The Advocate 11-09-2025 by The Advocate

‘Peoplejustcan’t afford to live’

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

MONROE The friendsarrivedatthe soup kitchen with toddlers in their arms and worry in their eyes

Ashleigh Pearce and Sabrina Spearman had heard that because of the federal shutdown, their food assistance would be cut. (“Justgone.”) Then they heard that Louisianawould restore aquarter of their allotment at atime. (“So I’vegotta buy some eggs.”) Then, they could lose beneﬁts, long-term. (“People really need those funds.”)

They were weary,not only from the whiplash but from the challenges that keep bringing them to Grace Place Ministries,onthe city’ssouthside, week after week, for ahot meal and, on this morning,a pair of shoes.The air had turned chilly,and Spearman’s son was barefoot.

“Good morning!” volunteer Nathaniel Cooper bellowed, opening the back door,where adozen people were waitingWednesday morning to choose free clothes from the organization’s closet. He removed his hat and began to

pray: “Father God, thankyou for dressing us here today.Iwould ask that you cover them.Bless their mind and body thatthey mayknow and understand that youare here for them right now,inthis time of the shutdown that is taking place in

theworld.” Even beforethe federal shutdown threatened food assistance for42million Americans,this soup kitchen was tallying moretraysneeded during its

Four days before the LSU Board of Supervisors would select anew university president, McNeese State President Wade Rousse and University of Alabama Provost James Dalton metatthe LSU president’shouse.

Publicly,bothwerestill candidates for the LSU job. Behind the scenes,however,Rousse hadalready secured it.

Gov.

bers and key political and business leaders.

But Rousse had publicly faced complaints from somefaculty and students whosaidhewasn’t qualiﬁed to become president of LSU because he didn’thave the necessary experience at alarge researchuniversity.SoRousse andDaltonmet

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

The East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president’s proposed budget cuts would bog downthe parish’s already bottlenecked court system even further,criminal justice system leaders warn.

“Lawyers can only work so many cases,” said Chief Public Defender Kyla Romanach. “Realistically,if you assign them more than that, they just can’t gettothem, and so people are going to wait much longer for their cases to make it through the system.”

Districtattorneysaysbacklog of murdercases will grow Edwards

On Wednesday, Mayor-President Sid Edwards presenteda budgetwith extensive cuts to nearlyall

Grace PlaceMinistries Soup Kitchen serveshot meals to those in need on Jackson Street in Monroe.

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

People wait in line for ahot meal at Grace Place Ministries Soup Kitchen on Jackson Street in Monroe on Wednesday.

The nonprofithas seen asurge in demand as

Landry

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Missing girl’s mother arrested on other charge

LOS ANGELES The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing since early October was arrested Friday by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, but ofﬁcials said the arrest was unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance.

Melodee was last seen in August but was reported missing more recently when Lompoc Uniﬁed School District ofﬁcials reported her prolonged absence

Deputies searched the girl’s home in Vandenberg Village and spoke to her mother, but said the young girl was nowhere to be seen and that her mother was uncooperative in the investigation.

On Friday, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s officials announced Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody after she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location. Sheriff’s officials offered no more details about the arrest except to say in a statement that it was not connected to the search for Melodee.

The FBI has joined local law enforcement in the search for the 9-year-old girl. On Thursday, Ashlee Buzzard was escorted off the property as federal and local ofﬁcials searched the girl’s Santa Barbara County home looking for clues to her whereabouts.

Lompoc school district officials reached out to the sheriff’s ofﬁce on Oct. 14 after Melodee had been absent for some time.

Officials then released surveillance video that appeared to show Ashlee Buzzard and her daughter at a car rental business Oct. 7.

Ofﬁcials believe Ashlee Buzzard took her daughter and drove to Nebraska, passing through Kansas on the way Buzzard returned home Oct. 10, ofﬁcials said.

Pfizer clinches deal for obesity drug developer

NEWYORK U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pﬁzer signed a deal to purchase development-stage obesity drugmaker Metsera Inc., winning a bidding war against Novo Nordisk, the Danish drugmaker behind weight-loss treatments Ozempic and Wegovy Metsera, based in New York, has no products on the market, but it is developing oral and injectable treatments That includes some potential treatments that could target lucrative ﬁelds for obesity and diabetes.

The deal comes as Pfizer is attempting to develop its own stake in that market, several months after ending development of a potential pill treatment for obesity

In a statement issued Friday, Metsera said Pﬁzer will acquire the company for up to $86.25 per share, consisting of $65.60 per share in cash and a contingent value right entitling holders to additional payments of up to $20.65 per share in cash

The deal comes three days after Novo Nordisk raised the stakes in its push to outbid Pﬁzer, saying Tuesday it would offer to pay as much as $10 billion for Metsera. That was higher than its previous bid of up to $9 billion which sparked a lawsuit from Pﬁzer

Powerful tornado in Brazil kills 6 people

RIODEJANEIRO A powerful tornado in Brazil’s southern state of Parana killed six people and injured hundreds Friday night, state ofﬁcials said Saturday Dozens of homes were destroyed.

The tornado, which hit speeds of more than 155 mph, prompted the government to declare an emergency in the affected region.

State ofﬁcials in a statement said at least one person was missing hours after the tornado touched down. Five of the killed were adults and the sixth was a 14-year-old girl.

The government said that more than 750 people, including children and pregnant women, had received medical attention. Of those, at least 10 underwent surgery and nine remained in serious condition.

The tornado downed trees, overturned vehicles and lifted the roofs of several structures.

Gov Carlos Massa Ratinho Jr declared three days of mourning in the state of Parana to honor the dead.

Russian strikes kill 4

BY SAMYA KULLAB and JOANNA KOZLOWSKA Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine A Russian drone slammed into an apartment building in eastern Ukraine early Saturday while many were sleeping, killing three people and wounding 12 others, Ukrainian authorities reported.

The attack in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, was part of a large Russian missile and drone barrage across the country that targeted power infrastructure. It also killed a worker at an energy company in Kharkiv, farther north, a local ofﬁcial said.

A fire broke out and several apartments were destroyed in the nine-story building in Dnipro, the emergency services said.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of three people, while two children were among the wounded.

Russia fired a total of 458 drones and 45 missiles, including 32 ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 406 drones and nine missiles, the air force said, adding that 25 locations were struck.

Authorities switched off power in several regions because of the attacks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said in a post on Facebook

In eastern Ukraine, ﬁghting for the strategic city of Pokrovsk has reached a key stage, with both Kyiv and Moscow vying to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that they can win on the battleﬁeld.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that work has begun on President Vladimir Putin’s order to prepare plans for a possible Russian nuclear test, according to state news agency Tass.

Putin’s order on Wednesday followed statements by Trump, which appeared to suggest that Washington would restart its own atomic tests for the first time in three decades.

Russia has been pummeling Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes, killing and wounding civilians. The Kremlin says its only targets are linked to Kyiv’s war effort. Russia’s Defense Ministry asserted Saturday that the nighttime strikes hit military and energy sites supplying Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war Russia wants to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water in what Kyiv ofﬁcials say is an attempt to “weaponize winter.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in an X post that the strikes damaged “several major energy facilities” around Kharkiv and Kyiv, as well as in the central Poltava region.

Thermal power plants operated by Ukraine’s state energy company Centrenergo were again knocked offline by the nighttime strikes, the company said in a statement Saturday Centrenergo’s three plants in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions were damaged by Russian attacks last year and subsequently restored. Russian forces, meanwhile, repelled a “massive” nighttime strike on energy facilities in the southern Volgograd region, Gov Andrei Bocharov said Saturday, two days after Ukraine said that it hit a key oil reﬁnery there with long-range drones. Bocharov added that the strike knocked out power in parts of the region’s northwest, but caused no casualties. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that its forces shot down 82 Ukrainian drones during the night, including eight over the Volgograd region. Two

people were wounded in the neighboring Saratov region after a Ukrainian drone strike blew out windows in an apartment building according to regional Gov Roman Busarin.

Following weeks of long-range strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure that Ukraine says both funds and directly fuels the Kremlin’s war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed on Friday to “ﬁnd a way to ensure there is no Russian oil in Europe.” Zelenskyy spoke to reporters shortly after Hungary secured a yearlong exemption from recent U.S. sanctions targeting major Russian oil producers.

“We will not allow it. We will not let the Russians sell oil there. It’s a matter of time,” he said at a news briefing after meeting with senior Ukrainian military leaders, without elaborating how Kyiv might seek to stanch the oil ﬂows.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a Trump ally who has long urged the European Union to repair ties with Moscow, argues that landlocked Hungary has no viable alternatives to Russian crude, and that replacing those supplies would trigger an economic collapse. Critics dispute that claim.

Elsewhere, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is in an area under Russian control, has been connected to the power grid with a second transmission line.

Israel, Hamas again exchange remains

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SALLY ABOU ALJOUD and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press

KHANYOUNIS,Gaza Strip More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war so far, Gaza health ofﬁcials said Saturday, as both sides completed the latest exchange of bodies under the terms of the tenuous ceaseﬁre.

The latest jump in deaths occurred as more bodies are recovered in the devastated Gaza Strip since the ceaseﬁre began on Oct. 10, and as other bodies are identiﬁed. The toll also includes Palestinians killed by strikes that Israel says target remaining militants.

Israel on Saturday returned the remains of another 15 Palestinians to Gaza, according to hospital ofﬁcials there, a day after militants returned the remains of a hostage to Israel. He was identiﬁed as Lior Rudaeff, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that Rudaeff was born in Argentina.

The exchanges are the central part of the ceaseﬁre’s initial phase, which requires that Hamas return all hostage remains as quickly as possible. Families and supporters rallied again Saturday night in Tel Aviv for the return of all.

The most destructive war ever between Israel and the Palestinian militant group began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. Ahmed Dheir, director of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, said that the remains of 300 have now been returned, with 89 identified. “We do not have sufficient resources or the DNA to match them with the martyrs’ families,” Dheir said. Unidentified ones will be buried in batches.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the number of people killed there since the war began has risen to 69,169. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

Alleged Iranian plot to kill Israel’s ambassador to Mexico thwarted

BY MATTHEW LEE and DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Mexican authorities with assistance from the United States and Israeli intelligence agencies thwarted an alleged plot by Iran to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to Mexico, Israeli and U.S. ofﬁcials said Friday Mexican authorities denied any knowledge of such a plot.

The plot to kill Ambassador Einat Kranz Neiger is alleged to have been hatched at the end of last year and remained active through the middle of this year, when it was disrupted, the U.S ofﬁcials said.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the intelligence, said the plot was “contained” and does not pose a current threat. They did not offer details on how the plot was discovered or broken up. Iran’s mission to the U.N. said it had no comment.

“We thank the security and law enforcement services in Mexico for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran that sought to attack Israel’s ambassador in Mexico,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Mexico’s foreign relations and security ministries issued a brief joint

statement Friday saying that “they have no report with respect to a supposed attempt against the ambassador of Israel in Mexico.”

The State Department had no immediate explanation for Mexico’s statement. It said, “Iran’s international abhorrent plots, aimed at its own citizens, Americans, and citizens of other nations are inconsistent with the behavior of a civilized state.”

According to intelligence documents from one of the U.S. ofﬁcials, an ofﬁcer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps named Hasan Izadi, who also goes by the name Masood Rahnema, initiated the plot along

UPS, FedEx ground all their MD-11 planes

BY HALLIE GOLDEN and BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press

LOUISVILLE,Ky.— Federal aviation officials issued an order Saturday for McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes not to be flown pending further inspection, reinforcing cargo carriers’ decision to ground their fleets following a deadly crash at the UPS global aviation hub in Kentucky UPS and FedEx said Friday that they were grounding their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11s “out of an abundance of caution,” and the Federal Aviation Administration’s directive the following day sidelined the planes until inspection and correction of any problems. In the Louisville crash, the jet’s left engine detached during takeoff.

“This condition could result in loss of continued safe ﬂight and landing,” the FAA said adding that the issue “is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design.”

The crash Tuesday at UPS Worldport killed 14 people including the three pilots on the MD-11, which was headed for Honolulu.

MD-11 aircraft make up about 9% of the UPS airline ﬂeet and 4% of the FedEx ﬂeet, the companies said.

Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said in a statement on its website that it “recommended to the three operators of the MD-11 Freighter that they suspend ﬂight operations while additional engineering analysis is performed.”

Western Global Airlines is the only other U.S. cargo airline that flies MD-11s, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. The airline has 16 MD-11s in its fleet but 12 of them have been put in storage. Boeing announced in 1998 that it would be phasing out its MD-11 jetliner production, with final deliveries due in 2000.

The UPS cargo plane, built in 1991, was nearly airborne Tuesday when a bell sounded in the cockpit, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said earlier Friday For the next 25 seconds, the bell rang and the pilots tried to control the aircraft as it barely lifted off the runway, its left wing ablaze and missing an engine, and then plowed into the ground in a spectacular ﬁreball.

with other Iranian ofﬁcials

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while serving as an aide to Iran’s ambassador to Venezuela.

IMAGE PROVIDED By RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRy PRESS SERVICE

A Russian army soldier fires a Fagot anti-tank missile system toward a Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location Friday in this image from video.

the president’s house to see if they could agree on an arrangement to share duties.

Board members fervently hoped they could agree, to assuage the critics.

When Rousse and Dalton emerged an hour or so later, they told several anxious board members that they had gotten along well. Rousse would serve as the system president, overseeing athletics and the entire university system, while Dalton would focus on academics and research at the ﬂagship campus in Baton Rouge and LSU’s medical facilities in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“It’s not often, if ever, that during a presidential search you get lucky enough to have two candidates with the same vision whose different backgrounds complement each other to the betterment of the entire university,” board Chair Scott Ballard said during a news conference afterward. “I am proud today that LSU did just that.”

The selection of Rousse culminated in a quiet but aggressive campaign that he and his supporters waged for the highest-proﬁle position at any of Louisiana’s colleges and universities. In many ways they treated it like a political contest, with the LSU presidency as the prize.

This account is based on interviews with Landry, Mallett and 25 political insiders, board members and university ofﬁcials, most of whom didn’t want to be identiﬁed given the sensitivity of the subject.

To become president, Rousse met with LSU board members, community leaders and political ﬁgures at lunches and dinners organized by Mallett and even ﬂew to north Louisiana on a private plane to meet with two board members.

Rousse’s efforts included reaching out to the state’s two most prominent Democrats, former Gov John Bel Edwards and former U.S. Sen Mary Landrieu.

primary outright in October 2023 and moving into the Governor’s Mansion in January 2024.

The key supporter, though, was Landry He has aggressively sought to make his imprint on Louisiana in every way possible since winning the gubernatorial

In the most striking recent example, Landry was blasted locally and nationally after the governor said during a news conference that then-LSU athletic director Scott Woodward wouldn’t hire the next football coach. Woodward was out of his job days later That move ratcheted up criticism of Landry from people who believed he had ﬁred head coach Brian Kelly and shouldn’t meddle in LSU athletics. Landry said he wasn’t involved in the decision to fire Kelly, which board members

have conﬁrmed.

Landry also played a key role in ﬁlling the last two university presidential vacancies in Louisiana when he supported the candidates selected at Northwestern State and at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

In the second of two phone interviews Thursday, Landry downplayed his involvement but acknowledged making his views known to board members.

“I have not played a role in the selection of any of these presidents other than if I speak to those board members about the interview process what they think what I think,” he said. “I think that you will ﬁnd that my involvement in these matters has been at best

on par with prior governors’ actions or less than.”

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where Landry graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental and sustainable resources, is about to pick its next president.

Insiders say Ramesh Kolluru, the university’s vice president for research, innovation and economic development, has the inside track and that the university is poised to make its selection as soon as Thursday in what would be a truncated search.

Landry said Mark Romero, his pick to chair the University of Louisiana system, asked the governor whether he had a problem if Kolluru applied.

“I said I got no problem,” Landry said in an interview “Y’all go ﬁnd whoever you want.”

Landry could also play a role in selecting the new president of McNeese State to replace Rousse.

New law, new power

Key to Landry’s efforts has been a law passed last year by the Legislature that allows him to name the chairs of the university boards that choose the presidents. Without that change, board members appointed by Edwards would have been the chairs.

Landry was not shy about having pushed for the change through a law sponsored by state Sen. Va-

ä See ROUSSE, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Wade Rousse, center right, and James Dalton, center left, 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

president at the University Administration Building on Tuesday.

larie Hodges, R-Denham Springs.

“Weare astate that’sreally governed by awhole bunch of boards,” Landry said. “We got like 800 of them. The state of Texas might have 10. The problem is that each one of those boards, if left unchecked,they run their own politics.The politicsof those boards should be the politics of the people, and thepolitics of the people is who sitsinthe governor’s chair at the time.”

Jay Dardenne, aformer state senator,secretary of state and lieutenant governor who oversaw the operations of state government under Edwards, applied to be president of LSU in 2021, when William Tate instead wasselected. Dardenne said he asked Edwards, his boss, not to advocate on his behalf.

Salim, atrial attorney in Natchitoches and University of Louisianaboard member whowas closewith Landry andhad been on thetennis team with Genovese at Northwestern in theearly 1970s.

Genovese had no background in higher education or overseeing alargeinstitution. Sohesaid hethought someonewas jokingwhen Salim ﬁrst approached him about becoming the university’spresident. “I was just minding my business,” Genovese said. “This wasn’teven on theradar.”

“The governance of auniversity ought to rest with the governing board rather than be apolitical favorite of the governor,” Dardenne said. “One reason is from an accreditation standpoint

Agovernor’sinvolvement lends itself to the potential of politicalpatronage in a ﬁeld that’smuch too important to be regulatedbypolitical patronage.” Landry,however, said he believes that Edwards got Tate hired by hosting adinner at the Governor’s Mansion with Universityof SouthCarolina ofﬁcials that includedTate, whowas the university’sprovost.

“John Bel marched the majority of the boardheappointed for adinner when there were 25 applicants at LSU and walked in with Bill Tate and said, ‘This guy is going to be the next president,’”Landry said.

Dardenne, Edwards and Robert Dampf, who chaired the LSU board when Tate was hired, scoff at that account.

“Whoever told you that John BelwantedTateis wrong,” Dampf said. “John Bel did nothing to put his ﬁnger on the scale of the selection process.”

HowLandryplayeda role

Landry wasted no time in gaining greater control over the University of Louisiana board.

The same day he signed Hodges’ legislation into law, on June 5, 2024, the governor named Mark Romero an insurance executive and friend from NewIberia,as theboard chair.Romero replaced Jimmy Clarke, who waschief of staff under Gov. Kathleen Blancoand had been appointedbyEdwards. Clarke was asticklerfor the board hiring university presidents through an open process.

On July 2, Jimmy Genovese, an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, said he had Landry’s backing to be the next president of Northwestern State in Natchitoches.

Genovese also had the support of Robert “Skeeter”

Romero aided his chances by shorteningthe selection process. On July 18, the University of Louisiana board gave Genovese the job. Members cited his outgoing personality and his pledge to ﬁnd ways to reverse astudent enrollmentdecline. It was notlosttopolitical insiders that Genovese’sdeparture fromthe Louisiana Supreme Courtopenedthe door for the election of Cade Cole, whose conservative views are more in linewith Landry’s.

On May 10, 2025, the University of Louisiana board metagaintochoose another president,thistimeatthe University ofLouisianaat Monroe

In the preceding days, Chris Broadwater,awellliked former state House member who hadserved as interim chancellor atLouisiana Delta CommunityCollege in Monroe, had been told he wasashoo-in.

On the morning of the vote, Salim said he called Landry to ask if he was OK withthe other finalist, Carrie Castille,aformer senior vice chancellor and senior vice president at theUniversity of Tennessee. Salim said he believed that Castillewould make the necessary layoffs at theuniversity to solvea budget shortfall

“Listen, it seems to me that after talking to anumber of board members that Carrie Castille seemed to have shined above the rest of them,” Landrysaidhe told Salim Salim passed that alongto other boardmembers, and Castille won out on what Salim said was anarrow vote.

“I respect the board’s choice, and Iamatpeace with that result,” Broadwater said Friday

Howthe search happened

Nine days after Castille’s selection, Tate announced he wasleavingLSU afterfour yearstobecome president of RutgersUniversity.His departure followed the exits of several other top university officials. At the same time,Landry and Republican lawmakers had pushed Tate and the presidents of the state’spublic universities to dismantle programs that promotediversity,equity and inclusion.

Ashort timelater,Rousse madeitknownthathewould apply to replace Tate.

Rousse had worked as an executivefor amarine transport company,obtained abachelor’sdegree from

Nicholls State University,an MBA from theUniversity of NewOrleans,and gota master’sdegree andPh.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He workedfor the Federal Reserve before becomingdean of McNeeseState’s College of Business.

Lee Mallett, abusiness owner in the Lake Charles area anda benefactor of McNeese State, had becomea big fan of Rousse’s.

Mallett said he thought that Matt Lee, whowas LSU’sinterimpresidentafter serving as thedean of the College of Agriculture, had a big advantage in becoming Tate’ssuccessor

Besides, Rousse hadbeen presidentatMcNeese since only mid-2024, andMcNeese was ranked as only the 81st regional university in the south by U.S.News &World Report.

But Mallett said he believed that if he introduced Rousse to enough key decision-makers and influencers, Rousse could get the nod because of his bayou charmand business background. Rousse grewupin Golden Meadow,a burg in Lafourche Parish, and Mallett thought LSU needed someone who understood the state’sculture andpolitics

Mallett said he set up lunches and dinnerswith LSU board members and Rousse and arranged for such business leaders as John Engquist, theformer chairman of H&EEquipment Services and founder of Engquist Development, to meet him at gatherings organizedatthe Supper Club in Baton Rouge.

Mallett said he chartered a privateairplane to ﬂy Rousse to Monroetomeet board member Randy Morrisand to Shreveport to meet Esperanza Moran, another board member Malletttookthree LSUprofessors on thepresidential search committee —Daniel Tirone,Olivia Phelps and Kenneth Schafer—todinner at Juban’sinBaton Rouge to meet Rousse. Tirone said laterthatthe threemet separatelywiththe twoother ﬁnalists, James Dalton and Robert Robbins.

Mallett, amajor fundraiser for Landry in 2023, said he hadintroduced Rousse to

the governor at abreakfast in Lake Charles.

Mallett talked up Rousse whenever he sawLandry

“When Idid seehim,I’d say,‘I’m pushing my man fromLakeCharles,”Mallett said. “Hesaid, ‘I like him, too.’”

Landry hadinvitedRousse to his hunting campinSt. Martin Parish and liked what he saw from Rousse at McNeese State.

“He’s theonly president that overthe lastﬁve years hasbeenable to take auniversity andactually put it in the black,” Landry said. “The things he’s done at McNeese are unbelievable.”

Astate legislator said Landry began calling Rousse “my guy.”

Another state legislator

and an LSU board member said boardchair ScottBallard saidthat Rousse “was Jeff’s guy.” Ballard did not respond to interview requests.

To cover allhis bases, Rousse hadMaryLandrieu inform board members of her support for him.

Landrieu said she hadmet Rousse during Washington Mardi Gras this year In atext, she said she “was immediately impressed with his heart for Louisiana and his humility and care for his students, demonstrated by his living in the dorm with his students for several years until his home could be rebuilt.”

Rousse andJason French, alobbyist who washelping him navigate the political waters, met recently with JohnBel Edwards in New Orleans to win him over Edwards declinedtocomment.

Allthe hard work came together for Rousse on Tuesday,when the LSU board selected him on a12-1 vote.

“This is truly the honor of my life,” Rousse said. Later, during anews conference at the LSU Foundation, Rousse wasasked about Landry “I’m sure he’ssmiling somewhere today because Ihave been told by several people that he’slooking for strong leadershipatLSU,” he said.

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

Expertstoleadholiday fraudpanel discussion amid rising number of scamstargeting seniors

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

abouta shipment issue

•25percent of respondents hada packagestolenfromtheir home

Theholidayseasonisatimeoftradition, family gatherings andgiftexchanges Unfortunately,itisalsoone of the busiesttimes of theyearfor scammers. Senior citizens in particular canfacea heightenedriskoffraudduringthisperiod duetoincreaseddigitalcommunication, ﬁnancial generosityand sophisticated tacticsthatexploit trustand urgency. That’swhyAARPandGeorgesMedia Grouparepartneringtogetherthismonth to host apanel discussion featuring Louisianabusinessandlawenforcement expertstoexplaincommonfraudstrategies, warningsigns to watchfor andhow to preventyourselfora lovedone from becomingavictim.Consumerscanemail questionstothepanelinadvancethrough louisianatownhallquestions@gmail.com

Thefullvideo of thepanel discussion will be availableatwww.theadvocate combeginning on November 20

Last year,anAARPsurveyofmore than 1,800U.S.consumers foundthat 82 percenthad experiencedorbeen targetedbyatleastoneformoffraudthat is rampantduringthe holidays.These includerequestsfromfakecharities online shopping scamsand fraudulent communicationsaboutdeliveryproblems, amongothers.Amongthesurveyﬁndings: •56percentofrespondentshadreceived afraudulentdeliverynotification

•35percent of respondents received adonationrequest that seemed fraudulent

•29percent hadgiven or received a gift card with zero balance

TheAARPoffersthe following suggestionstoavoid becoming afraud victim during theholiday season:

•Visit only veriﬁedwebsites. Rather than clicking alinkfromanemail or text,typeinthe addressinaweb browser.

•Pay by credit card.Thismakes it easiertodisputechargesandlimitthe damageifatransactionisfraudulent

•Buy gift cardsfrombehinda store counterandsavethereceiptthatshows thetimeofpurchaseand amount of moneyonthe card.Also, consider electronic gift cardspurchased directly from theretailer’ssite, whichare less likely to be subject to tampering.

•Research requests fordonations Websites like CharityWatch CharityNavigator andGuideStar provideinformation on legitimate organizations, includingratings, reviewsand ﬁnancial information.

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU President-elect Wade Rousse speaks after the announcement of hisappointment during the LSU Board of Supervisors’ final meetinginthe search forthe newLSU president at the University Administration Building on Tuesday

This article is broughttoyou by AARP

lunches, more food picked up from its pantry, more clothes given from its closet.

Two decades ago, during a typical Monday Wednesday or Friday meal, it served a dozen or two dozen people. Before the pandemic, about 100 people might have shown up, said Misty Loe, the nonproﬁt’s executive director By the time they shut their doors and pulled the shades on this Wednesday, church volunteers had served 355 sloppy Joes alongside baked beans and salad. It’s a number Loe expects to grow through the month, as Thanksgiving approaches and the federal shutdown wears on.

“People just can’t afford to live,” Loe said, pointing to the persistently high cost of groceries and rising rents in the area, among other factors.

One in 5 Louisiana residents receives benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP or food stamps As President Donald Trump’s administration fought in federal court about whether and how to fund the program, the Louisiana Department of Health launched a state plan to continue aid for seniors, families with children and people with disabilities. A federal judge ruled late last week that the Trump administration must make full SNAP payments during the shutdown but Trump administration lawyers appealed the ruling Still, in northeast Louisiana, the uncertainty has stretched an already frayed safety net of churches and charities, soup kitchens and food banks.

To meet the need, the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana has cut back to offering one protein item per household, instead of two.

“All programs are getting food — but everyone is getting a bit less,” said Jean Toth, the organization’s executive director. Like the people they serve, the organizations that distribute food are “stressed and distressed,” she said. “They’re very nervous that they’re not going to have enough.”

A special delivery

About four hours before Grace Place Ministries was set to serve lunch, a truck from the food bank pulled up. Volunteers chattered: What might be inside?

A worker released the back door to reveal boxes and boxes of pears

“Lee, how many pallets is this?” Loe asked, moving chairs aside to make room.

A few volunteers from Family Church, a longtime partner, arrived with pans, coolers and 90 pounds of ground beef They pulled on aprons, located spatulas and began browning meat. Others swept ﬂoors, wiped tables and cleaned windows

“The Lord runs the place, but it takes an army of volunteers,” said Loe, keys around her elbow, a cross

around her neck. She first volunteered with her church a decade ago, then kept coming back, eventually taking over for the place’s founder, Rhonda Grace.

When she’s not wrangling volunteers or penning the newsletter, Loe is helping people in other ways: applying for SNAP or disability beneﬁts, for a lease or a job. She often wakes in the middle of the night, concerned about one child or another She grabbed two armfuls worth of pillows and bedding on Wednesday and walked across the street to an old, white house the ministry bought mainly for its parking lot. Earlier this week, she had helped a struggling family move inside.

“Why isn’t he in school?” Loe asked as the 4-year-old in question, who knows Loe as his godmother, hugged her knees.

“That’s a must,” his mother, Antonique Miller, replied, pledging to bring him the next day Loe unwrapped the bedding, taking one end of a blue sheet. Miller’s boyfriend Dontrell Clark, wearing his Burger King uniform, grabbed the other end, stretching it across the mattress.

The couple and their kids had been living in a one-bedroom apartment in Monroe where, earlier that week, two adults and a toddler had been killed next door

The place had been infested with roaches and rodents for a while, Loe said, but after the murder, they knew they needed to get out. Both Miller and Clark receive SNAP benefits — Clark typically gets $263 a month and were relieved when Clark’s partial payment appeared with $63. Their new kitchen doesn’t yet have a refrigerator, so they used some of the money to buy bread, snacks and Frosted Flakes.

A half gallon of whole milk sat on the counter

“See you in a little bit?” Loe asked, as she left “Come eat sloppy Joes with us.”

‘I sure am blessed’

By 11:30 a.m., a crowd had formed outside the door

A man who took two buses to get there A veteran who had given ﬁve women a ride.

A man who’d lost his job at a sign company after slicing his finger A pregnant woman praying about the meal after this one. Mothers receiving SNAP, young men getting disability benefits, people more likely to trust in God than politicians.

Gladys “Joyce” Nelson

ﬁrst heard about this place 16 years ago, when she was cleaning houses. She brought her mother, then her kids, then her grandkids: “It helped me raise my children.” Now 67, she’s been able to afford her few expenses and no longer relies

on food stamps.

“I told my friend, ‘I sure am blessed.’” Louisiana politicians of both parties have recognized the importance of SNAP in the past.

“My constituents are deeply concerned about SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown,” said U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, a Republican who represents this region, in response to questions about the future of the program.

“While Governor Landry

and President Trump have stepped up to ﬁll the gaps,” she continued in a statement, “the best way to ensure stability for our families who rely on nutrition benefits is for the Senate to pass a clean funding bill that fully supports SNAP and WIC.”

Still, across the region, organizations and businesses have been bracing for a possible pause in beneﬁts, as well as new work requirements. In Lake Providence, Rosie Brown, who has

worked for the community action network for four decades, has been fussing at her clients, whom she helps with utility payments: “Be careful with your money.”

More than half of the customers at the small city’s only family-owned grocery store, Jong’s SuperValu, use SNAP, said manager Chad Toney Already, he’s seen people “holding their money close to the chest,” he said. Instead of crabs, they’re buying chicken. Instead of Frito-Lay, knockoff brands At noon, most spots were full across two rooms of tables at Grace Place. Sitting together with their children were Pearce and Spearman, the longtime friends. Pearce nearly hadn’t made it there; her mother, who’d once walked her to this soup kitchen, had a stroke just days before. “I’ve been crying,” Pearce said, blinking back tears, “but I’m trying.”

Pregnant and homeless, Pearce was staying with Spearman, who was worried about feeding everyone her own six children and now her friend’s children, as well. She’d also been fretting about Christmas. She’d called the local Salvation Army to get children’s gifts, but their sign-up list was full. For now, though, her son was in a high chair, grinning. On his cheek, sloppy Joe sauce. In his hand, a sandwich cookie. And on his feet, gray sneakers. They were a little tight, but they’d do. Email reporter Jenna Ross at jenna.ross@ theadvocate.com.

Preparingfor Baby: Pediatricians Offer Free Prenatal Sessions at The BatonRouge Clinic

Welcominganewbabyisanexcitingand joyful experience,but it oftencomes with plenty of questionsand uncertainty. To help expectantparents feel prepared and conﬁdent,the pediatriciansatThe Baton RougeClinichostfreequarterly prenatal classesdesignedfor soon-to-be mothers fathers, andother family members.

thinking aboutthese aspectsofnewborn care during thethirdtrimester,which is also an idealtimetoselecta pediatrician.

“A lotofpeopleliketomeetdifferent pediatriciansbeforetheychooseone,”she said,notingthatThe BatonRouge Clinic pediatriciansoffer free prenatal visits so families canﬁnd adoctorwhose styleand approach best matchtheir needs.

Whilethe classesare especially helpful forfirst-timeparents,Dr. Allensaid they’realsovaluablefor families with alarge agegap betweenchildrenorfor couplesinwhich onepartnerisnew to parenting. Otherrelatives whoplanto play akey role in caring for thebaby, such as grandparents,aunts,oruncles, arealso encouraged to attend

“Theyare welcometobring people who will providethatextra support,”she said Formoreinformation aboutpediatric services at TheBaton RougeClinic, visit https://batonrougeclinic.com/pediatricmedicine/

Thesessionstakeplace at TheBaton RougeClinicPediatricsatPerkinsBuilding, locatedat7373PerkinsRoad(justbehind theMainClinic).The next classbeginsat 5:30p.m.onNovember12.Thoseinterested inattendingcanregisteronlineathttps:// batonrougeclinic.com/services/primary/ pediatric-medicine/prenatal-classes/ “Wereallytrytofocusonthebaby’scare, whichI thinkseparates ourclasses from others. We focusonbirth into thefirst couple months of life”, said Dr.Mallory Allen, apediatricianatThe BatonRouge Clinic. “Wetalkabout what to expect in thehospital, beforeyou go to thehospital, thenewborn screenings that everybody gets,how oftentocometoappointments andother common questionsand issues thatparentshavewithanewbornathome.

During each session, participants learn aboutarangeofimportanttopics,including typicalnewborn behaviors, carseatand sleepsafety, andwhattoknowabout jaundice,circumcision, breastfeeding, andother earlyconcerns.

Dr.Allenrecommendsthatparentsbegin

Peter Malta, 67, heads home after a meal from Grace Place Ministries Soup Kitchen in Monroe on Wednesday

STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD

Grace Place Ministries Soup Kitchen on Jackson Street in Monroe serves hot meals to those in need during its Wednesday feeding As the federal government shutdown delays and reduces SNAP benefits, more families and individuals are turning to the nonprofit for help.

This article is broughttoyou by TheBaton RougeClinic.

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Pain affectsevery part of your life- walking, sitting, andevensleeping. Nothing’sworse than feelinggreat mentally,but physically feelingheldbackfromlife because your nerveorbackpainhurts-and it just won’t go away Scientificstudies tellusthatspinaldiscs areresponsiblefor most of theaches andpains peoplesuffer from

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Shutdown promptscancellationofsomeVeteransDay events

BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

Normally on Veterans Day,volunteers gather at the Riverside National Cemetery in California to place ﬂags alongside more than 300,000 gravesites. But not this year The longest federal government shutdown on record is curtailing and outright canceling parades, ceremonies and other events across the U.S. that are normally held tomark Veterans Day. It’sanother fallout

COURTS

Continued from page1A

departments across the cityparish government. If Metro Council approves the plan, it would mean a22% reduction in city-parishfunds for the Public Defender’sOfﬁce.

Romanach said people are theonly thing left to cut —atough pill to swallow for the ofﬁce that defends about 85-88% of all criminal cases in Baton Rouge criminal court each year

of theshutdown that has disrupted ﬂights and food assistance, and was already being squarely felt by military families who are worried about their paychecks. In California, organizers of “A Flag for Every Hero” saidthey couldn’tmove forward with the event on Tuesday without access to restrooms, trafﬁc control and other needsfor thethousands of participants.Elsewhere, alackoffederal employees and access to military facilities has scrubbed other Veterans Day events.

this year, thatbenchmark hassince droppedbyabout 33%, though Baton Rouge remains thesecond-slowest criminal court in thestate

Amajor reason is inadequate manpower and subparfunding for theDAand public defender, those agenciessay

Both Moore andRomanachsaid they expected cuts,but neither was readyfor whatthe mayor presented Wednesday.

Theproposed budget would also mean an 11% reduction forDistrict Attorney Hillar Moore’soffice, which he says is regularly hemorrhaging prosecutors because he is not able to offer them competitive pay For Moore, the cuts are so severe that he is considering asking acourt to halt them. He says the state constitution demands local government adequately fund the district attorney

“It’s pretty devastatingtoour office,” Romanach said.“We’realready apoor agency that is strugglingto provide the services that we’re constitutionally obligated to provide.”

It doesn’tjustthreaten to delay the court, Romanach said.Italso puts stress on the local jail.

If the public defender and district attorney are not able to process acase swiftly,thatmeans more time fora pretrial inmate to be held at the localjail —anexpensepaidfor by the taxpayer

“Wehavearesponsibilityto provide them theresources they need, and unfortunately withthe shutdown we’reunable to do that,” Laura Herzog,founder andCEO of Honoring Our Fallen,which organizesthe Riverside National Cemetery event. The Texas National Cemetery Foundation canceled an annual Veterans Dayevent at thecemetery in Dallas-Fort Worth, saying organizers wouldn’thavetimetostage theceremony even if the shutdown ended soon

Despitethe upheaval, some communities are still trying to ﬁnd ways to honorveteransevenasevents are canceled.

In Mississippi, the GulfCoast Veterans Association canceled itsannualparade in Pass Christian. But thegroupsaiditwould use funds for the event to instead provide Thanksgiving dinners forveterans and active-duty members.

“While we share in the disappointment, we arechoosing to turn this setback into ablessing,”the group saidinaFacebook post.

When U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales learnedthat the Veterans DayceremonyatFortSam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio wouldn’ttake place, the Republican congressman’sofficetook up organizing the annual event. Gonzales, aNavyveteran whose grandfatherisburied at the cemetery,said that meantworking with nonprofits to find someone to sing thenational anthem andtoprovide chairs for attendees. “Wehonor our veterans no matter what, and that’s exactly what we did,” Gonzales said.

“Wewant to do our part and be ateamplayerand not just sue them adversely,” Moore said. “But we may need to ﬁle something. And if the judge rules in our favor,that would mean ‘you cannot cut this from thisofﬁce. Youhavetocut somewhere else.’

From acrawl to ahalt In 2022, it took an average of 1,329 days for ahomicide case to be resolved. According to an analysis by The Advocate earlier

“Many of them at an even higherexpense,”Romanach said. “Because we don’thave enoughspace in our local facility,they’rehaving to send them elsewhere,which costs more.”

Moore says he is drowning in murder cases,with each of the past few years bringing102 to 150 new ﬁles to his desk. He and Romanach say they don’thavethe funding to hire enough attorneys to keep the backlog from growing.

“It just slows it upand

takes threeyears to try a regular murder case that should takeayear,” he said.

‘Outside agencies’

As Moore considers asking acourttostopthe cityparishfrom instituting these cuts, Romanach has fewer options, as state law is less speciﬁc aboutpublic defender funding.

If Edwards’ budget is proposed, her city-parish allotmentwould be reduced from $1.09 millionto$855,000. The money appropriated to thepublicdefender is notfrom regularrevenue sources, butfrom the last of city-parish interestthe Mayor’sOfﬁce hasdecided to cash in on.

But after next year,Edwardssaid thePublic Defender’sOfﬁce is on its own if his upcoming tax plan doesn’tpass Nov.15.

“The general fund will be unabletosustain current service levels in 2026 to support outside agencies such as thepublicdefender,” Edwards said Wednesday “Without theapproval of Thrive, these agencies will be requiredtosecure their own and new funding sources in 2027.”

That linefromthe mayor was the mostconcerning, Romanach said.

“You know,hereferredto us as an ‘outside agency,’ ” Romanach said. “If we’re an outside agency,shouldwe just stay outside thecourthouse? Or do you want us to go into court and do our jobs andbeapart of thecourt systemlike we’ve been doing?”

When asked during anews conference to address the district attorneyand public defender,Edwards said “hangwithme” andsaid their situation couldbeimproved if his tax rededication passes.

“I think our DA and our public defender —I’ve talked to them —all those folks know how important what they do is to theparish and to me,” Edwards said.

“And we’ll keep trying with our council. We have agreat council. We will keep trying to find waystokeep these thingsuplifted.”

If the taxrededication plan passes, Edwards said thepublic defender and districtattorneywould be the

first he would wanttohelp. Romanach said heroffice will try to showthe council how these cuts would hinder her office as they decide whetherornot to approve the budget by Dec.9

Candelaysimpactcrime?

Only the Baton Rouge Fire Department and the Baton Rouge Police Department went unscathed in Edwards’ budget. Somecouncil members questioned that decision Wednesday Twahna Harris andCarolyn Coleman wondered how thedistrict attorney would handle the samecaseload handedtohim by police, whose budgetremainedthe same. Theyalsoquestioned whetheritwould impact public safety Moore says delays in the court system directly impact crime, and he’sseen it frequently in his 18 years as district attorney People aremoreprone to respect “swift andcertain”

justicethandelayedjustice, Moore said. He usesthe analogy of adriver stopping at astop sign, because they understand the consequence of a crossing car T-boning them as immediate and serious.

“You respect that, and if you don’t, your consequence could be swift and certain,” Moore said. But adelayincharges moving through thesystem makes offenders less fearful and respecting of consequences, he argues,and makes it easierfor someone to reoffend while out on bond.

“When youhave athreeyear delay,nobody respects the system,” Moore said. “They can say ‘I’m just waiting around fornothing. They’re not even getting to me.I’m out on bond.’ So, they go out and do it again. If it’s not swift, certain and fair, yes, it can increase in crime, because people are not afraid of the consequences.”

ASecretGardenRevealed— Captureyourimagination with November’s Garden of theMonth

Judy andRandy Messer havedreamtupandcarefully designed atreasuretrove of landscapes acrosstheir 30-acrepropertyinCentral Louisiana.Fromthebutterfly garden to thefruit orchard, andfromthe cypresscove to the“secret garden,” the naturalmarvels throughout theirexpansive home will have youbelieving in fairy talesoncemore. TheMessergardensare arrangedlikearevolvingsetof rooms.Aroundeverybendand throughevery jasmine-coveredarchway, there’sauniquewonderlandawaiting. Oneofthecouple’smainfocusesistheir butterflygarden.There,theygrowmilkweed, coreopsis,partridgepea,lespedeza,zinnia, andpassionflowervine, whichattract a host of butterflyvisitors. TheLouisiana statebutterfly—theGulfFritillary—likes to layits eggs on thepassionflowervine, andoncehatched,the caterpillars enjoy theleafy meal it provides “Thenthere’s the‘Island Room’, where we have an island garden bed.Inthe springtime,wehavepinkphlox,rudbeckia, andall kindsofflowersinthatarea,”said RandyMesser. “Whenour grandkids were young, we made little stones with theirfootprintsand embedded toys in each of them.”

checkerboard design.Behind thegardens,thereisanareathat usedtobeaparishdrainageditch When theparishabandoned efforts to upkeep theditch,it washandedovertothe care of theMesserfamily. They plantedcypress treesand transformedthe ditchinto a makeshiftswamp—complete with araisedclubhouse and boat ForRandy Messer,the inspirationtogardencame early. He grew up on theland wherethe couple currentlylives,and during hischildhood hisfatherkept a plantnursery whereheraisedand sold camellias, sasanquas, andazaleas.Itwas knownasCamelliaGardens Shroudedingreeneryandwindingwith steppingstones,the same area that once housed theplant nurseryinthe 1940s becameaplaceofadventureandchildhood fantasyfor theMessers’two boys

Asmall goldﬁsh pond andseveral bird feedersoccupy anotherarea called the “CheckerboardGarden”,named forits

Moore

Romanach

By Stevie CavalierLicciardi,stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com This articleisbrought to youbyLouisiana Nursery.

Airlines cancel 2,500 weekend flights

BY JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

U.S. airlines canceled

more than 2,500 weekend

ﬂights by Saturday evening as the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandate to reduce air trafﬁc because of the government shutdown showed no signs of easing

The slowdown at many of the nation’s busiest airports did not cause immediate widespread disruptions. But it deepened the impact felt by the nation’s longest federal shutdown.

“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami on Saturday to see family in the Dominican Republic. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”

Shutdown could force 20% flight cuts

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

ATLANTA Flight reductions could continue rising if the government shutdown prolongs, Transportation

Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday

The Federal Aviation Administration started reducing ﬂights Friday at 40 major airports. Capacity reductions began at 4%, rose to 5% Saturday and will increase to 6% Sunday before ramping up to 10% this week.

The move is to alleviate pressure on the country’s air trafﬁc controllers during the government shutdown. International ﬂights are exempt.

At a Breitbart News event in Washington, D.C.,

to take a second job, with that you might see 10% would’ve been a good number because we might go to 15% or 20%,” he said.

Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and spread far beyond air travel if cancellations keep growing and reach into Thanksgiving week. Already there are concerns about the squeeze on tourism destina-

tions and holiday shipping. Cancellations jumped Saturday to more than 1,500, following just over 1,000 the

Weekend session off to slow start in Senate

BY KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate’s ﬁrst weekend session since the beginning of the shutdown yielded few signs of progress Saturday as Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s wish for a quick vote never materialized.

The impasse that has lasted 39 days is taking an increasing toll on the country as federal workers go unpaid, airlines cancel ﬂights and SNAP beneﬁts have been delayed for millions of Americans.

Saturday’s session got off to a rough start when President Donald Trump made clear he is unlikely to compromise any time soon with Democrats who are seeking a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. He said on social media that it is “the worst Healthcare anywhere in the world” and suggested Congress send money directly to people to buy insurance.

Thune said Trump’s proposal would not be part of a solution to ending the shutdown, but added “it is a discussion that the president and all of us want to have.” Republican senators who spoke on the Senate ﬂoor Saturday generally echoed Trump’s assessment.

“I guarantee you every day we keep this system in place is a great day for the health care insurance companies who have been making out literally like bandits every day under Obamacare,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he welcomed Republicans to the ﬁght when it came to insurance companies, “but that shouldn’t come at the cost of kicking millions off of their health care in January.”

Senate Republican leaders have signaled an openness to an emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to end the shutdown in exchange for a later vote on the “Obamacare” subsidies, which make coverage more affordable. For those enrolled in Affordable Care Act exchanges premiums on average are expected to more than double next year if Congress allows the enhanced subsidies to lapse.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Friday evening that Democrats “need another path forward” after Republicans rejected an offer from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to reopen the government and extend the subsidies for a year

Moderates continue to negotiate Shaheen and others, negotiating among themselves and with some rank-and-ﬁle Re-

publicans, have been discussing bills that would pay for parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until December or January The agreement would only come with the promise of a future health care vote, rather than a guarantee of extended subsidies.

It was unclear whether enough Democrats would support such a plan Even with a deal, Trump appears unlikely to support an extension of the health beneﬁts. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, also said last week that he would not commit to a health vote. Republican leaders only need ﬁve additional votes to fund the government, and the group involved in the talks has ranged from 10 to 12 Democratic senators.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they want new limits on who can receive the subsidies They lined up Saturday to take to the Senate ﬂoor and argue that subsidies for the plans should be routed through individuals.

“We’re going to replace this broken system with something that is actually better for the consumer,” Graham said.

Republicans eye new package of bills

Trump wants Republicans to end the shutdown quickly and scrap the ﬁlibuster which requires 60 Senate votes for most legislation, so they can bypass Democrats altogether Vice President JD Vance, a former Ohio senator, endorsed the idea in an online post Saturday saying Republicans who want to keep the ﬁlibuster are “wrong.”

Republicans have rejected Trump’s call, and Thune is eyeing a bipartisan package that mirrors the proposal the moderate Democrats have been sketching out. What Thune, who has refused to negotiate, might promise on health care is unknown.

A test vote on new legislation could come in the next few days.

Then Democrats would have a crucial choice: Keep ﬁghting for a meaningful deal on extending the subsidies that expire in January while prolonging the pain of the shutdown? Or vote to reopen the government and hope for the best as Republicans promise an eventual health care vote, but not a guaranteed outcome.

Schumer on Saturday persisted in arguing that Republicans should accept a one-year extension of the subsidies before negotiating the future of the tax credits.

previous day, according to the tracking website FlightAware. By the evening U.S. airlines had canceled another 1,000-plus for Sunday Airports in Atlanta and Chicago, as well as Charlotte, North Carolina, and Newark, New Jersey, saw numerous disruptions throughout the day Ongoing stafﬁng shortages in radar centers and control towers added to the cancellations and delays at several East Coast airports, including those around New York City

Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide. But they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

Air trafﬁc controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading

many to call in sick and add to already existing stafﬁng shortages.

Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Trafﬁc Controllers Association has said.

Most passengers were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose ﬂights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about what ﬂights will be canceled next.

And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and ﬂying home to Puerto Rico.

“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.

Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling ﬂights altogether

There’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.

Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penﬁeld, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University

More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.

Democrats seize on efforts to fight SNAP payments

BY JILL COLVIN, MICHELLE L. PRICE and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WESTPALMBEACH,Fla. The Trump administration’s legal efforts to fight having to fully fund food stamps for millions of vulnerable Americans is creating an opening for Democrats eager to use the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to paint the president as callous and out of touch.

“Donald Trump and his administration have made the decision to weaponize hunger, to withhold SNAP benefits from millions of people, notwithstanding the fact that two lower courts, both the district court and the court of appeals, made clear that those SNAP beneﬁts needed to be paid immediately,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on CNN Saturday, calling the actions “shameful.”

“Donald Trump is literally ﬁghting in court to ensure Americans starve. HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU,” echoed California Gov Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, on X.

The comments come after the Supreme Court late Friday granted the administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order requiring it to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the shutdown

A judge had given the administration until Friday to make the payments But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund, and to move forward with planned partial SNAP payments for the month instead.

The legal wrangling comes after the administration and Republicans endured a bruising Election Day last week. Democrats scored commanding wins up and down the ballot and on ballot measures across the country amid signs that voters’ economic woes are top of mind — a warning sign for the president and his party heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections.

In response, the White House is planning to adjust its messaging strategy to focus on affordability to try to win over voters who are worried about the high cost of living with plans to emphasize new tax breaks and show progress on fighting inﬂation.

But its efforts around food stamps could complicate that.

And FBI director Kash Patel has said that FBI special agents are still being paid — though other bureau workers are not. The administration has not said where that money is coming from.

Legal wrangling

The administration has faced lawsuits from Democratic-leaning states, nonproﬁts and cities since shortly after announcing that SNAP beneﬁts would not be available in November because of the shutdown.

November’s beneﬁts entirely In both cases, the judges ordered the government to use an emergency reserve fund containing more than $4.6 billion to make the payments, which cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion each month.

After the administration announced it would cover only 65% of the maximum monthly beneﬁt, one judge ruled that they could not and would need to ﬁnd the money to fully fund the program for November

Blame game, workarounds

Both parties have tried to blame the other for the shutdown as its impact has spread beyond Washington, D.C.

An Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October, as the shutdown stretched into its third week, found that roughly 6 in 10 Americans said Trump and Republicans in Congress bore “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% said the same about Democrats in Congress. At least threequarters said both sides deserved at least a “moderate” share of blame.

The White House did not respond to questions Saturday about its rationale for appealing the SNAP orders to the Supreme Court or whether it was concerned about the optics of ﬁghting against making the full payments.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, appearing on Fox News, again blamed Democrats for refusing to vote to reopen the government and made the case that funding had to come from Congress.

“We can’t just create money out of the sky,” she said. “You can’t just create money to fund a program that Congress refuses to fund.”

While hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed and gone over a month without paychecks, the president has gone out of his way to ensure those he favors have been paid

That includes members of the military after Trump directed the Pentagon to use “all available funds” to pay U.S troops.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said her department had found a way to pay the U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement officers within the department with funds from the sweeping “One Big Beauti-

But two judges separately ordered the government to keep the money following, ruling last week that the administration could not skip

The Justice Department ﬁled an emergency appeal.

In its court filings Friday, the administration contended that the judge had usurped both legislative and executive authority When a higher court refused to nullify the Friday payment deadline, the Trump administration turned quickly to the Supreme Court. Through an order signed by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the high court agreed to keep the fullpayment order on hold until 48 hours after the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. Jackson, a frequent dissenter from a series of recent decisions in favor of the administration, is the justice assigned to oversee appeals from Rhode Island, where the case originated.

ful Bill Act” Trump signed this summer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

TyphoonKalmaegirampagesacrossVietnam

Philippinesbrace fornew storm

BY ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and JIM GOMEZ Associated Press

DAKLAK,Vietnam Typhoon Kalmaegi brought fierce winds and torrential rains to Vietnam on Friday,killing at least ﬁvepeople, ﬂattening homes, blowing off roofs and uprooting trees

In the Philippines, where the storm left at least 204 dead earlier in the week, survivors wept over the cofﬁns of their loved ones and braced for another typhoon. As the storm moved on, recovery work began in battered towns and villages in both countries. Across centralVietnameseprovinces, people cleared debris and repaired roofs on their homes

Jimmy Abatayo, who lost his wife and nineclose relatives after the typhoon unleashed flooding in the central Philippine province

of Cebu, was overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt as he ran his palm over his wife’s casket.

“I wasable to swim.Itold my family to swim, you will be saved, just swim,be brave and keep swimming,” said Abatayo, 53, pausing and then breaking into tears. “They didnot hear what I said becauseIwould never seethemagain.”

In Cebu, 141 peopledied, mostly in floodings. Villagers on Friday gathered to saygoodbye to their dead, including atabasketball gym turned funeral parlor where relativesweptbeforea row of whitecoffins bedecked with ﬂowers and small portraits of the deceased.

Astate of national emergency declared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursdaywas still effect in the Philippines, as the country braced for another potentiallypowerful storm, Typhoon Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan. Marcos,who visited Cebu on Friday,said an unusu-

ally largevolume of rain overwhelmed dikes and flood-controlsafeguards and caused rivers to rapidly overflow on Tuesday,flooding nearby residential communities, where residents scrambled to climb to the upper floors or roofs of their houses in panic. Across thecountry,Kalmaegi left at least 204 people dead and 109missing, thePhilippines Office of Civil Defense said, andmore than half amillion people were displaced. Nearly 450,000 were evacuated toshelters, and nearly 400,000 remained in evacuation centers or homesof relatives as of Saturday

The weather bureau said Fung-wong would comeearly next weekand predicted it would span an estimated 870 miles before making landfall late Sunday or early MondayinnorthernAurora province. It could alsopotentially affect the densely populated capitalregion of Manila.

Statemedia saidﬁve peo-

Damaged homes are

FridayafterTyphoon Kalmaegi

BY KATE PAYNE

Aspeeding car ﬂeeing police slammed into acrowded bar early Saturday, killing four peopleand injuring 11 in ahistoric district of Tampa, Florida, that is known for its nightlife and tourists

An air patrol unit spotted the silver sedan driving recklessly on afreewayat about 12:40 a.m. after it was seen street racing in another neighborhood, the Tampa Police Department said in a statement. The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the vehicle and tried to perform aPIT maneuver,which involves bumping the rear fender to cause aspinout, but it was unsuccessful.

Highway patrol officers “disengaged” as the vehicle

sped toward historic Ybor City near downtown, police said, andultimately the driver lost control and hit more than adozen peopleoutside thebar,Bradley’son7th

Three peopledied at the scene, anda fourth died at ahospital. As of Saturday afternoon, two people were hospitalized in critical condition, seven were listedasstable and twohad been treated anddischarged, policesaid.

“What happened this morning was asenseless tragedy,our heartsare with the loved ones of the victims and allthose who were impacted,” Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in astatement.

Ofﬁcers identiﬁed the suspect as Silas Sampson, 22, who was booked Saturday and was being heldatthe Hillsborough CountyJail.

Court documents show

ple werekilled in Vietnam —three in Dak Lak and two in GiaLai provinces —while three remained missing in Quang Ngai. Fifty-two houses collapsed andnearly2,600 others were damaged or had theirroofs blown off, including more than 2,400 in Gia Lai alone. The storm alsocaused multiple power grid failures and knocked down hundreds of powerpoles,cutting electricity to more than1.6 million households.Authorities saidSaturday that power had been restored to most areas, but about 500,000 households remained without electricity Factories losttheir roofs and equipment was damaged because of ﬂoodingin BinhDinh province.

In hard-hit QuyNhon, residentswokeuptofind corrugated metal roofsand household itemsscattered along the streets. Later on

Friday,familiescrowded into abrightly litshopping mall —one of the few places with backup power in the city —clutching tangled extensioncords andtheir phones. Children rejoiced at the unexpected outing while parents lined up at every available outlet, charging theirdevicesand anxiously callingrelativestomake sure they weresafe.

As theskiescleared and sunlightbroke throughon Friday morning, residents in Dak Lak province stepped out to assess the wreckage leftbehind. Streetswerelitteredwith fallen branches andtwisted sheets of metal, and muddy water still pooled in lowlying areas where the river had surged to record heights overnight. Shopkeepers dragged out waterlogged goods to dry in the sun, while familiessweptmud from theirdoorstepsand patched

together missing roof tiles. Many areas in Vietnam reported uprooted trees, damaged power lines and flattened buildings as Kalmaegiweakened into atropical storm andmoved into Cambodia on Friday In Vietnam’sﬁnancial capital Ho ChiMinh City,many waded through flooded streets Friday In LamDongprovince, officials evacuated around 100 households near an irrigation lake after discovering leaksinthe dam. Local authorities told state media that theevacuation was a precautiontoprevent apotential disaster Kalmaegi struck Vietnam as the country’scentral region was still reeling from floods caused by recordbreaking rains. Authorities said more than 537,000 people were evacuated, many by boat, as ﬂoodwaters rose and landslides loomed.

Sampson was charged with four countsofvehicular homicide and four countsof aggravated ﬂeeing or eluding with serious bodily injury or death,all ﬁrst-degree felonies.

“Our entire city feels this loss,” Mayor Jane Castor, who alsoserved as Tampa’s ﬁrst female police chief, said on social media.

Following arise in fatalities, A2023 study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice called for chases to be rare, saying the dangers often outweigh the immediate need to takesomeone into custody

Florida’shighway patrol has loosened limits on car chases and PITmaneuvers, tactics thatthe Justice Department-backed report characterized as “high-risk” and “controversial.”

2025 SouthernUniversity Football Game DayTrafﬁc, Parking, andStadium Rules

Southern UniversityAthletics urgesfansto arrive earlybeforekick-offfor all Southern Universityhomefootballgames at A.W. MumfordStadium to help with theeaseof trafﬁc ﬂow.

Driverswho parkinthe paid/reserve lots must have theirhangtagsvisible on thevehiclesorriskbeing towedand/or ticketed.Contraﬂowmay begin earlierthan designated if need be.Additional reserve parking will be availableat theMLK Catholic Center.Call theSUticketofﬁce at 225-7713171 fordetails

Also,the areasonIsabelHersonDrive,near theSouthernUniversityLaboratorySchool, will be available forparking.General parking,which is $20, will only be made available on Saturday

Designated limited mobility parking areas will be available on aﬁrstcomebasis

Shuttles will be availableincertain areas to bringfanstothe stadium. Please seethe Limited Mobility/ReservedLot manifest foracomplete list of lots andavailable shuttlelocations

SouthernUniversityFootball Game Trafﬁc Plan ALLHANG TAGS MUST BE HUNGFROM REARVIEWMIRRORBEFOREENTERING CAMPUS ANDREMAIN VISIBLYDISPLAYED AT ALLTIMES.VEHICLESPARKEDIN RESERVED PARKING LOTS WITHOUT DISPLAYING RESERVED HANG TAGS FORTHATLOT WILL BE TOWED. There arealimitednumberofgameday RV and tailgating spotsavailable,call225-7713171 formoreinfo. Individualvehicleswill notbeallowedtoparkinRVlots. Allmotor homesand ﬁfth wheelers must parkinthe areasdesignated formotor homes. If you will be towing avehicle,you mustpurchasea parking permit forthe vehicleand park it in thedesignated lotthatcorresponds to thepermit.

Trafﬁc on Campus during Normal Trafﬁc Flow

Trafﬁc onto campus by wayof HardingBoulevard

•The rightlaneofHarding Boulevardis forDecal Reserved ParkingLotsA,B,C, D, G(Mini Dome andStadium Parking), Tailgate Dome

•The left lane of HardingBoulevard is forDecal Reserved ParkingLots, E, V, U andMLK

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2025

•Gameday busparking should enteron

Hardingand proceedtoE.C.Harrison Drive. Parkingis$250for allnon-SU Alumni/Booster Clubs.

•General parking should enter through HardingBoulevard,Mills Avenue or Swan Avenue.Parking is $20per car.

Anydecal entering theMiniDomemay be allowedtopassthrough theMiniDome parking area if it is notLot Dtoget their designated decalparking area.Trafﬁconto campus by wayofSwanAvenuewillbeable to get to Lots A, B, C, D, F, G, H, andI

Trafﬁc ontocampusbyway of B. A. LittleDr. from MillsAvenuewillbeabletoget to Lots A, B, C, D, F, G, H, andI

Alltrafﬁcthatisnot goingtoareservedlot must parkinageneral parkingarea.

Trafﬁc onto HardingBoulevard

•BradfordHallParking Lot

•Human ResourcesParking Lot

•Parking lotonthe Scott’sBluff

•ArchivesParking Lot

•Museum ParkingLot

•Law Center ParkingLot

•Mayberry Dining Hall ParkingLot

•Army/NavyROTC ParkingLot

Trafﬁc onto Swan Avenue

•The grassareaeastofIsabelHersonStreet.

•The grassareanorth of theSouthern Laboratorypracticeﬁeld.

•The grassareanorth of Isabel Herson

Street

•TrafﬁcontoB.A.LittleDr. from Mills Avenue

•The grassareatothe southofMills Ave. andwestofB.A.LittleDrive

•The grassareatothe southofMills Ave. andeastofB.A.LittleDrive

Harding Blvd.Contra-ﬂowTrafﬁc

•All lanes will be inbound.

•Contra-flow traffic will startthree hours priortokickoff or earlierifnecessary.For example,for a6 p.m. kickoffcontra-flow traffic will startat3p.m

LimitedMobility

Bradford Hall andSUPoliceStation Parking

A.W. Mumford StadiumPolicies

•NoAlcoholic beveragesfromoutside will be allowedinsideA.W.MumfordStadium

•SouthernUniversityreservesthe rightto refuse thesaleofalcoholic beverages

•FansCannotStore Prohibited Bags &Items

Near StadiumEntrances

•All Unattended ItemswillbeRemoved & Discarded

•Full detailslistedatwww.gojagsports.com

•All Persons&ItemsEnteringare Subjectto Inspection

•NoRe-entry-AnyoneLeaving the StadiumMustHaveaNew,UnusedTicket to Re-enter

•Tickets MayNot be Re-sold on Stadium Premises &SurroundingGrounds (IncludingParking Lots)

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITYATHLETICSCLEAR BAGPOLICY

SU’sclear bag policy will be in effect

•All PersonsMustHaveaTicketfor Admission-RegardlessofAge (children under 2years olddonot need aticket)

•Smoking &Use of AllTobacco Products (Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes,Cigars, Pipes, SmokelessTobacco,Snuff,Chewing Tobacco,Vapes,etc.) is Prohibited Everywhere on Southern University’s Campus •Inall sports, access to thecompetition area shallbelimitedtoparticipating student-athletes,coaches,officials, supportpersonneland properly credentialed individuals at alltimes •AtNotimebefore, during or after a contestshallspectators be permitted to enterthe field or playing surface. •Accesstothe field is reserved for participating student-athletes, coaches officials,supportpersonneland properly credentialed individuals

Test-prepcompany helpsstudentsboost scores

Q&A WITH ANGELICA HARRIS FOUNDER,TOP

TUTORS FORUS

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Long before Angelica Harris founded her own test-prep company,she was an ambitious New Orleans teen determined to attend atop university Avarsity athletewho earned straight A’sataprivate all-girls school, Harris thought herodds were pretty good.

But when she took the ACT, she earned adismal 16 outof36 points on the all-importantcollege entrance exam.

“My test score was really holding me back from getting into one of those top-tier Ivy Leagueuniversities,” Harris said.

She tried going to apopular test-prep program but felt outof place. The other students were trying to maximize their already high scores, while she, theonly Black person in her class, needed more basic help.

Still determined, Harris decided to create her own prep program, which focused more on ﬁlling gaps in her math, reading and writing skills than on test-taking strategies.

She also workedfor theﬁrst time with aBlack tutor,who she found inspiring and relatable. When she retook the ACT,she doubled her score to 32, rocketing from the 20th percentile of testtakers to the 99th percentile.

With her boosted score, Harris earned afull-ride scholarship to Washington University in St Louis. While there, she decided

to turn herhomemade test-prep programinto abusiness aimed at Black students who, she felt, were poorly served by existing programs Todayher company,Top Tutors for Us, provides testprep and tutoring to about 1,000 students in the St. Louis area and Louisiana, said Harris, who returned to New Orleans after college. The business partners withseveral schools andyouth programs, includingMorris Jeff Community School in New Orleans and United WayofSoutheast Louisiana, which allows students to attend for free.

Though all studentsare welcome, TopTutors for Us specializes in pairingBlack studentswith Black tutors. AsidefromHarris’ own experience, research shows students taught by those who look like them have higher grades, attendance and college enrollment rates.

TheTimes-Picayune |The Advocaterecently spoke with Harrisabout thestory,and mission, behind her tutoring business. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

Whydoyouthinkyoustruggledwiththe ACTinhighschool?

It’sactually across theboard formost students who look like me.(In Louisiana, Black students’ averageACT score was 16 in 2023, compared with 20 for White students.) A20isneeded for Louisiana’sTOPSscholarship. So it’s really limiting for studentswho don’tscore highenough.

Ithink oneofthe reasons I found is that thetest is culturally biased. Alot of the questions

and in the reading section, alot of the stories —are very Eurocentric. If you’re aBlack student, it’sjust kind of distant from your own experience.

Secondly,Ithink alot of Black studentsstartlate preparing for thestandardized tests,whereas alot of students who score really high start in middle school. Lastly,test prep is very expensive. It’s always been inaccessible for studentsfrom low-incomeareas.

Whydidn’ttraditionaltestprepworkfor you? For one, it lacked individual help, like apersonalized lesson plan. Secondly,the traditional programsjust teach alot of strategies. Butifastudent has gaps in those areas (like math or reading), those strategies don’tmake awhole lot of sense and aren’t effective.

AndIthink just having those large groups, and not individual help, that was aproblem.Alsonot having someone who really could break down thetest and relate it to me culturally

Howdoesyourprogramwork?

We ﬁrst start off withthe student takingaquestionnaire. They takeboth abehavioral and atechnical assessment. Andwe also have our tutors take both of those as well. We look at dozens of features between thestudent and tutor,and then we make aculturally competent match.

From there, thestudent gets booked intothe tutor’s calendar They meet regularly.It’svirtual, so this allows thestudent to access their tutor anytime, anywhere.

Andthe great thingabout our

program —and whyschools like us versus traditional test prep —isbecause our program incorporates academicskill-building, plus testprep.

Whatdoesitmeanfortutoringtobe“culturallycompetent?”

Culturally competent means understanding where the student is coming from in termsoftheir backgrounds, because that all affects their learning.

It’sreally meeting students where they are. So we match (studentsand tutors) based on their socioeconomic level, if they’re ﬁrst-generation (collegestudents),theirrace and ethnicity their passions and goals.

HastheTrumpadministration’scrackdownondiversity-relatedprogramsaffected yourbusiness?

Actually,this has been our biggest growth year.We’ve grown three times (the number of studentsserved)this year

It’sbecause the need is so high.

The ACT reported in 2023 that scores were at a30-year low.This is across allstudents, all demo-

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

graphics.

We have all races of students in our program,but obviously the backstory behind whyI founded it was to upliftminority students on these very important tests, on which they typically underperform.And demand is actually much higher now because the SupremeCourt overturned afﬁrmative action in 2023, so universities can’tlook at race at all. So these test scores are moreimportant to students’ applications.

Whatwouldyousaytostudentswho strugglewiththeACTorSAT?

Even though I’ve tutored the ACTs and SATs foreight-plus years, I’dsay don’tlet that be a determinant of what your success will look like in the future. That said, getting ahigh ACT score is actually the easiest way to get scholarships. So it’sjust worth the timetomaximize your score because you’re guaranteed lots of money at the end.

Ireally felt that once Igot that higher test score, Iwas like, whoa, the sky’sthe limit forme.

PROVIDED PHOTO

NewOrleans-nativeAngelica Harris, center,founded TopTutors for Us, atest-prep companythat aims to help students of colorget into top colleges and earnscholarships.

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICANCITY “Youget used to it.”

That was Pope Leo XIV’s matter-of-fact response when King CharlesIII asked aboutthe swarms of televisions cameras documenting hishistoric visit to the Vatican last month.

Charles is no stranger to paparazzi, so Leo wasn’t telling the monarch anything he didn’talready know But Leo’sblasé comment seemed to confirm what Vatican observers have noticed recently: that Leo has indeed gotten used to being pope, and is ﬁnding his footing six months into the job

After his shock election in May and sharp learning curve over the summer, Leo’skey priorities are coming into focus, especially where he dovetails with his predecessor,Pope Francis, and where he diverges, as he hit his six-month mark on Nov.8

Keysocialjustice issues

Leo showed himself in perfect lockstep with Francis when he published his ﬁrst major teaching document last month, on the church’s non-negotiable “preferential option for the poor.” Francis began writing the text before he died; Leo took it over and made it his own.

In it, Leo criticized how the wealthy live in a“bubble of comfort and luxury” while poor people suffer on themargins.Heurgeda renewed commitment to ﬁxing the structural causesof poverty Leo has also embraced Francis’ ecological legacy, presiding over the ﬁrst Mass using anew prayer formula “for the care of creation.”

He has given the go-ahead to Francis’ ambitious plan to turn aVatican-owned property north of Rome into amassive solar farm that could make Vatican City the world’sﬁrst carbon-neutral state. Perhaps nowhere was Leo more Francis-like than on Oct. 23, when he met at the Vatican with Indigenous groups and representatives of popular movements who had been championed by the Argentine Jesuit. Francis had prioritized peo-

ple on themargins, and exhorted the church to accompany them as they demanded thebasic human necessities of “tierra, techo, trabajo,” land, housing andwork

Leo repeated Francis’ mantra during his audience and put his own spin on it noting that hisnamesake, Pope LeoXIII, tookupthe issue of workersrightsat the dawn of the Industrial Revolution

“Echoing Francis’words,I say today: land,housing and work are sacred rights. It is worthwhile to ﬁght forthem, and Iwouldlike youtohear me say,‘Iamhere, Iamwith you!’” Leo said.

Cardinal Michael Czerny atop advisertoboth popes, said Leo is in perfect continuity with Francis, implementing processes that Francis set in motion.

“The transition from one Holy Father to another is not primarily atransition in policies,” Czerny said in an interview.Whilea change in governmentsfrom one party to the next can signal abreak, “hereit wouldbea mistake to look for that.”

“The stylisticdifferences are in the person, notinthe teaching,” he said.

Sticks to script

On style, it’snow clear that Leo is happy to pope the oldfashioned way,wearing thered mozzettacape and embroidered stole for all but the most mundaneoccasions.

He stickstothe scriptof hisprepared texts, shows discipline in his liturgical observance and doesn’tad-

lib with wisecracks the way Francis sometimes did.

That has endeared him to manyofthe Catholic conservatives who bristled at Francis’informality.Even though Leo is echoing many of Francis’ Gospel-mandated social justice preaching points, his style and gestures have generally won them over so far

“What I’m hearing and sensing is areal joy in the maturity,the discipline and the tradition that he brings back to thepapacy,” said Patrick Reilly,founder and head of the conservative CardinalNewman Society, which ranks Catholic colleges in theU.S. on upholding traditional doctrine.

“I don’tknowofanyone whohas anyconcerns or is disturbed or anything like we saw,” with Francis, he said.

Return of LatinMass

Many credit Leo for allowing atraditional LatinMass to be celebrated at theback altar of St. Peter’sBasilica, presided over by none other than thefigureheadofthe American Catholic right, Cardinal RaymondBurke. Francis in 2021 cracked down on the spread of the ancient liturgy,saying it had becomea source of division in dioceses.The crackdown fueled conservative and traditionalist oppositionto Francis,leading to anew impasse in the age-old liturgical wars.

ButLeo hasexpressed awillingness to engage in dialogue withtraditionalists, suggestingadetente is pos-

sible

“Weloveour pope,we pray forhim,” said Christina Tignot, who attended theLatin Massserviceduring the traditionalists’annualpilgrimage. With her washer husband andhomeschooled daughter,who joined her mother in wearing alace veil over her head.

Charting anew path

Forall his continuity with Francis,Leo has charted his own path and even correct-

ed Francis when necessary In one case of areversal, Leo abrogated a2022 law issuedbyFrancis that concentrated ﬁnancial power in the Vatican bank. Leo issued his ownlaw allowing the Holy See’sinvestment committee to useother banks, outside the Vatican, if it madebetter ﬁnancial sense.

Leohas also metwitha group of activist survivors of clergy sexual abuse, who said he promised to engage in dialogue as they press the Vatican to adopt azero-tolerance forabuse policy worldwide. Francis had met regularly with individual abuse survivors, but kept advocacy and activist groups at an arm’slength.

Commentonabortion

Leo’spersonal routine is also showing abreak from that of theworkaholic homebody Francis. Leohas taken to spending Monday afternoons and Tuesdays at the papal country house in Castel Gandolfo, where he can take timeoff andget in atennis game in the estate’s court. (He plays with his secretary).

To the news media’sdelight, Leo has agreed to ﬁeld some questions each Tuesdayevening as he leaves from agaggle of reporters gathered outside, weighing

in on everything from the Gaza ceasefire to immigration enforcement raids in Chicago, his hometown. His initially timid responses were noticed. They led to abiting television skit by Italian political satirist Maurizio Crozza,who suggestedthatthe name “Leo” wasperhaps amismatch for apope seemingly afraid of his own shadow But withthe passage of time, Leo seems to be getting into his groove. He sparked abrief but seemingly temporary alarm in conservative circles when, during one recent Tuesday evening Q&A, he chimed in on theU.S.abortiondebate by challenging abortion opponents about what it really meanstobepro-life. In amore formal setting he also showed somechutzpahwhenQueen Rania of Jordan asked himifitwas really safetotravel to Lebanon. Leoplans to visit Lebanonand Turkeyonhis first foreign trip at the end of the month. They were posing foraformal photo in Leo’s library after an official state audience. Rania’squestion was picked up by the Vatican camera’shot mic, as was Leo’sresponse. “Well, we’regoing,” Leo saidmatter-of-factly, while smiling forthe cameras.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

What do Democrats’ wins mean forJohnson,GOP?

WASHINGTON —Louisianaleaders in the U.S. House downplayed Tuesday’sDemocratic electoral victories —other than to say radical leftists took over the minority party But some political observers say theirrhetoricmasked an opening for Democrats —evenin Louisiana, where Republicanshave dominated for more than adecade.

Mark Ballard

“It’sbeen interesting to us to see all the pundits trying to spin the results,” House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, said Thursday “There were no surprises on Tuesday night. Youhad blue states and blue citiesthat voted blue to the alarm of no one, tothe surprise of no one,” added Johnson, whocoordinated messaging for House Republicans before assuming the top spot.

House Majority LeaderSteve Scalise, R-Jefferson, picked up Johnson’sline that the Democrats are now being led by a34-year-old “Marxist,” referring to Zohran Mamdani, aDemocraticSocialist who won the New York Citymayor’srace and has been dubbedby Republicans as the new leader of the Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader “Chuck Schumer is in the fetal position, scared to death of Mamdani. That’sthe real problem is that Schumer can’tmake amove without clearing it now withthe socialists,” Scalise said on Newsmax Thursday Schumer,ofNew York,has led the Democratic opposition to reopening the federal government that has been shut down since Oct. 1. But Republican talking points don’ttell the whole story

“They got thumped on thenose and they needed to get thumped on the nose,” veteranpolitical operative Roy Fletcher,ofBaton Rouge, said of Republicans. An adviser to conservative Louisiana TreasurerJohn Fleming’s efforttounseat U.S. Sen. Bill

Leaderskeep pressure up over radioactive shrimp

Louisiana elected ofﬁcials continue to stump for tougheraction against foreign seafood after aseries of safety recalls due to radioactive residue in shrimp and other hazards.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy,both Republicans, sent letters lastweekto Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons urging them to take action becauseofthe recalls.

The senators wrote that the grocery chains “continue to sell imported shrimp at your stores, rather than support domestic ﬁsheries thatoffer asafer product whilesupporting small American businesses.” Commercial seafood, especially shrimping, is amajor industry in Louisiana. State ofﬁcials have seized on the recalls to push for policies that support the industry

Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, Fletcher engineered thevictory of Republican Gov.Mike Foster back in the 1990s byturning the millionaire into aworkingman. “The argument hastobestronger than callingnames. They

Kennedy has called for tougher inspections of foreign seafood. He made headlines for aspeech on theSenateﬂoor in which he used aposter-sizedpicture of amonsterfromthe sci-ﬁ horrormovie “Alien” as atongue-in-cheek illustration of the dangers of foreign shrimp.

Lt. Gov.Bill Nungesser has used the recalls to renew his calls for thefederalgovernment to impose inspectionfeesonforeign seafood. The fee of 10 cents per pound wouldraise$600 millionwhich couldbeused tohire thousands of additionalfood inspectors, Nungesser has said.

“EnsuringthatAmerican families have accesstosafe, quality food is essentialfor us to advance President Trump’sagenda to Make AmericaHealthyAgain,” thesenators wrote in their letter Carter bill addresses flood insurance

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans,introduceda bill in the U.S. Housethataims to ﬁx prob-

need to stay on the economic message,”Fletcher added.

Politics professor G. Pierson Cross, of theUniversityofLouisiana Monroe, saw theeconomic message as an opening for Louisiana Democrats.

lems for homeowners unable to renewtheir ﬂood insurance due to the ongoing government shutdown. Congressional authorization for the National Flood Insurance Program has lapsed, meaning no new policies can be issued or renewed.

Homeownershave a30-day grace period to renew policies, and the shutdown has now lasted longer than that. Carter’sbill, alsosponsored by Mississippi Republican Mike Ezell, would createaretroactive renewal period so thathomeowners don’tface alack of coverage or premium hikes if theywerenot able to renew policies during the shutdown.

Carter

“The lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program isn’tapartisan problem —it’sa people problem,” Carter said in the news release. “Families shouldn’tlosetheir coverage or face higher premiums because of political gridlock.”

Asolid grassroots effort by a charismatic candidate focusing on affordability,food prices and other “kitchen table” issues —as Mamdani did —is“amodel for mobilization in Louisiana,” Cross said, as longasthat candidate remembers Louisiana is not New York.

“I don’tthink Louisianans are going to buyinto somecandidate who bills himself as socialist,” Cross said. “But acandidate who comes out and talks about jobs and wages and child care and employment andcommunity,those are messages that would reverberate.”

That’spretty much what Abigail Spanberger andMikie Sherrill did, but they did so as moderates. Both scored double-digit victories.

Johnson and Scalise are correct that Virginia and NewJersey are bothblue states that elected Democratic women as governors. Spanberger topped aticket in Virginia that will replace Republicans as governor,lieutenant governor andattorney general.

Democrats ﬂipped 13 seats in the

Kennedy pushesback on Trump FDICnominee

RepublicanU.S. Sen. John Kennedy told reporters during a Monday night news conference that he’ll continue to withhold supportfor President Donald Trump’sFDIC nomineeuntil he receives an update on what has been done to improve the agency’stoxic work environment.

Punchbowl, aCapitolHill online news outlet, reported that Kennedy, of Madisonville, saidhehad talkedwith Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation chair nominee Travis Hill and was told thatHill’sstill working on detailing the resolution of hundreds of complaints of sexual assault, unwanted touching, as well as racial andsexual discrimination at the agency

During aSenatehearing last week, Kennedy read from aMay 2024 review by lawﬁrm Cleary Gottlieb that concludedFDIC ofﬁcials allowed aculture that quashed reporting of suggestive comments andlewd photos,

state General Assembly Mikie Sherrill, whospent the NewJersey race only acouple points ahead of the Republican candidate, attracted the Black and Hispanic voters whohad backed President Donald Trump last year But the GOPnarrative does not account forPennsylvania, a decidedly purple swing state that Trumpwon in 2024. Democrats there held onto three Supreme Court seats.

In Georgia, astate with asimilar electoral history,Democrats ousted two Republicans on that state’sversion of the utilityregulating Public Service Commission.

Tuesday’selection leftLouisiana Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines moreoptimistic than he has been since assuming leadership in aparty that has been out of power forthe last 14 years. With the exception of John Bel Edwards, whosuccessfully ran forgovernor in 2015 as aformer military man favoring guns and opposing abortion, the last Democrat elected statewide was Buddy Caldwell in 2007 —and he switched to the GOPin2011. Republicans have controlled the Louisiana Legislature and every other statewide ofﬁce since 2011.

Gaines said Louisiana Democrats need to exercise caution when interpreting Tuesday’s victories. New York, Virginia and NewJersey are much moreliberal. But the campaign strategy energized voters, particularly younger ones.

“People in Louisiana are starting to realize those points and that’seventually going to enable us to start getting moreDemocratic candidates elected to ofﬁce, and hopefully at somepoint, statewide ofﬁce,” Gaines said. “But I’mnot overlooking the fact that we also have to realize that we’re in aconservative state and conservative values are something that we have to protect as well.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

unwantedsexualadvances and otherinappropriate conduct.

Forinstance, Kennedy noted thata supervisorrequested a Hispanic employee recite the Pledge of Allegiancetoprove he was an American.

“Did it make youproud?” Kennedy askedHill.

“It did not,”Hill replied.

Kennedy demandedareport within 30 days of Oct. 30 that detailedwho hadbeen ﬁred, who hadbeen prosecuted and who hadbeen moved to different positions.

“If your name came up in front of me right now, Iwouldn’tvote for you,” Kennedy said. “It has nothing to do with your policy chops. …I’vehad enough of this.”

Kennedy has been critical of the FDIC’shandling of reports of the toxic work environment long before the Gottlieb Steen analysis wasreleased and has proposed corrective legislation.

The FederalDeposit Insurance Corporationinsures deposits and supervisesbankoperations.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByyUKIIWAMURA

Democrat Zohran Mamdani delivers his victoryspeech at amayoral election night watch partyinNew york on Tuesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, left, is joined by House Republicans as he speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday.

THE GULF COAST

Former Magnolia Hotel being revived

Biloxi property previously was a restaurant

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Downtown Biloxi has transformed into an indulgent stretch of glittering casinos and a buzzing nightlife. Yet one historic building nearby remains suspended in time after surviving wars and several natural disasters.

Today, it’s the oldest known hotel on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and after nearly two centuries, it’s returning to its roots after a brief stint as several restaurants.

Jourdan and Fields Nicaud, brothers-turned-business partners who have built an empire of restaurants and vacation rentals across south Mississippi, opened Field’s Mediterranean in the former Magnolia Hotel this spring, and a steakhouse before that.

But after realizing there weren’t enough nearby hotels to support the restaurant, they decided to open their own.

The new Le Magnolia Hotel, slated to open in early 2027, will feature a French-inspired interior to honor the building’s original style, Jourdan Nicaud said.

The first floor will house a restaurant and lobby, with parking underneath the hotel and a bar occupying the second floor. The third floor will be devoted to a two-bedroom suite.

A breezeway will connect to a new structure with 16 one-bedroom suites, centered around a courtyard designed for weddings and other special events.

Le Magnolia Hotel isn’t the only historic property expanding in Biloxi. Minutes away the White House Hotel — another landmark dating back to the

1800s debuted a new wing with 49 additional guest rooms last month.

These expansions reflect a broader shift in tourism along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a longtime getaway for regional travelers that, in recent years, has again attracted tourists from across the country

Developers are responding to the surge in tourists — fueled in part by a pandemic-era demand for drive-to beach locations — with new hotels, condominiums and a revived Amtrak route that reconnects coastal communities, including Biloxi, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

“The Gulf Coast has done a really good job of trying to get people to come back to this area that they used to come to prior

to Katrina,” Jourdan Nicaud said. “And that’s always been our goal.”

While contributing to the region’s tourism boom, the Nicauds have also focused on honoring the Gulf Coast’s architectural heritage.

That remains the mission for Le Magnolia Hotel, constructed in 1847 by John Hohn, a developer who once operated a coffeehouse in New Orleans, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

After Hohn died a year later his wife operated the Magnolia Hotel, accommodating the annual summer inﬂux of guests from New Orleans, a pattern that still deﬁnes the area’s tourism today By the mid-1800s, Biloxi was

BY ANITA LEE Sun Coast Herald

Empanola Biloxi, a restaurant and coffee bar on Howard Avenue, is closing Sunday the city’s second location to be shuttered. A second restaurant operating out of its Biloxi building, Pisano’s Pizzeria, also will be shutting down Empanola Ocean Springs on Bienville Boulevard and Pisano’s Pizzeria on Promenade Parkway are still operating. Online delivery is also an option for both restaurants.

The restaurants are owned by Frank and Tim Lombardi-Benson of Biloxi, who bought their Empanola franchise from the New Orleans-based company

“We just want to simplify life, that’s all,” said Frank Lombardi-Benson, who noted the couple also owns Tony’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in downtown Gulfport, which also serves Italian dishes. At Empanola, empanadas are the main attraction. The stuffed pastry turnover has South American roots. LombardiBenson said he hopes Biloxi

the most popular resort along the Gulf Coast, with about 6,000 annual visitors, archives show.

That surge grew as tensions mounted between the North and South during the Civil War, when many Southerners chose to stay closer to home By the 1880s, the Magnolia’s clientele had evolved, welcoming more guests from the North. The hotel closed after World War II, but its structure survived the decimation of Hurricane Camille. Now decades later the Magnolia is set to reincarnate once more, welcoming a new generation of travelers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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

PROVIDED By JOURDAN NICAUD

Field’s Mediteranean in downtown Biloxi will close and reopen as Le Magnolia Hotel in early 2027.

Florida to reopen bay known for its oysters

Apalachicola area had been closed for 5 years

BY KATE PAYNE Associated Press/Report for America

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — North Florida’s Apalachicola Bay will reopen for wild oyster harvesting, a move that supporters hope will breathe life into one of the last historic working waterfronts in a state where much of the picturesque coastline has long given way to high-rise condos and strip mall souvenir shops.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the plan Wednesday to reopen the bay for a limited oyster season on Jan. 1, 2026, ﬁve years after the waters that had been nationally known for the sweet, plump shellﬁsh were closed because of dwindling populations.

The closure of the bay along what is known as Florida’s “Forgotten Coast” dealt a blow to an area that historically produced 90% of the state’s oysters and 10% of the nation’s supply

Apalachicola oysters were iconic, comparable to Maine lobster and Maryland blue crabs, and their loss marked another sign that a way of life for generations of commercial ﬁshermen is disappearing along with their harvest.

The once-booming oyster industry is part of the lifeblood of the town of Apalachicola, which in the 1800s became the third-largest

each Oct. 1 through Feb. 28.

According to a Fish and Wildlife Conservation analysis, just 500 acres of suitable potential oyster habitat remain in the bay, down from the estimated 10,000 acres that existed historically — representing a 95% decline.

“That ain’t nothing,” said Ottice Amison, a county commissioner for Franklin County, which includes Apalachicola. He questioned whether the current regulations can support a livelihood and allow for a revival of the area’s waterfront economy, from local ﬁsh houses to boatbuilders and restaurants

“We’d love to see it come back,” he said of the bay “But I don’t want to see us jump the gun.”

tinue to invest in the bay’s long-term restoration. State conservation staff estimate they need an additional $30 million to $55 million a year to reach their recovery goals.

In setting the new rules, Florida wildlife officials gave preference to commercial fishermen with a history of working in the bay though they must still apply to be able to harvest. Recreational permits will be issued to qualifying Florida residents via lottery While Williams supports reopening the bay, he and hundreds of others have signed a petition opposing the new regulations, which they consider too restrictive..

BY ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP science writer

NEWYORK Scientists have spotted the brightest flare yet from a supermassive black hole that shines with the light of 10 trillion suns. These bursts of light and energy can come from things like tangled-up magnetic ﬁelds or hiccups in the heated gas disks surrounding black holes The flares help illuminate researchers’ understanding of the black holes within.

The latest cosmic display was spotted in 2018 by a camera at the Palomar Observatory in California. It took about three months to shine at peak brightness and has been decaying in the years since. It likely happened because a large star wandered too close to the black hole and got shredded to pieces.

“At first, we didn’t really believe the numbers about the energy,” said study author Matthew Graham with the California Institute of Technology, which operates Palomar

The new ﬁndings were pub-

port on the Gulf of Mexico, trailing only New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

Many oystermen haven’t adjusted well to being forced off the water and into “land jobs” like construction and landscaping, said Wayne Williams, president of the area’s Seafood Work & Watermen’s Association.

“You go from a boat captain to cutting somebody’s grass. You know, that’s a pretty big change,” Williams said.

Around the world, fish and shellfish populations have dwindled to dangerously low levels, as one of society’s oldest occupations faces warming seas, global appetites and overﬁshing.

Over the years, waves of drought and the water demands of metro Atlanta and farmers upstream have sapped the Apalachicola

River and the bay it flows into sparking a protracted legal ﬁght known as the “water wars” that went all the way to the U.S Supreme Court, which ultimately sided with Georgia.

The decreased freshwater ﬂows, as well as predation, overharvesting, habitat loss and hurricanes, ultimately pushed Apalachicola oyster production into free-fall, spurred the federal government to declare a ﬁshery disaster in 2013, and triggered the full closure of the bay in 2020.

Now, state regulators say populations have recovered enough to allow a limited reopening of a small portion of the bay for commercial and recreational harvesting, with rules set for the number and size of oysters that can be taken and from which reefs. The initial

lished last week in the journal Nature Astronomy

The ﬂare came from a supermassive black hole that’s 10 billion light years away, making the flash the most distant one observed so far It hails from a time when the universe was rather young. A light year is nearly 6 trillion miles.

Almost every large galaxy, including our Milky Way, has a supermassive black hole at its center But scientists still aren’t sure how they form. Studying such behemoths

help researchers better understand the stellar neighborhood surrounding supermassive black holes.

The discovery also allows scientists “to probe the interaction of supermassive black holes with their environments early in the universe,” said Joseph Michail with Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which didn’t have a role in the new study

Those early interactions created the cosmos we now call home.

season will run from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, with the following seasons running

Republican Gov Ron DeSantis applauded the reopening, pledging to con-

“It’s not only a job, it’s what we love to do,” Williams said of oystering, adding, “we just want to get our lives back together.”

TNS FILE PHOTO Oyster harvesters work as the sun rises in the Florida panhandle’s Apalachicola Bay in 2016.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ROBERT HURT

This illustration provided by

Charter schools want state oversight

They could bypass school system with new state law

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Two charter school operators — one from New Orleans, the other from Colorado struck a deal in January to take over control of two large, “F”-rated charter schools in Baton Rouge that Texas-based IDEA Public Schools surrendered a year ahead of the end of their contract.

Tangipahoa sheriff asks voters to approve sales tax

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

Staff writer

The Tangipahoa Parish sheriff is once again asking voters to approve a tax swap to ﬁll as many as 50 new law enforcement positions.

The Sheriff’s Ofﬁce in recent years has dealt with noncompetitive deputy pay rates, longer response times and a history of inmate escapes — all stemming from not being able to hire and pay enough deputies.

The department is now hoping to solve those employee recruitment and retention issues through an initiative on the November ballot that would replace its current property millage tax with a sales tax to generate more revenue.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker said that if the ballot initiative is approved, the department could create and ﬁll dozens of positions.

Right now, a 10-mill property tax generates about $9 million annually. The three-quarter-cent sales tax, if approved, would get rid of the property tax and generate over $24 million, said the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

“It will take us from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” Sticker said about the difference in tax revenue.

The ballot question was shot down by voters in March, with 53% voting no, but Sticker said the department still needs more money

Sticker said that since he took ofﬁce a little over a year ago, the department has been able to increase deputy starting pay from $14 to $18 due to a property tax reassessment and by cutting higher-up staff positions.

‘We knew it still wasn’t enough. When we looked at several other law enforcement agencies and sheriff’s departments that are similarly situated, we were at the bottom of the barrel as far as pay,” he said The sheriff said the tax revenue would ultimately improve public and employee safety

‘A public safety issue’ If the sales tax is approved, it would noticeably increase the proﬁle of local law enforcement, Sticker said, with 20 additional patrol positions, 10 corrections deputies, seven school resource ofﬁcers, six detectives and more.

“Deputies aren’t safe because they are working short-handed and they’re working overtime,” he said. “I don’t want to get one of these men and women hurt, because I can’t afford to pay for reinforcements to come.”

He said the goal of all of this is to decrease response times and focus on proactive policing in the parish.

“We spend the majority of our days being reactive, responding to calls, rather than proactive stuff it’s a public safety issue,” Sticker said The parish jail, which has a history of jailbreaks, would also be impacted by the tax swap. While the parish jail is owned by the parish government, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce pays for corrections deputies to staff it. The sheriff said the tax

The new operators, Audubon Schools and Third Future Schools, though, are not planning to stick with the East Baton Rouge Parish school system when those agreements end in June. Instead, they are trying to jump ship and sign on with a new overseer: the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

BESE is planning to consider on Dec 9 whether to approve the ap-

plications of Audubon and Third Future.

Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts.

As a general rule, Louisiana charter schools can’t start operating without first applying for a charter with the local school board, in this case, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. Last year, however, the Legisla-

ture added an exception. A charter organization can now bypass the local school board and apply directly to BESE if they enlist a “corporate partner.”

That is just what Audubon Schools, based in New Orleans, and Third Future Schools, based in Colorado, have done. They are the ﬁrst charter applicants to take advantage of the new law And both are turning to the same corporate partner: New Schools for Baton Rouge.

Formed in 2011, New Schools for

Baton Rouge is a nonproﬁt corporation that is well known in local education circles as an incubator for new

Serving others

BRPD trains with virtual reality

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Counterterrorism training instructors from LSU are teaching local law enforcement ofﬁcers that virtual reality is more than just gaming headsets and controllers. The Baton Rouge Police Department is the latest agency to train at LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of CounterTerrorist Education. In October, its officers went through sessions focused on de-escalating encounters between police and people suffering a mental health or substance-abuse crisis. Traditional de-escalation training and “shoot/don’t shoot” activities involve officers using their imagination and engaging in role-play with instructors. The VR classes give ofﬁcers the chance to face the same threats they might see in the real world but in an immersive virtual scenario built around them by an instructor “Often when we’re doing

scenario-based training, it’s all conceptual,” said Jason Krause, associate director of operations and plans for the academy He described a traditional training where he would ask officers to imagine they are in a park, interacting with a homeless person who is in crisis due to not having slept or eaten in a few days and who might be suffering from schizophrenia.

“Well, in virtual reality I can put them in a park, and they’ve got 30-by-60 feet to actually walk around,” Krause said. “They can see into inﬁnity, to the horizon, like we can. They can be outside and see the sun and see it rain if we want it to rain.” Krause said the training software offers a number of settings,

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Members of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity continued a 38-year tradition of serving a gumbo lunch at St. Vincent de Paul on Saturday in Baton Rouge. Nearly 200 meals were prepared and served.

LincolnBeach on tracktoopenin2026

To cutcosts, national design firm takenoff project

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans officials have cut ties with the lead planning and design team for the Lincoln Beach redevelopment project in an effort to curtail excess spending and get the beach opened sooner Kenner-based Digital Engineering &Imaging Inc., will take over as the sole contractor for the ﬁrst phase of the project following community outcry over opening delays and failed negotiationsbetweenthe city and national design ﬁrm Sasaki and Associates Inc.

“Our negotiations with Sasaki were unsuccessful for amultitude of reasons, primarily the cost,” New Orleans Urban Water Administrator Meagan Williams told aNew Orleans City Council committeeTuesday Williamsbegan overseeing the redevelopment in July afterformercity project manager Cheryn Robles stepped down.

Sasaki came aboard in 2023 to redevelop the his-

NewOrleans officialshavecut ties withthe leadplanning and design team for the Lincoln Beach redevelopment project in an efforttocurtail excess spending and getthe beach opened sooner

toricbeach, wooded enclave and recreational space for Black residents during Jim Crow segregation. The ﬁrm completed an ambitious master planinMay after leading amonthslong planning process that involved aseries of public meetings. Theircontract ended Nov 1, but acompany representative said they were in talks with the city to continue working on the project.

Digital Engineeringhas been involved withthe project in alesser capacity since 2020, but is now charged withafull scope of architectural,coastaland structural design workun-

der anew contract with the city

Previous estimates to open thelong-shuttered beach in New Orleans East hovered between $17 million and $23 million for the first phase, which, among other things, includesan accesstunnel, apedestrian bridge over Hayne Boulevard and removal of deteriorating waterfront structures.

Thenew budgetfor the project led by Digital Engineering is about$15 million, documentsshow,which the city hassecured througha mixofcity bonds and federal grants.

“While we wereindiscussions with the city about proceeding with future work,there were anumber of things thatcould not be negotiated,” Sasaki spokesperson Josh Brooks said in astatementWednesday Asked formoredetails, he did not elaborate.

“Wewish the city and the community the best of luck in moving this projectforward.The people of New Orleans Eastdeserve this project and Ihopethat they get it soon,” he added.

The change comes as frustration mountsamong thosewho have long pushed for safe access to the beach.

Ofﬁcials announced earlier this year that they would have to push an anticipated summer 2025 opening date back by morethan a year.Robles had largely blamed the delays on federal red tape to obtain funding, additional funding needs and issues securing avenue for the ﬁnal public meeting.

Williams on Tuesday said they’ve also lost time during thenegotiating process with Sasaki and in order to remain compliant withfederal regulations for funding eligibility,moving forward with Digital Engineering as the sole consultant was the best option.

Williams said they’re now working to rebuild trust withthe public whopreviously accused city officialsand planners of poor communication about the beach’s progress andspending toomuchmoney on consultants. Critics have also voiced concernabout theplanning team’sfocus during public meetings on ambitious amenitiessuchasanamphitheater,agrocery store and a host of other recreational features. Sage Michael,a New OrleansEastresident whohelped lead efforts to clean and maintain the beachduringthe pandemic,saidmanyofthose ideas were unaffordable

Carencro mangetslifeinfentanyldeath

7-year-old OD’d underhis care

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

ACarencro man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the death of his 7-year-old stepdaughter by fentanyl overdose.

Daniel Boudreaux, 52, was found guilty July 14 by aLafayette Parish jury on three charges: seconddegree murder,seconddegree cruelty to ajuvenile and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

TAX

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would fund the hiring of at least 10 additional corrections deputies.

Sticker said the department is short 10 to 14 deputies at the jail right now, causing the deputies already employed in the jail to have to constantly move from post to post.

“When you have movement insideofajail, that creates opportunities to escape,” he said. “All thatmovement with the minimum amount of bodies createsopportunities where these deputies get sidetracked, they get overwhelmed, and that’swhen mistakes happen.”

The sheriff said that if the initiative does not pass again, the Sheriff’s Office willhave “no choice” butto continueworking with the funds it has.

“Response times will continue to suffer.Deputy safety will continue to be at risk. Public safety will continue to be at risk,” Sticker said.

Judge Valerie Gotch Garrett, of the 15th Judicial Court in Lafayette, sentencedhim to lifein prison withoutprobationorparole.

Thechild,McKenna Poirrier,was left in Boudreaux’s care in 2023 while hermother underwent substance abuse treatment.

Garrett said Friday that the girl’smothercalled to speak with her daughter on Jan. 9, 2023, and heard what she described as adrug party taking place. The next day,onJan.10, 2023, someoneelse was looking after thegirlwhen she came into contact with

SCHOOL

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of schools it has supported that later closed, including bothIDEA schools.

New Schools has now added “corporate sponsor to its roster of services.

As part of that commitment,the nonprofit has agreed to give Audubon and ThirdFuture millions of dollars each to help them gain greater control of the school facilities they took over from IDEA. Corporate partners candemandup to 50% of the seats of the schools theysupport.Two other charter schools in Baton Rougealready have corporate partners.

In Audubon’s case,New Schools has givenit$5million to payfor a“purchase andlease arrangement” with aMaryland-basednonproﬁt charter school facility companycalled 22Beacon.OnSept. 26,22Beacon bought the 7800Innovation ParkDriveschool, formerly IDEA Innovation, for $12.5 million. And then it immediatelyentered into a 15-year lease with Audubon

thefentanyl. Toxicologyreports show she hadenough fentanyl in her blood to kill agrown man.

Garrettdenied arequest fora newtrial on themurderand cruelty convictions. She agreed that the amount of fentanyl found at the residencewas notsufﬁcientto supportthe possession with intent to distribute conviction, but that point is moot given thelife sentence.

Boudreaux and Garrett got intoashouting match beforesentencing.Heargued he wasn’t properly represented at histrial be-

Schools.

In ThirdFuture’s case, New Schools granted Third Future$5.6million in July so that acompany afﬁliated with the charter,BRBridge School Properties, can “purchaseand lease” the1500 North Airway Drive campus, formerly IDEA Bridge Academy. No sale or lease of that property,however has been entered as yet into East BatonRouge Parish propertyrecords.

New Schools comes to thetable with abig balance sheet

During the2023-24 fiscal year,the organization reportedtothe IRS that it had raised $6.5million and spent $14.1 million, with $12.2 million in money and assets left over.The most moneyithas raised in a year was $19.2 millionin 2022-23.

Audubon’sschool, now named AudubonBaton Rouge,serves about 215 studentsinkindergarten to ﬁfthgrade. It is thecharter network’sthird school and first outside of New Orleans.

ThirdFuture’slatest school, now named Bridge Academy,educates about

post-traumatic stress and otherdamages duetothe alleged incident.

One night in May,Walker police ofﬁcers and Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies weredispatched to aWalkerhomeafter a resident reported apossibleburglaryinprogress. The callerreportedly gave multiple details abouttheir residence to dispatch.

Thelawsuit states that when lawenforcement arrived, they ended up walking past the caller’s homeand approached the Kenyons’ home.

“Which one’sthe house?

This onehere?”one ofﬁcer asked, to no verbal disapproval, according to the lawsuit.

Officers then opened the Kenyons’ back door with ﬂashlights andguns drawnand told the couple to put up their hands.

Douglas Kenyon lefthis bedroom with no shirt and his hands in theair and wasplacedinhandcuffs in front of his wife, who then informed officers that they lived there, the lawsuit states.

Notlong after,law enforcement gathered outsideand spokeabout beingatthe wrong residence, according to the lawsuit.

“I asked you if this was the house. …Iasked you if this wasthe house and you saidyes,” oneofﬁcer said, recordedbybody camerafootageincluded in the lawsuit.

cause no character witnesses were called, many facts werenot discussed and the person who was withMcKenna the ﬁnal eight hours of her life could not be found.

“I lost achild,”Boudreaux said. “I lost my mind.I started using drugs.Iwas trying to kill myself, pretty much.”

Severallaw enforcement ofﬁcers testiﬁedduring the trial, Assistant District Attorney ChaseEdwards said, so theinformation that personwould have presented was described to jurors.

“You yourself were negligent,” Garrett said. “That

550studentsinkindergarten to eighth grade. It is Third Future’ssecond school in BatonRouge —it opened Prescott Academy in 2023 —and fourthin Louisiana.

In addition to applications for Audubonand Third Future, BESEonDec. 9is set to consider an appeal brought by Indiana-based GEOAcademies.InJanuary,atthe insistence of GEO ofﬁcials, the East BatonRouge Parish School Board rejected GEO’sproposal to open two schools in northBaton Rouge.

Allfourapplicantsgave short presentations on theirschool planstoBESE on Oct. 14.

Audubon Schools, starting withits original school in New Orleans, which opened in 1981, is known for its focus on Montessori and French language immersion. Its secondNew Orleansschool,whichopened in 2018 in Gentilly,offers its own mix of Montessori and French as well as astrong focusonthe arts.Its new Baton Rouge school is modeled on the Gentilly school.

“Webelieve that every child deservestohave an

child gotfentanyl. Youallowedthe persontobewith the child.”

Boudreauxstood up, facing Garrett and said, “Y’all not going to bamboozle me again.” Deputies pushed him back into his chair Harold Register III,Boudreaux’sdefense attorney, said oneofthe biggest errors made in the trialwas that thejuryfound the child’smother acredible witness. Noteverything she testiﬁed to was corroborated by other witnesses, he said.

Garrettsaidthose things can be raisedinanappeal.

experience in the arts and that gaining confidence through the arts also translates to academiccourage in the classroom,” Steve Corbett, CEOofAudubon Schools, told BESE. Third Future Schools specializesinschool turnaround, with alonger school year and teachers paid well above the prevailing wage of wherevertheylocate who “maintain an intense focus on high quality instruction.”

The future in the school’s name is not the future that will happen, or afuture you can envision, but athird future, one “you can actually create andimplement,” explained Shirley Miles, chiefofschoolsfor Third Future.

Miles said the school is designed to build specific “competencies” that its childrenwill needtothrive in thefuture, specifically 2035.

“Our goal is really to prepare children forthe year 2035,” Miles said.

Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

Theofficer then got a radio call asking if they were at the right house, and he said, “I believe we are next door.” No mentionofa wrongful homeinvasion was recordedinthe ofﬁcer’s incident report, according to the lawsuit.

“A reviewofthe police report shows that the policeintentionally omitted thefactthattheyraided the wrong house and terrorized an innocent family.That is not asimple mistake,” the lawsuit states.

Livingston Parish SheriffJason Ardwrote a statement saying his agency was not the lead agency on the arrest.

“While we cannotprovide additional comment due to the pending litigation,this incident arose fromanagencyassist where the City of Walker wasthe lead agency on the response,” Ard wrote in the statement. “Law enforcementofﬁcersare often presented with rapidly unfolding situations where reasonablemistakes can and will occur.Our deputies acted reasonably in this incident.”

Walker Police Capt. John Sharp said thedepartment does not commenton pending litigation.

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

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Judgeto decide fate of N.O. specialed oversight

Monitoring has been in place foryears

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

When Nette Archangel moved to NewOrleans in 2016, she triedtofinda schoolthatwould meet the needs of her two sons, who have autism. But one after another,the schools failed her boys, she said.

One school on multiple occasions logged that it had provided services for her son on days when he was absent, she said. Another schoolrepeatedly called the police on her other son, whowas prone to behavioral issues. Administrators at yetanother schoolregularly called her duringthe day to pick up her son,effectively an off-the-books suspension.

After filing complaints with the state and seeking assistance from attorneys who told her there was little legal recourse unless hersons were expelled, Archangel’sformer partner quit her job and moved their children to Maryland in June to be homeschooled.

“Wereally wanted to be in New Orleans and live in New Orleans, butthe schoolsystem failedus miserably,”said Archangel.

Similar experiences led a group of New Orleans parents to sue the state in 2010 for failing to ensuretheir childrenreceived adequate special educationservices after thecity school system was overhauled following Hurricane Katrina. In response, the court appointed afederal monitortotrack special education in New Orleans schools. Earlier this year, the Orleans Parish School Board and the Louisiana Department of Education asked the court to end the federal monitoring,which they say is no longer necessary because schools have met agreed-upon special education standards for eight consecutive years.

The Southern Poverty Law Center,which ﬁled the initial lawsuit on behalfof families, and otheradvocates acknowledge that schools have done abetter job over the past decade serving the roughly 16% of district studentswho have disabilities. However,they sayproblems still abound, such as students not receiving legally mandated services, and ending the oversight could jeopardize the improvements that have been made.

U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey,who oversees the case, has asked parents to share their experiences at ahearing next week beforehedecides whether to lift the over-

sight. Archangelisone of the parents thatadvocates have recruited to testify about ongoing special education problems. Thedebate over whether to endthe court-mandated monitoringcomesasthe U.S. DepartmentofEducation hassignificantly scaled back its oversight of special education under President Donald Trump, whoisseekingtodismantle the agency.After arecent round of layoffs at the department,onlya handful of staffersremain whoare responsible for enforcing federal special education laws

“Now more thaneverwe needthe consent judgment in place,” saidLauren Winkler, aseniorstaff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center,who said seriousspecial education problems persistin New Orleans schools despite some improvements.“Theconsent judgment shouldn’t be terminated at this point given thebreadth of the issues that we’reseeing across different schools anddifferent charter networks.”

NOLA Public Schools did notrespondtoarequest for comment. Aspokesperson forthe state Department of Education declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation 10 yearsofoversight

Filed on behalf of 10 New Orleans families,the lawsuit allegedthatthe city’s charter schools turned awaystudents with disabilities,failed to properly identify and evaluate students whomay have disabilities, improperly disciplined students with disabilities anddid not always provide them services required bylaw

NOLA Public Schools joined thelawsuit on behalf of the state EducationDepartment, and in 2015, the parties entered aconsent judgment, which required “rigorous andcomprehensive” monitoringofabout a dozen schoolsevery yearto ensure theywerecomplying withthe law. The judgment alsolaid outstate and district duties for ensuring that schools know andfollow thelaws

The court order appears to have ledthe state to moreactively monitor special education in New Orleans. TheLouisiana Legislative Auditor said in areportlast year that thestate Department of Education focused more than 60% of itsspecial educationrelatedinspections on Orleans Parish schools, even though they serve just 7% of the state’s studentswith disabilities

Though individual schools arestill flagged forissues relatedtospeciﬁcstudents, the state and district have been in “substantial compliance” with a

court-ordered special education improvement plan since the 2016-17 school year,according to the most recent monitor’supdate lastmonth.

Since the consentjudgment wasput in place, the graduation ratefor New Orleansstudents with disabilities has improved 20 percentage points (statewide, the graduation rate for students with disabilities grew by over 30 percentage pointsduring thatperiod).New Orleans students with disabilities have made greater gains on statetests over the pasttwo years than students with disabilities statewide or in similar districts,according to data compiled by NewSchools for New Orleans. The district alsocentralized its enrollment systemand required adistrict hearing before schools could suspendorexpelstudents, which hasgreatly reduced the district’sexpulsion rate.

In aFebruaryfiling, OPSB said the district could be trusted to monitor the city’sschools without federaloversight.

Thehearing

As Zainey weighs whether to lift the consentjudgment, he will hear from families for theﬁrst time in years, Winkler said.

The Southern Poverty LawCenter hasbeen reaching out to families who may want to sharetheir experiences withthe courtduring hearings on Nov.12-13.

In aFacebook post last month, advocacy group Erase the Board urged parents, teachers and current and former students whoreceived special education services to share testimony.

“Withoutthe consent decree, schools could return to denying evaluations, services, and enrollment like before federal protectionsexisted,” the post stated. “Your 2-3 minute testimonycould makethe difference!”

Now,adecadeafter the original lawsuit, Winkler urged today’sstudents and families to put their special education issues on the record

AshanaBigard, whose daughter was in the system beforethe consent decree and whose son is currentlya freshman at Rooted School, said there is aworld of difference between herchildren’sexperiences, which sheattributes to thecourt-ordered oversight.

“Weactually have someone who’sawatchdog,” said Bigard,who plans to urge Zaineyatthis month’s hearing to keep thejudgmentinplace. “A lot has improved,and if he lifts the consent decree, we could go back to where we were.”

VIRTUAL

Continuedfrom page1B

fromapartments and homes to alibrary,classroom or dorm room. The VR system used for de-escalation is smaller thananother system made for active-shooter scenarios, and ﬁtsinto as small as a40-by-40-foot space. Multiple ofﬁcerscan explore this space at the same time, interacting with each other as well as virtual avatars.

“Normally,you got maybe some other participants, a couple volunteer role-players to help you,”Krause said. “Now,all of asudden, if Iwantanofﬁcer to haveto go to the library and engage with someone in alibrary,I can have 20 other patrons in the librarybecause they’re avatarsinthe virtual reality world.”

Krausesaid introducing those simulated actors especially resonates withofﬁcers when the virtual bystanders arechildren. These factors workto break down thebase comfort that participants would normally feel when going through traditional shoot/ don’t-shoot scenarios in their place of employment.

Afterofficers run through scenarios,they review what just happenedwithaninstructor while watchingit play back on amonitor.The goal is usually for an officer to resolve the conflict without an escalation in force or possibly to get medical assistancefor the subject.

The beauty of thesimulation, according to Krause,is thatevery movement is recorded, so there is no room for an officer’s memory of the exercise to be inﬂuenced.

“Every single thing is captured. So, theirmovements, their discussions, their radio calls,”Krause said. “When you do this without VR, it’s very subjective.”

To Krause,italsoallows ofﬁcers to bypass defensiveness during thetraining and get right to thelearning.

“When they realize that,

they begin self-critiquing a lot faster,” he said. Sessions after the simulations even include watching theexercise playout from multiple angles, including the point of view of the person in crisis.

Counter-TerroristAcademy

The academywas founded in 1998 as an original member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, agroupofuniversities and federal agencies tasked withpreparing fordomestic terrorist attacks, especially those involving weapons of mass destruction. Partners originally each brought expertiseinresponding to aspecific threat: natural disasters at the University of Hawaii’s center,nuclear or radioactive attacks at the Nevada NationalSecuritySite,and biological attacks for LSU’s academy. As time wenton, andmore modern threatsdeveloped, theroles of thecenters changed. Now funded by the Department of Homeland Security,the consortium acts as the agency’smain training partner for state and local ﬁrst responders in the face of domestic terrorist threats.

“Wehave adopted abroader,all-hazards outlook, the consortium has,” Krause

said.“So our lawenforcement lane, what we focus on with law enforcement, moved from just weapons of mass destructiontounfortunately an active-threat focus.”

Instructors with the academyoffer free training on active-shooter threatstolocal law enforcement agencies fromasfar as Alaska, and to bureaus as big as the Los Angeles and New York police departments. The VR de-escalationtraining is funded through aDepartmentofJustice grant the academyreceived. Theacademy provides between 500 and 750 trainings across the country in any givenyear.Not all of these use virtual reality,and most aren’tfor de-escalation. But Krause said that at least four times ayear,the academywill take the system on the road to train ofﬁcers in other parts of the country on de-escalation. Thesystem is currently set up at LSU’sInnovation Park,where it is open for locallaw enforcement to undergo training. The academy will continue to partner with BRPD andLSU police to evolve the training to beneﬁt those departments and maybe the rest of thenation,“because that’swhat our primary mission is,” Krause said.

benefits. Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dentalbills out-of-pocketcan comeasa shock, leading people to put offorevengowithout care.

Simply put—without dentalinsurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

PROVIDED PHOTOByJASON KRAUSE

Education.

Donna (Brown) Berg‐eron,a belovedwife, mother,grandmother greatgrandmother,sister, andfriend, passedawayon Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at theage of 67 years. Donna wasborninVal‐paraiso, IN on June 28, 1958. Shemoved to Baton Rougewhere shegradu‐ated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1976. Donna adored herhusband,chil‐dren,grandchildren,great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Sheloved life to thefullest andwas always readytohavea good time Donna wasone of the strongestwomen ever and wouldmakeyou feel spe‐cial just knowingher.Her andher husband of 44 yearsare thefounding owners of Bergeron’s on theBayou Campground.It is here shefound herjoy as meetingnew people gave hera senseofhappi‐ness. Donna is survived by herhusband,and thelove of herlife, Donald Berg‐eron;her children,Jesse (Miranda)Barcelona,Dylan (Wendy)Bergeron, Crystal Bergeron,and Nicole (David)Thompson; her brothers,David andRick; andher grandchildren, Christen,Jaycee, Alec Bryce, Brayden, Katelyn, Alex,Halie andPaige alongwith8 greatgrand‐children.Donna is pre‐cededindeath by herpar‐ents,James Brownand Rita McKin; abrother JimmyBrown;a grand‐child, Pierce Bergeron;and agreat grandchild,Cooper Bergeron.A celebrationof herlifewillbeheldata laterdate.

Patricia

Patricia Jane Hartman Bewick, "Patti"died on November 6, 2025, followinga seven year battle with oral cancer. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend Patti's visitationat Satsuma Baptist Church on Monday, November 10, 2025, from 10:00 AM until funeral services begin at 12:00 PM. Burial services will follow in Resthaven Gardens of Memory Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest near her son, Sam. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Satsuma Baptist Church Missions or MD Anderson Cancer Center, in memory of Patti Bewick. Arrangements have been entrustedtoMcLin Funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at www.mcl infuneralhome.com, where the full obituary is also available.

Janice Amedee Cope, 67, of Port Allen, LA, entered eternal restonOctober 28, 2025, with her family by her side. She was born in Baton Rouge, LA on December 5, 1957. Janice spent her childhood between Livonia and Fordoche, Louisiana, before later relocating to Gretna. She loved family gatherings, karaoke, baking, cooking, anything purple, butterflies, vacationing and spending time with her grandkids. Every Thanksgiving, she hosteda beautiful celebration with aspread of her delicious dishes especiallyher famous banana pudding. Decorating for the holidays was one of her greatest joys, and she kept atree up allyear round as are-

minderofthe spiritshe loved so much. Janice also cherished her quiet mornings, starting eachday with ahot cup of coffee and herfavoritesoapoperas The Young and the Restless and Days ofOur Lives. It was her peaceful time to unwind and catch up on the stories and characters she adoredfor years. Doing for others was a big partofher life, and she found her purpose as a long-time caregiver after many yearsworkinginaccounting.Her kindness, compassion, and selflessness touchedthe livesof everyone who knew her Sheissurvived by her two daughters, Shannon Bordelon(Benjie) and TabithaWofford (Owen); grandchildren Brittany Shuff, Marissa Shuff (Ethan), Torrie Shuff, Kaden Wolf,VictoriaBordelon (Adrian), Jordan Bordelon and Cody Bordelon; great-grandchildren Madyson Aliff, Rowen Gonzalesand AnakinFernandez;sister Sherry Johnson and former husband of 14 years RobertCope. Janice was precededin death by her parents, Leo Donald and Betty Joyce Amedee, and her brothers and sister, Leroy Amedee Sr., Leo Donald AmedeeJr. (Stephanie) and UrsulaAndress Huff. Shewas also preceded in deathbyher former husband of 25 yearsand the fatherofher children,Richard Wofford. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend aCelebration of Life for Janice at ADay toRememberGarden Club at 1785Carol SueAvenue Terrytown, LA 70056 on December 5, 2025from6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Special thanks to GailBiondolillo, Janice's best friend ofover 40 years, for herkindness and generosity.

Todd AnthonyDaniels, a resident of Montgomery, AL and formerresident of Clinton, passed awayon Nov. 6, 2025athis home. He was 55 yearsold and was aretired Logistics Sr Manager with Mobiswith 20 years of service.VisitationwillbeonWednesday, Nov. 12, 2025atSt. AndrewsEpiscopal Church in Clinton from 5pmuntil 8pm. Visitation continues Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 from 9am until Mass of ChristianBurialat11am conducted by Fr. Van Windsor.Burial willbein Masonic Cemetery,Clinton. He is survivedbyhis belovedwifeof36years, Juliana DeLee Daniels, and his pride and joy, their daughter, Emily Corrinne Daniels. His sister,Traci Scarbrough and husband, Allen. Father-in-law, Dewey DeLee,brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, Scott and Marti DeLee and Spencer Delee. 4nephews, Dylan DeLee,Hunter DeLee,Kade DeLee and Nic Scarbrough. He ispreceded in deathby his mother, Patricia Ann Sonnier, stepfather,Joseph "Pat" Sonnier andmotherin-law, Jane DeLee. Pallbearers will be Scott DeLee,SpencerDeLee, DylanDeLee, Hunter DeLee, Kade DeLee,NicolasScarbrough and Matthew Peterson.Honorary pallbearerswillbeBill Davis and Allen Scarbrough. Todd was a1988graduate of ClintonHighSchool. He was aFreemason;Scottish Rite.Hewas an avid, outdoorsman and loved to travel. Todd enjoyed cooking and was a"foodie". He was an amazing Dadand Saint's fan. Share sympathies, condolences, and memoriesatwww.CharletF uneralHome.com

Keller, Roy James RoyJames Keller, 78, passedawaypeacefullyon October5,2025. Born Sep‐tember 13, 1947, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he wasa graduate of Catholic High School andLouisiana State University.Following grad‐uation from LSU, he served in theU.S.Army Reserves He went on to have adis‐tinguished career at LSU for32years,working to supportentrepreneurs and

companiesinthe small businessincubator and technology transfer pro‐grams. Royissurvivedby histwo sons,Jason Grady Kellerand JarrettScott Kellerand wife SarahGaar Keller; andgrandsons Hud‐sonGrady Keller, Ethan NobelKeller, andOwen Gaar Keller. He is also sur‐vivedbyhis siblings Joseph Kellerand wife Brenda,Anne KellerKlein‐peterand husband Steve, ElizabethKellerMac‐Connell andhusband David, andPatrick Keller. He is also survived by nu‐merous nieces and nephews. He waspreceded in deathbyhis wife of nearly 50 years, Barbara Gaddy Keller; parents NolanJosephKeller, Sr andCoraCatherine Keller; andbrothersNolan Joseph KellerJr. andJohnBart Keller. Amemorialservice to celebratethe livesof both Royand Barbara Kellerwillbeheldat10:00 am on Saturday,November 15,2025 at theResthaven Chapel of EternalFaith 11817 JeffersonHighway in BatonRouge.Inlieuof ﬂowers, memorial dona‐tionsmay be made to Friendsofthe Animalsof BatonRouge (FOTA),P.O Box14871, BatonRouge LA 70898 or thecharity of your choice

May24, 1944- November 5, 2025, John Langlois,lov‐inghusband to Felicia, his belovedwifeof40years devotedfathertohis 2chil‐dren,Jeff& J’An,brother to hissiblings, TimLanglois, Lisa Bosarge, andKaren Bergeron,and “Pa” to his grandchildren, Catherine, Sofia, Madeline,and Jon‐Michael, wascalledhome to theLordwithhis wife andchildrenbyhis side at theage of 81.A 1964gradu‐ateofIstroumaHigh School,heretired from UnionTexas Petroleumin Geismar, LA at theage of 53.Never onetorest, he founded AlarmTechhome andbusinesssecuritysys‐tems andgrewthisintoa successful companywith accountsacrossSouth Louisiana. John leda welllivedlifedefinedbyhard work,lovefor hisfriends andfamily, devotion to his Catholic faith,and aproud ManofManresa.Hewas kind andgenerous, always willingtohelpwhenever andwhereverneeded.You neverknewifyou would find him fishing, camping at Gulf Shores,orworking around thehouse,inhis yard,orinhis community He wasa Master electri‐cian,anexpertat fixing anything,and an incredible cook.Hewas preceded in deathbyhis father Roland,his mother Susie, andhis sister,Susanne John will be misseddearly. Visitation will be at Our Lady of Mt.Carmel Catholic Church in St.Fran‐cisville at 10 am on Novem‐ber10, followed by Mass at 12 noon

Felicien J. Loup,Jr.,a na‐tive of Wallaceand resi‐dent of Vacherie,passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at theage of 92 “FJ” wasa devotedhus‐band,father, grandfather, andgreat-grandfather.He wasa retiredcarpen‐ter/painterofKaiserAlu‐minum &Chemicals and LaRocheChemicals,a proudveteran of theU.S Army,serving in Germany, anda member of the KnightsofColumbus Coun‐cil#1514for 73 years. FJ enjoyedlistening to music anddancing thejitterbug with hislovelywife, Iris.He enjoyedall things about classiccarsand wasmost notablyrecognized by his green 1952Chevy Bel-Air. Hisfavoriteretirement pastimewas beinghis grandchildren’sbiggest fan.Felicienissurvivedby hisson,Leslie (Maggie)

Loup,and daughters, Karen(Michael) Petranick Cindy(Mark)Fontenelle, andCheryl(Philip)Lyons; hisgrandchildren:Brett (Anne)and Justin (Adeline) Loup,Michael,Patrick (Rita) andEmily Petranick, Sarah(Jace)Atkinson, Daniel Fontenelle,and JacobLyons,and agreat grandchild,NoahPetran‐ick. FJ is also survived by hisbrother,CurtisLoup (Linda Leblanc),and sister Linda(thelateMyles) Chauvin, as well as hissis‐ters andbrothers-in-law, Cecile Loup andBetty Loup,Linda (the late An‐toine) Chenier, Rose Marie (the late Allen) Hymel, Ros‐alie (the late Carol) Hymel, Aubrey (MaryEllen) Gravois, Eugene (Marie) Gravois, andLynn(thelate Ernest)Gravois,Aimee (Denis,III) Simon, Maria (the late Dean)Gravois.He is preceded in deathbyhis wife of 62 years, Iris GravoisLoup, hisparents, Felicien Sr.and LindaTre‐greLoup, andhis siblings Anabelle (Earl) Lambert, Shirley(Richard) Schex‐nayder,Ruby(Henry) Rous‐sel, Leroyand Gene Loup, andhis father andmother in-law,Antoine andFlo‐renceGravois.Special thanks areextendedtohis wonderfulcaregiversdur‐ingthe last 4months, Kath‐leen,Linda,Arlene, and Wendy; to allofthe caring staff of theSoutheast LouisianaVeteransHome, as well as thestaff of Amedisys HospiceCare. Services will be held at Our Lady of PeaceCatholic Church in Vacherie,on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Therosarywillbere‐citedat8:30a.m.withthe visitation immediatelyfol‐lowing from 9:00 am until 11:00 am with theMassof ChristianBurialat11:00 a.m. Intermentwillbein thechurch cemetery.In lieu of ﬂowers, memorial donationsinFJ’snamemay be made to theTunnelto Towers Foundation (T2T ORG)

John Carlton MonroeIII, age83, passedaway peacefully on November 5, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born on November13, 1941, in Hodge, Louisiana, John spent nearlyhis entirelife in BatonRouge,a city he helped to enrichthrough his work and service. John was the devoted husband of Frances HochenedelMonroe, with whom he shared alifetimeoflove, adventure,and steadfast companionship.Hewas the proud father of J. Carlton Monroe IV (JenniferCollins Monroe)and thelate ByronMuller Monroe, and the brother of thelate William Monroe. Agraduateof Bernard Terrace Elementary,Baton Rouge High School, and Louisiana StateUniversity, John earneda degree in Chemical Engineering and went on toa distinguished37year career with Dow Chemical. John cared deeplyfor thenatural and historicbeauty of his community. He took great prideinmaintainingthe Monroe-BurdenHouse, a significant family home located on thegroundsof theBurden Museum and Gardens, where he volunteered as adocent and served as an important benefactor. In lateryears, John and Frances discovered ashared passion for sailing, charting courses along thecoasts of the UnitedStates and throughout the Caribbean. He was also an accomplished bridge player. Visitation willbeheldonMonday, November 10thfrom9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at St.Aloysius CatholicChurch, followed by aFuneral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Interment willtake place in aprivateceremony at Roselawn Cemetery. John will be remembered for living alifeofhonor, faithfulness, and gentleness. In lieu of flowers, please consider agift to Hospice of BatonRouge.

Parent Sr., James Elmo 'Jim'

James"Jim" Elmo Parent, Sr.passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at the age of 94. He wasbornon July 3, 1931, in Carville, LA. Jim wasraisedinthe countryand graduatedfromSt. GabrielHigh School, where he proudly played 7-man football. As ayoung man, he joined theAir Forceand served during theKorean War.Jim retiredfromDow Chemical after 33 years of dedicatedservice as aSecurity Specialist, wherehe wasaffectionately known as "Mo." He wasa devoted father andgrandfather whonevermet astranger andwas known for his generosity, kindness, good humor &singing silly songs. Jimfound joyinthe simple things —camping, cooking, familygatherings, and cheering on his children and grandchildrenat everyevent. He loved sportsand washappiest surroundedbythe people he loved. He is survived by hischildrenJames "Skip" Parent, Jr CynthiaHope (Ricky), MichelleGuidroz (Doug); grandchildren, Chante' McRae(David), JacobFerchaud(Tim), Chris Ferchaud(Jana), Ashley Hope,Katie Chaffin (Grant), AmieStockstill (Joel), Ricky Hope,Doug Guidroz(Brooke), Daniel Guidroz (Annie)and Jason Guidroz;sister,Janice Reno; anda host of other loving familymembers. He is preceded in death by his beloveddaughter, Angelle Carpenter; hisparents, John and Angele Parent; andsiblings. Jim's kindness, laughter, andunconditionallove will forever live on in theheartsofall whoknewhim. Visitation will be at St.Thomas More 11441 Goodwood Blvd Baton Rouge,LA, on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 12pm untilthe Mass of Christian Burial at 1pm. Burial will immediatelyfollow at Greenoaks Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's name to TheCrossing at Clarity Hospice,for their compassion &careofour father,especially Dana and Sylvia. Familyand friends are invited to sign theonline guestbook at www.gre enoaksfunerals.com

Funeralservice for JamesMichael Percywill be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday,November10, 2025, at OurLadyof Prompt Succor Catholic Church with Rev. Chad Par‐tain ofﬁciatingand under thedirection of John

Kramer &Son Funeral Home.Visitationwillbe held on Monday,from10:00 a.m. until time of service. JamesMichael Percy, 82, passedawaypeacefully at hishomesurrounded by hisfamilyon November 5, 2025. He wasbornonDe‐cember 15, 1942, andwas a longtime resident of Alexandria andPineville Louisiana. As ayoung child,hewas knownfor beingadventurous,inquisi‐tive,and rebellious at times. As he grew up,he quicklydeveloped alove forthe outdoors, espe‐cially huntingand ﬁshing with hisfriends.Healso enjoyedreading,particu‐larlyhistory andbiogra‐phies. Hisinquisitive na‐ture andloveoflearning ledhim to earn adegreein Jurisprudencefromthe Paul M. Hebert LawCenter at LouisianaState Univer‐sity.Duringthistime, he methis wife,Genie Powlett, with whomhe shared 58 wonderfulyears of marriage.Mikeprac‐ticedlaw formorethan40 years, formingmeaningful relationshipswithpeople across thecountry.Hewas knownfor hishonesty,in‐tegrity, andkindness. He served as Presidentofboth theInnsofCourt andthe SouthRotaryClub. Some of hishappiesttimes were spentatvarious hunting camps, cookingand telling storieswithfriends,orin hisshopbuildingfurniture Mike also lovedtoski in theRocky Mountainsand camp in theCanadian wilderness. He obtained hispilot’slicense andde‐lightedin ﬂying hischil‐dren around thestate ofteninwhattheyde‐scribedas“variousdan‐gerous situations.” He had agiftfor making people laughand always made thosearound himfeel wel‐come.Heissurvivedbyhis wife,Imogene Powlett Percy; twochildren, Caro‐line PercyMooreand her husband Scott, James MichaelPercy,Jr. andhis wife Lauren;and hisgrand‐children,William Walker andEllaClairePercy,who affectionately called him “Papa.”Heisalsosurvived by hissisters,MaryAnn PercyMeeksand Mary TheresaPercy Murphy and herhusband Tomaswell as numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in deathbyhis parents, JamesFisherPercy and Mary Inez Womack Percy andhis sister,MaryKath‐leen PercyRamsey. Memo‐rialscan be made to the charityofchoice. To ex‐tend onlinenotes of con‐dolencetothe family, please visitwww.KramerF unerals.com

Charles Wayne

Charles WaynePixley wasbornonAugust 17, 1939, the only childofVivian Wherland Pixley (June 11, 1919 -July24, 1963) and J.C. "Jake" Pixley (June 15, 1919 -May 3, 1968). Hisparents were marriedonJune 11, 1938, in Jackson Parish, Louisiana. He wasraised by hismother, Vivian, an inspector at the Hodge PaperMill,and by hisgrandmother, Margaret "Willie" Jones Wherland. Charles attendedJonesboro-Hodge High School, whereheexcelled in basketball. He achievedall-state andallAmerican in 1957, the same year in whichhegraduated with theClass of 1957. On August 6, 1957, he married

Bergeron,Donna Brown

Langlois,John

Daniels, ToddAnthony

Monroe III,JohnCarlton

Bewick,

Jane Hartman

Pixley,

Percy, JamesMichael

Loup Jr., FelicienJ.

Cope, Janice Amedee

Millie Jo Chapman (July 4, 1939 -April 16, 2018) in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish. Together they shared more than sixty years of marriage and raised five children. Charles passed away peacefullyonOctober 31, 2025 surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Millie Jo Chapman Pixley; his parents,Vivian and Jake Pixley; and his grandson, Jackson WaynePixley (June 8, 2006 -August5, 2025). He is survived by his five children: CallieElisabethMichael, Robyn Davidson Thomas, Melinda Claire Bruscato, Jonathan Charles Pixley, and Christopher Wayne Pixley; ten grandchildren: Ashley Claire Rovira,Brian Davidson, Ben Thomas, Lindsay Bruscato Logan, Lauren Bruscato McMurray, John Paul Bruscato, Hannah Pixley Saizan, Caylin Pixley, Dylan Christopher Pixley, and Faith Renee Pixley; andsix great-grandchildren: CooperLogan, Collins Logan,Hendrix McMurray, ForrestMcMurray, Lennon Bruscato, andGray Bruscato. His familywill honor his life privately.

Robert,Faryl Charles

FarylCharles Robert,a resident of Gonzales Louisiana, passedaway peacefully on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the ageof72. Farylwas aman who found joyinlife’ssim‐plepleasures.Anavid ﬁsh‐erman, he lovedspending time on thewater,casting aline, andsharing stories with friendsand family. He hada talent forcrafting andbuildingthings, often workingwithhis handsto bringhis ideastolife. Faryl also enjoyed hiscoffee, good conversationsabout sports,supportingthe St AmantHighSchool Gators andmostofall,being at theballparksurrounded by thepeopleand pastimes he loved. He is survived by hisdevoted wife of 43 years,MonaRoussel Robert;his children,Kristy Robert DeRouen(Cody), Je‐remy Robert (Jennifer),and ColbyRobert(Kelli); and four belovedgrandchil‐dren,Laken Robert,Olivia Robert,AbbyRobert, and EliRobert. Farylisalsosur‐vivedbyhis sister,Phyllis

Part;brothers, Kirk Robert (Susan), Dale Robert (Brenda), Rickey Robert (Rebecca), andKeeley Robert (Beth);sister-inlaw, Lillie Robert;and nu‐merous nieces,nephews, anddearfriends who will cherishhis memory.He wasprecededindeath by hisparents,Lesterand Dorothy Robert;brother, Renell Robert;and brotherin-law,JohnPart. Services forFaryl will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at St.Anthony Catholic Church,37311 LA22,Darrow, LA.Visiting hourswillbegin at 9:00 a.m. until theMassof ChristianBurialat11:00 a.m. He will be laid to rest at Hope HavenCemetery, 604E Hwy30, Gonzales,LA.

ber4,2025

LeonardCary SaurageII, known to his many friends and lovedones simply as "Cary," passed away peacefully at home on November 4inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. Atrue patron of theartsand generous supporter of his community,Cary's name livesoninthe Cary SaurageCommunity Arts Center, areflection of his lifelong devotion to beauty,creativity, and civic engagement.Cary lovedfine art, landscape architecture,his family,his friends, dogs, and awell-poured glass of Chardonnay. He was known for his kindness, his gentleness, and his quiet civility, traits that lednearlyeveryone who met him to say, "He'sthe nicest personI'veever known." Aveteran of the UnitedStatesArmy, Cary laterdevoted much of his life to philanthropy and cultural preservation.He not onlycollected art but also activelyserved in leadership roles withmany organizations, including theLouisianaArt and Science Museum, theLSU Museum of Art, and Hill Memorial Library.His deep appreciation for nature and landscapedesigninspired hissteadfast support of theLSU Burden Center and Magnolia Mound Plantation. Cary was precededindeath by his parents, Alma Lee Spaht Saurageand H. Norman Saurage, Jr and his brother H. Norman

SaurageIII.Heissurvived by hisbrother Roland R. Saurage(Dean Bordelon) andsister Linda L. Saurage; sister-in-law Donna M. Saurage; and beloved nieces and nephewsSusan SaurageAltenloh, Stephanie Saurage, Hank andLaurie Saurage, Jennifer andJim Moreland, andMatt and CatherineSaurage.Hewill also be dearlymissedby his17great- and greatgreat-nieces andnephews, all of whom adored their UncleCary. Memorial contributionsmay be made to theArtsCouncil of Greater Baton Rouge to benefit the CarySaurage Community Arts Center, 233 St.Ferdinand Street,Baton Rouge LA 70802, or to thecharity of yourchoice. Agraveside service will be held on Monday, November 10 at 10:00 AM,atRoselawn Memorial Parkfollowed by aCelebrationofLife honoringCary'sremarkable legacyofgenerosity, grace, and love of beauty.

Howto

SaurageII, Leonard Cary

LeonardCary SaurageII March 26, 1944 -Novem-

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Congressional payshould be cut during shutdown

The federalgovernmentshutdown has dragged on now forﬁve weeks, becoming the longest in history,and there is still no endin sight. That means that thousands of government workers have received zero or reduced pay for morethanamonth

Yetthere has been no correspondinghalt to pay for members of Congress, whoearnat least$174,000per year and are theveryones responsible for this impasse. Congressional pay is mandatedthrough both law and the Constitution,evenifthe government isshut down.

But Louisiana Sen. John Kennedywants to change that. The oft-quoted Republican has introduced apair of bills in the Senate thatwould put representatives and senators on thesame footingasthe employees whose pay has been stopped “I don’tsee missing paychecksorempty dinner plates as leverage or bargainingchips,” Kennedy told Fox News. “If we can’tdo ourjobs and fund the government, we don’tdeserve a paycheck —plain and simple.”

Kennedy is well known forhis aphorisms, which he presents as down-homecountry wisdom but critics decryasrhetoricwithout substance In this case, he’sgot apoint.Lawmakers in Washington, whose partisan pursuits andinﬂexibility have gotten us into thissituation, should not be able to go on as if life were normalwhile the people who rely upon them areforced to tighten their belts, go without andhopethatthe shutdown ends soon.

Kennedy has introduced two billson thematter: The first would forcemembers of Congress to go without pay for every day thegovernment hasshutdown. That billcould runinto Constitutionalhurdles. Article Iofthe Constitution requires that United States representativesand senators be paidfor their services. Andthe 27th Amendment, ratifiedin1992, prevents Congress from passing any bill affecting pay until theend of the current term. Kennedy’ssecond bill attempts to maneuver around those worries.That bill would notcut the pay,but withhold it in escrow until after the 2026 elections. Other lawmakers are recommendingsimilar ideas. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,has pitched aconstitutional amendmentthat wouldrequire lawmakers’ pay to be forfeited andusedtopay down thenational debt. Another bill hasbeen introduced by Republican Sen.Bernie Moreno,of Ohio.Similar billshavebeen pitchedduring earlier shutdowns, but they’ve never been passed. We applaud these efforts. Among the many terrible impacts ofthe shutdown is the forced surrender of payofthousands of workers whose service affects our lives every day: military, some law enforcement and airtrafficcontrollers, for instance. If members of Congress can’twork together and come to some sortofcompromise on how to fund the government and those workersare forced to go without pay,thenCongress should feel the same pain.

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.

What mattersmostinMideast policy

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is one of themost beautiful churches in theworld. If you’re walking in old city Jerusalem at 4in themorning, you are likely a Christian,Jew or Muslim on theway to prayer.It’sone of themost peaceful experiences in theworld.

Ihave aphotoofthe steps up to thechapel, built where we believe Christwas cruciﬁed. It was there where a priestfriend of mine celebrated Mass for my friend Andrew Breitbart the morning after he died unexpectedly from aheart attack in 2012. When Andrew died, Iwas on my ﬁrst pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I had theopportunity to go again not too long ago. Iwent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchreatanearly hour.Iwasn’t going to. Iwas tempted to hit snooze. ButIheard the Muslim call to prayer and Iwas reminded the most importantthing we can do in our lives

is pray.It’sanaction beyond us, of supernatural fuel. It’sthe best that we’ve got. During that most recenttrip, Iwas having some health issues, so when we had ourtour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Ifound aspottosit, right below where Christ had been cruciﬁed. This tripwas sponsored by thePhilos Project, which wanted to convey what wasimportantabout the land to people of various Abrahamic religions.

During our time under Calvary,Iremembered aGood Fridaypast in New York.That Palm Sunday,there was an attack on aCoptic church in Egypt. In an act of prayerful solidarity, NewYork’sCardinal Timothy Dolan went to aCoptic churchinManhattan with an ecumenical crowd. Rabbi Joseph Patasnick talked abouthow he was afraid to go outdoors on Good Friday when he was young, because it was believed that Christians would retaliateagainstJews for the deathof

Jesus. But that’sthe thing. It wasn’tthe Jews.Jewishmen and women are not the enemy.Iam. The sin in the hearts of men is. That’swhy Christians are Christians. We aresinners in need of aSavior. We areimperfect and worse. Antisemitism is evil. Hating Jews is asin. We can’t tolerate people excusing or denying the Holocaust. Instead, we should be remembering the faces of individualmen, women andchildrenwho were murdered by the Nazi regime.And consider that it is evil thatwewould ever consider thathatredofJewsisanything but evil. We hear people talking about Middle Eastern foreign policy,but it often comes down to hatred of Jews. Sure, have an opinionabout apositionIsrael takes. All Iknowiswemust stand with ourJewishbrothers andsisters being hated. Adopt love forothers. It is whatmatters most.

Email Kathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Time forthe Righttoclean house

Conservatives —trueconservatives,asinthe Ronald Reagan brand —have aproblem. The movement has been invaded by the“alt-right” (or alternative right), abrandthat is not conservative, but rather slogs through the mud of antisemitism and racism, staining all who supportorrefuse to denounce it

This attempt to hijack conservatism by aradical fringe is not new.Inthe 1960s,Robert Welch and his John Birch Society(JBS) inﬁltrated the movement. It took thefounder of the conservative publication National Review, William F. Buckley Jr., to denounce some of Welch’sextreme views.When Welch claimed Dwight D. Eisenhower was a“dedicated,conscious agent of thecommunist conspiracy”, it was thebreaking point for Buckley,who had been reluctant to criticize Welch, largely becausemany JBS members contributed ﬁnancially to his magazine. Now comes asimilar challenge for traditional conservatives and especially the evangelical wing of the Re-

publican Party. On arecentpodcast, former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson interviewedNick Fuentes, aWhitesupremacist and antisemite. The two joinedincondemnation of conservativeswho support Israel. Carlson speciﬁcally mentioned Sen. TedCruz, R-Texas, former President George W. Bush,and theU.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. He called them “Christian Zionists” who have been “seized by this brain virus.”

Kevin Roberts, president of the HeritageFoundation, whichguided many of the policies of Ronald Reagan and has been inﬂuential with the Trump administration, defended Carlson,saying he “remains …and always will be aclosefriend of the Heritage Foundation.”

Alt-right proponents arenot shy about voicing theirbeliefs, including antisemitismand in some cases a denial of the Holocaust and racism.

Membersofthis small but growing movement, especially among the young, often blame Jewish people for allegedly promoting what theyclaim are anti-White policies like immigra-

tion(illegaland legal) anddiversity Recently,VicePresident JD Vance hadanopportunity to denounce these beliefs. During aquestion-and-answer sessionfollowing his speech at the University of Mississippi, sponsored by Turning Point USA, Vance was askedabout U.S. support of Israel and the theologicaldifferences between Jews andChristians. Instead of denouncing whatappeared to be a“dog whistle” andthe barely disguised political premise of the question, Vancepuntedand said America has traditionally made alliances with nations whose policies and beliefs don’t necessarily agreewith ours. Conservatives take note as Bill Buckleyeventually did whenconservatism faced similarchallengessix decades ago. As for the evangelicals amongthe alt-right, consider one of many versesabout hate: “People may cover their hatred with pleasantwords, but they’re deceiving you. Theypretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.”(Proverbs 26:24-25).

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Cal Thomas

COMMENTARY

Redistrictingcasemay endinmiddleground

When the Supreme Court rules, probably in December,onthe controversial congressional redistricting case of Louisiana v. Callais, the likelihood is that neither side’sfondest dreams or worst fears will be realized

Aclose reading of the record leads me to predict the court will ﬁnd a middle ground: It almost certainly will throw out Louisiana’scurrent district conﬁgurations, but without much material change in its existing interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

Louisiana surely will need to redraw its maps yet again —but still with astrong expectation that it should create asecond Black-majority (or strong plurality) district, and without sending ahost of other statesintonew maps undoing their own Black “opportunity districts” (as they technically are called). The difference will be that Louisiana’s new map should have districts that are more geographically compact and less blatantly racially motivated than the current districts that were created for

the 2024 House elections. To make clear: This is not how Ithink the court should rule, but how Ipredict it actually will. At issue is howtointerpret Section2ofthe Voting Rights Act, which is meant to protect against racial discrimination in elections, particularly against Black Americans—but without running afoul of the14th and 15thAmendments, which the Supreme Court says prohibit (broadly speaking) all racial discrimination,including the useofracial considerations tomake up for past and present wrongs. For more than 40 years, the high court has made aconvolutedmess of these redistricting issues, essentiallysaying that race can’t be considered except for the timesthat it must be considered. To determine which is which (can’tvs. must), and by what methods, the court has set out what is known as the Gingles Test (namedafter acase called Thornburg v. Gingles). For purposes of this column, the Gingles substance need not be understood, but its existence is crucial.

The state of play is this:Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas,Sam Alitoand Neil Gorsuch clearly are readyto say Section 2has been misinterpreted all along, meaning that race may not be considered even to redress wrongs.

Liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor,Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson ﬁrmly believe Section 2means that Black opportunity districts must be created aggressively and proportionatelywherepossible.

Chief Justice JohnRoberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett (of New Orleans)are considered somewhere in themiddle. In theAlabama case of Allen v. Milligan in 2023, Roberts and Kavanaugh joined thethree liberals in requiring another opportunity district, while Barrett sided withthe conservatives In this year’s Louisianacase, though, theshape of the second Black opportunity district is particularly bizarre. Plus,inboth a concurring opinion in Milligan and in oral arguments last month in theLouisiana case, Kavanaugh suggested that an unspeciﬁed

time limit might apply,sothat although opportunity districts once were necessary,now they aren’t. For those two reasons, many observers expect Kavanaugh to “switch sides” by joining the conservatives, thus providing a5-4 majority to throwout Louisiana’s current, race-infuseddistricts.

Allisnot lost, however,for the liberals’side In theMilligancasefrom Alabama, JusticeBarrett joined only partofJusticeThomas’ main dissenting opinion. She conspicuously did not join the part that saidthe wholeGingles construct was nonsense andthatrace should never be afactor in ﬁxing pastwrongs. Instead, she merely joined two sections in which Thomas explained that even if Gingles were applied, those particular Alabama districts would not passmuster. In oral argument in October in Louisiana v. Callais, Barrett asked if Louisiana’s weird district could be thrown out as “a clariﬁcation of Gingles” rather than the“big ask” to actually “change it.” In otherwords, she is loathtooverturn what she called a“40-year precedent.”

The endresult (assuming Roberts also wants to maintain the Gingles precedent) is thateven if Kavanaugh joins the conservativestooverturn Ginglesentirely andthus effectively take the courts away from ordering proportionalBlack opportunity districts, Barrett may well refuse to go thatfar.She could provide the needed fifth vote to throw outthe specific districts Louisianahas now, but still maintain a five-person majority,saying that some race-baseddistricts remain necessary

She could well say that two suchdistricts remain necessary in Louisiana,too, but without shoehorning some Shreveport voters in with East Baton Rouge voters ratherthanwith other of their ownShreveport neighbors. Section2 as liberals interpret it would be saved, but Louisiana’s legislators would have to create adifferent newBlack opportunity district—one that actually makes sense on amap, rather thanlooking like apterodactyl chasing E.T.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Trumpin no hurrytodeployNationalGuard to La.

President Donald Trump couldn’twait to send theNationalGuard into Los Angeles. AndD.C.. And Portland. AndChicago.All placeswhere they weren’tinvitedand where many locals wanted none of his alleged “help.”

Yetwhen it comes to Louisiana, Trump has now waited well over a month to respond to his ally Gov Jeff Landry’srequest, announced on Fox News to Sean Hannityat the end of September,tosend 1,000 federalizedLouisianaNational Guard troops into New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other citiesto ﬁght crime.

Sure, Trump hasn’trejected Landry’s request to use federal money to deploy the troops that he has the power to activateon his own —albeit on the state’sdime And yes, he has mused at times about sendingtroopsintoNew Orleans, despite droppingcrime ratesand asuccessful partnership between the cityand state police for which Landry should beclaiming credit, not playing into the ﬁction that things remain out of control.

But the president hasn’tshown asmidgeon of urgency on the matter.Not even whentwo horriﬁc fatal carjackingssoon after Landry’sask, one of achefpicking

up hischild at achurch day care and the other of aride share driver,agrandfather who’d just dropped off some tourists in the French Quarter,might have opened some more minds to the effort. Nobody official has publicly explained the delay,but Ihave atheory: Ithink we bore him Landry’sagenda is clearly toclaim asliver of the president’sthunder in usingNational Guard troops in this novel, confrontational way.But Trump isn’treturning thegovernor’s enthusiasm because it doesn’tfithis own agenda, which is to cause maximum viralconflict and toassert dominance Trump’srelationship with Landry is obviously quite different from theone he haswith governors like California’sGavin Newsom and Illinois’ JB Pritzker,who have cast Trump’smoves as unconstitutional invasions and abuses of presidential powers aimed at normalizing the sight of soldiers on American streets. Trumpfeeds on fights with guys like them, which he obviouslywouldn’tget here.

Local ofﬁcials, in New Orleans anyway, are adifferent story

Incoming mayor Helena Moreno has said that sendingthe Guard intoAmerican cities is “about scare tactics and politicizing

public safety,”and correctly noted that these troops arenot trained or authorized to do police work. Yether comments at a mayoral debateearlier in September suggest an additional dynamic at play

“The National Guard can assist us when we have amajor emergency like ahurricane, or even when we have amajor event in town, to assist us withcrowd control and thingslike that,” she said at WWL’s primarydebate.

It’strue. People in New Orleans are used to seeing the National Guard around including after the New Year’smorning terrorist attack in the French Quarter not as an invading armybut as welcome backup. Andthe request from Landry is for Guard members from the state, who are far less likely to be seen by their fellow Louisianans as outside occupiers than the Texans sent to Illinois against the governor’swill, or the Louisianans deployed in thenation’scapital.

Addtothat thelack of aunited front even in the Trump-friendly set. One prominent Republican, stateSenate President Cameron Henry,recently told the Manship News Service that the Guard might be of use in Baton Rouge, where Mayor-President Sid Edwards appears open to the idea, but “mythought is not to have them come

to NewOrleans because we have State Police there and they are doing agood job.” Even Hannity,upon airing Landry’sinitial plea fortroops, had trouble staying focused on what Landry was trying to sell as acrisis. During the interview,hequickly pivoted from crime to an offer of lessons he learned as abartender forthose who brave the French Quarter: “My advice: Never ever,don’tdrink ahurricane unless you want to throw up in the bushes,” he said.

Can’tdisagree with that, but it’snot exactly acall to arms. Still, Landry has said things appear to be on track fortroops to arrive in New Orleans by Thanksgiving, which would be in timefor the Bayou Classic, and stay throughout the holidays and special event season, when National Guard troops have been called in to help with crowd control before. If that happens, it could be that Trumpwill basically help Landry do what the state usually does, generally without any resistance at all.

Even if the prospect of pushback is all that keeps Trumpremotely interested in this whole escapade.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

La.and theblue‘wave’ofNYC’s Mamdani, otherDems

It’seasy for Democrats in Louisiana and across the nation to cheer after Tuesday’s“blue wave” of wins in New Jersey,Virginia and New York City Louisiana is marginally aDemocratic state based on voter registration, buta reliably Republican state when it comes to voting. Louisiana rarely swings from one party to another. Like it or not, we’re not blue or purple; we’re red. Deep red. New York state has been historically and reliably Democratic in recent years, but therehave been times in my lifetime when the Empire State was led by aRepublican. GOP legislator George Pataki was elected governor in 1994 and then reelected twice. Generally,New York Cityis viewed as the most liberal and progressive of New York State’s urbancenters. Like New Orleans, the city is largelyDemocratic and largely liberal or progressive. But comparisons end there. New York City has some strong pockets of Republicans andothers who identify otherwise. New Orleans has far fewer Republicans on aper capita basis. New York is far more diverse than New Orleans.

cialist Zohran Kwame Mamdani won Tuesday’s mayoral election with 50.4% of thevotes. He developed abroad coalition of supportand ran an energetic, youthful, social media-savvy campaignand heldoff late efforts by billionaires, President Donald Trump andothers to stop him.

New Orleans City Council Vice President Helena Moreno developed abroad coalition of support for her mayoral campaign,but her more practical progressive Democratic ideas didn’tdraw theire of millionaires andbillionaires willing to spendbig to keep her out of ofﬁce,aswas true with Mamdani. Moreno is aprogressive Democrat, butshe’sno Democratic Socialist.

Some Democrats and some Democratic Socialists might disagree with me, but, pretty much, Democrats work to change and improve capitalistic systems and Democratic Socialists aim to moveaway from capitalism to amore socialist, take-care-of-all system.

To alargedegree, that’swhy so many bankers, developers, investors, traders, millionaires and billionaires opposed Mamdani Moreno garnered support from some of thosegroups.

New York City Democratic So-

Shortly after his election, Mamdani launched awebsite —“New Era for New York City” —announcing atransition team, and seeking a“talented,inclusive, and mission-driven team of public servants.”

Shortly after her election, Moreno launched awebsite “New Direction NOLA” —announcing atransition team and “assembling ateam of talented, passionatepeople ready to help moveNew Orleansforward.” Similar? Yes. However,Moreno’ssite is broader,asking citizens for input.I’m sure Mamdani will follow that approach soon. Big difference: Mamdani has an all-female transition leadership team.

Democrats ﬂipped two Georgia Public Service Commission seats and had abig California proposition win. Louisiana Democrats haven’tfound that kind of Georgia, California, New Jersey and Virginia success. Democratic governor candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won their Virginia and New Jersey contests handily.Despite infusions of millions of dollars and big GOP pushes, it wasn’teven close. Spanberger won by about 15 points. Sherrill won by almost that much. New York has regularly elected Democrats statewide, though not

always. Virginia has, too; though not always. It’s normal forNew Jersey to elect Democrats statewide, although it sometimes has chosen GOP candidates. Not so in Louisiana.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards was elected statewide by a comparable amount (12%) as he ran against apolitically crippled, publicly damaged Republican candidate. But he almost lost reelection to awell-funded Republican candidate whohardly campaigned and answered few questions. New Orleans is adifferent story.Itmight be acold day in hell if we see aRepublican elected mayor in the city in the near future. ButLouisiana isn’tready fora Democratic Socialist, and neither is New Orleans. Not yet.

Afew years ago, asenior writer at FiveThirtyEight described six types of Democrats: super progressives (New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), very progressives (Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren), the progressive new guard (New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker), the progressive oldguard (retiring U.S. Rep.Nancy Pelosi), moderates (U.S.Rep. and now Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger) and conservatives (Edwards, former U.S.Sen. Joe Manchin).

Only moderates and conservatives can come close to statewide office in Louisiana without asignificant Mamdani-like candidate to energize voters across political affiliations.

Louisiana has its share of progressives, and someDemocratic Socialists of America have made someprogress here.

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Devante Lewis, Orleans Parish School Board member Gabriela Biro, Broadmoor Church pastor and former City Council at-large candidate Gregory Manning, and former City Council District Acandidate Bob Murrell are Democratic Socialists members. According to Jack Reno Sweeney,co-chair of the New Orleans DSA, the membership, nonproﬁt political organization has about 85,000 members nationally,including about 400 in NewOrleans. Some New Orleans chapter members helped the Mamdani campaign. There are DSAgroups in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Monroe and Shreveport.

Mamdani achieved an incredible win. Many are expecting his ﬁre to be transferable to other cities and states. We’re not ready Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace

Will Sutton

Featherweight Scooter

Much stillsamefor Saints afterAllen ﬁring

Despitechanges,teamstill struggling to be competitive

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Ayear and aweek ago, adejected Dennis Allen stood at alectern in the bowels of Bank of America Stadium andtried to come up withanswers to the questionsabout how far his team had fallen.

On Nov.3,2024, the New Orleans Saints traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina,lookingtosnap asix-game losingstreak against a1-7 Carolina Panthers team. Instead,the Saints blew afive-point lead in the closing minutes. Needingjust afieldgoal to retake thelead inside the final two minutes, the

ä Saints at Panthers NOON SUNDAy,FOX

Saints turned it over on downs near midﬁeld with 1:04 remainingand watchedasCarolinakneeledout the clock on New Orleans’ seventh straight defeat

Thething is, there weren’t really anyanswers —nonethatwere satisfactory anyway.The Saints ﬁred Allen the next morning. While muchhas changed in the last year,things are still very muchthe same for the franchise.

page 9C

NOTHING NEW

LSU tight end Bauer Sharp fumbles theball on astop by Alabama linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green in the firsthalf of theirgame on SaturdayatBryant-DennyStadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. LSU lost 20-9 in its firstgamesince Brian Kelly’s firing

Aftertwo weeksof changes, Tigers look thesameinthirdstraightloss

BY WILSONALEXANDER

Staff writer

TUSCALOOSA,Ala. Different coaches. Same results. In the ﬁrst game since the ﬁring of head coach Brian Kelly two weeks ago, LSU lost 20-9 to No. 4Alabama on Saturday night inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. LSU (5-4, 2-4 SEC) triedtomake changes to avoid its third straight loss. It promotedFrank Wilson to interim coach and named Alex Atkins the offensive play-caller.Iteven

benched starting quarterbackGarrettNussmeier in the third quarter when thegame was still in thebalance, trying to ﬁnd something that worked with Michael VanBuren. Almost nothing did. While the LSU defense kept the score within reachintothe fourth quarter, the offense continued to struggle. Alabama (8-1, 6-0) won its eighthstraight game. LSU lostfor the fourth time in its past ﬁve. “Pick your heads up,” Wilsonsaid

ä See LSU, page 6C

TUSCALOOSA,Ala. What hasn’t happened at LSU in the gulf between the Texas A&M and Alabama games?

LSUﬁred itshead coach, its athletic director (apparently at the behest of the governor) and its offensive coordinator.Itnamed an interim head coach, hired anew system president and chancellor —he formerly worked here at Alabama. It appeared to hire anew athletic director,then left him hanging in interim limbo land before formally

Carolina Panthers

linebacker

JoseyJewell tackles Saints running back

Alvin Kamara during their game on Nov. 3, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C.

AP FILE

PHOTO By RUSTy JONES

Scott Rabalais

STAFFPHOTO

HILARy SCHEINUK

Indiana survives Penn State scare

By The Associated Press

per jumped to catch a pass from Fernando Mendoza in the back of the end zone, sweeping his inside foot within the ﬁeld of play to go ahead of Penn State 27-24 with 36 seconds remaining and save No. 2 Indiana from its ﬁrst loss of the season on Saturday

The downtrodden Nittany Lions, led by an interim coach and riding the school’s longest losing streak in 21 years, almost denied the Hoosiers (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) their ﬁrst Happy Valley win in school history

Penn State (3-6, 0-6) came back from down 13 points in the third quarter and was a couple of ﬁrst downs away from the upset. Once the Nittany Lions were forced to punt, they couldn’t respond with late-game heroics of their own in the little time the Hoosiers left them. A Hail Mary effort from midﬁeld was unsuccessful.

“It was the most improbable victory I have ever been a part of,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “And there couldn’t have been a better place to make it happen.”

No.3 TexasA&M 38,No.22 Missouri 17: In Columbia, Missouri, Marcel Reed threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, Texas A&M’s hounding defense made for a forgettable first start for Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers, and the Aggies beat the Tigers to remain undefeated.

Rueben Owens II added 102 yards rushing and a pair of clinching touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, as the Aggies (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 3 CFP) continued their best start since 1992 with their third consecutive victory over Missouri.

No.1OHIOST 34,PURDUE10: In West Lafayette, Indiana, Julian Sayin threw for 303 yards and one touchdown and Ohio State used four straight scoring drives in the second quarter to pull away from Purdue.

Jeremiah Smith ﬁnished with a season-high 10 catches for 137 yards and caught a 35-yard TD pass to break open the game. It was his 10th scoring catch of the season and the 25th of his career, tying him with Santonio Holmes for sixth on the Buckeyes all-time list.

No.5GEORGIA41,MISSISSIPPIST 21: In Starkville, Miss., Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and Georgia beat Mississippi State.

Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) surrendered a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and then scored 38 straight points No.6OLEMISS49,THECITADEL0: In Oxford, Miss., Trinidad Chambliss passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns to lead Ole Miss to a win over The Citadel. Chambliss completed 19 of his ﬁrst 20 passes, most of them quick outs, and finished 29 for 33 before leaving after the ﬁrst drive of the third quarter for the Rebels (9-1).

No. 8 TEXAS TECH 29, No. 8 BYU 7:

In Lubbock, Texas, Stone Harrington kicked a school-record five field goals and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways as the Red Raiders beat BYU, holding the previously-unbeaten Cougars to a season-low 255 total yards in a game with Big 12 and playoff implications.

Behren Morton passed for 216 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown to Caleb Douglas while Cameron Dickey ran for 121 yards and a 1-yard score for Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 8 CFP), which played in its ﬁrst top-10 matchup since 2008.

No. 18 MIAMI 38, SYRACUSE 10: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Carson Beck threw for a touchdown, caught a scoring pass and eclipsed the 10,000-yard passing mark for his college career as Miami used some tricks to roll to a win over Syracuse. Offensive lineman Francis

Mauigoa caught a backward pass and finished off what officially went into the books as a 3-yard rushing touchdown, while Keionte Scott had an interception return touchdown for the Hurricanes (72, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) Keelan Marion had 116 receiving yards and Girard Pringle Jr had a touchdown run for Miami.

No.6OREGON18,IOWA16: In Iowa City, Iowa, Atticus Sappington kicked a 39-yard ﬁeld goal with 3 seconds left, and Oregon escaped with a win over Iowa.

Dante Moore led a 10-play, 54yard drive to set up Sappington’s third ﬁeld goal of the game, connecting with Malik Benson for 24 yards to get the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten, No. 9 CFP) into range for the winning kick.

WISCONSIN 13, No. 24 WASHINGTON 10: In Madison, Wisconsin, Nathanial Vakos made a tiebreaking 32-yard ﬁeld goal late in the third quarter and Mason Posa led a dominant defensive effort as Wisconsin snapped a six-game skid by upsetting Washington.

The Badgers (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) had lost 11 straight games against Power Four opponents before winning this one as a 10½-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

No. 15 VANDERBILT 45, AUBURN 38: In Nashville, Tenn. Diego Pavia threw a 4-yard pass to Cole Spence in overtime, and Vanderbilt rallied from a 10-point deﬁcit to beat Auburn. The win keeps hopes of a Col-

lege Football Playoff berth alive for Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 CFP). The Commodores had left themselves with no room to spare after losing 34-31 at Texas last week.

No. 10 NOTRE DAME 49, NAVY 10: In South Bend, Indiana, C.J. Carr threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns and Notre Dame beat Navy on a snowy for its seventh consecutive victory Carr completed 13 of 16 passes and Notre Dame (7-2) led 42-10 when he gave way to backup quarterback Kenny Minchey late in the third quarter

Jeremiyah Love gained 94 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. He scored on a stunning 48-yard run where he went down but didn’t touch the turf, rolling off adefender and racing to the end zone after regaining his footing.

WAKEFOREST16,No.12VIRGINIA9: In Charlottesville, Virginia, Carlos Hernandez returned a bouncing punt 88 yards in the third quarter for the game’s only touchdown, and Wake Forest handed Virginia its ﬁrst Atlantic Coast Conference loss of the season.

Playing most of the night without quarterback Chandler Morris, who was injured on a second-quarter run, Virginia (8-2, 5-1, No. 14 CFP) became the last ACC team to lose a league game this year, disappointing a crowd of 55,568 at Scott Stadium that had been energized by the Cavaliers’ best start in 35 years.

Spurs down Pels despite Murphy’s big night

time in October

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Rybakina beats Sabalenka, wins $5.23M in WTA Finals Elena Rybakina won the WTA Finals after producing a nearly ﬂawless performance to beat No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 (0) on Saturday

The sixth-ranked Rybakina struck eight aces and converted the sole break of the match on the indoor hardcourt in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It was a second loss in the ﬁnal of the season-ending tournament for Sabalenka after the four-time Grand Slam winner lost to Caroline Garcia in the 2022 title match. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was playing her first title match in her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance. She collected $5.23 million after going 5-0 at the event featuring the top eight women. The WTA said that was the largest payout in the history of women’s sports.

Djokovic wins tournament, then pulls out of ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ATP Finals for the second year in a row, shortly after beating Lorenzo Musetti in a nearly three-hour ﬁnal to win the Hellenic Championship on Saturday Djokovic said a shoulder injury would prevent him from playing in the season-ending event for the top eight men’s players that starts Sunday in Turin, Italy

“I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury,” Djokovic said in a post on social media.

Djokovic has won the ATP Finals seven times, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion also missed the tournament last year because of an injury On Saturday, the Serb rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Musetti to clinch his 101st career title.

Former NBA, WNBA coach Adubato dies at age 87

Richie Adubato a former Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and New York Liberty basketball coach — has died, his family said. He was 87.

Adubato died Thursday, his family posted on social media Friday Adubato took the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals three times in his six years coaching the team from 1999-2004. He still holds the franchise record for games coached with 178. Adubato was the interim head coach of the Magic in 1997 after serving as an assistant for a few years He was also an interim head coach in Detroit during the 197980 season and later was the head coach in Dallas from 1989-93.

Hataoka shares lead again during LPGA event in Japan Japanese golfers Nasa Hataoka and Yuna Araki sat atop the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic. Hataoka has shared the lead in each of the ﬁrst three rounds with different golfers each time.

Not even one of the best performances of Trey Murphy’s career could keep the New Orleans Pelicans’ brief winning streak going Saturday night. Fresh off back-to-back wins Tuesday and Wednesday, the Pelicans were unable to stack a third one. The Pelicans couldn’t slow down Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, falling 126-119 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Murphy scored 41 points, tying his career-high. His previous high this season was 24 points, scored against these same Spurs in the Pels’ home opener. Murphy made 15 of 22 ﬁeld goals Saturday, including 5 of 11 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed nine rebounds. “It was great and we needed it from him,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “He scored on every level tonight. He got to the freethrow line. He got to the paint. He shot the ball well. He rebounded the ball well, something that we’ve been talking about. We can see him starting to implement it.” Murphy drained a 38-footer at the end of the third quarter to close the deficit to 92-85. But it still wasn’t enough for the Pelicans (2-7).

game close the rest of the way “I told the guys in the locker room that I love their ﬁght,” Green said. “Love their ability to stick together and battle back. The Spurs are a good team. A lot of positives to take from the game.”

This one was close, too. The Spurs were without Zion Williamson (hamstring), Jordan Poole (quad strain) and Yves Missi (illness). Meanwhile, San Antonio guard De’Aaron Fox played in his first game Saturday night after missing the ﬁrst eight games with a hamstring injury

“He’s another dynamic ballhandler,” Green said about Fox before the game. “He’s unselﬁsh, and he can score on all three levels. He presents another weapon out there for those guys.”

Fox finished with 24 points to lead the Spurs (7-2). Wembanyama scored 18 points to go with 18 rebounds.

Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears scored 18 points and Herb Jones scored 15. Rookie forward Derik Queen came off the bench and ﬁnished with 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Hataoka shot a 4-under 68 and Araki was in at 7-under 65 — both at 15-under 201 — at the Seta Golf Club in western Japan. Three more Japanese players were just off the pace going into Sunday’s final round. Miyu Yamashita, who won the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last week, carded a 68 and was one stroke behind. She was followed by Shuri Sakuma (69), who is three back, and Ai Suzuki (70), four off the lead.

Russian doping case ends after sanctions for 12 more

The Russian doping crisis that rocked track and field in the 2010s reached a symbolic end Friday with bans and disqualifications for 12 athletes in a final set of disciplinary cases going back over a decade.

The Pelicans trailed by as many as 19 points in the second quarter but managed to cut the deﬁcit to 66-58 by halftime and kept the

It was the Pelicans’ second loss to the Spurs in this young season. The Spurs won 120-116 in over-

“We fought our tails off,” Green said. “Some key miscues down the stretch that we can clean up, that we have to clean up.”

The Pelicans play at the Phoenix Suns on Monday

The Athletics Integrity Unit, which was founded in 2017 as part of track’s response to the doping crisis, said it was the “last batch” of doping cases using data from the shuttered Moscow anti-doping laboratory where cases were covered up. The Russian government has consistently denied wrongdoing. They prioritized cases involving active and high-proﬁle athletes, so the 12 named on Friday were longsince retired athletes or relatively obscure ﬁgures. The best known was arguably Elena Kotulskaya, the European indoor silver medalist in the 800 meters in 2013.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Omar Coo-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BARRy REEGER

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper catches a touchdown pass over Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley during the fourth quarter of a game on Saturday in State College, Pa.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DARREN ABATE

San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell, front left, passes the ball as he is guarded by Pelicans forward Trey Murphy, right, on Saturday in San Antonio.

‘I’m

LSU to play homecoming game for senior Johnson in Georgia

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team scheduled its third nonconference matchup of the season as a homecoming game for star senior guard Flau’jae Johnson.

At 1 p.m. Sunday (ESPN+), the No. 5 Tigers (2-0) will face Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia — a city that sits just more than 50 miles west of Johnson’s hometown Savannah, Georgia.

“For me, it’s just another game,” Johnson said, “but I’m very excited.”

LSU has played similar contests in each of the past three seasons. In 2023, it faced Coppin State in Angel Reese’s hometown of Baltimore. Then, last year, it played homecoming games for two of its stars — one against Grambling in Bossier City for Mikaylah Williams and another on the road against Illinois-Chicago for Aneesah Morrow

Now it’s Johnson’s turn

She’s both the ﬁrst McDonald’s All-American to sign with LSU after it hired coach Kim Mulkey and the only contributor remaining from the team that took home the program’s ﬁrst national championship in 2023.

Johnson was a freshman that season. Now she’s a senior who’s hoping to bookend her collegiate career with national titles.

“I remember when I was a player at Louisiana Tech,” Mulkey said. “We (played homecoming games) There’s a lot of things that you take from your background. I just

remembered how special it was to each of us to go back and play in front of people that can’t come to all of your games.” Johnson could have left LSU in the offseason. She was age-eligible to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft. But she chose to return to the Tigers instead, a move that allowed her to team with Williams and a group of eight newcomers for her fourth and final year of NCAA eligibility That season, for LSU, is off to a strong start. The Tigers defeated Houston

Christian by 53 points on Tuesday in their season opener, then smothered Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday, winning 115-26 in one of the two most lopsided games they’ve ever played.

Johnson shot only 3 of 10 from the field in the opener But against the Lions, she turned in a more efficient 7-of-10 shooting night to pair a game-high 17 points with her five rebounds and five assists.

“My grandpa is going to be able to come to the game,” Johnson said. “He’s never seen me play in college, so that’s going to be really fun, and really just getting to see my whole family It’s going to be lit out there.

“They’re crazy, so the tickets sold out in like an hour or something like that, so yeah, it’s very anticipated.”

Georgia Southern finished 11th in the Sun Belt last season — its first under coach Hana Haden — then split its first two games of this year, beating Central Michigan 9872 on Monday and losing 80-72 to Florida State on Thursday

Now the Eagles will host LSU in a kind of game Mulkey said she always tries to put on her nonconference schedule.

“And that’s not always possible,” Mulkey said. “We have to have the other team agree to it. But when it’s possible, you try to do it.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

Week 10 brings titles, push for postseason

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

The high school football season wrapped up this past Friday District races that came down to Week 10 were decided, and other Baton Rouge-area schools made their ﬁnal push to seal up a spot in the playoffs. Here are two takeaways from this past week.

Denham Springs wins share

The Yellow Jackets used 28 straight points against St. Amant to seal a 54-26 win and ﬁnish as co-champions of District 5-5A with East Ascension.

Denham Springs (8-2, 5-1) closed out the regular season with six straight wins. The offense averaged 52.2 points per game across the streak, during which the team won by an average margin of victory of 28 points.

Seniors quarterback Da’Jean Golmond, wide receiver Da’Sean Golmond and running back Brenton Paul have played a big part in the offensive ﬁreworks.

Da’Jean Golmond accounted for five touchdowns Friday night, four passing and one rushing.

Da’Sean Golmond made history in the game. He caught two touchdowns, one for 30 yards and another for 22 yards. His first touchdown helped him break the school record for career touchdown receptions. His 19 career touchdown receptions broke the previous record of 17 set by Kaleb Drummer in 2018. Yellow Jackets coach Brett Beard said Da’Sean and his brother are a continuation of the great Golmonds who’ve played for the team.

“That’s a household name in Denham Springs,” Beard said.

“You wish every kid was the warrior that those kids are. Because they did everything right is why they’re being rewarded and getting the job done.”

Da’Sean Golmond caught six passes for 107 yards, along with his achievement. He said the moment was special, growing up in Denham Springs his whole life

“Breaking that record, it means a lot,” he said “When I was younger, I wouldn’t have imagined myself being in a posi-

tion like this.”

Paul ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He said his team isn’t stat-driven, and its mentality played a part in Friday night’s big win.

“We come out of half, we’re not worried about what happened in the ﬁrst half,” Paul said. “Just come out and we ﬁnish playing ball. We’re unstoppable. We’re not going to stay down for long.”

Now, Denham Springs will head into the playoffs with Da’Jean Golmond bound to make his ﬁrst playoff start at quarterback, leading an offense putting up points in bunches.

“It’s good to see us getting hot at the perfect time,” Da’Sean Golmond said. “Won our last six, and have been dominating.”

Liberty, Prairieville eye playoffs

Two programs that came off losing seasons last year came into this season with fresh expectations and a blank slate

For Liberty, the Patriots came in with a new head coach, Jimmy Zachery, looking to end three straight losing seasons.

The Patriots opened with a 4128 win over Southern Lab. The win set the tone to help Liberty nab other big wins, including a 52-31 victory on the road against Zachary

In Week 10, Liberty was 5-4, looking to ﬁnish with a winning season and, more importantly shore up a spot in the playoffs against Woodlawn.

The Patriots battled and came away with a narrow 30-21 win to ﬁnish 6-4 and all but secure a spot in the Division I select playoffs. The win also means the senior class will ﬁnish with a winning record.

Prairieville entered its second year as a football program after ﬁnishing 2-8 last year.

Hurricanes coach Mike Schmitt looked to continue building a culture from the ground up in year two.

Prairieville nabbed a big win over East Ascension 44-27 earlier in the year and used a threegame winning streak to move to 4-3.

After two straight losses, Prairieville defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 42-0 to ﬁnish the regular season 5-5 and look bound for the Division I non-select playoffs.

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

The ﬁrst two rounds of the high school volleyball playoffs wrapped up Saturday After a week of matches, seven Baton Rouge-area schools have booked their trips to the state tournament next week across all ﬁve divisions.

Here’s a quick look at each school’s path to the quarterﬁnals.

Division I

The lone Baton Rouge-area school to reach the quarterﬁnals in Division I is St. Joseph’s Academy The Redstickers entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed St Joseph’s faced two local schools in their ﬁrst two matches. In the bi-district round, the Redstickers swept No. 29 East Ascension 3-0 by set scores of 25-10, 25-9, 25-21.

In the regional round, St. Joseph’s swept No. 13 St. Amant in dominant fashion 25-13, 25-16, 25-14 to reach the Cajundome on Thursday St. Joseph’s will face No. 5 Northshore on Thursday

Division III

Division III saw the largest number of Baton Rouge-area schools reach the quarterﬁnals.

No. 1 St. Michael defeated No. 32 Franklinton 3-0 in the ﬁrst round The Warriors rolled in all three sets, 25-8, 25-4, 25-3. In the second round, St. Michael defeated No. 3 Rayne in three sets, 25-10, 25-8, 25-11. The Warriors will face No. 8 Lutcher on Thursday Lutcher reached the quarterﬁnals by defeating No. 25 Livonia, 3-0, by set scores of 25-10, 25-12,

25-8. In the regional round, the Bulldogs swept No. 9 St. Louis Catholic 3-0 with set scores of 2516, 26-24, 25-22. No. 5 University High defeated No. 28 L.B. Landry by set scores of 25-7, 25-6, 25-9 in a 3-0 win. The Cubs rolled past No. 12 Berwick in a 3-0 sweep by set scores of 25-12, 25-18, 25-14. University High will face No. 4 Haynes Academy on Thursday No. 3 Parkview Baptist will face No. 6 E.D. White in the quarterﬁnals. The Eagles defeated No. 30 Collegiate Baton Rouge 3-0 in the ﬁrst round and No. 19 Iowa 3-0 in the second round. Parkview Baptist won in set scores of 25-4, 25-6, 25-1 over Collegiate Baton Rouge. The Eagles won by set scores of 25-10, 25-16, 25-14 against Iowa. Division IV The lone area school left in Divi-

sion IV is the top seed, Dunham. The Tigers defeated No. 32 Evangel Christian 3-0 by set scores of 25-11, 25-7, 25-4, in the first round. In the regional round, Dunham swept No. 16 St. Charles 3-0 by set scores of 25-17, 25-14, 25-6. No. 1 Dunham will face No. 8 Notre Dame on Thursday Division V No. 5 Ascension Catholic was the only local school to advance to the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs defeated No. 28 Hanson Memorial 3-0 in the first

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson races up the court against Southeastern Louisiana on Thursday at the PMAC. The Tigers visit Georgia Southern on Sunday in Statesboro, Ga., which is about 50 miles from Johnson’s hometown

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Denham Springs wide receiver Da’Sean Golmond races up the sideline for a touchdown in the second quarter against St. Amant on Friday in Denham Springs

ALCORN ST. 35, SOUTHERN 17

THREE AND OUT: TOyLOy BROWN’S TOP TAKEAWAyS FROM SOUTHERN’S LOSS IN LORMAN

UNINSPRING SECOND HALF

1

yet again, Southern couldn’t play a complete game Southern struck first, appearing to possess the necessary urgency to get a road victory.An 87-yard touchdown drive was confidence-building, but the team slowly unraveled as it fell behind 14-10 at halftime. Matters got much worse as it was dominated in the third period by an explosive Alcorn State offense.The Jaguars were outscored 21-7 in the quarter, allowing Alcorn State to become more emboldened by the mishaps on special teams.

RUN GAME INEFFECTIVE

2

Southern surprisingly gave its first couple of carries of the game to running back Armariyan Asberry The freshman had a 20-yard run on the first possession, which ended up being the team’s longest of the game. Star tailback Trey Holly had his worst performance of the season 10 carries for 19 yards — and no one else stepped up.While credit should be given to Alcorn State’s defensive front, the Southern ground game that once was a strength has now taken a huge step back.

INTERCEPTIONS HAVE ARRIVED

3

The bright spot was Southern’s forced turnovers.After the Jaguars got their first interception last week, they got two interceptions against the Braves. Linebacker Jamarlo Campbell was the first to get one with a pass thrown directly to him. Defensive back Landon Carter had the best play of the game.The freshman expertly jumped a pass and returned it 46 yards to the end zone.That touchdown briefly reinvigorated the team in a way that has rarely happened all year

SKID CONTINUES

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

LORMAN,Miss. Fred McNair was back at the place he made his name for the ﬁrst time since 2023.

In his first time facing Alcorn State as a rival, McNair’s Southern team lost 35-17 on Saturday at Spinks-Casem Stadium.

It was the Jaguars’ eighth straight loss and seventh decided by at least 18 points.

Southern (1-9, 0-6 SWAC) was led by quarterback Ashton Strother, who completed 14 of 31 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns. Wide receiver Darren Morris had ﬁve receptions for 81 yards. Alcorn State (4-6, 3-3) has won three straight after starting the year 0-5. McNair, the Jaguars’ interim coach who coached the Braves for seven seasons, said his team’s nine penalties for 62 yards were hard to overcome.

“I told the team all week we had to be good on ﬁrst down and our pre-snap penalty (were) really killing us,” McNair said. “We can’t get behind the sticks. That’s a nono. So a lot of that (penalties) happened in the second half.”

Freshman running back Armariyan Asberry started the game and found a gap for 20 yards up the middle on his second attempt.

The opening drive remained promising thanks to Strother’s passes. He completed an 11-yard pass to Morris on third-and 11 and later found Malachi Jackson on a third and 15 for a 20-yard gain to the Alcorn 9.

The Jaguars’ top running back, Trey Holly, finished the opening drive with a 2-yard TD run for a 7-0 Jaguars lead with 5:14 remaining in the ﬁrst quarter

Holly ﬁnished the game with 10 rushes for just 19 yards and had only two carries in the second half, both in the third quarter The LSU transfer didn’t noticeably get injured, but McNair said he’s been dealing with various ailments

“He got hit one time on the sideline,” McNair said. “I think it kind of affected him a little bit. Came in at halftime, thought he could go back out and play, but he had some

Southern quarterback Ashton Strother takes off for a gain as Alcorn State defensive lineman Christopher Walley gives chase on Saturday. Strother completed 14 of 31 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns

injuries that he was dealing with So he didn’t get a chance to do what he should do in a game. So we took him out.”

The strong start continued on the defensive end After forcing a three and out on Alcorn State’s ﬁrst possession, the Jaguars forced a turnover

On third and 15 from Southern’s 37, Alcorn State quarterback Jaylon Tolbert threw an interception directly to linebacker Jamarlo Campbell. The senior returned it to Southern’s 49 before going out of bounds with 1:44 remaining in the ﬁrst quarter Southern didn’t capitalize on the mistake with a three and out. With 9:04 left in the second quarter Alcorn State knotted the score. From the Southern 2, running back Reggie Davis rushed up the middle and fumbled at the 1, but the ball was recovered in the end zone by offensive lineman Cameran Rogers. Alcorn State wasn’t done putting up points. Tolbert connected with receiver Jarvis Rush on a bubble screen for a 5-yard play at the 4:23 mark of the second quarter

The Braves got in position for the score after a 22-yard Tolbert rush to the 5. Southern freshman kicker Nathan Zimmer made a season-long 42-yard ﬁeld goal as time ran out in the ﬁrst half to cut Alcorn’s lead to 14-10.

The Jaguars defense opened the third quarter strong, forcing a three and out. However on fourth down, Southern punt returner Damien Knighten called for a fair catch but muffed the ball at the Southern 29. The ball bounced forward and was recovered by Alcorn on its 44.

The Braves cashed in the turnover on another Tolbert rushing touchdown for a 21-10 lead with 8:53 left in the third period.

Southern continued to dig a bigger hole with another special teams error — this time by the kicking team. After a three and out, Zimmer replaced starting punter Kenny Pham. The freshman’s punt was partially blocked and went 10 yards to the Jaguars’ 30-yard line. Alcorn State swiftly scored picking up an 18-yard touchdown

Jaguars unravel in third quarter

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LORMAN, Miss. — Southern allowed 21 points in the third quarter after trailing 14-10 at halftime.

That slide, spurred by selfinﬂicted issues, was at the root of the Jaguars’ 35-17 defeat to Alcorn State on Saturday afternoon at Spinks-Casem Stadium.

Getting the ball to open the second half, Southern had a chance to strike ﬁrst.

Running back Barry Remo started the drive well with a 5-yard carry Then, center Juan Gonzales was ﬂagged for a false start to push the team back where it started, making it second and 10 from the 31. Remo ran again for 5 yards and then was stopped on third and 5.

Southern’s three and out was followed by an Alcorn State three and out. However on the Braves’ punt, Southern punt returner Damien Knighten called for a fair catch but muffed it and the Braves recovered.

The error by the sophomore wide receiver gave the Braves possession at their own 44-yard line and led to a touchdown that should’ve been averted at the 8:53 mark of the third period as Alcorn led 21-10.

Interim coach Fred McNair said the Braves should have been called for catch interference on the play

“It wasn’t a muffed punt because he called for a fair catch and one of their guys ran into the return guy,” McNair said. “So they didn’t see that and I don’t know who’s responsible (for) seeing the guy run into the (return man), but they didn’t see it. He completely ran into him.”

Southern’s next drive was almost a carbon copy of its ﬁrst of the third period, as the team had three consecutive rushes, one from Remo and two from Trey Holly, that only moved the team 5 yards to the 25.

Another special teams mistake arrived as the team’s starting kicker, Nathan Zimmer, replaced punter Kenny Pham on fourth down. Zimmer’s punt appeared to be partially blocked and ﬂew out of bounds only 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

“The punt of (Zimmer), it was a situation where I think the ball did get tipped a little bit,” McNair said. “But anyway, we’ve got to be better on special teams We’ve just got to revamp that, go back and look at it and try to get it ﬁxed.” Alcorn took over at the Southern 30 and wasted no time scoring again for a 28-10 lead.

pass from Tolbert to Omarion Blakes for a 28-10 lead with 5:58 left in the third.

The Jaguars’ chances of a comeback felt within reach when defensive back Landon Carter jumped a hitch route and returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown, making the score 28-17 at the 4:16 mark of the third quarter

“We’re going to continue ﬁghting no matter what happens,” Strother said. “If we’re up 100 or down 100 ,we’re going to continue to ﬁght. That’s the Jaguars way

“So that’s what we’re going to do.”

While the Jaguars’ first picksix of the season invigorated the sideline, the defense was unable to keep Alcorn State out of the end zone.

The Braves drove the ball 77 yards on the following drive, mostly on running plays. They capped the drive with another passing score to take a 35-17 lead with 1:20 remaining in the third period.

Southern’s Cam’Ron McCoy replaced Strother after that touchdown but only stayed in for a single drive.

The woeful execution from special teams put the defense in adverse situations on repeated occasions. However Alcorn State’s ﬁnal touchdown came after a 77-yard drive that featured eight running plays.

Linebacker Jamarlo Campbell, who had one of two Jaguars interceptions, said defensive failures were not because of fatigue.

“I say bad gap integrity, and then just bad eyes for everybody,” Campbell said. “Everybody just has to do their jobs, and then they’ll come along together.”

While the third period was horrid and the eight-game losing streak is deﬂating, quarterback Ashton Strother said it’s important for the Jaguars to keep playing hard.

“It’s a blessing just to play football,” the junior said. “There’s a lot of people out here that wish they could be in our position. You know, good or bad, you know, God never said it was going to be easy So we’re just going to keep ﬁghting and just keep waiting on our next opportunity.”

Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.

Southern drops eighth straight game in interim coach McNair’s return to Alcorn

PHOTOS By CHRIS TODD

Southern running back Trey Holly is brought down by defensive back Geoffrey McKelton, center, and an Alcorn teammate on Saturday in Lorman, Miss.

OUTDOORS

Know your target

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

In the next few days, the entire state will be open to deer hunters and their modern firearms seasons. True, archery hunters have had their opening days, and some primitive firearms owners already are afield

But, it’s days-upon-days modern firearms seasons that bring thousands of hunters to stands and blinds near ﬁelds and into forests, swamps and marshes.

Now, with black bears increasing in numbers, there’s the chance of hunters encountering another large animal.

“It’s a guesstimate that we have about 1,500 black bears in Louisiana now,” JohnHanks said.

Hanks heads up Wildlife and Fisheries’ Large Carnivore Program from his office in Monroe. He’s in charge of Louisiana’s second black bear hunting season coming up in December, a hunt opened to those drawn in a lottery in October

“Most of the bears live in the Mississippi alluvial valley, lands on the eastern side of the state around the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers all the way to the coast,” Hanks said. “Bears are much less frequently seen in the western parishes. Yes, bears can move. They move a lot during breeding season.”

Because Louisiana’s black bears usually don’t hibernate like their northern brethren, it’s likely deer hunters in the eastern parishes will see a bear on feeding patrol especially in November and December when bears try to consume as many calories as possible to be able to bear up under wintertime’s scarce food resources

Because there have been a handful of documented instances when deer and feral hog hunters mistakenly have shot and killed black bears that hunters need to heed one of the primary rules in hunting – know your target In these documented cas-

NOTEBOOK

es, hunters have faced ﬁnes up to $10,000.

“We haven’t had any cases like that recently, the mistaken-identity cases,” Hanks said. “There have been some instances when bears have been shot on purpose.”

Those cases were prosecuted, too.

“It’s always best to identify a target,” Hanks said. “If the animal is black and obscured by any cover, well, it could be a hog or someone’s black Labrador retriever, or another black dog

“We’ve had people send in trail-camera videos of animals in heavy cover and they want us to identify the animal. It’s very difficult even then The only way anyone could know is if the animal stops in an open area and, then, we have a good ID,” Hanks said. “Just be sure of what you’re shooting at before ﬁring a shot.”

The same goes for the human animal, too. There have been a handful of instances during the past 10 years when a hunter is shot by another hunter, the latter most times mistakenly firing at movement. This comes with another warning — wear hunter orange hats and vests while on the move in the forest and ﬁelds during the hunting season

The commission

Recreational fishing groups along with conservation and environmental organizations came away from Thursday’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting vowing to ﬁght a notice of intent to remove a portion of a half-mile buffer zone to a quarter-mile zone for the menhaden ﬁshing industry

The move adds about 12 square miles of nearshore waters available to menhaden ﬁshing operations.

The move comes after an agreement for a halfmile buffer zone across the state’s coast, an agreement

that lasted one ﬁshing sea-

son for menhaden boats.

Public comment will be taken after the notice is posted on Dec. 19 in the State Register Mail comments to JasonAdriance, Fisheries Division, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000 or email: jadriance@wlf.la.gov The deadline is 3 p.m., Jan. 23.

Boat owners

A new website — boat.wlf. la.gov — opened late last week to handle boat registrations and renewals without boat owners having to visit a Wildlife and Fisheries ofﬁce.

The new system allows customers “a secure platform” where they can create an account, provide their registration number and ﬁrst four digits of their Hull ID and make a credit card payment.

The agency has sent a postcard to “certain registered businesses and coowner accounts” which do not have up-to-date personal or account information on file. The card has instructions on how to upload current information and to renew registrations and other boating-related documents.

Volunteers needed

Following work to plant 4,000 shrubs on terraces in Terrebonne Parish — named the Lake Boudreaux vegetative planting project – the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is asking for volunteers for a Nov 20-22 project to plant dune grasses on Grand Isle.

The plan is to plant 25,000 plugs of bitter panicum along a stretch of beach near a newly constructed levee on the Gulf side of the island, a stretch badly damaged in Hurricane Ida.

The coalition will provide water, lunch, work gloves, sunscreen and all necessary equipment. Volunteers can register online: connect.crcl. org/civicrm/event/list

MONDAY

LA. OUTDOORS FOREVER

MEETING: 2 p.m., Technical Advisory and Project Selection Board, state Wildlife and Fisheries headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge. RED STICK FLY FISHERS

MEETING: 7 p.m., Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts. brian84@gmail.com Website: rsff.org

TUESDAY

VETERANS DAY

WEDNESDAY

LA. OYSTER TASK FORCE

MEETING: 10 a.m., Lakefront Airport, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd, New Orleans. BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Fly tying. Open to the public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail.com. Website: neworleansﬂyﬁshers.com

FRIDAY

CATHOLIC HIGH SPORTING CLAY SHOOT: 7:45 a.m. check-in, 9 a.m. shoot, Bridgeview Gun Club, Port Allen. Adult and youth divisions. 4-shooter teams. Fees $500, $125, $100 (students) and $25 Long Bird shoot. Website: catholichigh.org

CLAYS FOR KIDS: 8 a.m. registration, Covey Rise, Husser. 4-shooter sporting clays teams. Fee $650. Beneﬁts Children’s Museum of St. Tammany. Sponsorships available. Call Marlo Christensen (985) 888-1555.

HUNTING SEASONS

DUCKS/YOUTH-ONLY: Nov. 9, West Waterfowl Zone.

DEER/PRIMITIVE FIREARMS: Through Nov. 14, State Deer Areas 1, 4, 5, 6 & 9. Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Nov. 15-Dec. 5, State Deer Areas 1, 4 & 6.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Nov. 15-Dec. 5, State Deer Areas 5 & 9, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Nov. 15-16 & Nov. 28-30.

DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Nov 15-Dec. 7, includes coots & mergansers.

CALENDAR

JAN. 5 DEADLINE FOR 2026 CALENDAR

Jan. 5 is the deadline for submitting activities and events for The 2026 Advocate Outdoors Calendar scheduled to be published Jan. 11.

Please include: Event’s name/title, time, date and location including the site, address and city Also include all fees, age limits or skill requirements, beneficiaries for fundraising events, and full name of the contact person with the area code & phone number and/ or e-mail address. Send entries to jmacaluso@ theadvocate.com.

DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Nov. 15-16, youth- & veterans-only weekend.

GEESE/EAST ZONE: Nov. 15Dec. 8.

QUAIL: Nov. 15-Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only

DOVES: North Zone, through Nov. 16; South Zone, through Nov. 30.

DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Nov. 22-Dec. 8, includes coots & mergansers.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Nov. 30, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Dec. 2, State Deer Area 2, still-hunt only

GEESE: Through Dec. 7, West Waterfowl Zone. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes.

SNIPE: Through Dec. 7, ﬁrst split, statewide.

RAILS/GALLINULES: Through Jan. 7, statewide.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2 & 4. Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, either-sex take allowed.

RABBITS & SQUIRRELS: Through Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only

AROUND THE CORNER

NOV. 16-21—FISHING CLASH TEAM SERIES: Red River, Bossier City. Major League Fishing 12 2-angler teams. $560,000 purse. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

ALABAMA 20, LSU 9

NOTEBOOK

LSU turns to backup QB Van Buren

BY REED DARCEY and WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writers

LSU made a quarterback change in the third quarter of its game

Saturday night against No. 4 Alabama, inserting sophomore Michael Van Buren for senior starter Garrett

Nussmeier

Van Buren entered with LSU trailing 17-6 and 6:26 left in the third quarter inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. It was the ﬁrst time this season that he played when the game was still in the balance.

LSU interim coach Frank Wilson suggested Van Buren could play in certain situations against the Crimson Tide but Nussmeier took every offensive snap against Alabama before he was pulled in the third.

A.Anderson 4-16, Sharp 3-22, N.Anderson 2-32, Durham 2-(minus 2), Hilton 1-11, Johnson 1-1. Alabama, Brooks 4-67, Cuevas 4-58, Bernard 3-79, R.Williams 3-33, Miller 3-16, Horton 2-26, Edwards 1-10, Formby 1-2, D.Hill 1-(minus 3). MISSED FIELD GOALS—LSU, Ramos 30. Alabama, Talty 26.

“We just thought it was an opportunity for us to change up,” Wilson said, “to throw their defense off, and so we went with the change. I don’t know if it’s something necessary that (Nussmeier) did so bad. We just thought that it would be an advantage in the things that (Van Buren) could give us.”

Nussmeier was 18-of-21 passing for 121 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions against the Crimson Tide He led LSU into the red zone on its opening drive of the second half, but the Tigers took a delay of game on third and goal from the 8-yard line, then used a timeout before the next play On third and 13, Nussmeier tried to spin out of pressure but ran into a sack, Alabama’s ﬁfth of the game

Nic Anderson injured Wide receiver Nic Anderson appeared to injure his knee Saturday. On the Tigers’ first drive of the second half, Anderson caught a pass from Nussmeier, then held his knee after he was tackled. Trainers helped him off the field and into the injury tent. Anderson then left the field on a golf cart.

In the offseason, the redshirt junior became one of the stars of LSU’s top-ranked transfer portal class. At Oklahoma, he caught nearly 800 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2023, then sat out the next season with an injury Anderson was quiet in his ﬁrst eight games at LSU. He caught only 10 passes for 74 yards and

two touchdowns before the Tigers faced Alabama on Saturday

LSU receiver AaronAnderson also injured his elbow in the ﬁrst half, but he returned to the game after missing only a handful of plays.

Change at RT

In the second half, LSU started OryWilliams at right tackle in place of WestonDavis Williams, a redshirt freshman, played only 33 offensive snaps in the Tigers’ ﬁrst eight games, according to Pro Football Focus.

But LSU decided to turn to him against the Crimson Tide in place of Davis, another redshirt freshman who has struggled as a starter all year.

Per PFF Davis allowed more pressures in LSU’s first eight games (25) than any other lineman in the SEC.

Weeks sits again

LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks missed his third consecutive game Saturday with the bone bruise he suffered in his ankle when the Tigers faced Ole Miss on Sept. 27. Weeks, a junior, was listed as doubtful Thursday, then ruled out on Friday He last saw the ﬁeld for LSU’s Week 7 win over South Carolina.

QB not spotted

Quarterback Colin Hurley did not travel with LSU for the game against Alabama, which means that the Tigers took on the Crimson Tide with only two scholarship signal-callers: Nussmeier and Van Buren.

Hurley, a redshirt freshman, has yet to take a snap in his career He reclassiﬁed and enrolled at LSU in 2024 as a four-star recruit.

Wilson previously said that no Tigers had opted out of the Alabama game or the rest of the season after Kelly was ﬁred.

LSU under interims

Because LSU fired coach Brian Kelly ahead of its matchup with Alabama, the Tigers have now played 15 games under an interim head coach since 2000.

Wilson is LSU’s third interim coach in the last 25 seasons. Technically, Ed Orgeron held that title twice, once after the school fired LesMiles in 2016 and again after he was fired as head coach during the 2021 season. He coached the final five games of that year after he and the university decided to part ways in October Before Saturday, LSU was 8-6 since 2000 under interim coaches.

Orgeron, Kelly’s predecessor, is responsible for all of those wins. In 2016, he led the Tigers to victory in six of their last eight games, and in 2021, he guided them to wins in two of their last ﬁve contests.

LSU’s only other interim coach over that span was current tight ends coach Brad Davis He guided the Tigers for their 2022 Texas Bowl loss to Kansas State — the only game LSU played between the tenures of Orgeron and Kelly Coin toss skid snapped Before LSU faced Alabama, it had lost 12 — yes, 12 — consecutive coin tosses.

That long skid came to an end Saturday when the Tigers won the toss and deferred to the second half, giving the game’s ﬁrst possession to the Crimson Tide. The last time LSU won a coin toss? Last season’s 42-13 loss to Alabama.

“I wasn’t privy to whether we told them heads, tails or exactly what happened, to be honest,” Wilson joked on Thursday “So, I need to ﬁnd out what we have done, and maybe we need to change that as well.”

Koki Riley contributed to this report.

he told the team. “You fought. You competed. There is no moral victory but there is a lot to be said for how we played the game.”

LSU hoped things would be different after ﬁring Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan before an open date last week. It had two weeks to prepare. Atkins used some different concepts, such as rolling out Nussmeier twice on the opening drive. He tried to take pressure off the offensive line and establish the run early, but the changes didn’t make a difference.

LSU gained 232 total yards its fewest in a game this season Nussmeier completed 86% of his passes (18 of 21) but only threw for 121 yards. The offensive line was shaky The Tigers never established the run. They lost two fumbles. They even used two timeouts on offense in the ﬁrst quarter, and they committed ﬁve false-start penalties.

“It comes down to execution,” center Braelin Moore said “We’ve got to execute better.” Making it sting even more for LSU, the game remained close enough for the Tigers to have a chance. Quarterback Ty Simpson completed only 60% of his passes, but he had six completions of more than 20 yards. LSU stopped the run, limiting Alabama to 2.6 yards per carry when adjusted for one sack. But the problems on offense began early After a fortunate fumble recovery on the Tigers’ ﬁrst offensive play, they reached the red zone They stalled there, a common sight for a unit that has scored touchdowns on 58.6% of its red-zone possessions this season, the thirdworst rate in the SEC entering the weekend. LSU had to settle for a ﬁeld goal attempt, and Damian Ramos missed from 30 yards.

“I feel like we get down to the red zone, teams are going to start

bringing their blitz packages and changing up their looks,” Moore said. “We’ve struggled to pick that up. We’ve got to keep hammering it in practice. You’ve got to execute when you get down there.” LSU trailed only 10-3 early in the second quarter but its next two drives resulted in -3 yards on six plays. After Alabama missed its own ﬁeld goal, LSU took over with 2:28 left in the half. It had a chance to take advantage of back-to-back possessions because it received the

opening kickoff of the second half. Instead, LSU went three-and-out for the second straight drive. Alabama turned around and scored in three plays after Simpson completed a 53-yard pass to set up a touchdown, giving the Crimson Tide a commanding 17-3 lead at the half. That should not have been enough, but LSU could never reach the end zone. On the opening drive of the third quarter, the offense faced ﬁrst and goal at the Alabama 9-yard line. It was soon

third and 8 after a short run and an incompletion. Then, LSU took a delay of game penalty It used a timeout before running the next play And then Nussmeier spun into a sack for a 14-yard loss, forcing the team to settle for another field goal. Nussmeier spent the rest of the game on the sideline as LSU inserted Van Buren for his first significant snaps of the season. Not much changed with him in the game. He completed 45% of his passes (5 of

“I feel like we get down to the red zone, teams are going to start bringing their blitz packages and changing up their looks. We’ve struggled to pick that up.We’ve got to keep hammering it in practice. You’ve got to execute when you get down there.”

11) for 52 yards and ran for 1 yard on six carries.

“We knew there could be opportunities in the quarterback run game, and then in the back end as they tried to bring closure to it, they would make it difﬁcult to just sit in the pocket,” Wilson said.

“We wanted to move him around and do some things. He gave us a chance to do those things.”

After Harold Perkins forced and recovered a fumble to give LSU the ball in Alabama territory, it kicked another ﬁeld goal in the red zone. The last time LSU touched the ball was when Van Buren got strip-sacked.

LSU has three more games in the regular season. It won’t have to play another top-ﬁve team the way it did the past two games against Texas A&M and Alabama. Only one more opponent, Oklahoma, could be ranked But the Tigers have not inspired any belief that they can win out.

“Going into this game, I felt very conﬁdent — I think our whole team did that we were going to come in here and shock the world,” Moore said. “That obviously didn’t happen, so we’re going to go back to the drawing board and keep hammering.”

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

STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU running back Caden Durham is tackled by the Alabama defensive line in the ﬁrst half on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

BRAELIN MOORE, LSU center

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU quarterback Michael Van Buren waits for the ball in the second half of Alabama’s 20-9 win over the Tigers on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU wide receiver Barion Brown runs the ball before the stop in the second half of the Crimson Tide’s 20-9 win over the Tigers on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

ALABAMA20, LSU9

THREEAND OUT: SCOTTRABALAIS’ TOPTHREE TAKEAWAySFROMLSU’S LOSS IN TUSCALOOSA

COLD COMFORTFOR CHANGE

Since the Tigers’ 49-25 blowout loss to Texas A&M twoweeks ago, LSU fired coach Brian Kelly,offensive coordinator JoeSloan and committed to runningthe ball to helpbeleaguered quarterback Garrett Nussmeier Afterapromising early start,itwas more of thesamefor the anemicLSU offense, which lost anet 5yards (includingtaking aknee) on its last sevenplays of the first half. In thethird quarter,Nussmeier was replaced by Michael VanBuren.

2

WHERE’STHE PASS DEFENSE?

Remember when theLSU defenselooked likeone of thebest in the country? Turnsout the Tigers were just playing well against ineffectiveoffenses from Clemson, Florida and South Carolina. LSU gave up hugepass plays of 53, 33, 32 and 31 yards in the firsthalf.Alabama scoredonly one field goal afterthat, but the CrimsonTide was basically holding LSU at arm’slengthasit finished with a344-232 edge in totaloffense.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Playing the Crimson Tide wasthe high-tide mark of what remainedofLSU’sseason.The 5-4 Tigers return hometoface Arkansas at 11:45 a.m. Saturdayinwhat is sure to be afar-less-than-full TigerStadium.It’sa dangerous encounter forLSU,considering thefact Arkansas can score points in bunches. CanLSU fieldanoffense that can keep pace? Will it be Nussmeier or VanBurenleading the way? It’s merely time-filling intrigue until thenextcoach arrives.

LSUtweaks offense butresultisthe same

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

TUSCALOOSA,Ala. LSUdidn’troll into Saturday with the sameoffense that struggled through the ﬁrst two-thirds of the season

The Tigers ﬁred coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinatorJoe Sloan. They promoted tight ends coach Alex Atkins to play-caller, and running backs coach Frank Wilson became the interim coach. Wilson then spent two weeks touting how the run game would be a larger part of the offense andthat backup sophomore quarterback Michael VanBuren might be used in certain situations

The changes, at least in theory, were major,but the results on Saturday weren’tany different in LSU’s20-9 loss to Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“Wehave to score touchdowns, and not just field goals,” Wilson said. “Glad to see the ﬁeld goals go through,but we’ve got to be able to score touchdowns, and so we will continue to try to remedy that issue for us.”

The biggest change Wilson made to the offense,oddly enough, didn’t occur over the past two weeks. It came in the third quarter on Saturday,when he pulled ﬁfth-year senior quarterback GarrettNussmeier from the game in favor of VanBuren.

Trailing 17-6 with 6:26leftin the quarter,Wilson turned to the Mississippi State transfer despite Nussmeier having completed 18 of his 21 throws. Although Wilson teased the possibility of usingVan Buren,hehad insistedNussmeier was the Tigers’ starter

“I haven’tput that kind of thoughtinit,”Wilson said afterthe game, when asked who would be the Tigers’ starting quarterback moving forward.“Right now, Ijust want to be there for our players.”

Perhaps Wilson made the change to revitalize LSU’soffensewhenever it got deep into Alabama territory.Before the quarterback switch, LSU scored six points and gained just 6yards on three trips inside the Crimson Tide 30. But the Tigers continued to

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

In the end, all the changes and promises LSU made were like painting your house to try to cutdown on your electric bill. Purely cosmetic, not functionally effective

Youcould make the underwhelming argument thatLSU, which got run out of Tiger Stadium 42-13 last year by alesser Alabamateam than this one, at least closed the gap on theCrimson Tide ayear later

But that’sthe deﬁnition of a moralvictory.Ifyou’re LSU, you’re not willing to part with a combined $60 million or so to buy out former coach Brian Kelly and former AD Scott Woodward to rackupmoral victories. You’re not willing to go big-game hunting for another coach—inwhat can only be described as an even more hyper-competitive market

LSU interim coachFrank Wilson speaks withquarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the second halfagainst Alabama onSaturdayatBryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

struggle in those situations with VanBuren at quarterback. After reachingthe Alabama 23 on his seconddrive, theoffense stalled with 3yards oneight plays, asequence that included two false startsand a10-yard sack. A19yard completion on third and 13 to Barion Brown to the 7virtually was nulliﬁed bythe mistakes VanBuren completed 5of11 passes for52yards.Sacks limited him to just 1yardrushing, andhe fumbled the ball away with LSU trailing 20-9 with 3:15 left to play “I feel like he did agood job when he stepped in there,” senior

than when youlured Kelly away from Notre Dame four years ago —tojust get alittle closer to the monolith that is Alabama football. That’snot strikingback against theempire, justmaking it ateensy bit more uncomfortable. Kind of afootball-sized wedgie. In theend,FrankWilson’s LSUTigers were justabout as unwatchable as Kelly’sTigers. Double-digit penalties. Singledigitpoints. Alost turnover battle (2-1). Big chunk pass plays —conﬁnedthough they were to theﬁrst half —of53, 33, 32 and 31 yards thrown by Bama quarterback Ty Simpson. Asecond-half benchingofLSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.Threesackstoone. Youget thepicture. Whowould havethought this is how this would all play out back when the season began? While LSUwas grindingout agritty 17-10 win at preseason No. 4 Clemson,Alabama was anational laughingstock after gettingrun

center Braelin Mooresaid.“Ithink with his mobility,itgives yousome more things you could do. Ithink he was able to get out of the pocket and pick up some yards when we needed to.”

In the end, the Tigers didn’timprove withVan Buren as the quarterback. They gained just 44 yards on the 22 plays in which he played. And no matter whowas under center,LSU struggledwith penalties.The Tigers’offensecommitted seven infractionsthatcost them 39 yards. Fiveofthose penalties were false starts “Wemissed assignments. We

off the ﬁeld 31-17 by aFlorida Stateteam coming off a2-10 campaign.

Bama improved, now having won eight straight since that debacle in Tallahassee. LSU(5-4) regressed like acollapsing star into somecritical massthat wiped out Kelly,Woodward and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, with more to come. Idon’tthink it’s likely that Alabama wins another national championship this season, but theCrimson Tide is certainly closer to it than the Tigers are at this point.

Of course, thepoint is not necessarily this game, but thefuture. The future, and thepast, were on display here Saturday night

New athletic director Verge Ausberry was on the ﬁeld where he helped LSUwin in 1988 (he’s theﬁrst LSUathletic director who played football for theTigers) before thegame, then moved to a secluded suitejust before kickoff. He followed new LSU president

(allowed tacklesfor loss) andhad offside penalties and stuff that just pushed (us) behind the chains,” Moore said. “So we’ve got to clean up those things, andour offense won’tstart cooking until we do that.”

Between Wilson’sbackground andAtkins’ commitment to running the ball —when he served as the offensive coordinator at FloridaStatefor nearly three seasons —there was reason to believe LSU’srushing attack would improve under its newleadership structure.

With Sloan,the Tigers were last in the Southeastern Conference in

Wade Rousse and new chancellor

James Dalton, Alabama’sformer provost

They all followedformer LSU and Alabama coach NickSaban, who also stepped through thepress boxwith his wife Terry on theway to their own private perch It was somewhat surprising that Saban was here after being on ESPN’s“College GameDay”set 61/2 hours earlier in Lubbock, Texas. Butbefore anyone starts crafting any “Second Coming of St. Nick” stories for LSU, he was wearing acrimson sweater.And I’mtold he’sattended mostAlabamahome games since retiring in 2023.

Ah,Ican hear someofyou saying, of course he would be disguising his imminent return to LSU. I’m shaking my head at this moment. Iwon’t100% rule it out, because in acoaching search you discount nothing, butit’sbetter to place the focus on someone else as LSU’s next coach.Itwon’tbeWilson or

rushing attempts andthird-to-last in yards per carry.But LSU fans witnessed more of the same from its ground gameonSaturday Besidesa 37-yard carry from freshman running back Harlem Berry,the Tigers were held to 22 yards on 25 attempts. Adjusted for lost sack yardage, they averaged 4 yards per rush.

“I like the run schemes (Atkins) put in,” Moore said. “Again, it just comes downtoexecution. We’ve got to execute better.”

LSU also didn’trun the ball as often as Wilson promised. The Tigers’ 26 carrieswerethe fourth fewest they’d accumulated in a gamethis season.

“Because the game gotinasituation where we had to do what we needed to do to try to winthe game. And at times, that takes away the run,”Wilson said. “But Ithought we ranthe ball appropriately at the right times, and it had some positive yards throughout the duration of the game.”

LSU’soffense looked different, but aunit that has repeatedly shot itself in the foot all year continued to do so from the jump against the nation’sNo. 4team.

Fifth-year seniorDamian Ramos missed a30-yard ﬁeld goal on LSU’s opening drive after apromising 10play,48-yard drive. The Tigers’ next series endedafter just three plays when fifth-year senior tight end BauerSharpfumbledwhatwould’ve been aﬁrst-down completion.

LSU eventually found the scoreboard with anine-play,55-yard drive on its third series to start the second quarter,but it went the rest of the half losing 4yards on just seven plays.

“I think there’salot of things that you can take from this game to allow us to progress,” Wilson said, “and we will try to take advantage of it.”

After Kelly’sﬁring, major changes werebound to happen forLSU’s offense. But it turns out the result of those adjustments was more of the samefor the Tigers’ attack.

“I know that we have ateam that hasa lotofﬁghtinit,”Wilson said, “(and) they’ll continue to play (hard) the duration of this season.”

even moreout of leftﬁeld, defensive coordinator Blake Baker.If anyone knowswho it will be at this point, I’dbestunned.

Meanwhile, the present just brings more pain for LSU. As the game ended, Nussmeier—replaced in the third quarter by Michael VanBuren —jogged off the ﬁeld, atowel draped over his head. It’shardly the year Nussmeier envisioned when he returnedfor his ﬁfth season. He hasn’tplayed well, but he hasn’thad muchof achance while hampered by a Swiss cheese offensive line and an ill-crafted offense. Wilson said he hasn’tthought about the quarterback depth chart going into the Arkansas game next week, though more change —much more —is certainly on the wayfor LSU. It couldn’tcome soon enough to change the outcome against Alabama. It couldn’tcome soon enough to suit anyone wholoves LSU football.

STAFFPHOTO

HILARy SCHEINUK

SAINTS GAMEDAY

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH

PROTECTING SHOUGH

Rookie QB Tyler Shough got his first start last week against the Rams

He had an OK game, completing 15 of 24 passes for 176 yards with one touchdown and one interception The good news for Shough, who was sacked just once, is he won’t face a defense as good as the Rams for the rest of the season. On the flip side, the Saints will go into this game with a new offensive line.

OUT: T Taliese Fuaga (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE: DT Bryan Bresee (back), RB Alvin Kamara (ankle),TE Jack Stoll (ankle), DE Jonah Williams (shoulder)

PANTHERS

QUESTIONABLE: WR Brycen Tremayne (hip),WR Tetairoa McMillan (hamstring)

OUT: G Chandler Zavala (elbow)

1 2 3 4

Taliese Fuaga is out with an ankle injury, and the Saints traded guard Trevor Penning to the Chargers on Tuesday. So the new-look front will be tested.

RUN THE BALL Running the ball could make things easier for Shough.The Saints are near the bottom of the league (27th), averaging just 89.6 yards per game on the ground. Improving on those numbers may be even harder with the aforementioned changes on the offensive line.The Saints ran for only 57 yards last week.The Saints haven’t rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since a Week 4 loss to Buffalo. It would help if the Saints can avoid falling behind early

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE,N.C.— The Carolina Panthers proved last week they could beat the best team in the NFC. Now they’ll look to maintain that momentum Sunday when they host the conference’s worst in the New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers (5-4) stepped into the playoff conversation — a rarity at this point in the season for an organization that has not been to the postseason since 2017 and turned some heads around the league with a 16-13 win at Lambeau Field last Sunday against Jordan Love and the previously once-beaten Green Bay Packers.

The win gives the Panthers a much-needed boost of conﬁdence, but second-year coach Dave Canales is making sure his team takes it all in stride and is up for the next challenge against the Saints (1-8).

After the win, Canales received a text message from the team’s senior coaching adviser and former NFL coach Jim Caldwell, who put the victory in perspective.

“He was like, ‘You know what that win means? You won ﬁve, you didn’t win four,’ ” Canales said “So to me, it’s like that’s the next-game mentality Let’s go play the next one. We have a hungry team that we’re facing this week that has to be the focus.”

Bryce Young, Rico Dowdle and a much-improved defense have been big reasons the Panthers have won four of their

to be New Orleans’ only touchdown drive of the game. This week, Shough, who finished the game, said he couldn’t really close his jaw until Tuesday “I had to get some (therapeutic) needles,” Shough said. “That hurt.”

“It was deﬁnitely a ‘welcome to the NFL moment,’ ” Shough added of the hit. “But I was happy to be able to get the ball back and be able to score after.” After reviewing video of the game with coaches, Shough was upbeat.

“It was encouraging just from a decision-making standpoint,” Shough said. “I wasn’t hesitant. My whole goal was to just play each play for what it is, don’t make it bigger than what it needs to be.

last ﬁve games. Young has won four straight starts he missed the team’s lone loss during that stretch to Buffalo because of an injury — and has been clutch down the stretch of tight games. Young has engineered nine game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drives in his career with his team behind or tied, tying him with Super Bowl champions Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes and veteran Geno Smith for the most in the NFL since 2023 when he came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick. In those nine drives, Young completed 75.9% of his passes with a passer rating of 115.6. Meanwhile, Dowdle has been sensational in the backﬁeld, wrestling the starting job away from Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle is third in the NFL in

rushing despite having started only three games. He has averaged 130.4 yards rushing per game over the past six weeks. His four games of 125 yards or more on the ground are one shy of a team record set by Stephen Davis in 2003, the year the Panthers went to their ﬁrst Super Bowl.

As for the Saints, coach Kellen Moore said that while his team hasn’t gotten the results it wanted, “we’ve got some young guys who’ve gotten better through the course of this thing.” Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough hopes his jaw feels normal by the time he makes his second NFL start on Sunday Shough took a penalized helmet-to-helmet shot from Rams edge rusher Byron Young during last Sunday’s 34-10 loss in Los Angeles. That turned out

The New Orleans offense also will have a new look. The Saints sent deep threat receiver Rashid Shaheed to Seattle for a pair of 2026 mid-round draft picks and left guard Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2027 sixth-rounder. Shaheed had been New Orleans’ second-leading receiver this season with 44 catches for 449 yards and two touchdowns Penning had started six games and missed three with injuries. “It’s going to provide opportunities for some other guys and there’s certainly some excitement from that component,” Moore said. At wide receiver, Brandin Cooks, Devaughn Vele and

Tipton will

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MORRy GASH

Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott, left, celebrates with linebacker Christian Rozeboom after recovering a fumble against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of a game on Sunday in Green Bay, Wis.

Allenlooksonto the

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

The head coach is different, the offensive and defensive schemes are different, thequarterbackisdifferent,but thething that is impossible to ignore is the record that showsa team mired in the NFL’s gutter New Orleans has won four out of 17 games since it jettisoned Allen. It is back at Carolina this week for the first time since thattidechanging game last season with a1-8 record under new head coach Kellen Moore, putting the Saints squarely in the mix forthe ﬁrst overallpick in next year’sdraft Adivision title and aplayoff berthare so far out of the picture they’renot worth bringing up. So, what is important forthis teamas it tries to dig itself out of the place itresides? The answer depends on whom you’re talkingto. For the ﬁrst-year head coach, it is about establishing therightfoundation.Moore haschangedsomeofthe way thingsoperate in the building. There are bigthings, like the way the team practices and rehabilitates (and pre-habilitates) injuries. Thereare smallinterpersonal things, like the wayhe communicates with and relates tothe players.

That can all be boiled down to one of Moore’sfavorite words: process.

“Obviously,the results are the most important part of it, but we’ve got to make sure ourprocess is going the right direction, Moore said. “I think our guysare working reallyhard, theyput in the work during the week,and ultimately we haven’tgot theSunday results that we want.

duringagame

some of the best teams in Saints history.They know what winning cultureslook like.They also havebeen theretowatch theSaints win total dip from 12 to 9to7to5

For Davis, there are three things that bring him to work every day outside of the handsome paycheck: toughness, togetherness and joy. He believes those are key on arebuildingteam with asubpar record.

He said he’sseen the toughness in theway the teamhas battled throughsome of thelosses. He saidthe togetherness “speaks for itself” in the way the team has not fractured as it has gotten off to this difﬁcult start. As for thejoy,atleast he’s still personally excited to come to the facility every day “There’snothingfun (about losing) —the most funyou have in this game is when you’re winning,” Davissaid.“Thoseare the three components that we’re building toward.We have thosethings, so that’sa good foundation as farasthe locker room is concerned.”

Jordan stillisholding onto theideathatthese 1-8 Saints can right the ship with eight gamesremaining. In what maybethe ﬁnal season of apotential Hall of Fame career,Jordan said he’s seen enough ﬂashesfrom the team to believe it is capable of more.

Clearly you see thescoreboard indicate it’snot consistent. Let’s put 60 minutes together.I can’t sayit’sanybody else; it’sonus. But until then, we’ve gottostop beating ourselves.”

“But we thinkour guysare headinginthe rightdirection.We’ve got some young guys that have gotten better through the course of this thing; we’re going to let alot ofguys grow as we go through this process. There’ll be some really good success because of that.” Process inextricably has been linked to champions, such as Nick Saban’s Alabama teams. The legendary head coach spoke the word often,and this is the deﬁnition Moore is seeking to establish with his Saints. Process, in thiscase, involves perfecting the small details and habitually doing theright thing. The outcome is notthe vision but rather the byproduct of the process. But “process” also can be associated with long and painful rebuilds, like the one thePhiladelphia76ers went through, enduring multiple seasons where they won less than 25% of their games before they ﬁnally broke through andmade seven consecutiveplayoff appearances. And while the head coach and othersat the top of the organization are focused on finding the right process,those on the front lines are trying to keep the foundation from crumbling beneath them as the losses pile up

CAM JORDAN, Saintsdefensiveend

“But it’snot at aconsistent level,” Jordan said. “Clearly you see thescoreboard indicate it’snot consistent.Let’s put 60 minutes together.Ican’tsay it’s anybody else; it’sonus.”

If theSaintscould do that,he said, it would be less “Bad News Bears”and more “the Saints we’vebeen for anumberof years.

“But until then, we’ve got to stop beating ourselves,”Jordan said.

ThePantherscould provide a road map for howthe Saints get out of this.

Going into that game last year thePanthers were in asimilar position to where the Saintsare now,having lost 22 of their previous 25 games.

Head coach Dave Canales was in his ﬁrst season, and he lookedoverwhelmedinthe role.

Bryce Young, theNo. 1overall pick of the 2023 draft, had been benched. Starting with that winoverthe Saints, Carolina is 9-9sincelast November and appearstobean ascending team,coming into this week’sgame having just knocked offthe Green Bay Packers andsitting just outside theNFC playoff picture. Maybe it was process that got them off the mat, or ﬁnding joy in the bad place,orjust a little more consistency.Maybe Carolina just hit on the right blend of allof them, alongwith bringing the right people in.

New Orleans feelsalongway offasitcrossed theone year mark after firing Allen. It’lltakemore timestill to ﬁgure out how to change thingsfor thebetter

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@ theadvocate.com.

Demario Davis and Cam Jordan have played for

STAFF PREDICTIONS

JEFF DUNCAN

PANTHERS 24,SAINTS19: The Saints’chancesofscoring theupset andendingtheir four-gamelosing streakhinge on theirdefense’s ability to stop theCarolina running game andTyler Shough’s ability to convert in thered zone.Ilikethe Saints to keep it closebut winningonthe road is alot to ask from therookieQB.

LUKE JOHNSON

PANTHERS 21,SAINTS18: WhileI think there’sanopportunity forthis to be thebestgamewe’ve seen yetfromrookiequarterback Tyler Shough,Idon’t like thematchup betweena Jekyll andHydeSaints rundefense againstPanthers runningbackRicoDowdle, whohas rushed for652 yardsinhis last five games.

MATTHEWPARAS

PANTHERS 21,SAINTS18: This year won’tnecessitate acoachingchange forthe Saints likethe last onedid with Dennis Allenafter aloss, butIstill seethe Saints on thelosingend.The surprising 5-4Panthersare playing too well at themoment, andthe Saints likelywill strugglewithrunning back Rico Dowdle

RODWALKER

PANTHERS 24,SAINTS17: Carolina hasn’t been above.500thislatein aseasonsince 2019.The Panthers have wonfouroftheir last five games, includinglastweek’swin over the PackersatLambeau Field. They are

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RUSTyJONES

Saintscoach Dennis

field

against the CarolinaPanthers on Nov. 3, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Allenwas firedafter the Saints lost to the Panthers.

Saints DE Cam Jordan

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

5 2 1 3

Patriots, Bucs to clash Drake Maye leads the New England Patriots against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a matchup of division leaders and quarterbacks who have made a case for MVP in the first half of the season The Patriots have won six straight games under first-year coach Mike Vrabel and lead the AFC East at 7-2. The Buccaneers are 6-2 for the third time since 2020 and lead the NFC South, a division they’ve won four straight seasons Maye is coming off his eighth straight game with a 100plus passer rating That is tied for the team record alongside Tom Brady.

Vikings face Ravens, Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens will make their first visit to Minnesota with quarterback Lamar Jackson after getting back on track with two straight wins after a 1-5 start. Jackson returned from an injury last week with four touchdown passes in a 28-6 win in Miami over the Dolphins He had 21 rushes for 120 yards in an overtime victory over the Vikings in 2021. Minnesota is 4-4 after a 2724 victory last week in Detroit over the Lions J.J. McCarthy returned at quarterback and had two touchdown passes with one rushing score The Vikings had a season-high five sacks against the Lions

Steelers, Chargers vie for playoffs

The Los Angeles Chargers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in a showdown of AFC playoff contenders The Chargers defeated the Tennessee Titans 27-20 and are 5-1 against conference foes. The Steelers defense came to life by forcing six takeaways in a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts, running their record in the AFC to 4-1 The Chargers won’t have offensive tackle Joe Alt for the rest of the season and now have to contend with T.J Watt Chargers OLB Odafe Oweh has four sacks and four tackles for loss in four games since being acquired in a trade from Baltimore.

Jags try to sweep Texans The Jacksonville Jaguars look to sweep the season series with AFC South foe Houston on Sunday. The Texans will be without quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is recovering from a concussion Davis Mills, who struggled to move the offense after Stroud was injured last week, will start Jacksonville should get a boost to its offense after trading for receiver Jakobi Meyers this week The former Raider has 352 yards receiving this season. DE Josh Hines-Allen needs half a sack to take sole possession of the Jaguars’ franchise record Allen notched No 55 last week, tying the mark set by Tony Brackens in 2003.

Colts, Falcons battle in Germany The Indianapolis Colts are looking to rebound from their second loss of the season The Atlanta Falcons are trying to regroup after three consecutive losses And both teams will attempt to do that Sunday in Berlin Germany. The Colts pulled off one of this week’s boldest trades by acquiring two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New york Jets, and he should help improve the league’s 26th-ranked pass defense. And Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will try to get back on track against an Atlanta rush defense that allows more than 124 yards per game. 5 4

Niners offense looks to pick up slack vs. Rams

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTACLARA,Calif

The 49ers (6-3) did that for the ﬁrst time all season last week against the New York Giants but will have a far more difﬁcult time pulling it off again on Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Rams (62) and one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses in a key NFC West showdown. Running back Christian McCaffrey appreciated the sentiment from Kittle but added that the goals for the offense haven’t changed even if the Niners defense might be missing Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Williams. “Why not 40? Or score 50 a game,” McCaffrey said. “Football’s funny because sometimes when guys get hurt, people act like there’s a new level of urgency that has to come. There’s always a high level of urgency in this game,

whether or not you got all your dogs or not. It’s a violent game and you have to come every Sunday with a certain mindset. That’s the way I approach it.”

The Rams come into the game on Sunday having allowed 20 points during a three-game winning streak that followed a 2623 overtime loss to San Francisco in Week 5. Warner played a big role that night in his ﬁnal full game before going down with an ankle injury, making 12 tackles and helping stop a fourth-and-1 try in overtime to seal the win. The San Francisco defense hasn’t been as stout

since Warner went down. The Rams know how important Warner’s absence is but aren’t expecting anything easy against a division rival.

“Any time you take Fred off the ﬁeld, it’s going to be different for sure,” receiver Davante Adams said. “They’re still the defense that they are. It’s the way that they’re coached. It’s the way that Fred has led them to be over there. No matter who’s in there, we expect them to be able to play the same brand of football. Maybe not exactly like Fred would play, but guys are still going to be ﬂying around.”

football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Quarterback Brock Purdy will miss his sixth straight start for the San Francisco 49ers with a toe injury but he could be available in a backup role Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Purdy has been limited in practice the past few weeks and has gotten some time with the starters. Coach Kyle Shanahan is still waiting to see whether he will feel good enough to suit up in a backup role.

“We’ll see where he is this Saturday compared to a week ago and knowing each week’s a little bit different and seeing how much better he has gotten,” Shanahan said. Mac Jones will once again get the start in his place for a key division showdown. Jones is 5-2 as a starter this season in place of Purdy, who initially hurt his toe in the season opener and reinjured it in a Week 4 loss to Jacksonville after missing the previous

two games. The 49ers will also once again be without receiver Ricky Pearsall, who will miss his sixth straight game with a knee injury Shanahan initially hoped Pearsall would miss only a couple of games, but the injury has not healed as fast as the team expected.

“He can run and hit certain speeds, but he hasn’t been able to hit his normal speeds that would allow him to come back,” Shanahan said. “We don’t let people come back until they can hit their normal speeds before they got hurt or it makes them susceptible to injury again. We’re just waiting until he hits those markers.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones passes against the New york Giants during the first quarter of a game on Nov. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye drops back to pass during a game on Nov. 2 in Foxborough, Mass.

By The Associated Press

BEAUMONT,Texas Robert Coleman threw for atouchdown and Major Bowdenran for a score as Lamar moved into a second-place tie in the Southland Conference with Southeastern Louisiana, beating the Lions 14-12 on Saturday Coleman threw a9-yard touchdown pass to JaCorey Harder at the end of a12play,80-yard drive for the game’sfirst score with 28 seconds before halftime.

Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez kicked field goals of 50 and 29 yards in athree-anda-half minute span in the third quarter to shave the Lions’ deficit to apoint. Jack Hunter’s22-yard touchdown run on afake fieldwith 7:23 left brought Southeastern within 14-12, but atwo-point conversion failed.

SCOREBOARD

Austin50, Houston Christian 3 TexasTech 29, BYU7

FARWEST Air Force26, San Jose St. 16 Arizona 24, Kansas 20 Idaho St. 27, Cal Poly 17 Kennesaw St. 24, New Mexico St.21 Montana 29, E. Washington 24 Montana St. 66, Weber St. 14 N. Arizona 49, N. Colorado 10 Sacramento St. 52,Portland St. 24 UC Davis 28, Idaho 14 Utah St. 51, Nevada 14

College basketball

Women’s State Schedule Friday’s games Delta State 76, UL 68 North Texas89, Grambling49 ULM 70, Louisiana Tech 62

Saturday’s game Nicholls at UTEP,n

25, Louisiana Tech 24

Penn St. 24

Madison35, Marshall23 LIU Brooklyn 29, Duquesne 11 Lafayette 59, Colgate42 Lehigh38, Holy Cross 3 Marist 41, Stetson13 Mercyhurst 16, St. Francis (Pa.) 15 New Hampshire34, Monmouth (NJ)13 New Haven41, Merrimack31 Richmond 31, Georgetown 24 Rutgers 35, Maryland 20 SMU 45, Boston College 13 Sacred Heart 56, Va.Lynchburg10 StonyBrook 38, NC A&T12 Uconn 37, Duke34 Villanova 28, Towson 10 Wagner 24, Robert Morris 20 West Virginia 29, Colorado 22 Yale 34, Brown22 SOUTH Alabama 20, LSU 9 Alabama St. 42, TexasSouthern24 Alcorn St. 35, Southern U. 17 Austin Peay 41, Cent. Arkansas 38 California 29, Louisville 26, OT Chattanooga45, Furman 28 Clemson 24, Florida St. 10 Coastal Carolina 40, GeorgiaSt. 27 Davidson 14, Presbyterian 13 ETSU 38, Samford14 East Carolina 48, Charlotte 22 FAU40, Tulsa 21 FIU 56, Middle Tennessee30 Gardner-Webb 27, SE Missouri 24 Georgia 41, Mississippi St. 21 GramblingSt. 31, Bethune-Cookman 23 Incarnate Word 38, Northwestern St. 3 Jackson St. 42, MVSU 3 Kentucky 38, Florida 7 Louisiana-Lafayette 42, TexasState 39 Maine 35, Hampton7 Mercer 49, W. Carolina 47 Miami 38, Syracuse 10 Mississippi 49, TheCitadel 0 Missouri St. 21, Liberty 17 Morehead St. 31, Butler 30 NC Central 31, Norfolk St. 28 North Carolina20, Stanford15 Prairie View 48, Alabama A&M 5 Rhode Island34, Elon 20 S. Utah 27, E. Kentucky 17 SC State 42, Howard 12 UT Martin 26, TennesseeSt. 7 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 28, Nicholls 21 Vanderbilt 45, Auburn 38, OT Wake Forest 16, Virginia 9 West Georgia 24, North Alabama 17 William &Mary 30, Campbell27, OT Wofford52, VMI 10 MIDWEST E. Michigan 27, BowlingGreen 21 Illinois St. 52, IndianaSt. 20 N. Dakota St. 15, North Dakota 10 N. Iowa 31, Murray St. 14 NotreDame 49, Navy 10 Ohio St. 34, Purdue 10 Oregon 18, Iowa 16 San Diego 43, Valparaiso 27 South Dakota 24, S. Dakota St. 17 St. Thomas (Minn.) 20, Drake13 TennesseeTech21, E. Illinois 9 TexasA&M 38, Missouri 17 W. Illinois 24, Lindenwood (Mo.) 21 Wisconsin 13, Washington 10 Youngstown St. 48, S. Illinois38 SOUTHWEST Abilene Christian 31, Utah Tech 10 Florida A&M

UTRGV 28,NICHOLLS STATE21: In Edinburg, Texas, Nate Denney had 120 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 25 carries, EddieLee Marburger threwtwo touchdown passesinthe Vaqueros’ win. Marburger was 20-of-30 passingfor 247 yards and threw an interceptionfor UTRGV (7-3, 3-3 Southland Conference)

McNEESESTATE 35,EASTTEXAS A&M20: In Commerce, Texas,JakeStrongand Coleby Hamm each accounted for twotouchdowns, defensive endPhillip Bradford had a pick-sixand McNeesebeat East Texas A&M Strong was 10-of-18passingfor 171 yardswith a touchdown and an interception and added17carries for 136 yards, which included a 48-yard TD runthat capped a

Sunday’s games LSU at Georgia Southern, 1p.m. Northwestern at Kansas,2p.m. Ouachita Baptist at Grambling, 2p.m.

Women’s national scores

Saturday’s game

EAST La Salle 84, St. Francis(PA)73

Maryland-Eastern Shore91, Cheyney (PA) 37 Pittsburgh 66, Mount St Marys52 UMass 84, Siena 73 Vermont 84, Saint Anselm49

SOUTH Auburn 82, Alabama State 41 High Point 81, Wofford73 Howard 89, FloridaA&M 53 Longwood 80, Western Kentucky 42 Radford69, Emory &Henry 36 South Alabama 91,UAB 68 West Georgia 91, Gardner-Webb 68 Winthrop 74, Newberry 37 MIDWEST Army67, St. Thomas 61 Detroit Mercy 78,Valparaiso48 Kansas City 90, WilliamJewell 35 Marquette 65, Wisconsin 62, OT

SOUTHWEST Stephen F. Austin76, TexasA&M-Texarkana 37 McNeese St. 35,East TexasA&M 20 Rice 24, UAB17 Southern Miss. 27,Arkansas St. 21 Stephen F. Austin50, Houston Christian 3 FARWEST Arizona State 73, Eastern Washington 58 BYU70, San Jose State 51 California Baptist 67,Paciﬁc 54 Northern Colorado 72,Lamar 68,OT Oregon 90, Montana 47 Pepperdine 74, Westmont 51 Southern Utah 77, Washington State 64 Utah Tech 78, Northern Arizona 73 Weber State 84, Westminster (UT)47 Men’s State Schedule Friday’s game Ole Miss 86, UL-Monroe 65 Eastern Illinois 65,Nicholls 57 UL 68, Southeastern 61 Santa Clara79, McNeese 67 Saturday’s games Tulane 79, TexasState 71 Men’s national score Saturday’s game EAST Alabama 103, St. John’s 96 BuffaloState 80,Keuka73 Clark 74, Roger Williams 67 Emmanuel (MA) 78, John JayCollege 48 Fairﬁeld74, NJIT 53 Fisher 94, Maine-Presque Isle87 George Washington 99, South Florida 95 Gwynedd-Mercy 70, Rosemont College 46 Haverford 111, Valley Forge79 Kean 62, SUNY-Purchase 58 La Salle 73, Monmouth 60 Lebanon Valley 93, Penn State-Berks 75 Manhattanville 77, Mitchell 74 Maryland-Eastern Shore104, Cheyney Wolves 59 Mercyhurst 93, Penn State New Kensington NittanyLions 43 Moravian 96, Muhlenberg93, 2OT New Jersey City 81, Pratt Cannoneers 70 Niagara67, Binghamton 59 Penn State 87, New Haven43 Ramapo 61, SUNY-Maritime 58 Rutgers-Camden 81, Alvernia 76 SUNY-Plattsburgh 80,Skidmore73 Saint Elizabeth 72,YorkCollege(NY)66

95-yard drive and made it 2810 with 6:45 left in the third quarter.Hamm ﬁnished with 127 yards rushing for McNeese(4-6, 3-3 Southland).

GRAMBLING 31, BETHUNE-COOKMAN23: In Grambling, Hayden Benoitthrew three of his four touchdown passes in the ﬁrst half to lead the Tigers.

Theodo re Ca ballero kicked ashort ﬁeld goal before Benoitconnected with Andrew Frazier for a38yard touchdown and Grambling (7-3,4-2 SWAC) took a10-0 lead into the second quarter

INCARNATE WORD 38, NORTHWESTERN STATE3: In Natchitoches,EJColsonthrew two touchdown passesto Jalen Walthall, Timothy Carter rushed for 141 yards and two scores andthe Cardinals breezed past theDemons.

Saint Joseph’s 76, Drexel 65 Saint Joseph’s College of Maine 100, SUNYOld Westbury 62 Saint Peter’s 93, FairleighDickinson83 Salisbury 83, Stockton 74 St. Bonaventure89, Canisius 70 St. Lawrence80, SUNY-Geneseo 72 Suffolk75, Maine-Farmington 72 Susquehanna 67, Delaware Valley59 Swarthmore71, Albertus Magnus 64 Syracuse 83, Delaware State 43 Tcnj Lions 96, FDU-Florham71 Washington College (MD)68, Bard43 SOUTH Brevard93, Oglethorpe 72 Duke95, WesternCarolina54 Elon 92, UNC Greensboro90 Georgia Southern 93, UNC Asheville 90 Heidelberg77, Greensboro74, OT Kennesaw State 92, Florida A&M 72 LaGrange 91, Truett-McConnell 76 Maryville (TN)68, Berry 53 Memphis76, San Francisco 70 NC Wesleyan 89, Johnson &Wales (NC) 72 Pfeiffer 78, Centenary 77 South Alabama 99, Spring Hill 50 Tennessee 95, Northern Kentucky 56 Tulane 79, TexasState 71 USC Upstate 105, Southern Virginia46 Vanderbilt 105, UCF 93 Virginia Tech 107, Providence 101 William &Mary 81, Norfolk State78 Wofford86, Milwaukee 76 MIDWEST Akron 104, Princeton69 Albion 74, Mount St. Joseph 61 Capital 72, Earlham 63 Dayton 77, UMBC 71 DePauw 77, Loras74 Gustavus Adolphus 96, Rockford49 Kenyon 67, Bethany(WV) 66 Marshall 85, Toledo 73 Minnesota 95, Alcorn State 50 Nebraska96, Florida International66 NebraskaKearney 85, Colorado School of Mines 76 Olivet 77, Anderson (IN) 75 Otterbein70, Wittenberg52 Wabash 90, Hanover61 Wisconsin-StevensPoint 79, MSOE 59 SOUTHWEST AngeloState 83, NewMexico Highlands 68 Central Arkansas 110, Champion Christian College 63 Dallas Christian

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NEWMINISERIES

‘The American Revolution’ to unfold on PBS

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Considering the expansiveness of this historic campaign andits global effects, it’sno wonder it took 12 hours to retell its story

“The American Revolution was the first war ever fought proclaiming the unalienable rights of all people. It would change the course of human events,” says narrator Shelby Foote early on in Ken Burnsand company’snewest project

The six-part miniseries

“The Revolutionary War,”also helmed by filmmakers Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt and written by Geoffrey Ward, debuts on PBS and locally on WLPB starting at 7p.m. Sunday, Nov.16. The full series will be available to stream beginning the same day at PBS.org and on the PBS App. Louisiana Public Broadcasting, however,isoffering area viewers ajump-start on the TV event withanin-personscreening of the premiere at 6p.m thatevening in an appropriate venue —Louisiana’sOld State Capitol.

“Enjoy the storyofAmerica’s historic beginning in the place where Louisiana’sown history still echoes,” anewsrelease teases.

The free eventisbeing presented by Secretary of State Nancy Landry,inpartnership with LPB and Louisiana America 250.

“Comeearly andenjoycomplimentary food and drinks provided by Louisiana’sOld State Capitol beginning at 5:30 p.m. and soak in the historic surroundingsofLouisiana’sown 175-year-old Gothic architectural treasure,” the release also states. Seating is limited, so registrationatwww.lpb.org/americanrevolutionpremiere is amust. Freebies for attendees include aLouisiana America 250 lapel pin, “The American Revolution” tote bag and an LPBembossed notebook.

In the two-hour ﬁrst episode, “InOrder to Be Free (May1754May 1775),” “Political protest escalates into violence. War gives13colonies acommon cause,” according to the episode synopsis.

Subsequent episodes (with synopses)willair from 7p.m to 9p.m. on consecutive nights as follows:

n Monday,Nov.17: Episode Two: “An Asylumfor Mankind (May 1775-July 1776). “Washingtontakes command of the Continental Army.Congress declaresAmericanindependence.”

ä See MINISERIES, page 4D

‘PERFECTING THEPATH’

From seminary

to sawdust, aBaton Rougeman finds hiscalling in woodworkingand faith

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

In hindsight, Andrew Coleman sees that he was never in control of his life’spath.

AdevoutCatholic, he plannedto enter the priesthood, following Jesus by spreading theword through ministry Butitwasn’tmeant to be —Coleman left seminary after only a year “It wasn’tfor me,” he said. God had other plans.Ifseminaryhad worked out, Coleman, 32, wouldn’tbestanding in the twocar garage behind his Cedar Creek Lane homeinBaton Rouge —now the workshop forhis business, Coleman’s Handcrafted. Calling it awoodworking shop would be an understatement. It’s wherehecreates custom pieces for Catholic churchesand sacred spaces across theSouth.

In hisworkshop,hefollows another path of Christ’slife —acarpenter “I want to be the bestversion of myself that Ican be,”Coleman

PROVIDED PHOTO By COLEMAN’SHANDCRAFTED

Adetail shot of the monstrance Coleman designed and created for Sacred HeartCatholic Church in Baton Rouge.

said. “These are thethings that God hasgiven me, and insofar as Idothem well, I’m perfecting the plan that God had for me.”

BY ETHANSTENGER

Contributingwriter

It happens at ev-

ery game in Tiger Stadium

The public service announcer comes on over the loudspeakers: “Chance of rain,” he says, as if waiting for aresponse.

Aresponse that he receives.

“Never,”the crowd yells back.

LSUfans understand the importance of the saying “It never rains in Tiger Stadium”and the

Butgetting here wasn’teasy.It took abig leap of faith.

In thebeginning

Coleman’sdad was awoodworker,but he didn’t make anything fancy.Hejust liked working with wood.

“My dadwas sort of the handyman aroundour house, andheused two-by-fours and nails to make an entertainment center for thefamily when we bought anew TV,” Coleman said.

Coleman enjoyed watching his dad work, but he didn’tdevelop his own interest in woodworking until senior year at DenhamSprings High School, when ashop class introduced him to ﬁne woodworking, where he used hand tools to create his own designs. He became hooked after returningfromSt. Joseph Seminary in Covingtontohis family home in Denham Springs. Coleman hada bundleofbooksand nowhereto put them He needed abookcase.

weight that those words carry,almost without asecond thought.

An overwhelming choice

When John Ed Bradley,a former LSU football center,ﬁnished his memoir, he struggled to come up with the perfect title.

“It was called ‘August and the Smell of theGrass,’”Bradley said. “That wasmyworking title. It was sort of this poetic at-

tempt to describe the book.” His publisher disapproved, forcing Bradley back to the drawing board. He came back with alist of 10 titles, with the ﬁrst being “It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium.” This title wasthe overwhelming choice by Bradley’sfriends and family.Ittook someconvincing, but eventually,his publisher caved in.

STAFFPHOTOSByROBIN MILLER

Andrew Coleman, in his shop, explains howheuses both hand tools and powertools to create the decorative partsofhis designs.

Top Ladies of Distinction

Members of the Top Ladies of Distinction inducted 20 new members into its Top Teens of America Chapter Shown are, from left, sitting, Chloe Lowe, Ryane Harris, Olivia Piper, Olivia Clark, Nylah Robinson, Spencer Thrower, Laylah Hardy and Sophia Evans; standing, Reagan Hannah, Carsyn Davenport, Ashanti Steib, Corrine Seals, Jamecia Breaux, Kylie Bowie, Asher Anderson, McKinlee Flowers, Morgan Mosby and Kyla Barber Not pictured is Keylan Montgomery and Zoe Collins.

Top Ladies induct 20 teens into branch

The Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc Nonpareil Chapter recently held its new member induction for its Top Teens of America Chapter at the Greenwell Springs Branch Library

The 20 teens inducted are: Chloe Lowe,RyaneHarris,OliviaPiper,OliviaClark, Nylah Robinson, Spencer Thrower, Laylah Hardy,SophiaEvans,ReaganHannah,Carsyn Davenport,AshantiSteib CorrineSeals JameciaBreaux,KylieBowie,AsherAnderson,

McKinleeFlowers,MorganMosby,KylaBarber,KeylanMontgomery and ZoeCollins

Top Teens of America is a mentorship program sponsored by the Nonpareil Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. The program is designed to provide teens ages 1319 with the necessary leadership, academic, social, emotional and physical skills to prepare them to be active members of their communities.

With more than 125 chapters across the United States, the Nonpareil Chapter has serviced

the Baton Rouge area and its Top Teens of America Chapter for 41 years. This chapter is under the leadership of President GlennisGray and Teen President JosiahHardyLindaDavis serves as the Top Teen adviser, and SyrettaAnthony and NikkiHonore are coadvisers

Outreach team warns students about vaping

Sixth graders at Denham Springs Junior High recently heard about

Cultivation Gathering

Kris and Jane Kirkpatrick hosted a cultivation gathering highlighting the work of The Water Institute in Baton Rouge on Oct. 15. Shown are, from left, Hugh Roberts, senior vice president of The Water Institute; Jane Kirkpatrick; Beaux Jones, president & CEO of The Water Institute; Kris Kirkpatrick; and Alyssa Dausman, senior vice president & chief scientist of The Water Institute.

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‘Colors That Speak’

ON THE ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE

The Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road, in partnership with local nonproﬁt W3 Bee-Long, will host the special Sensory Sunday event, “Colors That Speak,” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The event is a sensory-friendly art workshop led by Iveth Esmahan, founder and director of W3 Bee-Long and inspired by the vibrant work of colonial portrait artist José Francisco Xavier de Salazar y Mendoza. The workshop blends color, language, movement and adaptive painting in an interactive class designed for individuals of all ages and abilities. For this event: n Classroom 2 will host the workshop from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

n Classroom 1 will serve as a Sensory Regulation Space from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and remain closed and quiet to ensure a soothing, uninterrupted space for participants. The workshop is included with general admission. Due to limited space, preregistration is recommended at tinyurl.com/ LASMSensorySunday. For more information and to register, visit lasm.org.

‘8 Fluid Ounces’ The LSU School of Art’s biennial “cup show,” “8 Fluid Ounces,” will be on view, with works for sale, through Dec. 12, in Glassell Gallery in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. The exhibition will feature 100 ceramic cups and vessels by 20 artists invited from across the country by guest curator and

visiting artist Ruth Easterbrook. The cups and vessels are available for sale. Scheduled coinciding programs for the show are a lecture at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the LSU Museum of Art’s Third Floor space and a reception from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Glassell Gallery, an Interactive Throwing Wheel Demonstration with LSU Ceramic Arts Student Association Vice President Lance Wilson from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 16 and a hand-building Cup & Pinch Vessels Workshop with LSU Ceramic Arts Student Association officers Kaylon Khorsheed and Tigerlily Wolowitz from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec 7. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Visit design.lsu.edu/ news-and-events/events/. ‘Fiber Speaks’ Kelwood Contemporary Art, 8202 Kelwood Ave., is hosting “Fiber Speaks,” an exhibition of work by members of the Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana, through Dec. 15. This dynamic show explores the expressive power of fiber arts — works that speak in many voices, from peaceful contemplation to bold protest, from reflections on the natural world to urgent political and social commentary The collaboration with Kelwood Contemporary Art offers an opportunity for the organization’s members to present work that pushes beyond traditional expectations. Participating artists hail from across Louisiana — stretching from Alexandria and Avoyelles Parish through Baton Rouge to St. Tammany Parish.

the cons of vaping, thanks to a visit to their campus by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s outreach team and two LSU studentathletes

The outreach team presented the students with visual displays and take-home handouts that give facts about the dangers and costs of vaping. They shared research that shows vaping is highly addictive and can damage the lungs and proper brain development of youth. LSU baseball player Eddie Yamin

Outreach Team

Members of the Attorney General Liz Murrill’s outreach team and two LSU student-athletes presented students with facts about the dangers and costs of vaping Shown are, from left, Courtney Mounce, LSU gymnast Courtney Blacksmith and Alli McGuinness.

PHOTO

and LSU gymnast CourtneyBlacksmith worked with the presenters to ask the students questions and engage with them in discussions about peer pressure and the need to set healthy priorities.

ReneeRoberts, director of outreach for the Louisiana Department of Justice, said her team is partnering with athletes at Louisiana colleges and universities to go into middle schools across the state to deliver their anti-vaping message through three station presentations.

There will be an opening recep-

tion from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov.

1, and a closing reception from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Gallery hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, along with special Saturday hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the run of the exhibition, featuring CFAL artists demonstrating their techniques and sharing their creative process in the gallery For more information, visit KelwoodContemporaryArt.com.

Dvorák Symphony No. 9

Tickets are on sale for the Baton Rouge Symphony’s concert, “Dvorák Symphony No. 9: From the New World,” on Nov. 13 in the Raising Cane’s River Center Performing Arts Theater, 250 St. Louis St. Visit brso.org.

At NuNu

Tickets are on sale for performances by Scots singer Iona Fyfe at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12, and Andrina Turenne at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, at NUNU Arts & Culture Collective, 1510 Courtableau Highway, Arnaudville. Admission is $25 for each show. For Fyfe tickets, visit events. humanitix.com/nunu111225 and Turner tickets, visit events. humanitix.com/nunu111325. Also, NUNU will open a members’ art show and “Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit on Nov. 7 and will show a screening of the “Louisiana Grass Roots” documentary at 6 p.m. Both exhibits run through Jan. 4. Admission is free. Visit nunucollective.org.

OLLI to offer Coffee and Lagniappe program

FYI BR staff reports

LSU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Coffee and Lagniappe program will present amateur photographer John Hartgerink, speaking on “Learning How to Learn and tell Nature’s Stories” at 2 p.m. Nov 12 at the South Branch Library, 2210 Glasgow Ave., Baton Rouge. The presentation will include photographs of animals and plants that Hartgerink has taken over the past 25 years at the Bluebonnet Swamp, as well as recent nature photographs taken at St. James Place, along with some Audubon prints. During the presentation of the photographs, Hartgerink will discuss some of the lessons learned from the fauna and ﬂora as they have lived their lives reacting to each other and to changes around them.

Hartgerink, who received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan, is a retired chemical engineer His wife, Cindy, maintains a computer collection of more than 1 million photographs that he has taken at the Bluebonnet Swamp.

Santa CAAWS is coming to town

Bring your pets (dogs, cats, guinea pigs, snakes, whatever you like) and kids to have their photo taken with Santa for your holiday cards at Santa CAAWS from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the South Branch Library at 2210 Glasgow Ave., Baton Rouge.

Options for purchase include the digital package only, prints only,

prints with digital and cards. Packages start at $35, $15 for additional poses. Add-ons are available Santa CAAWS is Companion Animal Alliance’s second largest fundraiser, with 100% of the proceeds going to help shelter cats and dogs. Preregistration is open. Pre-registering includes 10% off and early bird access from 9 a.m to 10 a.m Go to caaws.org/santa for further details and to preregister BR Ballet Theatre Night at the Nutcracker Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre will host Night at the Nutcracker, its latest fundraiser, to experience “The Nutcracker — A Tale from the Bayou” in a new way For the ﬁrst time, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre will open the dress rehearsal to special guests. The event, from 6 p.m to 9 p.m Dec. 19 at the River Center Theater for Performing Arts will be a special night for ballet enthusiasts who will view an exclusive, working dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker.”

Before the show, guests can snack on small bites and refreshments, meet the guest artists and chat with the directors. During intermission, guests will join Party Scene performers for champagne and sweets. Seating for this event is in the balcony for an excellent view of all of the goings on. Event sponsorships are still available. Tickets are $150 per person. Purchase tickets or sponsor the event here https://givebutter com/2025NightatNutcracker Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PROVIDED

PROVIDED PHOTO

Lakeshore Lions Club

The Lakeshore Lions Club helped judge artwork from Glen Oaks, Northdale Superintendent’s Academy and St. Lillian Academy for the Lions’ Art Contest on Nov. 3. Gathered are, from left Alisha Hebert Northdale principal; Kelvin Doss, Northdale art instructor; Lynn Naul; and Dick Juneau of the Lakeshore Lions Club.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PEO Chapter C At the Bluebonnet Branch Library on Oct. 28, PEO Chapter C welcomed Sonja LaBorde and Bridget Damratoski as its newest initiates. Shown are, from left, Lyn Taylor Cheryl Singer Barbara Brown Laborde, Damratoski, Brenda Hutchinson and Marty Badon.

PROVIDED PHOTO

OLLI at LSU

Thirty members of OLLI at LSU toured Magnolia Mound: Museum + Historic Site on Oct. 24. The tour focused on mourning and burial customs during the early 19th century in Louisiana.

TRAVEL

SeeDriskillMountain, thehighest spot in La.

BienvilleParishhikeis

538feetabove sealevel

BY ELIZABETHDEAL Staff writer

Looking for aunique way to spend a couple of hours in northwest Louisiana?

This amazing day trip culminates in aview from the top that makes it hard to believe you’re still in the same state.

One of my favorite things to do with my free time is to hike in the woods, and my latest adventure to see Driskill Mountain didn’tdisappoint.

My husband and Ihavetalked about visiting Driskill Mountain in Bienville Parish for years, and ﬁnally decided to makeit happen. We didn’tknow what to expect and honestly didn’texpect much.We’d heard joking about Louisiana’s“mountain,”but we wanted to venture out to see the highest point in the state of Louisiana: Driskill Mountain is 535 feet abovesea level Finding Driskill Mountainisaknowbefore-you-go situation —don’tdepend on Google Maps and visitor signs. Don’tbe like me and just type “Driskill Mountain” into Google Maps or you’ll end up on the side of the road with nocell service. Youneed to locate “Driskill Mountain Trailhead only entrance &exit.”This shows an address of La. 507, Simsboro, and is fortunatelyyards around the bend from where we ﬁrst landed withGoogle This is the location of theMt. ZionPresbyterian Church and Cemetery and the Driskill Mountain entrance parkinglot. Thechurch is on La.507, approximately one mile west of La. 797. It will be on the right when traveling west DriskillMountain sits on private property —not part of astate or federal park program, which is why those brown visitor signs Iwas expecting never appeared. The entrance signage is in theback left corner of theparking lot wherethe walkingpath begins.There’s afarmgate too, butdon’t be deterred. There’sanadequate space to walk through —the gate justkeeps vehicles out.

Before heading out to explore the“mountain,” we didn’texpect much. The few things we had heardwerethatitwas “just ashort walk” and “nothing tosee at the top.” Pathwayoptions

We were pleasantly surprised.For people who do want to take acasual walk,there’s awide path for that with slightelevation along the way.But there’salso ahiking

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

pathfor those who want to tackle the woods.

It’snot too steep or very long, but awelcome for thoselooking for it.

Idon’t know if we chose thepathmore or least followed, but we decided to hike up through the woods and walk down the road to experience both. The hiking pathtakes youupFalseMountain to reach the topof Driskill Mountain.

The main path is wide and well-maintained,but visitors will encounter afew fallen trees, rocks and uneven areas. We also cameacross several mudholes as it hadrained the day before.

After following themain path for afew minutes, visitors will see the option to take one of two hiking paths through theforest: FalseMountain Trail or False Mountain bypass.

We took thetrail. Here, thepathwas narrow with moresigniﬁcant changes in elevation and plentyofrocks, roots, limbs andfallen trees to tackle, but Iwouldn’t call it adifﬁcult hike.

Thetop of themountain

At thetop, there’sa clearing with signage, information and aguest sign-in book. There’salso asign that says Jack Longacre’s ashes are scattered on the mountain. Longacre was the founder of Highpointers Club,which had its beginnings in 1986, when he wanted to ﬁnd others like himwho wanted to reach the highest eleva-

tion in every state.

He died in 2002, with his ﬁnal wish to have his ashes scattered on thehigh points of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

When we visited, we saw onlytwo other cars in the lot, one with North Carolina and one with Alabama plates.

For thepeople who travel to the 50 state elevation points, Driskill Mountain may not feel like much morethan atick of abox compared to the competition. Louisiana’s highest point at 535 feet ranks 48 above Delaware (450), Florida (345) and the District of Columbia (415).

Butfor Louisianans, Idare say it’sthe only place where we can experience a “mountain view.”

At thetop is the sign Isaw from photos —the wooden structure in asmallclearing. Then we saw asmall signwith an arrow pointing to“Overlook of Jordan Mountain.” On our walk to see Driskill Mountain, we were surprisedtodiscover there was a FalseMountain and now learningofa third one. We walked afew yards away and there it was —anactual view.The view is of a small valley and asmall mountain in the distance, but as aLouisianan, it felt amazing. We couldn’tbelieve we were standing in our own state.

History

According to thestate historical marker

TIPS FORVISITING

n Wear walking shoesand bring abottleof water.

n The path is not handicap-accessible

n Thereare no overnight accommodations or restrooms.

n Choose the wide, easy walking pathora hiking path throughthe forest.

n Campingand building fires arenot allowed.

n Benchesare available at theoverlook.

n The land is privately owned; owners ask you to leavenotrace

n Area is openduring daylight hours.

n Determinethe location before traveling,as youmay lose cellphone service

database, the mountain is named forJames Christopher Driskill, originally of Georgia, whopurchased 324 acres of land in 1859 forabout $5.15 an acre where the mountain sits. In 1883, Driskill sold approximately 2 acres of land for$5toWoodard D. Driskill, the Rev.John A. Conville and J.E. Best, trustees of the Mount Zion congregation in the Louisiana Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There, they built the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.Driskill and several members of his family are buried in the cemetery Agreat daytrip

Driskill Mountain is an interesting place to see if passing through the northwest part of the state, but it’snot adestination. Driskill Mountain is a30-minute drive from Ruston, 45 minutes from Minden and 75 minutes from both Shreveport-Bossier and Natchitoches.

From Shreveport, take the Arcadia exit, where we had afantastic homestyle cooked lunch at Sharon’sCafe, just 15 minutes from Driskill Mountain. We enjoyed the best homemade onion rings we’veever had, achicken-fried steak plate lunch, a cheeseburger and one of the selections of the homemade cakes and pies. The restaurant is said to have afabulous breakfast, too, if you visit early.Sharon’s Cafeisopen 7a.m. to 2p.m. Monday through Friday at 2482 Second St., in Arcadia.

Visitors should estimate about an hour or an hour and ahalf forthe walk/hike up to the top and back, take in the overlook and rest or snack, depending on how much timeyou want to spend.

Email Elizabeth Deal at elizabeth.deal@ theadvocate.com.

Carnival nevermentioned ‘nonrefundable promotion’ rate

IbookedaCarnivalcruisethroughAmericanAirlinesCruisestravelagencyinFebruaryforaJulysailing.Ipaid$3,738upfront, plus$342fortripinsurance.

Whenwecanceledinmid-March,the travelagentsaidCarnivalwouldrefund

faredetails.I’mstuckinaloop.HowcanI getmy$500back?—CoryBelkov,Virginia Beach,Virginia

Christopher Elliott

$3,300butwithhold a$500penaltyfora “nonrefundablepromotionrate.

Nobodymentioned thisfeewhenwe booked.Thetravelagent toldustotakeitupwith Carnival,andCarnival toldustocontactthe agent.Theinsurancecompanyalsorefused tocoverthe$500.

WhenIaskedCarnivaltoexplainthe “promotionrate,”theyredirectedmetothe agent,whoclaimedtheycouldn’taccess

Carnivaland your travel agent hadadutytoclearly disclose cancellation terms before you booked. Federal Trade Commissionrules prohibit unfair or deceptivepractices, including buryingfees in ﬁne print.Ifyour rate was nonrefundable, that should have beenprominently stated in your conﬁrmation —not revealed retroactively Carnival’s“Super Saver” fares often carry strict terms, and consumers deserve to know exactly what they’re trading for adiscount. Theterms aren’texactly spelled outonCarnival’swebsite. It only says, “A nonrefundable

and nontransferable deposit is required at the time of booking,” but it doesn’tsay how much.Your travel agent, American Airlines Cruises, should have disclosed that to you.

Agencies have alegal obligation under stateconsumer protection laws (like Virginia’sConsumer Protection Act) to accurately explain booking terms.Passing you between Carnival and the agent is abreach of that duty. Your travel adviser should have also acted as your advocate when you raised questions about Carnival’s$500 fee. Based on the correspondence you showed me of the back-and-forth between you and the agent, it appears that didn’thappen.

Inotice that mostofyour communication between you, your agent and the cruise line happened by phone. Certainly,a phone call can be helpful if you need immediate action to resolve something— like acancellation or rebooking. But when it comes to arefund request, you need somethinginwriting. There’sanimportant lesson for all of us here. Alwaysscrutinize the termsof your purchase before booking. The conﬁrmation you received did not mention a$500 cancellation fee. When front-line reps stonewall you, contact an executive. Ipublish Carnival’sleadership contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. That’s

sometimes enough to break the logjam Fortunately,Carnival’sticket contract suggests cancellation penalties must be outlined at the timeofbooking. If yours wasn’t, you’ve got someleverage. Companies love blaming each other,but consumers shouldn’t pay fortheir chaos. Icontacted American Airlines Cruises on your behalf.The company refunded the $500 as a“goodwill gesture.”

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

STAFF PHOTO By ELIZABETH DEAL Driskill

MINISERIES

Continued from page 1D

n Tuesday, Nov 18: Episode

Three: “The Times That Try Men’s Souls (July 1776-January 1777).

“Washington abandons New York City and ﬂees across New Jersey before attacking Trenton.”

n Wednesday, Nov 19: Episode

Four: “Conquer by a Drawn Game (January 1777-February 1778).

“Philadelphia falls, but the American victory at Saratoga allows France to enter the war.”

n Thursday Nov 20: Episode

Five: “The Soul of All America (December 1777-May 1780). “The

war drags on and moves to new theaters: at sea, in Indian Country, and in the South.”

n Friday, Nov 21: Episode Six: “The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780-Onward). “Victory at Yorktown secures independence. Americans aspire for a more perfect union.”

Coincidentally the making of

“The American Revolution” took the same amount of time as the war — eight years.

“The American Revolution is one of the most important events in human history,” said Burns.

“We went from being subjects to inventing a new concept, citizens, and set in motion democratic revolutions around the globe. As

we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding, I’m hopeful that people throughout the country will come together to discuss the importance of this history and to appreciate even more what our ancestors did to secure our liberty and freedoms.”

And a Louisiana note: New Orleans native and actor Wendell Pierce (“Elsbeth,” “Suits,” “The Wire”) is one of close to 200 actors reading as voices of historic ﬁgures in the series. The ﬁlm is supported locally by the Louisiana Forestry Association.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

CARPENTER

Continued from page 1D

“My dad had a friend who was really into woodworking,” Coleman said. “He told me to go to his friend’s house, and we built the bookcase together I fell in love with it from there.”

He loved it so much, in fact, that he started spending any extra money from a part-time job at a hardware store on woodworking hand tools, while the rest of his salary paid his parttime tuition at River Parishes Community College in Gonzales. He eventually earned an associate’s degree in computer design drafting, then began honing his craft through trial and error

Looking at his ﬁnished pieces, no one would guess that Coleman is self-taught. Even the chair he’s making in his shop for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University appears too reﬁned for an amateur Then again, Coleman is no amateur He’s crafted communion rails and monstrances for Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, an altar for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church

in St. Francisville, two altars and a set of communion rails for Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Russellville, Alabama, and is currently working on a commission for a church in Georgia.

The two-year project in Alabama required his full attention and led to one of the biggest decisions in his life.

The business of woodcraft Coleman and his wife, Ashley, married in 2016 and have owned and operated Coleman’s Handcrafted since 2021, with Ashley, 31, managing the ﬁnancial and marketing side of the business.

He previously worked fulltime for a company selling and delivering septic systems.

He devoted his free time to creating sacred-themed works on the patio of the upstairs apartment he shared with his wife One of his works caught the eye of a local priest, who not only commissioned a piece but told a friend.

“Priests talk to each other and most of them go to the same colleges,” Andrew Coleman said.

“A priest in Alabama who had family here reached out to me and said they were building a new church and asked if I’d be interested in making two altars and all of the communion rails — basically doing all of the

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

But what, exactly, is the story behind the phrase that warrants such an enthusiastic response from LSU fans?

“I wish I knew,” Bradley said

“I wish I could tell you because I don’t know where it started.”

‘An anomaly of his time’

Dan Borné, the legendary voice of LSU football for 38 years before he retired in July recalls his aunt telling him to leave his raincoat at home when he attended games at Tiger Stadium as a kid.

“First several years of my PA tenure here, I would give the weather straight up,” Borné told ESPN in 2015. “One night, I was giving the weathercast and I said ‘Chance of rain,’ and I just said, ‘Never.’” Borné’s on-the-ﬂy decision blossomed into an LSU pregame tradition that has lasted decades, further cementing the phrase in LSU lore as a paramount part of it. But if the man who popularized the saying didn’t come up with it then who did?

Bradley theorizes that the phrase dates to the 1950s, when legendary Heisman Trophy-winning running back Billy Cannon played for LSU, leading the program to its ﬁrst national championship in 1958.

“It might date back to that time because it didn’t matter what the conditions were, the guy was going to run the ball,” Bradley said.

Whether it was through rain or shine, LSU was going to hand the ball off to No. 20 and win.

“He was just iconic,” Cannon’s daughter, Bunnie, said. “From everything that I hear, he was an anomaly of his time. He was equally as fast as he was strong.”

Bunnie recalls talking to her father about the origin of the saying, “It never rains in Tiger Stadium.” Before Billy Cannon passed in 2018, he and his daughter developed their own hypothesis on the phrase.

Rainy afternoons and dry nights

LSU football played its ﬁrst Saturday night in Death Valley in 1931, a 35-0 beatdown of Spring Hill. The goal of hosting night games was to attract more LSU fans who were unable to attend games in the afternoon due to their work commitments. Since

church’s woodwork except for the pews.”

That’s when he knew he would have to quit his job to fulﬁll the order He never dreamed he could turn his hobby into a career

Andrew Coleman didn’t see the timing as a coincidence.

Though he’d left seminary, his faith in God never wavered. Ashley Coleman’s faith was strong, too.

then, it’s become a Tiger Stadium tradition.

With Louisiana’s afternoon showers tending to stop before sunset, the Cannons connected the dots.

“It never rains in Tiger Stadium because it always rained during the day and never at night,” Bunnie said. “That’s what I always kind of thought.”

The Cannons might be on to something.

“So, that’s actually a decent philosophy,” said Josh Eachus, head meteorologist for WBRZ in Baton Rouge.

During Louisiana’s hottest months, the temperature consistently exceeds 90 degrees. Heat helps develop showers and thunderstorms, which is why Louisiana summer afternoons are consistently rainy, but nights are drier as temperatures cool.

“Essentially, they’ve eaten themselves,” Eachus said of Louisiana’s thunderstorms. “They’ve eaten their fuel source, and they tend to fall apart around nightfall.”

But is there something special about Tiger Stadium’s location for a phenomenon like this to occur?

“There are a number of places in the country that would follow

So, they decided to take the leap.

A dream job

“I’ve always loved doing work for the church,” he said “And so when this opportunity to do what I already did as a hobby, I loved it. And I want beautiful churches around us. So, this is really a dream job.”

Still, Andrew Coleman is the first to admit that diving into

Coleman’s Handcrafted was a little scary He and his wife were planning to start a family

They now have a son, Joshua, just shy of 2 years old, and another son on the way

These days, Joshua spends time in the shop with his dad, who prays throughout his workday It doesn’t matter if he’s using hand tools or the new computer numerical control machine to cut exact lines; Andrew Coleman always acknowledges God in his work.

“I have my morning prayer, day prayer and evening prayer,” he said.

He says he uses prayer throughout his work.

“We work on the design of making sure we’re doing the right thing that ﬁts the community,” he said. “But also, this is for a place to worship God, so we want to do what is ﬁtting for that There’s very much a discernment and prayer process all along.”

And through this process, Andrew Coleman still considers his work a ministry, not as a priest but as a servant through this talent as a woodworker

“I thank God every day that the jobs keep coming,” he said.

Email Robin Miller at romiller@theadvocate.com.

that similar routine,” Eachus said.

“Most of them are going to be in the South. I think you can say anywhere along the Gulf Coast that’s going to be pretty routine.”

Since 1960, approximately 1% of LSU’s home games have been played in the rain, according to WBRZ’s Storm Station LSU Football Kickoff Weather Index. That means the Cannons’ theory holds, and it’s backed by science, but the phrase has evolved to take on a new meaning over time.

The test of time

In Bradley’s book, he writes about one of the biggest games of his collegiate career, a stunning, heartbreaking 17-12 loss at home to top-ranked University of Southern California in 1979. In the postgame news conference, a reporter tells Bradley that it was one of the greatest and loudest games ever played in Tiger Stadium.

“’But we lost tonight,’ I said.

‘The other guys won,’” Bradley wrote.

“’Tell those people that.’ And now he (the reporter) pointed a pen upward, indicating the fans still beating their feet against the metal seats above us in the stadium,” Bradley wrote.

For nearly a century, football games have been played on Saturday nights in Death Valley Throughout the years, people from all over the world have ﬂocked to Baton Rouge to witness a spectacle unfold. For LSU fans, one of the country’s most passionate college football fan bases, Saturday nights in Death Valley have become a ritual, akin to church on Sunday mornings. When you have a stadium packed with over 100,000 fans united in a sea of purple and gold, all cheering for the same team, how could it possibly ever rain on anybody’s parade?

We may never know who ﬁrst coined, “It never rains in Tiger Stadium,” or how far back it goes, but we don’t really need to.

It’s a phrase that has stood the test of time for longer than anyone will ever know Ethan Stenger is a student at Louisiana State University majoring in journalism. Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

In this 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze, George Washington crosses the Delaware.

Coleman installs the altar he designed and created for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in St. Francisville.

PROVIDED PHOTOS FROM COLEMAN’S HANDCRAFTED

Andrew Coleman designed and created the communion rails and altar for Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Russellville Alabama. This was the project that prompted him to quit his day job and go into woodworking fulltime. The project took two years to complete.

AT THE TABLE

It’s Sunday sauceorgravy,but

BY MICHAEL DIRESTO Contributing writer

The

ﬁrst person Icalled for advice before writing this article was Pop —that is, my dad, Robert DiResto, 84.

After all, Ilearned how to cook as achild from him, standing at his elbow in akitchen on Long Island, New York, wherehestill lives.

Iwanted to get his recommendation as to which meal would be the best choice —although I already had anotion.

After some banter aboutthis mealorthat, Ibegan to hint at the ingredients Iwas considering He immediately blurted out, “Oh yeah, you mean Sunday sauce!”

When Ipoint out that some people call it “Sunday gravy,” he grimaced through the phone: “Ech, we didn’tcallitthat,but wha’do-I-know?”

Before Ican dispute thepoint, his enthusiasm rises again,and he said, “Now let me tell you my best memory of Sunday sauce,” and he’soff and running

He takes me back to when he was akid, after the family would come home from church, he remembers Nana —his mom, my grandmother,Aggie, for Agnes —“browning the pork in abig pot and frying up the sausage in one pan and the meatballs in another.”

What he especially recalls is coming back to the house after playing ball or running around the neighborhood with friends, sneaking into the kitchen,breathing in the aroma, checkingtosee that nobody is watching, then tearing off ahunk of bread to steal ataste.

“Oh, Ihad to dip the bread in the sauce,” he chuckled, likea kid again. My ﬁrst takeawayfrom my dad’sstory is to appreciatehow much Sunday sauce is afamily tradition for us —amore wholesome one than the way it was depictedinmovies throughthe years by adifferent sort of “family.”

Of course, there’sthe famous scene in “The Godfather” when Clemenza calls another Michael to thestove for alesson, because “you never know,you might have to cook for 20 guys someday.” He walks through allthe steps, including“shove in all your sausage and your meatballs,” and endswith “a little bit of sugar, and that’smytrick.” (Note: Ido notrecommend this. If you want ahint of sweetness in your sauce, addsome torn fresh basil leaves toward the end.)

Then there’sthe prison scene in “Goodfellas,”inwhich therecipe begins with Paulie slicing thegarlic with arazor blade “so thin it meltedinthe pan with very little oil.” (Note: Ialso do not recommend this, because the garlic is just as likely to burn as to melt.)

Asecondtakeaway,asthese scenes suggest, is that making Sundaysaucetakes along time. And it does —uptofour hours forour family’sversion. But moretimedoes not mean more difﬁculty

Most of that timeistaken up with thepot just simmering, even unattended, and for periods long enoughfor achild to makeoff unseen with astealthysampling. Agood Sunday sauce doesn’t have to be expensive. Youdon’t needhigh-endbutcher’smeat. This is ameal meant to feed a large family of modest means, or another such “family” on lockdown.

As for whether to call it “sauce” or “gravy,”the distinction has to do with whether the pork you use is bone-in, therebycreating akind of bone brothwithin the tomato mixture as it bubbles hence, gravy.The batch Imade does use country ribs with bones, so to double down on the concept, Ithrew in leftover steak bones from thefreezer,justtoadd more ﬂavor

Either way,and whatever you want to call it, be prepared to savorthe meatygoodness of adish that’smore than mere “pasta with red sauce.”

And,don’tforget the bread.

LongIsland SundaySauce

Serves 8-10 people; Recipe by the DiResto family

For thesauce:

228-ouncecanswhole/peeledSanMarzanotomatoes

3-4poundsporkcountryribs,bone-in

3tablespoonsextravirginoliveoil

1smallonion, finelydiced

3garliccloves,minced

1teaspoondriedoregano

3tablespoonstomatopaste

1/2 cupredwine

1/2 cupbeefstock/broth

1teaspoonsalt

1teaspoongroundblackpepper

1poundsweetormildItaliansausage

1/4 cupfreshbasil,tornbyhand(toadd attheend)

For meatballs:

1/2 cupplainbreadcrumbs

1/4 cupmilk

1poundgroundbeef,20%or15%fat

1poundgroundpork

3ouncesprosciutto,chopped fine(this addsasavory flavortothemeatballs)

1largeegg

3garliccloves, finelymincedorcrushed

1/2 cupgratedParmesancheese

1/4 cupchoppedItalian(flatleaf)parsley

1/4 cupchoppedfreshbasil

1teaspoonsalt

1teaspoongroundblackpepper

2tablespoonsextravirginoliveoil

11/2 poundsspaghetti(ormoreforabig crowd)plus1tablespoonseasalt

1. In abowl, crush tomatoes by hand and discard any basil that was packed in thecans. Pat pork ribs dry withpaper towels and season withsalt and pepper

2. In alarge Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.Brown ribs on all sides, in batches, and transfer to aplate.

3. Over medium heat, add onions and cook until translucent. Addgarlic and oregano and stir for one minute. Addtomato paste and stir until it starts to turn slightly brown.

4. Addwine and stock, bring back to aboil and reduce by half.

Addtomatoes, salt and pepper, then nestle ribs back in the pot and return to aboil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour Stir every 20 minutes throughout.

5. In aseparate pan, add 1tablespoon olive oil and brownsausage on all sides.

6. After the sauce has simmered forone hour,add the sausage. Stir Cover and simmer for another hour

7. In the meantime, and after sausage has been added to the sauce, prepare the meatballs. In a large bowl, addthe breadcrumbs and milk, stir and let soak for10 minutes.

8. Addthe remaining ingredients (except the olive oil) and form themixture into round meatballs no bigger than golf balls. In alarge, nonstick pan in batches, brownthe meatballs well all around and transfer to aplate lined with paper towels.

9. At theend of the overall secondhour of simmering, transfer ribs and sausage to aplatter or

cutting board and cut each into 1-inch pieces.

10. Transfer 3cups of sauce into aseparate large saucepan and simmer,covered, on the lowest setting. Add back the cut pork and sausage to the Dutch oven, and gently add as manymeatballs as will comfortably ﬁt (save the rest foranother time). If sauce is dry, add asplash of beef stock and wine. Simmer,covered forone hour.(That’sthree total hours for ribs in the sauce, twofor the sausage, one forthe meatballs.)

11. With 30 minutes left, add basil to the sauce in the saucepan. Bring alarge pot of water to aboil and add 1tablespoon salt. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of salty pasta water.Strain pasta and add it to the saucepan sauce and toss to combine with reserved pasta water.(Please don’tever serve pasta plain with sauce on top —always toss it with sauce.)

12. Serve pasta on plates with meat sauce, with freshly grated Parmesan and good bread.

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Michael DiResto stirsthe sausageand pork ribs in tomato sauceduring amidpoint in cookingLong Island Sunday sauce. The sausagesoaksin the tomato saucebefore being removedand is cutupand added to the finished sauce.

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH JOHN SHELTON REED

When the Ramos gin fizz shook things up

Flashy drink was once dubbed ‘the Cadillac of cocktails’

BY MATTHEW HAINES

Contributing writer

At 83 years of age, John Shelton Reed has authored or edited a whopping two dozen books. His most recent work, “The Ramos Gin Fizz,” was published this summer by LSU Press as part of their popular series on iconic New Orleans cocktails.

The book ﬁts well into Reed’s oeuvre, most of which has focused on the contemporary American South. That makes sense for a lifelong Southerner He was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, but has lived in Chapel Hill since 1969, when he took a job teaching sociology at the University of North Carolina.

“The only time I moved out of the South was 10 years for college and graduate school, but then I came back with great relief,” he laughed. “I wanted my daughters to grow up as Southerners, though now they live in California and Rhode Island, so the joke is on me.”

The Ramos gin ﬁzz ignited Reed’s interest, as many regional topics have before it. The ﬂashy drink, once dubbed “the Cadillac of cocktails,” has had moments of intense popularity and Reed a past Guggenheim Fellow and chancellor of the Fellowship of Southern Writers delighted in the opportunity to dive into

thousands of archived articles in creating this book. And, if you want to make your own, the book has the original recipe as well as

more recent riffs on the drink.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Let’sstartoffwithwhatexactlyisaRamosgin fizz.Whataretheingredientsand whatisitstasteprofile?

Well, ﬁrst, it has upward of three times as many ingredients as most other cocktails: lemon and lime juices, gin — of course is in the name, orange ﬂower water, heavy cream, egg whites, sugar and seltzer There is a lot going on! You put it all together you shake it like crazy for quite some time, and you get this foamy masterpiece that tastes like an orange Dreamsicle. It’s light on the alcohol, so it goes down easy but it’s also rich, so you probably don’t want to drink three of them in one sitting.

AstheLSUPress“IconicNewOrleans Cocktails”seriesshows,ifyouwanttowrite abookaboutamixeddrinkinventedinthe CrescentCity,youhavequiteafewoptions. WhydidyouchoosetheRamosgin fizz?

With a baseline of nine ingredients, there is a lot to talk about Plus, we know who the founder of the drink is, and that helps in crafting a story Finally as I did a little bit of research, I saw this was a cocktail with an amazing history It seemed like it would be a lot of fun to work on, and I was right

Let’sgetintosomeofthathistory.Whatis thedrink’soriginstory?

Well, Henry Ramos was a German immigrant to New Orleans who owned a bar on Gravier Street called the Imperial Cabinet Saloon. Ramos got his start working in beer halls, and he sometimes toyed with inventing various drinks. The one that really

caught on was his gin ﬁzz, which he created around 1890. Businessmen would come from the old Cotton Exchange at all hours of the day for the cocktail. Its reputation grew and soon you had tourists coming to New Orleans with a to-do list topped by trying a gin ﬁzz at Mr Ramos’ bar

Records show he did an astonishing amount of business. At one point, he was using 5,000 egg whites every week and had a dozen bartenders on hand and that was during the slow season, it was way more during Mardi Gras just to make this one complicated drink.

Butyourbooksaysthecocktailhadabit ofaroller-coasterrideinpopularityafter that,right?

Exactly Obviously, all alcohol took a hit during Prohibition, but the Ramos gin ﬁzz was hit especially hard. That’s because it was thought of as a sophisticated drink that was relatively light on alcohol. People illegally drinking during Prohibition, however, were doing it to get drunk, and the gin ﬁzz wasn’t as helpful in that regard.

Fortunately,asyoumentioninthebook, thelate’90sandearly2000sstarteda cocktailrevival.TheRamosgin fizzhas survived.

It certainly has. Not only can you find a Ramos gin fizz in craft cocktail bars in New Orleans, but you can also find it in cities across the country and the world. Didyou findthereisanythingdifferent aboutagin fizztodaycomparedtoHenry Ramos’originaldrink?

For one, many mixologists have taken all of this shaking to the

extreme. Ramos was probably having his gin ﬁzz shaken for three minutes at most. Later on, that probably became ﬁve minutes for showmanship. But, over the years, it has gotten ridiculous! Twelve minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes? It is probably unnecessary, but it is memorable. The other component is the tower of foam at the top of the drink. Ramos would have relied on foam from the egg whites and that would have been much less. Today, a lot of bartenders pour seltzer down the side, which kind of activates this massive tower

Ifwehaveactivatedsomeone’scraving forthiscocktail,wherearesomeofyour favoritesinNewOrleans?

You can get good ones all over town, but I like the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel because they played such a big part in the drink’s revival, Revel in Mid-City because Chris McMillan is so knowledgeable about how these drinks were originally made, Cure on Freret Street because they have such a strong lineup of classic cocktails, and of course the award-winning Jewel of the South.

At83years,includingawritingcareer thatisnowinits fifthdecade,itwouldbe understandableif“TheRamosGinFizz” wasyourlastbookbeforeretirement.Are youdone?

Ha, good question. After each of my last four or ﬁve books, I’ve said that was my last. But then some publisher asks if I would be interested in writing about something else, almost always related to the South. It usually sounds fun, so I do it.

La. author’s debut awarded Cave Canem Poetry Prize

BY RIEN FERTEL

Contributing writer

“NaturalHistory”byBrandonKilbourne, GraywolfPress,96pages.

Since 1999, the Cave Canem Foundation, a nonproﬁt devoted to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets, has awarded an annual prize to a debut poetry collection. This year’s Cave Canem Poetry Prize winner is Brandon Kilbourne, a Louisiana-born evolutionary biologist living in Berlin, whose “Natural History” is a brilliant and beguiling set of poems released by the top-tier independent publisher Graywolf Press.

Born in Houma and raised in Lafayette, Kilbourne studied biological engineering at LSU and earned his doctorate in evolutionary biology at the University of Chicago. In 2014, he moved to Berlin as a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study and later worked at the Museum für Naturkunde. Recently, he returned to Baton Rouge as the 2024 LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s third artist-in-residence.

In a brief foreword to the collection, Natasha Trethewey, the Cave Canem Prize judge and inaugural winner, rightly references Thomas Jefferson, who fancied himself a lover of nature and poetry, as well as a race theorist.

“Though for a century and a half we have had under our eyes the races of black and of red men,” he writes in “Notes on the State of Virginia,” “they have never yet been viewed by us as

subjects of natural history.”

“Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry,” he wrote further on.

“Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry.”

“Natural History” opens with a striking series of poems that confront the intimately intertwined histories of early modern science, colonialism and slavery — a necessary corrective to Jefferson’s unpoetic drivel.

The epic “Natural History, the Curious Institution,” a play on America’s so-called “peculiar institution,” reads as a catalog of slave ship manifests, a mix of human cargo and collected specimens.

“TWO HUNDRED AND TWELVE slaves salvaged / while rescuing people from our Guineaman / foundered amid reefs off the Swahili Coast,” one reads.

“While leaving the Bight of Benin, a squall downed the ship / fully loaded — truly a tragedy — the crew and captain lost / along with specimens of RHINOCEROS, ANTELOPE, and BATS.”

“TWENTY percent of our Africans / written off to the squalor below deck: / diarrhea, fever, chains’ wounds gangrened,” another follows. “Yesterday arrived a most diverse assortment of SEASHELLS / in the hold of a new-built slaver; I detest the trade / and pity their cargo, but science nonetheless must progress.”

Though these lines read as found texts, they are pulled from

the profound depths of the poet’s expertise and imagination.

The collection’s middle section features an engaging, 14-poem suite documenting Kilbourne’s June 2006 research expedition to Ellesmere Island, the most northerly point of land in Canada, tucked up near the far northwestern fringes of Greenland. A treeless tundra where giant mosquitoes swarm and the summer sun never sets, Ellesmere is a Darwinian dreamscape.

“This land divulges ghosts,” Kilbourne writes, “among outcrops, the bones of dead life / forms weathering out from solidiﬁed silt.”

Among the Ellesmere team’s findings was a 375 million-yearold fossilized Tiktaalik roseae skeleton, a fish possessed with fins that doubled as functioning wrists that allowed the species to prop itself up in shallow water, making it a likely evolutionary ancestor to many of the animals that walk, crawl and fly upon the Earth.

Kilbourne cleverly guides readers to Ellesmere’s “dewjeweled grasses and riverbanks / loud with purl-song the testing grounds for our upright strides— / millions of years of shape-shifting / since that ﬁrst departure from water / leaving gilled beginnings forgotten to us.”

He transports us into the island’s fossil-rich rock quarries and his team’s monumental discovery

“Our eyes captivated by the anatomy / crowning you as our ancestral chimera, / ancient amalgam of land and water / Our gilled forebear, long slumbering / in the safety of your stratum, know / that the legacy unfolded

from your wrists / today dares the clouds as an owl’s wings.”

Long extinct, Tiktaalik lives on in science and now verse, as do other species honored in these pages.

Kilbourne serenades the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, the world’s smallest rhino — perhaps fewer than 50 individuals remain in the wild.

He visits a preserved specimen, “an elegy in gloom,” housed in the Copenhagen Zoological Museum.

“Behind an exhibit’s pane, taxidermied / feet ﬁll the footprints of a lost species, / leaving a mounted remembrance / tangible for its ﬁnal refuge: our fantasy / where wild animals live on and still exist.”

In “The Last Sea Cow’s Testimony,” he gives voice to a manatee-adjacent, mammothsized mammal that once plied the waters of the Bering Sea. First encountered by European voyagers in 1741, the Steller’s sea cow was hunted to extinction within

three decades. Now I am the last of the sea cows, my heart’s continued beating, my tail’s propelling labor my streamlined existence all become hopeless deﬁance of our disappearance. Departing seaward into a sapphire void, I speak a vanishing tongue now no one else understands to spite the silence closing over us forever, entrusting this account to my bones that will litter the seaﬂoor, my eye sockets soon home to crabs who will never glimpse a sea cow

“Cuvier only deduced extinction / in 1796,” he writes of the early French paleontologist credited with proving the theory that species can die out. “In little more than a century, / we have already mastered it.”

In “Natural History,” Kilbourne offers a fierce clarion call, a splendid elegy for our own destructive tendencies. In the collection’s final poem, he challenges Samuel George Morton, an early American proponent of scientific racism.

“I suppose that if Dr Morton had met me, / he would have fantasized about my skull / assuming its place among the shelves / of his collection, yet here, among these / wood-and-glass cabinets safeguarding walrus / tusks, zebra skull grins, and platypus bills, / I would like to think that with the dead / I have found my place.” This is one scientist-poet who belongs.

Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, most recently, “Brown Pelican.”

Kilbourne

PROVIDED PHOTO

John Shelton Reed, author of ‘The Ramos Gin Fizz,’ at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in 2023

ByTheAssociated Press

Today is Sunday,Nov 9, the 313th day of 2025. There are 52 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Nov.9,1989, communist East Germany threw open its borders, allowing citizenstotravel freely to the West for the ﬁrst time in decades —alandmark event often referred to as the fall of the BerlinWall

Alsoonthisdate:

In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt made the ﬁrst trip abroad of any sitting U.S. president in order to observe construction of the Panama Canal.

In 1935, United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis and other labor leadersformed the Committeefor Industrial Organization.

In 1938, Nazis looted and burned synagogues as well as thousands of Jewish-owned stores and houses in Germany and Austria in apogrom or deliberate persecution that became known as “Kristallnacht.”

In 1965, the great Northeast blackout began with aseries of power failures lasting up to 131/2 hours, leaving 30 million people in seven statesand partof Canada without electricity In 1976, the U.N. General Assembly approved resolutions condemning apartheid in South Africa, including one characterizing the White-ruledgovernment as “illegitimate.”

In 2007, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrestfor aday and roundedupthousands of her supporters to block amass rally against his emergencyrule. Bhutto would be assassinated weeks later on Dec. 27 in ashooting and bombing attack that killed at least 20 people.

In 2011, after 46 seasons as Penn State’shead football coach and arecord 409 victories,Joe Paterno was ﬁred along with the university president, Graham Spanier,over their handling of child sex abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky In 2023, surgeons at Langone Health in New York announced that they performed the world’s ﬁrsttransplant of an entirehuman eye in May of that year,operating on a man whose face was badly damaged in an accident with high-voltage power lines Today’sbirthdays: Filmdirector BilleAugust is 77. Actor-bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno is 74. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin is 66.TVwriter-directorproducer Ryan Murphy is 60. Rapper Scarface is 55. Blues singer Susan Tedeschi is 55. Golfer David Duval is 54. Actor Eric Dane is 53. Singer-TV personalityNick Lachey is 52. Actor-TV personality Vanessa Lachey is 45. Country singer Chris Lane is 41.

Whoshouldbereturning adropped call?

DearMissManners: Ilive in arural area wherecellphonereception andinternetservice can be spotty, which sometimes results in calls being dropped without warning.

established phone etiquette.

or “Maybe we should all wash our hands.”

Callers who are accustomed to infallible technology can be bafﬂed by this. I’ve even been accused of having hung up on someone!

But more commonly,anawkward exchange ensues, where each persontries tocallthe other back simultaneously and can’tget through.

In order to avoid this,I’ve gotten into the habit of letting callers know upfront that if Iinitiated the call, Iwill call them back in case of an interruption (or vice versa, if they are the one who calledme).

This seems logical, and Iﬁnd myself wishing it could become

Gentlereader: Perhaps, but technologychangesmore quickly than etiquette. Someone more knowledgeable about the innerworkings of telecommunications than Miss Manners will have to explain to herwhy its bugs appear to have longerlives than its products.

DearMissManners: Aco-worker invited afew people andtheir spouses over to watch apopular sporting event. After everyone in the ofﬁce bombarded him with questions about what to bring, he insisted we bring nothing.

Never having methis wife or having been to his home,I brought aseasonal hand soap as a small thank-youfor hosting us. They both laughedatthe gesture. In fact, it was arunning gagbetween them for much of the evening, saying things like,“Thank goodness we have enough soap!”

Ismiled along with them, but thought such areaction was odd. My spouse brought beer,which was shared among the guests without jokes.

To avoid such asituation in the future, should Inolonger bring a hostess gifttogatherings?

Gentlereader: Hostess gifts are notthe requirement they were once commonly considered, and MissManners would deﬁnitely dispense with them if the hosts are only going to ridicule you for your efforts.

Come to think of it, she would notbeinclined to socialize with such people

DearMissManners: My brother and Iare the ﬁnancial gatekeepers for our elderly, quite wealthy mother Momrefers all requests for donations to us.

How do we politely get some of these requesters to just go away? One in particular keeps pestering

me forameeting with my mother She’slooking for,Ibelieve, either amajor gift or to be included in the will. We have to continue to live in this relatively small town, so I can’tbeasrude as Iwould like to be.

Gentlereader: Why would you wish to be rude?

Fundraisers maybepersistent, but they are, in Miss Manners’ experience, no more interested than anyone else in wasting their time. Explain that you and your brother make these decisions for your mother,and that you are not interested in donating to this cause. If you feel these requests have been less than polite, then you can forget to append a“thank you.”

Sendquestions todearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postalmail to Miss Manners,Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

DearHeloise: Isaw aletter from Kelly T. in yourcolumnabout washing greens.You mentioned submerging them in a bowl of cold water.Addinghalfacup of vinegar to 1cup ofwater and soaking them for 3minutes helpsto remove bacteria.Justrinse andpat dry —DeborahGraham, inCurwensville,Pennsylvania

Sweaty clothessmell

DearHeloise: Ihad aproblem with my sweaty yard clothes having amusty smell, evenafterwashing them. My service tech told me to add in white vinegar with thefabricsoftener NowI have fresh-smelling clothes anda tub that shines like new. It’sa simplesolutionthatworkswithout any expensive chemicals —Stan M.,inLafayette

Reader comments

DearHeloise: Alot of newspapers have discontinued their print publications and are onlineonly,socomics aren’t an option for gift wrapping in our area. Good old-fashioned clip binders are great for opened bagsofchips/pretzels,etc. Also, plastic covers from prepared foods are great for ﬂowerpot drip trays. Andyou can make your own airfryer inserts by cutting outparchment paper.Works great! Thanks. —TrudyDillon,viaemail Litter boxes

DearHeloise: Litter boxes stink because they are plastic andshould notbeallowed to dry between uses Iuse metal lasagna-sized baking pans and have two in rotation so that they can dry in between uses. Ialso lightly sprinkle bakingsoda on thebottom of theclean one to help with any wet

areas. Since they don’tget scratched like plastic, they last for much longer and don’tsmell. Becausethey areshallow,Idohave them setintaller plastic tubs thatalso have litter in them to catch any misses. They need to be changed daily This helps monitor their health. Catsdon’tlike going in amessy box, so make sure to clean it after each use. —Ann’sThoughts,inRolla, Missouri

Shortpeopleproblems

DearHeloise: Iamashort woman. When Igoshopping and cannot reach something,Iwait for a taller person to come by and ask if they could please reach up and get theitem for me. Then Ilook them in theeye, and withasmile, I say,“Thank you. Youhave done your good deed for theday!” It always brings a smile and alook of pride. BarbClark,inNewJersey Laundryquestion

DearHeloise: I’ve wondered about this for years, and it came up again this morning: Is it all right to wash dish towels with underwear? The water is hot, and we use good detergent and dry theclothes in adryer on the “hot” setting. Someone wrote to aTVperson and asked this question, and the person said, “If it’s washed, it’swashed.”What do you think? —Hollie,inOhio Hollie, Ihave to agree with what the person on TV said. Most people wash all their lights together and all their darks together,no matter what theitem happens to be. You’re washing items to get them clean, not to sterilize them, so go ahead and wash those items together.Oryou can include your dish towels in theload with your bath towels. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

By 8a.m. most weekdays, Patrick Comer is connected by videocall to London, Stockholm,Barcelona and other faraway citiesashemeetsremotely with executives of the publicly traded market research ﬁrmhe’srun since September 2024.

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL

Vincent Saia. But Juge said thegroup plans to spend more than $1 million renovating the buildings,which were built in 1980.

“TheyneedsomeTLC andalittle updating,”he said. “But it’sa fabulous location under 300-year-old live oaks.” Three of thefourbuildings are more than90% leased. Afourthbuilding, totaling 27,000 square feet, has been vacantsincethe Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality moved outlast year The purchase is the lat-

estofseveral investments in theJeffersonParish industrial corridor,which is evolving intoone of the fastest growing submarketsinthe metroarea, with amix of industrial, commercial andretailspace with amajor newmultifamily project underway Among therecent developments at Elmwood was Reily FoodsCo.’srelocation late lastyear of its corporateheadquarters from aPoydras

Working from his suburban St. CharlesParish home,and from his stylish ofﬁce in NewOrleans’Lower Garden District, he’sthe unlikely CEO of Cint, the Stockholm-based company that bought his Louisiana tech startup Lucid nearly four years ago for $1.1 billion and createdahuge payday for him and his investors.

Comer,anAlabama native who moved to the New Orleansarea in 2008, is the ﬁrst to say that he didn’thave being CEO of aSwedish tech company on his 2025 bingocard. But thenhedidn’tknow the acquisition of Lucidwould precede achallenging erafor Cint, whichhas seenits stock market value tumble in the years since.

Staff report

The following new promotions and new hires have recentlybeenannounced by south Louisiana businessesand nonproﬁts.

BatonRouge

AnnetteVaccaro,chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer of Community Coffee, announcedshe plans to retire in June. Vaccaro joined the company in 1998 and hasbeen itsCFO since 2004.

TimHardy,chair of the board of supervisors forthe Louisiana Community and Technical College System, has been elected secretary-treasurer of board ofdirectors of the Association of Community College Trustees. Hardy,who has served on the LCTCS board since 2011, will join the ACCT Executive Committee.

Plaquemine Bank &Trust Co. recently announced the promotion of two officers to become senior vice presidents during its annual stockholders meeting.

Caroline Causin, who has been with the bank since1974, is the bank secrecy

act officer and overseesmanagement of loan operations.

Rhett Vaughn, who joined the bank in 1990, su p ervises bookkeeping andserves as thebank’sinformation security ofﬁcer and informationtechnology offer

TylerGray was named inaugural director of energy innovation for the LSU Energy Institute.

Graymost recently servedas secretary of theLouisiana Department of Conservation and Energyunder Gov.Jeff Landry

The Energy Institute brings togetherthe Centerfor Energy Studies,Louisiana Geological Survey and LSU research, innovation andpolicyprograms underone umbrella.

NewOrleans

SarahAlt has been hired as the ﬁrst chief information ofﬁcer for Phelps. Alt is certified in artificial intelligence governance by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She hascontributed to ethical guidelinesand standards for the European Commission, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Institute of Standards andTechnology

BryanBass hasbeen named chief marketing officer of Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. Bass pr evious ly wor ke df or MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts, CarverRoad Ho spita lity andThe ONE Group and launched Jelly Roll’sGoodnight Nashville bar

Frank Caldwell was elected as an independentdirector of the board of Entergy Corp., where he will serve on committees responsible for nuclear and operations oversight as well as talent and compensation.

Caldwell, aretired Navy admiral, spentthe ﬁnal nine years of his militarycareer directing the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

KevaLandrum,aformer Orleans Parish judge and prosecutor,has been promoted tobecome executive vice president of operations and chief counsel of the Housing Authority of New Orleans. Landrum, who was runner-upinthe 2020 Or-

Nvidia’s epic runnot changing my strategy

leans Parish district attorney election, previously served as HANO’sgeneral counsel and interim executive director

Matt Miller hasbeen hired as special counsel for Kean Miller Miller is a former software engineer and registered patentattorney who joins thelaw firm’s team of adozen intellectual property lawyers. He earned abachelor’sinpsychologyand computer science fromDuke University anda law degree, cumlaude,fromTulane UniversityLaw School.

The American Red Cross of Louisiana announced ﬁve new appointments.

NatalieHooks,the former development director for Children’s Hospital New Orleans,has been named its chief developmentofﬁcer Sarah Mosely,formerly of the U.S.Agencyfor International Development, becomesthe regionaldirector of service to the armed forces and international services.

Sandy Traynor,who was previously program director for BigBrothers BigSisters of Tampa Bay,has been appointed regional volunteer services ofﬁcer AshoniaKnight-Hawkins,who had been regional health dispari-

ties coordinator for the Louisiana Ofﬁce of Public Health, was namedexecutive assistant to the CEO of the Louisiana Red Cross. And Brie Quinlan,who has experience with AmeriCorps FEMA and the Baton Rouge Emergency OperationsCenter, hasbeen appointedcommunity disaster program manager for the northshore area.

Acadiana Matt Stuller will step down as CEO of StullerInc effective Jan.

1. Stullerwill rem ain as board chair of the jewelry manufacturing companyhe founded in 1970. He will be succeeded as CEO by longtime president Danny Clark,while current Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Belit Myers will becomecompany president.

Do you havepersonnel changes to share or other ideas forour business coverage? Drop us alineat biztips@theadvocate.com.

Wall Street, predictably,is in astate of elation over its ﬁrst $5 trillion company Nvidia recently crossed that threshold, a “sum so vast the human brain can’t properly get ahandle on it,” said Danni Hewson, head of ﬁnancial analysisatAJBell While certainly impressive, Igreeted the chipmaker’smilestone muchlike Idid when it hit a$4trillion valuation, and every trillion that came before.

Ididn’trush to buy individual shares in the stock or change athing about my investment plan. I’m not afraid of missing the artiﬁcial intelligence wave at the heart of Nvidia’sascent. No need.

Retirement saving plans are already heavily weighted toward stocks, according to the Employee Beneﬁts Research Institute. At the end of 2023, EBRI data shows, the average 401(k) participant had more than 70% of their assets allocated to stocks through different types of mutual funds or company shares.

Currently,technology makes up asigniﬁcant part of many mutual funds held by retirement savers.

“If you find yourself feeling FOMO (fear of missing out), it’sgood to first identify how muchtech you already own,” said Callie Cox, chief market strategist for Ritholtz Wealth Management. “You may be surprised by how tech-heavy your portfolio already is. The Magnificent Seven stocks (Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, Teslaand Nvidia) comprise more than one-third of the S&P 500’s market value right now.”

In fact, that last part from Cox should raise concerns. I can’thelp but wonder whether AI is abubble. As she noted: “High-ﬂying stocks often lead on the way up and down.” Look at what happenedin early April, when several tech stocks slumped after President Donald Trump’s tariff actions led to widespread market declines. Nvidia is “an amazing growth story,but the stock is priced for perfection,” said Christine Benz, director of personal ﬁnance and retirement planning for Morningstar.“If thecompany’s business performance fails to deliver on the market’s lofty expectations for it, or if there’ssome kind of abroad equity market sell-off, the stock’sshare pricecould get knockeddown in ahurry.

Don’tlet your widespread enthusiasm for this stock or any other AI company distract you from the most proven way to succeed as an investor: staying diversiﬁed.

“My bias is for investors to maintain diversiﬁcation across investment styles,” said Benz, author of “How to Retire: 20 Lessons foraHappy,Successful, and Wealthy Retirement.”

She recommends having exposure to the technology sector,aswell as “less sexy sectors,” such as ﬁnancial companies, health care and consumer staples.

Adiversiﬁedportfolio would also include high-quality bonds andcash savings thatcan help you weather a market crash.

Bubbles andbusts

Abig reason diversiﬁcationmatters is that it guards against irrational market psychology

In 1996, when alot of investors were all gaga over technology-based companies, then-Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan popularized aphrase that we would be wise toheed today —irrational exuberance.

“How do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions?” Greenspan asked at an American Enterprise Institute awards dinner —aspeech now seen as an early warning about the risk of asset bubbles.

Four years later,wehad thecatastrophic dot-com crash. Prominent companies, such as Pet.com, collapsed and went out of business.

Other dot-com ﬁrms with more solid business plans survived and eventually grew into today’stech giants.

FOMO has been around a long time In 1999, at the peakof the dot-com mania, the headline on aNewsweek cover story was: “The Whine of ’99: Everyone’sGetting Rich but Me.”

The article argued that many people were feeling economic anxiety and envy because others were living the American Dream,having the foresight to pickthe right stock at the right time.

Workers who have become 401(k) millionaires (or those nearing that mark) achieve thatmilestonebypatiently and consistently investing through market downturns and rallies.

“Remember that time invested often matters more thanwhat you’re invested in as the years go on,” Coxsaid. “You want to build aportfolio you can stick to in thick and thin. Forthat, you need to prioritize stability and con-

sistency so you’re not making rash decisions at turning points for the stock market and the economy.”

Robert Shiller,a Nobel Prize-winning economist, picked up on the theme of marketboomsinhis book “Irrational Exuberance,” in which he deﬁned abubble: “A situation in which news of price increases spurs investor enthusiasm which spreads by psychological contagion from person to person, in the process amplifying stories thatmight justifythe price increase and bringing in alarger and larger class of investors, who, despitedoubts about the real value of the investment, are drawn to it partly through envy of others’ successes and partly through a gambler’sexcitement.”

Shiller’sresearch on market volatility continues to serve as acautionary tale.

“If we exaggerate the present and future value of the stock market, then as asocietywemay invest toomuch in business startups and expansions, and toolittle in the infrastructure, education, and other formsofhuman capital,”Shiller wrote. “If we think the marketisworth more thanitreally is, we maybecomecomplacent in funding our pension plans, in maintaining our savings rate, in legislating an improved Social Security system,and in providing other forms of social insurance.”

How profound Shiller’s words have become.

Nvidia reached itslofty perch as millions of Americans face acutoff of their Supplemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram beneﬁtsbecause of the federal shutdown, fewer workers have pension plans, Social Security is facing asevere shortfall, and health insurance has becomeﬁnancially unsustainable for many families.

Will this latest tech gusher give rise to alasting era of AI dominance?

BigTech’sspendingspree on AI is now helping prop up GDP growth —even as many AI ventures remainunprofitable. If this boom ﬁzzles, economists warn that the entire economy would be hit “Investors may like tech stocks on good days, but theycan’thandle the smoke on the bad days,” said Cox. “This is why you spread your money across sectors and geographies instead of going all in on what stocks you think will continue to do well. That’s abet on the future, and nobody can predict the future.”

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@ washpost.com

ELMWOOD

Continuedfrom page 1E

Road West near theHuey P. LongBridge. Earlierthis fall, Intralox, adivisionofLaitrim Corp.,unveiled anew 17,000-square-foot expansion on itscampus that will house afood processing training center And developerLouis Lauricella, whose family ﬁrst opened the Elmwood Shopping Center in 1975, is planning a$120 million project tobuild 251 apartments, as wellasshops and restaurants, at the site of theformer Kmart, which shut down nearly a decade ago. The move is partofthe ongoing transformation of the outdoor stripmall that Lauricella beganupdating adecade ago.

Juge said those factors, as wellasother nearby investments —Ochsner Health’sconstructionof anew children’shospital building on itsJefferson Highway campusand the development of asubdivision with 100 single-family homes at the former Colonial Golf and Country Clubinnearby Harahan— make Elmwood an attractive area for ofﬁce space, as wellasfor the industrial properties for which it is better known.

“The big picture is, 20 or 30 yearsago you’d put your office at Elmwood if youhad to,” saidJuge, who plans to relocate his real estate brokerage office from Metairie to Elmwood Oaks. “Now,you want to put your office there.” ‘Alternative to Metairie’ Though Elmwood was developed initially as an industrial area with warehousesand “flex” space, its handful of office buildings have high occupancy rates, in part due to large

institutionaltenants that tend to have long-term leases. The averageoccupancy ratesfor Elmwood’s eight office buildings averaged nearly 93% in 2024. By comparison, the pricey East Metairie market, which includesthe Galleria and Lakeway towers, averaged 85%, while occupancy in downtownNew Orleans high rises hovered around 80%, according to Corporate Realty’sOfﬁce Report.

Corporate Realty broker Joe Gorman said amore significant driver behind the strength of the Elmwood ofﬁce market is its price point. Elmwood’soffice stock, though slightly older than Metairie’s newest “class A” buildings, lease, on average, for about $19 per square foot.Metairie’s classAtowers, by comparison, are the steepest in the market, averaging morethan $25 per square foot,while older buildings in Metairie go for about $20 per square foot on average.

“For those who want to be in Jefferson Parish, it’s an alternativetoMetairie, Gorman said. “When Lakewayis$26 afoot, Elmwood looks attractive.”

JeffersonParish Economic Development Commission President and CEO Jerry Bologna believes the continued growth of the area at a

timewhen other parts of the metro area are stagnating also accounts forinterest in Elmwoodofﬁce properties.

“Wehaveseen someorganic change in the makeup from awarehousing and logistics hubtomore commercial,retailand ofﬁce use,” he said.

“It’sdeveloping as acommunity within acommunity.”

In Baton Rouge, the industrial and mixed-use office properties in the Industriplex corridor off Siegen Lane, which is lined with strip malls and big-box retailers, have beneﬁted in asimilar way, according to commercial broker Grey Mullins.

“Industriplexreminds me of theElmwood-Clearview corridor —both ubercompetitive areas with industrial andcommercial space,” Mullins said. “Occupancy rates are high, and when things comeupfor sale, they tend to movefast.”

Juge hopes those synergies will help attract anew tenantortenants to Elmwood Ofﬁce Park, where he plans to move his ofﬁce from Metairie afterrenovations are complete. “Our challenge willbeto make acompelling caseto come to Elmwood,not Metairie,” he said.

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

STAFF FILE

PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD Ochsner Health CEO Pete November speaksinApril in front of an architectural rendering of the newGayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children’sHospital to be located on the Ochsner campus in Jefferson.

Hardy

Vaughn Hooks

Clark Myers

Mosely

Traynor

Knight-Hawkins

Quinlan

Stuller

Miller

Causin

Landrum

Michelle Singletary THE COLOR OF MONEy

PROVIDED RENDERING By LAURICELLA LAND

development makes use of the site of the oldKmart at the Elmwood ShoppingCenter in Jefferson Parish.

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

DOTD rebuilding trust through transparency, communication

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Q&A WITH JULIA FISHERCORMIER

Julia Fisher-Cormier is a rising star in Gov Jeff Landry’s administration, one that has leaned heavily on Landry’s promises to make state government more efficient and businessfriendly Fisher-Cormier’s résumé spanning long stints in both the public and private sectors embodies the kind of cross-sector experience Landry has prized: leaders who can quickly spot what makes bureaucracies sclerotic and slow to deliver for the public Cormier’s first assignment under Landry came as head of the Office of Multimodal Commerce, where she helped implement Louisiana’s first statewide port strategic plan and guided the creation of the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission. Her mandate was to improve coordination between the state’s ports, rail and freight networks — a natural fit for someone who had previously served as chief commercial officer at the Port of South Louisiana, one of the largest tonnage ports in the Western Hemisphere.

In September, Landry elevated Fisher-Cormier as part of a broader shake-up at the Department of Transportation and Development, naming her deputy secretary alongside Eric Dauphine She leads the new Office of Transformation, and Dauphine leads the Office of Project Delivery Together, they are charged with carrying out Landry’s May 2024 executive order, in which the governor castigated the DOTD for “deficiencies” and for having lost public trust. He argued that there was ample room to “streamline” the department’s 4,300-employee operation. The fact that the efficiency initia-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Julia Fisher-Cormier was appointed deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development in September to run the Office of Transformation. The mission is to deal with the department’s ‘deficiencies’ and make it work for the public.

tive had to be “re-launched” last month 18 months after Landry’s executive order — suggests that transforming DOTD may be less straightforward than it first seemed. Yet Fisher-Cormier’s mix of local government experience — 11 years on the St. Charles Parish Council — and background in commerce and logistics have made her one of the administration’s most pragmatic troubleshooters Cormier says her goal is not just to restructure an agency, but to restore conﬁdence in how Louisiana delivers its infrastructure. In this week’s Talking Business, she discusses how she’s been setting up the Ofﬁce of Transformation over the last few weeks.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity

Youwerealreadyinstategovernmentbefore beingnameddeputysecretaryatDOTD.How didyourearlierroleprepareyouforthisnew assignment?

That experience gave me an inside look at how the department operates and where it struggles. I wasn’t directly involved in road and bridge projects, but I saw close up what DOTD does well — and also what needed improvement. It helped me walk into this new role with a realistic sense of both the strengths and gaps inside the department.

Landry’s2024executiveorderdidn’tmince wordsaboutDOTD’s“deficiencies.”Whatdid you findwhenyougothere?

When the transformation effort first launched under the previous leadership, there was a basic framework put in place — 31 initiatives in response to the governor’s order — but then progress largely stalled. Decisions weren’t made and executive direction was missing So when I was appointed in September our ﬁrst task was to restart the process We spent the ﬁrst month meeting with staff across the state, listening to the people responsible

for each initiative, and asking what they needed to move forward. That helped us see where the work had gone quiet and how much remained to be done.

ThegovernorcriticizedDOTDforinefficiency Didyou findthatdiagnosisaccurate?

Not entirely There’s a lot the department already does right. The biggest issue wasn’t failure it was communication

Good work was happening, but nobody was telling the story, either internally or externally For instance, over the past two years, DOTD completed about $20 million worth of local transportation projects on time and on budget, but the Legislature didn’t even know it because those successes weren’t being shared. That lack of communication also extended to our challenges. People weren’t always candid about where things were stalled, whether that meant permitting delays or funding shortfalls So one of the first priorities of the Ofﬁce of Transformation is creating better systems for transparency. So we’re consistently communicating not just our wins, but our obstacles, and doing it across headquarters, districts and with legislators and the public.

Howareyougoingabout fixingthat?

We’re building formal communication processes not just press releases or social media, but clear, reliable feedback loops. For example, making sure a local government is personally notiﬁed if a road closure affects them, rather than just receiving a mass email. It sounds simple, but it wasn’t standard practice. We’re also standardizing response times and expectations for developers, contractors and local partners.

There’salonglistof31initiativesunderthe transformationeffort.Whataretheonesyou thinkwillmattermosttothepublic?

One is operations and maintenance — day-to-day issues like potholes, guardrails and road closures. We’re tightening up how those are handled and communicated. Another is strengthening the link between economic development and

transportation planning. Historically, those two areas didn’t work together closely enough. Sometimes a major business project would be announced, and DOTD’s processes would unintentionally slow it down. Now we’re integrating economic impact into how we prioritize and design projects, allowing more ﬂexibility where appropriate while keeping safety as the top priority

Thegovernorhastalkedaboutstreamlining DOTD’s4,300employees.Isthatunderway?

We’ve launched a workforce and workload assessment through the Louisiana Transportation Research Center They’re analyzing where the work is actually happening section by section, job by job — to see whether staff are balanced and resources are being used effectively It’s not just about cutting positions; it’s about aligning people with the work that needs to be done. That’s important for both efﬁciency and morale.

Willnewfunding,suchastheallocation fromthestate’sstabilizationfund helpreduce thebacklogofroadandbridgeprojects?

Not in a significant way That backlog, around $19 billion to $20 billion, is enormous. The stabilization funding is helpful but won’t make a noticeable dent. The bigger effort is to prioritize projects better and make sure those that are ready to go actually move forward.

Whendoyouthinkthepublicmightstartto seeresultsfromthesereforms?

Some changes — like improved communication and responsiveness — will be felt relatively soon. But meaningful reductions in the project backlog will take longer Over the next few months, we’re reviewing all 31 initiatives to decide which can yield short-term wins and which are long-term structural ﬁxes. My hope is that as we demonstrate real progress and transparency, the Legislature and the public will see that DOTD is serious about earning back trust and delivering results.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Fool’sTake: Blue-chip dividends andgrowth

COMER

Continued from page 1E

globally andabout 130 in New Orleans while reporting revenue for the ﬁrst threequarters of theyearinexcess of $80 million.

Since then, Comer has focused on aturnaround even as tariff uncertainty and the lack of amajor national election cycle have softeneddemand for marketresearch.

The Vanguard Dividend AppreciationETF (ticker: VIG) is chock-fullofblue-chipcompanies. It aims to roughly duplicate the performance of the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index which features companies with at least 10 consecutive years of dividend increases —byholding mostorall of the same companies. (The index also excludes the top-yielding quarter of eligible stocks to avoid yield traps —situations where astock has ahighdividend yield simply becauseits stock price has fallen often for not-so-good reasons.)

It’saweighted index, meaning that certain stocks make up more of the assets thanothers, and there were 337 stocks altogetherasofSept. 30. The top ﬁve holdingsthen were: Broadcom Microsoft, JPMorganChase, Apple and Eli Lilly. The ETF’srecent dividend yield of 1.6%may seem small, but remember that the per-share payout should growover time.The mostrecent quarterly payout was $0.865 pershare, and adecade earlier,itwas $0.443. Topholding Broadcom recently offered adividend yield of 0.6%, but it has increased its payoutby82% over the pastﬁve years alone. Another bonus —this fund has an extremely low fee. Itsexpense ratio of 0.05% means that for every $10,000 you have invested,you’ll pay only $5 peryear.(The Motley Fool ownsshares of and recommends the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF.)

Ask the Fool: What’sa ‘naked call’option?

What’sa“nakedcall”option?—L.D.,Lancaster,Pennsylvania First, understand that options can be tricky andrisky,and you can build wealth successfully in the stock market without everusing them. But on to naked calls: Thereare two main kinds of options —calls and puts. Buyinga call gives you the right to buy acertain numberof shares at acertain “strike” price withina deﬁned period of time (often just afew months). Buyingaput, conversely, gives you theright to sell shares. When you sell (or “write”) acall, you’re committing to deliveraset number of sharesifthe buyer exercises the call. If you own theshares, it’s a“covered call.” If you don’t, it’sa “naked call.” Naked calls are riskier because should the stock surge, you may have to fulﬁll your contractual obligation by buying the sharesat the new,higher stock price to deliver to your buyer. Youcan lose alot of money if things don’t go the way you thought they would. But if thestock staysbelow thestrike priceuntil the optionexpires, you get to pocket the price of theoption. If you’re intrigued by options, read andlearn alot more about them before you tradeany

Now,instead of having more time to throw the ball with his kids or siprum drinks on an island, Comer is back in the trenches, trying to boost the financial performance of the company that absorbed the business he built for morethan adecade. He travels multiple times each month to several continentstomeet withcustomers, employees,board members and investors.

Thesurprising turn of events demonstrates that asplashy “exit,”the tech world’sterm for sellinga company,isn’t always theend of the story

In Lucid’scase, Comer is now working harder than ever to preserve his startup’slegacy and boost thevalue of Cint’s stock in the process, while he cheersonseveral former Lucid execs who have created spinoff companiesthat areturning New Orleans intoasmall-scale hubfor the evolving market research industry

Anyone withastake in Cint, which reported roughly $180 millioninnet salesin2024and hasmore than 700 employees, is no doubt rooting for Comer as well.

“I feel very responsible and accountable because Istood up to my investors, much less Cint’sinvestors, andsaidthis deal was going to work,” Comer said during an interview at hisLower Garden Districtofﬁce last week. “So my primary reasonfor being back in the deal is because Isaid it was going to make it work. People are like,‘Well,the share pricewill makememoney.’ All that may be true.But the clear reason is to fulﬁll my obligations.

Opportunity to expand

At the time of their merger, Lucid and Cint were doing similar things from different sides of theAtlantic. They both connected brands, researchers, political campaigns and other clientstoa global audience of surveyrespondents, who might trade their feedback forairlinemiles, loyaltycard points or other perks.

By 2021, Lucid had grown to employ more than 500 people

Cint, meanwhile, which had been acquiredin2016 by a private equity ﬁrm, hadabout twice as manyemployees and reported more than $150 million in revenue for that year Its owners saw in Lucid an opportunity to expand, and in October offered roughly $580 millionincash and$470 million in shares for the company

On paper, the mergermade a lotofsense. Former Cint CEO TomBuehlmannsaidthenit would “enable ourcustomers to access millions of people’s opinions in an easier,faster and more efﬁcient way.”

But, in hindsight, the timing might have been better for Lucid thanCint.

The deal closed just before rising interest ratesand inflation, combined with artificial intelligencedisruption, shocked the entire tech industry,leading to the loss of nearly $7 trillion in market valueindustrywide over the next year

“I sold at the absolutetop of the most recentbullmarket for technology globally: Dec. 29, 2021,” Comer said. “The share price of Cint dropped by 90% in the next 18 monthsbecause thevalue of technology stocks fell from itshigh-water mark.”

‘Tonsofchallenges’

Postacquisition, Cint battled withexternalproblems, like a reduction of researchtechnology budgets, and internal ones, most notably the much slowerthan-expected integration of theplatforms Cint and Lucid used to serve their customers.

“Wehave struggled to combine these companies and their technology,” Comer said. “In a vacuum, either oneofthem worked great, but pullingall thesethingstogetherhas created tons of challenges.”

The numbers tell the story: Cint was trading at over 100 Swedishkrona on theStockholm Nasdaq stock exchange at thetimeofthe deal.After asteep decline in 2022 and a slower descentafter that, the company’sshare price was hovering in thesingle digitsin September 2024, when Comer was tapped to take the reins.

In itsmostrecent earnings report, Cint reported aroughly 20% quarter-over-quarter net salesdecline in the third quarter of thisyear.But Comer said the drop in revenue happened forthe right reason:The company chose to avoid a“death by athousand cuts” by moving mostCint customers to the new consolidated tech platform in a burst rather than over time. Now that most customers are working on thesame system, he believeshis teamsaround the globe can focus on bringing in newones.

“This is not afalling market noristhis afailedstrategy,but this is literally the cost of the transition,” he said in his Oct. 24 presentation. Lastweek, he saidthe company can now shift“back to innovation, back to revenue,back to ourcustomers.”

Specific moves that have Comer excited include the releaseofa newchatbot feature that will let customers interact with their data and apartnership with avendor that will provide salesdata to quantify the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

The‘Lucidmafia’

For severalyears after the Lucidsale, Comerservedas chair of the Cint board of directors. Thatadvisory roleallowedhim to focusonhis family andpursue other interests.

Duringthattime,hefounded the gaming startup Gripnr andheco-foundedNieuxCo., which operates atech community gathering place based in the Eiffel Towerbuilding on St. CharlesAvenue. He and his wife,Christina, also have supported civic causes in New Orleans, like a$1.5 million donation to the Son of aSaint nonproﬁt anda biggergift to the choir at their shared alma mater,the University of theSouth in Sewanee, Tennessee. He’snot theonlyone who’s been busy

Since 2021, several former Lucid execs —who Comer called the“Lucidmafia” have launchedtech ventures of theirown

RepData, foundedbyformerLucid employee Patrick Stokes, completed amajor fundraising round earlierthis year for itssoftware that promises high-quality data and fraud protection. The company has 100 employees, including about 20 in NewOrleans. RepDatabought Research Defender,foundedbyanother former Lucidemployee, Vignesh Krishnan, in 2023. Rick Rogers, who moved to New Orleans in 2015 to work for Lucid, launched RevOptimal in 2023 to help companies better target audiences for their online ads. The company has16employees, including four in NewOrleans.

Cint itselfhas about50employees working in Louisiana, but that’snot the only wayits CEO is boosting the region’s tech scene.

Comer is amongthe tech founders who contributed to aventure capital fund that invests in some of the startups that graduate from accelerator programs at the Idea Village, the city’smost high-profile nonproﬁt business accelerator

“That’sa clear and undeniable example of the passing on,” said Comer,who said he sees similaritiesbetween the business climate nowand 15 years agowhenhelaunched Lucid.

“Wewerecoming offthe economic crisis of 2008 through 2011,” he said. “Now,the next bull run is abouttostart, and you always want to start companieswhenthingsare tough, because you’ve gotthe most runway or ramp to build from there.”

And while Cint is not astartup by any stretch, Comer is eager to rolluphis sleeves and treat it like one in an era when AI presents the biggest challenge andopportunity.

“Every industry is going through the same terrifying opportunityand problem: Can AI replace or improve what we do,” he said. “As humans, we hopethe answer is no.But technology being whatitis, the answer maybeyes. That’s terrifyingifyou’re notinthe mix, but if you’re leading the change, it’s opportunity.” Email RichCollinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Motley Fool

AROUND THE REGION

DevDays challenging college students to find solutions

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

There are no participation trophies at Nexus Louisiana’s DevDays.

The competition challenges innovators to come up with solutions to the state’s most pressing issues in the business incubator’s latest push to connect with Louisiana’s young talent. While one team gets to walk away with a $5,000 check, Nexus CEO Tony Zanders says there aren’t any losers either DevDays brings experts and young professionals in the same room to devise tangible products that solve an issue impacting the state, such as carbon emissions and common injuries.

The contest is geared toward college students, who get feedback on how to improve their solution and an opportunity to network with industry professionals, win or lose.

“Don’t take for granted all the things that could happen today if you just be yourself,” Zanders told competitors at the ﬁrst DevDay in October

This year, Nexus Louisiana has aligned its efforts to stimulate innovation in the state with college students and young professionals through networking opportunities at LSU tailgates and competitions, hosting the Nexus Technology Cup in June.

Zanders said older industry professionals may not be attuned to the latest issues in their ﬁeld so the onus is on young people to become educated on the mistakes of prior generations and apply their knowledge when they enter the workforce.

The goal is to get “them to point their critical thinking skills to this problem the earlier the better,” he said.

The first DevDay competition, held late last month, asked teams to ﬁnd a way to track and manage carbon capture, utilization and storage. While the issue is grounded in energy, the contest pushed students to become well-rounded in business as energy solutions must come to

the marketplace and connect with the public.

“Our future innovators in this room will have to be not just be ﬂuent in the language of molecules, but also be ﬂuent in the language of market,” said Ashwith Chilvery, a competition judge who serves as director of use-inspired research and development for the energy innovation organization Future Use of Energy in Louisiana.

Across the state colleges and universities are cultivating student entrepreneurs and helping them launch successful startups through new and expanded entrepreneurship classes, on-campus business incubators and pitch competitions. The move comes as young people show a greater awareness of entre-

preneurship than older generations and less interest in trying to climb the corporate ladder for the duration of their career Inside the Louisiana Tech Park, the inaugural competition teemed with industry leaders and college students anxious to pitch their project. A representative from Louisiana Economic Development watched to see if any competitors would be eligible for funding. Staff from energy technology company Baker Hughes and FUEL — both competition sponsors — provided critiques for teams on the scalability of their projects, their appeal to wide range of stakeholders and the originality of their solution. The next DevDay set for Friday

Beyond.

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabelief that haspowered us forover80years.Weare Jones Walker LLP,afirm driven by an entrepreneurialspirit, a deepsense of community, andafierce determination to deliver exceptionalservice andvalue forour clients. Since1937, our firm hasbeencommitted to workingwith communityleaders to develop business opportunities across thestate.Weare steadfastincontinuingour dedicationto go beyond in advising clientsand supporting initiativesand organizationsthatmake Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork.

WilliamH.Hines

Grambling State University student Daniel Osuoha speaks during his group’s presentation during Nexus Louisiana’s first DevDay competition Oct. 24 at Louisiana Tech Park.

challenges teams to create a solution to improve ACL injury prevention and recovery Surgeons conduct 400,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries each year and injuries commonly stem from sports.

Zanders said the topic will be “tangible” for the public, given the frequency of the injuries.

“It’s going to make technology a lot more accessible and close to home,” he said

After presentations from 11 teams, a group of University of Louisiana at Monroe students took home the prize for the ﬁrst DevDay competition. Their creation, titled Carbon Horizon is a dashboard that collects carbon capture, utilization and storage data from facilities and uses artiﬁcial intelligence to gener-

ate industry-compliant reports for the Environmental Protection Agency, slashing time and work spent on manual data entry and analysis. The platform also has a marketplace for companies to sell their stored carbon.

Team member Jeevan Parajuli said that as computer science students, the group wasn’t attuned to carbon capture prior to the competition. But the team saw an opportunity to apply their skills to an issue important to the public, and their work isn’t over “Part of that money, we’re going to invest in the next DevDay coming up,” he said Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

Drivingregionaleconomicgrowththrough legalknowledge,strategic guidance, andindustry-focusedpartnerships.

Ourﬁrm is optimisticabout Louisiana’seconomicfuture, particularly in oiland gas, sustainableenergy,digital healthcare,and technology.As thestate advances in energy transition andinnovation, businesses must navigate evolving legal landscapes.Our affiliate, AvidentAdvisors,supportsthistransformation by providingstrategic site selection andinvestment guidanceacrosskey sectors, includingcarboncapture, ports, sustainableenergy, andadvanced manufacturing. With strong momentum andexpanding opportunities, Louisiana is poised forsigniﬁcanteconomicgrowth—and we areproud to help lead theway forward.

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have to do any‐thing nowifyou want to remaininthe Classand keep thepossibility of getting moneyorbene‐ﬁts from this lawsuit. What AreMyOther Op‐tions? If youdonot want tobea part of theClass you must excludeyour‐self(“opt out”)byDe‐cember5,2025. If youopt out,you will notbeeligi‐ble to receiveany pay‐ments or beneﬁts that might result at trialor settlement. Requests to opt outmustbeinwrit‐ing,signed, dated, con‐tainthe statement“I wanttobeexcluded fromthe ClassinDavis etal. v. ISCO Industries Inc.”, andmailedtoISCO DataBreachExclusions, c/o TheNoticeCompany P.O.Box 455, Hingham, MA02043. Do notopt out ifyou wish to remain a memberofthe Class. Thedescriptionsinthis Noticeare only sum‐maries. If youhaveany questions or wouldlike moreinformation,includ‐ing adetailednotice, pleasecontact theClass Administrator at 1-800960-7520 or visit www.ISCODataBreach. com. Please do notcall the Courtabout this No‐ticeorlawsuit.Theywill not be able to give you adviceoransweryour questions 164467-oct31-nov5-9-3t $1,167

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Yes, knowledge is power, and thechoice is yours. But you MUSTACT NOW to put your estate planinplace. It all starts by attendingone of LauraPoche’s free educational eventswhich makes it clear that regardless of your networth,ifyou want to preserveyourhard-earned assetsorhavepeople in your life you need to protectorhavecauses that youwanttopromote, EVERY PERSON NEEDSALEGAL ESTATEPLAN. Let LauraPoche and her professional and knowledgeable staffmakethis process as easyaspossible so youcan livewith PEACEOFMIND

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VolunteerAlex Landry, left,anLSU pre-med student withthe AlphaEpsilon Deltaservice organization, listenstothe heartbeat of Mitchell Pea, of Baton Rouge, as he takes Pea’sblood pressure while assisting staff on Aug. 24, 2019, at theBatonRouge CardiologyCenter’s screeningclinic at the Louisiana Men’sHealth Organization’s18th annual Men’sHealthConferenceat Pennington Biomedical ResearchCenter

Worrying trend

Doctorsdiscuss whyLouisiana menare dyingyounger than elsewhereand howthey’re trying to reversethat

BY EMILYWOODRUFF Staffwriter

Louisiana men live an average of around69years,between ﬁveand six years less thanthe national average, according to the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.Statedata show fewer than two-thirds sawadoctor in the past year.Thatgap, drivenbydelayed care, economic barriers andlongstanding culturalnorms, costslives and strains families.

Many men don’tprioritizetheir own health, said Glenis Scott, prevention program manager at CrescentCarein New Orleans, often because showingup to work or responsibilitiestofamily or friends win out over goingto thedoctor.

“Those consequences they see as greater than their own health,” Scott said.

He’sseen men whowon’tseek care until acrisis makes it unavoidable.His outreach teams go where men already feel at easetotalkabout preventive care, testing and sexual health. To gain trust, they ﬁrst must ﬁnd“gatekeepers” of trustedspaces —the barbers who know every customer by name, theperson who unlocks the gym or the owner of the local dive bar Thoseconversations canbe rawand personal. Men talk more freely,hesaid, when they’re away from family or work, in places where they can drop their guard. Some are hearing basic health

Cedric Parmsasks aquestion while talking withphysician’sassistant Gabe Guerrero on Aug. 23 outsideofthe screening area for Goodwood Men’sWellness at the Pennington Biomedical’sAnnual Men’sHealth Summit in Baton Rouge.

information for the ﬁrst time, having grown up without comprehensive sexor health education,whichisnot required in Louisiana.

“A lot of themhave never had these

conversations at all,” Scott said.

Dr.KeithFerdinand, professor of medicine and director of preventive

ä See MEN, page 2X

Study shows implant reverses blindness

BY ANYASOSTEK Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Ateam co-led by aUniversity of Pittsburgh professor was able to restore sight to blind patients with advanced maculardegeneration, according to areport published recently in the NewEngland Journal of Medicine.

Thestudy was conducted in Europe by ateam of researchers including senior author José-Alain Sahel, who moved fromhis native France to joinUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2016. The study evaluates aprocedure that implantsatiny wireless panel of electrodesintothe eyethatworks in conjunction with eyeglasses equippedwithabuilt-in camera andinfrared projector.Morethan 80% of theparticipantssaw aclinically meaningful improvement in their vision.

“It’sthe first time that any attempt at vision restoration has achieved results in such alarge number of patients,” said Sahel, chairofPitt’sophthalmology department and director of the UPMC Vision Institute.

Advanced atrophic age-related maculardegeneration is theleadingcause of irreversible blindness in people olderthan80, affecting more than5 millionpeopleworldwide. As the disease advances, vision blurs in the center of the ﬁeld of vision, leaving peripheral vision intact. The technology used in the study allows participants to blend their functional peripheral vision with enhancements in their central vision from the implanted electrodes and the glasses.

The study involved 38 European patients withadvanced macular degeneration who were 60 years or olderand hadvisionthatwas worse than 20/320 —meaning that they would need to be 20 feet away to see what aperson with normal vision can see from 320 feet away When the study began, participants were unable to see even the ﬁrst or second line of avision chart, said Sahel.

The participants trained with the devicefor severalmonths, and32 of the original38participantswere still using it 12 months after the study began. At that point,withthe implant and glasses, “the average wasthree linesofimprovement,” said Sahel. “One of them had12 lines of improvement, which is incredible.”

Those 12 linestranslatedtoseeinganadditional 59 letters on the vision chart. On average, the patients could seeabout 25 additional letters.

In additiontoimprovements in testing, mostofthe participants also reported that they found the implant and glasses useful in their everyday lives. They used them at hometoread letters, numbers and words, as well as for daily activities such as navigating thesubway,

ä See IMPLANT, page 3X

STAFF FILEPHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

HEALTH MAKER

Acupuncturist brings Chinese medical practices to La.

BY SHANTELL GOMEZ Contributing Writer

The Acupuncture Center of Acadiana has been a quiet and steady presence in Lafayette’s healing community since 1997. Its founder, John Hebert, is a licensed and board-certiﬁed practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine who blends classical wisdom with modern understanding. A graduate of Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, Hebert completed a two-year clinical internship in China and is a certiﬁed Diplomat of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. He also helped found the Acupuncture Association of Louisiana. At his practice inside Camélia House, Hebert focuses on helping the body restore balance through acupuncture, herbal medicine and related therapies. He shares about what acupuncture really is, how it works and what patients can expect.

WhatledyoutoopentheAcupunctureCenterofAcadiananearly threedecadesago?

When I returned from studying in China, I felt a deep pull to bring that experience back home. There weren’t many places in Louisiana offering acupuncture at the time, and I wanted to create a center where people could access genuine, well-rounded care rooted in traditional Chi-

nese medicine. Over the years, the goal has always been the same: to help people reconnect with their own capacity to heal. Forthosenewtotheidea,what exactlyisacupuncture?

Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve function It’s one of eight branches of traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the principle of Yin and Yang — the balance between opposing but interconnected forces like activity and rest, or body and mind. When these forces are in

balance, life energy or Qi (pronounced “chee”) ﬂows smoothly through the body

When that flow is blocked or weakened, pain or illness can develop. Through the very precise placement of very fine needles at specific points, acupuncture helps restore balance and communication within the body

Simply put, it’s the art and practice of correcting imbalance, which allows the body’s natural self-regulating abilities to do what they’re meant to do: heal. Howdoesacupunctureworkona physiologicallevel?

The classical Chinese explanation is that energy

travels through the body in a network of meridians, like a series of rivers that nourish and connect every part of the body When one of these rivers gets blocked, you might have pain, fatigue or dysfunction in certain areas.

By stimulating specific acupuncture points, we can remove those blockages and restore the free flow of Qi. From a biomedical view, acupuncture influences multiple systems at once. It can reduce inflammation, regulate immune function, improve circulation and even rebalance the autonomic nervous system — the part that controls your body’s fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest responses. While some people talk about an endorphin release as the main mechanism, it’s only part of the story The most powerful effects come from improved circulation, nervous system regulation and the body’s ability to move out of chronic stress patterns.

Whatconditionsdoyoumost oftentreat?

Most people know acupuncture for pain things like back pain, migraines or arthritis. But we also treat a wide range of chronic and acute conditions. Common ones include hormonal imbalances, autoimmune disorders, allergies, anxiety, depression and digestive disorders.

In recent years, I’ve seen remarkable results in using acupuncture to help with

stress and anxiety One of its greatest strengths is its ability to help the body shift out of the constant “ﬁghtor-ﬂight” state that so many people live in today

By calming the nervous system, acupuncture promotes deep relaxation and helps the body regain balance.

Whatdoesatypical firstvisit looklike?

The ﬁrst session always begins with a conversation. We go over medical history, current complaints, and even emotional or environmental factors that could be affecting health. Many people are nervous their ﬁrst time, but that usually fades as soon as they realize how gentle and relaxing acupuncture actually is.

Most patients leave the session feeling deeply calm and many notice some level of relief right away

Howmanytreatmentsdoessomeoneusuallyneed?

That really depends on the condition and the individual. For chronic or longstanding issues, I might recommend one or two sessions a week for several months. For acute problems like a sprained ankle or a tension headache just a few visits may do the trick.

Once a patient’s main complaint is resolved, maintenance sessions may be recommended. It’s a good way to keep the body in balance and prevent issues from coming back.

Whatareyourfavoritesuccess stories?

My favorite moments are when people start believing in their own wellness again. Sometimes patients come in after years of trying different treatments without ﬁnding relief what I call “cases of desperation.”

They’ve been passed from practitioner to practitioner, collecting diagnoses and prescriptions along the way Watching them gradually regain function — to see their energy return, their pain lift and their conﬁdence grow that’s what makes this work so meaningful.

Whatdoyouwantpeopletoknow aboutacupuncture?

First, it doesn’t hurt and second, it often feels really good. We work hard to make sure the experience is comfortable and peaceful. When someone is at ease, the body communicates and heals much more effectively

Acupuncture is part of a beautifully effective, timetested medical system. Over the last three decades, I’ve come to truly appreciate how adaptable and safe it is. It’s not just about needles it’s about restoring communication and balance in the body so it can heal itself.

I feel honored to serve this community and look forward to many more years of helping people discover that balance.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

Advice to feed babies peanuts helped thousands avoid allergies

BY JONEL ALECCIA AP health writer

A decade after a landmark study proved that feeding peanut products to young babies could prevent development of life-threatening allergies, new research ﬁnds the change has made a big difference in the real world.

Peanut allergies began to decline in the U.S. after guidance ﬁrst issued in 2015 upended medical practice by recommending introducing the allergen to infants starting as early as 4 months The rate of peanut allergies in children ages 0 to 3 fell by more than 27% after guidance for high-risk kids was ﬁrst issued in 2015, and by more than 40% after the recommendations were expanded in 2017.

“That’s a remarkable thing, right?” said Dr. David Hill, an allergist and researcher at Children’s Hos-

MEN

Continued from page 1X

cardiology at Tulane University, sees the result of those years of avoidance: heart disease, stroke and kidney failure Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for men in Louisiana and the chief driver of the state’s mortality gap between White residents and Black residents. The prevalence of heart disease is 46.7% among Black Louisianans, compared with 38.4% for White residents, according to state data. Men have higher rates of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes and often don’t have preventative care with a doctor because of cost, limited insurance or cultural norms about toughness and independence.

“Many of these patients feel fine until their first symptom is a heart attack,” Ferdinand said. Women, he noted, are conditioned to seek preventive care from adolescence through regular checkups and reproductive care. Men have no equivalent. That lack of routine can be deadly

pital of Philadelphia, and author of a study published last month in the medical journal Pediatrics Hill and colleagues analyzed electronic health records from dozens of pediatric practices to track diagnoses of food allergies in young children before, during and after the guidelines were issued.

“I can actually come to you today and say there are less kids with food allergy today than there would have been if we hadn’t implemented this public health effort,” he added

About 60,000 children have avoided food allergies since 2015, including 40,000 children who otherwise would have developed peanut allergies. Still, about 8% of children are affected by food allergies, including more than 2% with a peanut allergy.

Peanut allergy is caused when the body’s immune

“There’s no such thing as a well-man visit,” Ferdinand said.

Some solutions are beginning to take shape. At Tulane, Ferdinand helped lead the CHERISH study, which embedded health workers in churches to screen for high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. But men were a small fraction of participants because they attend church less often than women. To reach them, he’s proposed expanding into New Orleans’ social and pleasure clubs through second line events and recreation centers where men already gather Next month, the American Heart Association plans to install self-use blood pressure kiosks in several New Orleans Recreation Department facilities, from Joe W. Brown Park in New Orleans East to the Tremé Center A family member is often the reason some men are prodded into Dr Clayton Runfalo’s ofﬁce in Gonzales.

“Their partner brings them in,” he said. “They’re quick to change their oil in their car and do the maintenance on their truck or their boat, but to do the preventative maintenance on themselves, they just don’t do it.”

system mistakenly identifies proteins in peanuts as harmful and releases chemicals that trigger allergic symptoms, including hives, respiratory symptoms and, sometimes, life-threatening anaphylaxis.

For decades, doctors had recommended delaying feeding children peanuts and other foods likely to trigger allergies until age 3. But in 2015, Gideon Lack at King’s College London, published the groundbreaking Learning Early About Peanut Allergy, or LEAP, trial.

Lack and colleagues showed that introducing peanut products in infancy reduced the future risk of developing food allergies by more than 80%. Later analysis showed that the protection persisted in about 70% of kids into adolescence.

The study immediately sparked new guidelines urging early introduction of

Boys are told to “shake it off” or “be strong,” said Runfalo, lessons that carry into adulthood. By the time men finally visit a doctor preventable conditions like high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure may already be entrenched.

He’s seen patients who delayed colon cancer screenings or ignored symptoms until they required surgery Fear is a factor, especially if the procedure involves an uncomfortable exam.

New technology has made some screenings less invasive. Runfalo pitches a take-home kit that is a colonoscopy alternative to his more reluctant patients as “poop-in-a-box.” But real change depends on men developing a long-term relationship with a doctor who can screen for the usual men killers: cardiovascular disease, prostate and colon cancers, diabetes, mental health issues and even sleep issues, which can turn into serious problems as men age.

“Their primary care doctor, their family doctor, is their biggest health care partner,” Runfalo said.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

peanuts — but putting them into practice has been slow

Only about 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists reported following the expanded guidance issued in 2017, surveys found.

Confusion and uncertainty about the best way to introduce peanuts early in life led to the lag, according to a commentary that accompanied the study Early on, medical experts and parents alike questioned whether the practice could be adopted outside of tightly controlled clinical settings.

The data for the analysis came from a subset of participating practice sites and may not represent the entire U.S. pediatric population, noted the commentary, led by Dr Ruchi Gupta a child allergy expert at Northwestern University However, the new research offers “promising evidence that early allergen

introduction is not only being adopted but may be making a measurable impact,” the authors concluded.

Advocates for the 33 million people in the U.S. with food allergies welcomed signs that early introduction of peanut products is catching on.

“This research reinforces what we already know and underscores a meaningful opportunity to reduce the incidence and prevalence of peanut allergy nationwide,” said Sung Poblete, chief executive of the nonprofit group Food Allergy Research & Education, or FARE.

The new study emphasizes the current guidance, updated in 2021, which calls for introducing peanuts and other major food allergens between four and six months, without prior screening or testing, Hill said. Parents should consult their pedia-

tricians about any questions. “It doesn’t have to be a lot of the food, but little tastes of peanut butter, milk-based yogurt, soy-based yogurts and tree butters,” he said. “These are really good ways to allow the immune system exposure to these allergenic foods in a safe way.” Tiffany Leon, 36, a Maryland registered dietitian and director at FARE, introduced peanuts and other allergens early to her two young sons. At ﬁrst, Leon’s own mother was shocked at the advice to feed babies such foods before the age of 3, she said. But Leon explained how the science had changed.

“As a dietitian, I practice evidence-based recommendations,” she said. “So when someone told me, ‘This is how it’s done now, these are the new guidelines,’ I just though, OK, well, this is what we’re going to do.”

WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

A needle is used by a Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center worker to take a blood sample for a man’s prostate cancer screening using a prostate-specific antigen test, on Aug. 24, 2019, at the Louisiana Men’s Health Organization’s 18th annual Men’s Health Conference on at Pennington Biomedical Research Center

PHOTO PROVIDED By JOHN HEBERT

John Hebert, is a licensed and board-certified practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Eat Fit LiveFit

Thoseofuswho lovebakinghave beenpatiently waitingallyearforthis specialseason,atime whenwesharegratitude andaffectionthrough food.Inthecoming weeks,I’llsharesomeEat Fitholidayrecipesthat alsomakegreatbakedgoodsgifts,including gluten-freeandlowsugaroptions.Let’sstart withoneofmyfavorites: cranberryoatcookies. Thisrecipewas

createdbyJudith Montalvo,managerof FuelCaféatOchsner FitnessCenter,and blendsallthecozy ﬂavorsoftheseason —cinnamon,pumpkin spiceandapopof tartcranberry—intoa naturallysweetened, gluten-freeholidaytreat

Eachcookieoffersanourishingmix ofﬁber-richoatstosupporthealthy digestionandbloodsugarlevels;plantbasedfatsfromalmondﬂourandpumpkin seeds;andpolyphenolsincranberriesfor gutandimmunehealth.Enjoy! CranberryOatCookies Makes18cookies

1/4cupcoconutoil,softened 1/4teaspoonseasalt 2eggs

1/3cuphoney

1teaspoonvanillaextract

1cupalmondﬂour

1/4teaspoonpumpkinspice

1/3teaspooncinnamon 1/8teaspoongroundginger

1/4teaspoonbakingpowder

2cupsoats

1cupunsweeteneddriedcranberries

1/2cuppumpkinseeds

BY THENUMBERS

Preheatovento325degrees.Linea bakingsheetwithparchmentpaper.

Mixtogetherwetingredients Inasmallsaucepan,meltthecoconut oilovermediumheatandletcoolslightly soitiswarmbutnothot.Whiskinthesea

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

LOUISIANAHAS 8TH-HIGHEST CANCER DEATHRATES IN THEU.S.

In 2023, more than 9,000 people in Louisiana died from cancer,atarate of 165.1 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people. That’shigher than the U.S. cancerdeath rate at 145.4 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people.

According to data from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Louisiana had the eighth-highest cancer-related death rate in the country.

Kentucky took the top spotwiththe highest cancer-related death rate with 180.4 deaths per100,000 followedbyMississippi with 179 deaths per 100,000 and West Virginia at 177.9 deaths per 100,000.

Utah had the lowest cancer-related death rates in 2023 with 121.5 deathsper 100,000 followedbyHawaii with 121.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 and Newyork with 125.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000

In Louisiana, only four parishes had cancerrelateddeath rates lowerthan the national average—Caldwell, East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Cameron parishes.

These parishes had the lowest cancer-related death rates in the state, in ascending order: n Caldwell Parish with 123.9 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n East Baton RougeParish with 144.7 cancer-

IMPLANT

Continued from page1X

said Sahel. The device used in the study differed from previous implants used to enhance vision because it was wireless, said Sahel, as well as howitcould track when patients moved their eyes, versus movingtheir entire head. Sahel and others at Pitt have begun to study the technology in Pittsburgh as well.In2020, theﬁrstpatientinthe United States to receive the implant did so at UPMC as part of a feasibility study Sahel has been studying

salt,eggs,honeyandvanilla extractuntilsmooth.

Combinedryingredients

In alarge mixing bowl, combinealmond ﬂour,pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ground ginger and baking powder.Stir in oats, cranberriesand pumpkin seeds until evenlydistributed.

Stirtogetherandbake

Pourthecoconutoil mixtureintothedry ingredientsandstiruntil justcombined.Usingasmall scooportablespoon,portion doughontotheprepared bakingsheet,leavingspace betweencookies.

Bake9minutes,thenrotate panandbake4to5minutes longer,untiledgesarelightly goldenandcentersareset. Letthecookiescoolonthe panforafewminutesbefore transferringtoawirerack.

Perserving:150calories,7gramsfat,3 gramssaturatedfat,50mgsodium,19 gramscarbohydrates,3gramsﬁber,9 gramssugar,4gramsprotein

Ratherbuythanbake?

We’veteamedupwithPigeonCatering tobringthesewholesomecookiesto lifebeyondyourkitchenverysoon.Early nextyear,you’llﬁndthemavailablefor purchasethroughPigeonandatselect retailers.Also,they’reofferednowatFUEL CaféformembersofOchsnerFitness CenterinElmwood.

parish:

related deaths per 100,000 people, n Ascension Parish with 145 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Cameron Parish with 145.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Orleans Parish with 147.7 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n St.TammanyParish with 149.4 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people, n JeffersonParish with 152.3 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people, n West Baton Rougeand Rapides parishes with 156.5 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Lincoln Parish with 159.8 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Livingston Parish with 159.8 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people.

These parishes had the highest rates of cancer-related deaths in the state, in descending order:

n East Carroll Parish with 251.4 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n JacksonParish with 217.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Catahoula Parish with 213.1 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people, n Allen Parish with 206 cancer-related deaths per100,000 people,

this technology for more than 15 years, alongwith Stanford professor Daniel Palanker whois also asenior author of the study

Further research in Pittsburgh is ongoing,and the device manufacturer hasalso applied for clinical use authorization in Europe andthe United States to bringitonthe market. In thefuture, improvements in the electrical panel mayallow participants to see at higher resolutions, andthe treatmentmay beexpanded to othervisiondiseases

“Of course there will be further developments,” said Sahel.“It’s notthe end of the story.”

n Tensas Parish with 202.7 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n St. LandryParish with 202.1 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people,

n Webster Parish with 200.2 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people,

n Union Parish with 197.6 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, n Beauregard Parish with 196.6 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people, n Jefferson DavisParish with 196.4 cancerrelateddeaths per 100,000 people.

José-Alain Sahel, chair of the University of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter’s ophthalmologydepartment and director of the UPMC Vision Institute, holds the PRIMAimplant, seen as alittleblack dot. Ateam co-led by Sahel was able to restore sight to blind patients with advanced macular degeneration, according to areport published recentlyinthe NewEngland Journal of Medicine.

PHOTO PROVIDED By UNIVERSITy OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER

BRO UGH TT OY OU BY

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Healthy Drinks

Caffeinefanswillbehappytoknow thatcoffeeisbelievedtobeone ofthebestdrinkstopromoteliver health.Studieshaveshownthat drinkingcoffeecanhelplowertherisk ofcirrhosisandprotectagainstfatty liverdisease.Coffeeconsumptioncan decreaseinﬂammationandincrease protectiveantioxidantsintheliver.

Anewstudysuggestsdrinkingevenonedietorregularsodaadaycanincreasetheriskofliverdisease. Consideringtheliverisoneofthebody’smostimportantorgans,let’slearnmoreabouthealthieroptions.

Coffee TeaBeetroot juice

Theworld’ssecond-most consumedbeverageafter water,teaisalsoknownfor itshealth-boostingproperties includingitsbeneﬁtsforthe liver.Studieshaveshownlower levelsofliverdiseaseamong greenteadrinkersinAsia, EuropeandtheUnitedStates.

Farlesspopularthancoffeeandtea,beetrootjuicealso provideshealthbenefits.Ithelpsprotecttheliverfrom oxidativedamageandinflammation,allwhileincreasingits naturaldetoxificationenzymes.Whileitmayseemlogicalto assumethateatingbeetswouldhavethesamehealthbenefits, moststudiessuggestthatmaynotbethecase.Juicingbeets yourselforbuyingbeetrootjuiceisthesurewaytogetthe benefits.Asalwayswithanysupplements,consultwithyour doctorjusttomakesurebeetrootjuiceisrightforyou.

5healthydrinks forabetter night’s sleep

Around70millionAmericansexperienceinsomniaorothersleepdisorders.Poorsleepcanincreasetheriskofserious healthconditionslikeobesity,coronaryheartdiseaseanddiabetes.

Improvingyoursleepqualitymaybeaseasyasincorporatingsomenaturalbeveragesintoyourroutine.

Hereareﬁvethatcouldhelpyougetbettershuteye:

1 2 3 4 5

Chamomiletea

Studiessuggestthat chamomilecontains anantioxidantcalled apigenin,whichattaches toreceptorsinthebrain toreduceanxietyand encouragesleepiness. Manysleepexperts recommenddrinkinga warmcupofchamomile teaabout30to45 minutesbeforebedtime.

Warmmilk

Milkcontainsanaminoacid calledtryptophan,which playsanessentialrolein thebody’sproductionof serotoninandmelatonin. Theseneurochemicalsplay crucialrolesinregulating sleep,moodandother physiologicalfunctions Ifcow’smilkisn’tyour preferenceoryouarelactose intolerant,almondmilkisa goodalternativethankstoits sleep-friendlynutrientproﬁle.

Valeriantea

Therootofvalerian,a perennialplant,hasbeen usedforcenturiesasa medicinalherbtohelp reduceanxietyandstress andpromotecalmness Researchsuggestsitmayhelp peoplefallasleepfasterand enhanceoverallsleepquality withoutinducinggrogginess thefollowingday.Valerian alsoshowspromiseamong postmenopausalwomen,who oftenfacedisruptionsinsleep duetohormonechanges.

Whileteaiswidelyviewedasahealthydrink,notallteasarecreatedequal.Many teasonsupermarketshelvescontainhidden,harmfulingredients.

Theseteasaremass-producedandsoldinindividualteabags,comprisedofﬁnely brokenorcrushedpiecesoflow-qualitytealeaves.Thebagsaretypicallynylonor plastic–andtheplasticcanseepintoourtea.

Loose-leafteasthatareprimarilyorganicarethebest.Loose-leafteaisbest brewedwithateapotdesignedtobrewloose-leaftea.Theseteapotshavebuiltininfusersorteastrainers,whichyoucanremovetoavoidover-steeping.Teapots comeindifferentsizes;followtheruleof1tablespoonper8ouncesofwater

Coconutwater

Passionﬂowertea

Althoughoftenassociated withenergydrinks, coconutwater’sunique blendofmagnesiumand potassiummaysupport bettersleep.Magnesium isnature’srelaxant,key inreducingtensionand encouragingrestfulsleep Potassiumcomplements thisbysupportinghealthy musclefunctionand preventingcrampsthat candisturbsleepduring thenight.

Abeautifulflowering vine,passionfloweris anherbalremedyoften usedtoeaseinsomnia, anxiety,hotflashesand pain.Ithasaspecial abilitytoboostan aminoacidinthebrain thatworksasanatural relaxer,helpingtocalm thenervoussystem.By reducingbrainactivity, itcanbeespecially helpfulifyourmind tendstoraceatnight.

Goodbrandsoflooseteasinclude:

Here’showtomakeloose-leaftea: 1. Dependingonhowmuchteayouplanto serve,bringyourmeasuredwatertoaboil. 2. Place1tablespoonofloose-leafteaper8 ouncesintothestrainerinsideofyourteapot. 3. Onceyourteapotcomestoaboil,remove thestrainer. •GachiTea

membersand4,900employedandaffiliatedphysiciansatOchsnercaredfor1.6millionpeoplefromeverystateinthenationand 63countries.TolearnmoreabouthowOchsnerempowerspeopletogetwellandstaywell,visitwww.ochsner.org.

LOUISIANA

Naturalinstincts

Statewidenaturalist programeducates about floraand fauna

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Long before Bob Thomas founded the Louisiana Master Naturalist Association, he grew up in central Louisiana, wandering thewoods andwaterways forsnakes, frogs and bugs.

“It was awonderful place forme,” Thomassaid, “becauseIwas in the ﬁeld all thetime.Snakes were dripping outof the trees and ﬁsh were jumping out of the water.”

His love for nature, fostered by aLouisiana wilderness childhood, led him to jungle after junglestudying snakes and their adaptations —Thomas became a snakeexpert, an environmental biology professor,the founding director ofthe Louisiana Nature Center andthe director of the Center for Environmental Communication at Loyola University. He wanted to share this knowledge and passion with peoplebeyond academia After several years of trying, he ﬁnally established theﬁrst LouisianaMaster Naturalist Association chapter. Now, the 13-year-old program’spopularityissurging.

The Greater New Orleans chapterhas awaitlist of over ayear.Currently,seven chaptersserve thestate: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans andShreveport

The501©(3) nonprofitgroup offers a statewide program toeducateLouisiana residents about the state’sflora and fauna, as well as other aspects of their environment and ecosystems. Once certified, the masternaturalistsuse their knowledge to educate others or assist programs that promote and protect Louisiana’snaturalheritage.Courses are offeredtwice ayear,inthe springand the fall.

BYJOY HOLDEN

Originsofnaturalistassociation

Master Naturalist Associations exist in 48 states, often state-funded. Louisianadoes not have statefunding. Thomas explained that he tried to establish an association with the LSU Ag Center at one point,but funding fell through.

After multiple failed attempts at startingastatewide association, Thomas says he believedthe only waytomove forwardwas to start alocal organization in New Orleans. He called naturalist friends there,and they set up the nonproﬁt,startingpilot classes in 2012.

The ﬁrst public classes were held in the spring of 2013.

While each chapter in Louisianaisdifferent, they all have workshops, learning opportunities andservetheir communities. Every chapter presents abroad overview of the state’s natural history, but chapteractivitiesvary basedongeography

Louisiana is nicknamed the Sportsman’sParadisefor itsabundant wildlife that many residents enjoy hunting and ﬁshingin. Thomas values thesportsmen and sportswomen of thestate for their traditional ecological knowledge. He says many have been through theprogram andhavebecome certiﬁed naturalists. Other participantsdonot have nearly as much experience, but they are curious abouttheir surroundings. Everyoneiswelcome.

“Wetell them at orientation that it’sa community of people whohavesimilar interests,”Thomassaid.“Youmight love insects, and you might love birds, or you might be intogeneral nature. Youmight love refuges.Itdoesn’tmatter.Ifyou’re interested in nature, you ﬁt theproﬁle of people in these classes.”

Becoming amasternaturalist

Each chapter has different, but comparable, requirementstoreceive and maintain certification. To receive certification,aspiring naturalists must completea course (40-60 hoursofworkshop time), volunteer time to benefit theenvi-

ronment and community,aswell as pay modestdues.

Thomas says learning happens indoor and outdoor,but they don’tspend alot of timeinside. Field trips and workshops are often outside in nature.

Helen Sierminski of New Orleansleads urbannaturewalks through thecity. Her partner told her about becoming amasternaturalist. He hadcompleted theprogram afew years earlier.She was waitlisted for ayear,but was abletostart the classes when someone backed out in the fall of 2024.

“The challenging partabout it is that we get alot of information allatonce. We have classestwice amonth,and it’s an all-day class learning allthe things. We don’tlearn one thingatatime,” Sierminski said.

Visiting speciﬁc sites for ﬁeld study is also amajor component of the program

When Sierminski and her class visited sites during theprogram, she noted that different expertsdiscussed multiple aspectsofthat environment, like lizards and birds in thearea and what madethe soil unique.

Sierminski startedher own company

ä See NATURAL, page 2Y

Small acts,big connections

As we approach the holidays, I’ve thought alot about people who arelonely. Peeling back the layers of what it takestobuild community might just be the antidote to loneliness.

So,let’s work backwards:

If the epidemic of loneliness is the outside layer, building community would be its undoing, which begs the question: How does onebuild community?

Doing so is nota “just add water” sort of equation. Community grows in layers, from the inside out. It’sa tangledweb of genuine relationships —and it’smessy

As therapist Amanda E. White points out, community is notfrictionless —and Ilovethat phrasing. White is executive director of Therapy for WomeninPhiladelphia.She says thatbeing in acommunity sometimes means getting annoyedbecause that one friend sends toomany texts, or youhavetolistenwhen you don’t feel like it to the friend who tells youway toomuch.

Maybe there arelimits to your patience, but being part of a community might even mean maintaining the relationship with the friend who loudly smacks at the table

The point is being in acommunity is messy,sometimesdifﬁcult —and it comes with being in relationships at avariety of stages.

But genuine relationships are at the heartofevery strong community

The tricky part these days, especially forpeople in younger generations, is ﬁnding the other folks to build relationships with. To meet people,I’m abig fan of joining organizations that focus on sharedvalues, activities and interests —churches cometo mind, but if church isn’tone’s cupoftea, perhaps atennis league or atrivia team would work.

The secret to ﬁnding new friends is the same advice that my photographerfriend gave me to take betterphotographs: move your feet.Get up and get out. Find the clubs. Go to the meetings. Staya while.

Showup—thenshowupagain. Sometimesdoing so takes courage.

Onceapool of potential friends have been found, what’sthe next step?

It’shaving meaningful conversations —the kind that move beyond small talk andhelp us understand each other to discover howour weirds overlap. As alongtime journalist who has interviewed thousands of people, my adviceonthis is easy —ask questions. If yousincerely ask good andthoughtful questions andlistentothe answers, you’ll be amazed at what people will tell you.

Let’sdissect thatlast sentence again:

Sincerelyask: Frommyvantage point, Isee “sincerity” as the keytoalmost everything when it comes to relationships. Being sinceremeansknowing who you areand following through being true to yourself instead of following whateveritisyou saw someoneelse do andthought wascool once upona time To practicesincerity,pay attentiontowhatmakes your heart sing —and followthat song. Thoughtfulquestions: Don’tgo with the obvious. Think about what thatpersonjust said and allowyourself room to wonder Thenbeboldenough to ask the question. Yes, there’sa line not to crosstoavoid the creepy territory,but there’s alot of room

Helen Sierminski uses binoculars to spot birds in NewOrleans on one of her urban nature walks.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

BobThomas,onthe right,leads agroup ofmaster naturalist students during ablue crab class.

ASK THEEXPERTS

La.chapelone of thelastSouthernGothicRevival churches

Building faces disrepair; roof was last replaced over 100years ago

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Spencer Chauvin is president of Friends of St. Mary’sChapel, a501(c)(3) corporation that is dedicated to raisingfunds for the preservation of the chapel in Convent, in St. James Parish. The organization is currently leasing the church from the CatholicDiocese of Baton Rouge. While thechapel does not have regular mass, it does host special events.

St. Mary on the River (circa 1849) was the nameofthe small chapel long beforeitwas referred to in its current English name, St Mary’s. TheﬁrstSt. Mary’swas completed on Oct. 2, 1849. The current and second St.Mary’s Chapel (circa 1875) building is the onestanding todayonRiver Road in Convent. The rectory was movedin1984,but before it was arectory,itwas aresidence. As of today,itisthe oldeststanding Acadian cottage in Louisiana, dating back prior to 1784. The building was placed on the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation’sMost Endangered List for 2021, and the organization is working to getitregistered on the National Register of Historic Places. If successful, Chauvin has plans to preserve the original siding, interior and replacethe steeple to reﬂect the originalstructure that was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965.

Whatisthecurrentconditionofthechapel?

It’sindisrepair.It’sinneed of aroof. The last time it hada roof was 1923, and it’sanasbestos slate roof. It was meant to be a 100-year roof, and Ithink we’ve squeezed every 100 years out of it. We formed the nonproﬁt to start

NATURAL

Continued from page1y

which offers urban nature experiences. She usesher master naturalist training professionally as aguide, identifying differentspecies andsharing howthe ecosystems work with clients. She appreciates the ecosystem context the master naturalist certiﬁcation gave her “Understanding healthy ecosystems helps us to get along with nature,” she said, “like in Louisiana where you have coastal erosion and alot of environmental factors.”

Around thestate

Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge member Colette Dean wasinstrumental in launching the Discover Nature series in 2016 at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum. The series is one example of howmaster naturalists give back to their communities. He emphasized that chapters

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Friends of St.Mary’sChapel is a501(c)(3)corporation dedicatedto raisingfundsfor the preservation of the chapel in Convent, Louisiana, in St. James Parish

repairs.

St. Mary’sChapel is amission of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and Ijoined the pastoral council of St. Michael’s with St.Mary’s in mind, trying to make sure that it got the attention it needed.

What roledid St.Mary’sChapel playin thecommunity?

St.Michaelthe Archangelwas built in theearly 1800s. People livedalong theriver,and it was very difﬁcult for people to travel there, becauseitserves such a large area. St. Mary’sisabout 13 milesfrom St. Michael’s,soparishioners who didn’thavea horse and buggy had towalk.

There’sstories of people who used to walk barefoot on the levee because they didn’t want to ruin theirchurch shoes. So when they gotto church, they put on their shoes.

Thepriestwanted to buildtwo chapels east and west of St. Mi-

are morethan learning about wildlife. The members develop acommunity,and chapters sharepresentersand enjoy cohosting field trips with other chapters.LMNA hosts an annual state gathering, Rendezvous to meet oneanother andshare knowledge and ideas.

“Louisiana chapters may differ in their contentand approach, but the coordination will ensure consistency in quality and focus,” Thomassaid.

Louisiana Master Naturalist Greater New Orleans even has aresourcecenterThomas affectionatelycalls “theclubhouse” that serves as ameeting and teaching place. They have alibrary of about 1,200 nature books and animalartifactsthey use in their workshops. They even havestudy groups on such subjects as mushroomsordragonﬂies.

“Wemeet alot of interesting people. We have regularmembershipmeetingsand gatherings in parks forminiworkshops,” Thomas said. “There’s alot moretoitthan justhav-

chael’s so that they could serve the people better.InaCatholic Church, there’sa side chapel with Mary on the left and Joseph on theright.Tocommemorate that fact, thepriestbuilt St.Mary’s Chapel on the upriversideofSt. Michael’s, and he built St. Joseph’s Chapel on the downriver side with St.Michael’sinthe middle. St.Joseph’shas become its own parish, but St.Mary’snever got out of being amissionofSt. Michael’s.

What’sthenextmilestoneintherestorationprocessforSt.Mary’s?

We started with getting anew roof to protect it,because it’s leaking. Because it’s an asbestos slate roof, removing the roof actually costs more than putting on anew one. So we startedraising money, and we’ve raised $160,000 so far

We’re going to spendsome money to try to beautify thechurch fornow.We’re going to repairthe

Q&A WITH SPENCER CHAUVIN

PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF ST.MARy’S CHAPEL

parts of theroof that areleaking, ripoff the vinyl siding andpaint thefront.

Whatdoesthisprojectteachaboutthe importance of preserving small, sacred spacesinruralLouisiana? For preservation in general. For me, it’s personal. My greatgreat-great-grandfatherwas one of the designers and builders of St.Mary’s. Livingnexttoithelps because when Iwalk out the backdoor, it’sthe ﬁrst thing Isee. It’s kind of knocking on my back door like, “Hey, I’m here. Ineed somehelp.” The out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality is notanexcuse forme. This churchwas done in the

ing workshops and learning about nature, it’sabig social occasion.”

To learnmore about joining aLouisiana Master Natural-

istAssociation, visit www louisianamasternaturalist.org/ chapters.html.Toview theassociation’spresentations, visit https://tinyurl.com/yfp9aywz

Gothic Revival style,whichwas popularinthe mid-1800s. Most Gothic Revival churches are masonry construction. They were built to last, andtheywere built withquitelargebudgets. Here, they have alimited budget, so they builtitout of wood.You don’t seemanyofthose left, because they’re not nearly as strong and built to last as long. St. Mary’sChapel could be one of thelasttimberframe Gothic Revivalchurchesinthe South. They usually rot, burn or hurricanes knock them over,and this one’sstill standing.It’scoolto save something that’sone of a kind.

RISHER

Continued from page1y

before youget there. Listen. The numberoftimes Ihear otherpeople aska question that a personjust answered is high —and, in full disclosure, Ihave done it myself too. Nearly everytime Ido, I’m focusing on what my reply will be as opposedtosimply listening and taking it in.

Peoplewilltellyou. They’ll tell you aboutthe time they got into the Peace Corps to go to Albania but ended up in Hondurasinstead.They’ll tell youabout their secret pregnancy. They’ll tell youabout driving across two statestobuy acar for their exwife because it looked like aspeciﬁc Pokémon.

People will tell youamazing things. In allthese small exchanges questions asked, stories shared, kindnessesshared—community starts to take shape.Itdoesn’tarrive all at once. Community is built layer by layer —through sincerity,curiosity,courageand persistence

Trust isn’tgiven. It’s earned. Justlikeathletes on the ﬁeld,our doctors earn it every day through commitment,precision and pass From championship athletes to everydaychampions, FMOL Health|Our Lady of the Lakeiswheretrusted carebegins

St.Mary’sChapel in Convent, Louisiana, is amission of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Aimee Thomas identifies insects from Turtle Cove Environmental Center

Harold PerkinsJr. LSU,Linebacker

Support provided for Louisianans with cancer

Groups ease the burden of caregivers, fight loneliness

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Once a month, every third Wednesday afternoon in a six-story building down Jefferson Highway, a room is filled with chairs arranged in a circle and women holding white Styrofoam cups of warm tea and coffee In this space, women share the most vulnerable parts of their lives: their journey through cancer Woman’s Hospital, at 100 Woman’s Way, Baton Rouge, began these “Reali-Tea Talks” this year to help patients in any phase of cancer treatment — from diagnosis to survivorship — navigate their lives. They talk about work They talk about their children. They talk about their symptoms They talk about their new realities. They talk about their treatments. They talk about the beauties of life.

They talk about anything at all.

Support groups like this are popping up all around Louisiana in an effort to brace and uplift the thousands of people each year who ﬁght, battle and continue to live after cancer In Louisiana, there have been 29,980 estimated new cases of cancer and 9,340 estimated deaths by cancer in the state in 2025 so far, according to the American Cancer Society Each of those patients has their own stories, their own families to think about and their own lives to lead.

“We wanted our patients to have a place to vent, to talk about everything and nothing at all,” said Shelisa Cager, the manager of the support group at Woman’s Hospital.

Each Reali-Tea Talk is led by an oncology nurse navi-

gator or a social worker who help to guide the group in conversation, giving the way for all members to talk about what’s weighing on them.

“Some patients don’t really like to talk all that much,” Cager said. “But they like to listen — and know that there are people experiencing the same as them.”

Some cancer support groups are led by community members, others like the Tea Talks are hosted by medical professionals. Both can have great beneﬁts on health outcomes after surviving cancer Research from the National Cancer Institute shows that joining a support group improves both quality of life and survival.

Cancer support groups can n help patients feel better more hopeful and not so alone.

n give patients a chance to talk about feelings and work through them.

n help patients deal with practical problems, such as problems at work or school.

n help patients cope with side effects of treatment.

These support groups can also ease the burdens of caregivers and family members.

Andre Moreau recognized the importance of support groups for male-centered cancers as well.

“I’m a reluctant new member of the advocacy space,” he said.

Moreau noted that talking to family members sometimes isn’t enough to ease the hardships of surviving and ﬁghting cancer

“You don’t want to feel like a burden to them with every thought in your head,” Moreau said. “They already do so much for us.”

Moreau was a hospital administrator for 20 years in Lafayette when his father died unexpectedly of prostate cancer He then began working in his mother’s beauty salon a business run in the family for over 40 years.

Then, his mother was diagnosed with pancreatic

cancer While he was looking at possible buyers for his family business, Moreau got unexpected news from his annual blood test. He had low levels of a prostate-speciﬁc antigen, or PSA, a key indicator for prostate cancer

He went to the urologist to check his levels. He got an MRI. It was real — Moreau had prostate cancer

“I was in the middle of the most stressful time of my life,” Moreau said “I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, because it’s the last thing I wanted to deal with.”

Like many men faced with prostate cancer, Moreau had to make a difﬁcult choice between surgical or radiation treatment. He chose radiation.

Fatigue set in. The bone loss. The emotional toll.

“I could go back to bed at any moment, and I just woke up,” Moreau said.

At the same time, his neighbor of 15 years was diagnosed with prostate cancer as well. They raised their children together at the same high school, and now they would be battling cancer together, too.

During his nine weeks of radiation and two years of hormone deprivation, Moreau spoke to countless men, women and doctors who have had family or friends who fought prostate cancer

“The whole time I was thinking how difficult this process must be for people who don’t have a lot of resources or a network of people to tap into,” Moreau said. “Therefore, I made a commitment to try to raise awareness in our community to try to help others.

It wasn’t until Moreau was at a ﬁshing tournament in Lafayette that he realized just how many men were impacted by prostate cancer, and how he could help.

“I ran into a hospital administrator from Our Lady of Lourdes, and we chatted about a possible group,”

Moreau said. “But I never thought I was the guy to run it.”

The prostate cancer support group started with ﬁve people — just a few men Moreau knew who had prostate cancer Over the last year they’ve expanded to 20, sometimes 30, men in one meeting.

After pills, hormonal therapies and visiting multiple doctors for second opinions,

“We just help each other out and say, ‘Hey, have you thought of this?,’ or ‘This might help with your hot ﬂashes,’ or ‘This is what you should expect with your hormone therapy,’” Moreau said. “We encourage each other And we cry together, too.”

Celebrating

ThePower of Partnership

Southern U transforma expand in theCo in

Universityand A&MCollegehas receiveda ative$5million investment from Shellto itiativesinthe CollegeofBusiness and ollegeofSciencesand Engineering. This nvestment directlysupports theSouthern UniversitySystem’sStrategic Pillars, includingStudent Success and Academic Excellence

“Withthis investmentinengineering education and studentsuccess,weare further strengthening Shell’spartnership with SouthernUniversityand empowering thenextgeneration of innovators and leaders. We can’t wait to see howtheywill shape thefutureofenergy and technologyfor our industryand theworld.”

EMMALEWIS Executive Vice President,Shell Chemicals

STAFF PHOTO By MARGARET DeLANEy

The Woman’s Hospital navigation team sets each patient up with a binder filled with the essentials — medications, flow charts, symptoms, exercises, meal plans and phone numbers.

FAITH & VALUES

Monks, nuns harvest olives where Jesus prayed

Many gather at Mount of Olives in October

BY GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Contributing writer

Come October, monks and nuns are busy harvesting olives at the Mount of Olives and the Gethsemane garden — where, according to the Gospel, Jesus spent the last night before being taken up the other side of the valley into Jerusalem to be cruciﬁed.

For two years, the Israel-Hamas war has cast a pall on the Holy Land. The hundreds of centuriesold olive trees here have shaken periodically in missile attacks targeting Israel.

But this year’s harvest happened as a ceaseﬁre agreement was reached, spreading a tenuous hope for peace peace that olive branches have symbolized since the biblical story of the dove that brought one back to Noah’s Ark to signify the end of the ﬂood.

“The land is a gift and the sign of a divine presence,” said the Rev Diego Dalla Gassa, a Franciscan in charge of the harvest in the hermitage next to Gethsemane.

The word Gethsemane is derived from the ancient Aramaic’s and Hebrew’s “oil press.”

For Dalla Gassa and the other mostly Catholic congregations on the hill, harvesting olives to make preserves and oil is not a business or even primarily a source of sustenance for their communities Rather, it’s a form of prayer and reverence.

“To be the custodian of holy sites doesn’t mean only to guard them, but to live them, physically but also spiritually,” he added. “It’s re-

ally the holy sites that guard us.”

Early on a recent morning, Dalla Gassa traded his habit for a Tshirt and shorts albeit with an olive wood cross around his neck

— and headed to the terraces facing Jerusalem’s Old City

The bright sun shone off the golden dome of Al-Aqsa Mosque, visible above the walls encircling the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism alongside the bell towers of Christian churches.

Dalla Gassa and some volunteers, ranging from Israeli Jews to visiting Italian law enforcement officers, picked the black and green olives by hand and with tiny rakes, dropping them onto nets under the trees.

Once they ﬁlled a wheelbarrow, Dalla Gassa put on ear covers and got the loud, modern press

humming. Soon, the fragrance of freshly pressed green oil filled the air It takes up to 22 pounds of olives to make 34 ounces of extravirgin oil.

Up the hill from the Franciscan convent, Sister Marie Benedicte walked among more olive trees cradling the adopted kitty she has named “Petit Chat,” little cat in French.

“It’s easy to pray while picking and nature is so beautiful,” she said later while starting her harvest. “It’s like a retreat time.”

For more than two decades, the French nun has been in the Benedictine monastery founded at the end of the 19th century atop the Mount of Olives. Only half a dozen sisters live there now, their day ﬂowing in a 16-hour rhythm of work, contemplative walks in the

garden, and prayer

“It’s very quiet here, very simple,” said Sister Colomba, who is from the Philippines and is in charge of ensuring there’s always enough olive oil in the church lamps to keep them burning by the tabernacle

Olive trees are an essential crop in this desert region where they’ve grown for millennia. For decades they’ve been at the heart of sometimes-violent land disputes between Palestinians and some Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Israel occupied it in the 1967 war along with east Jerusalem, where the Mount of Olives is.

The congregations on the hill do not have commercial productions, dedicating the vast majority of the oil to their own use, both in the kitchen and for sacraments. Many Christians use oil, blessed by clergy during an annual Chrism Mass, for rituals ranging from anointing the sick to blessing the baptized and new altars.

For the religious brothers and sisters living among these trees, the harvest itself is spiritual and full of symbolism.

“In picking the olives, we learn how we are picked. We go looking for that last olive that’s what God does with us, even those who are a bit hard to reach,” said Dalla Gassa.

Squeezing a plump green olive between his fingers, he also spoke of the sacrifice that comes with fulfilling one’s vocation of love for God and neighbor

“The olive is only good when pressed. It’s the same for us,” said Dalla Gassa.

The volunteers who’ve been harvesting this year share in the transcendent experience as much

as in the dusty, hot working days.

“The garden is very special. It’s full of spirituality and holiness,” said Ilana Peer-Goldin, who on a recent morning was helping Dalla Gassa with the harvest. An Israeli raised in Jerusalem, she draws from Jewish, Catholic and Buddhist practices.

Teresa Penta, who is from Puglia, Italy — one of the Mediterranean area’s top olive-producing regions — has spent 13 years in the hermitage next to Gethsemane.

“This place has an eternal charm,” she said.

The modern olive press has been in place only a few years. She said it added special meaning, returning Gethsemane to its original function.

This year’s harvest has been meager because of drought and ﬁerce springtime winds that damaged the blossoms. Still, other congregations have been sending their olives to be processed by the monastery of Latrun, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

Latrun’s Trappist monks also have olive trees and vines, though thousands of them were destroyed by a devastating ﬁre this spring.

Walking to the olive press outside the abbey church in his black-and-white habit, Brother Athanase said the oil and wine production helps the friars earn their living. But the end goal is different for the contemplative religious.

“To create the empty space while working with repetitive gesture, to be completely available to our Lord, Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s a life to be received completely.”

Denver’s food forests provide fruit while greening environment

BY RILEY RAMIREZ Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Riley Ramirez for Civil Eats, is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world.

The urban tree canopy in Denver is one of the sparsest in the country Only 15 percent of the Colorado capital enjoys tree cover, and that ﬁgure drops to a mere 4 percent for the downtown area. In 2020, when Linda Appel Lipsius became executive director of the decades-old Denver Urban Gardens network, which oversees more than 200 community vegetable gardens throughout six metro Denver counties, she wanted to continue increasing community access to fresh food — a longtime goal of the garden program. But she had another aim, too: increasing the city’s tree coverage. Thinking back to techniques she had learned at the Denver Permaculture Guild, Appel Lipsius decided to build a system of food forests throughout the Denver area These dense, layered plantings incorporate fruit-bearing trees with other perennials to mimic natural forests

Now Denver Urban Gardens oversees 26 food forests, with 600 or so fruit and nut trees and 600 berry bushes. While urban trees are recognized for their multiple beneﬁts, including cooling and carbon drawdown, “there are not a lot of players in Denver or even in most cities around the country, who are focused on food trees,” Appel Lipsius said. “We were able to step into this space to help build and bolster the canopy while adding food-producing perennials.”

Benefits of urban trees

Denver Urban Gardens started as a grassroots movement in the 1970s when North Denver neighbors created space for a group of local Hmong women to grow their own food After transforming a vacant parking lot into the Pecos Community Garden, the group helped other neighbors start gardens, too Denver Urban Gardens officially became a nonprofit in 1985, and over the past four decades, it has grown and distributed more than 62,000 pounds of food throughout the metro area. In the nonprofit’s new food forest

spaces, neighbors are welcome to enter and harvest a wide assortment of fruits, nuts, and berries.

And unlike in Denver Urban Gardens’s community gardens, where people pay a fee to have their own plots, this bounty is free.

Beyond providing fresh food in neighborhoods that need it most, these agroforests reduce the urban heat island effect, create pollinator habitat, and combat pollution and climate change by absorbing and ﬁltering harmful gases. They also create much-needed green space within communities.

“Trees are so beneﬁcial for mental health neighborhood security and certainly temperatures,” Appel Lipsius said. “You walk off the street into one of our food forests and it’s 5 to 15 degrees cooler.”

Globally farmers are increasingly turning to agroforestry techniques — which Indigenous peoples have employed for millennia — to improve, stabilize, and diversify crop yields in the face of climate change.

And across the U.S., cities are embracing agroforestry as well. While Denver has a network of smaller food forests, cities like Seattle and Atlanta have very large standalone sites Appel Lipsius points out that some cities may have community orchards — or simple plantings of fruit or nut trees — rather than multilayered food forests.

Building generational spaces

Denver Urban Gardens lead-

ers used tried-and-tested methods learned through its gardens program to launch the food forests project. In 2022, the organization received seed money from a family foundation to help kickstart its program With that funding, Appel Lipsius brought on her former permaculture teacher, Creighton Hofeditz, who used the funds to plan six food forest sites.

“It’s a process that requires both vision and patience,” said Hofeditz, now the senior director of gardens and food forests for the group

“This is going to look pretty raggedy for the ﬁrst few years, but in 10 years, it’s going to be this incredible space to visit and explore for the whole neighborhood, and it’ll last for 100 years. We are thinking about (these food forests) as generational spaces.”

Not long after its seed funding, Denver Urban Gardens received a larger grant from a private foundation that enabled the organization to create 20 food forest installations in two years Additional funding ﬂowed into the program, including federal funds from the Biden administration’s Inﬂation Reduction Act.

“We went from zero to about 26 food forests in three years, which is just nuts,” Appel Lipsius said. Denver Urban Gardens is planning to add four more sites over the next year

Volunteers on the ground

To get a food forest started, Den-

ver Urban Gardens works with landowners usually public entities such as cities, parks, schools, and churches — to identify potential plots that are between 2,000 and 8,000 square feet, vacant, oddly shaped with some amount of slope, and have water and public access.

Denver Urban Gardens then forms agreements with the owners allowing the group to use the land for a food forest as long as they maintain it.

Once a forest is in place, community volunteers trained in tree health, pruning, and pest management — known as tree keepers help tend the site. Additionally Denver Urban Gardens solicits local businesses to sponsor and support the site.

“It’s not just planting trees. These are community-informed designs,” Appel Lipsius said. “It is reliant on the community to survive and thrive.”

Abbie Keyes spends two hours per week at the Bradley International School food forest near her house, tending apple, peach, cherry, mulberry pawpaw and hazelnut trees during the growing season. “I love the philosophy of making it so there are ways for the public to get fresh fruit and really understand how accessible it can be,” Keyes said. “I think it’s a neat way to help people realize where their food comes from.”

Olivia Stockert began volunteering at Denver Urban Gardens’s ﬂagship food forest, the Barnum

Orchard, in 2022, soon after the program started. Over the years, she has witnessed the orchard — which was planted by neighbors in 2016 and later adopted by Denver Urban Gardens — change signiﬁcantly

“That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the volunteer role seeing the evolution,” she said. “Having some of these small trees that were planted when I ﬁrst started volunteering now large enough to actually bear fruit is really cool.”

Adjusting to new funding reality

In March 2023, the Denver City Council unanimously passed the West Area Plan — a roadmap to improve the quality of life for residents in Denver West, a workingclass, predominately Latinx area that had historically been redlined and lacked green space and grocery stores.

As part of the plan, Denver Urban Gardens created the Dig Deeper Initiative to establish six community gardens and nine food forests in several neighborhoods. Denver Urban Gardens received two federal grants totaling $850,000 for the initiative under the Biden administration, but both have been terminated since Trump took ofﬁce.

“It’s a real shame to see these kinds of projects cut,” said Councilwoman Jamie Torres, who represents Denver West’s District 3, “because they directly meet the needs of a community. with, frankly, not that much investment.”

The loss of $850,000 from a $4.2 million budget has been no small blow, Appel Lipsius said, adding that other Denver Urban Gardens funders now seem nervous about contributing. “It’s just heartbreaking, because this was something that the whole organization was going to be singularly focused on for the next three years,” Appel Lipsius said. “Years of planning, as well, are just out the window now.”

The Dig Deeper Initiative has not been entirely lost, however; leaders have reduced the scope from six gardens to two and from nine food forests to three, and will follow through on their plans for those.

Despite the roadblocks, Appel Lipsius said Denver Urban Gardens will continue its mission to regenerate urban green space and grow healthy food in the community They’re dedicated to the food forest program as well, Hofeditz said, with the goal of “creating a geographic spread so that you can be anywhere in the city and be pretty close to a food forest.”

PROVIDED PHOTO

Monks and nuns harvest olives at the Mount of Olives and the Gethsemane garden.

PROVIDED PHOTO By DENVER URBAN GARDENS

Denver Urban Gardens staff and volunteers plant a peach tree alongside a silver buffalo berry a nitrogen-fixing plant, at the Living Light of Peace Food Forest in Arvada.

SUNDAY, November 9, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters 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 words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — GoLdsMitH: GOLDsmith: One who makes or deals in articles of gold.

Average mark 39 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 59 or more words in GOLDSMITH?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

zhouqin

wuzzLes

Simple is best

– today

super Quiz

SUBJECT: INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS

the device or

When this deal was played in a team match, both tables reached four hearts after an opening bid by West and a Michael’s Cue Bid by North. This table had a straightforward auction with South bidding what he hoped he could make. At the other table, they had some fancy bidding methods after the cue bid. They reached the same contract, but played by North, making it easier for East-West to get a spade ruff. East led a spade to the ace and got a ruff at trick two. Had North who knew the lead was a singleton from the auction, smoothly dropped his king under the ace, West might not have returned a spade. We’ll never know. Down one at that table Here, West led a diamond South won with dummy’s king, and knowing the defense had a spade ruff available, led a club to his ace. He discarded a low spade from dummy on the ace of diamonds before leading a heart. West stepped up with his ace, cashed the ace of spades, and led another spade South could do no wrong at this point. He would have prevailed by ruffing with either the queen or the seven. He chose to ruff with the seven and then cashed the king. When

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Engage in something that excites you, and it will lead to an opportunity Open communication will help you figure out what’s possible and the best way to fulfill your needs.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Look before you leap. Proceed with caution and obtain everything in writing. You are best off sticking to domestic improvements that lower your overhead or add to your convenience.

the jack fell under the king, he crossed to his hand with the 10 of hearts and led a club to make his contract. The simple auction gained big, but there was nothing wrong with the bidding at the other table. It was just bad luck.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Forming a partnership or sharing costs or expertise with someone willing to match your input and effort will lead to a match made in heaven. Proceed with passion.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Check your schedule, how you handle your routine and what you can do to reconfigure your time management. A lifestyle change is within reach; all you need to do is put it into place. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Engage in events that offer insight into new possibilities. The chance to head in a different direction is within reach. You can’t buy love, but you can earn it. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Put your head down, focus on what you

want to achieve and avoid letting outside influences stand between you and what makes you happy How you handle and implement change will determine your next move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Too much in too short a time will cause problems. Stick to your routine and budget to make your life easier. Protect your physical and emotional well-being. Choose common sense.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to jeopardize yourself by fitting in or taking the fall for someone else’s shortcomings. Honesty and integ-

rity are your best options regardless of what others do.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You can gain ground if you interact with others. Put your best foot forward, and network and socialize your way to success. Let your charm and imagination take the lead, and you’ll own the spotlight.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Ease up on yourself. Reflect on what you are good at and the things you do that bring you pride. Stand up, say what’s on your mind and be a leader who makes a difference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) What you do will be the deciding factor in

what you receive in return. Making promises without following through are a waste of everyone’s time.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You are walking a tightrope when it comes to excessive behavior or promising the impossible. Choose your words wisely and show passion in how you approach what and who matter to you.

goren Bridge

Answers to puzzles

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: If you retain nothing else, always remember the most importantrule of beauty,whichis: Who cares? —Tina Fey

1. Vacuumcleaner. 2. ThomasEdison. 3.George Eastman. 4. LouisBraille. 5. Basketball 6. Helicopter.7.Penicillin.8.Movable-type printing press. 9. Dynamite. 10.Atomic bomb 11. Nikola Tesla.12. Geodesic dome. 13.Steamboat. 14.(Lockstitch)sewing machine. 15. Jonas Salk. Crossword

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend

dustin /bySteve Kelley&JeffParker