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‘Welovetoserve’

community Thanksgivingdinner in theFirst United Methodist Church parking lot in Lafayette onSunday. Volunteers servedthe guests turkey,ham,rice dressing,cornbread dressing and other items, along withdesserts.

community

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

With perfect fall weather as thebackdrop,around 200 people gatheredSunday for plates of turkey,ham and all theﬁxings at First United Methodist Church in downtown Lafayette.

The free community Thanksgiving meal is a25-year tradition for the church, said pastor Nancy Wofford. The execution is simple, with other ministries from the neighborhood and region joining to serve atraditional Thanksgiving meal set up alfresco in the church’sparking lot

“Welove to serve. Our church motto is to serve,” saidFirst United Methodist member Margaret Landry,who chaired the planning committee for this year’sdinner.She wasjoinedby

ä See SERVE, page 4A

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL and TYLER BRIDGES Staff writers

JimBernhard,a BatonRougebased business executive and civic leader who created and grew some

of the most successful companies to comeout of Louisiana, died Sunday after abrief illness, his family conﬁrmed.Hewas 71. During acareer that spanned more than four decades, Bernhardwas perhaps best known for foundingand growing The Shaw Group from apipe fabrication company into apublicly traded, industrialservices powerhouse

with aglobal footprint and aspotonthe Fortune500 list.

Afterselling the company in 2013, he founded Bernhard CapitalPartners, aprivateequity ﬁrm that is now one of the largestinthe Gulf Southwith more than $5.5 billionin assets under managementand 21 companies across thecountry in the energy services, industrial and

Notice of seizure filed forformer Travelodge

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The owner of the old Travelodge motel in Lafayettehopes to continue efforts to renovate it despite anotice of seizure that wasrecently filed on the property due to fines reaching into the thousands. Describing it as a“minor miscommunication issue between me and the city,” Ravi Daggula with theownershipgroup of thebuilding said he will meet with Lafayette Consolidated Government officials this week to update them on the status of the building at 1101 W. Pinhook Road. LCGfileda notice of seizure on the property after assessing violations on the property earlier in the year.Alienwas placed on theproperty in March,and court records indicated then fines totaled $26,215 along with adaily fine of $75 for every day repairs were not made. Finesnow areestimated to be in excess of $50,000.

Daggula, whosaid he was unaware of LCG’sactions until being contacted by The Acadiana Advocate, said construction has been sloweddue to the regulations for historic preservation and the recent shutdownofthe federal government.

“It’sprobably miscommunication from my end,” said Daggula, who said he receivedone letter from LCG.“Iwas told as long as you show progress and ﬁnish the project, you could apply forforgiveness and this could be forgiven. But it was amiscommunication.”

utilities sector Alongthe way, Bernhard played aprominent role in state Democratic Party politics, engagedin south Louisiana civic and charitable causes, and was involved in thelives of his ﬁve children and grandchildren. “Weare heartbroken by the unexpected passing of JimBernhard,” said Jeff Jenkins,who cofounded Bernhard CapitalPartners andworked with Bernhard

for 27 years. “Jim changed the business landscapeofLouisiana like no one else. He created jobs, built companies and opened doors for families acrossour state in ways that will be felt forgenerations.”

Jenkinsadded: “He was also one of the most generous people Ihave ever known, always helpingothers,without anydesire for

Daggula

Volunteer Ella Lormand, 5, center, servesa mealtoHoneyGuidry while Brian Goudeauenjoyshis food during the annual community Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.

STAFF PHOTOSByBRAD KEMP

Volunteer JD Poole,left, servesmeals during theannual

Iran says it is no longer enriching uranium

TEHRAN,Iran Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday that Tehran is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program.

Answering a question from an Associated Press journalist visiting Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered the most direct response yet from the Iranian government regarding its nuclear program following Israel and the United States’ bombing of its enrichment sites in June during a 12-day war

“There is no undeclared nuclear enrichment in Iran. All of our facilities are under the safeguards and monitoring” of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Araghchi said. “There is no enrichment right now because our facilities — our enrichment facilities — have been attacked.”

Asked what it would take for Iran to continue negotiations with the U.S. and others, Araghchi said Iran’s message on its nuclear program remains “clear.”

“Iran’s right for enrichment, for peaceful use of nuclear technology, including enrichment, is undeniable,” the foreign minister continued. “We have this right, and we continue to exercise that, and we hope that the international community, including the United States, recognize our rights and understand that this is an inalienable right of Iran And we would never give up our rights.”

Flood risk lingers after Calif. atmospheric river

LOS ANGELES A powerful atmospheric river had mostly moved through California after causing at least six deaths and dousing much of the state, but lingering thunderstorms brought the risk of mudslides in areas of Los Angeles County that were recently ravaged by wildﬁre.

Flood advisories remained in place through Sunday afternoon for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, where localized showers were still possible after heavy downpours on Friday and Saturday

“Due to the abundant rainfall the past couple of days, it will not take as much rainfall to cause additional ﬂooding/rockslide conditions,” the National Weather Service said in a Sunday update.

Authorities on Sunday were still searching for a 5-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean by 15-foot waves at a state beach in Monterey County on Friday

The girl’s father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta, was killed while trying to save his daughter, sheriff’s ofﬁcials said. In Sutter County north of Sacramento, a 71-year-old man died Friday after his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Off the coast of San Diego, a wooden boat believed to have been ferrying migrants toward the U.S. from Mexico capsized in stormy seas, leaving at least four people dead and four hospitalized, the Coast Guard said Saturday

Hundreds of sheep head through German city

BERLIN Pedestrians in the GermancityofNurembergmadeway for hundreds of bleating sheep on Sunday as a ﬂock of the animals was herded through downtown on its way to its winter quarters.

Curious bystanders, cellphones in hand to capture the sight, lined the streets as the roughly 600 animals in shepherd Thomas Gackstatter’s ﬂock hurried past in what has become a popular annual spectacle.

The sheep were on their way to winter pastures west of Nuremberg from the city, where Gackstatter’s sheep and other herds are used in various meadows over the summer to keep the grass neat.

It’s a trip of just over 6 miles, which takes the flock through the central market square, the Hauptmarkt, German news agency dpa reported. Gackstatter says that, as far as he knows, Nuremberg is the only place in Germany where sheep cross the central square.

Ahead of their passage, city authorities asked people to keep the route clear and keep dogs away from the sheep. Drones weren’t allowed.

Border Patrol touts N.C. arrests

Charlotte leaders object to DHS actions

SOPHIA TAREEN, BRIAN WITTE and MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press

A top Border Patrol commander touted dozens of arrests in North Carolina’s largest city on Sunday as Charlotte residents reported encounters with federal immigration agents near churches, apartment complexes and stores.

The Trump administration has made the Democratic city of about 950,000 people its latest target for an immigration enforcement surge it says will combat crime, despite ﬁerce objections from local leaders and downtrending crime rates.

Gregory Bovino, who led hundreds of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in a similar effort in Chicago, took to social media to document a few of the more than 80 arrests he said agents had made. He posted pictures of people the Trump administration commonly dubs “criminal illegal aliens,” meaning people living in the U.S. without legal permission who allegedly have criminal records That included one of a man with an alleged history of drunk driving convictions.

“We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Char-

lotte so he can’t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,” Bovino wrote on X.

The effort was dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web” as a play on the title of a famous children’s book that isn’t about North Carolina.

The flurry of activity prompted fear and questions, including where detainees would be held, how long the operation would last and what agents’ tactics — criticized elsewhere as aggressive and racist — would look like in North Carolina. On Saturday, at least one U.S. citizen said he was thrown to the ground and briefly detained.

At Camino, a nonprofit

group that offers services to Latino communities, some said they were too afraid to leave their homes to attend school, medical appointments or work. A dental clinic the group runs had nine cancellations on Friday, spokesperson Paola Garcia said.

“Latinos love this country They came here to escape socialism and communism, and they’re hard workers and people of faith,” Garcia said. “They love their family, and it’s just so sad to see that this community now has this target on their back.”

Bovino’s operations in Chicago and Los Angeles triggered lawsuits over the use of force, including widespread deployment of chemical agents. Democratic leaders in both cities

accused agents of inﬂaming community tensions. Federal agents fatally shot one suburban Chicago man during a trafﬁc stop.

Bovino, head of a Border Patrol sector in El Centro, California, and other Trump administration ofﬁcials have called their tactics appropriate for growing threats on agents.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, did not respond to inquiries about the Charlotte arrests. Bovino’s spokesman did not return a request for comment Sunday Elsewhere, DHS has not offered many details about its arrests. In the Chicago area, the agency only provided names and details on a handful of its more than 3,000 arrests in the region

from September to last week. U.S. citizens were detained during several operations. Dozens of protesters were arrested. By Sunday reports of CBP activity around Charlotte were “overwhelming” and difficult to quantify, Greg Asciutto, executive director of the community development group CharlotteEast, said in an email.

“The past two hours we’ve received countless reports of CBP activity at churches, apartment complexes and a hardware store,” he said.

City Council memberelect JD Mazuera Arias said federal agents appeared to be focused on churches and apartment buildings.

“Houses of worship. I mean, that’s just awful,” he said.

“These are sanctuaries for people who are looking for hope and faith in dark times like these and who no longer can feel safe because of the gross violation of people’s right to worship.”

Two people were arrested during a small protest Sunday outside a DHS ofﬁce in Charlotte and taken to a local FBI ofﬁce, said Xavier T. de Janon, an attorney who was representing them. He said it remained unclear what charges they faced.

DHS said it was focusing on North Carolina because of so-called sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents.

Netanyahu says there can be no Palestinian state

U.N. to vote on resolution that leaves door open to statehood

BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

TEL AVIV Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, a day before the U.N. Security Council plans to vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence Netanyahu has long ruled out Palestinian independence, asserting that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders But as the U.S. attempts to push forward with its Gaza ceasefire proposal, he faces heavy international pressure to show ﬂexibility.

The Security Council is expected to vote on a U.S. proposal for a U.N. mandate that would establish an international stabilization force in Gaza despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries.

The U.S., under pressure from countries expected to contribute troops to the force, revised the resolution with stronger language about Palestinian self-determination. It now

says that President Donald Trump’s plan may create a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood A rival Russian proposal uses even stronger language in favor of Palestinian statehood.

The creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is seen internationally as the only realistic way to resolve the conﬂict for the long term.

Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners have urged him to take a tough

Zelenskyy: Ukraine working on prisoner exchange with Russia

BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia that could bring home

1,200 Ukrainian prisoners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday a day after his national security chief announced progress in negotiations

“We are counting on the resumption of POW exchanges,” Zelenskyy wrote on X “Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.” Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday he held consultations mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on resuming exchanges.

He said the parties

agreed to activate prisoner exchange agreements brokered in Istanbul to release 1,200 Ukrainians. Moscow did not immediately comment.

The Istanbul agreements refer to prisoner-exchange protocols established with Turkish mediation in 2022 that set rules for large, coordinated swaps. Since then, Russia and Ukraine have traded thousands of prisoners, though exchanges have been sporadic.

Umerov said technical consultations would be held soon to finalize procedural and organizational details, expressing hope that returning Ukrainians could “celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home — at the family table and next to their relatives.”

In other developments energy infrastructure

was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites.

Ukraine is desperately trying to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s efforts to hold back a Russian battleﬁeld push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk.

Russia fired a total of 176 drones and one missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralized 139 drones.

stand on the calls for Palestinian independence. Speaking to his Cabinet, Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s opposition to a Palestinian state has “not changed one bit.”

The Israeli leader added that he has been staving off any advances toward a Palestinian state for decades, and is not threatened by external or internal pressure. “I do not need afﬁrmations, tweets or lectures from anyone,” he said.

That pressure increased during the war in Gaza. In September, after the U.K.,

Australia and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state, Netanyahu blasted the countries for proffering a “prize” to Hamas.

Netanyahu also noted Sunday that Trump’s plan calls for Gaza to be demilitarized and Hamas to be disarmed. “Either this will happen the easy way, or it will happen the hard way,” he said. Meanwhile, Israel’s military said its troops on Sunday killed someone who crossed into territory they control in northern Gaza and “posed an immediate threat to them.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIK VERDUZCO

People protest against federal immigration enforcement Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Palestinians grab sacks of flour from a moving truck carrying World Food Programme aid as it drives Saturday through Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

U.S. aircraft carrier arrivesinCaribbean

Move part of majorbuildup

near Venezuela

BY BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Thenation’s most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday in adisplay of U.S. military power, raising questions about what the new inﬂux of troops and weaponry could signal for the Trump administration’sintentions in South America as it conducts military strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs.

The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Fordand other warships, announced by the Navy in astatement, marks amajor moment in what the administration insists is a

counterdrug operation but has been seen as an escalatingpressure tactic against Venezuelan President NicolásMaduro.

The Ford rounds off the largest buildup of U.S. ﬁrepower in the regioningenerations. With its arrival, the “Operation Southern Spear” mission includes nearly a dozen Navy ships andabout 12,000 sailors andMarines.

The carrier’sarrival came as the military announced its latest deadlystrike on asmall boat it claims was engaged in ferrying illegal drugs. The military’sSouthern Command posted avideo on XonSunday showing the boatbeingblownup, anattack it saidtook place Saturdayininternational waters of theeastern PaciﬁcOcean and killed three men. Arequest for more information from the military was not

immediately answered.

Sinceearly September, suchstrikesbythe U.S. in theCaribbean and eastern Pacific have nowkilled at least 83 people in 21 attacks.

The carrier strike group, whichincludessquadrons of ﬁghter jets and guided-missile destroyers, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, the Navy said.

Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, whocommands the strike group,said it will bolster an already large force of American warships to“protectour nation’ssecurity andprosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.”

Adm.Alvin Holsey,the commander who oversees the Caribbean andLatinAmerica, said in astatementthat the American forces “stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to

destabilize our region.”

Holsey,who will retirenext monthafter just ayearonthe job, said the strike group’s deployment is “a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphereand thesafety of the American Homeland.”

In Trinidadand Tobago, which is only 7miles from Venezuela at its closest point, government officials said troopshave begun “training exercises”withthe U.S. militarythat will runthrough much of the week.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sean Sobers described the joint exercises as thesecond in less thanamonth and said theyare aimed at tackling violentcrime on theisland nation, whichhas become a stopoverpoint for drug shipmentsheaded to Europe and North America. The prime

minister has been avocal supporter of the U.S. military strikes.

Theexercises willinclude Marinesfromthe 22ndExpeditionary Unit whohave been stationed aboard the Navy ships thathavebeen looming off Venezuela’s coastfor months.

Venezuela’sgovernment hasdescribedthe training exercises as an act of aggression. It had no immediate commentSundayonthe arrival of the aircraft carrier

Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said SundaythatU.S. troopshave been training in Panama, underscoring theadministration’sincreasing focuson Latin America.

“We’rereactivating our jungle school in Panama. We would be readytoact on whatever” President Donald Trump and Defense Secre-

tary Pete Hegseth needed, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” The administration has insisted that the buildup of American forces in the region is focused on stopping theflowofdrugs into the U.S., butithas released no evidence to support its assertions that those killed in the boats were “narcoterrorists.” Trump hasindicated military action would expand beyond strikes by sea, saying the U.S. would “stop the drugs coming in by land.”

The U.S. has long used aircraft carriers to pressure and deter aggression by other nationsbecausetheir warplanes can strike targets deep inside another country Some experts say the Ford is ill-suited to ﬁghtingcartels, but it could be an effective instrument of intimidation forMaduro in apush to get him to step down.

Lawmaker:Epstein filesbillmay getbig GOPsupport

Massie says many House Republicanswill back measure

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON Lawmakers

seeking to force the release of files related to the sex trafﬁcking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein are predicting abig win in the House this week with a“deluge of Republicans” voting for their bill and bucking the GOP leadership and President Donald Trump, who formonthshavedisparaged their effort.

The bill would forcethe Justice Department to release all ﬁles and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison.

Information aboutEpstein’s victims or ongoing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted.

“There could be 100 or more” votes from Republicans, said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., among the lawmakers discussing the legislation on Sunday news show appearances. “I’m hoping to get aveto-proof majority on this legislation when it comes up for avote.”

Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a discharge petition in July to force avote on their bill.

That is ararely successful tool that allows amajorityof

Massie, who introduced the dischargepetition to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, predictsthe measure will get‘100ormore’ Republican votesinthe House.

members to bypassHouse leadership and forceaﬂoor vote

Speaker Mike Johnson R-Benton, hadpanned the discharge petitioneffort and sent members home early for theirAugust recess when the GOP’slegislativeagenda was upended in the clamoring for an Epstein vote.

Democrats also contendthe seating of Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., wasstalled to delay her becoming the 218th member to sign the petition and gain the threshold needed to force avote. She became the 218th signature moments after taking the oath of ofﬁce last week.

Massie said Johnson, Trump and otherswho have been critical of his efforts would be “taking abig loss this week.”

“I’mnot tired of winning

yet, but we are winning,” Massie said.

Johnson seems to expect the House will decisively back the Epstein bill.

“We’ll just get this done and move it on.There’s nothing to hide,” adding that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been releasing “farmore information than thedischarge petition, their littlegambit.”

The vote comes at atime when newdocuments are raising freshquestions about Epstein andhis associates, including a2019 email that Epstein wrote to ajournalistthatsaidTrump “knew aboutthe girls.” TheWhite House hasaccused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to smear the Republican president Johnson said Trump“has nothing to hide from this.”

Pope returns62artifacts to Indigenous peoplesfromCanada

BYNICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

“They’redoing this to go after President Trump on this theory thathehas something to do withit. He does not,” Johnson said.

Trump’sassociation with Epsteiniswell-established andthe president’sname was included in records that

his own Justice Department released in February as part of an effort to satisfypublic interest in information from thesex-trafﬁcking investigation.

Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and the

mereinclusion of someone’s nameinﬁles from the investigationdoes notimply otherwise. Epstein, whokilled himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, also had many prominent acquaintances in politicaland celebrity circles besides Trump.

VATICAN CITY The Vatican on Saturday returned 62 artifacts from its vast ethnographic collection to Indigenous peoples from Canada, as part of the Catholic Church’sreckoning with its role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas. Pope Leo XIV gave the artifacts, includinganiconic Inuitkayak, andsupporting documentation to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which said it would return the items to Indigenous communities “as soon as possible.” Ajointstatement from theVatican and Canadian church described the pieces as a“gift” and a “concrete sign ofdialogue, respect andfraternity.”

The artifacts are expected to land in Montreal on Dec. 6and be takenﬁrstto the CanadianMuseumof History in Ottawa, which will arrange for themtobe “reunitedwith theiroriginating communities,”said PomelineMartinoski, director of communications for the Canadian bishops conference. For acentury,the items were part of the Vatican Museum’sethnographic col-

lection, known today as the Anima Mundi museum.The collection has been asource of controversy for the Vatican amid the broader museum debateover therestitutionofcultural goods taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods.

Mostofthe items in the Vatican collection were sent to Rome by Catholic missionaries for a1925 exhibition in the Vatican gardens. TheVatican insists the items were “gifts” to Pope Pius XI, who wanted to celebrate the church’sglobal reach,its missionariesand the lives of theIndigenous peoples they evangelized.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel appearsbefore the House JudiciaryCommittee on Sept. 17 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

volunteers from Asbury United Methodist, Faith Community Church, The Salvation Army, Wesley Campus Ministry, Northwood United Methodist, Trinity CME Church and Angels Preparing Nations, a downtown Lafayette outreach ministry based at 315 Johnston St. Last year, the community Thanksgiving served around 160 meals, and volunteers said they expected to exceed that number at this year’s dinner, which was free and open to all.

Dwight’s Restaurant cooked the turkey, and the rest of the food included classic sides like rice and cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and sweet corn, prepared by volunteers. Des-

“We have been given great gifts, and we want to share them with everybody,” said Wofford.

sert was apple pie, pecan pie or pumpkin pie. Volunteers plate and serve all the meals, join with guests to eat and host the dinner with the practice of experienced, welcoming hosts. Many of the diners are repeat guests, who love the opportunity to eat together with family and friends in a communi-

ty-minded atmosphere.

“It’s all about being together and being a family,” said Britney Stewart, eating at a large table with her child, parents, aunt, niece and cousins.

For Sarah Schoeffler, longtime volunteer and church member, the dinner is a natural part of the church’s mission to serve its downtown community “We’re a downtown church,” she said.

“There are hungry people downtown, and they’re our neighbors. This is such a nice way to sit down together and serve each other.”

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

NOTICE

Continued from page 1A

LCG filed a notice of seizure after ﬁling a notice of lis pendens, which indicates legal action is pending, in September, court records show. The ownership group, listed in court records at Travelodge Lafayette LLC, will be served before the property goes to a sheriff’s sale, CityParish Attorney Pat Ottinger said. Officials have sent the owners letters regarding the property that have gone unanswered, Ottinger said. Residents in the adjoining neighborhood have also complained about the property

The owners can still pay the fines to keep the property, Ottinger noted, but the violations must be addressed. Violations include not removing graffiti on the building’s exterior, not maintaining the building’s exterior and overhangs, failing to maintain the pool and not installing a fence around it, records show “That’s not the end of it,” Ottinger said of the fines. “They need to address the numerous deficiencies and violations of our code (on the building), which I think is the biggest eyesore in Lafayette when you drive on one of the main streets of commerce.”

The property, which Daggula and his group bought

four years ago for $1.35 million, has had other legal issues, records show Earlier this year the group paid $900 in environmental liens on the motel property and the adjacent lot.

Daggula and his group bought the property as part of a series of purchases involving millions of dollars across Lafayette during that time, including the old Dat Dog building downtown for $1.645 million.

The Travelodge, a 60-room motel that sat empty for years, was a notable purchase that Daggula wanted to convert into a unique boutique hotel.

He said at the time he would utilize historic tax credits to help fund the

project, and on Friday he indicated that process has held up construction. The recent federal government shutdown also impeded the process, he said.

The property is now within the Oil Center Cultural District and is being considered for the National Register of Historic Places, he said.

Part of the application process, he said, was demolishing the building to its original status. Once completed, construction is expected to begin next month and could be complete by the third quarter of next year

Two building permits were issued by LCG, records show One was issued last year for $2 million for pool area improvements, land-

scaping and HVAC updates, and the other, valued at $1 million, was granted in February to address ﬁnishes and ﬁxtures along with the pool area improvements, landscaping and HVAC updates. Permits expire after one year, Ottinger noted.

“Many people in Lafayette are used to restoring houses that are on the National Register already,” he said. “Part one is approved, and we applied for part two about 40 days ago, right before the government shutdown. It’s a process you have to follow, and sometimes it takes some time.”

The property is the third connected to Daggula that has involved a legal dispute, records show. In Febru-

ary, he was ordered to pay $130,000 plus legal fees, court costs and interest after he backed out on a deal to purchase the former BellSouth building at 1001 Jefferson St. The seller, Reddoch Development, ﬁled suit after Daggula entered into an agreement to buy the building for $1.3 million but failed to appear at closing. In March, Daggula was also ordered to pay a local real estate ﬁrm $8,520 plus attorney’s fees and court costs for an unpaid balance on a commission for leasing one of his buildings, court records show

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

Jim Bernhard, aBaton Rouge-based business executive and civic leader whocreated some of the most successful companies to come out of Louisiana, died Sunday

BERNHARD

Continued from page1A

attention or recognition.”

Gov.Jeff Landry remembered Bernhard as one of Louisiana’s“mostdynamic and visionary business leaders.”

“His hard work builtcompanies that created jobs, strengthened our economy, and showcased the very best of Louisiana,” Landry said in astatement. “Louisiana has lost agiant, but Iknow his legacy will endure for generations.”

‘Tough to sell’

James Mitchell Bernhard Jr.was born April9,1954, in Baton Rouge but raised in Lafayette,where his grandfatherhad startedBernhard Mechanical in 1919. Years later,the company would become one of Bernhard Capital’sportfolioassets

He graduated from LSU in 1976 with adegree in construction management and joined Sunland Services, a pipe fabrication company In 1987, he ventured outon his own, acquiring the assets of apipe fabrication companyout of bankruptcy and founding The Shaw Group. Known for his tireless work ethic, he grew the company over the next 25 years into one of Louisiana’slargest and best-known, takingit public in the early 2000s. At the time of its sale to CB&I in 2013, The Shaw Group had $5.9 billion in revenues and 27,000 employees, including 4,000 in Louisiana.

The Shaw Group was one of Louisiana’sfew Fortune 500 companies at the time —today it has even fewer and in the early 2000s,Bernhard built agleaming corporateheadquarters tower on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge, visiblefromInterstate10, which became apointof pride forBatonRougeand the state.

During a2018 radio interview on “TalkLouisiana,” host Jim Engster asked Bernhard whether it was tough for him to sell The Shaw Group, acompany he started with two others and $50,000.

“In apublic arena, when someone offers you a75% premium over the value, you either sell the company to them or they get anew CEO,” he said. Nonetheless, he added, “It was tough to sell.” As signiﬁcant as The Shaw Group was for Louisiana’s economy andreputation, Bernhard’smore recent venture has been equally important. In 2013, he founded Bernhard Capital Partners with Jenkins and ahandful his former top executivesfrom The Shaw Group. The ﬁrm began with asingle investment fund and four companies focused narrowly on industrial services.

In the years since, Bernhard Capital has launched four additional funds that haveraised $5.5 billion from large, institutional investors and created dozens of other companies, some of which it has since sold, in the energy services, industrial, environmental services and utility sector

It currentlyhas 21 companies under management and is the largest private equity ﬁrm between Houston and Atlanta. It has been listed

Chile’spresidential race headed to tenserunoff

BY ISABEL DEBRE and NAYARA BATSCHKE Associated Press

SANTIAGO,Chile The communist candidateofChile’s center-left government, Jeannette Jara, anda hardright veteran politician, José AntonioKast,will vie for the country’spresidencyina runoff votenext month afterneither gained awinning margin in apolarized electiononSunday,initial results showed.

With 63% of thevote counted and resultsstill trickling in, Chilean President Gabriel Boric recognized Jara and Kast as thefront-runners headed to thesecond round

of elections, scheduledfor Dec. 14.

“I trust that dialogue,respect andlovefor Chile will prevail over any differences,” Boricsaid after aweekslong vitriolic campaign. Shortly after he spoke, cheers eruptedfromthe campaign headquarters of Jara and Kast on opposite ends of thecapitalof Santiago. “Kast, our next president!” his fans shouted, banging drums in the middle of the street Jara claimed morethan 26.6%ofvalid ballots— far short of the 50% threshold to claim victory in the ﬁrst round even with half of the ballots counted.

Kast was close behind, securing 24.3% of thevote, underscoring the power of his tough-on-crime platform in response to widespread discontent withrising insecurity andillegalimmigration That could clear the way foraswing to theright in Chile,the world’sbiggest copper producer and one of the region’smost prosperous andstablecountries.

It wasthe ﬁrst presidential election in Chile sincevoting has been mandatory and the registration of voters automatic, with over 15.7 million votersobligedtovote outof anational population of over 18 million, after yearsof abysmal voter turnout.

among the largest private equity firms in the world andhas some of the highest returns in the U.S.

TimBarﬁeld,who worked underBernhard at The Shaw Group in theearly 2000s, remembered him as apowerful force in the lives of many business leaders today

“He provided opportunities to me and many others that changed the trajectories of our lives,” said Barfield,who went on to headCSRS in BatonRouge.

“He was so generous to our communityand state. May he rest in peace.”

‘Louisiana committed’

While theowner of amajor business, Bernhard chaired Kathleen Blanco’sgubernatorial campaign in 2003 and became chair of the LouisianaDemocratic Party in January2005 while shewas governor

He resigned nine months laterafter HurricaneKatrinadevastated metro New Orleans. Shaw secured contractstobecomeanimportant player in therebuilding effort.

Still, he remainedanactive force in Louisiana Democraticpolitics and toyed with running forgovernor in 2015 and 2019. He deferred to fellow Democrat JohnBel Edwards, whowon both elections.

In a“Talk Louisiana”interview in 2018, Bernhardsaid peopleoften asked him to run for governor,saying he was “theperfect candidate” because he hadthe ability to fundthe campaign himself. He didn’tdescribe his political approach in partisan terms. Instead, he said,“We need to work to solve problems, to solve issues. Let’s worktogether, compromise andmovethe ball forward.” Bernhard said he hadplenty of offers to set up shop outside of BatonRouge but said he stayed because he loved the city andLSU, his alma mater He said his philosophy was “Baton Rougeproud and Louisiana committed.”

Philanthropy

Bernhard was known for hisphilanthropyacross the state,though much of it wasbehindthe scenes. Oneprominent exception was TheShawCenter for the Arts in Baton Rouge, a transformative projectthat helped revitalize thestate capital’s downtown two decades ago. The ShawGroup contributed $4 million to help fund the building’sconstruction.

Bernhard is survived by his wife, Dana Bernhard, and his children, Benjamin Bernhard (Jenna), Michael Bernhard (Rachel), Patrick Bernhard (Amelie), Kathryn Gerry (John Gerry)and Tres Bernhard; and eight grandchildren, Ella Bernhard, James Michael Bernhard IV,Blake Bernhard, Violet Bernhard, Jack Gerry, RemiGerry,SloaneGerry andAinsley Bernhard.

“Jim’s greatest legacy is his love for Dana, his children and grandchildren,” Jenkinssaid. “Everything he built and gave came from adeep commitmentto hisfamily.Our thoughtsand prayers are with them.” Arrangements are pending.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com

Advertisementfor Bids Notice is hereby given thatsealedbids(one original) will be received bythe Lafayette Parish School System Purchas‐ing Department,located at202 RueIberville, Lafayette,Louisiana 70508 andelectronicbids willbereceivedatwww centerlinebidconnect com. Delivery to any other department other thanthe Purchasing De‐partmentisunaccept‐ableand mayresultin non-consideration of the bid.Bidswillbereceived until 2:00 p.m.,CST on December18, 2025, for constructionofthe fol‐lowingproject as de‐scribed in theBidding Documents andlistedon the BidForm: BID# 26-26 Lafayette Parish School System Lafayette Elementary School -Waterproofing 1301 WUniversityAve Lafayette,LA70506 It is furtherunderstood and agreed that thework under this contract shall becompleted within 90 consecutive calendar daysofthe date speci‐fied in theContractor a NoticetoProceed,sub‐jecttoreimbursement to the ownerofliquidated damages in theamount of Five HundredDollars ($500) perconsecutive calendarday Bids will be publicly openedand read aloud atthe abovestatedtime and date in the Purchas‐ingConference Room of the Lafayette Parish School System Central Office Building Complete Bidding Docu‐ments forthisproject are being distributedinelec‐tronicformand maybe obtainedwithout charge and withoutdeposit from the Public Plan Room at www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. Printed copiesare notavailable fromthe OwnerorPro‐jectDesignerbut arrangementscan be madetoobtain them through most repro‐graphic firms. Plan hold‐ers areresponsible for their ownreproduction costs.Questions about thisprocedure should be directedto: Centerline –Phone:504-291-5738, email bidconnect@ centerline.co Each bidmustbeaccom‐paniedbya certified check,cashier’s check, orBid Bond usingthe Owner’sformpayable to the Lafayette Parish School System,the amount of which shallbe five percent(5%)ofthe amount of theproposed BaseBid plus allAlter‐nates.Money Orders will not be accepted Electronic bids maybe submitted online at www.centerlinebidco nnect.com. In accor‐dance with LA RS 38: 2212.E(6),bidsfor this project maybesubmit‐ted electronically viaup‐loadtoCenterlineBid Connect (www.centerl inebidconnect.com ). All bid documentsshall be uploadedbythe duedate and time stated above. Questions aboutthispro‐cedureshouldbedi‐rectedtoCenterline (phone504-291-5738 email: bidconnect@centerline. co ). ABid bond will be required, perthe con‐tract documents, and shouldbeuploadedwith therestofthe required Bid Documents. If a scannedcopyofthe Bid Bond is uploaded,the i i l i d bid

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PHOTO By ESTEBAN FELIX Aworker carries away a voting booth after polls closed during general elections in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday

Massiveentertainment center pitched

Property ownerseeking zoning change

BY ADAM DAIGLE and JOANNA BROWN Staff writers

The owner of theCuban restaurant under construction along JohnstonStreet in Lafayette wants to build a50,000-square-foot entertainment facility that will look like aRoman colosseum.

Yury Remedio is requesting the property in the 800 block of Verot School Road be rezoned for his concept, to be called The Colosseum. The matter willgobefore the Lafayette Zoning Com-

mission at its 5p.m. Monday meeting.

Remedio, who will open the Cuban Tradition restaurant at 5611 Johnston St. earlynext year,indicated the building will include apool/billiards hall, amain ﬂoor for live music andseveral bars,according to documents ﬁled with Lafayette Consolidated Government The request is to rezone the propertyfromcommercial mixed to commercial heavy to allow the entertainment facility.Remedio said theproj-

Millages forroads, public health renewed

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

Lafayette Parish voters on Saturday renewed twopropertytaxes —a4.47-mill tax that provides funding for repairs and upkeep of parish roads and bridges and a3.81-mill tax thatfunds public health and services.

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’sOffice, 69% of those casting ballots Saturday supported the infrastructure millage that provides $12.7 million to fund things such as roadway resurfacing, widening, bridge replacements and grass mowing The public healthmillage, which provides $10.8 milliontofund things such as drainage,rural ﬁre protection, the animal shelter mosquito control, the Coroner’s Ofﬁce and public health services, passed with 70% of the vote. Around 6.2% of the parish’s 161,827 registered voters cast ballots on Saturday In March, the taxes fail to garner voter support and were defeated —53% to 47%for the infrastructure oneand 52%to48% forthe public healthone.

At the time, Lafayetteofﬁcials blamed the failure on alack of widespreadpublicationand on largely unpopularstate constitutional amendments on theballot.

High school basketball player killed in crash

Agirls basketball player at West St. Mary High School was killed in acar crash Thursday night, authorities said. Garylon Brown, 18, of Jeanerette, died in atwo-vehicle crash on La. 85 just east of Burleigh RoadinIberia Parish. Louisiana State Police TroopIresponded to the crash shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday.Investigators saida 2007 Jeep Liberty,driven by 29-year-old Cristian Garcia, of NewIberia, was traveling westonLa. 85 while a2016 Ford Fusion was traveling

ect is “yearsaway” from completion.

“That’sfar in the future,” he said. “The hardestpartis ﬁnding property in the ﬁrst place.”

LCG’s planningdepartment is recommending commissionersdeny the request. The size of the buildingwould have acapacity of 3,600 people and require 331 parking spaces, all of which would be too large for that location, it said.

Eleven nearby residents have called LCG in opposition to the project,the report indicated.

“A full house duringan event could be adisruptive inﬂuenceonthe surrounding neighborhoods,” the report says,“and notconducive to the relative quiet and peace expected in a neighborhood.

“The additional traffic, noise or loiteringaccompanying an entertainment facilitymay notbeableto be mitigated to asatisfactory level for nearby residences.”

Remedio is also planning to open aplantnursery on land he bought earlierthis year at 7510 Johnston St.

Email Adam Daigleat adaigle@theadvocate.com.

Overhaul readytobegin

L.J. AllemanMiddle classroombuilding, renovations will increase school’s capacity

BY ASHLEYWHITE Staff writer

Construction on anew classroom building and other renovations to L.J. Alleman Middle are slated to start by theend ofNovember

The year-and-a-half-long construction project will ultimately replace the school’soriginal building with anew administrative space and front ofﬁce, library and classrooms.

Theproject will also include thecreation of awraparound student drop-off and pick-up lane designedtoalleviate morning and afternoon trafﬁcbackups on Roselawn Drive and West Bayou Parkway

“I’m very excitedfor ourstudents, faculty and community,” said Principal Allison Champagne.“It’smuch needed.”

Alleman, the district’s performing and visual arts magnet school, is one of the most popularand biggestmiddleschools in the Lafayette Parish school system.

As part of therenovations, portable classrooms will be replaced withpermanent ones.The new building will also house the performing arts classrooms and new special education classrooms, all designed to better ﬁt theneeds of the population they’reserving, ofﬁcials said. The gym anddance room willberefurbished.

All of therenovationsmean the school’scapacitywill grow to about 1,100 students.

The $89 million construction project will bring major renovations to Alleman,

Campusadditions and improvements at L.J. Alleman Middle School in Lafayette include the creation of awraparound student drop-off and pick-up lane designed to alleviate morning and afternoon trafficbackups on Roselawn Driveand West Bayou Parkway

JudiceMiddleand AcadianaHigh. Judice’srenovations are expected to finish in late 2026 or early 2027. Construction at bothAlleman and Acadiana is slated to wrap up in fall 2027 and be ready to welcome studentsatthe beginning of the2027-28 school year Alleman was built in 1958 anditreceived awing addition and cafetorium about five years ago. Representatives with the district, School Board Vice President Hannah SmithMason, who represents Alleman, and J.B. Mouton Construction and Prouet Architecture and Engineering, who are overseeing the projects, spoke with stakeholders about the Alleman project Nov.10. While mostofthe project is finalized, smaller details, like where to putbike racks, are not yet finalized, which is why those representativessaid feedback given during that meeting was important. Residents raised concerns about possible effects on drainage, traffic and

noise. The project takes all of those into account, KalebHebert, an architect with Prouet, said.

With regard to drainage, the site will not produce any additional water and is equipped with retention areas to help slowly drain water in the event of a downpour.Fencing or other measures will be implemented to mitigate sound and protect neighbors’ privacy

Abig part of the construction project is creating along drive-thru to getcars offofroadsduring student pick-up and drop-off. The lane would also be able to act as overflow parking forschool events and ﬁt about 150 parallel-parked cars. The ﬁrst part of the construction will begin on that long drive-thru. Throughoutthe spring will be more site work activities, and vertical construction is slated to start after that.

“This is going to be anice addition to what we alreadyhave,” Champagne said. “It’sgoing to be great.”

STAFFPHOTO By ASHLEy WHITE

during ameeting on Nov. 10.

RENDERING PROVIDED By LAFAyETTE PARISH SCHOOL SySTEM

THEADVOCATE.COM/opinions

Mamdani’swin in NyChas very limited relevance forLa.

Ifound Will Sutton’sanalysis of why Louisiana is not readyfor ademocratic socialist missed something rather crucial about Zohran Mamdani’svictory in New York. The election dynamics of the New York City mayoral race were aperfect storm. Mamdani was running against aRepublican, anonstarter for manyNew Yorkers, and Andrew Cuomo, a former governor who resigned amid asexual harassmentscandal. All against the backdrop of an incumbent mayor whohad to drop out of the race due toacorruption scandal with the Turkish government and asecondcorrupt deal with adespised president to avoid prosecutionfor theﬁrst. In New York, both the liberal and moderateprogressive factions have shownvoters that they are not responsibleenough to hold power.The only option left was an untested, yet unblemished, young socialist. The takeaway from the New York mayoral election should be that character and public trust still matter Perhaps Iam naive, butIdonot think such an “electoral strategy” will be effective outside of New York City,oreven outside of this particular New York City election. New Orleans’ moderateprogressives have not yet disqualiﬁed themselves like the other candidates in the New York City race.Additionally,the fact that a Democratic socialistdid not run, andthe democratic socialists of NewOrleans did not endorse a candidateinthe city’smayoral race, suggests somethingabout thepopularity of socialism in deep-blue New Orleans Thus, it is not just Louisiana that is not interested in aMamdani-style candidate; Louisiana Democrats, at least the New Orleanian variety,are not interested either

EVAN YOUNG Gonzales

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

Howtomakevotingbetter, from avoter’s perspective

Hooray for Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser’sOct

24 Op-Ed piece presenting astoutdefense of open primaries. Open primaries allow the voters to choose theirrepresentatives, rather than having political parties limit those choices. Closed primaries are devices politiciansuse when they are nervous about their election legitimacy; their desire to serve eclipses thevoters’ right to choose. There is currently agerrymandering arms race between the states. Gerrymandering is self-serving politicians’ way of putting a thumb onthe scale to tilt elections in their favor.Ihave some suggestions for what would befair to all parties.

First, redistricting should be done only once, andthen within the two-year period immediately following the national census every 10 years.

Second, redistricting should be accomplished by an independent non-political committeeusing appropriate tools to take into accountpopulation composition, including minority representation, compactness of boundaries and urbanand rural differences,

as examples. Since there are thousands of ways to redistrict, thecommittee would choose the one that best ﬁts. The Legislature’sfunction would be to debate the plan and, unless there is asizable supermajority to reject, theplan is ratiﬁed.

Third, if theopen primary does not have an outright majority winner,voting would proceed to arunoff election amongthe top four candidates.

The runoff result would be determined by ranked choice tabulation, winnowing down theworst performers until amajority winnerisdecided. This would encourage candidates toreach out to voters whoare not part of their true believer group.

The foregoing approach seems fair to all parties, especially the electorate, and guides theﬁnal result towards consensus. The current system tends towards political self-serving, polarization and extremes. The Legislature should give this thoughtful consideration.

LYNN

PYKE NewOrleans

If Congress doesn’tact on health care subsidies, livescould be lost

If Congress doesn’tact now to continue the ACA Marketplace health care subsidies, millions of Americans —including thousands here in Louisiana —will lose their health insurance. Speaker Mike Johnson must call on House memberstodotheir jobsand protect the health of the people they serve. This is not about politics —it’sabout life anddeath,about families and about basic humandecency

We are one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Surely we can ensure that all our neighbors have access to health care. Iknow from personal experience howdevastating serious illness can be —and how lifesaving insurance can makeall the difference between treatment and tragedy

This affects all of us —our families, our friends, our communities. Only billionaires will be untouched.

LSUneeds fans who will be true through dark times

As an LSU alumnus and fan, I remember studying Thomas Paine when he penned “The American Crisis” in December 1776. The upstart Americans were losing on battleﬁelds and economic times were hard on the home front. Paine’spamphlet called out the “sunshine patriots,” who were supportive in the good times but quickly turned negative and condemned Continental Army leaders, soldiers and “freedom’s cause” in the bad times. It’seasy to tear down; it’shard to build up. The armchair critics who unceasingly criticize LSU football coaches and players are “sunshine fans.” No athletic team wins every game. Coaches and players can’t walk on water.The Continental Army,despite “sunshine patriots,” weathered the worst of times and eventually won anational championship called America. Championships honor the resilient spirit that has the will to see it through. “Sunshine fans” should look in the mirrorand ask if they’ve won at everything they’ve done. If the answer is “yes,” then they’ve lived aboring life.

GEORGE MIKELL Charleston, South Carolina

Changesin Pell grants will help build health care workforce

Educational opportunities sometimes don’talign with our nation’s workforce needs, especially in health care. In addition to ashortage of nurses and doctors, there are also gaps in the allied health workforce that are essential to high-quality patient care and system efﬁciency

TO SEND US ALETTER, SCAN HERE

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

Let’sbeclear: Immigrants are not eligible for Marketplace insurance. That’sa harmfulmyth. This program helps working Americans—people who don’tget coverage through their jobs—afford health insurance for themselves and their families. We’re talking about people who have small companies, farmers, ranchers, etc. Without it, medical costs will skyrocket for everyone, emergency rooms will overﬂow and lives will be lost.

It’stime to stand up and demandthat our leaders act. Call, write, post andspeak up —because health care is ahuman right, and our nation must do better Prayersfor health and well-being for Louisiana and our nation —that ourleaders will do their jobs with wisdom and compassion, working for thecommon good of all people.

MOLLYPHILLIPS Sunshine

Likeevery president,Donald Trumpwill be off the stage. If my senator or congressman were aDemocrat instead of aRepublican, Iwould write this sameletter The Republican Party needs to evolve into being more about building than destroying. Andthe Democratic Party needs to get more interested in what we can do next than preserving the status quo that’sbeing smashed to pieces.

This is what we need in our political leadership. It’suptothe people todemand this of our political leaders and to hold them accountable.

Republicans and Democrats need to learn from Trump’sdestructiveness and move forward tocontinue our journey to, as the founders said, “toform amore perfect union.”

PHILIP FRADY NewOrleans

That’swhy I’mencouraged by Congress’ recent expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to include skillsbased credentialing programs, which include certiﬁcation programsfor patient care technicians, EKGtechnicians, phlebotomytechnicians and more.

The traditional federal Pell Grant helps low-incomestudents afford tuition at colleges and universities, but this expanded workforce program would extend eligibility to people with ahigh school diploma or aGED to enroll in high-quality, short-term training certiﬁcation programs. These grants help learners from all walks of lifegain critical skills forstarting acareer in these desperately needed roles, without incurring debt.

Iwant to thank U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy forhis leadership and steadfast support forworkforce Pell expansion. This investment will help build amore skilled and resilient health care workforce —one allied health career credential at atime.

CLAIRE JACKLIN CEO,The

NewOrleans Career Center

STAFF FILEPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

TURKEY DAY

Folks all overthe countryare opening up their homes to friends andrelatives for Thanksgiving.Looks likethis Louisiana family hasaspecial guest dropping in for the big feast— and he looks hungry!

So, what’sgoing on in this cartoon? youtellme. Be witty,funny, crazy,absurd or snarky —just trytokeepitclean.There’snolimit on the number of entries

The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon andrun on Monday, Nov. 24 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receivea signed print of the cartoon along with acool winner’sT-shirt! Somehonorable mentions will also be listed.

To enter,email entries to cartooncontest@theadvocate.com DON’T FORGET!All entries mustinclude your name, home address and phone number. Cell numbers are best.

The deadline for all entries is midnight on Thursday, Nov. 20. HappyThanksgiving,everyone!— Walt

History’sgears are lubricated by gore. Witness America’sRevolutionaryWar,whose continuing reverberationshave done more to improve the course of human eventsthan any other event in history

The war was fueled by crystallineideas couched in elegant prose authored by members of theColonial upper crust.But from 1777 on, most bleeding was done by “the poorest of the poor —jobless laborers and landless tenants, second and third sons without hope of an inheritance, debtors and British deserters, indentured servantsand apprentices, felons hoping towin pardons.”

Thecolonies’ 24 weekly newspapers agitated America’sunusually literatepopulation, as did Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” Washington, called to the colors after 16 years away from military matters, traveled with books on logistics,fortiﬁcations and artillery

so long before caving?

The government shutdownlasted 40 days before Senate Democrats abandoned the filibuster that closed offices, leftworkers without paychecks, threatened supplemental food benefits formillions, saw the beginning of agradual shutdownofthe commercial aviation system and much more. The question is: Why did those Democrats hold out forsolong? Why did they stubbornly play alosing hand even as millions of Americans suffered?

Carolina was back in thesecession business.

So says anew telling of America’s origin story,which is atapestry of suffering, viciousness, selﬂessness and nobility.Insix two-hour episodes on PBS, “TheAmerican Revolution” immerses viewers in an often bewildering, sometimes dismaying, but ultimately exhilarating documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt. It is atutorial that teaches an appreciation of contingency: Things couldhaveturned out very differently than they did. And of pre-modernity: George Washington’sarmy wasthreatened by Britain’s, but more so by smallpox, which killed 100,000 Americans, soldiers and others, during the seven war years.

The war was, from Lexington Green to Yorktown, always acivil war(Washington: “A Brother’s Sword has been sheathed in aBrother’sbreast”), with approximately one-third of the population Loyalists (about 50,000 fought for the king), one-third Patriots, and one-third just wanting the war to go elsewhere. Benjamin Franklin’sson was a Loyalist. In some battles, almost everyone on the battleﬁeld was an American

ThePatriots dragged 64 tons of artillery 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga across the Berkshire mountains to Boston, the documentary reports. Fighting against an empire, the motivated Patriots had an empire in their heads —the Ohio Valleyand beyond. TheContinental Congress called it the Continental Army for areason.

This is why the most tragic people swept intothe tornado of war were the150,000 Native Americans. They werecertain tolose everything including their land —nomatter which side won the war.Their westward trek of tears began before the warended. Pressured by Congress, in May 1779 Washington ordered “the totaldestruction and devastationof[Native American] settlements.… It will be essential to ruin their crops now in theground and prevent their planting more.”

Five thousand Black men and many Native Americans served in Continental Armyunitsmore integrated than U.S. forces would be until the late 1940s.

Amongthe war’stroubling paradoxes is this:

Thefinalfight for America’sfreedomtosecede from theBritish Empire was won in roughly 100 battles in SouthCarolinathat produced almost one-fifth of all thewar’sbattle deaths. Thatstate’svictorious militias had been created before the war as precautions against slave rebellions.And eight decades later,South

The fate of acontinent was determined by mostly brief and smallbattles. The largestwas the last, Yorktown,withnearly 20,000 American and French troops and 9,000 British engaged. Americans killed: 389. At Lexington: eight.Bunker Hill: 115. At Monmouth, the lastmajor battle in theNorth: 362. (On the ﬁrst day of the Battleofthe Somme, July 1, 1916, almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed.)

In the20th century,the fates of other continents were shapedbythe material and moral resources our Revolution unleashed. AEuropean general aiding the Patriots discovered the secret of America’ssuccess, its inveterate individualism. To aEuropean friend he wrote: “You say to your soldier,‘Do this,’ and he does it; but [here] Iamobliged to say,‘This is thereason why you ought to do that,’ and then he does it.”

Andalways,more gore. In the middle of an operation to amputate (withoutanesthesia) asoldier’sleg, a cannonball removed the other

In his preface to thefilm’scompanion book, Burnssays Americans today are detached from the war’s “sometimes difficult truths.” There is,however,“comfort in complication,” when “thedistractions” of myths and nostalgia arereplaced notby“unforgiving revisionism” but by unblinking comprehension of thealways winding, often violent, course of human events. Consider this documentarythe unofficial beginning of our 250th birthday party.Given today’s pandemic of crankiness, the party might trundle downhill from here. Butfor sixnights, theview from thehilltop is riveting.

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

The short answer: because Obamacare was at stake. The Affordable Care Act is the Democratic Party’s premier policy achievement of the last half-century,and it is gradually sinking beneath rising costs, making “affordable” health coverage increasingly unaffordable. Without moretaxpayer-paid subsidies forrecipients, fewer and fewerpeople will be able to purchase coverage that Democrats once promised would be within everyone’sreach. So manyDemocrats have invested so much of their political identity on health care, and on their health care achievement —remember that Obamacare passed the Senate in 2010 without asingle Republican vote —that the prospect of its failure is unthinkable forthe Democratic Party

This is what happened. Back in 2010, Obamacare was acompromise between those Democrats who wanted to create anational single-payer health care system andthose who wanted amore market-based arrangement.But all Democrats agreed that the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which established taxpayer-paid subsidies with which millions of Americans could purchase health coverage, was the beginning of aprogram that would grow in the years to come.

The problem was, since Republicans unanimously opposed the system,any expansion of Obamacare or signiﬁcant increase in its funding would have to come when Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House. That timedid not come until early 2021, when President Joe Biden took ofﬁce with aDemocratic House and Senate. Together, they immediately passed aset of new subsidies on top of the subsidies that already existed in the Affordable Care Act law

Democrats characterized their long-desired additional subsidies as an “emergency” measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. They would only last one year,expiring in 2022. But then, in 2022, Democrats renewed the additional subsidies —again, as an “emergency” measure —and extended them for three years, until Dec.31, 2025. In the meantime, Obamacare premium costs have gone up and up —anestimated 30% this year alone. So this was the situation Democrats faced: Even if the “emergency” subsidies were extended, millions of people would face big premium increases. And if the “emergency” subsidies were allowed to expire —and remember,in2022, every single Democrat in the Senate voted forthe subsidies to expire on Dec.31, 2025 —then people whopurchased coverage through Obamacare would face skyrocketing costs. By the way, the Biden administration declared the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023. Democrats extended the “emergency” additional subsidies until Dec. 31, 2025. Now,there is simply no “emergency” rationale for extending the additional subsidies.

But there is apolitical rationale, which is that the cost of Obamacare —contrary to Democrats’ predictions —isrising dramatically.Doing nothing —that is, not pumping moretaxpayer-paid subsidies into the system —could risk fewer and fewer Americans being able to afford health coverage through Obamacare.

So Democrats decided to block funding of the entire government unless Republicans would agree to extend the additional “emergency” subsidies. Republicans, whoproposed to keep the governmentfunded ﬁrst and then discuss any Democratic Obamacare proposal, said no. The House GOP passed astraight, no-tricks government funding proposal. Senate Democrats used the ﬁlibuster to block it for40days, until the pain of the governmentshutdownproved too much for afew Democratic senators.

The big picture of what is happening is the failure of the Affordable Care Act. Indeed, someDemocrats have admitted that the reason they shut down the government was to hold out formore “emergency” subsidy money because the ACA has failed to makehealth coverage affordable. “I owe you an answer on whyitisI’m standing here today,asking to extend something that wastemporary,” Democratic Sen. Peter Welch said on the ﬂoor of the Senate afew days ago. “Wedid fail to bring downthe cost of health care.”

For Senate Democrats, the only waytodeal with that failure wastodemand moretaxpayer-paid premium subsidies to keep Obamacare aﬂoat. Now, their shutdownhas failed, and they will no doubt search forother ways to pumpmoney into their struggling health care program Byron York is on X, @Bryon York

George Will

Byron York

N.O. breaks ground on stormwater park

After years of delays, green space will return

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

A storied playground that once stood at the heart of the St. Bernard neighborhood will soon be restored as a $35 million athletic field and underground stormwater storage system, after years of stalled progress. At McDonogh 35 High School last week, New Orleans officials broke ground on Willie Hall Playground, a project that aims to reduce chronic flooding in the area and expand the city’s stock of public recreation fields.

“This project speaks to the future of the city of New Orleans in a community that we know in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina took on a lot of water, and that’s why we focus heavily on these spaces to ensure we can mitigate flooding by learning how to live with it,” said

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who was flanked by Chief Administrative Officer Joe Threat and City Council members Eugene Green and Oliver Thomas, among other officials at the site. Led by the New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability, the three-phase project will first see massive water tanks constructed below the 5-acre site that are capable of storing up to five million gallons of water, officials said. The underground tanks would connect to the city’s drainage system and alleviate pressure from the city’s aging, constrained pumps during heavy storms. On top of that, and adjacent to McDonogh 35 High School, will be a new football field lighting and bleachers, among other amenities. Later phases include rain gardens, a kayak launch, walking trails along Bayou St John and a new multiuse recreational facility

“It’s just taking water out of the drainage system,” said the city’s Urban Water Administrator Meagan Wil-

liams.

Once complete, the new athletic ﬁelds will be shared between the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission and McDonogh 35 under a partnership between NORD and the Orleans Parish School Board.

The project is part of the Gentilly Resilience District, a series of green ﬂood control projects in Gentilly that have been repeatedly delayed since the city received a $141 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2016.

The groundbreaking marks the return of Willie Hall Playground to the St Bernard neighborhood. That playground, which was dedicated in the 1960s to serve Black youth in the area when NORD had segregated parks and facilities, was relocated to Pontchartrain Park following major ﬂooding in the St. Bernard area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The St Bernard neighborhood has since seen a spate of multimillion-dollar invest-

ments over the years, including a state-of-the-art building for McDonogh 35 High School built in 2015.

Stalled progress

Before now, progress on the Willie Hall site had been slow, as had progress on the entire Gentilly stormwater management project. In fall 2023, HUD named New Orleans a “slow spender” because only about 15% of the grant money had been used then.

The city has until 2029 to spend the grant money, and officials have completed only a handful of projects.

Others are in progress, such as the $31 million Mirabeau Water Garden, which will transform 25 acres of vacant land into a recreational space designed to hold up to 10 million gallons of stormwater

For Willie Hall, NORD and the School Board signed an original ﬁve-year agreement in 2018, armed with a $5 million HUD grant for stormwater management

Initial designs accounted for a water storage capacity

of 2 million gallons, but engineers later determined the project would require larger tanks, which nearly tripled cost estimates, said project manager Stephanie Dreher

Getting federal clearance for the change took time, she said, as did several standard environmental and archaeological surveys and title research to determine jurisdiction over the property

Still, movement on the project remained largely stagnant. With the agreement due to expire in 2023, the School Board, aided by community efforts to resurrect the project, amended the terms of the agreement to be approved by Cantrell’s city attorney in 2022.

The new agreement details a joint operating plan between NORD and McDonogh 35, such as the school giving up a portion of its parking lot in the evenings, but also giving the school priority in the event of scheduling conﬂicts. NORD’s default schedule for the property is after 6 p.m. on weekdays and after noon on Saturdays.

Full-circle moment

Willie Hall Park, along with the St. Bernard Project, which was formerly New Orleans’ largest public housing development, were central to the St Bernard neighborhood before Katrina in 2005, said NORD CEO Larry Barabino Jr., who grew up in the area. For Barabino, who attended school, played for the playground’s football team and later coached in the neighborhood, the groundbreaking marks a pivotal full-circle moment.

“I was always here. This playground, this site was a safe haven to me,” he said. “This was the only green space that served, pre-Katrina, thousands of kids. But now, there’s no green space in this community anymore because it’s gone,” he added.

Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to take 18 months.

Email Joni Hess at joni. hess@theadvocate.com.

Council clears way for subdivision in Folsom

Zoning change approved, despite arguments

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

New developments often meet resistance from a St Tammany Parish Council wary of upsetting residents concerned about trafﬁc, ﬂooding and a change in neighborhood character

That may have been what some Folsom residents wearing red “Make Folsom Rural Again” hats were betting on at the council’s Nov 6 meeting as they asked the council to stop a developer’s request to change the zoning on 20 acres between Folsom and Covington in order to build 73 single-family homes in a gated subdivision with a clubhouse and sidewalks.

The suburban development would clash with the surrounding horse and cattle farms, some of the residents argued. It would displace wildlife and also increase the trafﬁc load, they said

“This would be an island amongst rural property,” said Matt Garver, one of dozens of people at the meeting opposed to the develop-

Folsom residents wearing ‘Make Folsom Rural Again’ hats exit a St. Tammany Parish Council meeting Nov. 6 after the council approved a developer’s zoning change request for a 73-home development between Folsom and Covington.

ment on the west side of La. 25. But the developer’s proposed zoning change, which was on appeal from a previous denial by the parish’s Planning and Zoning Commission, wasn’t like those the council usually considers.

Thanks to the property’s existing zoning a mix of multifamily and highway commercial — the developer, Lake Hills Subdivision LLC, already had the ability to build up to 180 apartments and commercial buildings without having to seek

the Parish Council’s approval, said Paul Mayronne, a lawyer for the developer The property has been zoned for apartments since the 1980s, Mayronne said. The proposed suburban subdivision would, if anything, have significantly less of an impact on the surrounding area than apartments, Mayronne argued.

Indeed, technically, the developer was asking the council to approve what is called a “downzoning,” said the parish’s Planning and Development Director Ross Liner

That put the council in an unusual situation. If they approved the downzoning, the developer was almost certain to build 73 homes, upsetting the residents at the meeting. But if they did not, the developer could at any point build the 180 apartments, something Mayronne said the developer was prepared to do.

“I’ll tell you this — they’re not going to leave it there for the deers and the rabbits and the butterﬂies,” council member Rick Smith told the crowd.

Council member David Cougle said the opposition “knocked it out of the park” with its “display,” but ultimately said he thought a gated community would be preferable to

apartments.

Council member Larry Rolling put it more bluntly

“Think about the option you have here: It’s the lesser of two evils,” Rolling said.

Some residents were skeptical that the developer would ever actually build apartments, since it has had the ability to do so since the 1980s. But council member Kathy Seiden said she had spoken with the developer “It is not a threat, it is imminent,” she said.

Council member Martha Cazaubon, whose district the development will go in, agreed “I know for a fact that something is going to go there.”

The council unanimously voted to approve the zoning change, overturning the earlier denial by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and giving the developer the green light to go forward with the new homes.

In a statement, Garver said that neither the single-family homes nor the apartments were consistent with the surrounding area and that nearby residents were “disappointed by the council’s decision.”

Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.

Appeals court rules for public victim testimony in retrial

Melanie Curtin previously convicted of rape in 2021

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD

Staff writer

A trial court judge was wrong in ruling that the public could not be allowed in the courtroom for parts of testimony during the new rape trial of a Livingston Parish woman linked to a former deputy’s sex crimes case, an appeals court said. The Louisiana 1st Cir-

BLOTTER

Continued from page 1B

east. The driver of the Ford took evasive action before the vehicles collided headon. Brown, the front seat passenger of the Ford, was killed. The driver of the Ford and Garcia suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

Mire man wanted in attempted murder

Authorities are looking for a man accused of hitting a deputy in a car while trying to escape arrest, ofﬁcials said Travis Cormier, 36, of Mire, is wanted on the following counts: Attempted first-degree murder of a peace ofﬁ-

cuit Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that 21st Judicial District Court Judge Brian Abels abused his discretion and did not have a “substantial reason” for saying that the public, but not the media, could be excluded during parts of an alleged adult victim’s testimony during Melanie Curtin’s new rape trial.

Curtin, 46, of Denham Springs, was originally convicted of rape in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2022.

Later in 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled that Curtin must receive a new trial,

cer, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a peace ofﬁcer hit-and-run, aggravated criminal property damage, flight from an officer, negligent injuring and driving with a suspended license.

According to the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the counts stem from an incident Thursday in which deputies attempted to serve several arrest warrants on Cormier

During the attempted arrest, police said Cormier used his vehicle to ram a police vehicle to escape. The vehicle was occupied by a deputy and caused heavy damage to the vehicle As Cormier drove off, he attempted to hit a deputy who was on foot, injuring the deputy, ofﬁcials said Cormier escaped into a wooded area, police said Anyone with information on Cormier’s whereabouts is

saying the court “improperly admitted evidence that unfairly prejudiced the defendant.”

The Court of Appeal’s ruling comes after Abels said last month he would partially close the courtroom when a video of an alleged incident played during the trial, according to court transcripts.

The video was credited as strong evidence by prosecutors during the original 2021 trial. The public and the media were not allowed in the courtroom when the video was played at that time, according to court transcripts.

asked to call the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce at (337) 788-8772 or Crime Stoppers of Acadia Parish at (337) 789-8477 (TIPS).

Standoff ends after SWAT enters home

A standoff on Rosewood Avenue ended Friday night after Lafayette police entered a home they believed was hiding an armed robbery suspect — only to ﬁnd he wasn’t there. The incident began around 6 p.m. when ofﬁcers were told 22-year-old Trevon Gilbert was inside a house in the 100 block of Rosewood Avenue. Negotiators tried for hours to reach him before SWAT entered the home and cleared it just before 10:40 p.m. Police say family members initially reported Gilbert was inside, but he was not located.

The Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case and has requested that during the new trial this month, the courtroom be closed to the public when the alleged victim in the case testiﬁes.

“There are provisions in the law to protect vulnerable witnesses when they testify We’re asking that the same protection be applied to our victim,” Attorney General Liz Murril said in a September statement.

Lester Duhé, press secretary for the Attorney General’s Office, said Friday that the ofﬁce does not have a comment on the Court of

Gilbert is wanted by the Scott Police Department on an armed robbery warrant and remains at large. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lafayette police or Crime Stoppers at (337) 232-TIPS.

LOTTERY

SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 2025

PICK 3: 2-9-4 PICK 4: 5-2-9-6 PICK 5: 9-6-9-8-1

EASY 5: 5-21-32-33-37

2-11-29-33-34-

Appeal’s ruling at this time Curtin, a former real estate agent and a former employee of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce, was one of the defendants to face charges following a probe into former Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Deputy Dennis Perkins.

Curtin’s case did not involve children, but she was accused of helping Perkins rape and film an unconscious woman in 2014.

Perkins and his ex-wife, Cynthia, were convicted of varying degrees of sex crimes involving children, ranging from child pornography to inserting bodily ﬂuids onto cupcakes served to junior high students.

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

STAFF PHOTO By WILLIE SWETT

SPORTS

LSUlooks to keep hotstreak rollingvs. Tulane

Tigers on thehunttomatch arecordfromtitle team

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

ä LSU at Tulane 6P.M.

MONDAy,ESPNU

When LSU women’sbasketball finds itself in the early stages of blowout wins overmidmajor opponents,coach Kim Mulkey triesto find small sources of motivation for herteam Otherwise,thosegames could begin to feel atad monotonous. Mulkey doesn’t want theTigers to look at the score and losetheir focus. She wants to see sharp possessions throughout the contest instead, especially on the defensive end of thefloor “Just challengethem throughout agamelike this,” Mulkey said on Wednesday after a58-point winover Charlotte. “Give themlittle goals in the timeout. Give them little things to try to accomplish That’swhat you try to do.”

Here’ssomething Mulkey can pull out of her back pocket if LSU takes alargelead over Tulane in Fogelman Arena(6p.m., ESPNU) on Monday: Because the No. 5Tigers (4-0)havescoredatleast 100points in each of their ﬁrst four games, they can now match astreak that only one SEC team has ever built beforeiftheyhit the century mark again in their matchup with theGreen Wave (2-1).

That group, coincidentally,isalso an LSU squad. The Tigers notched at least 100 points in each of their ﬁrst ﬁve games of their national championship 2022-2023 campaign. According to Basketball Referencedata, no other SEC team has ever hit that mark in that many consecutivecontests—at any pointofa season.

STATEOFTHE FRANCHISES

Editor’snote: This interview took place on Thursday,prior to the New Orleans Pelicans’ ﬁring of coach Willie Green. NewOrleans Saints andPelicansowner Gayle Benson conducted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan on Thursday During arare and wide-ranging30-minute discussion,Benson wascandidand forthcomingabout a variety of topics. Here’sthe detailed conversation:

and Pelicans are both offtohistarts. Howwould you assess their seasons so far?

n: Iamobviously not m disappointed, andI ct ourfanstoalso be ed. Whatweestablished st two decades withthe awinning organization pectation to compete ionships every year rgoal,and that hasnot ThatiswhatIexpect, hatour fans expect. thereality that both ave rules to create parity rtunity, such as the salary ertainly understand recap and rebuilding, but s, Iwant to win. My role ebest people Ican and he resources they need salsomyjob to hold them able if we are not meeting .Myexpectations for the re thesame.

How disappointed are you with the Saints’ season?

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Four days before his ﬁrst win as LSU’s interim coach, Frank Wilson spoke at afuneral. He had never done that before, butthis was for Shan P. Williams, alongtime administrator in theNew Orleanspublicschool system.

Wilson dabbed his eyes. His voice cracked as he talked about the roleWilliams played in his life. Williams gave him achance to be ahigh school head coachwhen he was 26 years old. Wilson called him his mentor.He never made aprofessional decisionwithout talking to him.

“I wanted him to go into thatstadiumwith me,” Wilson said. “He will. He’ll look down. He’ll smile. Smilebig.”

ä WesternKentucky

Pelicans,Saintsowner Benson discusses plight of herteams,including jobstability of Loomis ä See FRANCHISES, page 3C

GB: I’m very disappointed, as everybody is. Butwe’re in arebuilding mode. (General manager) Mickey (Loomis) said this from the very

beginning of the season. But, look, I understand how fans feel. Ireally do. And Ifeel bad forthe fans, but we told everybody in the beginning, this wasgonna be atough year,and it has been atough year.They just need to be patient. And Iknow it’shard to ask them to be patient, but all of us are disappointed. Imean, the whole ofﬁce over here is disappointed. But we can’tjust jump ship just because we’re having ahorrible season. It doesn’twork that way.We’re gonna have good times. We’re gonna have bad times. And I’m hoping fans will understand. But they need to know that I’m very upset and very disappointed, probably more so than them. Because I’m taking the brunt of this. But Istill want them to know that Ireally care, and I’m doing everything Ican. Imean, I’m giving them (the teams) every resource. Iput all that money into the

cheer during agamebetween the NewOrleans Saints and Tampa BayBuccaneers on Oct.26atthe Caesars

When LSU beat Arkansas 23-22 on Saturdayafternoon, the ﬁrst thing Wilson did was point to the skyabove Tiger Stadium. Players dousedhim in Powerade, andstaff members hugged him. His voice caught when asked what thewin meant to him in atelevisedinterview,and he simply said, “Everything.” Afew minutes later,Wilson spent aminutehugginghis family beforehewentto the locker room. During his postgame news conference, sophomore running back Caden Durham walked in to hug him

“He’sbeen working so hard for thepast fewweeks to get his ﬁrst W,”Durham said. “It felt like agood team win, andmylovefor

coachFrank,I wassohappy.I hadtocongratulatehim in adifferent way.

The win was one of Wilson’sgreatest professional accomplishments. He’sa New Orleans native who started his career as a high school coach and worked his way up thecollege ranks,eventuallybecoming the head coach at UTSA and McNeese State. Wilson has always understood what LSU meanswithin the state. He returned forhis second stint withthe Tigers as oneofBrian Kelly’sfirst hires. WhenKelly was fired Oct. 26, LSU picked Wilson to lead the team through theend of the season

“He had the mindset of being thehead coach already,” sixth-year defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory said. “It wassecond nature to him. With the preparation we had last

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints owner Gayle Benson waves to fans before the startofa game against the Tampa BayBuccaneers on Oct. 26 at the Caesars Superdome.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUinterimcoachFrank Wilson talks with the team before takingthe field against Arkansas on Saturday at TigerStadium.

See WILSON, page 3C

Division II state volleyball championship final on Saturday at the Cajundome.

FABULOUS FIFTH

St. Thomas More captures fifth straight volleyball title

BY MIKE COPPAGE

Contributing writer

Trailing by two points midway through the fourth set of the Division II volleyball ﬁnals on Saturday at the Cajundome, St. Thomas More coach Jessica Burke called a timeout

Although the top-seeded Cougars had won two sets, a ﬁery No. 2 St. Scholastica squad won the third and had the momentum. Burke urged her team to channel its inner canine, a day after telling the LHSAA Network she wanted to see the dog come out in her players.

The Cougars responded by winning the set and their ﬁfth straight state title (25-14, 25-17, 22-25, 26-24). Mallory Franklin (11 kills) and Claire Thomson scored the ﬁnal two points, Thomson’s on an ace.

“Yes, that (dog) was the word we used in the huddle the last timeout,” Burke said. “We unleashed the dog, for sure.” Marvel Potier (10 blocks) was named outstanding player for the Cougars (41-5), who brought their entire senior class to the postgame press conference.

“You don’t win state championships without a great senior culture,” Burke said. “This group has been incredible. They’ve been great leaders from the jump. I am so proud of them. I can get emotional.” Morgan Dunn and Mallory Franklin (four blocks) were offensive leaders with 12 and 11 kills. Thomson served two aces and dished out 18 assists, while Virginia Blanchard to-

St Thomas More player Mallory Franklin, center hits against St. Scholastica players Caitlin Canbre, left, and Thea Roppolo on Saturday.

taled 21 digs.

“I am so proud of these players,” Burke said. “They learned so much, so fast. I am so excited. It was a great game. Credit to St. Scholastica. They started to put us on our heels by mixing up what they were doing.”

The Doves (27-9), who were making their first appearance in the finals, were a different team after the first two sets, a change coach Sheri Gillio attributed to “getting the nerves out.”

“Their coach is very smart,” Burke said of Gillio. “She was telling them what shots

to hit and where to execute. They’re a great team, but ultimately we won today and I’m excited.”

Senior Eleanor Guidry, who was described by an analyst during the match as the “best libero in the state,” ﬁnished with 39 digs. She had a kill to win the ﬁrst set and registered back-to-back kills — a rare occurrence for a libero — in a regular-season game

“Honestly, there is no feeling that describes it,” Guidry said of winning the title. “Especially when it’s such a good and close hardfought game.”

In addition to Poiter, Guidry and Wheeler, the Cougars’ roster included seniors Olivia Wu, Marissa Billedeaux and Alayna Boumans. Sophomore Abby Strother was a major contributor in the middle.

“There’s really no words to describe it,” Potier said. “The feeling is honestly amazing. You feel so happy and so emotional because you did so well. Honestly, it’s just so fun to go out here and play with our closest friends — and win.”

STM had the largest and loudest crowd of the three-day tournament as its fan base turned the Cajundome into a home away from home.

“I think it’s really neat after being (in Kenner) for so many years where you have to be gone three or four days,” Burke said of the tourney being in Lafayette “You see so many of our alumni, kids who may one day go to STM, and kids who go to other schools who support our girls because they’re so kind. It’s something that’s just really phenomenal.

“We get to practice serving and passing at our school, and (the players) ride around in cars with the coaches. It’s really chill. I love it.”

Georgia up to No. 4 in AP poll; Tulane

BY ERIC OLSON Associated Press

Georgia moved up one spot to No. 4 in The Associated Press poll Sunday, Oklahoma returned to the top 10 and North Texas, ranked for the first time since 1959, is among three Group of Five teams in the Top 25.

Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M were the top three teams for the fifth straight week. Georgia earned its highest ranking since the first week of September, and Mississippi was back in the top five after spending three weeks there at midseason.

Oregon and Texas Tech were tied for No. 6, and Oklahoma rose three spots to No. 8 following its win at Alabama.

Notre Dame remained No. 9 after a 22-point win at Pittsburgh, and Alabama dropped six spots to No. 10 after the Sooners ended its eight-game win streak.

Ohio State, which rolled past UCLA to improve to 10-0 for the fourth time in seven seasons, received 57 of 66 ﬁrst-place votes.

Texas A&M, whose comeback from a 27-point deficit to beat South Carolina was its largest ever got one first-place vote, three less than last week

Georgia’s 35-10 win over Texas was its sixth straight and second over a top-10 opponent. Mississippi which lost at Georgia a month ago, defeated Florida and is more than 100 points behind the Bulldogs at No. 5.

The Group of Five hadn’t had three teams in the Top 25 since four appeared in last season’s ﬁnal poll.

The Sun Belt Conference’s James Madison blew out Appalachian State and moved up three spots to No. 21. North Texas is next at No. 22. The Mean Green of the American Conference clobbered UAB 53-24 on the road and have matched its best start in program history

The last time UNT was 9-1 was in 1959, when the team then known as the Eagles was ranked two straight weeks in November, reaching No 16. That team lost to New Mexico State in the Sun Bowl to ﬁnish 9-2.

This year’s UNT team is in the thick of the race for the Group of Five’s automatic CFP bid.

In and out

n No. 22 North Texas’ ﬁrst appearance in the poll in 66 years ends the longest drought by a Bowl Subdivision team.

n No. 23 Missouri returned af-

ter a one-week absence following a win over Mississippi State in which Ahmad Hardy became the ﬁrst player since 2022 to rush for 300 yards.

n No. 24 Tulane has won two straight since losing to UTSA and is ranked for the first time this season.

n No. 25 Houston, ﬁfth among teams also receiving votes last week and idle, was ranked for one week in October

Poll points

n Voters did what the CFP selection committee did last week, jumping Miami over Georgia Tech to make the Hurricanes the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team. Miami easily beat North Carolina State and moved up two spots to No. 14. Georgia Tech, which needed a ﬁeld goal in the ﬁnal seconds to edge one-win Boston College, slipped a spot to No. 15.

n No. 13 Utah has outscored three opponents by a combined 153-49 since losing at BYU and has its highest ranking of the season.

n No. 17 Texas took the biggest plunge, dropping seven spots. Ranked vs. ranked

n No. 16 Southern California (82, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP) at No.

Jets CB critically wounded in Manhattan shooting

New York Jets cornerback and special teams standout Kris Boyd was critically injured in a shooting in midtown Manhattan early Sunday, according to Mayor Eric Adams’ ofﬁce.

The shooting happened just after 2 a.m. outside a business on West 38th Street near 7th Avenue, according to the New York Police Department. A 29-year-old man was shot in the abdomen, police said The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition. There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. Adams’ ofﬁce said the man shot was Boyd.

Boyd hasn’t played this season after going on the season-ending injured reserve list on Aug. 18 with a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair

Sinner defeats Alcaraz to retain ATP Finals title

TURIN, Italy The ﬁnal installment of the “Sincaraz” rivalry for 2025 went to Jannik Sinner The second-ranked Sinner beat top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 for the ATP Finals trophy on Sunday in the sixth meeting this year between the two players who are dominating men’s tennis.

Sinner defended the title before his home Italian fans for only his second victory over Alcaraz this year after also beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon ﬁnal.

“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To ﬁnish it this way, before my Italian fans, is very special for me.”

Alcaraz had already secured the year-ending No. 1 ranking and was contesting his ﬁrst ﬁnal at the event for the year’s top eight players.

McIlroy ends year with loss but wins Race to Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Rory McIlroy’s banner year in golf ended with ﬁtting drama Sunday when he eagled the last hole in regulation to force a playoff but lost out to Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the season-closing World Tour Championship for a third time.

The consolation for McIlroy? A fourth straight Race to Dubai title crowning him as the year’s No. 1 player on the European tour — to add to his wins at the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, The Players Championship and his home Irish Open. McIlroy also helped Team Europe win an away Ryder Cup.

McIlroy hit his drive into a creek on the ﬁrst playoff hole and made bogey Fitzpatrick chipped to 3 feet and rolled in a par putt to win.

Schenk wins first PGA Tour title in his 243rd attempt

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda Adam Schenk ﬁnally won when he least expected it, closing with an evenpar 71 in raging wind Sunday to hold on for a one-shot victory in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in his 243rd start on the PGA Tour

Schenk was two tournaments away from having to return to Qschool at No. 134 in the FedEx Cup. Then he handled some of the toughest conditions he ever faced, making one birdie and four crucial par saves in gusts that topped 30 mph.

The last one was as difﬁcult as any His approach to the par-4 18th at Port Royal went just over the green as Schenk clung to a one-shot lead. He gave that winning putt a light touch, relieved when it found the center of the cup to hold off Chandler Phillip, who also shot 71.

Oregon (9-1, 6-1, No. 8 CFP): The winner strengthens its position for a CFP at-large bid and keeps alive slim hopes of sneaking into the

Grant breezes to second LPGA title at The Annika BELLEAIR, Fla. — Linn Grant of Sweden had so much control of her game that she played the final 52 holes without a bogey, a streak that ended on the final hole Sunday when it no longer mattered. She closed with a 5-under 65 for a three shot victory in The Annika. It was Grant’s second LPGA title and the second time she received a trophy from Swedish great and tournament host Annika Sorenstam. Grant won the Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden when Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson were co-hosts. “You made this course look easy It’s not easy,” Sorenstam told her on the 18th green. Jennifer Kupcho birdied the first hole to tie for the lead, but only briefly Grant birdied the next hole and never trailed again.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

St. Thomas More players rush to the championship trophy after defeating St. Scholastica in four sets during the LHSAA

The Tigers scored 108 points on 53% shooting in their season-opening rout of Houston Christian, and they still haven’t cooled off. Their offensive numbers in fact, have only improved since then. LSU has scored at least 115 points seven times in program history Three of those outings have come in just the past 10 days — in drummings of Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia Southern and Charlotte.

The Tigers have picked up four wins by an average margin of 62 points. They’re also shooting an efficient 56% from the field and a blistering 48% from 3-point range. Tulane has already hung with an SEC team this season. On Nov 6, when it lost at home to Missouri, the Green Wave held the Tigers to 77 points on 39% shooting. But LSU is on a different level. And it usually rolls past its nonconference opponents. Since the 2021-2022 season, Mulkey’s first in Baton Rouge, no Division I team has more 100-point games than the Tigers (25), according to Basketball Reference data. Texas is the second SEC program on that list, and it’s hit the century mark only 13 times across those five

seasons

“We can score the ball,” Mulkey said. “We can score the ball at all positions.”

This LSU team has a few things in common with the one that took home the 2023 national title. That group, for instance, had nine newcomers. This one has eight. Both teams through the ﬁrst four games of their respective seasons — were also scoring at least 110 points per game and winning by an average margin of at least 60 points.

The 2025 Tigers, however, have so far received 83 more points from their bench than the 2022 Tigers did across their ﬁrst four contests.

The LSU reserves scored an average of only 16 points per game across the past three seasons, years in which the Tigers ranked 229th, 283rd and 94th among Division I teams in bench points per contest.

This season, LSU’s bench is chipping in 57 points per game — the most in the country

“I’ve been doing this almost 40 years,” Mulkey said “I can’t even think about if I’ve ever had balance like that. I probably have never confidently substituted like this even in nonconference, and what has dictated that is what goes on in practice every day

“Like I said, we can score the ball. Let’s just get better defensively.”

FRANCHISES

Continued from page 1C

Superdome. I’m getting ready to put more money into the Smoothie King Center along with Champions Square. I’ve been talking with the governor (Jeff Landry) on a regular basis. We’ve got a lot going on. And it’s all for the beneﬁt of the fans.

Fans have expressed their discontent to us via emails, text messages and letters to the editor How aware are you and other team ofﬁcials of the fans’ displeasure?

GB: I am absolutely aware. I am not an absentee owner who flies in just for games. I am in the office and am out in the community every day I talk to fans, partners and our staff every day We discuss and hear their frustrations regarding the performances of both teams every day No one is very happy with either team’s performance now, especially me. With that said, I am confident both teams are heading in the right direction, specifically the acquisition and development of our young players that are playing and starting for both teams. They will be our core for years to come. But again, I understand the frustration and anxiety of patience. I believe in the plan and vision as we develop both teams in getting our younger players that we have drafted on the field and on the court now

Do you receive letters and messages from fans?

GB: Yes. All the time. And they’re very upset. And I’m very upset, but I can’t do any more than I’m doing. I’m not gonna ﬁght anybody These people that work for me, I respect them. They work very hard. You don’t think Mickey Loomis is losing sleep at night over all of this? He is. It’s hard. It’s not an easy job. It’s not like he’s sitting on his butt, not worrying about things.

Many fans have lost conﬁdence in the leadership of Saints GM Mickey Loomis, pointing to the club’s lack of success without head coach Sean Payton. How do you respond to that?

GB: It may not be what the fans want to hear, but as far as ﬁring Mickey Loomis, that’s ridiculous. (He) does a great job. Mickey’s been one of the top NFL general managers. He’s a great guy. He’s got a bunch of rookies He’s got a new coach who just was in the Super Bowl. I mean, what else can I do?

How would you answer his critics, who say

WILSON

Continued from page 1C

week versus this week, it shows

you why he’s a good coach. We really, truly go out there and play for him, and we love him.”

After he was named interim coach, Wilson tried to get in touch with his mentor Williams made him the head coach at O.P Walker High in 2000, taking a chance on someone who didn’t believe in himself yet. Williams “saw something in me no one else saw,” Wilson said.

“Boy, you’re special,” Wilson recalled Williams telling him. They went to state championship games in the Superdome together, and Williams remained a close friend ever since. They talked all the time. Wilson said all he ever wanted was Williams’ approval.

But Wilson couldn’t get in touch with him after being named the interim coach. Finally, he reached out to Williams’ daughter Williams was in the hospital, in and out of consciousness.

“Does he know?” Wilson asked her “Does he know what’s happening?”

“He knows,” Wilson recalled her

“He had the mindset of being the head coach already It was second nature to him. It shows you why he’s a good coach. We really, truly go out there and play for him, and we love him.”

JACOBIAN GUILLORy LSU defensive tackle

saying.

“What did he say?”

“‘We did it.’” Wilson never got a chance to talk to him again before Williams, 77, died the night of Nov. 1, a week before Wilson coached his ﬁrst game as LSU’s interim coach against Alabama. On Tuesday morning, Wilson attended the funeral in New Orleans.

“I stood in the front of the room, and I said I speak in front of people every day of my life routinely, without issue,” Wilson recalled Saturday afternoon. “It became very difﬁcult because those words that she said meant so much.”

With the win against Arkansas, Wilson became the ﬁrst Black head coach to win a game in LSU football history Offensive line coach

Brad Davis was the team’s first Black head coach when he served as the interim in the 2022 Texas Bowl.

“I recognize, I acknowledge those who have knocked on the door and hoped for opportunities as African-American coaches for many years,” Wilson said. “I stand on the shoulders of those men who are giants. I’m very fortunate, I’m very proud I’m very humble, to be in a position to be able to help this team earn victory.”

Wilson has three more games as the interim head coach. LSU ﬁnishes the regular season against Western Kentucky and Oklahoma before playing a bowl game. His future after that is uncertain in the midst of a coaching change, though Wilson has often shown his value as a recruiter with deep New Orleans connections.

After the game, Wilson thought of Williams.

“For him and for so many others, we did this,” Wilson said. “I carry that with a badge of honor We did this. My only resentment is that he’s not here to enjoy it with me.”

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

he is not held accountable by you and president Dennis Lauscha?

GB: It is important to note that both (Pelicans executive vice president) Joe Dumars and Mickey Loomis report only to me, no one else in the building. I am in the ofﬁce every day speaking with them. I am in the locker room after every game, win or lose, and available to them to provide whatever support they need to be successful.

It is incorrect to assume that Mickey Loomis is not held accountable. I agree with everyone, including Mickey, that we do not have the record that we want. However, I do see a team that is building for the future. While I am not nuanced in the details of specific football moves, I am aware of what I see on the field. Our (first-year head) coach, Kellen Moore, has the makeup to be a very special coach, and I am excited about having him. I am also very excited about our young players and the way they have played this year

It also appears we may have found a young quarterback in Tyler Shough, who has the potential to start for us for many years. I was so proud to see Tyler do well, and I shared that with him after the (Carolina) game. He’s doing a great job. I really like that young man. So, from what I can see from my seat, is a young team that is headed in the right direction.

Many fans believe Mickey Loomis is part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Explain why you have conﬁdence in his work as GM.

GB: This offseason, Mickey managed the retirement of Derek Carr, saving us $30 million in cap space. He also traded defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars for our current starting veteran center, Luke Fortner, who has played a pivotal role in the absence of Erik McCoy following his season-ending injury I am told that Saunders was just released by the Jaguars. We currently hold seven draft choices for the 2026 NFL Draft, all of which will help us continue building this young roster As our fans know well, Mickey also oversaw two of the greatest drafts in league history in 2006 and 2017, not to mention leading the charge during one of the most challenging situations for the greatest free-agent signing in professional sports, Drew Brees. Mickey is one of the longesttenured and most respected general managers in the NFL. In 2006, he was the lone voice in our building to hire Sean Pay-

ton. When I am asked to hold Mickey Loomis accountable, I do. Not every decision works out, they never do; that is why I am sharing with you the body of work that Mickey has contributed to making our team so successful over the years. I hold him in high esteem, and I am very pleased with what he has accomplished, acquired and is building.

Given the historically slow starts this season and the recent struggles of both clubs to make the playoffs, why should fans have conﬁdence in the management and direction of the organization?

GB: Like I stated, there is the reality that both leagues have rules to create parity and opportunity Fortunately, those rules in both leagues allow for quicker turnarounds than they used to if you make the right decisions. My role is to hire the best people I can and give them the resources they need to win. I have committed millions to state-of-the-art practice facilities and hiring coaches and support staffs for these teams. I also take great pride in not meddling in the day-to-day operations, letting our football and basketball people do their jobs. And yes, it is also my job to hold them accountable if we are not meeting our goals. Away from the ﬁeld and court, it is also my job to make sure our business operations are providing the best product for our fans in their game-day experience. I committed $180 million to the renovation of the Caesars Superdome. Those are direct improvements for our fans that we know and hear are well received. As I stated publicly when we signed the long-term state lease, I made it very clear that my next major priority was to renovate the Smoothie King Center and bring Champions Square up to a level that is the best in the NBA. I have already started speaking with Governor Landry about this plan. While there are still some fanfacing issues at both the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center, such as concessions, we continue to work with ASM on correcting these so that our fans have the best experience possible.

Where do things stand on negotiations with the state on a long-term lease at the Smoothie King Center?

GB: The other night I was at an event where the governor was being honored with the Boy Scouts at the World War II Museum, and he pulled me aside and said, ‘We are going to get together, and we’re going to get this next deal done.’ I said, ‘OK. I got it.’ So we

are going to address this. Timing is everything. You just can’t jump from one project to the next that quickly We’re talking about a lot of money and we’re talking about a lot of planning. We’ve been planning this for a long time. We’ve been working on the Superdome (lease agreement) for a long time. We ﬁnally got that settled and now we’re going to work on the arena, and it’s going to be just the governor and I. I don’t want anybody else in the room. And the governor and I both agree on that. You know, when you get too many people involved, it becomes a big mess. The governor and I know what we need to do. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Is there any update on where things stand on New Orleans and the 2031 Super Bowl? Have you met with (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell yet on that?

GB: I meet with Roger on a regular basis on different issues. He and I were texting this morning. We are going to ﬁnd out about the Super Bowl in a couple of months, probably a couple of (NFL) meetings from now Our league meeting is in May (to discuss future Super Bowls). They like to (decide on) Super Bowls four years out. I think they’re going to let us bid, even though we’re coming in late.

All of the owners want to come to New Orleans. As you know in New Orleans, we can’t have the Super Bowl every year because of all the events that we have coming here. But the 2031 game is where we want to be.

Do you think it’s still a possibility for the city? Even after missing the original deadline to submit our intent to host that year?

GB: Oh, yeah, sure. We still have a chance. But I can’t promise that because I don’t have a crystal ball. I wish I did, but I don’t. OK, I can’t say the (NFL’s Super Bowl) committee’s going to deﬁnitely vote for New Orleans. I can’t say that. But I can say that all the owners and Roger and his whole team want to come back here. But we don’t have that in writing.

Is it your understanding that the league will work with New Orleans, given the complications we have here in certain years with Mardi Gras and major conventions?

GB: Oh, they are. And they will. We do have the best city for the Super Bowl. There’s only three or four cities that really can handle (the Super Bowl), and they’re going to work with us. They want to come back. Let’s hope it happens. The governor and I are going to go back to meet with Roger in January He said he would be glad

to meet with the governor, but he said, I can’t give him any more information than I’m giving you. It’s done by committee. I’m part of it. We’re still in the early stages of choosing (the Super Bowls) that far out. He said, ‘We’re going to get there, and as soon as we do, you’re going to be the ﬁrst one (in line).’ Right now we can’t.

So you’re saying the ship hasn’t sailed on New Orleans getting the 2031 Super Bowl?

GB: No, it hasn’t sailed. And people need to calm down about that. They need to give me some breathing room so I can get stuff done.

It was recently indicated that some aspects of the succession plan for the franchises have changed in recent years. If so, is there anything you’d like the public to know about those changes?

GB: There have been no substantive changes to the succession plan. It remains that when I die, both teams will be sold to the highest bidder and those proceeds will be used 100% to improve this community I did authorize a change that we will have a group of committed individuals administer the proceeds of the sale upon my death, rather than have one individual handle making those decisions. Finally, I want to reiterate and make this abundantly clear I am not selling these teams.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

GB: Yes. Let me be clear about this: The teams are not for sale. That’s in capital letters. I want everybody to know the teams are not for sale. I get tired of people asking me (if they’re for sale). I’m going to turn 79 in January but I’m pretty healthy I hear that people want to talk to me about buying the team. I’m like, well, that’s a waste of my time. That’s not going to happen. And people need to calm down about the team moving.

And ﬁnally I just want everyone to know that I’m doing everything that I can, other than throwing the ball and catching it and getting the ball in the hoop. I can’t do any more than I’m doing. I’m giving them (the teams) the money I’ve done everything I can to help these guys. After every game, win or lose, both teams, I’m in that locker room. When they come in from the ﬁeld or off the court, I’m hugging every one of them, win or lose. I can’t do any more than let them know I’m supporting them. I don’t know what else I can do.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson checks out of the game in front of coach

Kim Mulkey during a game against Charlotte on Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU interim coach Frank Wilson waits for the next play in the ﬁrst quarter against Arkansas on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Wilson became the ﬁrst Black coach to win a football game at LSU

NFL ROUNDUP

Dolphins beat Commanders in OT in Spain

By The Associated Press

MADRID Jack Jones had a ﬁtting celebration after his overtime interception in the ﬁrst NFL regularseason game in Spain.

The Miami Dolphins cornerback ran toward the sideline and stretched his arms wide after a twisting jump in front of his teammates. Jones was imitating Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer great who used to celebrate like that at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when he played for Real Madrid

“I had to bring that out,” he said “I was talking to my friend and I’m like, ‘When I make a play, be ready for that celebration.’” Jones intercepted Marcus Mariota on the ﬁrst offensive play of overtime and Riley Patterson kicked a 29-yard ﬁeld goal to give the Dolphins a 16-13 victory over the Washington Commanders.

Jones cut in front of Commanders tight end Zach Ertz and came away with the ball

“They covered our ﬁrst couple of options well,” Mariota said. “I tried to get back side to Zach. Guy undercut it and made a play Unfortunate there and give credit to him. He made a good play.”

Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks said Jones told him moments earlier that he was going to come up with the interception, making “that moment a lot cooler.”

“His exact words: Y’all stop the run. He’s going to throw me the ball, because he can’t throw,” Brooks said.

The Commanders (3-8) had a chance to win and end a five-game losing streak with 15 seconds left in regulation, but Matt Gay’s 56yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Gay, who said ahead of the game he was thrilled to have the chance to play at the Bernabeu, missed two of his four field goal attempts.

PACKERS 27,GIANTS 20: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love took a big hit to his left shoulder and jogged inside for further evaluation.

Love returned from the injury to throw two touchdown passes, Malik Willis had one of his own while

ASSOCIATED

Miami Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson is congratulated after kicking the winning field goal in overtime against the Washington Commanders on Sunday in Madrid, Spain.

filling in and the Packers ended their skid by defeating the New York Giants.

With Jameis Winston making his first start in 11 months and Mike Kafka debuting as interim coach after the firing of Brian Daboll, the Giants (2-9) lost their fifth game in a row despite two touchdown runs from Devin Singletary and a QB sneak touchdown by Winston.

TEXANS 16, TITANS 13: In Nashville, Tennessee, the Houston Texans keep digging early holes for themselves. With Davis Mills ﬁlling in while C.J. Stroud is in the concussion protocol, they’ve put together back-to-back comeback victories.

Mills threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, Matthew Wright kicked a 35-yard ﬁeld goal as time expired, and the Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 16-13 on Sunday to sweep the season series with their AFC South rivals.

Led by their backup quarterback, the Texans (5-5) reached .500 for the ﬁrst time this season with their third win in four games. They also won their ﬁfth straight over the Titans in Nashville despite playing without Stroud, safety Jalen Pitre and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.

PANTHERS 30,FALCONS 27: In Atlanta, Bryce Young threw for 448 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions and Ryan Fitzgerald

kicked a 28-yard ﬁeld goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Panthers to a win over the Atlanta Falcons

Young’s 54-yard pass to Tommy Tremble set up the winning kick for Carolina (6-5), which completed its sweep of reeling NFC South rival Atlanta.

Young completed 31 of 45 passes despite being escorted to the locker room late in the ﬁrst quarter with a right ankle injury. He missed only one snap.

BEARS 19, VIKINGS 17: In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return in the ﬁnal minute set up Cairo Santos for his fourth ﬁeld goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired that gave the Chicago Bears a victory after the Minnesota Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left.

Over their seven wins, the Bears (7-3) are a stunning plus-20 in that column. Not coincidentally, they’re 3-0 in games decided by two points or fewer and 5-1 when the margin is ﬁve or less.

After McCarthy ended another erratic performance with five straight completions that culminated with a 15-yard scoring strike to Jordan Addison, Duvernay delivered the clutch response after the Bears blew the 13-point lead they took into the fourth quarter JAGUARS 35,CHARGERS 6: In Jackson-

ville, Florida, the Jaguars bounced back from the worst collapse in franchise history by thumping the Los Angeles Chargers behind rushing touchdowns from Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence and rookie Bhaysul Tuten.

Coming off a 36-29 debacle at Houston during which they blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter the Jaguars (6-4) showed no lingering effects from the crushing setback against a division rival.

Coach Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers were a complete no-show ﬁnishing with 135 yards and just eight ﬁrst downs.

BILLS 44, BUCCANEERS 32: In Orchard Park, New York, Josh Allen wasn’t in an I-told-you-so mood after he threw three touchdown passes and ran for three scores.

Allen became the ﬁrst NFL’s ﬁrst player with two games of three TDs passing and rushing. He did it last year in a 44-42 loss at the Los Angeles Rams. He also upped his career total to 290 touchdowns, the most by a quarterback before turning 30 — passing Peyton Manning’s 288.

Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield finished 16 of 28 for 173 yards with a 28-yard TD pass to Sean Tucker and a 4-yard TD run. Mayfield also threw an interception and lost a fumble when sacked on Tampa Bay’s final drive.

STEELERS 34, BENGALS 12: In Pittsburgh, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the second half in the locker room dealing with an aching left wrist.

And still the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way, and steadied their season in the process.

Mason Rudolph guided a pair of long scoring drives after replacing the injured Rodgers, and the Steelers surged past the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 on Sunday to remain atop the AFC North while also playing without safety Jalen Ramsey who was thrown out for throwing a punch at Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Joe Flacco’s run of inspired play came to an abrupt end. The 40-year-old, who had not looked his age since taking over for an injured Joe Burrow and ineffective Jake Browning, delivered his

SCOREBOARD

A&M 74, Lindenwood 65

73, Auburn 72 Morehead State 121, Kentucky Christian 51

Cumberlands

Kentucky 101, University of

Kennesaw

Tech 84, Charlotte

Forest 109, UMass

Carolina 76, Stetson 65 Western Kentucky 95, Tennessee State 82 MIDWEST Cleveland State 87, Radford 82 Kent State 76, Wright State 72, OT Ohio State 64, Notre Dame 63 South Dakota 83, Western Michigan 78 Southern Indiana 91, Loras 74 Valparaiso 68, Bryant 50 SOUTHWEST Oklahoma State 85, Texas A&M-CC 69 Samford 84, Central Arkansas 77, OT FAR WEST Hawai’i 68, Utah Tech 62 Sacramento State 64, Presbyterian 62 Women’s state scores, schedule Saturday’s game No games scheduled Sunday’s games UL-Monroe 79, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 50 McNeese 49, Tarleton State 47 Arizona 85, Grambling 64 Monday’s game LSU at Tulane, 6 p.m. National scores EAST Brown 56, UMBC 54 Buffalo 67, Fordham 59 Cornell 62, Canisius 50 Dartmouth 65, Siena 55 Drexel 66, Loyola (MD) 57 Lafayette 69, St. Francis (PA) 55 Marist 78, Holy Cross 77, OT Maryland 84, Princeton 68 Navy 69, Florida 54 New Hampshire 76, New England College 29 Penn State 89, Saint Joseph’s 77 Rutgers 59, Fairleigh Dickinson 49 Scranton 69, Pittsburgh 63 Syracuse 78, Wagner 29 Towson 65, Coppin State 54 UConn 100, Ohio State 68 SOUTH Appalachian State 77, Wofford 50 Austin Peay 77, Indiana State 73 Davidson 82,

worst performance since joining Cincinnati (3-7) last month. Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and Dugger’s interception.

49ERS 41, CARDINALS 22: In Glendale, Arizona, Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes in his return from a toe injury, Christian McCaffrey had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the sloppy Arizona Cardinals. McCaffrey extended his NFL record with his 17th career game with at least one running touchdown and a touchdown catch. Purdy completed 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards.

Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett started his ﬁfth straight game for the injured Kyler Murray and completed 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The 47 completions set an NFL record in the regular season.

RAMS 21, SEAHAWKS 19: In Inglewood, California, Kamren Kinchens had two of the Rams’ four interceptions, Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and Los Angeles hung on to beat the Seattle Seahawks for its ﬁfth consecutive victory

Jason Myers was short on a 61yard ﬁeld goal attempt as time expired, allowing the Rams (8-2) to survive the Seahawks’ furious late rally RAVENS 23, BROWNS 16: In Cleveland, Ohio tight end Mark Andrews ran 35 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:31 remaining, and the Baltimore Ravens rallied for a victory over the Cleveland Browns to spoil Shedeur Sanders’ NFL debut. On fourth-and-inches at the Browns 35, Baltimore (5-5) looked like it was going to run a tush push with Andrews lined up under center Instead of going up the middle, Andrews ran left. Fullback Patrick Ricard got a kick-out block on Browns safety Grant Delpit, and Andrews was untouched as he scampered to the end zone for his ﬁrst career rushing touchdown.

The Ravens have won four straight since their nightmarish 1-5 start.

PRESS PHOTO By DOUG BENC

ALZHEIMER’SQ&A

Take personal approach to dealingwith FTDapathy in patients

How can apathybemanaged inanindividual with frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia or frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) refers to arange of disorders that impact the brain’s frontal lobes (regions behind forehead) or its temporallobes (regions behind ears). These areasofthe brain arecommonly associated with personality, behavior and language.

Apathy in FTD is one of the most challenging aspects of the disorder for caregivers and health careprofessionals to manage. FTDaffects the individual enjoying everyday activities, participating in social events, performing household tasks and even personal hygiene and self-care. Managing apathy in those with FTD should be individually tailored and effective interventions and environmental strategies should be delivered and promoted with understanding and patience.

Caregivers canassist in the journey of FTD by learning all about the disease-related changes in the brain that are affecting their loved ones. Gettingeducated about FTD and its processes can help to maintain the caregiver’sempathetic connection to the individual and thus, reduce anger and frustration in the relationship of both parties. The individual with FTD feels apathetic most days, withno motivationand/or the ability to initiate anything. The needs and interests of the individual with FTD should be assessed and in that way,amore personcentered approach can be maintained. What motivates him or her? What brings joy? What music could be played? Cover all the individual’sbiography,including spiritual, emotional, physical,nutritional, intellectual and social interests. Develop activitiesbased on this biography and adaptthem accordingly as abilities change duringthe progression of the disorder

Eliminatingthe need to make decisions and having a planned structure are helpful and necessary ways to manage and reduce apathy.Individuals withFTD require alot of time to process information and instructions, so it is important not to rush communications or the prescribed activity. Externalcuing may be necessary to start an activity and keep the individual engaged Reliance just on verbal cuing will be less effective as FTD progresses, so caregivers may need to take more direct action or mimicthe action they want their loved ones to perform. Incorporate acustomized music playlist for the individual and promote physical activity like walking or dancing. Repetitive activities also work well, such as folding laundry,asthese are consistent with some of thebehavioral symptoms associated with FTD. Additionally,multisensoryactivities may overwhelm the individual, so these need to be introduced one sense at atime as to not distract the individual or cause him or her to lose interest. Overall, any

FURRY FRIENDS?

Even if you’re notnutsabout squirrels, remember they do help ourecosystems, supportplant growth

BY COLETTE DEAN

Contributing writer

It’s easy to have alove-hateopinion of squirrels.

These furry scamps are theclowns of our natural world and aside from entertaining antics, have alot to offer in ourmodern urban andsuburban settings. Squirrels beneﬁt ecosystems by actingasseed dispersers, which helps plants and expand forests. They also aerate soiland spread fungal spores, which supports plant growth.

But the mischievousmammals also raid bird feeders, chew andgnaw through just about anything, anddart out in front of cars.

Dr.Jim LaCour, instructor for the LSUSchool of Animal Sciences, said Louisianaishome to three types of native squirrels, including asubspecies: the gray,fox and ﬂying squirrels. Eastern graysquirrels are themost common and recognizable with gray fur,white belliesand bushy tails.A Southerngray subspecies is darker in

BY MARKKENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool &the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Mickey Guyton and Teyana Taylorwill featureinthis year’sMacy’sThanksgiving Day Parade, which will also cement “KPop Demon Hunters” as apop culture phenomenon withappearances by the movie’s singers on the groundand cute characters in balloonsoverhead. An eclectic groupofstars from ballet dancer Tiler Peck to YouTube’s“Hot Ones” host Sean Evans— will join the annual holiday kickoff, highlighted by Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X,the fictional girl

Agroup of squirrels is also called ascurry.

color and found in southern parishes.

Three subspecies of fox squirrels can vary in color from black to redand are less common. One subspecies in western Louisiana is the largest, lighter in coloring and with alarge skull.

Flying squirrelsare small, nocturnaland have skinﬂapsbetween their

front andback legs whichallowthem to glide.This mimics flying, hence the name. Not easily seen in the dark, LaCour says you can hear their highpitched squeaking noisescoming from the treetops.

ä See FRIENDS, page 6C STAFF FILE PHOTOByLESLIE

groupatthe heartofthe Netﬂix K-pop hit. Thetrioare behind thefilm’s soundtrack, which hit No. 1on the Billboard200 andrecently wentplatinum. Twocharacters from themovie —Derpy Tiger

and Sussie —will join the parade lineup as amid-sized balloon and theadorablynamed balloonicle. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Nov.27inall time zones and will feature 32 balloons,three ballonicles, 27 ﬂoats,

33 clown groups and11marching bands —all leading the way forSanta Claus.The familiarTV hosts —Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker fromthe “Today” show —will return on NBC andPeacock.Morestarswill be announced later Broadway will be represented by cast members from “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime,” while the Radio City Rockettes will be there and someseriousathletes —threetime U.S. nationalchampion ﬁgure skater Ilia Malinin and U.S Paralympian Jack Wallace. Every year,spectators line up a half-dozen deep alongthe routeto cheer the ﬂoats, entertainers and marching bands. Last year,more than 31 million people tuned in on NBC and Peacock, up 10% from the previous year and marking the biggest audience ever forthe parade. This year,fournew featured

STAFFFILE

PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

WESTBROOK

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By yUKI IWAMURA Parade performers leadthe TomTurkey float down Central Park West at

parade.

Blisters requiregentle, patientcare

Dear Doctors: Idoalot of hiking and camping,and when there is terrain that is rough, alot of times I’ll get ablister.How do you take care of that —are you supposed to pop it and drain it, or do you justcover it up? I’ve heard it’s easyfor ablister to get infected, and Iwant to avoid that.

Dear Reader: Ablister is aﬂuidﬁlled sac that forms within the outermost layers of the skin.It can be caused by burns,frostbite, sunburn, disease, allergic reaction and, as you have experienced, repeated rubbing. Known as friction blisters, these are by far the most common form of this type of skin injury.They occur when shifting pressuregradually forces apart the top layers of the

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,Nov.17, the 321st day of 2025. There are 44 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Nov.17, 1968, the last minutes of atense NFL matchupon NBC between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiderswere preempted by the children’sﬁlm “Heidi.” The network received thousands of calls from angry viewersand formally apologized Also on this date:

In 1800, Congress held itsﬁrst session in the partially completed U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon told agathering of Associated Press managing editors at atelevised news conference in Orlando, Florida: “People have got to know whether or nottheir president is a crook. Well, I’m not acrook.”

In 1989, an estimated 10,00015,000 Czechoslovakian students demonstrated in Prague against Communist rule; hundreds of thousands joined the protests in the following days. Dubbed the“VelvetRevolution” for its nonviolent nature, the protests led to the resignation of the Communist Party’s leadership on Nov.28that year.

In 1997, 62 people, most of them foreign tourists, were killed when militantsopened ﬁreatthe Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor Egypt; the attackerswere killed by police.

In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger,the Austrian-bornactor who had become one of America’s biggest movie stars of the1980s and’90s, was sworn in as the 38th governor of California.

In 2020, President Donald Trump ﬁred the nation’stop election security ofﬁcial, Christopher Krebs, who had refuted Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud and vouched forthe integrity of the vote. Today’sBirthdays: Film director Martin Scorsese is 83. Actor-model Lauren Hutton is 82. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim is 81. “Saturday Night Live”producerLorne Michaels is 81.Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes is 80. Film director RolandJoffe is 80. Actor Stephen Root is 74. TV host-entertainer RuPaul is 65. Actor Dylan Walsh is 62. TV hostmodel Daisy Fuentes is 59. R&B singer Ronnie DeVoe (NewEdition; Bell Biv DeVoe) is 58. Actor Rachel McAdams is 47.

ALZHEIMER’S

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engagement with the individual with FTD should be enjoyable, non-threatening and purposefulto generate motivation and togarner more enthusiasm, pleasureand to maintain aqualityoflife

Many caregivers feel guilty about “not doing enough”for their loved ones which adds undue stress. Joining asupport group speciﬁcally for FTD caregivers can help caregivers express their feelings, in additionto learning more ways and suggestionsto manage apathy in their loved ones. Contact the Association for FrontotemporalDegeneration (www.theaftd.org or (866) 5077222) for more information and resources.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate andauthor of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’sDisease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

skin. The fluid that seeps intoand fills the spacebetween the two separated layers is part of the body’shealingprocess. Thesize and severity of ablister are influencedbyseveral factors. These include theintensity of thepressure, its duration and thepresence of moisture in the

FRIENDS

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Squirrels are not endangered but thestatusofasubspecies, Sciurus niger bachmani or Bachman’sfox squirrel, is of concern.

“Wedohavethemonthe LSU campus,”LaCoursays.

Squirrel tails are fun to watch, actinglikesignal flags. For instance, tail-shaking behavioris typical when asquirrelisalarmed by the approach of aperson or other dangerous animal. The tails also warmthem in frigid weather as theykeep the tail lying ﬂat along theirback, providing insulation.

On an icy or rainy day,the tip of the tail can act as an umbrella they hold overtheirhead.

One of asquirrel’s mostimportant tools is its impressivenutcracking,seed-grinding teeth. Two pairs of sharpincisors protrude from the front andcontinuously grow,which is why theycontinue to gnaw on hard materials to keep teeth amanageable length.

“They are notorious for chewing wires, wood and fence ties,” LaCour says Foxand graysquirrels breed at 1year of age during two distinct breeding periods: mid-December to early January andagain in June. Squirrels prefer to nest in tree cavities comprised of sticks and dry leaves, or if it’sconvenient,they mayﬁnd aspot to nest in your attic.

Having asquirrel makea home in your homeiswhat usually triggers hostility from humans.

“Attics are very attractive to a squirrel wantingtoﬁnd awarm, dryplace to live,” LaCoursays.

TimothyBrowning is alicensed nuisance wildlifecontrol operator whowill occasionally get calls from homeowners needing assis-

PARADE

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character balloons will debut including Buzz Lightyear,PacMan,Mario from Super Mario Brothers and a32-foot-tall balloon onion carriage featuring eightcharacters from theworld of “Shrek.”

Ahead of next year’s100th anniversary ofthe parade, organizers are also including balloons from previousmarches, including Rainbow trout, the Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot and Freidathe Dachshund.

Six newﬂoats will also debut this year,including from Holland

affected area. The architecture of the foot plays arole as well. Navigating rough terrain creates somethingknown as shear force, atype of pressurethat gradually nudges apart thetopmostlayers of skin. If your feet are sweating, or if you get them wet, the skin absorbs that moisture. This, in turn, causes the skin to swell. It becomes more fragile, less elastic and more vulnerable to thelateral stressorswementioned earlier When caring for ablister,resist theurge to pop it.You want to keep it intact.The ﬂuid inside is amix of plasma, serum, proteins electrolytes and immune cells, and each has aspeciﬁc role in the healing process.The skin serves as abuilt-in bandage, protecting

theexposed tissues from infection.Startbywashing your hands. Then, carefully clean the surface of the blister.Gently pat it dry —never rub —and protect the area with anonstick bandage that won’tdamage the fragile skin. Change the bandage every day —more often if it gets dirty or becomes wet. If its size or location may cause it to burst on its own, or if the internal pressure is causing pain, it can be necessary to drain a blister.When you do so, you are exposing an open wound, which raises therisk of infection. That makes cleanliness imperative. Wash your hands, clean the skin and pat it dry.Use asharp, sterilized needle to pierce one or two

holes at the blister’sedge. Usea gauze pad to apply gentle pressure until mostofthe ﬂuid is gone. Don’tdrain it completely and never remove the top layer of skin. Keep the blister covered with aclean dressing and protect the area from pressure or friction until healing is complete. If you see signs of infection —redness, warmth, swelling or discharge please seek medical care.

Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

tance in evicting squirrels.

“The first thing Idoisfind the accesspointsinthe house. Usually,there is ahole somewhere near the soffit, eaves or gutters and once that is sealed, it takes care of theproblem,” he advises.

The LouisianaDepartment of Wildlife andFisherieswebsite has alistbyparish of licensed operatorsfor nuisance animals.

For do-it-yourself folks, LaCour suggests checkingout the municode.com websitetosee what is legaltodoinyourparish regarding trapping, releasing or hunting them.

Cody Cedotal, LDWF small game and wild turkey manager, says squirrels are not allowed to be released on public lands and permissionmust be givenfrom landowners before trapping and relocating them on privatelands.

LaCourwarns, “I don’ten-

America Line, Lego, Lindt chocolates, “Stranger Things” and a bunch of whimsical sheep trying to get to sleep courtesy of Serta. Someofthe stars on hand will be Debbie Gibson, Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw,Meg Donnelly,Christopher Jackson, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Calum Scott, Shaggy Lauren Spencer Smithand Luísa Sonza.

The marching bands will hail from SouthCarolina, California, Texas, Arizona, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Santiago, Panama. The New York Police Department’s marching band will also join.

courage putting out poison, as this does harm to other animals that prey on squirrels,” he said Squirrels’ natural predators are numerous, including bobcats, foxes, coyotes, snakes, owls, large hawks andcats.

And don’tforget the gloves.

LaCour also encourages wearing thick gloves as protection from verysharpclaws and teethiftrapping is aconsideration.

Ifyouﬁndkeepingsquirrelsaway fromyour bird feeders challenging, try using the “ﬁve, seven, nine” rule to guide feeder placement:

n Five feet is the minimal height from theground you wanttohang your feeder

n Space it 7feet away from launching points suchastrees, fences or decks.

n Positionyour feeder 9feet away from tree limbs or other featuresfrom above to keep squir-

rels from dropping downonto the feeder

Weight-sensitive feeders and bafﬂes installed on posts under a bird feeder can also act as adeterrent for keeping squirrels away There arenumerous sources online that offer hacks forcontaining or deterring squirrels from becoming pests.

One thing is universal:Battling backyard squirrelstakes patience, Browning can attest. “I try all kinds of ways to outsmartthem andthentheyoutsmart me. So far, Ithink we’re even,” Browning concedes. This column is provided by the Louisiana MasterNaturalists of GreaterBatonRouge, which seekstoadvance awareness, understanding andstewardship of the natural environment. For moreinformation,email info@ lmngbr.org.

DEARMISS MANNERS: At adinner eventI attended at ahotel, the tables were 10-foot rounds with tableclothsthat wenttothe ﬂoor Thedinner was buffet style,but we were all wearingsemi-formal attire.

Thewoman sitting next to me pulled the tablecloth upfrom the ﬂoorand set it on herlap,proudly saying that shewasn’tgoing to getany food on her gown. If she hadn’tmade this announcement, Ilikely wouldn’thave noticed she did this. The tablecloth was black, aswere our napkins. WouldMiss Manners provide guidanceonthis practice?

GENTLE READER: George Washington already did! General Washington, as he correctly wished to be called after

his presidency,was amaster etiquetteer.Itwas he who issuedthe first rules of American protocol, so thatitwould be dignified without aping European courtlife. Much earlier in life, as aschoolboy,hehad copied down alist of etiquette rulescirculated by Jesuits. And Rule 100 had to do with the misuse of the tablecloth. True, it specifically prohibited using thetablecloth to clean one’s teeth,and your dinner companion was at least not guilty of that Nevertheless, therule should be understood in abroader sense: that the tablecloth should not be put to personal use. Itsjob is to cover the table. Acloth that may be used to protect the lap from spills, and for pattingcrumbs or sauces on the mouth, has been issued: thenapkin. That should settle theetiquette aspect. Youare surely notgoing to defy George Washington or,for that matter,argue witha bunch of 18th-century Jesuits.

Butyou have leftMiss Manners with thevision of atable laden with glassware, plates and food —and someone pulling on thetablecloth. Not agood idea.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We are a blended family.Iinvited our adult children to Thanksgiving. They responded by asking if “other people,” i.e. non-family members, might be there. Isaid possibly They approached my husband (their father), and emphasized thatthey want only family members at Thanksgiving. Is it rude to dictate the guest list when you’re not hosting the party?

GENTLE READER: Didn’tyou just say you were afamily? And now you are ahostess outraged about guests’ usurping your privileges? Surely the children of the family may ask if Thanksgiving dinner can be limited to relatives. Youand your husband should consider their reasons, which strike Miss Manners as apos-

sible interest in family bonding.

But they should also listen to your reasons —“But then our widowed neighbor will be alone” —ifyou decide to include others. And you will be pleased to know that you do, indeed, get to make the ﬁnal decision —not merely as hosts, but as parents whohave weighed everyone’sfeelings.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If you say, “Would you come forThanksgiving?,” is that an invitation or a demand?

GENTLE READER: An invitation, if you insert the word “please.” Otherwise, it sounds abit iffy,as in: “Would you come if Iasked you?”

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to heremail, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St Kansas City MO 64106.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

STAFFFILE PHOTOByHILARy SCHEINUK

An Easterngraysquirrel munches on afrench fryfresh fromatrashcan on the LSU ParadeGrounds.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

The Snoopyballoon soars down Sixth Avenue during the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving DayParade.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Diversify and seewhat happens.Taking the road less traveled will be eye-opening. Youare overdue fora change that stimulates your mind and encourages greater confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec.21) Adjust your living quarters to suityour needs. It's timetobroaden your awareness regarding money and health issues to ensureyou make the headway necessary to sustainyour momentum. Embrace change.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Put your energywhere it brings the highest return. Discipline, hard work and creative input will raiseeyebrows and encourage others to take note of what you are doing.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put more thought into how you can outdo anyone trying to compete with you. Preparation is vital, along with executing your skills with precision and passion.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) It's what you do that counts.Don't waste time forcing your wants on others. Instead, take the initiative to moveforward, and letyour achievementsspeakfor themselves.

ARIES(March 21-April 19) Use your imaginationand rethinkyour next professional or financialmove. Stay ahead engage in what's comingdownthe pipeline and learn how you can market your skills to ensure you flourish.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Refusetolet emotions stand between you and what

you want.Aninnovative and dedicated approach to your next movewill pave the way to greater opportunities.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Speak up, ask questions and dedicate time and ingenuity to fine-tuning how you moveforward. Change can offer opportunities that give you aunique view of what's possible.

CANCER(June 21-July 22) Take the initiative to participate in something that interests you. Anew look will be uplifting and encourage you to make the first move when you encounter someone intriguing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Think matters through before making changes or a move that can disrupt your household. Address emotional issues directly, and you'll gain insight into what's possible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do what comes naturally and what you do best, and success will be yours. Display your skills physically and give others achance to see firsthand the potential of what you have to offer.

LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct. 23) Simplify your life. Take amoment to rearrange your day to ensure you address what's essentialtoyou and your future. Target your goal and focus on results.

CelebrityCipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, past and present.Each letter in the cipher stands for another

TODAy'S CLUE:O EQUALS y

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The objectistoplace thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe samenumber onlyonce.The difficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Wilson Mizner said, “Life’s atough proposition, and the first hundred years are the hardest.”

At the bridge table, for most players the first trick is the hardest. They do not give it nearly enoughthought.

Today’sdeal, for example, would defeat most players —although,tobe honest,manywould still make the contract courtesy of amisdefense by East. Southisinthreeno-trump. West leads his fourth-highest spade andEastputs up the nine. What should happen?

IagreewithNorth’snotusingStayman with 4-3-3-3 distribution and honors in every suit.

South starts with eight toptricks: two spades (giventhe opening lead), four diamonds andtwo clubs. In addition, two more tricks can be establishedin hearts.

Itlookssoeasytowinthefirsttrickand playa heart. However, East can take that trickand return his secondspade.This establishes his partner’s suit, while West still hasthe heartking as an entry. South loses three spades and two hearts. Abetter line for declarer is to cross to dummywithadiamondattricktwo,then to play aheart. But if East is knowledgeable, he will take the trick and lead back his remaining spade.(Remember, if you have only one card left in partner’s suit and it is onelead from being established, do your utmost to win thenextdefensive trick, trying to save your partner’s entry for use once his suit is ready to run.)

So, what is the solution? South must duckthe first trick. Yes,Eastwill lead the spade six, but declarer still gets two spade tricks, andwhen East is in with his heartace,hewillnothaveaspadeleft.(If East had athird spade, South would lose onlytwo spades and two hearts.) ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD

sAtuRDAY’s WoRD —GREAtLY