, Jefferson Parish recently celebrated its own achievement —earning an overall “B” ratingfrom the state lastyear forthe first time in nearlya decade.
During an assembly Tuesday,state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley andJefferson Parish Public Schools Superintendent James Gray attributed the improvements to the hard work of teachers like Watkins.
Therecognition “reaffirms that we’re doing the right work with the right people, andthey’re doingitfor the right reasons,” Gray said. “I think we do an amazing job of producing quality work,and we have teacherswho are really dedicated to their craft.”
vious criminal history and hascontinued hiseducation since being indicted Mukherjee is currently pursuing amaster’sdegree in public health, with dreams of one day becoming apolicymaker in thefield.
Despite those strides, the judge toldMukherjee he had to pay consequences for hisfraudulent actions.
“Weare indeed luckyno injuries were suffered from this, but there very well could’ve been,” deGravelles said. “Sothe notion thatthis was just ayoung man trying to impress dates and it was afantasy.No, this was real and it was real forthree years. Andinthe court’s view,itwas extremely serious.”
Mukherjee wasa BatonRougeparamedic who worked for Acadian Ambulance Service, amedical transport company based in Lafayette. Butin2018, he began telling his friends and co-workers he was alicensed medical doctor
Although he never graduatedmedical school and hadn’teven completedhis undergraduatestudies at that point, Mukherjee began presenting afakedegree fromthe Tulane University School of Medicine. He wore clothes embroidered
with “M.D.” and “Flight Surgeon” insignia and even created afraudulent residency“match letter.” The fake credentials got him a resident physician’sbadge at Baton Rouge General Medical Center under false pretenses. He wore awhite lab coat embroidered with “SamratMukerjeeM.D.” and he was granted full access to several other area hospitals.
Mukherjeetreated an undetermined number of patients andvisitedmany of them in their hospital rooms. Prosecutors said at least one of those was a cancer patient.They pointed outthatMukherjeevisited the ICU at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center at leasttwice in his doctor’suniform to visit patients, whobelieved he was an actual physician.
He called in 37 prescriptions to local pharmacies for himself andother patients between May 2019 andNovember 2022, claimingtobeacredentialed doctor.Heassumed the identities of two actual doctorsand used their National ProviderIdentifier, numbers to prescribe the meds under false pretenses.
Mukherjee’sattorney noted the defendant nev-
er made any money off theploy and suggested Mukherjee did it to impress thewomen he was dating.
“This was social gamesmanship, poorlythought out, no doubt,”defense attorneyJoseph Scottsaid. “Perhaps if you put on a white coat, youassume a certain level of authority But nobody hung ashingle.”
DeGravellesdisagreed with that assessment, pointing to thegravityof Mukherjee’sdeceptions.
“This was notpurely a fantasy or game,” deGravelles said. “You were representing yourself to be adoctor, youwereprescribing medicines to people —including to acancer patient. Andyou were walking into patients’rooms. Youdidn’t have to hang up ashingle. Youwere walking around a hospital wearing auniform withadoctor’semblem on it.”
Dr.Loi le,a physician at OchsnerMedical Center, wasone of the doctors whose identity Mukherjee used to prescribe medicines. He reported Mukherjee in December 2022. The men were longtimefriends who met whileattending undergraduate classes together at LSU.
But Le said his former
roommate’sactions limited hispractice. He hadto call the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to tell it to no longer accept call-in prescriptions in his name.
Le toldthe judge about a3-year-old patient with a skull fracture whoMukherjee examined and told the child to walk despite the severity of the injuries. He said his former friend showed a“profound lack of medical understanding,” and people could have been seriouslyhurtbyhis ill-advised treatments.
“Once you put this coat on to see patients and introduce yourself as adoctor, it hasmeaning,”Lesaid as he slipped on his white doctor’slab coat in thecourtroom.“Thepatientsput theirfaith in you. Youdon’t simply embroider your name on it andtelleveryoneintown that you’re a physician.”
Unterio Lewis, 46, also died at the jail earlierthis year from drug toxicity The coroner identified ketamine, fentanyl, amphetamine, methamphetamine and Delta-9 THC in his systematthe time of death.
The sheriff requested thefunds for afull-body scanner to combat the recent overdoses caused by contraband,Parish Council ChairCareyDenstel said Abudget amendment of $226,500 for the detention center appeared on aParishCouncil meeting agenda in October,but waspost-
inmate. He suffered amedical emergency shortly afterward and died in the hospital days later The coroner’sreportsaid his cause of death wasacute synthetic cannabinoidtoxicity After afacilitywide shakedown, corrections staff found contraband including homemade weapons, prescription medications from the medical departmentand papers soaked in unknown substances. Some of these papers tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids, accordingto the Sheriff’s Office release.
poneduntil the hearings for the 2026 departmental budgets, which started this week.
“They’ve had some issues at the detention center,the Sheriff’s Department has,” Denstel said. “This is to add some upgrades to the detention center at therequest of thesheriff.”
Denstel said the expense, which will provide for the purchase,installationand training for afull-body scanner system,willnot be aproblem for thedetention center because it already has a“hefty” balance.
“It is our jail, and it is our responsibility to keep the jail upgradedand safe and
to keep thesecuritymeasures upgraded,” Denstel said.
Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.
LOTTERY
MONDAY,NOV.3,2025
PICK 3: 8-8-9
PICK 4: 5-2-2-4
PICK 5: 7-4-6-4-7
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Joni Lacy,center,the Milken coordinator forthe Louisiana Department of Education, givesStella Worley Middle School eighth grade teacher Sarah Watkins, right, a hug after it was announced that Watkins wasthis year’s recipientofthe prestigious award during asurprise ceremonyatthe
UL sees dangersbeyondBobcats’record
TexasState winlessinSBC despitetop-rated offense
UL survived its first bowl-eligibility elimination game witha 31-22 win at South Alabama.
Next up is Texas State at 4p.m.Saturday at Our LadyofLourdes Stadium. At first glance, it’sagood matchup for UL (3-6, 2-3 SunBelt)
For one, Texas State is 0-12 against the Cajunsall-time. Secondly, theBobcats are 3-5 overall and 0-4inSun Belt
play.Georgia State is the only other SBCteam without aconference win.
Butonce you get past therecords, little looks easy about UL’s next opponent
“You’re playing ateam that is really scary,particularly on offense,” coach Michael Desormeaux said. “They’ve got alot of weapons. They can score quickly.They createalot of explosives,
and they give you alot of problems on defense, too.”
The Bobcats are struggling to win games, but easily could be 3-1 in the Sun Belt.
The winning score in a31-30 loss at Arkansas Statecame with seven seconds left to play
The 48-41 overtime loss to Troy happened despitethe Bobcats holding leads of 21-0, 28-7 and 31-14, and never trailing in regulation. The loss at Marshall was 40-37 in double overtime, but the Bobcats did
MAKING APOINT
BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer
Assists and scoring averages aren’twhat’smost important to the newLSU point guard.
The priority of atrue floor general is simple forDedan Thomas Jr.and his father,Dedan Thomas Sr
“Point guards are judged on wins and losses, and he understands that,” said the olderThomas, apoint guard at UNLVfrom1991-94.
At 4years old, the younger Thomas was in the gym watching before eventuallyplaying for his dad’sWest Coast Basketball AAU program. His dad used some of the same principles he learned from his former college coach, Jerry Tarkanian— a Naismith Memorial BasketballHall of Famer
“Definitely taught me dang near everything Iknow,” Thomassaid about his dad. “I wouldn’tbeinthis position without him.”
Playing thegamethe rightway is the onlyway for the LSUjunior. Being aquintessential point guard is how the 6-foot-1 lefty became theNo. 32 recruit in the 2023 high school class, according to 247Sports It’s also what madehim sought after when he enteredthe transfer portal after two seasons at UNLV.
LSU coachMatt McMahonand associate coach David Patrick—a pair of former college point guards themselves— contactedThomas and spoke to him every day untilhe committed to the Tigers on March 31.
“I could just feel how much they reallybelieved in me just over the phone,” he said.
the
LSUguard Dedan
get crushed by James Madison 52-20.
The next concerning thing about Texas State is its explosive offense. Most last-place teams aren’tranked No. 2inthe league in passing, No. 2 in rushing and No. 1intotal offense. Most last-place teams don’thave the conference leader in total offensein quarterback Brad Jackson, who also leads the Sun Belt in yards passing per game. The Bobcats also have the leading
It’s Alabamaweek, but the contest everyone is focused on is this: Who will be the next LSU football coach?
The search forBrian Kelly’s successor is being led by Verge Ausberry,who wasthe interim athletic director until new LSU president Wade Mousse named him the permanent replacement forScott Woodward on Tuesday evening. But the way Gov.Jeff Landry has inserted himself into the search complicates matters.
One thing is certain: Someone will want to take the LSU job. We’ve compiled a list of 10 names whoweconsider among the mostnotable names forthe LSU vacancy,listed in alphabetical order
JoeBrady
CURRENT POSITION:Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator,fourth season
AGE:36
SALARY:N/A
RÉSUMÉ:Bills full-timeOCsince 2024 (was interim OC in 2023). WonBroyles Award as top college assistant in 2019 at LSU.
WHATARE THECHANCES?:Brady’s one highly successful season at LSU makes him atrendy choice forthe job, but he never liked recruiting. At all. Seemsmore likely to becomeanNFL head coach one day
Jeff Brohm
CURRENT POSITION:Louisville head coach, third season
AGE:54
SALARY:$5,981,057 per year
up the courtduring aSept.24practice. The UNLV transfer will help lead the Tigers in their season
against Tarleton State on Wednesday. ä See THOMAS, page 3C
Saints tradeShaheed,Penning on deadline
In exchange, N.O. gets twodraft picks in 2026,one in ’27
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
When the dust settled on the NFL trade deadline, the New Orleans Saints emerged with threemore draft picks for their war chest. The cost wastwo starting players from their 1-8 football team —both of whom, in different ways, represented the areas the franchise has come up short in recent years. The Saints started things by sending receiver Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks for fourthand fifth-round picks in next year’s draft. Minutes before the 3p.m. buzzer,they completed atrade with the offensive line-needy Los
AngelesChargers, acquiring a 2027 sixth-rounder inexchange for offensive lineman Trevor Penning.
“Wefeel like this can continue to build ayoung foundation that’s going to carry this thing fora long time,” coach Kellen Moore said Tuesday to WWL-AM. Both Shaheed andPenning had started each game in which they wereavailable this season. Both also were playinginthe final year of their contracts.Ofthe two, Shaheed was the more difficult decisionfor an organization that is in themidstofarebuild.
He was,atone time, an example of the things the Saints did right
as afranchise. Shaheed joined the Saints as an undraftedfreeagent out of Weber State —anundersized player from asmallschool who was coming off aseasonending injury in his finalcollegiate campaign. With theSaints, Shaheed blossomedintoone of themoreelectrifying playmakers in theNFL. He turnedhis first career touch —an endaround midway through the 2022 season —into a44-yard touchdown. Thatwas the first of his16 scrimmageplays of 40-plus yards with theSaints, more than any NFLplayerexcept Miami receiver Tyreek Hill during that span.
“His ability to separate downfield is second to none in this league, Mooresaid.“He’llcontinue to do it (withSeattle).”
Shaheed added value in the return gameaswell, earning Pro Bowl andfirst-team All-Pro honors as areturn specialist in 2023. Four of Shaheed’s64career punt returns gained 40 or moreyards,
andtwo went for touchdowns
But New Orleans never could figureout howtofully tapinto his play-making potential. He topped outat719 yards receiving in 2023. He looked well on his way to shattering that last season, accumulating at least 70 yards in fourofhis first five gamesunderoffensive coordinator Klint Kubiak —whom Shaheed reunites with in Seattle —but aknee injury cut hisseason short after six games. This season as theNo. 2wide receiver,Shaheed put up respectable numbers— 44 catches for 499 yards and two TDs —but his 11.3 yardsper catch is morethan 5yards below hiscareer average comingintothe season.
New Orleans may have been bracingfor hisdeparture earlier this offseason.The Saints traded afourth-round pick shortly before thestart of the season for Devaughn Vele,and they also ac-
RÉSUMÉ:92-53 record (26-9 at Louisville)
WHATARE THECHANCES?:Brohm is aLouisville guy through and through, so tough sell. But four wins against AP top-five teams and offensive acumen makehim worth considering.
EliDrinkwitz
CURRENT POSITION:Missouri head coach, sixth season
AGE:42
SALARY:$9million ayear
RÉSUMÉ:56-27 record (44-26 at Missouri). WonSun Belt title in 2019 at Appalachian State and was 2023 SEC coach of the year
WHATARE THECHANCES?:Drinkwitz has squeezed alot of wins out of Mizzou, but he is 7-16 against AP Top25teams. That said, he’sa bright offensive mind and likely would take the job if offered.
BrentKey
CURRENT POSITION:Georgia Tech head coach, fourth season
AGE:47
SALARY:$4,500,000 ayear
RÉSUMÉ:26-17 record (all at Georgia Tech)
WHATARE THECHANCES?: Like Brohm,Key is coaching at his alma mater and that could make him play hard to get. But the way he’smade Georgia Tech an ACC/
Scott Rabalais
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Thomas Jr.takes
ball
opener
Westminster looks to wrap up district title
Surging St. Edmund has won four straight
BY MIKE COPPAGE
Contributing writer
Westminster Christian can wrap up a perfect regular season, secure a top playoff seed and capture a district football championship when St. Edmund visits the Crusaders on Thursday in Opelousas.
The most recent league title for Westminster was in 2016. UL track and field coach Tommy Badon, whom Crusaders coach Byron Porter invited to speak at training camp, guided the program to its last undefeated season in 2011.
“This is the second year we’ve had everyone on this coaching staff,” Porter said. “During the summer, the coaches built a solid foundation.”
The Crusaders (9-0, 5-0 District 5-1A), who hold the No. 1 power rating in Division IV select, have stayed grounded while outscoring Berchmans Academy and North Central 125-0 the past two weeks.
“We talked about making it about ourselves and not who we’re playing,” Porter said. “We want to cross the T’s and dot the I’s regardless of who shows up on the other sideline.”
St. Edmund (8-1, 4-1) will arrive with a head full of steam. The Blue Jays, No. 7 in Division IV, have won four in a row and are coming off their first victory against Catholic of Pointe Coupee in 14 years.
“This is their year,” Blue Jays coach James Shiver said of WCA. “They’re really good. I’ve watched
LARGE SCHOOLS (5A-4A)
1. Teurlings (9-0): No, the Rebels didn’t keep scoring over 50 points in their grudge match against St. Thomas More. But Teurlings did score 35 unanswered points after an early 14-3 deficit to nail down a seasonlong No. 1 ranking in this poll.
2. Acadiana (6-3): The Rams seem like a different team than the one that started 0-3.Acadiana has certainly found its stride after an expected transition under a new coaching staff. Now the Rams face many of their old coaches against Carencro on Friday.
3. Southside (7-2): “Wow” is the only suitable reaction to describe Southside’s 70-35 beatdown of Carencro last week.The Sharks’ rushing attack took advantage of the Bears’ tackling issues for 681 rushing yards. Now Southside gets to rest and refocus for the playoffs with winless New Iberia up next.
4 St.Thomas More (6-3): The game at Teurlings this past Friday started off well. STM was running the ball, jumping out to a 14-3 lead But as
Continued from page 1C
tackler in the league in linebacker Treylin Payne at 10.7 tackles per game. Simply put, the Bobcats offense is explosive with 14 rushing plays of 20 or more yards on the season and 30 passing plays of 20 or more yards. That includes five running plays of more than 50 yards and seven passing plays of more than 50 yards.
“You certainly can’t let them get out in front of you,” Desormeaux said. “You know, because chipping away and coming back is hard to do.”
In its first three Sun Belt games, Texas State exceeded 500
Westminster coach Byron Porter — shown here celebrating with defensive tackle Tonnerick Hayes, second from left, during an earlier win, — is hoping to finish off a 10-0 regular season Thursday.
a lot of film, and it’s tough to find any weaknesses.”
The Crusaders and Blue Jays both have relied on the big play WCA quarterback Stephen George has thrown for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. Receivers Damien Thomas, Gavin Frith and Evan Lemon all average at least 23 yards per catch and have combined for 16 touchdowns on 38 receptions.
“I watched Stephen George’s dad (Sam) play in high school,” Shiver said. It’s in his DNA to be successful. He’s a great player and is doing a great job. We’ll have to slow down their passing game, limit mistakes and bottle up No. 21 (Kyle Horde).”
Horde, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound
ACADIANA AREA POLLS
soon as pressure in the backfield forced an interception, the Cougars had no answer. STM will regroup for a home game against North Vermilion.
5. Carencro (6-3): Giving up a ton of rushing yards to Southside may not have been a huge shock, but the lack of efficiency and explosiveness in the passing game over the first three quarters had to be alarming Unfortunately for the Bears, next up is Acadiana, which held Southside to 14 points the week before.
SMALL SCHOOLS (3A AND BELOW)
1. Lafayette Christian (8-1): The Knights delighted their fans with about as exciting a finish as possible in the 24-22 home win over Evangel last week.As expected, LCA’s defense challenged the Eagles’ highflying attack like few others could. Barring unforeseen injuries, it’s hard not to imagine the Knights making a deep playoff run.
2. Notre Dame (7-2): The Pioneers offense came up big in a comfortable home win over Lafayette Renaissance to get to 7-2 against
yards of offense. Its rushing leader is former Arkansas State running back Lincoln Pare (130-648, 9 TDs), but Jackson (106-427, 9 TDs) is a dangerous runner as well.
He’s also got two dangerous targets in Beau Sparks (51-741, 6 TDs) and Chris Dawn (27-511).
“If you’re giving up chunk plays and they’re staying ahead of schedule and they can stay on time with their tempo, they’re hard to stop,” Desormeaux said.
On the flip side, the Bobcats defense is last in the Sun Belt in pass defense and 13th in total defense, so the UL offense should have some fun as well.
The question is, can the Cajuns win a shootout against a team that’s built for shootouts?
In the past, Texas State has been ultra aggressive on de-
junior leads WCA in rushing and is averaging 11 yards per carry Cayden Brown and George have combined for 80 carries, 625 yards and nine touchdowns.
“Our staff does a great job of keeping everyone even keeled,” said Porter, whose son Brandon is the offensive coordinator “It’s ‘never that bad’ and ‘never that good’ with us.”
The Blue Jays’ only loss was to a healthy Opelousas Catholic squad that subsequently was hit hard by injuries. Quarterback Nathan Zaunbrecher, a first-year starter at the position, has passed for 1,586 yards on 62 completions and 16 TDs with two interceptions.
Nathan Driggs replaced 1,000yard rusher and senior Henry
a rugged schedule that included a win over Southside and a loss to Teurlings Notre Dame’s playoff run will be interesting to follow.
3. Erath (9-0): It’s becoming apparent the Bobcats won’t be challenged until the postseason. Erath destroyed another parish rival in Kaplan for the first 9-0 start in school history. Next up is Abbeville, which failed to deliver an encore performance after its win over Kaplan.
4. Westminster (9-0): The good news for the Crusaders is they’re only one win away from a 10-0 season. The bad news is the challenges keep coming in deep District 5-1A with an 8-1 St. Edmund squad next up Thursday with the district title on the line.
5. Catholic-NI Panthers (7-2): Like most quality teams do, Catholic High bounced back in a major way after the surprising upset loss to Loreauville with a 55-6 dismantling of 7-1 West St. Mary. Owen Morris carried a huge load in the rebound win.
Kevin Foote
fense.
“I don’t know if they’re quite as much as last year, but I think they’re still creating some negative plays upfront,” Desormeaux said. “They’re still active with their front.
“They still bring quite a few people, and they’re really aggressive, but it’s not quite as many variables maybe as last year as far as fronts go.”
Making this matchup even more fascinating is how UL’s more conservative defensive approach matches up with the explosive Texas State offense.
“I talked about it with the staff (Monday) after a couple days into looking at this thing, that’s going to be a key,” Desormeaux said. “If we can limit the explosives on defense and on offense, if we can avoid turning the ball
Summerlin from last year’s quarterfinal team and has gained 975 yards on 111 carries with 14 touchdowns.
Junior Hudson Simon (19-501, seven TDs) leads the receiving corps, which is averaging 26 yards per catch Short-yardage specialist Wyatt Dubois has rushed for 17 touchdowns on 38 carries and will be tasked with the job of slowing down Horde from his linebacker position.
“Listen, he’s so special,” Shiver said of Dubois, who has been almost automatic on two-point conversion runs “He has over 100 tackles. We only use him from time-to-time on offense.”
St. Edmund is somewhat of a surprise team in that the Blue Jays graduated more than 20 seniors last year, a rare occurrence in Class 1A football.
“They’re so fun to coach,” Shiver said. “It’s a magical group. Nobody gave us a shot, and here we are with a chance to play for the district title.”
Zaunbrecher, a 4.0 student, played defensive end last season for the Blue Jays, who overhauled their offensive system a couple of years ago and now run the same scheme from elementary school on up.
“Coach Shiver is a good coach,” Porter said. “The proof is in the pudding. They lost all those seniors and have the same record as last year
“St. Edmund is very meticulous in what they do. They play a lot of 7-on-7 and take shots down the field. They’re playing very well. I’m not surprised they’re where they are.”
Volleyball Area playoff pairings Division I No. 19 Covington at No. 14 Lafayette High, 5 p.m. Wednesday No. 27 Terrebonne at No. 6 Southside 5 p.m. Thursday Division II No. 32 LaGrange at No. 1 St. Thomas More, 5 p.m. Thursday
No. 23 David Thibodaux at No. 10 Belle Chasse, 5 p.m. Wednesday No. 18 Edna Karr at No. 15 North Vermilion, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Division III No. 17 West Feliciana at No. 16 Rayne,
over and be efficient in the red zone. That’s going to be the key to the game, but that’s easier to say than to do. You know, you got to kind of pick your poison on defense.”
Desormeaux is too focused on his own team to worry about the angle of Texas State leaving the Sun Belt after this season.
“We’re focused on winning because we have to,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s where our focus is at.”
On the other hand, Texas State likely can’t wait to leave the Sun Belt after the 0-4 start. But beating the Cajuns for the first time is something the Bobcats would like to accomplish on their way out.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
WR Valdes-Scantling joins practice squad of Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Marquez ValdesScantling to the practice squad on Tuesday, reuniting him with former teammate Aaron Rodgers.
The well-traveled Valdes-Scantling played alongside Rodgers from 2018-21 when they were both in Green Bay
The 31-year-old Valdes-Scantling, who won a pair of Super Bowls with Kansas City in 2022 and 2023, was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers, catching four passes for 40 yards before being released last month.
Valdes-Scantling finds himself on his fifth team since 2023. His most productive stop in that stretch came in New Orleans, where he averaged 22.6 yards per catch and scored four touchdowns in eight games with the Saints last season.
LIV Golf events expand to 72 holes for 2026
LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded league known for its 54-hole events with shotgun starts, is expanding to 72 holes for the 2026 season and adding a few extra qualifying spots in a move that could boost its bid to be recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking.
The name of the league — the roman numeral for 54 was built around its faster pace over three rounds instead of the traditional four
The shotgun start will remain for a league that is likely to see 57 players. LIV previously said it would take the leading two available players from the International Series ranking on the Asian Tour, and two players from a January qualifying tournament.
Gauff wins to stay alive in WTA Finals in Riyadh
RIYADH Saudi Arabia — Reigning champion Coco Gauff revived her chances of advancing at the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday Gauff also improved her serving, hitting only three double-faults — far fewer than the 17 that she produced in her opening match, a three-set loss to Jessica Pegula.
“Definitely a turnaround from my first match,” Gauff said. “It’s the beauty of this tournament and to have another chance to prove yourself.”
Gauff next faces top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka to determine whether she advances in the season-ending event for the top eight players, while Paolini was eliminated after two losses.
Sabalenka leads the group after beating Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Paolini is also playing doubles with partner Sara Errani.
Padres RHP Darvish to miss entire 2026 season
Right-hander Yu Darvish will miss the 2026 season for the San Diego Padres after surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow
The 39-year-old Darvish also got an internal brace in the surgery performed last week, the Padres announced Tuesday Darvish had Tommy John surgery in March 2015 and returned to a major-league mound on May 28, 2016. The five-time All-Star went 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 15 starts for the Padres last season after missing the first three months because of elbow inflammation.
Oldest living Olympian
Coste dies at age 101
Charles Coste, the world’s oldest living Olympian and a cycling champion, has died. He was 101.
The French presidency said in a statement Tuesday that Coste died last Thursday
Coste won the team pursuit gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games in London at the famed Herne Hill velodrome He returned to the spotlight last year as the secondto-last bearer of the Olympic flame for the 2024 Paris Games.
Emmanuel Macron’s office said Coste was “until his final breath, the tireless messenger of a certain idea of sport.”
Coste moved the Paris crowd as he carried the Olympic torch, dressed all in white in a wheelchair in the rain. He lit the torches of French Olympic gold
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE
CFP contender makes him worth the pursuit.
Lane Kiffin
CURRENT POSITION: Ole Miss coach, sixth season
AGE: 50 SALARY: $9 million/year
RÉSUMÉ: 113-53 record
(52-19 at Ole Miss). Won two Conference USA titles at Florida Atlantic. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: Talk about complicated. The Rebels are almost certain to be in the CFP, making a wait for him long and difficult He also would be expensive to pull away from Ole Miss. Still, checks a lot of boxes and has to be high on the list at LSU and Florida.
Dan Lanning
CURRENT POSITION: Oregon head coach, fourth season
AGE: 39 SALARY: $10.4 million a year
RÉSUMÉ: 42-7 record (all at Oregon). Won 2024
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quired Trey Palmer via waivers and former Patriots receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in a trade. Of those three, only Vele has played this season. Despite the premium price the Saints paid to acquire him, Vele has played only 40% or more of the Saints’ offensive snaps once this season, never topping two catches or 13 yards in a given game. Palmer has yet to appear in a game and is on injured reserve. Polk was always a play for 2026, as he had shoulder surgery during the preseason
In Shaheed, the Saints never could capitalize on the potential they unearthed. Penning is the
Big Ten title. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: He recently said he’s never leaving Oregon, but all coaches say that. He would be as expensive as anyone to pry out of his current school with a $20 million buyout. Still, he probably should be at the top of LSU’s list.
Clark Lea
CURRENT POSITION: Vanderbilt head coach, fifth season
AGE: 43
SALARY: $3,711,137
RÉSUMÉ: 23-35 record (all at Vanderbilt). Won 2024 SEC coach of the year WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: Lea has done an incredible job at Vanderbilt the past two seasons, getting the Commodores into CFP contention One huge question, though: How much is Vandy’s success about Lea and how much is it quarterback Diego Pavia?
Nick Saban
CURRENT POSITION: College football analyst, ESPN
flip side of the Saints’ organizational failings a premium draft pick spent on a player who did not pan out. In his fourth season, Penning was on his third position with the Saints, having operated as the starting left guard for most of the season. It was not remotely what the Saints envisioned when they drafted him. The Saints selected Penning in the first round of the 2022 draft with hopes he would become a franchise left tackle, but that did not happen.
Penning suffered a turftoe injury that derailed nearly his entire rookie season. He made one start in 2022, the season finale, and suffered a Lisfranc injury that forced him to spend much of the offseason in rehabilitation.
AGE: 74
SALARY: N/A
RÉSUMÉ: 297-71-1 record (48-16 at LSU). Won seven national titles (one at LSU), 12 conference titles (two at LSU), 14 national and five SEC coach of the year awards.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: Saban has maintained he’s retired and appears to enjoy TV, even if that means sitting next to Pat McAfee on the “College GameDay” set. Still, if there’s one school he would listen to, it likely would be LSU (although Ausberry said Tuesday there’s no way Saban is coming back to coaching). Would not be a longterm coach but could reestablish a championship culture.
Kelvin Sheppard
CURRENT POSITION: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator first season
AGE: 37
SALARY: N/A
RÉSUMÉ: A member of the Lions’ coaching staff since 2021. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: If LSU called, he’d likely come, but probably too
New Orleans trotted Penning back out as their starting left tackle in 2023, but he struggled and was benched. He appeared to find stability last season by switching to right tackle after New Orleans drafted Taliese Fuaga, then embraced a move to guard this offseason after the Saints spent another first-round pick on tackle Kelvin Banks. While the Saints maintained throughout they’ve been pleased with his development at guard, his play left plenty to be desired.
Penning once again dealt with a turf-toe injury during training camp, this one sidelining him for the first three games. Upon his return, Penning’s most notable
little experience for a job this big. Still, his meteoric coaching rise makes the former LSU player one to watch.
Jon Sumrall
CURRENT POSITION: Tulane head coach, second season
AGE: 43
SALARY: N/A
RÉSUMÉ: 38-11 record (15-7 at Tulane). Won two Sun Belt Conference titles at Troy and was SBC coach of the year in 2022. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?: Tulane’s loss at UTSA last week dimmed the Green Wave’s playoff hopes but also makes it more likely he will be available at season’s end. He has been mentioned as a strong candidate at Auburn, but if LSU came calling, it would be hard to turn down.
Note: Private schools such as Tulane and NFL franchises are not required to make coaches’ salaries public. Salary figures are from a USA Today database published Oct. 8.
contribution came in the form of penalties, with three holding penalties and one false start in six games. As with receiver, New Orleans made several moves prior to the season to address offensive line depth, acquiring Luke Fortner and Asim Richards in August trades It also has veteran offensive lineman Dillon Radunz, who started the first two games in Penning’s place, ready to go New Orleans drafted five players in the first round from 2018-22 Three of them — Penning, and defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner — did not earn second contracts with the Saints. A fourth, receiver Chris Olave, is still to be determined.
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Thomas is poised to be the next standout point guard for LSU, which starts the season against Tarleton State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Thomas’ unofficial debut was an exhibition win against Central Florida. Against the experienced Big 12 team, his crafty scoring and snappy passing stood out, resulting in 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, nine assists, two steals and two turnovers in a 75-68 road win.
“I really haven’t played with a point guard like DJ,” junior Jalen Reed said. “I got extreme confidence in my guy right here.”
Thomas had the ideal teacher to learn the position from in his dad, who was second in the country in assists per game (8.6) during the 1992-93 season. But his dad won’t take all of the credit.
“Naturally he’s a giver,” the elder Thomas said. “I believe that point guards are born, they’re not something you can make.”
At the Southeastern Conference media day McMahon said his point guard has been a “breath of fresh air” with his mind for the game and trustworthiness as a decision-maker
“(He has) the ability to make the people around him better, which I think is always the most important trait of an elite point guard,” McMahon said.
LSU pursued Thomas with fervor because of how well he improved a weakness from last year
But why did the No. 15-ranked player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, choose a program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 202122?
Thomas said he believes in McMahon’s vision for him and the team. He also likes that his new coach has experience coaching special point guards such as Ja Morant at Murray State.
“He feels like I’m the type of point guard that he needs to get this thing back going,” Thomas said.
Any pressure to break the March Madness dry spell at LSU doesn’t bother Thomas. He’s solely focused on getting wins
and making his teammates’ lives easier on the floor
Joining an established powerhouse never has been his style, anyway While many of the players his dad comes across on the AAU circuit often bounce around to different teams, his son wanted to remain in his hometown of Las Vegas.
When he picked a high school, the younger Thomas didn’t choose the place that traditionally wins state titles.
He told his dad, “I don’t want to go to Bishop Gorman, I want to play against those guys,” his dad recalled.
Thomas played at Liberty in Henderson, Nevada. As a sophomore, he lost three straight times to a Bishop Gorman team led by senior Darrion Williams, who now stars at North Carolina State. In the fourth matchup, with a state championship on the line, Liberty won 63-62 in overtime, squashing its opponents’ hopes of a 10th straight state title.
After being named Las Vegas Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2023, he graduated high school a year early He wanted to get to college sooner to enroll at UNLV instead of committing to high majors that offered him, such as Florida, Arizona, UCLA and Houston.
“When you’re a freshman like that, it’s a lot of pressure,” the elder Thomas said “You got a dad that played at UNLV, you know I have one of the biggest AAU programs here, so there’s always been kind of that pressure on him to perform.”
His son was also 160 pounds while trying to adjust to the physicality of college hoops. Even with those obstacles, the 18-yearold’s raw skills prevailed. He was the Mountain West Conference co-freshman of the year after averaging 13.6 points and 5.1 assists.
His dad had no qualms with his son leaving his alma mater, as he felt it was time to leave home and seek the bigger challenge of the SEC.
“Anybody worth their salt wants to play on that stage, play against the best kids,” the elder Thomas said.
His son agrees and is ready to put on a show “Pack the PMAC because it’s going to be exciting,” he said.
UL women fall in opener
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The UL women’s basketball team started Monday’s season opener against Bowling Green pretty well, jumping out to a five-point lead over the first three minutes.
The problem is coach Garry Brodhead’s Ragin’ Cajuns didn’t follow suit at the beginning of the next two quarters, which led to an 82-67 loss to the visiting Falcons in a Sun Belt-MAC Challenge contest at the Cajundome.
“I thought we started off really good, and we thought we figured it out, and we really didn’t,” Brodhead said. “We started subbing, and we started to lose some of that intensity of the defense we needed, and we got out rebounded.”
Georgia Southern transfer
Jazmyne Jackson hit an early 3-pointer — one of three she hit in scoring 13 points for an 8-3 lead.
“I’m comfortable because my teammates and my coaches make it comfortable,” Jackson said of shooting in the Cajundome “They have a lot of confidence in me to knock it down, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going do that for them.”
But Bowling Green began picking up steam, putting together a
13-3 run to grab a 26-23 lead after Jasmine Fearne’s 3-pointer
The Cajuns got a 3-pointer from Stephanie Mosley and another bomb from Jackson for the Cajuns to trail 39-37 at halftime.
“I thought there was a lot of good things in the first half,” Jackson said. “I think after halftime we came out a little like lax, like Coach said. We thought we had figured it out, and we didn’t come down and just keep our foot on the gas.”
The Falcons shot 75% from the field in the second quarter to only 36.8% from the field for UL. As the third quarter began, though, Bowling Green heated up with a 9-0 run to take control of the game for good at 48-37 on a Paige Kohler basket
“I thought we took some, I’m not going to say ‘bad’ shots, but the shots we took were tough, and they made us play faster,” Brodhead said. “I thought they did a good job of making us play faster where we went 0-for-4, maybe 0-for-5 right away, and they did not They took it, had lane line drives. We didn’t have help.”
The Cajuns also had two shotclock violations without getting off a shot in the first four minutes of the third quarter
Kohler led all scorers with 18, along with six rebounds and four
assists The Falcons had a balanced scoring attack with six players scoring between eight and 18 points. On the flip side, UL freshman Amijah Price led the way with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting with six rebounds, followed by Mikaylah Manley with 15 points, three boards and two assists.
Bowling Green outscored UL by 16 points at the free-throw line and shot 51.9% as a team for the game to only 41.8% for the Cajuns.
Both teams struggled to protect the ball at times with 22 turnovers for the Falcons and 20 for UL.
Doing most of the ball handling for UL were Jackson, senior Sierra Jones and Price. “I think they can help us offensively, they can help us defensively,” Brodhead said of Jackson and Jones. “I think both of them are smart. Their IQ is very high, so that helps. She (Jackson) is a good on-ball defender She (Jones) is really good off of the ball. She also is really good. So, I think both of them will be a big for us.”
Bowling Green outscored UL 44-34 in the paint and 34-26 off the bench.
Price played well, but the two other true freshmen, Imani Daniel and Arionna Patterson, didn’t fol-
low up on their encouraging exhibition-game performances.
Daniel settled for eight points on 3-of-8 shooting with nine rebounds, while Patterson did not score in 13 minutes
“AP has been out of practice forever,” Brodhead said of Patterson. “You can’t play Division I basketball without practicing and being involved. It’s just going to be a process for her.”
Ball State outshoots, outrebounds UL men in White’s debut
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The UL Ragin’ Cajuns shot the ball better than they did in an exhibition game loss to North Texas, but the result was about the same. Ball State took full advantage of UL’s poor shooting on Monday for a 75-64 victory over the Cajuns in a Sun Belt-MAC Challenge contest at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana The Cajuns did make seven more
3-pointers than they did at North Texas, finishing this game 9-of-28 for 32.1%. Several of them were big at the time, however Jaxon Olvera hit one at 17:08 of the second half and another one at 16:15 to give UL a brief 37-36 lead. Olvera finished with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting Then Jamyron Keller started heating up after a slow start. First, he hit a 3-pointer at 6:03 to get UL within three at 54-51 and then another bomb at 4:40 to trim Ball
State’s lead to 58-56. Keller then added three points the old-fashioned way to cut Ball State’s lead to 69-61 with 1:18 left. Keller finished with 21 points on 4-of-11 shooting behind the arc and four assists.
De’Vion Lavergne was UL’s third double-figure scorer The problem is only three Cajuns scored more than six points. As a team, the Cajuns shot 42.4% from the field, while the Cardinals flourished offensively at 52.2%
from the floor for the game. UL was shorthanded because of the recent exit of senior forward Zeke Cook from the program after he started the exhibition game at North Texas.
“He is dealing with some family issues, so we decided to part ways with Zeke,” first-year coach Quannas White said Tuesday Ball State outscored UL at the free-throw line 19-5 and was also 8-of-15 from 3-point land for 53.3%.
After UL outrebounded North Texas, Ball State led that category in this one 34-29. Davin Hill led the Cardinals with 16 points and eight rebounds, followed closely by Cam Densen off the bench with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.
SCOREBOARD
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Arizona, Demercado
Knight 9-27, Dortch 1-9, Brissett 5-4. Dallas J.Williams 15-83, Prescott 4-34, Turpin 1-3, Davis 1-3. PASSING—Arizona, Brissett 21-31-0-261. Dallas, Prescott 24-39-1-250. RECEIVING—Arizona, Harrison 7-96, McBride 5-55, Mi.Wilson 3-61, Higgins 3-30, Knight 2-20, Demercado 1-(minus 1). Dallas, Lamb 7-85, Pickens 6-79, Ferguson 5-50, Flournoy 2-12, Turpin 2-10, Schoonmaker 1-14 J.Williams 1-0. MISSED FIELD GOALS—Dallas, Aubrey 68. College basketball Women’s state schedule Monday’s games Southeastern 105, Centenary 49 McNeese 100, Pensacola Christian College 38 Nebraska 103, Northwestern State 46 Tulane 74, Campbell 72 Nicholls 72, Alcorn 66 Bowling Green 55, UL 46 Iowa 86, Southern 51 Oklahoma State 109, UNO 48 UL-Monroe 80, Eastern Michigan 73 Tuesday’s games Southern Methodist 96, Grambling 70 Louisiana Tech at Arkansas, n Houston Christian at LSU, n Men’s state schedule Monday’s games Arkansas 109, Southern 77 Ball State 75, UL-Lafayette 64 Grambling 91, Huston Tillotson 47 McNeese 110, Champion Christian College 46 UNO 78, TCU 74 Northern Illinois 100, UL-Monroe 80 Texas A&M 98, Northwestern State 68 Tulane 85, Samford 72 Ole Miss 88, Southeastern 58 Tuesday’s games Nicholls at Kentucky, n Louisiana Tech at Nevada, n Wednesday’s games Southern at Marquette, 7 p.m. Tarleton State at LSU, 7 p.m. Late Monday Ball State 75, UL 64 UL (0-1): Evans 1-2 0-0 2, Woodson 2-6 0-0 6 Finister 2-5 0-0 4, Keller 7-20 3-3 21, Olvera 5-11 1-2 13, Lavergne 4-10 1-2 10, Lewis 1-2 0-0 2, Ratliff 2-2 0-1 4, T.Jones 1-1 0-1 2 Collins 0-0 0-0 0, Bilal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-59 5-9 64. BALL STATE (1-0): Fish 3-5 2-3 8, M.Jones 1-2 1-4 4, Barnes 1-4 2-2 5, Hill 7-12 0-3 16, Zeigler 5-9 3-4 13, Denson 3-4 6-7 14, Maxey 2-5 0-0 6 James 2-5 5-5 9. Totals 24-46 19-28 75. Halftime: UL 29-28. 3-Point Goals: UL 9-28 (Keller 4-11, Olvera 2-5, Woodson 2-5, Lavergne 1-4, Lewis 0-1, Finister 0-2), Ball State 8-15 (Denson 2-2, Hill 2-4, Maxey 2-4, Barnes 1-1,
The Cajuns return to town for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. home opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF
PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL guard Amijah Price, left, drives to the basket against Bowling Green guard Paige Kohler during the Cajuns’ loss on Monday at the Cajundome.
Former BR restaurant ownershost backyardIndian fusion pop-up
BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer
When Needhi and Rick Patel sold their Mid City restaurantTap65 in August, Needhi Patel wanted to curate an intimatecooking atmosphere where she could explain each course’s backstory andorigin to her guests.
“I wanted to do somethingwhere Ican do it from thehouse,but it’s intimate, small, while Icook and hang out with people who are here,” she said.
Spice Affair Supper Club was born in October,a business hosting about seated dinners for up to 36 people in the Patels’ Shenandoah backyard. Every dinner,the couple opens their home to guests, andNeedhi Pateltakes care of the cooking while Rick Patel handles the drink pairings.
Turning ahome into abusiness doesn’thappenovernight
The Patels acquired ahomebasedbusiness permitand underwent backyardrenovations for four weeks, adding aconcrete foundation, outdoor kitchen, pergola and landscaping, projects executed by Baton Rouge-based contractor Apex 360 LLC.
The backyard’sminimalist, elegant style is designed to make guests feel at home, and the Indian
ä See POP-UP, page 6C
Staff report
Louisiana Inspired is all about shining alight on people andorganizations who are workingtoward 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 apositivedifference in the lives of others at www nola.com/site/forms/the_inspirit_ award/ by Nov.17.
We encouragenominations of people of all ages —those who systematically go about doing their best to make the world abetter place. The nomination process focuses on people whoare working toward solutions in their workplaces, schools,neighborhoods, communities and state. Be sure to include stories of impact and detailsofpersonalstories that inspire change. Award recipients will be announced in December in Louisiana Inspired. Nominate
BY JA’KORIMADISON Staff writer
For anyone whowants thecomfort of ahome-cooked meal without all the work, local restaurants are expanding their options for Thanksgiving. And youcan skip thekitchen duty.
Whether you’re hosting abig family gathering or acozy friendsgiving, a few restaurants will allow you to order afull turkey dinner complete with an abundance of classic sides. There also anumberofLafayette restaurants offering dine-in service on Thanksgiving Day.Many dine-in
spots around town plantokeeptheir usualhours on Thanksgiving, such as Destination India and Katsu Ramen Bar,but give those restaurants acourtesy call beforehand. Check out the list of restaurants thatoffer dine-in
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Internationalflavors that
STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT
Needhi Patel, former co-owner of Tap65, prepares dishes foraSpice Affair Supper Club pop-upfrom her backyard kitchen.
Green beans are plated at Ema’s Cafe, which will be open
By The Associated Press
Today is Wednesday,Nov.5, the 309th day of 2025. There are 56 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On Nov.5,1872, suffragist Susan B. Anthony defied the lawbycasting avote in the presidential election; she was laterarrested and charged with “knowingly voting without havingalawful rightto vote.”
Found guilty at trial, shewas fined$100, which she refused to pay Also on this date: In 1605, the “Gunpowder Plot” failed as Guy Fawkes was seized before he could blow up the English Parliament;Fawkes and his co-conspirators were later convicted of treason and hanged.
In 1912, Democrat Woodrow Wilson was elected president, defeating Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt, incumbent Republican William Howard Taft and Socialist Eugene V. Debs.
In 1930, novelist Sinclair Lewis became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1940, Democratic incum-
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thebacon-wrapped dates, morcilla quail egg or albondigas —rich meatballs in a tasty,cheesy red sauce.
—Joanna Brown, staff writer Cubanbowland tostones n Sazon Latin Grill,1230
O’Neal Suite 4, Baton Rouge
Ihad heard good things about Sazon Latin Grill from aco-worker,soItreated myself to alunch of Cuban and Colombian food. Istarted with acheese arepa —a Colombian grilledcorn flatbread stuffed with cheese —asanappetizer
It was warm and flavorful, acomforting start to the meal. For my entree,Iselected the Cuban bowl, ahearty meal of white rice, black beans, roasted pork, grilled onions and sweet plantain.
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music in the background provides an immersive experience.
“That’sthe feel we’re going for,” Rick Patel said. “Where it’sclean-cut, simple and provides avibe where it’sintimate and you’re able to enjoy the atmosphere without feeling like you’re in arestaurant.”
The menu, featuringIndian fusion dishes, changes every month. Allofthe ingredients on October’smenu were locally sourced, except the mutton, and all of the meats were marinated for 24 hours, Needhi Patel said Dinner time
On Oct. 24, the table of 11 guests started with Champagne and small bites. The courses, each paired with abeverage, rolled out at 6p.m.,startingwithamini papadum with chicken, a dish topped with coconut yogurt and sweet mango chutney
As each course was brought to guests, the Patels explained the dish’s backstory and origin. The second course, sabudana tikki chaat, is atapioca patty known for being astreet food in India, Needhi Patel said. After that, there was agalouti kebab made with mutton, ground spices and papaya. The fourth course, scallop butter masala, featured seared scallops in abutter masala curry with oyster mushrooms and wild rice, served with aside of garlic naan and aglass of chardonnay Not only was it Needhi Patel’sfavorite dish to cookon the menu, butitwas her first time cooking with scallops somethingthatshocked guests as they noted the scallops’ tenderness. The scallops left plates quickly, opening the perfect opportunity to dipthe garlic naan
bent Franklin D. Rooseveltwon an unprecedented thirdterm as president, defeating Republican challenger Wendell L. Willkie.
In 1968, Republican Richard M. Nixonwon the presidency, defeating Democratic Vice President HubertH.Humphrey andAmericanIndependent Party candidate GeorgeC.Wallace In 1994, George Foreman became theoldest heavyweight boxing champion at age 45, knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round of their title bout In 1996,President Bill Clinton won asecond term in the White House, defeating Republican Bob Dole.
In 2006, Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanityand sentenced by the Iraqi High Tribunal to death by hanging.
In 2009, ashooting rampage at the Fort Hood Armypost in Texas left 13 people dead and wounded more than 30;Maj Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist,was laterconvicted of murder and sentenced to death He remains in prison on death row.
In 2017, agunman armed
Thecombination of flavors was perfect for acool fall morning. Iordered aside of tostones becauseIcouldn’tget enoughofplantains, and theywere the best I’ve had in years —massiveinsize, crispyonthe edges and fluffy in thecenter, wellsalted. Iamcurious about so many other items onthe menu, and Icannot wait to go back.
—Joy Holden,features reporter
with an assault rifle opened fire in the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing morethan twodozen people; theshooter,Devin Patrick Kelley,was later found dead from aself-inflicted gunshotwound.
In 2021, fans at aHouston music festival surged toward the stage during aperformance by rapper Travis Scott,triggering panic thatleft 10 people dead andmanymore injured.
In 2024, Republican former President DonaldTrump was elected to asecond term,defeating DemocraticVicePresident KamalaHarris; he was the second president,after Grover Cleveland in 1892, to be elected to anonconsecutive term.
Today’sbirthdays: SingerArt Garfunkel is 84.SingerPeter Noone (Herman’sHermits) is 78. TV personality Kris Jenner is 70. SingerBryan Adams is 66. Actor Tilda Swinton is 65. Actor Tatum O’Neal is 62. Actor Judy Reyesis58. ActorSethGilliam is 57. ActorSam Rockwell is 57. Musician Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) is 54. Golfer Bubba Watson is 47. Olympic gold medal marathoner Eliud Kipchogeis41. MusicianKevin Jonas(The Jonas Brothers) is 38.
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and ready made dishes.
Ready-made meals
Dwight’s Restaurant: Offers aturkey package for $135, which includes gravy,turkey,three sides and apie (pumpkinorpecan); the meal can be hotorcold Call(337) 984-3706 to order Rouses: Offers traditional,premium or deluxe packages,which come cold. Each meal takes aboutone to two hours to cook.Prices vary depending on thepackage, ranging from $60-$200. All packages include a turkey or spiral hamand 2 pounds of each side.Visit rouses.com toorder.
La Cuisine de Maman at Vermilionville: OffersaThanksgiving alacarte catering menu with hot dishes
in the leftover sauce.
“Working withscallops wasadifferent experience bringing allthe combinations together,” Needhi Patel said Along with the scallops, which weremarinated for 24 hours, the dish featured mushrooms and wild rice in abutter sauce. The crunchy andsalty rice balanced well with the creamy sauce.
The fifthcourse, rogan josh curry, featured aslowcooked goat curry with fried crisp roti and ginger shavings. And after that was dessert,a creamy panna cotta modak paired witha cardamomchocolate espresso martini.
Twoupcoming dinners are planned on Nov. 9and 14 with afive-course menu inspired afterGoa, astate on thesouthwestern coast
Stockpilingfoodfor thewinter
Sabudana tiki chaat is served on arecent evening at the Spice Affair Supper Clubinthe backyard of Rickand Needhi Patel.
of India. The menu alsohas vegetarian versions of each dish.
Privateparties
In addition to monthly dinners, thePatels also offer private dinners with 10-36 seats. Clients can customize the menu, and anything from previous menus is fair game, Rick Patel said. Those interested can book through thebusiness’swebsite or its Instagram account, @spiceaffairsupperclub. Tickets run about $125 per person,but that pricecan fluctuate, andmeal time is flexible as well. “Whenthey walk away they have adifferent relationshipthanwhenthey first gotthere —expanding someone’shorizons to enjoy dinnerwith strangers,”Rick Patel said.
Hints from Heloise
Dear Heloise: It comes as no surprise that groceries aregetting alot more expensive. Where Ilive, we are often snowed in forafew daysduring the winter,orthe roads get so bad that it’snearly impossible to get to agrocery store. So, starting in September, Ibegin to stockpile food that will not perish foralong time such as canned chili, canned soups, pastaand various sauces, or materials to make asauce. Items such as laundry soap, hand soap, toilet paper,paper towels, and shampoo can be stored in large plastic bins or cardboard boxes in the garage, and food itemsare stored under beds, in closets, or in any place withalittle extra room.I buy alittle at atime, and this way, it’snot such astrain on our budget. Even if it doesn’tsnow,and we have arather “lean month,” Ican still feed my family —Casy J.,inMontana Airventcaps
Dear Heloise: My hint is to save the air vent caps from very large jugs of liquid laundry detergent when it comes time to toss out the empties. These are thesmallscrew-top caps
Each dish comes in aserving pan thatincludes stuffed turkey breast,honey-glazed ham, andchicken and sausage or seafood gumbo. Side dishes includestringbean casserole, yams and cornbreaddressing. Call (337) 233-4077 to order
TheFresh Market: Grab a traditional turkey or ham package,whichincludes up to foursides androlls with each package. Mealsranges from $50-$180. Orders can be placed at freshmarket.com
Piccadilly: Offers Thanksgiving meal packages and a la carte options, allserved cold withone- to two-hour cook times. The options includes a5-pound sliced ham with two sides and rolls. The sliced 5-pound turkey feast includes twosides and aroll. Each package rangesfrom $50-$80. Visitpicadilly.com to order
that are usually on the top of the jug, and you can loosen them to let air in so that the liquid flowssmoothly from the spigot. Inevitably,because the caps are kept in aloosened state, they often fall off and roll under the washing machine out of reach! So, just as I tend to also save the “main” caps (i.e. the larger screw-top or pop-on caps that seal the jug’smain opening and often double as ameasuring cup), Ihave started to save afew of the smaller air vent caps as well so that Ihave aready replacement whenever Ilose one. —Angela M., in St. Louis
Disposingofmeds
Dear Heloise: Anational drug retail chain (CVS) has adisplay near the pharmacy where you can dispose of medications. Place the pills into azip-close bag first. Remove any personal information from the container before putting into the trash can. —Marcy,inMenifee, California Marcy,good hint! And readers, if you cannot peel off alabel, be sure to take awide, black, felt-tipped pen and cross out all the information on the bottle. Protect your privacy Heloise
Send ahint to heloise@heloise.com.
Joey’s Lafayette: Offers two packages ranging from $200-$250. The first package includes sliced turkey roll, sliced ham with three sides and aroll. The second package includes roasted turkey with three sides and aroll. Call (337) 237-3661 to order CrackerBarrel Restaurant: Offersa varietyofheat-andserve family dinners that all come complete witha variety of sides likemacaroni and cheese, green beans, dressing andcranberry relish. Prices range from $100$150. Visit crackerbarrel. com to order
Open forThanksgiving n Baba Kabab 11 a.m.to 9p.m., 3809 Ambassador Caffery Parkway,Lafayette n Cracker Barrel, 7a.m to 10 p.m.,116 Alcide Domingue Drive, Lafayette n Crawfish Town USA,11a.m
to 2p.m., 2815 Grand Point Highway,Henderson n DestinationIndia, 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. 5503 Johnston St., Lafayette n Ema’sCafe, 10:30a.m. to 2p.m 5520 Johnston St., Lafayette n Katsu RamenBar 11 a.m. to 9p.m., 3809 Ambassador Caffery Parkway,Lafayette n Mel’sDiner, allday,2956 Johnston St., Lafayette, and 1225 Evangeline Thruway, Broussard n Piccadilly, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,100 Arnould Blvd., Lafayette n Saltgrass Steak House, 11 a.m.to4 p.m., 4321 AmbassadorCafferyParkway, Lafayette n WaffleHouse, all Acadiana locations open all day Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.
support. Local impact. TheAmerican RedCross in Louisiana serves4.65millionresidentsacrossall64parishesandextendshopeto communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.
STAFF PHOTO By JOyHOLDEN ACuban bowl and tostones from Sazon Latin Grill in Baton Rouge
STAFF PHOTOSByMADDIESCOTT
SpiceAffair Supper Club guests enjoya dinner in the backyard of Needhi and Rick Patel.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Pickyourbattles wisely and use your time and energy appropriately. Let your actions speak for you and let your intentions lead to victory. Talk with authority and pursue what's purposeful.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Do the dirty work first. Deal with agencies, institutions and authority figures. High energy and discipline will bring about positive change at home and work.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention and nourish what you want to achieve. Setguidelines,boundariesandschedules to achieve your objective. Think ahead, consider others and move forward with a positive attitude.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your thoughts to yourself. Give yourself a chance to digest every aspect of a situation before acting. Pay more attention to self-improvement and personal growth.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Consider your financial position and where your money will have the most significant impact. Attendtradeshowsornetworkingevents that keep you up to date on the latest technology and trends.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Takemattersinto your own hands and adjust whatever is causing you grief. Finding solutions and takingstepswillhelpyoudiscoverwhat's purposeful.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Ignoring what's bothering you isn't a solution; it's denial. Pay attention and distance yourself from
excessive individuals and pastimes that negatively impact your life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Be adventuresome and try something new. Replace indulgent behavior with worthwhile goals that result in satisfaction and confidence.Focusyourenergywhereitmatters and reap the benefits.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Hit the reset button. It's essential to think before you act if you want to get the highest return. Welcome change and realign your goals with what's new and exciting.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Avoid people applying unnecessary force or pressure. Don't risk your physical well-being or do something that puts you in harm's way. A change that helps you perform better will have a positive impact on your life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Taking a new or differentapproachtolife,loveandhappiness will help you let go of what's holding you back from making progress. Focus on what flows forward smoothly.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Home improvements that make your routines easier or less stressful will help you build momentum and clarity. Follow your heart, prepare for change and release negative influences.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: S EQUALS G
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe peAnUtS
And erneSt
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
SherMAn’S LAGoon
dooneSbUrY
bIG nAte
nea CroSSwordS
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
Bridge
BY PHILLIP ALDER
WinstonChurchillsaid,“Menoccasionallystumbleoverthetruth,butmostpick themselvesupandhurryoffasifnothing had happened.” When adeclarer stumbles,itisthe job of thedefenders to make sure that he falls, unabletopick himself up and still make his contract In today’s deal, South ended in four spades. And when it was originally played, two errors were made, which balanced each other out. West led the diamondking (under which East accurately dropped thejack to show the 10 as well). South ducked,took the next diamond with his ace,drewtwo rounds of trumps ending on the board, played a heart to hisace, and led asecond heart. When West played the queen, declarer ducked in the dummy. NowWest cashed the club ace to stop an overtrick. What were thetwo mistakes? In the modern style, North responded three spades, showing aweak hand with four-card spade support.Withagame-invitational hand,North would have cue-bidthree clubs. This styleallowsresponder to bid either constructively or obstructively. Now to the errors. First,aswesaw yesterday, when Southled alow heart from the board at trick five, he should have put in his 10. East would have been kept offthe lead.
wuzzles
Second, when Southwon with hisheart ace, West shouldhave realizedthathe needed to get hispartner on play for a club lead through South. West should have sacrificed his heartqueen under South’sace. Then South would have fallen on his face.
Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.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 wordsare not allowed
ToDAY’s WoRD oRnATE: or-NATE: Elaborately or excessively decorated.
Average mark20words
Time limit 30 minutes
Can you find 27 or morewords in ORNATE?
YEsTERDAY’s WoRD —sIAMAnGs
again agism amass amassing amiss assign magi main mana mania mass miss gain gamin
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
hidato
mallard
Big Tech losses
pull Wall Street lower
NEW YORK Stocks fell on Wall Street on Tuesday, pulled down by losses in the same big tech companies that have been the main drivers of the market’s rally so far this year
The downturn pulled every major index further away from the alltime highs set just last week. Losses were spread broadly throughout every sector, but technology stocks were the heaviest weights.
Palantir Technologies, which had more than doubled so far this year, fell 7.9% despite reporting results that beat analysts’ forecasts. Nvidia also reversed course from a day earlier, falling 4%, while Microsoft fell 0.5%.
The technology sector is typically the driving force behind the market’s broader movement including its record-setting year. Huge values for companies including Nvidia and Microsoft give them outsize influence over the broader market’s direction.
Wall Street remains focused on corporate earnings. Roughly three out of every four companies within the S&P 500 have reported their latest results, which have been mostly better than analysts expected. Norwegian Cruise Line slid 15.3% after giving Wall Street a mixed earnings report and forecast. Uber slumped 5.1% despite reporting financial results that beat analysts’ expectations.
Median age hits 40 for first-time homebuyers
The median age of first-time homebuyers in the U.S has climbed to a record of 40 as soaring prices and mortgage rates over the past few years delay homeownership for millions of Americans.
The age at which people purchase their first home has climbed rapidly since 2021, when the median was 33, according to a National Association of Realtors survey of transactions from July 2024 through June In 1981, when the survey was first conducted, the median age was 29. NAR’s annual profile of buyers and sellers, released Tuesday, portrays a housing market in which younger cash-strapped Americans are struggling to become homeowners while a wealthier, often older cohort is able to make bigger down payments and pay cash for houses
The NAR warned that the loss of a decade of homeownership could cost Americans roughly $150,000 in equity on a typical starter home
The median price of an existing home stands at $415,200 up more than 50% since 2019 At the same time, mortgage rates are roughly twice as high as they were in late 2021.
“The implications for the housing market are staggering,” Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist, said in a statement. “Today’s first-time buyers are building less housing wealth and will likely have fewer moves over a lifetime as a result.”
Chrysler recalls 320K Jeep plug-in hybrids
WASHINGTON Chrysler is recalling more than 320,000 Jeep plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a faulty battery that can fail and lead to a fire, U.S. traffic safety regulators said. Chrysler, which is owned by Netherlands-based Stellantis, is aware of 19 reports and 1 injury potentially related to the issue.
Owners of the vehicles, which include 228,221 Jeep Wranglers model years 2020-25 and 91,844 Jeep Grand Cherokees model years 2022-26, are being advised to park the vehicles outside and away from structures until a remedy for the problem is determined. Vehicle owners are also being told not to charge their vehicles, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration said.
Interim notification letters are expected to be mailed to vehicle owners by Dec. 2, with additional letters to be sent once the final remedy is available. The number for the recall is 68C, and owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Vehicle Identification Numbers for this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning Thursday Vehicles that were previously recalled for the same issue under previous recalls will need to have the new remedy performed, the NHTSA said.
THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business
MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO
Passengers disembark from Pan Am’s Clipper after its historic flight from Port Washington near New york City to Lisbon on June 28-29, 1939. The luxurious Boeing 314 flying boat completed the trip in 24 hours, 15 minutes with a refueling stop in the Azores. It continued from Lisbon to Marseilles.
FLIGHT TIME
New cruise to retrace Pan Am Clipper’s route in the Caribbean and Latin America
BY VINOD SREEHARSHA Miami Herald (TNS)
Nostalgia for a South Florida-born aviation pioneer has reached the high seas.
Cruise line Holland America and Pan American World Airways are teaming up to offer a 28-day cruise to the Caribbean and Latin America that retraces the original flying Clipper routes.
The voyage, which takes place during Pan Am’s 100th anniversary, will depart PortMiami on Oct. 30, 2027, and return there the following month, both companies told the Miami Herald on Monday With 18 ports of call, the Holland Zuiderdam will first head south to Jamaica, then east to Puerto Rico, southwest to Colombia, and finally return to Miami via stops in Panama and Mexico. During one stretch, the ship will make six ports of call in six days.
Holland, owned by Doralbased Carnival, is calling the cruise the 28-Day Pan Am 100th Anniversary Legendary Voyage.
Pan Am was founded in 1927 as the first international airline in the U.S., initially in Key West. In 1928, the airline opened a terminal and airfield on Northwest 36th Street on
the site of the original Miami International Airport Several of its buildings there remain intact. The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in January 1991 and by the end of that year shut down operations.
The idea for the cruise came when a Holland executive read the book “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy,” by Phillip Jett The work chronicles Pan Am’s predicament during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the flying boat service the carrier had in the Pacific.
“The genesis really came from reading the book,” Paul Grigsby, vice president of itinerary planning and deployment for Holland America Line, said in an interview with the Miami Herald. “It got me thinking about the service network that they created” in that era and at that delicate time.
Then, about a year ago, Grigsby contacted Pan American World Airways, the company that owns the branding and logos of the long-bankrupt airline.
“I got a pretty quick response,” the Holland executive said. The voyage was finalized in September Pan Am’s Clipper service was originally created as “ships of the air” but with high levels of comfort and elegance, said Craig Carter, chief executive officer for Pan American World Airways. That included multicourse meals served on fine china, and cocktail lounges.
In 2024, Carter acquired the trademark, logo and intellectual property, including the name Pan American World Airways.
“Pan Am’s Clipper ships played a pivotal role in shaping modern air travel — and expanding tourism across the Caribbean,” Holland said in a statement. With boat-like hulls Clippers could land on water, transforming virtually any harbor into an airport and enabling access to destinations without established runways, the cruise line said.
Of the 18 ports in the 2027 cruise, nine were original Pan Am destinations. They include Nassau, San Juan, Charlotte Amalie, St. John’s, Castries, Port of Spain, Colon and Progreso. Nassau, Bahamas, was an early Pan Am destination in the Caribbean and what Holland considers “a cornerstone of regional aviation history.” San Juan, Puerto Rico, was Pan Am’s link between South America and North America. Meanwhile, UNESCO World Heritage City Willemstad, Curacao, was a key refueling stop for the Allies during World War II.
Through themed meals, decor from the era, talks and multimedia presentations, Holland hopes to have “guests experience the magic of travel’s golden era.”
The voyage won’t include stops in Cuba or Venezuela, key destinations for Pan Am in the early years. The cost of the trip starts at $3,274 based on double occupancy, including taxes and fees.
Pizza Hut’s parent company says it’s considering selling the chain
BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer
Pizza Hut could soon be up for sale.
Yum Brands, Pizza Hut’s parent company, said Tuesday it’s conducting a formal review of options for the brand, which has struggled to compete in a crowded pizza market.
Yum CEO Chris Turner said Pizza Hut has many strengths, including a global footprint and strong growth in many markets. Pizza Hut has nearly 20,000 stores in more than 100 countries, and its international sales were up 2% in the first nine months of this year China is its secondlargest market outside the U.S.
But Pizza Hut gets nearly half its sales from the U.S., where it has around 6,500 stores, and U.S. sales fell 7% in the same period. Pizza Hut was long saddled with large, outdated dine-in restaurants at a time when consumers
wanted fast pickup and delivery In 2020, one of Pizza Hut’s largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 300 stores. Pizza Hut now controls 15.5% of U.S. pizza chain sales, down from 19.4% in 2019, according to Technomic, a food service consulting company “ Pizza Hut’s performance indicates the need to take additional action to help the brand realize its full value, which may be better executed outside of Yum Brands,” Turner said in a statement.
“To truly take advantage of the brand we’ve built and the opportunities ahead, we’ve made the decision to initiate a thorough review of strategic options.”
The company said it will not make any further comments on the review Yum Brands also owns KFC, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill. Yum said Tuesday that its third-quarter revenue rose 8% thanks to strong sales at
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine sales tumble
BY TOM MURPHY Associated Press
The fall COVID-19 vaccine season is starting slowly for Pfizer, with U.S. sales of its Comirnaty shots sinking 25% after federal regulators narrowed recommendations on who should get them.
Approval of updated shots also came several weeks later than usual, and Pfizer said Tuesday that hurt sales as well.
Many Americans get vaccinations in the fall, to protect against any disease surges in the coming winter Experts say interest in COVID-19 shots has been declining, and that trend could pick up this fall due to anti-vaccine sentiment and confusion about whether the shots are necessary The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month stopped recommending COVID-19 shots for anyone, instead leaving the choice up to patients. The government agency said it was adopting recommendations made by advisers picked by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr Before this year, U.S. health officials — following the advice of infectious disease experts — recommended annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older The idea was to update protection as the coronavirus evolves.
But that sentiment started to shift earlier this year when Kennedy, who has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, said they were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
Dr Amesh Adalja said vaccine rates have been “suboptimal” in recent years even for people considered a high risk for catching a bad case of COVID-19.
“That’s only going to fall off more this season,” the senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said recently The change in government guidance created questions about whether insurance coverage would continue. A major industry group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, has since clarified that its members will cover the shots. CVS Health announced earlier this month that it will not require prescriptions at its stores and clinics.
Novo Nordisk hikes Metsera bid to
up to $10B
BY TOM MURPHY AP health writer
both KFC and Taco Bell. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by two brothers who borrowed $600 from their mother to open the store They chose the name because their sign only had room for eight letters.
Pizza Hut’s familiar red roof debuted in 1969, and by 1971, it was the top pizza chain in the world by sales. PepsiCo acquired Pizza Hut in 1977 but spun off its restaurant division — which became Yum Brands — in 1997. Domino’s, with its focus on delivery and carryout pizza, has since become the world’s largest pizza chain, with 21,750 stores.
The news of Pizza Hut’s uncertain future comes the day after another 1950s-era dinein icon, Denny’s, announced it was being sold to an investor group and taken private. Like Pizza Hut, Denny’s has also struggled with customers’ shift to delivery and growing competition in casual dining options.
Novo Nordisk is raising the stakes in its push to outbid rival Pfizer and acquire the development-stage drugmaker Metsera. Novo is now offering to pay as much as $10 billion for the company, Metsera said Tuesday That’s higher than its previous bid of up to $9 billion which sparked a lawsuit from Pfizer. Pfizer also has altered the offer it made in September of nearly $4.9 billion to provide more cash up front, Metsera said.
Novo is now proposing to pay $62.20 in cash for each Metsera share, up from its previous bid of $56.50. The Danish drugmaker also will tack on a contingent value right payment of $24, another improvement from its previous bid, if certain development and regulatory milestones are met.
But Novo is essentially structuring the deal to require some payback from Metsera. Novo is proposing a two-step process where it would pay Metsera $62.20 per share in cash. Metsera would issue Novo nonvoting preferred stock representing half of Metsera’s share capital. Metsera would then declare a dividend of $62.20 per common share with a record date 10 days after the companies sign the deal, with payment following.
Metsera said Tuesday that the new Novo bid is superior to its existing agreement with Pfizer and Pfizer now has a window to negotiate on its deal.
Pfizer Chair and CEO Albert Bourla told analysts Tuesday morning that the Novo offer was “illusory” and cannot constitute a superior offer He said that there is a high regulatory risk it won’t be completed.
“It is an illegal attempt by a foreign company to do an end run around antitrust laws, taking advantage of the (federal) government shutdown,” Bourla said during a conference call to discuss Pfizer’s third-quarter results.
