The Advocate 11-27-2025

tHerIVer’s reCKoNING

theBonnet Carre spillwaywhereitmeets the Mississippiriver, upriver fromNew orleans

staFF PHoto By DaVID GrUNFeLD

tHeMIssIssIPPI’s RISING PRESSURES

Last in aseries

BY MIKE SMITH staff writer

Beside the murky waters off Pass Christian, shrimp boats docked in the distance, David Gautier is worriedabout athreat many miles away that he cannot control.

Gautier,64, runs aseafood business on the waterfront of this historic town along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But his concern has less to do with his home state than with neighboring Louisiana —or, more precisely,the flow ofthe water from the mighty river that runs

through it.

“Wedon’tcontrol that Mississippi River,” says the owner of Gautier’s At The Harbor.Headdslater: “Ifit’snot managed correctly,itcan be catastrophic.”

Gautier went years without oysters andonly recently began to emerge from that hit to his business. The reason? They were killed off in 2019, theresult of high Mississippi River water diverted through theBonnet Carre Spillway near New Orleans.

The fresh water and nutrient pollution that eventually inundated theMississippi Soundwreaked havoc on the region’s ecosystemand tourism industry.Itisa dilemma thatisonly expected to worsen

FEMA changes couldimpactLa.

BY MARK BALLARD staff writer

WASHINGTON —The struggle overthe federal government’srole when disaster strikes is coming toa head as President Donald Trump grapples with whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency should continue —and in what form.

Trump’sHomeland Secretary chief Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, has adramatically smallervisionofthe

ä see FEMA, page 8A

TO OUR READERS

“Wedon’tcontrol that Mississippi River If it’snot managed correctly,itcan be catastrophic.”

DaVID GaUtIer, ownerof Gautier’satthe Harbor

in the decades aheaddue to projections showing more extreme weather,and its implications range far beyondthe Mississippi Coast

Aseries of giant safety valves along the MississippiRiver hashelped protect

the NewOrleans area from catastrophic floodingfor nearly acentury.But now there’s aproblem—several of them,in fact, and they’re converging all at once. TheMississippi Gulf Coast’sprotests over the use of one of those valves, the Bonnet Carre Spillway,have grown louder and led to lawsuits, particularly after recordopenings in 2019. The Morganza Spillwayonthe opposite side of the river has been rarely used, but opening it more frequently draws concern from landowners, residents and port operations in its path.

If seasonal river flowsincreaseas

ä see RIVER, page 12A

assoCIateDPress FILePHoto House Majority Leader stevescalise, r-Jefferson, said FeMa is abureaucratic mess and too frequently fails to meet the needsofamericans during their darkest days

BY HALEYMILLER staff writer

The LSU student government is calling on the university to strengthen itseducationinartificial intelligence, particularlyfor students outside the Division of Computer Scienceand Engineering.

The Student Senate passed legislation last week requesting an

online AI fundamentals certificate available to all students that would offer trainingonbasic AI useand explore the ethical and legal considerations of the technology “AI is going to affect every major across the board,” said junior Aaron Lomastro, co-author of the legislation and amember of the Student Alliance for AI Regulation.

ä see AI, page 8A

today’sedition was printedearly to accommodate readers whowant their thanksgiving edition in advance.you can find complete news and sports coverageonline at theadvocate.com.

Missing coach wanted on criminal charges

BIG STONE GAP,Va A Virginia high school football coach who disappeared days before his undefeated team’s playoff game is being sought on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a computer to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police said Tuesday

Police said Travis L Turner 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, is wanted on warrants obtained Monday for five counts of each charge, adding that additional charges are pending as an investigation continues. They did not share details about what prompted the charges Turner has been missing since last Thursday, when state police special agents from a Bureau of Criminal Investigation office were sent to his home, not to arrest him but to talk to him as part of an investigation. As officers traveled there they were notified that he was gone, police said. The subsequent search nearby has included drones, dogs and rescue teams, police said.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Tuesday at a phone number associated with Turner The court did not yet have a case docket that would list any attorney for him, and records connected to his charges were not made available by the court or state police.

Turner is the football coach at Union High School in southwest Virginia’s Wise County Union has strung together 12 straight wins to remain undefeated this season and advance to a regional final this Saturday Before coaching Union’s team, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged into Union High School in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was also his high school football coach Tom Turner was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.

Online records indicate Travis Turner was in Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class alongside future NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and also went on to play football at University of Virginia Wise in 1999.

U.S. climber among 2 killed in N. Zealand fall

WELLINGTON NewZealand A U.S. climber was among two people killed in a fall on Aoraki, New Zealand’s tallest peak, authorities said Wednesday

The men were part of a fourperson group climbing near the summit of Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, on Monday Two members were rescued by helicopter after authorities received a distress call late that night. The other two couldn’t be found. Searchers in helicopters looked for them through the night before their bodies were discovered on Tuesday morning local time.

Specialists from rescue organizations and government agencies recovered the men’s bodies later on Tuesday, Police Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said. None of the climbers has been publicly identified, but Walker said one of the dead men was from the U.S. Authorities, she said, were working with the U.S. consulate A coroner in New Zealand will investigate the deaths.

Jesse Jackson leaves hospital after treatment

CHICAGO The Rev Jesse Jackson has been released from a Chicago hospital where he was treated for a rare neurological disorder, his son said Tuesday

The 84-year-old civil rights leader was discharged Monday from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, his son and family spokesperson Yusef Jackson said. In 2013, Jackson, who now receives round-the-clock care at home, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis was changed last April to progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, a neurodegenerative disorder which can have similar symptoms to Parkinson’s.

Yusef Jackson thanked “the countless friends and supporters who have reached out, visited and prayed for our father,” as well as the medical and security staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Origins of X accounts come under scrutiny

New feature shows where users are based

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY aP technology writer

They go by names like @TRUMP_ ARMY— or @MAGANationX, and their verified accounts proudly display portraits of President Donald Trump, voter rallies and American flags And they’re constantly posting about U.S. politics to their followers, sounding like diehard fans of the president.

But after a weekend update to the social media platform X, it’s now clear that the owners of these accounts, and many others, are located in regions such as South Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

Elon Musk’s X unveiled a feature Saturday that lets users see where an account is based. Online sleuths and experts quickly found that many popular accounts posting in support of the MAGA movement to thousands or hundreds of thousands of followers, are based outside the U.S — raising concerns about foreign influence on U.S. politics.

Researchers at NewsGuard, a firm that tracks online misinformation, identified several popular

accounts — purportedly run by Americans interested in politics –that instead were based in Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa.

The accounts were leading disseminators of some misleading and polarizing claims about U.S politics, including ones that said Democrats bribed the moderators of a 2024 presidential debate.

Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, announced Saturday that the social media platform is rolling out an “About This Account” tool, which lets users see the country or region where an account is based. To find an account’s location, tap or click the signup date displayed on the profile.

“This is an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square. We plan to provide many more ways for users to verify the authenticity of the content they see on X,” Bier wrote.

In countries with punitive speech restrictions, a privacy tool on X lets account holders only show their region rather than a specific country So instead of India, for instance, an account can say it is based in South Asia.

Bier said Sunday that after an update to the tool, it would 99.99% accurate, though this could not be independently verified. Accounts, for instance, can use a virtual private network, or VPN, to mask their true location. On some accounts, there’s a notice saying the location data may not be accurate, either because the account uses a VPN or because some internet providers use proxies automatically, without action by the user Some of the accounts supported slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk as well as President Donald Trump’s children. Many of the accounts were adorned with U.S. flags or made comments suggesting they were American. An account called “@BarronTNews_,” for instance, is shown as being located in “Eastern Europe (Non-EU),” even though the display location on its profile says “Mar A Lago.” The account, which has more than 580,000 followers, posted on Tuesday that “This is a FAN account, 100 % independent, run by one guy who loves this country and supports President Trump with everything I’ve got.”

Death of Fla. teenager on cruise ship ruled homicide

BY KATE PAYNE and JEFF MARTIN associated Press

The death of a Florida teenager on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month has been ruled a homicide, the latest development in a case that has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media.

Anna Kepner’s cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia,” according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, which said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s).” Mechanical asphyxia is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing, according to Stephen Nelson, a chief medical examiner in Central Florida who is not involved in the case.

“In some way shape or form, your airway has been cut off,” said Nelson, a former chair of Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission.

Vacation that ended in tragedy

A high school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast who was set to graduate next year, Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her father, stepmother, her stepmother’s two children and her grandparents.

The night before she was found dead, Kepner had spent time with her grandparents in the ship’s casino, her grandmother Barbara Kepner told ABC News.

“She said, ‘Meemaw, I love you guys.

I’ll see you. I’ll see you later’,” Barbara Kepner recalled. “We never saw her again after that.”

The next morning, a medical alert blared out over the ship’s broadcast system, directing first responders to the room Kepner was sharing with two other teens, including a younger stepbrother

A room attendant found Kepner’s body “concealed under the bed,” according to her grandmother “I just screamed. I couldn’t stop screaming,” Barbara Kepner said. Stepbrother identified as a suspect

Kepner’s death aboard the ship that sailed from Miami has remained shrouded in mystery with the FBI and medical examiner’s office in South Florida refusing to disclose any information about the case for weeks.

The teen’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been identified as a suspect in her death, according to court documents filed by his parents.

The disclosures contained in motions filed in an ongoing custody dispute — offer the clearest public indication that federal investigators are scrutinizing a member of the victim’s own blended family

As of Tuesday, a final autopsy report had not been released and the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office has not responded to messages left by the AP.

Kepner’s time of death was 11:17 a.m. on Nov 7, according to the medical examiner’s office, and the ship returned to PortMiami on Nov 8 as scheduled.

Carnival Horizon cruises the Western Caribbean with stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, according to itineraries posted on the company’s website.

Lawyers who practice maritime law say they’re not surprised that nearly three weeks have passed with no charges filed in the case.

“When I’ve had international marine deaths — deaths on a vessel in international waters in the high seas — it can take quite some time to get the final autopsy reports,” said Houston attorney Marcus Spagnoletti “It’s not unusual.”

Top U.S. officials to visit Caribbean leaders

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

associated Press

WASHINGTON Top U.S. military officials are meeting leaders of Caribbean nations this week as the Trump administration has escalated its firepower in the region as part of what it calls a campaign against drug trafficking.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Santo Domingo Dominican Republic, and meet Wednesday with the country’s top leaders, including President Luis Abinader, Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre and other officials, the Pentagon said Tuesday The announcement came the same day that Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Donald Trump’s primary military adviser met with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

They “exchanged views on challenges affecting the Caribbean region, including the destabilizing effects of illicit narcotics, arms, and human trafficking, and transnational criminal organization activities,” according to a summary released by Caine’s office. The U.S. military has built up its largest presence in the region in generations and has been attacking alleged drugsmuggling boats since early September To date, the military under Hegseth’s command, has carried out 21 known strikes on vessels accused of carrying drugs, killing at least 83 people.

The actions are seen by many as a pressure tactic to get Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down. The visits by Hegseth and Caine this week come as Trump evaluates whether to take military action against Venezuela, which he has not ruled out despite raising the possibility of talks with Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the U.S.

The Trump administration added extra pressure by officially designating the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization on Monday

Slender Man attacker

won’t fight extradition

BY TODD RICHMOND associated Press

MADISON, Wis.

— The Wisconsin woman who won release from a mental institution after almost killing her sixth grade classmate in the name of horror villain Slender Man only to flee the state weeks later won’t fight extradition from Illinois Morgan Geyser agreed not to contest her transfer from jail in Cook County, Illinois, to Wisconsin during a hearing Tuesday, a court spokesperson said. Wisconsin authorities now have 30 days to pick her up.

Wisconsin health officials could revoke Geyser’s conditional release and send her back to the facility where she spent most of the past eight years. She also could face new charges in connection with her escape.

According to police, Geyser cut off her GPS monitoring bracelet on Saturday evening and fled her Madison group home with a 43-yearold companion. Police found them Sunday evening sleeping on a sidewalk outside a truck stop in Posen, Illinois, a village of 5,300 people about 25 miles south of Chicago, and arrested them.

Police have identified Geyser’s friend as male, but Geyser can be heard on officers’ body camera footage during their arrests saying that the individual is transgender and refers to the person as “she.”

Her friend has been charged with trespassing and obstruction, but The Associated Press isn’t naming the companion because the person hasn’t been charged with aiding Geyser’s escape

The AP’s attempts to contact that person have been unsuccessful

The companion did call WKOW-TV on Monday, however, saying the two became friends at church and had

seen each other daily for the past month. Geyser decided to flee because she was afraid her group home would no longer allow them to see each other, the person said. “She ran because of me,” the friend told the television station.

Geyser and her companion took a bus overnight into Illinois, the friend said. The Posen officers’ body camera footage shows Geyser and her friend shivering in the cold outside the truck stop as officers try to ascertain their names and where they’re from Geyser does most of the talking while her friend gathers their belongings and places them in a backpack, saying only “south” when asked where they’re from and giving officers a fake

name. Her companion initially refused to give a name.

As officers threaten to arrest them, Geyser clutches a stuffed dog toy and clings to her companion’s arm. When officers separate them, she insists that her friend doesn’t know Geyser’s name or what she’s done.

When Geyser refuses to give her real name, an officer asks her: “You’re not wanted for murder right?”

Geyser repeatedly begs the officers to let her companion go. Pressed by officers, Geyser says: “I did something really wrong.”

Geyser finally writes her real name on an officer’s notepad. As they’re running her for warrants, she tries to go to her friend, but an officer pushes her back.

BY JENNIFER PELTZ associated Press

NEW YORK A notorious 1979 missing-child case is headed to trial a third time after New York prosecutors vowed Tuesday to retry the man whose murder conviction was recently overturned in the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz.

In a case that has long been gnarled by time and uncertainty, a new set of prosecutors now will need to bring back witnesses, elicit memories and try to persuade another jury that Pedro Hernandez lured and killed the boy as he walked to his school bus stop in New York City

“After thorough review, the district attorney has determined that the available, admissible evidence supports prosecuting” Hernan-

dez on murder and kidnapping charges, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Sarah Marquez wrote, adding that prosecutors “are prepared to proceed.”

Hernandez’s lawyers said they were deeply disappointed by prosecutors’ decision.

“We remain convinced that Mr Hernandez is an innocent man. But we will be prepared for trial and will present an even stronger defense,” attorneys Harvey Fishbein and Alice Fontier said in a statement. Hernandez is due in court Monday for a discussion of next steps Under federal court rulings, jury selection

for his retrial must begin by June 1, or he must be released from prison Etan’s father Stan Patz, declined to comment Tuesday He had hailed Hernandez’s now-overturned conviction as “some measure of justice for our wonderful little boy, Etan.” Hernandez, now 64, worked at a nearby corner store when Etan disappeared on May 25, 1979. It was the first day his mother let him make the roughly block-long trip to the bus stop by himself. The first grader’s body was never found, but he was legally declared dead in 2001.

Dismissal of Comey, James cases not final word

BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge’s dismissal of criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney Letitia James, two political foes of President Donald Trump, won’t be the final word on the matter

The Justice Department says it plans to immediately appeal a pair of rulings that held that Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. It also has the ability to try to refile the cases, though whether it can successfully secure fresh indictments through a different prosecutor is unclear as is whether any new indictments could survive the crush of legal challenges that would in-

variably follow A look at the possible next steps:

What the rulings said At issue is the slapdash way the Trump administration raced to put Halligan in charge of one of the Justice Department’s most elite offices. A White House aide with no prior experience as a federal prosecutor Halligan was named interim U.S. attorney in September after the veteran prosecutor who held the job, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out amid Trump administration pressure to charge Comey and James.

U.S attorneys, top federal prosecutors who oversee regional Justice Department outposts across the country, are typically nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, though attorneys general do have the au-

thority to directly appoint interim U.S. attorneys who can serve in the job for 120 days. But lawyers for Comey and James argued that the law empowers only one such temporary appointment and that, after that, federal judges in the district have say over who fills the vacancy until a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney can be installed.

Since Halligan replaced an interim U.S. attorney who had already served for more than 120 days, the lawyers said, her appointment was invalid and the indictments she secured must be dismissed as a result.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie overwhelmingly agreed. Currie, an appointee of President Bill Clinton who was assigned to hear the dispute despite serving in South Carolina, not only dismissed the cases but also concluded that Halligan

had been serving illegally in her position since the day she was sworn in.

Justice Department appeal

Yes, and Attorney General Pam Bondi indicated that the department would do exactly that.

Any appeal would first be considered by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but theoretically could go all the way up to the Supreme Court and present a fresh constitutional test about the Justice Department’s appointment authority

Interestingly, Currie implied that her interpretation of the law might be wellreceived by at least one current conservative member of the Supreme Court.

In a footnote she cited a 1986 legal memo from Samuel Alito, then a deputy assistant attorney general

in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, that concluded that the Justice Department could not make another temporary appointment after a first 120-day period expired.

Can cases be filed again?

Since the cases were dismissed “without prejudice,” the Justice Department is clearly able to seek a new indictment against James using a different prosecutor with lawful authority to present to the grand jury

The question, however is much trickier in Comey’s case. It’s complicated by the fact that the five-year statute of limitations — or the limited time in which charges can be filed — expired at the end of the September, just days after Halligan raced to present to the grand jury

Federal law allows prosecutors to return a new indict-

ment within six months of dismissal even after the statute of limitations has passed. But Comey’s lawyers said they will argue the judge’s ruling makes the indictment “void,” and therefore “the statute of limitations has run and there can be no further indictment.”

The judge noted in her ruling that the deadline had passed and suggested that the statute of limitations is not tolled or paused in the case of an “invalid indictment.” Quoting from an earlier ruling, the judge wrote that “if the earlier indictment is void, there is no legitimate peg on which” to extend the deadline.

Regardless, the Justice Department in either case would have to convince a new grand jury to return new indictments, and that may be harder given the intense publicity around the cases.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

associated Press

WASHINGTON — A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell accuses the Trump administration’s top housing regulator of abusing his position to misuse private mortgage records belonging to Swalwell and other Democratic critics of the Republican president.

Swalwell sued Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte less than two weeks after Pulte formally referred the California Democrat to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution on mortgage fraud charges.

Swalwell is seeking a court order for Pulte and his agency to withdraw the criminal referral. His lawsuit, which also seeks unspecified monetary damages, accuses Pulte of violating federal laws and Swalwell’s First Amendment free speech rights.

Pulte didn’t immediately respond to a text message and telephone call seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Swalwell, who is running for governor of California, served as a House manager in President Donald Trump’s 2021 impeachment trial.

His lawsuit claims Pulte has played “an integral role in supporting President Trump’s campaign of retribution against his political foes.”

“Those efforts have resulted in the Department of Justice conducting a series of high-profile criminal investigations and prosecutions nakedly targeting some of the President’s most outspoken critics,” the suit says. Pulte’s Nov 13 referral to the Justice Department alleges that Swalwell falsely claimed his Washington,

D.C., home as his primary residence on a mortgage agreement to secure better loan terms. Swalwell denies that allegation, saying he submitted a sworn affidavit that the D.C. home would be his wife’s primary residence but not his own. A push by Pulte and Justice Department official Ed

Martin to investigate Trump political foes for mortgage fraud has been plagued by missteps, including overhyped allegations that were easily refuted.

Ethics officials at the agency Pulte leads were investigating whether he and his allies had improperly accessed mortgage data.

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“Italready is. It’snot fairthat only thesesort of technology-specific majors are receiving thesecourses. We think it’simportant that every major and every student has equal opportunity in preparing themselves with just afoundational understanding of what AI is.”

LSU currently offers multiple coursesinAIfor computer science students, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and applied deep learning, according to James Ghawaly,assistant professor of computer science.

“Because of the increased demand, we are growing the course offerings in computer science,” Ghawaly said. “Wehave almost 15

newcourses that we’re planning on building.”

Students can also enroll in an interdisciplinary course between business, computer science and the honorscollegethat gives them theopportunity to workonAIsolutions forlocal companies and industry partners. The classisselective because of the real-world demands of the student teams, Ghawaly said.

He saidthat“hype mongering” hasdriven increasedinterest in AI across the university, and that somestudents are worried the only way to succeed in theircareers is bylearninghow to use it

“There are some fields where I thinkthat’s true,” Ghawaly said. “I think we want to offer something broader outside of computer science.”

LSU Online offers an AI Prompt-

ing certificate as wellasanAI Bootcamp, both of which are paid. The boot campcosts$10,995 and takes 26 weeks to complete, according to the LSUOnline website.

The boot camp is “notaccessible to alot of students,” said junior BenjaminGoldstein, bill author andmember of the Student Alliance for AI Regulation. “Almost $10,000 in extra loansisrough foralot of people.”

Goldstein said the student governmentisproposing afree certificateavailable to any LSU student with afocusonthe elementary principles of AI.

“I’m really trying to bridge the gap from thepeople who are in the know about AI and are on thefrontier of doingresearchonitwith the peoplewho don’t really know much about the technical side but realizethatthis is areally highimpact thing,” Goldstein said.

He saidmany students rely on AI but are not AI literate, meaning theydon’talways understand how to use the technology to enhance their learning. Instead, they use it as ashortcut, he said.

“A lot of what people are using AI to do is just run their homework assignments through it, and if they have online exams, they ask it their exam questions,” Goldstein said. “It’sessentially a‘get out of jail free’ card for any assignment you didn’tdoorifyou cheat on an exam. Ithink it’s sucha poor use of AI,because it worsensyourunderstanding of theconcepts.”

Goldstein and Lomastro said their next step is to work with LSU Online and the LSU Division of Computer Science and Engineering to fund anddevelop the certificate. They have already received support from somefaculty

directions.

members, Lomastro said.

“It would be anoncredit course wheretheycould receive an AI fluency certificate that they’d be able to put on their LinkedIn, et cetera,” Lomastro said. They are also urging department heads and college deans to implement standardizedAIguidance and policy.Goldstein emphasized that the goal of the certificate isn’t to promote universal AI use but to give students the tools to adopt it effectively fortheir field of study andunderstand itslegal andethical limitations.

“This isn’t, like, rah-rah AI,” Goldstein said. “I don’tenvision this turning into that. Ithink this is achance to provide students an unbiased and factual perspective on abig event happening in the world around them and achance for them to also do their own research.”

federal government’sdisaster response than aspecial task force set up by Trump. That group recommends amore expansive rolefor FEMA than Noem has Regardless of the final form, the efforts appear on track to shift much of the worktothe states, withmajor changes in the way aid is given to home and business owners in abid to speed getting money into communities after disaster strikes. Fewer scuffles at the U.S. Capitol carrymore meaningful stakes for Louisiana, where 57 hurricanes have madelandfall from the mid19th century through 2023, according to NOAA, not to mention innumerable tropical storms and even more flood-inducing rainstorms

“Louisiana knows better than most just how badly FEMA needs serious reform,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson,said Tuesday

“As the Trumpadministration has said, the agencyis abureaucratic mess andtoo frequently fails to meet the needs of Americans during their darkest days. From delays in delivering relief to how they’ve made flood insurance unaffordable, I have heard from so many families, small businesses and elected officials who aredeeply frustrated with FEMA in its current state.” Louisiana received roughly $49 billion in federal aid for 26 disasters since 2005

—$22.9 billion in public assistance, $8.7 billionfor individual and household aid, $16.6 from the Department of Housing &Urban Development, and $892 million in low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration, according to theCarnegie Endowment, aWashington-based think tank.

Any dip in federal aid would have to be covered by taxpayers in astate where 1 in 5residents lives in poverty FEMA also oversees the flood insurance relied upon by about 450,000 Louisiana home and businessowners.

“I’ve been the first to say that FEMA isn’tperfect and needs to be reformed and strengthened,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose New Orleans-based districthas weathered many storms and who, like others in the Louisiana congressional delegation, spends much time championing legislation on disasters.

“I hope the Trump administration starts taking this agency and the policyrecommendations from experts seriously and will workwith them to strengthen FEMA on behalf of hurricaneprone communities,” Carter

added Amuch-anticipatedreport outlining the Trump administration’sposition was due Nov.16 buthas been postponed until mid-December. Meanwhile, the Republican-majority Houseteed up aFEMArevamp bill in early Septemberfor avote, but it has not been scheduled —apparently awaiting aTrump decision on the future of theagency

“Whether that agency is calledFEMAorsomething else doesn’t matter. What’s important is Louisianans areprepared andprotected when the next hurricane hits,” said U.S.Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge.

In January, Trump said he was leaning toward “getting rid of FEMA”and letting the stateshandle recovery from tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and other natural disasters. He created theFEMAReview Council, composed mostly of Republicanofficials andco-chaired by Noemand DefenseSecretary Pete Hegseth, to come up withrecommendations.

As recentlyasJune, the president discussed “phasingout” FEMA.

HurricaneKatrinain2005 cost thefederal government $41.6 billion, whileHurricane Maria in 2017 cost $74.8 billion. Those kinds of outlays have comeinfor harsh criticism fromsome policy groups.

“Trump’sinstinctsare rightonthe money:Decades of federal intervention in

what has traditionally been astate-led process have produced slow,inefficient disasterresponses, poor mitigation, andwasteful boondoggles” the Cato Institute, a48-year-old limited government think tank, said last week.“In theory,the council’sreportcould still catalyzea smaller federal role in disaster management by narrowing FEMA’s missiontotruly catastrophic events, ratchetingdown the federal cost share, and curbing subsidiesthatencourage building in harm’s way.”

Trump’s FEMA Review Council, after several meetings mostly behind closed doors, came up witha160page recommendation that envisions more state involvementindisaster relief but also amorerobust agency independent of Noem’s Homeland Security Department, with aseat at the cabinet table in its own right Noemisdrawing— her draft isn’tfinished— a much shorter counterrecommendation, one in whichHomelandSecurity would keep FEMA but the disaster agency’sfunctions would shiftfromproviding direct help to issuing grants covering specific state projects approved at the federal level, according to The Associated Press. Thegrants would cover about half of thecosts, as opposed to the usual75% federal to 25% statematches now in place. Noem also would layoff about half of FEMA’s staff,

which already is down athird fromlastyearatthistime. She proposes FEMA focus on disaster response, such as removing debris, and leave to other agencies tasks such as getting the lights back on and roads reopened.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in astatementthat Noem is working “collaboratively” with members of the special reviewcouncil.

Both Noem and the task forcerecommend that statesreceive grantsup front instead of reimbursementafter thework is done

But from there the proposals head off in different

The council, which hasn’t released its recommendations publicly,wants to elevate FEMA to aCabinetlevelagencyand leansinto detailedideas to makeit easier for individualsand local government agencies to receive assistance. That would include streamlined applications that change the decades of accounting practices that Congress has added to FEMA’s procedures. Whatever road Trump decides to travel as the administration approaches its new December deadline, Congress will have to be involved becausebothplans

require changes to the 1988 Stafford Act, which dictates FEMA’s actions.

The House legislation cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee in early September on avote of 57-3. It is ready for avote on the House floor

“This will be the mostcomprehensive FEMA reform since Hurricane Katrina,” said Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, R-KansasCity,who chairs the Transportation Committee and sponsored the bill along with Rep. Rick Larsen, of Washington state, the panel’shighest-ranking Democrat.

ThanksgivingPrayer

OurFather

Thank youfor your love,your grace, and foryour daily presencewithus.

We thankyou forthe privilegeofliving in afreecountryand in astate whereweare surrounded by the overwhelming evidenceof the beautyand bountyofyour creation. At this time of Thanksgiving, we thank youfor the abundanceofour land and ourwaterways Guideustoalwaysrememberand help those who aresuffering andthose who areinneed.

Ourhearts go out to the people in theMiddle East,Ukraine,Haiti, Cuba, and other areas affectedbywar andviolence. Youhavesaid thatthe peacemakers areblessed. Help us to work and pray forpeace

Mindful of your generosity,help us to be generous. Open ourheartstothe emotional and physicalneeds around us.Helpustolove as youlovedand to serveasyou served

We ask all these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

ATimeFor ATimeFor

Since1946, TheBaton RougeClinic hasbeen aproud member of our community,dedicate we pausetooffer sincerethankstoour neighborsand friendsfor theircontinuedtrust andsu

ZACKARYP BRUCE, MD Internal Medicine

LARA M. FALCON,

KEVIN N. GUILLORY, MD Family Medicine

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DANIEL J. MOORE, MD Pediatric Medicine

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SUBHAKAR GUMMADI, MD Hospital Medicine

I. JOSEPH ALBERGAMO, MD Internal Medicine INDUSTRIPLEX

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CAROLINE C. RIEGER, MD Ears,Nose &Throat

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Y.

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MD Neurology

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MD Hospital Medicine

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KODICRISPCOLEMAN,

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JOSEPH

FOUGEROUSSE,

KELSEY S. PASCH, MD Rheumatology

ANDIKAN

JASON P. SCHROCK, MD Family Medicine

PRAIRIEVILLE

NICHOLAS J. LAPARA, III,

PARKER R. SAY, MD Internal Medicine

MID CITY

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BOUDREAUX, JR., MD Urology

R.

STEPHANIE R. FREDERIC, MD Dermatology

NICK E. FRISARD, MD Ophthalmology

NAGENDRAB INDURTI, MD Hospital Medicine

RORY

CHRISTOPHER P. PECK,MD Internal Medicine

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RONALDL BOUDREAUX, MD Gastroenterology ROBERTB TAYLOR, MD Gastroenterology

STEWART

HECTORR

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BRITTANI M. BREAUX, MD Endocrinology

KELSEY

DOGUET,

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ADRIANNE N. EDMUNDSON, MD Allery& Immunology

INDIRA EGGADI, MD Internal Medicine

someprojections indicate, in part due to climate change, thenation will have to figure out where to channel allthe water —another illustration of how much of the country’s fate is tied to the river at the center of the world’sthirdlargest watershed.

Mississippi officials are careful to stress that they do not want New Orleans or anywhere else to flood. But they say solutions can be found,and the burdencan be shared.

“This is anational problem, and it calls for anational solution,” said Gerald Blessey,the former mayor of Biloxi now helping lead acoalition seeking to draw greater attention to the issue.

‘Can’t afford it’

The long reach of the river is not always readily apparent, but its complex connections to surrounding communities, the rest of the nation and even the world are central to Louisiana’s existence.

The need for areliable shipping channel, as well as the obligation to protect cities from flooding, has created alargely man-made system of managing the Mississippi, andany change to it can reverberate elsewhere.

The current system is now nearly acentury old, andit has worked largely as designed. Built in the wake of the epochal 1927 Mississippi River flood, the modern network of levees, floodwalls and spillwayshas prevented the lower river from breakingits banksand allowed shipping to flourish, including for grain exports from the country’sMidwest to ports around the world.

Arecent analysis by the Army Corps of Engineers determined that overall system, known officially as the Mississippi River and Tributaries project, has reduced or prevented$114 in damage for every $1 invested —anextraordinarily high number for aCorps project

The Bonnet Carre has in particular been vital to south Louisiana. To keep the river from rising above 1.25 million cubic feet per second —ormorethan550 million gallons every minute —the Corps opens it. It is asurprisingly analog process, with cranes removing wooden beams—or “needles” —set across350 bays to allow river water to gush through. Thenumberofbaysopened depends uponthe amount of water that must be diverted.

The water then tumbles through the spillway itself, guided by levees through a channel for nearly 6milesto Lake Pontchartrain. It eventually reaches the Rigolets, the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf.

For decades, the system did not pose aserious problem. It was expected that Bonnet Carre would have to be opened roughlyoncea decade, with theoccasional influx of fresh water and nutrients actually helping replenish coastal ecosystems over thelongterm, as formerly occurred when the river ran wild and free.

For the first decades of the spillway’sexistence, that predictionprovedroughly accurate, though, as always, with lots of variation in weather patterns. Bonnet Carre was opened eight times between the completion of construction in the 1930s and the end of the century

But since 2000, it has been openedseven times, andit looked as if it would again be necessary earlierthis year.Inthe end, it remained closed thanks to river levels remaining just below the trigger The Corps had come under heavy pressure from Mississippi officials to use Morganza before opening Bonnet Carre. That did not happen, but, farther upriver,the flow of water diverted from the MississippiRiver through the Old River Control complex to the Atchafalaya

THE RIVER’S RECKONING

openings.

ROUT NG THE RIVER ROUTINGTHE

R UTING

jumpedsignificantlyaround that time, recordsshow. Corps spokesmanRicky Boyett said Old River,a set of structures that keep the Mississippi from changing course to the Atchafalaya, wasoperated as it normally would beregardless of the state of Mississippi’sconcerns.

The record 2019 openings werethe last straw forMississippi. For the first time, Bonnet Carre had to be opened twice in ayear,for a total of 123 days.Anestimated 10 trillion gallons rushed

through it

The organization leading the charge on the issue, the Mississippi Sound Coalition, has signaled its fight will continue. At arecent meeting in Gulfport, Mississippi, GulfCoast leaders spoke of theirongoing strategyto engage politicians and the public on the problem But addressing Mississippi’sconcerns is not so simple.

‘Findsomeway’

Back in Louisiana, down Cajun back roads and far awayfrom the Mississippi Coast, Ed Boyd sits on the tailgate of apickup truck and recalls whenthe water rose.

The muddy,brown water drainedfrom parts of 31 statesand two Canadian provinces brought with it harmful algae blooms and nutrientpollution.Thatwas amplified by increased flow from the Pearl and Pascagoula rivers. The result was afederally declared fisheriesdisaster in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Essentially all oysters that grow in thewestern Mississippi Sound died, shrimp landings were down

sharply,and eggs and larvae from species such as speckled trout were harmed, said Kim de Mutsert,a coastal scientist at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dolphin and sea turtle deaths were up significantly,Mississippi officialssay Skin lesions were alsofound on dolphins

Many tourists opted to stay away.Atone point, tourism was down along the coast by around47% from the previous year,according to some measurements. “Coast tourism tax rev-

enue represents over 30% of the total tourism tax revenue of the entire state,” said Linda Hornsby,executive director of the Mississippi Hoteland Lodging Association. “Wecan’t afford it. We’ve got to makesure it doesn’thappen again.”

Mississippi communities filed twoseparate lawsuits against theCorps in the flood’swake. One was dismissed, andthe otherresulted in only apartial victory,requiring the Corps to consultwithfederal fisheries officials on Bonnet Carre

It was in 2011, the last time the Morganza Spillway was opened, requiring the entire communityofButte La Rose to evacuate and hope forthe best. Thetinyoutpost of fishing and hunting camps, signs out front carrying nicknames like “Dad’sPad When Mom’s Mad” and “Recovery Room,” sitswithin the spillway Boyd and his wife packed up what they could and headed to Lafayette, but, in the end, it wasn’tasbad as feared. The Mississippi water channeled through the Morganza and into the Atchafalaya Basin submerged Boyd’sdock,but did not reach the house.

Boyd, now76and aformerpastor at the Lafayette-based Asbury United Methodist Church, reflected on how attempts to manage Mother Nature always cause unintended consequences. He said he’snot opposed to seeing theMorganza opened more if reasonable calculationscouldbemade to limit damage.

“As long as they could find someway of being able to estimatehow much they could put in here without destroying people’s properties,” said Boyd. “But you see, the way it is now,everybody wants somebody else to get hurt besides them.” TheMorganza Spillway could be considered asibling of Bonnet Carre. Locatedfarther upstreamat thetown of Morganza,not farfrom the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola,it funnels water to the river’s west bank, directing it to the Atchafalaya Basin and eventually down to the Morgan City area. It has only been used twiceinits history,in1973 and 2011, but every year the Corps must notify by mail theroughly 2,500 landowners within the floodway of the possibility.The federal governmentpurchased “flowage easements” from thelandowners when the spillwaywas built, but they continue to own the land. Cattle can be seen grazing

staFFPHoto By soPHIa GerMer

THE RIVER’S RECKONING

Continued from page 12a

in the shadow of the Morganza structure, where the water flows when it is opened. Before opening it, the Corps must also work with local and state officials to encourage wildlife to relocate, including black bears. Releasing water gradually helps signal to wildlife to clear out.

‘You accept the risk’

The trigger for opening the Morganza — 1.5 million cubic feet per second — has only been reached once, during the floods of 2011 The 1973 opening was necessary because of the collapse of a wall at the Old River Control structures upstream, requiring emergency measures to keep the Mississippi from shifting course to the Atchafalaya.

The Corps can open Morganza based on a forecast of river levels reaching the trigger and, in fact, could be obligated to do so. That’s because the spillway gates cannot be opened after they are overtopped.

In 2019, the trigger for Morganza was almost reached, but it ultimately fell just short. Mississippi officials point to that with bewilderment and disappointment, questioning why so much water must be funneled through Bonnet Carre while the Morganza stays closed. Are there potential solutions? There may be, but politics and federal government cost-cutting are preventing them from being explored at the moment.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been engaged in a sweeping, five-year, $25 million “mega-study” on the future of managing the lower river The issues are so multilayered and complex that the plan was to have the “mega-study” open the door to other related inquiries — or “tiered studies” — to delve even deeper.

The mega-study was paused in June due to a lack of funding from the federal government. Corps officials hope it can eventually be restarted, and political leaders in both Mississippi and Louisiana have been pushing for funding for it.

“We consider this a generational opportunity for us to look at how we manage the lower Mississippi River and to make actual recommendations for improving how we manage it over the next 100 years,” Rick Raynie, Corps project manager, said recently at a gathering of scientists and other experts.

One key change that was being looked at involved altering the amount of water allowed to be diverted through the Old River Con-

trol complex to the Atchafalaya River The amount of flow through the complex on an annual basis 30% of the combined flow of the Mississippi and Red Rivers — is locked in place by congressional mandate.

It is unclear whether altering Old River flows would be enough to adequately address the dilemma of the Bonnet Carre. Corps officials say a later “tiered study” could look at how to best operate Bonnet Carre, Morganza and Old River as one system.

Any change will draw controversy The Port of Morgan City, for example, where water funneled through Old River and Morganza eventually ends up, is concerned that the accompanying buildup of sediment will prevent deep-water access to its docks, requiring costly, expensive dredging and jeopardizing billions in business.

Other potential solutions have been proposed in the past from scientists.

In one example, a study by Tulane scientists Ehab Meselhe and Chia-Yu Wu explored the possibility of building river diversions upstream from Bonnet Carre that could both replenish wetlands and ease pressure on river levels. They found that such a plan could be beneficial, though money and political will would be needed for it — a challenge at a time of budget cuts.

While not a solution, De Mutsert, the USM scientist, is at work on modeling that could determine the potential effects of future spillway openings on fisheries.

In Butte La Rose, feelings are mixed. There is a sense among some that additional water could actually help the Atchafalaya Basin’s troubled conditions.

But picking up and evacuating for more Morganza openings could be problematic, especially if the water rises high enough to flood houses.

“You accept the risk when you come out here,” Jules Langla, 79, who moved to Butte La Rose in 2020 with his wife for the Atchafalaya Basin’s tranquility and bass fishing, said from his living room overlooking Bayou La Rose.

“We would have enough time to get out. But if it gets as high as our second floor here, that’s catastrophic.”

Farther north, Jacques LaCour drives his truck over a levee and past soybean crops growing in the fertile ground between the gates of the Morganza Spillway and the Mississippi, one portion of his extended farmland.

He tells the story of how, when he was younger he talked his father into allowing him to plant corn there, known as Morganza’s forebay, which can flood when the river is high. They would usually wait until June to decide whether to plant there to allow enough time to know that year’s conditions.

But the river seemed low enough in March, and LaCour wanted to get the corn growing. His dad told him it was a bad idea, but allowed him to go ahead and try to plant 200 acres. By June, the corn crops drowned.

“He was right. You never know what Mother Nature is going to do,” said LaCour, 62. These days, he still plants in the forebay but understands the risks. He also has about 400 acres on the other side of the spillway’s gates, which floods when Morganza is opened, but he only grows timber there. He grows sugar cane on other sections of land.

LaCour also serves as a commissioner for the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District and was part of a recent delegation that met with Mississippi Coast officials to discuss ways forward. LaCour said one question being posed is whether the Wax Lake Outlet, which connects to the Atchafalaya River near the coast, could be widened to more efficiently pass water through.

“Of course, our preference

would be that we never need to open it again,” LaCour said of the Morganza while sitting on the back deck of the Old River Landing and boat launch he owns in the town of Batchelor. “But it’s there for a purpose that serves the greater good of the nation and the community here.”

‘Can’t fight each other

At his spot on the dock in Pass Christian, Gautier describes his long family history in the seafood business. Originally from Pascagoula, the grandson of a state senator and entrepreneur, he grew up in the industry and learned it the hard way, doing the dirty work of unloading boats and supplying them with ice.

After college, he rejoined the family business and, along with his brother,

eventually bought out his father, a World War II vet with degrees from Tulane and Harvard, but who chose to “work in a shrimp plant.”

“He always had a buttondown with a tie on,” said Gautier “He needed to go weld something in the back, he would just throw his welders over it.”

Gautier eventually left the family company for a time, but still dealt in seafood, particularly shrimp. He says he has always made special efforts to maintain the quality of the product, ensuring customers know the difference between fresh, local catch and cheap imports.

“If it’s produced and packed from the boat to the loading dock to the processor if you do everything right, it can be as precious as the nicest shrimp in the world,” he said. “If you don’t take care of it, it’s just another commodity.”

Gautier, who had been living much of the time in Florida, bought the current business in Pass Christian in 2021 and moved back giving him more time to see his two daughters, both of whom went to LSU and live in Baton Rouge. He didn’t give the Bonnet Carre much thought, believing the oysters would be back relatively soon. It wasn’t until the fall of 2024 that he was able to bring in any oysters at all. The shrimp business was also difficult for a variety of reasons over the past few years. Gautier, who runs the business with his wife Ashley, said he has had to dig into his own money to maintain the company, keeping faith that it will eventually turn around.

He argues that more planning is needed when it’s clear a high-river year is on the way Routing so much water through one outlet makes no sense to him.

“Everybody’s got to work together on it. We can’t fight each other on it,” said Gautier. “And that’s what’s going on.”

staFF PHoto By DaVID GrUNFeLD

the Bonnet Carre spillway is pictured upriver from the Mississippi river, with Dow Chemical and entergy Waterford nuclear power plants located across the river.

staFF PHoto By MICHaeL JoHNsoN

the Morganza spillway has only been used twice in its history, in 1973 and 2011.

FILe PHoto

Workers pull needles from bays in the Bonnet Carre spillway flood protection structure in st Charles Parish after the U.s army Corps of engineers ordered the opening to stem the rise of the Mississippi river in 2019.

Patelgifts NewZealand officials3D-printedguns

screw for the firing pin.”

Inoperable pistols inspired by toyNerfguns

BY CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-MCLAY associated

Press

WELLINGTON,NewZealand Inoperable pistols gifted by FBI Director Kash Patel to senior New Zealand security officials, who had to relinquish them fordestruction because they wereillegal to possess, were revolversinspired by toy Nerf guns and popular among 3D-printed weaponshobbyists,documents obtainedbyThe Associated Press show

The AP first reported that Patel gifted the plastic 3Dprinted replica revolvers to New Zealand’spolice and spy chiefs, along with two cabinet ministers, in July Policedocuments released this week identified the model as the Maverick PG22, a working revolver modeled on the brightly coloredtoy gun of the same name. Pistols are tightly restricted under New Zealand law, requiring apermit beyond astandard gun license. Law enforcement agencies didn’tsay whether the officials who met with Patel held such permits. Without them,they couldn’t legally keep the gifts. After the officials surrendered therevolvers, emails

between police leadersand firearms specialists confirmedthe gifts metthe legaldefinition of firearms in New Zealand. 3D-printed weapons are treat the same as oth guns.

Patel, the highes ranking Trump a ministration official to visit New Zealan was in Wellingtont open the FBI’s first standalone office the country

“The gifted item was a3Dprinted replica of afirearm, and it wasspeciallydesigned to be incapable of firing ammunition,”a spokesperson for Patel said by email Tuesday.“The item was modified in variousways,toinclude but not limited to omitting chambers,barrels, and firingpin within the replica. These modificationsensured that it was inoperable.”

In New Zealand, inoperable weapons are treated as functional if they could be made operable withmodifications. In August, days afterPatel’s visit,police armory team leader Daniel Millaremailedhis bosses to outline how simple it would be to make thegunsoperable

“These processes are very straight forward processes and require minimal skills and common ‘handyperson’ tools,” Millar wrote. He added that these tools were “a battery drill and adrill bit for the holes and asmall

New Zealand’spolice unionsaidinFebruarythat the Maverick PG22 was among the most common 3D-printed guns seized by officers Millarwrote that steam requested keep one of the revolvers for testing, but the police mmissioner denied therequest and the guns were destroyed on Sept.25.

“The first risk is that it can be made viable anditgets into thehands of the wrong personand it’sused for a crime,” said professor AlexanderGillespie,alecturer on firearms regulation at New Zealand’s University of Waikato. “The second risk is it just explodes becauseit’s not actually safe. There’s areasonthese have been made in people’sbackyards instead of coming from an armory.”

Onlineinstructions for making the Maverick PG22 say it “does not feature proper modernsafeties and should be used in acontrolled environment.”

It’sunclear whomanufactured Patel’sguns, which Millar wrote hadbeen “manufactured to ahigh standard.”

5officialsgiftedguns

Threetop NewZealand law enforcement officials said they received the gifts on July 31. Chamberswas

one. The other two were Andrew Hampton,directorgeneral of the country’s human intelligence agency NZSIS, and Andrew Clark, director-general of the technicalintelligence agency GCSB.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell andJudith Collins, who oversees the military andspy agencies, also receivedrevolvers in meetings with Patel.All fiveofficialsvoluntarily surrendered theguns.

It’suncommon to see police officers in New Zealand carrying weapons. Frontline officersaren’t usually armed on patrol andleave their weapons locked in their vehicles

The New Zealand Police refused theAP’spublicrecords request for photos of theguns, on the grounds that “releasing the requested images would be likely to prejudice New Zealand’srelationswiththe UnitedStates of America.”

Photos andinstructions for making the Maverick PG22 are available online. The police didn’texplain whyreleasing images of aU.S.official’s gifts to his New Zealandcounterparts could harm therelationship.

Strong guncontrols

New Zealand bolstered its gun restrictionsfollowing a2019 White supremacist attack on two mosques in thecity of Christchurch. An Australian man,who

hadamassedacacheof semiautomaticweapons legally,shot dead 51 Muslim worshipers during Friday prayers.

The guns Patel gifted to the law enforcement chiefs were not semiautomatic models now prohibited after the Christchurch massacre. Butthere aremany other reasons NewZealanders aren’tlegallyallowed to possesscertainweapons,including thespecific

pistol permits. New Zealanddoesn’thave apassionate culture of gun ownershipand theweapons have been viewed more dimly sincethe massshooting Gunownership is enshrined in NewZealandlaw as a privilege, not aright. Guns are common in rural areas forpestcontrol. But violent gun crime is rare and many urban residents might never have even seen afirearm in person.

defense againstRussia.

targeted groups working on Ukrainianassistanceand required six monthstoplan. The “highly capable adversary” behind the campaign, the investigators determined, is “anoperator wellversedinboth offensive tradecraft and defensive detection evasion.” U.S. companytargetedbyRussian hackers engineering firm hadworked with sister city in Ukraine

BY DAVIDKLEPPER associated Press

WASHINGTON Hackers

working for Russian intelligence attacked an American engineering company this fall, investigators at aU.S. cybersecurity company said Tuesday —seemingly becausethat firm had worked for aU.S. municipality with asister city in Ukraine.

The findings reflect the evolving tools and tactics of Russia’scyber war and demonstrate Moscow’swillingnesstoattack agrowing list of targets, including governments, organizations and private companies that have supported Ukraine, even in a tenuous way Arctic Wolf, the U.S. cybersecurity firmthatidentified the Russian campaign, wouldn’tidentifyits customer or thecity it worked with to protect their security,but said the company had no directconnectiontoRussia’s invasionofUkraine.However,the group behind the attack, known to cybersecurityexpertsasRomCom, has consistently targeted groups with links to Ukraine and its

“They routinelygoafter organizationsthatsupport Ukrainian institutions directly,provide services to Ukrainian municipalities, and assist organizations tiedtoUkrainian civil society,defense, or government functions,” said Ismael Valenzuela, Arctic Wolf’s vice president of labs, threatresearch and intelligence.

Theattack on the engineering firm was identified by Arctic Wolf in September before it could disrupt the engineering company’soperationsorspread further.

Amessage left withofficials at the Russian Embassy in Washington seeking comment was notimmediately returned

Many townsand cities around the world enjoy sister-city relationshipswith other communities, using the program to offer social andeconomic exchanges. Several U.S. cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, Albany, N.Y.and Cincinnati,have sister-city relationshipswith communities in Ukraine.

The campaign in September came just afew weeks after theFBI warned that hackers linked to Russia were seekingtobreakinto U.S.networksasa way to burrow into important systemsordisrupt critical infrastructure. According to thelatest bulletin from the

U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,the Russia-aligned hackershave multiple motives: disrupting aidand military supplies to Ukraine, punishingbusinesseswith ties to Ukraine, or stealing military or technical secrets.

Lastmonth, the Digital Security LabofUkraine andinvestigators at SentinelOne,aU.S. cybersecurity firm, exposed aspeedy and sprawling cyberattack on relief groups supporting Ukraine, including the International Red Cross and UNICEF.That hacking campaign used fakeemails impersonating Ukrainian officials that sought to fool users into infecting their own computers by clicking on maliciouslinks.

The investigators at SentinelOne stopped short of attributing the attack to the Russian government but notedthatthe operation

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK associated Press

WASHINGTON A health care proposal circulated by the White House in recent days is running into the reality of Republican divisions on the issue — a familiar struggle for a party that has been trying to scrap or overhaul the Affordable Care Act for the past 15 years.

The tentative proposal from President Donald Trump would extend expiring ACA subsidies for two years while adjusting eligibility requirements for recipients. The plan has so far been met with a stony silence on Capitol Hill as Republicans debate among themselves whether to overhaul the law, tweak it or simply let the subsidies expire. It’s unclear now when the White House plan might be released, or if it will be released at all.

The Republican indecision comes as the COVID-era tax credits are set to expire Jan. 1, creating sharp premium increases for millions of Americans. Democrats who shut down the government for six weeks over the issue are demanding a straight extension with no changes, though some indicated they could support a plan similar to the one circulated by the White House. But support may be harder to find in the GOP conference, where many lawmakers say costs are still too high and have been eager to make another run at repealing the ACA. The last effort in 2017 failed when Republicans couldn’t decide on how to provide coverage to millions of Americans who depend on government-run marketplaces for their health care. It’s a dilemma that persists for the party after record numbers signed up for coverage this year Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised a group of moderate Democrats a vote on the ACA tax credits by mid-December in exchange for their votes to end the government shutdown. But it’s unclear, so far, whether that arrangement will lead to a solution.

Bipartisan compromise?

Health care has long been one of the most politically fraught topics on Capitol Hill, so a bipartisan compromise seems unlikely But the coming price spikes have motivated some lawmakers to look for points of agreement Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said last week that he hopes the subsidies are extended.

“I’m sure some of my colleagues will be mad at me for saying this — if we don’t address the subsidies issue in December, I don’t think it’s going to get addressed next year,” Tillis said, adding that Democratic campaigns will be “just churning up all the very sympathetic stories” if it isn’t fixed.

The draft White House proposal would put new income limits on the tax credits at

speaker of the House Mike Johnson, r-Benton,

700 percent of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal who requested anonymity to discuss it. The White House would also require those on Obamacare, regardless of the type of coverage, to pay some sort of premium for their plans. That would effectively end zero-premium plans for those with lower incomes, addressing a concern from Republicans who say the program has enabled fraud.

Some Democrats have suggested they are open to those ideas as a part of broader negotiations.

“I’m glad the president is reportedly considering a serious proposal,” said New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen,

one of the Democrats who voted to end the shutdown.

Some Republicans have signaled support as well. Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood, the chairman of the businessoriented Republican Main Street Caucus, said in a statement that the group supports “President Trump’s ongoing efforts to address the ACA tax credit cliff with an extension.”

Several bipartisan bills in the House would extend the ACA credits for two years, with changes such as income limits for the enhanced credit. “I think two years is really the sweet spot where everybody is OK,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

Experts have mixed reactions to U.N. climate talks

CoP30 meeting in Brazil ends with no clear plan

BY SETH BORENSTEIN

aP science writer

BELEM, Brazil

After an agreement from U.N. climate talks in the Amazon that fell short of many nations’ expectations, experts found some bright spots alongside weighty reasons for worry in the fight against global warming

The Associated Press asked 17 experts — diplomats, analysts, advocates and scientists — the simple question: After the talks, known as COP30, in the city of Belem, what’s next?

“We leave here with a clear signal, very very clear signal, that we have entered the era of implementation,” said U.N. Climate Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.

“As we move forward, it’s about doing. It’s about rolling sleeves up.”

Others look at the key failure of not delivering a road map to phase out coal, oil and gas — the main causes of warming. The road map had the public support of Brazil’s president and more than 80 nations, but powerful opponents.

“This should have been the moment. A COP in the

Amazon, a president calling for a fossil fuel transition road map, the science screaming for action. But the world blinked again,” Panama climate negotiator Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez said. “The next year will be harder on communities and ecosystems. Impacts will intensify, because emissions are not slowing down.”

Building on specifics

Stiell pointed to seven different paragraphs in the agreements from Belem that could spur action for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and fewer fossil fuels. The COP presidency highlighted 117 “action agenda” items mostly for business to put pledges into real-life action.

That agenda includes a promise of $1 trillion for improving energy grids and infrastructure; ramping up the production of biofuels; industrial decarbonization plans in developing countries; $5.5 billion toward a fund to pay countries to keep their forests standing; and other pledges of funding, including from the private sector, for projects in areas like farming and adaptation. Among the most ambitious actions is a push to raise $1 trillion for renewable electrical grids and energy storage.

One specific action that Stiell and several others emphasized was a new “global implementation accelerator,” a voluntary and cooperative system designed to help nations that want to do more than they’ve previously proposed in their climate fighting plans. The emphasis is on getting money to where it’s needed.

“If the ‘ambition accelerator’ can help to do this, it will make a massive difference to the global warming outlook,” said Bill Hare, CEO of the climate science and policy institute Climate Analytics.

Outside of U.N. talks

Because they couldn’t get a consensus at the talks in Belem, the COP30 presidency promised to create two new “road maps,” one to guide the transition away from fossil fuels and another to stop deforestation. But those road maps won’t have the force of something agreed upon in UN talks.

COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago said his office will study both areas extensively and use science and economics to come up with those plans. He said they would be tailored to different countries’ needs.

Do Lago also promised that his office will join with Colombia and the Netherlands to organize a special

fossil fuel phaseout conference scheduled next April.

“If they come with real timelines, accountability and finance, they have the potential to shape global action and hold governments to their word,” said Mariana Paoli, of the antipoverty group Christian Aid. “They don’t have power on their own, but they can create the structure around which real change is built.”

Flawed process

COPs need consensus, which often means the weakest deals because they have to please everyone, experts said.

“In future negotiations, it will be essential to control the petrostates,” New Climate Institute founder Niklas Hohne said. “They have understood that this process can be dangerous for them and they put even more effort than ever into blocking any progress.”

“The outcome of COP30 reminds us once again that action dependent on global consensus will never be enough to tackle the climate crisis at scale,” said Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy Yet Paoli said these conferences are not powerless. She said they are “slow and imperfect, yet they have still moved the world for-

Report: Rio Grande-Bravo basin in crisis

Water security threatened on both sides of the border

BY SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE,N.M.— One of North America’s longest rivers, the Rio Grande or Rio Bravo as it’s called in Mexico — has a history as deep as it is long. Indigenous people have tapped it for countless generations, and it was a key artery for Spanish conquistadors centuries ago Today the Rio Grande-Bravo water basin is in crisis. Research published recently says the situation arguably is worse than challenges facing the Colorado River, another vital lifeline for western U.S. states that have yet to chart a course for how best to manage that dwindling resource. Without rapid and largescale action on both sides of the border the researchers warn that unsustainable use threatens water security for millions of people who rely on the binational basin. They say more prevalent drying along the Rio Grande and persistent shortages could have catastrophic consequences for farmers, cities and ecosystems.

The study done by World Wildlife Fund, Sustainable

Waters and a team of university researchers provides a full accounting of the consumptive uses as well as evaporation and other losses within the Rio Grande-Bravo basin. It helps to paint the most complete — and most alarming picture yet of why the river system is in trouble.

The basin provides drinking water to 15 million people in the U.S. and Mexico and irrigates nearly 2 million acres of cropland in the two countries.

The research shows only 48% of the water consumed directly or indirectly within the basin is replenished naturally The other 52% is unsustainable, meaning reservoirs, aquifers and the river itself will be overdrawn.

“That’s a pretty daunting, challenging reality when half of our water isn’t necessarily going to be reliable for the future,” said Brian Richter, president of Sustainable Waters and a senior fellow with the World Wildlife Fund. “So we have to really address that.”

By breaking down the balance sheet, the researchers are hopeful policymakers and regulators can determine where water use can be reduced and how to balance supply with demand.

Warnings of what was to come first cropped up in the late 19th century when irrigation in Colorado’s San Luis Valley began to dry the

snowmelt-fed river, resulting in diminished flows as far south as El Paso, Texas. Now some stretches of the river run dry for months at a time. The Big Bend area and even Albuquerque have seen dry cracked mud replace the river more often in recent years.

Irrigating crops by far is the largest direct use of water in the basin at 87%, according to the study Meanwhile, losses to evaporation and uptake by vegetation along the river account for more than half of overall consumption in the basin, a factor that can’t be dismissed as reservoir storage shrinks.

The irrigation season has become shorter, with canals drying up as early as June in some cases, despite a growing season in the U.S. and Mexico that typically lasts through October In central New Mexico, farmers got a boost with summer rains. However, farmers along the Texas portion of the Pecos River and in the Rio Conchos basin of Mexico — both tributaries within the basin — did not receive any surface water supplies.

“A key part of this is really connecting the urban populations to what’s going on out on these farms. These farmers are really struggling A lot of them are on the brink of bankruptcy,” Richter said, linking water shortages to

shrinking farms, smaller profits and less ability to afford labor and equipment.

The analysis found that between 2000 and 2019, water shortages contributed to the loss of 18% of farmland in the headwaters in Colorado, 36% along the Rio Grande in New Mexico and 49% in the Pecos River tributary in New Mexico and Texas.

ward — sometimes in unexpected ways.”

A mixed future

“Over the next year we are likely to see continued escalation of climate impacts alongside gradual progress on climate action,” said Mohamed Adow, director of PowerShift Africa. “Renewable energy expansion will continue, but so will new fossil fuel investments in many parts of the world.”

Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, said all forms of extreme weather and climate events will increase, hitting the most vulnerable people hardest and threatening the survival of coral reefs and the very Amazon that hosted the talks.

“These are unacceptable outcomes of a solvable problem,” Rockstrom said.

With the United States’ federal government withdrawing from climate action under President Donald Trump, states, cities and businesses are cutting emissions in a way that will allow the U.S. to reach its climate goal, said former U.S. climate envoy Trigg Talley, now a representative of America’s All In.

“The COPs are only one part of a wide tapestry for action on climate change,” said World Resources Institute’s International Climate Director David Waskow “We need to pull all the levers at our disposal to limit global warming.”

“The giant boulder of climate action is already rolling down the hill in the right direction,” Hayhoe said. “It already has millions of hands on it. And as each of us adds our hand too, it goes a little faster.”

TulsaRaceMassacresurvivordiesat111

and impact.Itconcluded that federal prosecution mayhave been possible a century ago, but there was no longer an avenue tobring acriminal case.

BY JAMIE STENGLE associated Press

DALLAS Viola Ford Fletcher,who as one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma spenther lateryears seeking justice for the deadly attack by aWhite mob on the thriving Black community where she lived as achild, has died. She was 111. Her grandson Ike Howard said Monday that shedied surrounded by family at a Tulsa hospital.Sustained by astrong faith, she raised three children, worked as a welder in ashipyard during World WarIIand spent decades caring for families as ahousekeeper Tulsawas mourning her loss, said Mayor Monroe Nichols, the first Black leader of Oklahoma’ssecond-largest city.“Mother Fletcher endured more than anyone should, yet she spent her life lighting apath forward with purpose.”

She was 7years old when the two-day attack began on Tulsa’sGreenwood district on May 31, 1921, aftera local newspaper published a sensationalized report about aBlack man accused of assaulting aWhite woman. As aWhite mob grew outside the courthouse, Black Tulsans with guns who hoped to prevent theman’slynching began showing up. White residents responded with overwhelming force. Hundredsofpeoplewerekilled and homes were burned and looted, leaving over 30 city blocks decimated in the prosperous community known as Black Wall Street

“I couldneverforgetthe charred remains of our once-thriving community, the smoke billowing in the air,and the terror-stricken faces of my neighbors,” she wrote in her 2023 memoir, “Don’tLet Them Bury My Story.”

As herfamily left in a horse-drawn buggy,her eyes burned from the smoke and ash, she wrote. Shedescribed seeing pilesofbodies in the streets and watching as aWhite man shota Black man in the head, then fired toward her family.

She toldThe Associated Press in an interview the year her memoir was published that fear of reprisals influenced her years of nearsilence about the massacre. Shewrote thebook with Howard, her grandson, who said he had to persuade her to tell her story

“Wedon’twant history to repeat itself so we do need to educatepeople aboutwhat happened and try to get people to understand why you need to be made whole, why you need to be repaired,” Howard told the AP in 2024.

“The generationalwealth that was lost, the home, all the belongings, everything was lost in one night.”

The attack went largely unremembered for decades. In Oklahoma, wider discussions began when the state formed acommission in 1997 to investigate the violence.

Fletcher,who in 2021 testified before Congressabout what she went through, joined her younger brother, Hughes VanEllis, and another massacre survivor,Lessie Benningfield Randle, in a lawsuit seeking reparations. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed it in June 2024, saying their grievances did not fall within the scope of the state’spublic nuisance statute.

“For as long as we remain in this lifetime, we will continue to shine alight on one of the darkest days in American history,” Fletcher and Randle said in astatementat the time. VanEllis had died ayear earlier,atthe age of 102.

AJustice Departmentreview,launched under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act and released in January2024, outlined the massacre’sscope

The city hasbeenlooking for ways to help descendants ofthe massacre’s victims without giving direct cash payments. Some of the last living survivors, includingFletcher,received donations from groups buthave not receivedany payments from the city or state.

“The fact that she died without any meaningful redress —not for herself, her family,orher community —isn’tjust alegal failure. It’s amoral one,” Damario Solomon-Simmons, an attorney for the survivors and the founder of the Justice forGreenwood Foundation, said in astatement.

“She would not want her

Forced to fleeduring the massacre, her family becamenomadic, living out of atentastheyworkedinthe fields as sharecroppers. She didn’tfinish school beyond the fourth grade.

At the age of 16, she returned to Tulsa, where she got ajob cleaning and creating window displays in a department store, she wrote in her memoir. She then met Robert Fletcher,and they married and moved to California. During WorldWar II, she worked in aLos Angeles shipyard as awelder, she wrote. She eventually left her husband, who wasphysi-

cally abusive, and gave birth to their son, Robert Ford Fletcher,she wrote. Longing to be closer to her family, shereturnedtoOklahoma and settled north of Tulsa in Bartlesville. Fletcher wrote that her faith andthe close-knit Black communitygaveher the support she needed to raise her children. She had another son,James Edward Ford, and adaughter,Debra Stein Ford,fromother relationships. She worked fordecades as ahousekeeper,doing everything in those homes from cooking to cleaning to caring for children, Howard said.

passingtobethe endofthe fight,”hesaid. “She would wantittolight afire under all of us. Fletcher,borninOklahoma on May 10, 1914, spent most of herearlyyears in Greenwood. It was an oasis

for Black people during segregation, she wroteinher memoir.Her family had a nice home, she said, and the community hadeverything from doctors to grocery stores to restaurants and banks.

assoCIateD Press FILe PHoto By MaryaLtaFFer

tulsa race Massacre survivorViola Ford Fletcher died Mondayat111.

Coca-ColaChristmas: AMonth of Magic is back at the Louisiana Art &ScienceMuseum starting Saturday,December 6! Don’tmiss this beloved holiday tradition generously sponsored by SATURDAY,DECEMBER 6- SUNDAY,JANUARY 4 Coca-Cola Box Sculptures, Pictures with SantaClaus, HolidayHands-On Crafts &Activities, Festive Shows in thePlanetarium, Shopping in theMuseum Store, and MORE! Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

I-10/Pecue Lane exit nears completion

DotD says opening expected in spring

BY ELLYN COUVILLION staff writer

The construction of an Interstate 10 interchange at Pecue Lane in Baton Rouge is on schedule to open in spring 2026, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development

The project started in 2017 with the goal of widening Pecue Lane from two to four lanes from Perkins Road to Airline Highway and improving access to Woman’s Hospital by connecting the

road to I-10.

When completed, Pecue Lane will have two lanes in each direction, north and south; intersections with I-10 eastbound and westbound, and a new bridge over Ward Creek

“Currently, crews are working on installing traffic signals,” a DOTD spokesperson said in November

As part of the project, Rieger Road was extended to meet with Pecue Lane, a new intersection that opened recently

AI raises concerns over false disaster news

Louisiana prepares for challenges verifying online content

BY KASEY BUBNASH

staff writer

Kelesha Williams, a reporter for

Television Jamaica, saw countless unbelievable scenes of destruction late last month as she rode out the worst of Hurricane Melissa’s wrath in St. Elizabeth Parish, a coastal county that was ground zero for the storm’s landfall.

There were the leaking walls of her Treasure Beach hotel room as the Category 5 storm inched over the tourist town on Oct. 28, packing 185 mph winds that tore whole sheets of zinc from nearby homes and a deluge of rain so intense that water seeped through Williams’ walls.

Once she was able to venture out, she saw the waist-deep holes left in roads that had just recently been repaved and the decimated farms that, until recently, fed much of the country “Leaving the hotel and seeing all of that, I was like, ‘Wow,’” Williams said from her home in Kingston about a week after the storm hit. “It’s still so hard to describe what I saw.” But what about the sharks winding through flooded city streets? Or the cascading landslides that took out entire towns?

Those images, though they spread rapaciously across the internet and defined the scale of destruction for many who saw them, were the work of artificial intelligence. Among the strongest Atlantic storms on record, Melissa brought widespread devastation to the Caribbean, killing nearly 100 people and displacing thousands.

The reality of the storm was dramatic enough on its own. But in Melissa’s aftermath, social media was inundated with AI-generated photos and videos claiming to show scenes from Jamaica, forcing locals like Williams to wade through fake content to get to real information about impacts to their towns and ongoing recovery efforts.

Misinformation on social media has long been an issue for emergency management officials leading up to and after natural disasters. But never before has it been so easy to create fake images and videos that, in some cases, look entirely real. And as AI becomes increasingly accurate, efficient and accessible, officials in Louisiana are gearing up to face a disaster prep future

Construction of an Interstate 10 interchange at Pecue Lane in Baton rouge is on schedule to open in the spring of 2026, this is looking east at the Pecue Lane interchange.

staFF PHoto By

a place for paws

nearly 30 dogs. This cohort is actually a low number for her but the number of animals she takes in regularly outpaces the number that get adopted With dozens of dogs to care for, Keller largely pays out of pocket.

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD staff writer

A pair of Greensburg residents carrying two stray puppies on Monday waited outside a fenced-in house. Several dogs excitedly jumped at the gate upon their arrival.

Judi and Laurie Walker had found the pair of puppies, estimated to be about 3 months old, malnourished on the side of a road in St. Helena Parish over the weekend

“If you drive through the parish, you will see dogs dead on the road. There’s no help for them,” said Judi Walker

The Walkers said there was only one place they knew they could take them in the parish: Crooked Creek Kennels, located in Kentwood, just a few minutes shy of the Mississippi state line.

Laurie Walker of Greensburg, said with the exception of the kennel, “there’s not many resources out here for dogs.”

Krista Keller, of Kentwood, runs the nonprofit kennel that currently houses

Keller founded Crooked Creek Kennel about three and a half years ago with the idea that it would serve as a place for people to board their dogs while traveling. That concept was short-lived because parish residents began dropping off stray dogs and cats almost immediately

“I would pull up and there would be dogs tied to the fence,” she said.

From three crates holding 11 dogs to a mutt named Memphis who arrived limping with a bloody, dangling foot, the kennel has become the only place for stray dogs to go.

“They don’t come in healthy,” Keller said Monday pointing out the majority of dogs that are malnourished.

Memphis, for example, must have had his foot trapped in something, and the veterinarian determined he likely chewed it off to free himself before his arrival, Keller said.

Now, the healthy three-footed dog runs around with his sister, Maggie, at the kennel daily

Keller said that even parish officials and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries officials have reached out to her about dropping off stray dogs.

“St. Helena has no vet’s office. They have no animal shelter, no animal control, nothing,” she said.

Shelters across parish lines — such as Livingston or Tangipahoa or even across state lines like Mississippi —

staFF PHotos By JaVIer GaLLeGos

two puppies that were just taken into the shelter climb the fence of their enclosure and bark at other dogs at Crooked Creek Kennel in st. Helena Parish on Monday.

Crooked Creek Kennel owner Krista Keller pets Bones after he escaped from his enclosure.

Caesars plans Fulton Street revitalization project

ambitious revamp of corridor takes inspiration from Las Vegas

BY ANTHONY MCAULEY staff writer

When Caesars New Orleans cut the ribbon on its $435 million transformation last October — complete with a gleaming 340room hotel tower rising above Convention Center Boulevard and a marble-lined foyer presided over by a 15-foot Julius Caesar — the company bet big that an upmarket reboot would reset its fortunes and anchor a new era for the lower Canal Street corridor

A year later, the numbers suggest that wager is paying off But for general manager Samir Mowad, the New Orleans native who has overseen the rebrand and construction blitz over his five-year tenure, the next phase of Caesars’ evolution isn’t inside the casino at all. It’s just outside the door, along the 500 block of Fulton Street — a stretch he calls “a glaring opportunity.” Fulton Street, unlike the casino itself, is property Caesars actually owns. And while it boasts longrunning mainstays like Manning’s and Ruth’s Chris, the corridor has never quite lived up to its potential. The Downtown Development District has done its part with special-event programming, but last year’s closure of the Gordon Biersch brewpub left an unmistakable vacancy — and, in Mowad’s words, “a big hole.”

“We could just go out and fill it,” he said. “But we’re working to make sure all the pieces are complementary, so that Fulton Street becomes more of a destination and not just a place to stop.”

What exactly that looks like, he won’t yet say But he hints at the scale of Caesars’ ambition by pointing west: to The LINQ in Las Vegas, a broad, buzzing promenade with dozens of food-and-beverage concepts and a rotating mix of immersive “experiences” from a 500-foot observation wheel to interactive art spaces, zip lines,

Continued from page 1B

that could include battles with a more sticky and believable kind of misinformation spread online.

“This has been going on for a while,” said Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. “It’s just obviously with the images and what you can do with AI now it’s getting just more and more outrageous.”

Wading through waters

Since practically the advent of social media, a good chunk of emergency preparedness resources have gone to debunking rumors, photoshopped images and falsified or dramatized weather forecasts spread online, Arnold said.

Each year, satellite images of particularly ominous past storms are erroneously relabeled to bear an incoming system’s name, sowing fear and confusion. Hurricanes Katrina from 2005 and Dorian from 2019 are among the most popular choices, Arnold said.

But, up until now, much of the fake content out there has been easy for a critical user to spot. There have only been a few instances over the years that something so egregious ran so rampant online that Arnold’s office had to directly address it With AI, all that could change.

“There very well could be a time where you’re going to have a very difficult time discerning that,” Arnold said.

‘Very, very troubling’

Of course, in many ways social media has made emergency preparation and response more efficient.

It’s easier for officials to get information out to the masses, and the photos and messages people post online can offer deeper insight into what’s actually going on.

Arnold said it was a photo posted to Twitter a few years ago that alerted his office to

and constantly programmed live entertainment.

Fulton won’t be that big, Mowad says, but the idea is similar: more energy more reasons to come, more reasons to stay Also, a tunnel under Poydras Street to draw players into the casino.

A pivotal year

The vision for Fulton is shaped in part by what Caesars experienced in its first year after the makeover It’s also shaped by how much is now gathering around lower Canal Street. Mowad, who also serves on several civic boards including the Audubon Nature Institute, sees billions of dollars in adjacent investment pulling visitors toward the riverfront like a tide.

“The French Quarter will always be top of the bill,” he said.

“But there’s a real gravitational pull now toward this end of Canal Street and the River District. From the Four Seasons, to Spanish Plaza and the new Delacroix, to the new 1,000-room Omni ‘headquarters’ hotel planned for the convention center it’s transformative.”

Inside Caesars, the transformation was also dramatic. The bottom two floors of the new hotel wing host an exclusive 54-room Nobu “hotel within a hotel,” including a dozen suites, one of the quiet success stories of the renovation. Upgrades to the 115,000-square-foot gaming floor rolled out steadily through last year: a World Series of Poker room, a supersized Caesars Sportsbook wrapped around a 147-foot wall of TVs, and the two-story Nobu restaurant that connects directly to the new tower

The casino’s food offerings have been tweaked as well. Emeril’s Brasserie, at the Canal Street entrance, underperformed expectations and was recently retooled as Emeril’s Kitchen, with a heavier tilt toward Louisiana classics and all-day service, Emeril’s spokesperson Mimi Henken confirmed

The 12,000-square-foot food court — anchored by concepts from Nina Compton, Bobby Flay and Buddy Valastro — has become a reliable traffic driver. And the octagonal center bar Octavia, exploded in popularity during football season, Mowad said.

an Uptown home that had collapsed during a thunderstorm. Thanks to that post, Arnold said his office was keyed onto the situation six minutes before the first 911 call came in, giving responders more time to pull a victim to safety

The problem, he said, is that AI could make it easier to fake those kinds of images, creating the potential for wasted rescue efforts and resources.

Arnold recalled the dramatic photos of flooding in Texas after Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017. One in particular stuck with him: Seniors and employees outside a nursing home trapped in waist deep water, waiting for help

“When we see that, it will send up every alarm bell, and every person that we have available we will try and get to those people,” Arnold said. “And if that’s something that has been manufactured, I mean, I just — it’s very, very troubling.”

Trauma monetized

Tulane University computer scientist Nicholas Mattei has been working with AI in some form or another since he took his first artificial intelligence class in 2005.

But even Mattei is amazed by the pace at which the technology has advanced.

It wasn’t too long ago, he said, that there were dead giveaways social media users could employ to spot AI-generated content. A person’s hands might be deformed, their hair might flow in the wrong direction or their movements might be unnatural.

But with the release earlier this year of improved AI models, Mattei said, “I think we might be beyond the point where, especially with the video content it’s super easy to tell. And that’s kind of disturbing.”

Until Hurricane Melissa, Mattei never considered that AI might be used to create dramatic videos and photos of natural disasters.

But it makes sense. If you see a video of sharks swimming through the streets online, you’re go-

downs.”

Bucking the market

Despite the surge in Caesars’ visitors, New Orleans’ broader hotel market has been soft in 2025. STR, the industry analytics firm, reports citywide occupancy is down roughly 10% from last year’s highs, boosted particularly by the Taylor Swift weekend in the autumn. Caesars, though, has managed to outperform the market. Its resilience reflects both its shift upmarket and the distinct economics of casino-hotel loyalty programs, STR hotel analyst Colin Sherman said.

“Casino operators reward both gambling and spending,” Sherman said. “They offer a wide variety of properties, and the perks especially for high rollers are unique. Free suites, event tickets, exclusive services — you don’t get that elsewhere.”

Visitors to New Orleans are more likely to gamble than the national average for holidaymakers, with leisure travelers much more likely according to New Orleans & Co.

were up 200% from the previous year, reflecting the big-spender crowd that follows the glamour sport.

A turning point in perception

For Mowad, the biggest change may be more psychological than economic: national perception of New Orleans.

He says guests are noticing, and commenting on, the city’s improving public safety conditions.

“We’re about to have the safest year since something like 1972,” Mowad said. “We feel that. You’re waiting for the national market or national news to catch up. Conventioneers are coming out and telling us how safe it feels, how awesome the city is. That matters.”

Recent major events helped reinforce that impression. In July, Caesars saw a surge of visitors around UFC 318 at the Smoothie King Center which featured a BMF title fight between Max Holloway and Lafayette native Dustin Poirier

“It was like a mini Super Bowl for the city and the casino,” Mowad said.

Solid year, if a ‘choppy’ one

The performance metrics reflect steady momentum From June 2024 to June 2025, visitation grew 15% to 2.7 million guests, while gaming revenue rose 12% to $270 million, according to Louisiana State Police, which tracks gaming data. That kept Caesars on track for its required $65 million annual state fee. July through October has looked even stronger: visitors are up 27% at just over 1 million and gaming revenues are up 21% at $91 million.

Yet Mowad calls the year “choppy,” a patchwork of peaks and valleys. The horrific terrorist attack on Bourbon Street early in the year hit the city’s psyche hard. The Super Bowl surge the following month helped the city bounce back but underscored the volatility of the tourism calendar

“We’ve seen weeks where it feels like the old days, and we’re super busy,” he said. “Then August September come, football is starting, and it’s a bit slow It’s been ups and

ing to stop and watch. And on the internet, Mattei said, “you can monetize eyeballs.”

Trusted sources

Just like social media, both Mattei and Arnold said AI has a lot of good to offer the meteorology and emergency management worlds, if used responsibly

Recent advancements in hurricane forecast modeling, for example, are partly thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, according to Mattei.

That means that AI and AI-adjacent technology have helped to make hurricane forecasts more accurate, which could in turn save lives, property and money

Arnold said the local emergency management office is already running its plans through different AI tools. It can help identify more efficient evacuation routes, buildings throughout the area that could be used for shelters or storage supply and whether neighborhoods have the infrastructure to support certain emergency response resources.

“Particularly with evacuation, I will say that AI can be good at both giving you some options that maybe you hadn’t looked at or considered fully,” Arnold said.

But with the growing presence of AI-generated content online, Arnold said it’s more important now than ever that people have trusted sources. Follow real meteorologists who work with local TV stations or the National Weather Service, he said. Get your storm prep and forecast information from local news outlets Subscribe to your city or state emergency alert service, like NOLA Ready, which Arnold said has grown and improved dramatically over the last several years. And most importantly of all, he said don’t believe everything you read — or see — online.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

PAWS

“Gambling still ranks as one of the city’s midtier attractions and has an above-average propensity score, meaning visitors to New Orleans engage in it at a slightly higher rate than the average U.S. traveler,” said Kelly Schulz, spokesperson for New Orleans & Co. About 16% of leisure travelers visiting New Orleans said they’re likely to gamble, versus 6% nationally

Sherman said New Orleans is seeing the same bifurcation affecting national hospitality markets: high-end properties are holding up, while middle- and lower-tier hotels struggle.

“Hoteliers are really going for that ‘experiential’ traveler,” he said. “So, they’ll come to New Orleans for all the history and culture, but also because they’re going to Caesars and maybe taking in a Taylor Swift concert.”

He pointed to the “blow-out” weekend Las Vegas just experienced hosting its third annual Formula 1 car race as evidence of the demand for big-ticket experiences in tourist destinations. Hotel occupancy was 98% and room rates

Continued from page 1B

won’t take animals from St. Helena Parish because they have their own stray animal populations to serve.

But most parishes, unlike St. Helena, have enough money to conduct and pay for animal services through their governments.

A 2020 statewide animal welfare audit found that St. Helena Parish was one of 11 Louisiana parishes without a public animal control shelter

Keller said it costs about $9,000 a month to run the no-kill nonprofit kennel. Most of the costs come from paying for medical bills food and cleaning supplies. The majority of these costs Keller pays for out of pocket.

Events like that — and the newly announced Hondo Rodeo next spring — are the product of closer coordination among the state, city and hospitality leaders, he said. The next frontier

That direction now leads straight to Fulton Street. Mowad sees its redevelopment not as a side project but as the next essential piece of Caesars’ long-term strategy: creating an activated, cohesive destination district that links Canal Street, the emerging River District, the Convention Center and the casinohotel complex.

If Caesars succeeds, Fulton Street could become the connective tissue between New Orleans’ legacy attractions and its rapidly evolving waterfront. And for Mowad, whose tenure has been defined by one of the largest private hospitality investments in city history it represents a chance to shape the next chapter “It seems like we’re pointing in the right direction,” he said. Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

For those looking to adopt, Keller asks for a small donation while she pays for the dogs to get spayed or neutered vaccinated and dewormed — procedures that all have to take place outside of the parish.

“We’re constantly fundraising because it’s a never-ending cost,” she said. “I just pay out of pocket for what I can’t raise money for, because I can’t just leave them.”

Lottery results not available at press time.

LOTTERY

The Crooked Creek

Kennel website offers ways for people to donate or view available animals for adoption.

staFF PHoto By JaVIer GaLLeGos Volunteer Katherine Pohlmann from Mandeville washes out a dog bowl before adding it to the growing stack of clean bowls at Crooked Creek Kennel in st. Helena Parish on Monday.

staFF PHoto By CHrIs GraNGer

Caesars New orleans GM samir Mowad stands in a lobby at the hotel on Monday. He has overseen the rebrand in New orleans.

Cazes,

Michael Brian 'Mike'

"Eachone must giveas he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves acheerful giver." -2

Corinthians9:7 Adevoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and atrue Servant Leader to West Baton Rouge Parish and the entire State of Louisiana. He exemplified aselfless spirit, tirelessly uplifting others and putting their needs at the forefront. He was aperpetual giver of his time and talents while expecting nothing in return. His transformative impact on Louisiana law enforcement spans decades, marked by unwavering dedication, sacrifice, and leadership. Following an extraordinary 44-year career, he retired, leaving an enduring legacy of visionary leadershipand asteadfast commitment as SheriffofWest Baton Rouge Parish. Mike was also afamily man, who adored his children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter. He leavesbehind his wife of 41 years, Stephanie Jarreau Cazes; their three children, Chrissy Cazes Simoneaux (Dale), Michelle Cazes Olinde (Ryan), Brian Cazes (Laurie); grandchildren Daleigh Simoneaux (Brock), Ryler Simoneaux, Peytonand Preston Olinde Allie, Anna Grace and Ashlynn Johnson; great-granddaughter, AudreyAnn Bourg; siblings, Joseph Marion "Jim" Cazes Jr and wife Grace, Mary Kathleen "Kathy" Cazes Wilbert and husband Calvin"Pat" Jr David Cazes and wife Denise; along with numerous nieces and nephews. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Marion Sr and Elizabeth "Betty" Templet Cazes; brother, Patrick Kevin "Pat" Cazes. Avisitation will be held on Friday, November 28th, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 402 SKirkland Street, Brusly, from 9a.m. untilMass of Christian Burial at 1p.m., celebrated by Rev. Jeffery Bayhi. Entombment will follow in the church mausoleum. Pallbearers will be Brian Cazes, Ryler Simoneaux Peyton Olinde, John Leonard Andre, Russell Saia, ClaytonPourciau,John Doucet and Scott David Honorary pallbearers will be his brothers in law enforcement. Throughout Mike's tenure, he championed justice, integrity, and communitywell-being, inspiring countless lives and shaping the fabric of West Baton Rouge Parish law enforcement. His wisdom, courage, and unwavering resolve willcontinue to inspire generations, cementing alegacy that extends far beyond his remarkable career, forever etched in the lives he touched and transformed. He will be greatly missed. The family wants to extend aspecial thanks to the entire law

enforcement community. In lieu of flowers, please consider amemorialdonation to St.John the Baptist CatholicChurch, 402 SKirkland Street,Brusly, LA 70719. Pleaseshare memoriesat www.wilbertservices.com.

Constantine, John Ashton

January 7, 1974- November22, 2025

Join us to honor and rememberJohn Ashton ConstantineonFriday, November 28th atRabenhorst Funeral Home,825 Government Street.John Ashton is survived by his mother, GailRobins O'Quin and his step-father,Bill O'Quin.He is also survived by his brother, Robbie Constantine, and his sister, Madeleine Constantine Conger. Visitation begins at 4:00pmwith aprayer aroundthe 5:00 hour. Receptionfollowing visitation.Inlieuofflowers,the family requests donations be made in John Ashton's name to The Bridge Center forHope.

Fontenot, WilliamA

WilliamA.Fontenot, 82, passed awaypeacefully in his home on November 23, 2025.Willie wasborn in Washington,LAand grew up in Opelousas. He was one of 8childrenborn to L. Austinand Ruth Robertson Fontenot. He became a prominent environmental justice activist. For 27 years, Willie served as the communityliaison officer forthe Louisiana Attorney General'sOffice.Heplayed akey roleinestablishing communityand environmental groups across Louisiana and the Deep South. He brought hope and empowerment to marginalized communities. Eventually, he became known as the "Grandfather of the Louisiana Environmental Movement."Willie alwaystreated others with kindness, patience,and respect, and he was wellloved and admired. In his own neighborhood, he was the Garden DistrictEaster Bunny for24years.

Heissurvivedbyhis wifeof53years, Mary,his son,Jacques and daughter, Dona. Brothersare Joe Fontenot (Linda), Freddie (Paula), Eric, deceased, (Margie). Sisters are Frances (deceased), Carolyn Goodman, Lilias LeBlanc (deceased), Marie Porche (Ed).Heleaves many niecesand nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Therewillbea Celebration of LifeonSunday, December 28, from 1:003:00pm at TheGuru, located in the Circa 1857 complex at the corner of Government and 19th Streets in Baton Rouge. If anyone wouldliketodonateagift in his name, please consider The Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) (leanweb.org) or Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area (www.alzbr.org)(3772 North Blvd. BR, LA 70806.)

Editor’snote:This editorial, withslight modifications,has appeared on previous Thanksgivings in the newspaper

In early October1863, President AbrahamLincoln issued aproclamation.

“I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, andalso those who are at sea and those who aresojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe thelastThursday of November next as aDay of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Fatherwho dwelleth in the heavens,” he wrote.

Lincoln’sproclamation,for thefirsttime, officially established the date of America’sannual Thanksgiving Day,though the traditionof giving thanks went back much further.Traced to aharvest feast shared by Plymouth settlers and Native American Wampanoag people in 1621, thecustom of thanksgiving had persisted in the colonies and states for decades before Lincoln’s time Lincoln’scall for unity was driven by his conviction that, despite whathecalled “a civil war of unequaled magnitude andseverity,” there were still blessings to be counted “by the wholeAmerican people.”

We find these words resonant. Awartime president, despised in large swaths of the countryto thepoint of armedconflict, called on allAmericans to join together and acknowledgethateven in the face of immense challenges, they had much to be thankful for Lincoln noted in his proclamation thateven amid thewar,manyplaces were peaceful,laws were respected and people lived in harmony. Additionally,crops were still being grown,towns and cities were expanding and American industry was healthy and robust.Freedom,heexpected,would continuetoincrease.

Those words are applicable today

We remain aland of plenty.Weare still aplace where,for many,everything weneed and most things we want are easily obtained.Thisisnot true for everyone, of course, and our gratitude should fuel our service to them.

Our abundance still draws thehuddled masses who, like those four centuries ago who risked a dangerous sea journey to arriveonthese shores, undertake perilous treks to the United States in the hopes of abetter life. It is worth it to remember that those firstpilgrims were immigrants to a new world, reliant on those they met here to treat them with kindness Even our intense political differences can be cast in away that engenders gratitude. Onedoes not devote intensity to something about which onedoes not care. Apathywould beatruecause for concern.

We don’twish to whitewash our problems. We will certainly spend ahefty portion of the other 364 days of the year focused on those But on this one day,the fourthThursdayinNovember,wechoose to join with Lincolnand callon our readers to consider our manyblessingsworthy of being “solemnly,reverently,and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people.”

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence theadvocate |the times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the editor,the advocate, P.o. Box 588, Baton rouge, La 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. to seND Us a Letter, sCaNHere

In 2023, as Louisiana celebrated securing Class VI primacy,Itold thenewspaper that Louisiana was “on theverge of anew golden age” of energy.With carbon capture and sequestration poised to take American energy dominance to new heights, we were years ahead of any other state.

As theTrumpadministration repealed manyofthe Biden-era tax credits, it doubled down on support for CCS in theOne Big Beautiful Bill because thetechnology is viable and has clear market demand. Since gaining primacy,industry announced $70 billion in new investmentcoming to our state, almost all with aCCS component. This investmentcan create more of the job opportunities that will keep our kids here in Louisianaand improve lives across our state.

Butaswe’ve had theopportunity to supercharge Louisiana’seconomy past other Southern states, we spent two legislative sessions debating whether to kneecap thebiggest economic advantage Louisiana has had in our lifetime.

Now,almost two years since gaining Class VI primacy,Louisiana has permitted only one project, and Texas is on the verge of surpassing us.

Earlier this month,the EPAannounced it has awarded Texas with Class VI primacy,erasing Louisiana’shead start. My counterpart at the Texas Oil and Gas Association Todd Staples is saying, “Texas is now poised to lead the world in CCS, which means moreinvestmentand more jobs for Texans.”

While we no longer have the lead, the gameisnot over.Companies are deciding now whether to do business in LouisianaorTexas. They are looking at regulatory uncertainty,antibusiness litigation and hesitancy of astate to seize clear opportunities. We still have thepotential to take back the leadership position that is attracting so much opportunity to our state. We just need to grasp it.

TOMMY FAUCHEUX president, Louisiana Mid-Continent oil and Gas association

Louisianans work hard,pray hard and look outfor one another Buttoo manyfamiliesare one medical bill from broke, one tuitionhike from giving up. We don’t want socialism. We don’t want rigged, winner-take-all capitalismeither Look at Denmark,Sweden, Norway —the freest, mostprosperous, happiest countries on Earth. Their leaders say it loud: “We’re capitalist marketeconomies.” Theyjustrefuse to letgood people fall through thecracks.

Their recipe:

n Health care forall —nobankruptcies,no funeralsoverbills

n College andtrade school youcan actually afford n Safety nets that catch families, not trap them n Lowtaxes on workers and small businesses; big corporationspay theirshare Results? Highertake-home pay, more startups,better schools, longer lives. That’snot radical.That’swinning. Louisiana can do it our way: n Real health care without thegames. n Affordable college andskills training for good local jobs.

n Fairtaxes —cut the little guy abreak, make the giants pay up.

n Train our people for the next boom, not thelast one. Hard work should pay. Period

Faith.Family.Fairness. That’sthe Louisianaway Let’sbuild astate whereeverybody gets a shot —not just the connected few.

Regarding thearticle, “Debate over ‘no-party’ voters reignites” on Nov.10, Iagree withthe concept that a“large swath of unaffiliated voters” will get to pick one party or the other.That’s better than nothing, but why should we have to settle for that?

The new law on closed party primary elections is somewhat confusing, because it is partly “open primaries” (but not “pure closed” primaries) withthe condition that “No Party voters who choosetoparticipate in the closed-party primary will be able to select aparty’sballot at their polling place and must stay with that party through any necessary runoff.” Why should unaffiliated voters have to stick with the partyofthe person they voted for in aprimary if there is arunoff? Andifthey

cannot vote in party primaries at all, why should taxpayers pay for administering primary elections at all?

It would be much simpler if we in Louisiana, as some states do, had open primaries and ranked-choice voting (alsoreferred to as “instant runoff” and currently banned here) in the primaries and in the general election. Such asystem would be simpler,less expensive and allow unaffiliated voters to escape what one writer has called the “stranglehold” of the two-party system.That would increase participation and strengthen theinfluenceofunaffiliated voters —overall greatly benefiting our democraticsystem to moreaccurately reflect the will of thepeople.

BRUCEWILDER Neworleans

SCOTT LEBLEU Lafayette

I’mfrom Alabama, and an Alabama State University football fan, however,I cheer forall HBCU programs. And by the way,there’snothing better than Cajun food and beautiful Louisiana women.Please review the University of West Georgia’sfootball program to see how ayoung African American coach named Joel Taylor turned alosing program into apowerhouse in just twoyears. Taylor would turn Southern’sprogram into an instant winner and dominate the SWAC virtually every year.And more importantly,hewould challenge forthe national championship on ayearly basis.

JOHN SHAVER Valley, alabama

TO OUR READERS

today’sedition wasprinted early becauseofthanksgiving deadlines to find up-to-date sports coverage, visit theadvocate.com

Five lights in dark times forN.O. sports fans

Happy Thanksgiving, New Orleans sports fans.

And yes, Iknow what you’re thinking. What in the world is there to be thankful for when the calendar is approaching December and the Saintsand Pelicanshave combined for five wins?

Sometimes, you have to look beyondthe results. Other times, you have to look somewhere other than AirlineDrive, which is what we will do here as we start this list of five things New Orleans sports fans should be thankful for

1. Tulane football

Yeah, let’sbypassthe Saints and Pelicans’ facility in Metairie and start Uptown,where

Jon Sumrall’sGreen Wave teamisabout to punch its ticket to the American Conference championship game.It’llbethe fourth consecutive year theGreen Wave hasplayedfor the conference title,meaning thereare some students on campus who probably think winning footballisthe norm around Tulane. Trust me, that hasn’talways been the case, but it is now.

So props to Tulane, which needs to beat 1-10 Charlotte on Saturday nighttohostthe conference championship game. Beating Charlotte shouldn’tbeaproblem. While you can count the Saints andPelicans’ wins on one hand, you can countCharlotte’s wins on one finger Atrip to the College FootballPlayoff is also withinreach for the Green Wave,so there’salso that to be thankful for.The real

ä see WALKER, page 4C

LSUcoach Mulkey says lighterschedule works‘forus’

BY REED DARCEY staff writer

ä LSU vs: Marist 7P.M. FrIDay,esPN+ Rod Walker

Last season, the LSU women’sbasketball team flew to The Bahamas the week of Thanksgiving to play two power-conference teams, including one thatwas ranked This year,the No. 5Tigers (6-0)won’t be challenged thesame way.They’re competing in theParadise Jam Tournament on the U.S. Virgin Islands this week.OnFriday,they’ll face Marist for a chance to play either Miami of Ohio or awinless Washington State team from the zombie Pac-12on Saturday LSU doesn’tplay aparticularly difficult nonconferenceschedule. It neverhas, at least not since coach Kim Mulkey took over theprogram in 2021 But this season, the Tigers have given themselves an especially lighter preludeto Southeastern Conferenceplay.Preseason No. 7Duke is the only power-conference team on the slate, and it’s already suffered three losses and fallen out of the AP Top25 Poll, which means that LSUlikely will have to wait until January to play aranked team. Mulkey’s OK with that scenario.

ä see MULKEY, page 4C

ALLE YES ON KIFFIN

BY WILSON ALEXANDER staff writer

Around noon on Nov. 17, several of LaneKiffin’sfamily members, including his ex-wife, walkedout of aprivate hangar at the Baton Rouge airport. Theyclimbedinto ablack Chevrolet Suburbanand were driven through the city forthe rest of the day, getting afeel forwhere they might live asheconsideredthe LSU job.

Alittle morethan aweek later,Kiffin is still theprimary target in LSU’s coaching search, multiple sources with knowledge of the process told The Advocate. LSU leaderswant to secure acommitment from himwithin theweek,but histrue intentions remain uncertain to many involved heading into acritical weekend.

ä see LSU, page 3C

BY TOYLOYBROWN III staff writer

The soul of the Human Jukebox resonated in Fresno, California.

ä Bayou Classic Southernvs: Grambling 1P.M. satUrDay,PeaCoCK

TheSouthern University marchingband flewtothe Golden State to perform at the footballteam’sfirst-ever game againstFresno State on Sept. 13. The acclaimed ensemble, which has performedat10Super Bowls —mostrecently during last year’spregame show in New Orleans —and four presidentialinaugurations, left an awe-inspiring impressionon the nearly 40,000 fans in attendance.

“Game hasn’teven started yet, and Southern’sHuman Jukebox is already stealing the

emotionalperformances, hard work arekey to band’s success ä see SOUTHERN, page 3C

staFF PHoto By DaVID GrUNFeLD saints quarterback tyler shough warmsup before agame against theatlanta Falcons on sundayatthe Caesarssuperdome.

staFF FILe PHoto By sCotttHreLKeLD southern’sHuman Jukebox marching band performs during the 51st BayouClassic between southern and GramblingonNov.30, 2024, at the Caesars superdome.

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CBs

7:20 p.m. Cincinnati at Baltimore NBC

Buzz builds for Arizona, ASU rivalry contest

7:20 p.m. Cincinnati at Baltimore PeaCoCK BY JOHN MARSHALL aPsportswriter

Zachary’s budding star just getting started

BY JACKSON REYES staff writer

Zachary’s Ian Edmond plays with a chip on his shoulder

The junior guard isn’t one to let size or setbacks stop his goal of becoming the best player he can be.

In his freshman year, Edmond tried out for an AAU team, looking to bolster his experience. He didn’t earn a spot, but rather than allowing the setback to discourage him, he’s only used the adversity as fuel to work harder

He entered his sophomore year, earning minutes with the Broncos varsity squad. His hard work paid off with a breakout year, averaging 17.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Edmond earned first team alldistrict, first team all-metro and was a 5A all-state honorable mention He helped lead Zachary to a Division I nonselect state title and was named the championship game MVP

“It really was a big confidence booster,” Edmond said on winning the state title. “Ever since I was young, I always wanted to win a high school state championship.”

He now enters his junior season, looking to build on his sophomore breakout.

Growing into his game

Zachary coach Jon McClinton had first heard of Edmond when he played for the Broncos’ fifthsixth grade team.

He saw him play as a sixth grader, and even years before he would suit up for the Broncos’ varsity team, McClinton knew Edmond was different.

“I was like, ‘man, the kid can really play,’” McClinton said But McClinton knew Edmond needed time to develop his skill set. Edmond was on the varsity team his freshman season, but didn’t see any playing time. Still, his game was being developed behind the scenes.

Edmond practiced often against Amir Chaney who’s now at Division I Southeastern Louisiana, and Kheiri Haynes, who is playing for an NAIA program, LSU-Alexandria.

“Just to see his game evolve and the confidence that he had,” McClinton said. “It did nothing but make him better by going against those guards every day.”

Then, heading into Edmond’s sophomore season, McClinton said the move into a bigger role was almost seamless.

“It was like riding a bike when he got to his sophomore year,” McClinton said. “He’s been waiting to be in that position.”

When McClinton shifted Edmond into a larger role last season, he wasn’t sure if he’d need time to figure things out before he could hit the ground running. To his coach’s delight, Edmond was ready

“We definitely got the confident Ian sooner than I expected,” McClinton said.

He recalled Zachary’s game against Dallas Kimball on Dec. 26, 2024. Edmond scored 21 points in the team’s 82-80 win.

“Just to see him operate and the decisions that he made,” McClinton said, “it really gave us a lot of confidence as far as him being able to lead this team to possibly a state championship.”

The junior guard always wanted to play basketball and began playing when his father introduced him to the sport when he was only 3 years old.

For most of his life, he’s been one of the shorter players on the court. He didn’t let his lack of size hinder his confidence, and now, at 6-foot-1, he feels he’s showing his true talent.

“I really always felt like I could do something on the basketball court,” Edmond said “But it didn’t seem real because I was always smaller than everybody I played against. But now I really feel like I can make an impact.”

If someone’s bigger than him, he looks to use his toughness and speed to overcome it He’s always looking for the small aspects of the game to get an edge.

Routine oriented

Edmond is committed to continuing his path of becoming a more complete player

His routine stays consistent to keep improving. Four days of the week, Edmond is up at 4 a.m. to pack his school bag and workout bag. He’s off to the gym to work out before school Then it’s time for school. While he still has classes, sixth period is used for either weights or watching film, and then it’s practice afterward.

It’s a routine Edmond prides himself on, and McClinton looks to keep him accountable to.

“A couple of weeks ago, I told him,” McClinton said. “‘Man, you only came one day this week, what’s the problem?’”

As Edmond searched for an excuse, McClinton stopped him.

“I said, ‘No, we’re not doing that,” McClinton said “You started it. That’s something we’re going to finish. I don’t want success to minimize his effort.”

Whether it’s basketball drills, grinding tape or weight lifting, McClinton looks for his point guard to grow both mentally and physically That first offer

Over the summer, Edmond began to see his hard work pay off beyond a state title.

After returning home from a weekend competing at the June Scholastic Event top 100 team camp, he received his first Division I offer from UL Monroe.

“It was emotional when I got that offer,” Edmond said. “I didn’t think I was going to play Division I basketball ever.” It was 8 a.m. after he returned home from the camp. Edmond glanced at his phone to see texts from two ULM coaches, who were impressed with his performance at the camp. He walked to show his dad the texts when a few more appeared on his screen.

“As soon as I went to go show my dad, the two assistant coaches texted me, the head coach texted me, and offered me,” Edmond said. “The first person I called was my coach, and he already knew He was on the phone with a big smile on his face.”

Receiving the offer has only fueled Edmond to work harder, to gain more offers, and give as much as he can to his team before he finishes high school.

McClinton believes Edmond can fulfill his aspirations of playing at the Division I level He’s gotten interest from several schools,

but ULM is the only Division I school to offer him so far

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” McClinton said. “He will be on somebody’s Division I roster by the time that he becomes a freshman in college.”

McClinton said it can be easy for someone like Edmond to get discouraged by not always seeing the fruits of his labor in areas like recruiting, but he never sees that affect his junior point guard.

“He is creating that hunger inside of himself even more when he doesn’t get the results that he gets,” McClinton said. ”That’s the chip on his shoulder that he always has that he plays with when people see him to play.”

With a steady support system, McClinton knows Edmond can avoid being complacent. The excitement for McClinton is what he can become with only one year of varsity under his belt.

“People don’t realize the kid has only been playing high school basketball for one year,” McClinton said. “That’s the crazy part. He’s literally touched the floor one time, and that’s his sophomore year.”

One game at a time

While Edmond’s goals go beyond playing at the high school level, he’s keeping his focus on the present.

The goal is to bring home another state title to Zachary, but he and his team try not to look too far ahead.

He knows it can be easy to get caught up in the accolades, but he’s taken a tunnel vision approach to basketball.

“I don’t want it to hinder the more success that’s coming ahead of me,” Edmond said. “ I just put my head down and keep on working so I can achieve more.”

Packers’ Love says shoulder won’t impact his play

BY STEVE MEGARGEE aP sportswriter

GREENBAY,Wis. Jordan Love says he’s “not going to sugarcoat” the fact he’s dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, however the Green Bay Packers quarterback says it isn’t something that should prevent him from playing effectively Love hurt his left shoulder and missed part of one series before rallying the Packers to a 27-20 victory over the New York Giants on Nov 16. He returned to start Green Bay’s 23-6 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday but was only handing off with his right hand.

“It’s one of those where I’m able to play through it,” Love said Tuesday “Obviously, anytime you take a hit, fall on it, you feel it. But nothing that it is holding me back or nothing that I can’t play through.”

Love is dealing with this injury as the Packers prepare to play their second game in a five-day stretch. The Packers (7-3-1) visit the Detroit Lions (7-4) on Thurs-

day

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Love’s ability to continue playing is a testament to the quarterback’s toughness.

“It takes a lot of physical and mental toughness to play the quarterback position, to be able to stand in there, especially when you are injured, knowing that you’re probably going to get hit at some point,”

LaFleur said This is the second time this season that Love has dealt with an injury to his non-throwing hand or arm. He underwent surgery on his left thumb in August, an injury that gave him some experience at using only his right hand on handoffs.

“I think early on when I had my thumb surgery, I was doing a lot with just (my) right hand, and I think I just kind of subconsciously started doing that in this game,”

Love said LaFleur noted the complications that can come from only using one hand for handoffs throughout a game.

“I don’t think you necessarily

want to see that,” LaFleur said. “I think it’s not natural, and you never want to put the ball in jeopardy And certainly some of our passes will come off our actions, and if you’re not doing the right action, it can take away from that effect I would say.”

Love’s latest injury occurred when he took a big hit from Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles at the end of a scramble late in the first quarter of the Giants game. Malik Willis came in and led the Packers into the end zone before Love returned for the next series.

“It’s an injury,” Love said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”

The injury didn’t stop him from throwing two touchdown passes later in that game and leading the Packers to another victory the following week.

Love had season lows in pass attempts (21) and passing yards (139) against the Vikings, but LaFleur said the Packers stayed conservative on offense by design because their defense was dominating the game so thoroughly Love said the Packers have taken

TEMPE,Ariz.— The Territorial Cup will be brimming with juice this year A rivalry dating to the McKinley presidency will take a massive uptick in intensity on Friday night, when Arizona faces Arizona State in one of the most anticipated Territorial Cup games in a decade. Both teams are on the upswing, both still have plenty to play for and, yes, they still don’t like each other

“Rivalry games have so much to them that make them so fun and exciting, but when you have two teams coming together that are both playing good football, it adds a little extra juice to it,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said.

The Territorial Cup has been dotted with lopsided wins in recent years — the latest, Arizona State’s 49-7 win in Tucson — as the programs have labored to find a consistent footing.

This year will be different. Arizona State is coming off its first College Football Playoff and is still in the mix for another albeit a longshot — despite a litany of injuries this season in its third year under coach Kenny Dillingham. Arizona took a major upward swing in its second season under Brennan, riding a four-game winning streak after winning four games all last season.

The result: the rivals both have eight wins heading into the Territorial Cup game for the first time since 2014.

“It’s awesome to have this game played with two really good football teams,” Dillingham said. “I think that’s what you want. You want this game to matter It’s awesome that it matters.”

Dillingham has done his part by returning the Sun Devils to the national spotlight.

Arizona State labored through an injury-ravaged 3-9 first season under the ASU alum in 2023 before pulling together one of the program’s best seasons.

Led by quarterback Sam Leavitt and battering-ram running back Cam Skattebo, the Sun Devils won the Big 12 championship their first season in the league and reached the CFP for the first time last year Skattebo is now in the NFL and Leavitt suffered a season-ending foot injury in early November, yet Arizona State has kept finding ways to win.

Quarterback Jeff Sims has filled in for Leavitt nicely and the Sun Devils (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) still have an outside shot at playing in the Big 12 championship game again after blowing out Colorado 42-17 last week. Arizona State’s rise and Dillingham’s enthusiasm have ignited a fan base that’s been blasé at times through the years, leading to sellouts every home game this season.

“It certainly makes it more exciting for the fans, knowing that both teams are coming into it playing good football and I think that’s what it should be,” Brennan said. “You want these games to have a big impact.”

Brennan has engineered a similar second-year turnaround in Tucson.

steps to help protect his shoulder as much as possible, though he didn’t offer specifics.

“There’s things that you are able to do, and we’ve done those things,” Love said. “So we’ll continue to do them but I’m not going to continue to get into detail and talk through it, but there’s definitely some things that we’ve done to help out and be able to play and hopefully put myself in the best foot forward But at the end of the day, anytime you’re injured, playing through things, there’s always a chance of risking more injuries, things like that.”

Sunday marked the third time in four games that Love hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass. He has two touchdown passes over his past four games after throwing 13 in Green Bay’s first seven games. He has thrown only three interceptions all season.

Love lost his most reliable option when tight end Tucker Kraft tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a 16-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Nov 2.

The former San Jose State coach inherited a program coming off a 10-win season under coach Jedd Fisch but had trouble gaining any traction in his first season in Tucson. But after finishing 4-8 last year, the Wildcats (8-3, 5-3) have turned the narrative around behind dynamic quarterback Noah Fifita and a stifling defense that’s among the nation’s best after being one of the worst a year ago.

“They’re playing as good of football, in our league, as anybody right now,” Dillingham said.

So are the Sun Devils, adding a whole lot of juice to the Territorial Cup.

aP PHoto By ross D FraNKLIN arizona state quarterback Jeff sims runs with the ball during a game Nov. 15 in tempe, ariz.

KIrK MeCHe

Zachary’s Ian edmond drives to the lane past Central Baton rouge’s Collin Verrett during a game on March 15 at the Burton Complex in Lake Charles.

show,” one local journalist posted along with a video of the band.

Others shared how they never heard a band sound like Southern’s before. These reactions don’t surprise Director of Bands Kedric Taylor. Entertaining others and his pure passion for music and Southern is what inspires the work of him and his staff.

“It never gets old,” said Taylor, who has directed the band since 2018 and graduated from Southern in 2007 “Music is the art of feeling, and we always pride ourselves on making the audience feel what we’re trying to put out. So that’s why, when people see this band for the first time, it’s almost like magic, because it’s like, ‘Wow, how did they do that?’”

That magic from Baton Rouge has been a cultural pillar of the university and the city since the band’s inception in 1947. The beauty of entertaining both first-time listeners and routine enjoyers alike is the mission, which will continue at the 52nd Bayou Classic between Southern and Grambling at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Caesars Superdome.

The Southern standard Flair is what the Human Jukebox and the Fabulous Dancing Dolls are known for. Senior percussion section leader Connor Goodley said the band’s routines are a fusion of innovation and tradition.

Taylor and his staff retain the groundwork established by 36-year band director Isaac Greggs and evolve it in the modern era. One game they will play “I Want You’“ by Marvin Gaye, and the next it’ll be Drake’s “What Did I Miss.” What binds it all are the feelings of its instrumentalists.

“We’re known as the Human Jukebox, but a lot of people forget that we are actually human first, before you know, the jukebox part comes,” said senior French horn section leader Joseph Rogers. “We always put our emotions into our music. I think that’s what makes it very special.”

The art of the performance is also the

Continued from page 1C

Will Kiffin stay at Ole Miss, where he has a team on the cusp of the College Football Playoff for the first time, or leave for LSU or Florida? Kiffin has said repeatedly he feels happy with his life at Ole Miss but he may believe the other programs offer a better chance to win national championships. He has yet to sign a contract extension with the Rebels, even after a meeting last Friday with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and university chancellor Glenn Boyce. Although a sense of confidence has grown since late last week around LSU, multiple officials acknowledged Kiffin’s unpredictable nature and the way coaching searches can take an unexpected turn in the final days. Many are waiting for finality with an announcement on Kiffin’s future expected Saturday, the day after No. 6 Ole Miss plays rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

A deal with Kiffin has not been finalized as of press time Tuesday evening, multiple sources said, and LSU has narrowed a list of other candidates that includes Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz. It’s unclear who else is under serious consideration

At this stage, all eyes are on Kiffin How LSU got here

Kiffin, 50, emerged as a top target after LSU fired coach Brian Kelly on Oct. 26. The beginning of the search was chaotic as LSU parted ways with athletic director Scott Woodward after he faced public criticism from Gov Jeff Landry, but the school named longtime athletic official Verge Ausberry as his replacement less than a week later. Ausberry’s coaching connections were seen as an advantage.

The search heated up last Monday, when LSU officials arranged for a donor’s private plane to bring Kiffin’s family to Baton Rouge. Kiffin did not make the trip. They spent about six hours on the ground before flying back to Oxford, Mississippi, using the time to look at houses and learn about the local high schools.

Kiffin’s son, Knox, is a quarterback in the 2028 class who has gathered a few scholarship offers early in the recruiting process, according to 247Sports. Knox posted a photo of himself on social media Friday night wearing LSU headphones before a playoff game. The day before, Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, attended an LSU booster event in Baton Rouge Landry, a sophomore at Ole Miss, is dating LSU linebacker Whit Weeks

product of training, in many ways similar to football. When the football team is in August camp practicing daily, the band is also outside During the season, members are honing their craft for at least five hours a day

Associate Director of Bands William Young said practices don’t conclude until they see the results they want.

“Our standard is to be the best,” said Young, who graduated from Southern in 2001. “But the best against all the previous bands that have marched in that band (at Southern).”

Chasing the previous eras of greatness has led to high marks for the Human Jukebox, who are finalists for the ESPN HBCU Band of the Year, which will have a competition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 12.

While practices can be intense, Rogers and his fellow bandmates’ passion for music and the performance outweighs any challenge. It also helps that the many hours they spend naturally create bonds among

Details on LSU’s offer emerge

Conversations have continued between the two sides since then, and LSU leaders discussed a contract that would make Kiffin one of — if not the — highest-paid coaches in the country LSU is expected to offer at least $13 million per year, sources said Officials wanted a shorter term than the 10-year contract Kelly had with the Tigers, and Yahoo Sports first reported it would be a sevenyear deal.

Kiffin made $9 million this season before incentives. According to USA Today, Georgia coach Kirby Smart is currently the highest-paid coach in the country with an annual salary of $13.3 million. Kelly was fired in the fourth year of a contract worth more than $100 million. Sources said Landry, who criticized high-priced contracts last month, has been kept informed on the search.

LSU has also prepared to commit $25-30 million per year for the roster through a combination of revenue sharing and NIL. Investment in the roster is believed to be an important factor to Kiffin, whose run at Ole Miss has coincided with the success of its booster collective.

LSU spent about $18 million on the roster this season, Kelly said, and signed one of the top transfer classes in the country It did so, in part, by front-loading at least $10 million through NIL deals with its collective before revenue sharing and an NIL clearinghouse took effect under the House settlement. LSU’s collective, Bayou Traditions, has now been dormant since July

However, LSU can now arrange NIL deals with corporate sponsors, and with the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap set to increase 4% the next two years, the team would need between $10-15 million in NIL deals to reach its financial goals.

While that likely cannot be guaranteed in writing, the number is viewed as attainable. LSU received a lucrative cash infusion through new sponsorship deals with Venture Global (on-field advertisement) and Woodside Energy (jersey patches), the specifics of which are unknown. Other businesses can continue to sign athletes to NIL deals as well.

Will that separate LSU’s offer? Maybe not. Ole Miss and Florida are also sending Kiffin deals worth at least $13 million per year and promising an annual roster investment of at least $25 million, according to On3.

An unusual situation

LSU has competition within its own conference. Kiffin’s family visited Gainesville, Florida, the day before their trip to Baton Rouge, and 247Sports reported that Florida

the more than 340 members.

The family-oriented nature comes from traveling together to making beats when knocking on each other’s dorm doors. This is a rapport that lasts beyond graduation.

“We tell them all the time, these will be your best men or bridesmaids at your wedding, this will be your kids’ godmothers and godfathers,” Young said.

Pressure of a legacy

While the marching band’s own standard is lofty, the organization is also cognizant of the high expectations from outside its Isaac Greggs Band Hall, as it has a YouTube channel with over 137,000 subscribers and an Instagram account with more than 161,000 followers.

The pressure to keep the Human Jukebox prolific is something Taylor feels as director, following in the footsteps of Greggs and other greats. There’s also an added weight that exists outside of the football games.

“The pressure that we feel nowadays is

athletic officials met with his representation last Thursday Florida has continued to court Kiffin, according to multiple reports, and is also waiting on his decision.

Amid an uncertain future, Kiffin met last Friday with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and university chancellor Glenn Boyce. They agreed that he would coach the Egg Bowl, and then an announcement would be made Saturday Kiffin said earlier this week it is “very important” to him to coach Ole Miss through the rest of the season. He dodged other questions about his future. The timing of all of this became complicated for Ole Miss, which could win 11 games in the regular season for the first time by beating Mississippi State. With a win, the Rebels will likely go to the Playoff and could host a first-round game. However, if Kiffin leaves the team before then, it could affect their seeding. LSU would be open to him coaching in the CFP, sources said, but Ole Miss may not let him if he’s going to another school. It would be an unprecedented decision. Kiffin said a situation like this was “bound to happen” in college football if someone wanted to hire a playoff-bound coach, call-

coming from social media because you’re performing for different audiences,” Taylor said. “People will say, we not playing the right songs now, like, ‘Y’all play too many slow songs Why y’all won’t play fast songs?’ So then you play fast songs, they like, ‘We don’t know that song.’”

This type of feedback, along with comments about how Taylor and his staff should be fired, burdened him as recently as the beginning of this season.

Accepting the impossibility of pleasing everyone was a lesson he was reminded of and something that every director before him has dealt with. In the days when crowds used to come watch the Human Jukebox practice before the advent of social media, naysayers existed but didn’t have a platform to broadcast criticism.

Shifting the focus back to the performance art and how it energizes people will continue to be what matters the most to Taylor his staff and his students.

“Our love for music, passion for music,” Taylor said, “it saves people’s lives. It saved my life, and it saved a lot of other people’s lives, and so you know that it’s much bigger than you.”

Bringing positivity to strangers and their families in the crowd is what drives the student members. Senior tuba section leader Jyrius Cole said witnessing their impact, especially among other Louisianians, is meaningful.

“You making people cry, grown people cry, and just seeing that really motivates you,” Cole said. “If you go out anywhere, like to a Walmart and you wear an ‘S,’ if you wear that shirt, man, so many people are gonna just look at you like you’re a celebrity.”

The magic of the Human Jukebox hasn’t worn off since 1947, and it has no plans of letting that happen.

“When you see this band, it’s not negative energy, it’s just positive, and people like to feel good,” Taylor said. “So I think there’s that feeling of seeing people screaming and hollering and in excitement and in joy because the world has been dark lately, so being that light. There’s no darkness when there is light.”

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

ing it a “systematical problem.” His former boss at Alabama, Nick Saban, said Saturday on ESPN’s “College GameDay” that college football needs to adjust its calendar to avoid a similar scenario. Others argue Kiffin could shut it all down by making a decision.

“This is not a Lane Kiffin conundrum,” said Saban, who’s represented by Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton “This is a college football conundrum that we need some leadership to step up and change the rules on how this gets done in terms of coaching searches and opportunities to leave.”

Although LSU can wait through the week, sources said it would prefer to have a coach in place before the early signing period begins Dec.3inordertogetstartedonnextyear’sroster and the coaching staff According to CBS Sports, LSU would be open to former head coachEdOrgeronreturningunderKiffin Orgeron and Kiffin have a long relationship. The ongoing pursuit is likely to come to a resolution this weekend. A month after LSU fired Kelly, everyone wants to know Kiffin’s next move.

“It’s Lane Kiffin,” one source said, “so you never know what he will do.”

PHoto By CHrIstoDD

the southern University Human Jukebox plays behind the Fabulous Dancing Dolls on Nov. 8 in Jack spinks-Marino Casem stadium in Lorman, Miss.

Bengals QB Burrow excited for long-awaited return vs. Ravens

BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH

associated Press

CINCINNATI Cincinnati Bengals

quarterback Joe Burrow confirmed on Tuesday that he’ll be returning on Thanksgiving night to start against the Baltimore Ravens.

Burrow had surgery to repair a turf toe injury on Sept. 19, and is making his return nearly a full month ahead of schedule.

“We pushed it within the limits of what we could do, and kind of just based it on how I was feeling, how I was recovering, how it looked the next day after we pushed it, and just went from there,” said Burrow, who missed nine games.

Burrow returns to a 3-8 Bengals team that has dropped four straight and is tied for last place in the AFC North. Even though the Bengals are reeling, it was important to coach Zac Taylor for Burrow to return when he was ready regardless of the Bengals’ record. It was also important to Burrow

“I’m a football player,” Burrow said “If I get hurt, I’m going to go through the rehab process and then I’m going to let everyone know when I feel like I can go out there and play I don’t really know what else to say about that. I’m not ever going to go to somebody and say, “Yeah, I’m healthy, but I don’t think I should go out there and play.’ That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I’m not going to live my life and play this game scared of something happening.”

Even though Burrow hasn’t played in more than two months, he looked sharp in practice last week. The coaches worked Burrow in on the scout team as well as with the first-team offense for 11on-11 drills where he got a better feel of the speed of the game. Burrow had a chance to play last week against the New England Patriots in a game that the Bengals lost, 26-20 Taylor decided to stick with Joe Flacco for that game, and

WALKER

Continued from page 1C

question is this: Can Tulane pull off the Thanksgiving trifecta and be able to hold on to Sumrall, one of the most coveted coaches not named Lane Kiffin on the market?

2. Pelicans rookies

Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears and Micah Peavy are off to strong starts in their NBA careers, and it looks like the Pelicans nailed their three draft picks.

Queen hasn’t even played 20 games yet, but he’s already getting the loudest cheers during pre-game introductions. The trade to get him will be criticized for years to come, but it’s pretty clear what Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver saw in him. There’s a reason Queen, taken with the 13th pick, has vaulted all the way to third in odds to win Rookie of the Year Fears is just three spots behind him, and Peavy is making a name for himself on the defensive end by guarding the opponents’ best player, but he’s coming around offensively, too.

“All three of our rookies have been doing their thing,” Zion Williamson said Tuesday

3. A high draft pick

This isn’t for the Pelicans. They traded what looks like a lottery pick in the deal to get Queen This is for the Saints, who look like they could be on their way to being one of the first teams on the clock in April. You probably didn’t think that a few weeks ago when they beat the Carolina Panthers before the bye and looked like they may have turned a corner Then they had a reality check of a performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday The last six games on the schedule include tilts against the lowly New York Jets (2-9) and the even worse Tennessee Titans (110) So the Saints may not be bad enough to get the No. 1 overall pick, but a top-five pick could be in the cards.

4. Tyler Shough

There may be some who still aren’t sold on Shough, but I’m not one of them. The rookie quarterback has completed 64.3% of his passes for 829 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his three starts. While those aren’t jaw-dropping numbers, Shough has shown he can move the offense. It’s too bad

Burrow said that he understood the decision

“I had a good workout early in the week, I was feeling good,” Burrow said. “Wednesday and Thursday practice happened, I took a lot of reps. My body was pretty sore. Not necessarily my toe. My toe feels great. The rest of my body being back out there for so long. I was confident I could get that right to play on Sunday Zac ended up thinking it was better to wait the extra four days. I think that was a good decision.”

Following a challenging past two months, Burrow said that it’s meaningful to get a chance to play on Thanksgiving on a national stage. He has clear memories as a kid of watching the Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Baltimore started the season 1-5, but has won five straight to move into a tie with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North

“You don’t like them,” Burrow said. “It’s a division rivalry You got respect for them. It’s intense out there. I wanted to be out there for playing on Thanksgiving. It’s

something I’ve always wanted to do, that I pushed for in the past, and the NFL gave it to us. Then, you know, the injury happened, and thought I wasn’t gonna be able to play And then as we got closer, I felt like it was a real possibility So that’s exciting to me. It’s a national stage to go out and prove yourself again after not playing for several weeks.”

The Bengals will also have wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase back after he served his one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey However, Tee Higgins will miss Thursday night’s game because of a concussion.

Chase said he was happy because “I got my friend back out there” when discussing Burrow

“I know he’s excited for it. There’s not a better game for him to come back and show what he can do,” Chase said. “I know he wanted to play (last week), but I don’t think it was time. They have him another week to relax and get himself back under him. So his legs should be feeling good, his feet should be feeling good, and he should be ready.”

the Saints’ red-zone issues have continued, but that is more on the play-calling of Kellen Moore than Shough’s play Saints legend Drew Brees said on Sunday’s broadcast that Shough had some “Josh Allen qualities.” I’m not ready to go that far, but I see enough promise that the Saints could avoid taking a quarterback with that high draft pick they most certainly will have. Also be thankful that the Saints, like the Pelicans, picked some promising players in the 2025 draft class.

5. The 36-year-olds

This includes the two the Saints have and the one the Saints don’t have.

You won’t find two current athletes who do more for the city of New Orleans than Cam Jordan and Demario Davis. From Jordan giving out Thanksgiving meals on Tuesday to Davis’ Devoted Dreamers Foundation, you can always count on them to do their

part The two of them won’t play forever, but New Orleans should be thankful for No. 94 and No. 56 while they have them. And also be thankful the Saints did NOT sign another 36-yearold: Justin Tucker It was a possibility after the Saints released struggling kicker Blake Grupe on Tuesday Tucker received his first NFL workout with the Saints on Tuesday after serving a 10game suspension for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy Sixteen women accused the former Baltimore Ravens kicker of inappropriate misconduct during massage-therapy sessions. Tucker has denied the accusations. If the Saints had signed Tucker, it would have been a PR nightmare for a team in the midst of an already nightmarish season. Instead, the Saints signed former LSU kicker Cade York. Thank goodness.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

MULKEY

Continued from page 1C

“I think it’s worked for us,” she said last Thursday after a 112-49 win over Alcorn State.

LSU breezed through its first six games. The Tigers are winning by an average margin of 57 points — the widest gap in the country According to WarrenNolan.com, they’ve played the nation’s 261st-toughest schedule to start the year

LSU’s SEC peers usually give themselves some difficult games in November and December South Carolina scheduled Clemson, Southern Cal, Duke, Louisville and Penn State.

Texas agreed to play UCLA, North Carolina and Baylor Oklahoma signed up to face UC LA , No rth Carolina State and Oklahoma State.

their tournament runs inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center one of the goals Mulkey sets every season.

“You’re trying to get a firstand second-round game here,” Mulkey said. “You’re trying to get a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament, and I think we’ve been able to do it.”

“We basically use the nonconference, particularly when we start in October, November, December — it’s like an evaluation (period). I’m still looking, I’m

KIM

LSU is playing the Blue Devils and 13 mid-major teams. Why does Mulkey like to keep it light?

“We basically use the nonconference,” Mulkey said “particularly when we start in October, November, December — it’s like an evaluation (period). I’m still looking, I’m still learning, I’m still teaching during these games. And with eight new players, you don’t want to over-schedule.”

LSU’s nonconference schedule hasn’t hurt its NCAA Tournament seeding in previous seasons. The Tigers have been given a No. 3 seed in each of their first four seasons under Mulkey, which means they’ve begun all four of

LSU also plays a tough conference schedule Eight SEC teams were ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll after the third week of the regular season. The Tigers are guaranteed to face each of those teams once, except for the No. 4 Longhorns. LSU will play them twice this year, once in Baton Rouge and once in Austin, Texas. Until then, the Tigers will beat up on overmatched opponents, gaining confidence and correcting small mistakes along the way In nonconference play across the last five seasons, LSU has picked up three wins of at least 80 points, seven wins of at least 70 points, 10 wins of at least 60 points and 18 wins of at least 50 points.

If things go according to plan this week, the Tigers will add two more victories of that variety on the Virgin Islands, then gear up for their road trip to Duke.

“It’s worked for me,” Mulkey said. “It’s worked for me since I’ve been a head coach. We just know what we do, and by the time you get to conference (play), there’s enough people in the league to give you all you want.” Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

staFF PHoto By HILary sCHeINUK

LsU coach Kim Mulkey reacts to a play during a game against alcorn state on Nov. 20 at the Pete Maravich assembly Center

staFF PHoto By soPHIa GerMer

Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears goes for a layup against the Los angeles Lakers on Nov 14 at the smoothie King Center

assoCIateD Press PHoto By Jay LaPrete

Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow walks on the field before a game against the New england Patriots on sunday in Cincinnati.

Make use of leftover turkey with simple, hearty soup

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

tribune News service (tNs)

Looking for away to use up leftover turkey? Trythis simple turkey soup made with onion, carrots, and celery —or simply toss in any vegetables you have on hand. Ilike to add barley for extratexture andto give the soup arich, satisfying body

To save time, Ipartially cook the barley in the microwave for 5minutes before adding it to the pot, where it finishes cooking and absorbs the savory flavorsofthe soup. Look for quick cooking pearl barley in the market or brown rice can be used instead Slice the vegetables in afood processor orbuy ready sliced vegetables from the produce section.

If you don’thave leftover turkey,use roasted or sauteed chicken.

Turkey Soup

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

6cupsno-salt-addedchickenbroth, divideduse

½cupquick-cookingpearlbarley

2teaspoonoliveoil

1cupdicedonion

1cupslicedcelery,about¼inch slice

1cupslicedcarrot¼inch

3crushedgarliccloves

Thymesprigsand1tablespoonleaves (optionalgarnish)

10ouncescookedturkeypieces

1. Place 1cup chicken broth and quick cooking barley in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with aplate or microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 5minutes. Remove andleave covered until needed

2. Heat oil in large saucepan. Addonion,celery,and carrot and saute 5minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute 2more minutes. Addthyme sprigs, the barley and 5cups brothremaining chicken broth. Bringtoa simmerand cook 5 minutes.

3. Add turkey and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to warm turkey.Remove thyme sprigs. Divide soup in half and ladle into two soup bowls. Optional garnish, sprinkle thyme leaves on top.

Lafayettekitchen supply storeacommunity hub

BY JOANNA BROWN staff writer

When Cathi Pavyneeded agarlic press, sheknew exactly whereto go —The Kitchenary in Lafayette. This kitchen supply storesitsina bright little shop next door to Champagne’sMarket in the Oil Center FoundedbyLisaBreaux in 1990, Beth andGregChampagne bought it in 2004 when they remodeled the old Piggly Wiggly andopenedthe Lafayette location of Champagne’s.

“It’slikeshoppingusedtobe,” Pavy said.“GoingtoThe Kitchenaryisabout thewhole experience.They have allthe beautiful dishes and useful gadgets, butthey also have food.”

Pavycalls it “fun shopping —the kind of shopping you do when it’s nota chore.”

Thestore is afeastfor thesenses. Pots,pans and plates crowd the shelves in akaleidoscope of color Cast-iron lids clatter.The lunch counterhums. Shoppers strike up easy conversationsover sheet pans or salt cellars.

“Having local shops like The

Kitchenaryisimportant,” Pavy said, “because so many shops are closing. It’s hard to shoplocally sometimes when there’snot so much available —which is whythe idea of finding that place thathas something originalisevenmore special these days. Plus, they’ve gotvariety.” Losing localkitchen stores is a familiar story.InBaton Rouge, Red Stick Spice still has aloyal customer base, but Sur La Table closed in 2020. Nationalchains have struggled, too. BedBath& Beyond closed in 2023, though it has announced aplan to return to brick-and-mortar stores. For now,

As we pack away the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner,we begin to thinkahead to theparties of December.This is the traditional time to remember thelittle favors your neighbor did for you during theyear,how nice theteachers have been to your children, and those times that your co-worker helped you through ahard time at work.

How do you acknowledge those acts of kindness?

to get intothe kitchen and make afew goodies. Onereally easy but delicious

staFFPHoto By BraD BoWIe

the Kitchenary’sali Daigle showcases some of her favorite holidaygift ideas at the Kitchenary, ahigh-end kitchen and decor productstore in Lafayette.

the Kitchenary’sali Daigle recommends Le Creuset cookware forholiday giftgiving

PHoto By LINDaGasseNHeIMer

OrangeMarmalade

Every navel orange makes1 cup of marmalade. Thiscan be your guide so that you can make as much or as little as youwant. This recipe makes 1pint (2 cups).

2naveloranges,washed 2cupssugar

Juiceof½largelemon

1tablespoongratedfreshginger

1. With avegetable peeler, remove the orange skin from the oranges.Donot take the white pith from theorange.With apair of kitchen shears, cut the skin intojulienne strips. Place them into asmall pot filled with 2cups of water.Boil the orangeskins for 10 minutes and drain. Repeat withfresh water twice more. This will keep the orange marmalade from being bitter.(If you wantaslight bitterness, only boil the orange skin twice.)

2. With asharp paring knife, peel the white pith from the oranges. Discard the pith. Do this over the potthat you will use to cook themarmaladesothatyou capture any juice that drips

staFF PHoto By soPHIa GerMer Liz Williams’ orangemarmalade

from the oranges. Youwant to keepthe flesh of theoranges as well as the juice. Discard theinterior skin of the orange segments (give it asqueeze to extract all of the juice into the pot before youdiscardit) and just keep thejuice,the flesh, and add theprocessed skin to the pot. Add the sugar and 2 cups of water plus thejuice of half of alargelemon.Add the grated ginger

3. Bring thecontents of the pan to afast boil for about 5 minutes. Stirring as needed Reduce the flame to low medium andsimmerfor 45 minutes, stirring every 3to 5minutes. Take themarmalade off theheat and stirwell. Pour into 28-ounce jars and allow to cool on the counter Screwonthe lids andplace thejarsinthe refrigerator. It will continue to thicken as the mixture becomes cold.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Makes 1½ pounds of bark

211-ouncepackagesofgoodqualitywhitechocolatechips

12peppermintsugarcandies (redandwhitecandyistraditional, butyoucoulduseamixtureof redandgreenpeppermintcandy), crushedroughly.Reserve2 tablespoonsforthe final finish. 1-3dropspeppermintoil

1. Prepare an 11-inch by 17-inch bakingsheet by lining it with asilicone sheet or parchment paper. Make sure to have the baking sheet ready,because it will be hard to spread if it begins to cool while you prepare the sheet.

2. Place the whitechocolate chips into alargemicrowavesafe bowl.(Ilike to useaglass bowl with ahandle.) Heat in themicrowave for 1minute. Remove from the microwave andstir. Sometimes thechips keep their shape untilyou stir,so don’treturnthem to themicrowave without stirring them. If they are not allmelted, return thebowl to the microwaveand heat for30seconds. Remove and stir again. If it is completely melted, addone to three drops of peppermint oil, to your taste. Use one drop to

keep thechocolate flavor predominant; threetomake the peppermint dominant

3. Add the crushed candy, reserving the2 tablespoons. Stir well and pour out onto thepreparedbaking sheet. Acting quickly,spread with aspatula to makethe bark even and sprinkle with the reserved 2tablespoonsof crushed candy.Place the paninto therefrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Break the bark and place the pieces into cellophane bags, jars, or metal gift cans.

Dark ChocolatePeppermint Bark

Makes 1½ pounds of bark.

211-ouncepackagesofgoodqualitydarkchocolatechips(Ifyou cannot finddarkchocolate,youcan usesemi-sweetchocolate,butitis muchricherwithdarkchocolate.) 12peppermintsugarcandies (redandwhitecandyistraditional, butyoucoulduseamixtureof redandgreenpeppermintcandy), crushedroughly.Reserve2 tablespoonsforthe final finish.

1-3dropspeppermintoil

1. Prepare an 11-inch by 17-inch bakingsheet by lining it with asilicone sheet or parchment paper. Make sure to have the baking sheet ready,because it will be hard to spread if it begins to cool while you prepare the sheet.

2. Place the chocolate chipsintoa large micro-

GIFTS

Continued from page5C

ginger element works no matter what type of orange you use for the marmalade. While you areatit, nestle asmall jar of whole cardamom into the bag with the marmalade. Ateaspoon of cardamom added to morning coffee grounds is an aromatic complement to toast and marmalade. Becausethese are presents, we have to be particu-

wave-safe bowl.(Iliketouse aglass bowl with ahandle.) Heat in the microwave for 1minute. Remove from the microwave and stir.Sometimesthe chips keep their shape until you stir,sodon’t return them to the microwavewithout stirringthem. If they are not all melted, return the bowl to themicrowaveand heat for 30 seconds.Remove and stir again. If it is completely melted, add one to three drops of peppermint oil, to your peppermint taste. Use one drop to keep thechocolate flavor predominant; 3tomake the peppermintdominant

3. Addthe crushed candy, reservingthe 2tablespoons. Stir well and pour out onto

lar about how we present them.The marmaladecan be put in 8-ounce canning jars. If youare giving one jarasagift, you canskip theactual canning— just be sure to tell the recipient that the marmaladeneeds to be refrigerated. Alabel on astringtied around a circle that fits over the lid can remindthe recipient to put it in the refrigerator Awide-mouth jar is a goodthingfor holding the chocolate bark.Ifthat is too heavy orbulky,try acellophane bagtied witha bow

Bytheassociated Press

Today is Thursday, Nov.27, the 331st day of 2025. There are 34 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and citysupervisor and gay rightsactivist Harvey Milk were fatally shot inside CityHall by former Supervisor Dan White.

Alsoonthisdate: In 1895, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel signed his will and testament establishing the Nobel Prizes, bequeathing most of his fortune for annual prizes honoring outstanding achievements in peace, physics, chemistry,literature, and physiology or medicine. (The prize in economic sciences was added in the 1960s).

In 1924, Macy’sfirst Thanksgiving Day parade

—billed as a“Christmas Parade” —took place in NewYork.

In 1934, bank robber and “Public EnemyNo. 1” Lester Joseph Gillis, better knownasGeorge “Baby Face” Nelson, was killed in agunbattle with FBI agents in Barrington, Illinois.

In 1970, Pope Paul VI, visiting the Philippines, wasslightly wounded at the Manila airport by a dagger-wielding Bolivian painter disguised as a priest.

In 2003, President George W. Bush flew to Iraq under extraordinary secrecy and security to spend Thanksgiving Day with U.S. troops and thank them for“defending the American people from danger.”

In 2015, agunman attacked aPlanned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing

three people and injuring nine. (The prosecution of suspect Robert Lewis Dear stalled in the courts after he wasrepeatedly found mentally incompetent to stand trial.)

Today’sbirthdays:

83.

Science educator and TV host Bill Nye(aka the Science Guy) is 70. Author and diplomat

is

thepreparedbaking sheet. Acting quickly,spread with aspatula to makethe bark even and sprinkle with the reserved 2tablespoonsof crushed candy.Place the paninto therefrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Break the bark and either place them into cellophane bags, jars, or metal gift cans. Once you feel comfortable with these recipes,you can play with theadditions.Instead of crushed peppermint candy,you can use any type of sugar candy or candy canes. The flavors are fun to playwith. Youcan alsouse cinnamonred-hotcandies or sunflower seeds or raisins or dried cranberries.

The chocolate bark should be kept in therefrigerator,too. ButIamsure that neither thebark nor the marmaladewill last very long. Youmight need to makeextra in case thegifts disappear quickly

Liz Williamsisfounder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.Listen to “Tip of the Tongue,” Liz’spodcast about food, drink and culture, wherever you hear podcasts. EmailLiz at lizwillia@gmail.com.

Fashion designer Manolo Blahnik is

Film director Kathryn Bigelow is 74.

Caroline Kennedy

68. Actor Robin Givens is 61. Actor Michael Vartan is 57. Baseball Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez is 54. Actor Kirk Acevedo is 54. Rapper Twista is 52. Actor Jaleel White is 49. Actor Lashana Lynch is 38.

Does holdinghands negate washingthem?

DearMissManners: At several gatherings with friends and family, the food is blessed by holding hands during aprayer—after I have already washed mine in preparation for eating. Holding hands defeats the purpose of washing them, but Idon’tknow how to avoid it during the prayer. Refraining from holding hands, or immediatelyrewashing right after, might offend the other guests. Any ideas on how to handle this situation?

Cleaning with airdustercans

show aging morequickly

Judith Martin MIss MaNNers

Gentlereader: Wash your hands at the time appointed, hold hands during the prayer,and then, when everyone else starts to eat, you may excuse yourself, having waited to go to the bathroom. Youwill then be able to wash your hands a second time with no one the wiser Do not let the subterfuge concern you. Miss Manners knows that it is for agood cause —just as she knows better than to ask why the initial washing was nullified by touching the hands of friends and family who have also just washed their own hands.

DearMissManners: My husband of four years has two adult, financially stable sons. One is married with two children; the other is

KITCHENARY

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the closest Williams-Sonoma is in Houston.

Beyond pots andpans

“Wealso have lots of dinners,wine tastings, bourbon tastings —it’sjust so fun,” said Beth Champagne. “I’m from Lafayette, and when Iwas growingup, my father worked right down the street from where we are now.SoIjust love working in the Oil Center.”

For Champagne, the shop isn’tjust retail. It’sapath back into the community that shaped her —and it’s that community,she said, that has kept the store strong despite online competition from giants like Amazon.

“Wetry to make it more of an experience forthe customer,” Champagne said.

“Weoffer great customer service,lunch. There are always samples out —our customers just really love to come in and touch, see and feel.”

She knows she can’tmatch the convenience of one-click delivery, but she alsoknows that’snot why her regulars come.

“Wekind of just have a reputation as aplace where you come to look,” she said.

“That’swhy we work to make it extra specialfor someone to come and have

single. We drive 3,300 miles round trip twice ayear for thechildren’sbirthdays. If we havedinner at the home ofone ofmystepsons, we contribute food. If we goout to dinner, we always pay. Not once has either of thesons offered to pay for anything Ihave never mentioned this to my husband, but it annoysmegreatly Isee it as being extremely selfish,ungratefuland inconsiderate. In contrast, when we visit my family,theywill often pick up the check. Irealize that criticizingsomeone’schildren can be aminefield, so what should Ido?

Gentlereader: That’snot “someone”; that’syour husband.

Miss Mannerssays this not because it reminds her of GrouchoMarx (whichis merely aside benefit), but because,although etiquette still applies to family,its application can vary She generally opposes the widely accepted belief that honestyalways overrules tact, consideration and common sense. Butin this case, thebest solutions to your problem begin with a conversation with your husband. He maydisagree with you, andbeabletoconvince youtosome course of ac-

agreat 15–20 minutes in the store.”

On Veterans Day,The Kitchenary hosted afourcourse ticketed dinner with chef Justin Girouard of The French Press, with paired cocktailsfrom J.T.Meleck Distillers.

“It’salocal business, which is harder to find these days. Everyone who works here is apart of thecommunity,” Champagne said.

TheChampagnes also own Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop on the same strip. They expanded The Kitchenary with alunch counterthatserves diners Monday through Fridayfrom11a.m.to2 p.m.

Store manager AliDaigle knowsthe ins and outs of every shelf —espressomachines,chefknives, pasta makers, mortars and pestles, microplane graters. Whenasked for afavorite item, she doesn’thesitate: a large straining ladle, ideal forserving winterstews and gravies. She also swearsby themeat chopper

“This is actually the best gift ever,” Daigle said,addingthat she usesitoften to chop up ground beef or ground turkey

Thegadgetwall

So much of what The Kitchenary sells finds its way into weeknight meals, birthday cakesand the first gumboof the season —small tools woven into the rituals of home.

Thestore’s“gadget wall”

tion.Orhemay agree with you, and either solve the problem or share your frustration.

Butyou are right not to takelightly the decision to raise thesubject with him.Miss Manners knows of successful marriages in which such aconversation would be possible without collateral damage, but she cannot judge if that is the case in any marriage to which she is not aparty Failingthat,the choices are to insist that you also pay when your family is involved —apossibly expensive solution —oravoid costly events with his family

DearMissManners: Do you thank your neighbor for paying you to watch over their home while they were away?

Gentlereader: Technically, this is abusiness transaction in which they hire you to perform aservice. If anything, they would thank you for your work, assuming the plants and the cat survived theexperience.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St Kansas City MO 64106.

is atreasuretrove for hobby cooks, inviting customers to linger,laugh and reminisce. Onion goggles andtoast tongs sitalongside quirky stocking stuffers that often becomekitchen staples.

Many of thesame customers return weekly,Daigle said, dropping in for lunch and alittle browsing. Seasonaldécor greetsthem at thefront of theshop. Occasionally,Kitchenary itemsend up on the clearance shelf at Champagne’s, and leftover lunch-counter mealsappear in its graband-go section.

“This place is anecessity,” Daigle said. “Weshop local, we live local. We get local chefs to come in and cook. That’sjust something that we’re reallybig about, and it’sjust grown and grown.”

In aworld of onlinecarts and overnight shipping, The Kitchenaryoffers somethingrarer.It’smorethan gumbo bowls, aprons or multi-generational recipes. It’s aplace where cooking still feels communal —and where walking through the door is the start of somethingshared.

The Kitchenary is located at 456 Heymann Blvd. Suite C, Lafayette,inthe OilCenter.The store offers complimentary gift wrapping for every $50 spent.

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

DearHeloise: Iamnot sure if you’ve had this idea suggested before. Air duster cans (compressed air in acan) is great for cleaning computer keyboards and other devices. However,Ialso use it to blow out small hairs in thebeard trimmer and when gettingintohardto-reach areas while I’m working on projects, such as woodworking. There are 101 things you can use it for in lieu of abig bulky electrical compressor KevinO’Malley,viaemail Neck cream

Hints from Heloise

But mostexperts agree: Treating the face, neck and decollete (upper chest) as one entity works well. Goodquality cleansers, toners, SPF lotions and creams work fine on this section of your body.Protection from the sun helps alot. —Heloise Fluffy eggs

DearHeloise: Is aspecial cream for my neck necessary? —MaryJ.,inFortWayne, Indiana Mary,the skin on our necks can be moredelicate and thinner; therefore, they lose elasticity and

DearHeloise: I’maman who cooks forthe whole family How do you makethe real fluffy scrambled eggs like they do in restaurants? I have tried adding milk and water,but no luck. Can you help? —DennyZ.,inWellsville, Pennsylvania

Denny,here is the method Ihave used foryears to achieve fluffy scrambled eggs: First, make certain that you whisk the eggs vigor-

ously until they’re light and airy.Then add butter to the bottom of the pan and be sure that the pan is hot before you pour the eggs into it. Using aheat-resistant spatula, gently push the edges to the middle of the pan and keep doing this until there is no liquid left. Afew seconds before the eggs are done, removethem from theheat because the eggs continuetocook. This is howwedothemhere at Heloise Central —Heloise Oniontears

DearHeloise: How can I avoid onion tears? —DellaK., inAustin,Texas Della, put your onions in the freezer 15 minutes before using them or in the refrigerator overnight. Either way,itwill reduce the spray of onion oils. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Channel your energywisely. Take time to catch up and to get ridofthe deadweight in your life. Organize your surroundings to encourage better productivity.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Participating in groups will connect you to someonewho canimpactyourlifeand how you choose to live. Let go of the past and embrace thefuture with an open mind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Think twice; question your motives and whatothers want or expect from you before making amove. Emotions will be close to the surface. Don'trevealyour next move prematurely.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Learn something new and invest time and money in your future. Trust your instincts, and pursue what makes youfeelgood about yourself and thedirectionyou head in.

ARIES(March21-April 19) Control your emotions and gather thefacts. Don't fear doing things differently. Follow your heart and ease your stress, and you'll gather momentum.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Bide your time and reach out to those you trust to offer adifferentperspective or option. Partnerships and personal growth are on the rise andare best handled with care, consideration and caution.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Don't overload your plate, promise more than you can deliverorlet your emotions get you

into trouble. Focus inward and choose healthy activities that helpyou look and feel your best.

CANCER(June 21-July22) Don't mix business with pleasure or letyour emotions interfere with your abilitytoadvance. It'stimetoexpand your interests, upgrade your skills and challenge yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Change onlywhat's necessary. Choosetofix what's broken instead of spending money to replace it. Social eventsrequire careful planning and the proper attire

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Choose your words and gestures carefully if you want to avoidinterference, opposition or rejection. Domestic problems will arise if you letyour emotions take the lead.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) It's best to take a wait-and-see approach, especially when joint ventures, expenses andpartnerships are involved. Hold on to your cash, protect your position and reputation, and live within your means

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get out, plan to have some funand avoid emotional drama going on at home or with family. The time you spend withpeoplewho offer aunique perspectiveonlife and the options you face will pay off.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2025 by NEA,Inc.,dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

beetLe bAILeY

GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Puzzle Answer

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Jeff Foxworthy, famous forhis redneck jokes,said, “The designated-driver program is not adesirable job. But if you ever get sucked into doingit, have fun with it.Atthe endofthe night,dropthem offatthe wrong house.”

Bridge players drop tricks with wrong plays,bothasdeclarerand—muchmore often— on defense. Also, key-cards can drop.For example, you have nine cards missing only thequeen. The percentage play (just) is to cashthe ace and king, hoping thequeen will drop.

In this deal, where is the drop? South is in three no-trump. West leads theheart queen. What should declarer do?

North usedStayman to trytofinda

4-4spade fit, then settled for three notrump

South starts withsix top tricks: one spade, one heart,two diamonds and two clubs. But since theheart ace will have been dislodged by trick two, declarer must take the next eight tricks after that. He is faced with three finesses in spades, diamonds and clubs.Which should he take?

Thetypicaldeal has only two finesses.

Then you should play for the drop in the suit withthe greater number of cards (or more toptricks). If the missing honor appears,fine; if not, finesse in the other suit. Here, Southhas even more chances. He should cash the four minor-suittops ending in hishand. If either queen drops, the contract is home. Here, though, neitherappears.SoSouthfinessesinspades, running the 10, then running the queen, then playing low to dummy’sjack.Finally,something works. ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzleisa word riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”

Averagemark

Canyou

YEstERDAY’s

today’s thought

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C. PiCKles

Elsie’sPlate&PiewinsoverBaton RougedinerswithLouisianainspiredcomfortfood

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbyElsie’s Plateand Pie.

Sinceopeningin2017,Elsie’sPlate&PiehasbecomeabelovedMid-City stapleknownforitscomfortingdishesandwarmatmosphere.Inspiredby thehome-cookedmealsofownerandchefPaulDupre’sgrandmother,Elsie MarieCampeauRupe,therestaurantblendsfamilytraditionwithflavorsthatkeep customerscomingback.

PieswereacenterpieceofElsie’stable,andDupresaiditwasonlynaturaltocontinue thatlegacyattherestaurant.

“Wewantedthemenutohavealotofitemsfromourownfamilies,”hesaid.“Pies werealwayspartofthemealsgrowingup,sowehadtoincorporatethat.”

Today,customerfavoritesatElsie’sincludecrawfishhandpies,tomatopiesandan arrayofsweetpieces,fromappletolemoniceboxtos’mores.Yet,onesignature dishwasn’tpartoftheoriginalmenu.Theseafoodpotpiewasarunawayhitduring RestaurantWeekandbecamesopopularthattheteamaddeditpermanently.

Otherpopularmenuitemsincludeappetizerslikecrawfishqueso,boudincakesand friedokra.

Whenitcomestotherestaurant’svibe,Dupresaidthegoalistokeeptheenergy livelyandtheatmospherelaidbackfortheeclecticmixofdiners,fromretireesto businessprofessionalstolocalfamilies

“Wedohavealotofregularcustomersandfamiliarfaces,”hesaid.“We’velearned alotaboutwhatcustomersarelookingforasfarasfoodandservice.Thathelpsus continuetoputourbestfootforward.Ialwayshaveagrowthmindset.”

Withtheholidaysapproaching,Elsie’sispreparingforoneofitsbusiestseasons. TherestaurantisgearinguptoofferitspopularThanksgivingandChristmaspies, alongsideaselectionaholidaysidedishes–atraditionthatisreturningafterabrief hiatus.

Lookingahead,Dupreenvisionsexpansionnotthroughadditionalrestaurant locations,butthroughcateringandshipping.Plansareunderwaynowtobuilda dedicatedkitchentosupportboth.

“Ourpriorityisalwaystostayfocusedonthequalityofthefood,”hesaid.

Fab’rikreadytohelplocal womenlookconfidentandfeel beautifulallyearlong

Fabrikisacontemporarywomen’sclothingboutiquethatoffersstylish,ontrendpieceswithoutthehigh-endprices.Withafocusonaccessiblefashion, Fab’rikcuratesamixofcasualstaples,dressylooks,statementaccessories andseasonalcollectionsthatareidealforeverylifestyle.ElizabethWaits,ownerof theBatonRougelocation,sharedmoreaboutwhatFab’rikhastooffer.

Howwouldyoudescribethestore’spersonalityandstyle?

Funandwelcoming.Weareexcitedtostyleyouandfindtheperfectfitforany occasion.Wehavehighstylevibeswithaffordableprices.

WhatsetsFab’rikapartfromotherclothingstores?

Wearecustomer-focusedandwanttoactasyourpersonalshopper.Youget aone-on-oneexperiencewhenyouwalkthroughthedoors.Ourvisionisto makewomenfeelbeautiful,onepieceofclothingatatime.

Whataresomeofyourmostpopularitems,brandsandstyles?

SomeofourmostpopularbrandsareZSupplyandRisenDenim.Youcan alwaysfindgreatbasicpiecesandon-trendfashionatthestore.Wehavea goodmixofitemsforallagesandcarrydifferentbrandstoaccommodate mostsizingneeds.

Howdoyouhelpcustomersfindtheperfectoutfit?

Weaskeachcustomeranumberofquestionstodeterminetheirstylelikes, sizingpreferences,personalityandwhereyouwillweartheoutfit.Wewantto ensureyouloveyourpurchaseandfeelconfidentwhenyouwalkoutthedoor.

Whatlessonshaveyoulearnedsincebecomingabusinessowner?

I’velearnedalotaboutthiswonderfulcommunity.I’vebeenluckyenough topartnerwithmanylocalbusinessownersandhavehadamazingyoung womenworkwithme.We’vebeenpartofshopping,wellnessandfundraising events.It’sbeenapleasuretohostmanyoftheseeventsatthestore.The connectiontomyemployees,customersandcommunityhasbeentruly meaningfultome.

18303PerkinsRoadEast,Suite302,BatonRouge

Fab’rik

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbyFab’rik. Sup pppoor rt

FirstUnitedMethodistinvites BatonRougetoworshipandserve togetherthisholidayseason

By AmandaMcElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

is brought

FirstUnitedMethodistChurchofBatonRougeisreadytowelcomethecommunity forjoyfulworship,belovedtraditionsandheartfeltservicethroughitsannual ChristmasEvecelebrationsandFightingHolidayHungermission.

Attendeescanexpectawarm,welcomingatmosphereandavarietyofservices designedforallagesandworshipstylesonChristmasEve.Thedaybeginswithan 11a.m.family-orientedservicefeaturingapuppetshowandlivenativity.At2p.m., theAmericaStreetServicewillofferamorecontemporaryworshipexperiencewith modernmusicandarelaxedsetting.Laterintheday,the4p.m.and6p.m.sanctuary serviceswillembracetraditionwithcandlelight,HolyCommunionandtimeless carols.

Beyondthesanctuary,thechurch’sFightingHolidayHungermissionthisyearreflects itscommitmenttosharingGod’sloveintangibleways.Thecongregationwillpack 200holidayfoodboxesforlocalfamiliesinneed.Additionally,thechurchisraising fundsfortheGreaterBatonRougeFoodBankthroughitsGivingTuesdaycampaign, ChristmasEveofferingandotheryear-enddonations.

Communitymembersareinvitedtojointheeffortbyparticipatinginthefoodbox packingdayat9a.m.December20inthechurchgymnasium.Donationsoffoodor financialsupportarealsowelcome

Inatimewhenuncertaintytouchessomanylives,FirstUnitedMethodistChurch offersthemessagethatlovestillshinesbrightest.

“WestrivetoliveoutourcallingtoloveGod,loveselfandloveothers–awayoflife wecallLoveCubed,”churchleaderssaid.“Thatlovemultiplies.Itbeginsinworship, growsaswecareforoneanotherandextendsintothecommunitythrough compassionandgrace.”

Sup pppoor rt

This article

to youbyFirst United MethodistChurch of Baton Rouge.

Gambino’sBakeryBrings FestiveFlavortoBaton RougeHolidays

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbyGambino’s

Astheholidayseasonarrives,Gambino’sBakeryat8646Goodwood BoulevardisonceagaintransformingintooneofBatonRouge’s mostbeloveddestinationsforfestivetreats,familytraditionsand timelessflavors.

“Wehaveawonderfulvarietyofpastriestofitallneeds,fromcake squarestoeclairsandcanollis,”saidownerStaceyTate.“Wealsohavea varietyofgrab-and-goitemsforanylast-minutegatherings.”

TatesaidthatGambino’ssignaturecake,theDoberge,isbyfarthemost popularselectionduringtheholidays

“Youcanchoosefromavarietyofflavorslikechocolate,lemonand caramel,oryoucandohalfandhalf,”shesaid.“Ourcakesaremade freshdailyinourbakery.Gambino’susesatruecustardforallofour Dobergecakes.Ourdecoratorstakeextracaretomakesurethe customersarehappy.”

AnotherpopularseasonalofferingatGambino’sarekringlecakes.Similar tokingcakes,thekringlecakesfeaturecreamcheeseicingwithred andgreensprinkles.KingcakeseasonofficiallykicksoffonJanuary6, althoughtheCarnivaltreatisavailableyear-roundatGambino’s.

“Theholidaysareextremelybusyforus,butwebeginpreparationsweeks inadvance,”Tatesaid.“Wepreparethestaffthroughouttheyearand gathersuppliesandmaterialslongaheadoftimetomakesurewehave everythingthatweneed.”

Sup pppoor rt

NewGreaterBatonRouge FoodBankCEOBringsGlobal

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbythe GreaterBaton RougeFood Bank.

WhenElizabeth“Liz”PfifersettledinBatonRougefourandahalfyearsagoaftera careerininternationaldevelopment,largelyinAfricaandAsia,shewantedtomake adifferenceclosertohome.

“MydaughterandIhadbeenvolunteeringhereattheGreaterBatonRougeFoodBank, soIknewsomeofthestaffandvolunteers.I’vealwaysbeenreallypassionateaboutfood securityandsupportingfamilies,”shesaid.“Itfeltlikethingsalignedformetotakeonthis role.”

PfiferbecamepresidentandCEOoftheGreaterBatonRougeFoodBankonNov.1,ata timewhentheorganizationisbothcelebratingmilestonesandconfrontingchallenges. Theorganizationrecentlymarkedits40thanniversaryandhasmorethan140dedicated communitypartners.However,risingeconomicpressuresmeanmorefamiliesareseeking assistance.

Pfifersaidtherehasbeenabouta25percentincreaseinrequestsforhelpinthepast coupleofmonths,markedbymorepeopleatdistributioneventsandcallsaboutassistance

“Wewanttocapitalizeontechnologytotrackwherethegreatestneedsaresowecan haveastrongerpresenceinthoseareas,”shesaid.“We’realsolookingatinnovationsto reachnewpopulations.There’sanenergeticandcommittedgenerationofyoungadults andadolescentswhowanttodomoreaboutsocioeconomicissues.Ifwecancreate partnershipswiththemwhentheyareyoung,wearegoingtohavemorepeoplethatare committedtothisworkwellintoadulthood.”

PfiferalsohopestheGreaterBatonRougeFoodBankcanworkwithotherorganizationsto addresstherootcausesoffoodinsecurityandperhapsprovideadditionalresourcesto families

“Weallfacedifferentchallenges,butIbelievewecanreallyworktogethertoovercome those,”shesaid.“Allovertheworld,I’veseenaspiritthatbringspeopletogetherwhenthings aredireoruncertain.Ifindthattobereallyinspirational.”

As2025comestoaclose,Pfiferhopesthatspirittranslatesintosupport.A$1monetary donationcanprovideuptothreemeals,sofinancialcontributionsarealwayswelcome. Inaddition,theFoodBankislookingtoincreasethenumberofcannedgoodsthatare donated.Thatfoodstayswithinthe11-parishregiontheFoodBankserves.

“Theneedisgreatinourcommunities,”shesaid.“However,thereisaninnatecareand compassionanddignitythatunitesusall.We’rehopingthatturnsintomorepeople makingacommitmenttodonatewhattheycanonaregularbasis.”

Lilly&JaceKidsBoutique blendsSoutherncharm withseasonalstyle

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is broughttoyou by Lilly &JaceKidsBoutique.

Locatedat18303PerkinsRoadEast,Suite405B,Lilly&JaceKidsBoutiqueis withadistinctLouisianaflair.OwnerRebeccaLawsharedmoreaboutwhat shopperscanexpect.

Alotofpeoplebuykids’MardiGrasclothesaroundtheholidays.Whatitems willbeavailablethisyear?

We’llhaveeverythingfromtheiconicwhitemajorettebootstometallicand sequinedMardiGras-coloredjackets,shirtsandpants.We’rebringingbacksome favoritesfortheboys,liketheProperlyTiedMardiGrashats,beanies,socks,shirts andjackets.We’llhaveourclassicLuluBebepieces–traditionalMardiGrasrugby shirtsforboysandcoordinatingdressesforgirls.

Whataresometrendsyou’veseeninkids’holidayclothing?

EveryoneislovingtheclassicChristmastartanpattern.It’stimelessandperfectfor holidayphotos.Alotoffamilieswantcoordinatinglooks,soourtartanoxfordsfor boysanddressesforgirlshavebeenverypopular.Wealsohavematchingsibling setsinbabygirlandbabyboybubbles,whichhavebeenahugehit.

Arethereanybrandsordesignersyou’reexcitedtofeature?

I’malwayssoimpressedwithourLouisianabrands,LuluBebeandLullabySet.Their qualityandattentiontodetailareunmatched,andit’sagreatfeelingtosupport localdesigners.I’mreallyexcitedthisyeartofeatureSetProper,LullabySet’s tweenandteenline.It’sbeenfuntoexpandoursizing–wenowcarryuptoasize 14forbothboysandgirls.

Whatadvicedoyouhaveforpeopletryingtochoosetherightchildren’s clothing?

Stopfocusingontheageonthetag.Everybabygrowsdifferently.Ifyourbabyis longerandlighter,youmayneedtosizeuptoaccommodatethelength.It’sabout findingtherightbalancebetweenweightandheightratherthanjustgoingby age.

WhatsetsLilly&Jaceapartfromotherretailers?

Welovecreatingaspacewhereparentsandchildrenfeelcomfortableand happy.Wetakeourtimewitheverycustomertohelpthemfindexactlywhat theyarelookingfor,andwehavefunwhiledoingit.We’reheretomakeshopping personal,enjoyableandfullofheart

18303PerkinsRoadEast, Suite405B,BatonRouge Visit lillyjacekids.comtolearnmore.

Highlightyourholiday seasonwithafreshlook bySalonEden

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi I stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

article is brought to youbySalon

Eden.

You’llneverfeelfarfromhomeduringtheholidayseasonwhenyou’reat SalonEden.Fornewcomersandreturningguestsalike,goingtoSalon Edenforafreshcutorholidayglamseshfeelsjustlikecominghome. OwnerMaryVerlanderandherstaffareexcitedtowelcomeyouandtohave youlookingandfeelingyourbestasyouheadouttoenjoyholidayfestivities.

SalonEden’sofferingsincludecut,colorandstylingservicesforallhairtypes. Lightening,balayageandhighlightsarealloptions,asarehairextensions, keratinstraighteningtreatmentsandbrowlaminations.

SalonEdenalsohascuratedhairandbeautyproductsthatmakethoughtful holidaygifts.Hand-craftedjewelry,bodycareproductsandhaircare packageswithbrandssuchasOribe,PaulMitchell,KevinMurphyandNutraful areavailableforpurchaseon-site.Feelconfidentknowingthatwhenyou supportlocalsmallbusinessowners,youareencouragingandupholdinglocal values

“Thereissucharichculturehere,andthat’ssomethingweallreallyenjoy abouttheBatonRougecommunity,”saidSethVerlander,SalonEdenMarketing Manager.“Wehaveclientsintheir70sgettingroot-touchupsandgrey coverage,andatthesametimewealsohaveLSUstudentswhowantvivid fashioncolorsanddramaticchanges.Wegettodosomuch,andourstylists aretrulyartists.”

SalonEdenopenedin2006withthreestylistsinastudioinBatonRouge’s Bocageneighborhood.Today,itisafixtureinTowneCenterwith16stylists onstaffandplanstoexpandtoasecondlocation.Formoreinformation onupcomingeventsandholidaypromotions,followthemon Instagram@SalonEden Sup pppoor

This

SweetheartNailsDelivers Calm,ConfidenceandLongTermNailWellness

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Great-lookingnailscanelevateaperson’sconfidence,especiallyduringtheholidays,when gatherings,photosandcelebrationsfillthecalendar.Beyondstyle,takingcareofyournai offerstimeforself-careinaseasonthatcanfeelbusyandoverwhelming.Sweetheart inBatonRougeisreadytohelpyoulookandfeelyourbestwithhigh-qualityservicesinanelegan atmosphere,aswellasadedicationtothehighestsafetyandsanitationstandards.OwnerB TruongsharedmoreaboutwhatmakesSweetheartNailsspecial.

WhatsetsSweetheartNailsapartfromothersalons?

Wecreateapersonalizedandthoughtfulexperiencefocusedongentle,detailed nailcareanddesignsthatfeeluniquetoeveryclient.Ourpriorityishealthynatural nails,long-termnailhealthandcustombeauty.Clientssayouratmosphereis calming,welcomingandintentional–aspacewheretheycanslowdownand feeltakencareof.Wewantpeopletoleavenotonlylovingtheirnails,butfeeling refreshedandconfident.

Whatareyourmostpopularservicesorstyles?

Ourmostrequestedlooksrightnowaresoftneutralbuildergeloverlays;tortoise, chromeorauragradientdesigns;classicFrenchnails;minimallineartorombre, cleanstructuredgelmanicuresandseasonalcolorpalettes.Ingeneral,clients lovestylesthatlookeffortlessandelevated–somethingthatfeelspolished butstillnaturalandwearableeveryday.Wespecializeinlooksthatgrowout beautifullyandcomplementpersonalstyleinsteadofoverpoweringit.

Howcanpeoplekeeptheirnailshealthybetweenappointments?

Smallhabitsmakeabigdifference.Whenyouhavehealthynails,thedesignslook evenbetterandlastlonger.

•Usecuticleoildailytokeepnailshydrated.

•Weargloveswhencleaningordoingdishestoavoiddrynessandlifting.

•Avoidpickingorpeelinggel.Alwayshaveitremovedprofessionally

•Prioritizemoisturizer,especiallywithcolderweather.

•Scheduleregularmaintenanceeverytwotothreeweekstokeep nailsstrongandshaped.

This article is brought to youby SweetheartNails.

WoodhouseSpaoffersasanctuary ofcalmandrejuvenationamid thestressesoflife

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

WoodhouseSpainBatonRougeofferstheopportunitytostepawayfrom everydaylifeandfullyrelax,bothmentallyandphysically.Dimlighting, soothingmusic,calmingscentsandapeacefulatmospherehelpquiet themindandeasetension,whilehighlytrainedstaffmembersofferservicesto meltawaytensionandrejuvenatethebody.OwnerErinWarnersharedmore aboutwhatWoodhousehastoofferforpeopleofallages.

WhatservicesatWoodhousearethemostpopular?

Itreallydependsonthecustomer.Somepeoplespendadayhereandhave multipleservices.Somecomeeachweekormonthforamassageorfacial. Wehaveavarietyofmassages,fromdeeptissuetohotstonemassages,and peopleaskforthosealot.Thefacialsaresogoodforhydration,renewaland detoxification.We’realsoseeingalotofpeoplewhowantbodytreatmentswith aromatherapyoilsandnutrient-richminerals.

Whatbenefitsaretheretohavingregularmassages,facialsorotherspa treatments?

Massageshavenumerousbenefitsforaperson’swholehealth.Theyhelpdrop aperson’scortisollevelsandshakeofftheanxietyofdailylife.It’sagoodway torecenterandrebalance.Whenitcomestoskincare,ouraestheticiansare licensedandtrainedtotakecareofallskintypes.Forcustomerswhocome regularly,wetracktheirprogressandhaveseenmajorimprovementsinacne,fine linesandoverallskinappearance.

Doyouseeclientsfromcertaindemographicsmoreoftenthanothers?

Wedefinitelyseemorewomen,butwedoseeseveralmen.Weusuallystart seeingyoungerprofessionalsaroundtheir30s,allthewayuptopeoplewhoare retired.It’sabroadrangeofpeoplefromallwalksoflife.

WhatdoyouthinksetsWoodhouseSpaapart?

Weputalotofthoughtintoeverydetailsothateachpersonhasanexperience thatwillbenefitthem.Ithinkthatisthemainreasonwehavesomanyclientswho keepcomingbacktous.Wealsodoalotofspapartiesforbirthdaysandbridal showers,plusspecialtreatmentsforcouplescelebratinganniversaries.There’sa lotofflexibilityintermsofwhatweoffer.

This article is broughttoyou by Woodhouse Spa. Sup pppoor rt

Zippy’sthriveswithwelcoming neighborhoodvibesaftermajor refreshandremodel

By Amanda McElfresh I amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This article is brought to youbyZippy’s Burritos,Tacos and More

Onerecentafternoon,NealHendricklookedaroundZippy’s,hisrestaurantthathas beenaPerkinsRoadstaplesince2001.Agroupofmotorbikeridersatetogetheratone endoftheeatery.Elsewhere,familieswithyoungchildrenhappilygatheredas80inchtelevisionsshowedthelatestsportsnews.Atthebar,Zippy’sregularsenjoyeddrinks–perhapsoneoftheeightflavorsoffrozendaiquiris,madeonlywiththebestmixes.

“Zippy’sisdifferentbecausethereissomethingforeverybody.Ourcustomerbaseisso diverseineverypossiblerespect,”Hendricksaid.“Yet,whentheycomehere,everybody relaxesandhasfun.Ilovetoseethat.We’reinthebusinessofmakingpeoplehappy.We haveseveralemployeeswhohavebeenwithusforwelloveradecade.Somehavetheir ownkidsworkingherenowandhavebecomecustomers.That’sreallygratifyingandI thinkspeakstothejoypeoplehavewhenitcomestoZippy’s.”

TherestaurantisinwhatHendrickcallstheZippy’s2.0eraaftera$1.8millionrenovation. Theresultisexpandedseating,windowsthatcoverabout70percentoftherestaurant andcanbeopenedduringniceweather,alargerbararea,largerwomen’srestrooms andawelcomingoutdoorenvironment.

“Zippy’sislikeifyourfavoritebeachbarandyourfavoriteIrishpubhadababy,”Hendrick said.“Thatatmospherewhereeverybodyfeelswelcomeiswhatwearegoingfor.”

HendrickstartedthinkingaboutchangingthingsatZippy’sasitnearedits20-year anniversary.Then,therewasthepandemic.Zippy’sremainedopen,leaningintooutdoor eatinganddelivery.Hendrickandhisteamdiscoveredthatcustomerswantedgood foodinaspaciousenvironmentwiththeflexibilitytodinewithasmanyorasfew peopleastheywanted–whetheritwashighschoolerslookingforanafternoonsnack, 20-somethingsfillingupbeforehittingthenearbybarscene,oryoungchildrenwhoare enthralledbywatchingtheirfoodbeingmade

TheZippy’smenuincludesburritos,quesadillas,tacos,enchiladas,chimichangas,flautas, empanadas,fajitas,nachosandsalads.Abrunchmenuwillbeavailableonweekends beginninginearly2026

“About90percentofourcustomersfindadishtheylikeandstickwithit,”Hendricksaid. “Thatmeanswehavetomaintainthequalityandconsistencyofthefoodeverytime.We don’treallyconcentrateonaddingabunchofnewthings.Wefocusongivingyouthe samefoodjustthewayyourememberitfromthelasttimeyoucametoZippy’s.”

Sup pppoor rt

WINTER ... is the time for home.

Thewarmthofsummerhas wounddown, thecrisp fall airhas takenover, and thoughts have turned to thecomingwinterwithits sparklinglightsand biting winds. As thepoetEdith Sitwellsaid, “Winteristhe time forcomfort,for good food andwarmth…itisthe time forhome.” This specialseasongives us reason to serveupcomfort,tomakeeverydaymoments with friends,familyand community special. So,eat dessert first, cook your family’s favorites, give from the heartand lean into winter andholiday funathome.

TABLEOFCONTENTS

GatherRound the Table pages4-21

Dessertare on deck,froma stunningPavlova towertoa scrumptiouswinterspice Bundt cake.Createeasyappetizersthat go from slow cooker to party (orjusttoyourdiningtable) andbrush up on classic side dish recipes.

Thoughtful Giving pages22-40

Treatyourselfand your loved ones to agift that feelslikeluxury. Ideasfor family favorites, andour suggestionsfor personalizedgiftstomakegivingfeel so good.

Home andHearth pages41-59

Exploreseasonalcrafts, DIY décortipsfor warmingupyour space on acoldnight,and make azinefor some unpluggedholidayfun.

Photobyigishevamaria/AdobeStock

Black Forest Pavlova Christmas Tree

ThisBlack Forest PavlovaChristmas Tree is atrueshowstopper. Crisp, airy meringue layers,swirled with silkycream,rich chocolateand ruby-red cherries,stacked into aglittering holiday tower. Inspired by theclassicBlack Forest cake,it’sa dreamy blendoftextures— crunchy, creamy,sweet andtangy —that dazzles on thetable andtasteslikepurecelebration.

RecipesbyPatti Diamond, DivasonaDime

Winter Wishes

JasonCoblentz/DivasOnADime

What You’ll Need:

Meringue:

•8 large eggwhites

•1 ¾cupssugar

•1 teaspooncornstarch

•1 teaspooncream of tartar

•1 teaspoonvanillaextract

Cherry Compote:

•2 (12-ounce) bags frozen dark sweetcherries

•¾ cupsugar

•2 tablespoons cornstarch +1teaspoonwater or cherry juice

•½ cupdried cherries

•Optional: ¼-½cup golden raisinsand/ordried cranberries

•1 teaspooneachvanillaextract, almond extract, balsamic vinegar

•Optional: 1-2 tablespoons kirsch or brandy

CreamCheeseWhipped Cream:

•1 (8-ounce) brickcream cheese,atroomtemp

•2 cups cold heavycream

•¼ cuppowdered sugar

•1 teaspoonvanillaextract

ChocolateCoating:

•1 cupsemi-sweetchocolate chipsorchopped chocolate

•1 teaspooncoconut oil

Optional Garnishes:

•Chocolate curls

•Cocoa powder

•Sugaredcherries

•Rosemarysprigs

Here’s How:

1. Make Meringues: Preheatovento225 F. Line baking sheets with parchmentand trace 5-7 graduatedcircles (largest 7inches, smallest3 inches). Flippaper.Beategg whites to soft peaks; graduallyadd sugaruntil stiff,glossy peaksform. Beat at least5 minutes.Beatincornstarch, creamoftartarand vanilla. Spoonorpipeintocircles; shapesmallestcircleintoapeaktotop thetree. Bake 90 minutes. Turn off oven; cool completelyinside theoven, ideallyovernight.

2. Cherry Compote: In asaucepan, cook cherries and sugarovermediumheat. Stir cornstarch slurry into mixture;bring to aboil, stirring,until thickened. Adddried fruit;simmer 5minutes. Remove from heat;stirinextracts, balsamic andkirschifusing.Cooltoroomtemperature

3. CreamCheeseWhipped Cream: In amixingbowl, beat creamcheeseuntil smooth,set aside.Inanother bowl, whip creamand sugartomediumpeaks. Graduallyadd reserved creamcheese, then vanilla, andbeatuntil fluffy.

4. ChocolateCoating:Microwavechocolate andcoconut oilin20-30 second bursts, stirring,until smooth.Brush onto cooled meringues during assembly.

5. Assemble Tree:Add alittledollopofwhipped cream to servingplatter to “glue” firstmeringuediscinplace. Place largest meringue disc on servingplatter.Spreadwith athinlayer of chocolatecoating,adrizzle of compote, then alayer of whippedcream.Continuelayering, stacking from largest to smallest.

6. Decorate:Dustwithcocoa powder,garnish with chocolatecurls,sugaredcherries androsemarysprigs. Serve within an hour forbesttexture.

Serves:10| Prep:45minutes |Bake1 hour 30 minutes| Cool:2 hourstoovernight |Total Time:3 hours

WinterSpice GingerBundt Cake

ThisWinterSpice Ginger Bundtisgingerbread alldressed up forthe holidays.Withlayers of warm spice, ahintoforangeand atendercrumb,it’sthe kind of cake that perfumes the wholekitchen as it bakes. Finished with asimple glaze, it’s striking enough fora holiday tableyet easy enough to make on aweeknight.

What You’ll Need:

3¾cupsall-purpose flour 1tablespoonbakingpowder

1teaspoonbakingsoda

¾teaspoonkoshersalt

1tablespoongroundcinnamon

1tablespoongroundginger

1teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg

1teaspoongroundcloves

½teaspoongroundallspice

¼teaspoongroundblack pepper

1heaping tablespoonmincedcandiedginger

1cup +2tablespoons butter,atroomtemperature

1cup +2tablespoons brownsugar, packed

¾cup granulated sugar

Zest of 1orange

2teaspoons freshlygratedginger

¾cup molasses

3large eggs, at room temperature

1½cupswhole milk

Orange SpiceGlaze

1cup powdered sugar, sifted

3tablespoons freshlysqueezed orange juice

¼teaspoongroundcinnamon

Pinchgroundcloves

Here’s How:

Preheat theovento350 F. Coat a12-cup Bundtpan with bakingspray or grease generously anddustwith flour.

In amediumbowl, whisktogetherthe flour, baking powder,bakingsoda,saltand spices, then add thecandied ginger andstirtoevenlydistribute; setaside.

In thebowlofa standmixer fitted with thepaddleattachment,beatthe butter with thebrown andgranulatedsugars until light and fluffy, about2 minutes. Scrape down thesides andbottomofthe bowl.Add theorange zest,fresh ginger, molasses andone egg, mixingonlow speed. Addthe remainingeggsone at atime, mixingafter each addition.Scrape down thebowlagain.

With themixer on low, add one-third of thedry ingredients, followed by half themilk.Mix gently,thenrepeatwith anotherthird of thedry mixture, theremainingmilk and finallythe last thirdofthe drymixture.Mix just untilblended.

Spoonthe batter into thepreparedpan andsmooththe top. Bake for40minutes, checktosee if atoothpick inserted near thecentercomes outclean.Ifit’snot,add 5more minutes andtestagain.Cool in thepan for15minutes, then invert onto awirerackand let cool completely.

Forthe glaze,whisk thepowderedsugar, orange juice,and spices in amediumbowluntil smooth andpourable. Place thecooledcakeona rackset over asheet pantocatch drips, then slowly pour theglaze over thecake, letting it cascade down thesides. Allowthe glaze to setbeforeslicing.

Yield: 12 servings |PrepTime: 10 minutes| Cook Time:45minutes |Total Time:55minutes

JasonCoblentz/DivasOnADime

PeppermintChocolate Whoopie Pies

Twopillowyroundsofchocolate cake hugging a fluffy peppermint filling, rolledincrushed candy canesfor sparkleand crunch.They’re festive, fabulous andfar easier to make than they look.

What You’ll Need:

Forthe whoopie pies:

2cupsall-purpose flour ¾cup cocoapowder

1teaspoonbakingsoda

¾teaspoonsalt

½cup (1 stick) butter,atroomtemperature

1cup packed brownsugar

1large egg, at room temperature

1teaspoonvanillaextract

1cup buttermilk,atroomtemperature

Forthe peppermint filling:

¾cup (1 ½sticks) butter,atroomtemperature

1¼cupspowderedsugar,sifted

1teaspoonvanillaextract

½teaspoonpeppermintextract

⅛ teaspoon salt

2(7-ounce) tubs marshmallow creme(marshmallow fluff)

Crushedcandy canes, forrolling

Here’s How:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line twolarge baking sheets with parchmentpaper.

In amediumbowl, whisktogetherthe flour, cocoapowder, bakingsodaand salt.

In astand mixer,beatthe butter andbrown sugaruntil light and fluffy, about2 minutes. Mixinthe eggand vanilla. Alternateaddingthe flourmixtureand buttermilk in turns, beginning andendingwiththe dryingredients. Mixjustuntil combined,thengivethe batter a finalstirbyhandtobesure no drypockets remain.

Drop heapingteaspoons of batter (oruse asmall scoop) onto thepreparedsheets, spacingabout 2inchesapart Bake 10-12 minutes, until thecenters spring back when gently touched. Cool for5 minutesonthe sheets, then transfertoa wire racktocoolcompletely.

Forthe filling: Beat butter andpowderedsugaruntil fluffy. Addvanilla,peppermintextract andsalt. Mixinmarshmallowcreme until smooth,thenchill at least30minutes.

Spread or pipe fillingontothe flat side of half thecakes and topwiththe remainingcakes.Rolledges in crushedcandy canesfor afestive finish.

Tips:Use dark cocoapowderfor adeep, sophisticated chocolate flavor.For thebestrise, let eggs andbuttermilk come to room temperature.(Shortcuts: rest eggs in hot tapwater for10minutes, andwarmmilkinthe microwave for50seconds.)

If your kitchen runs warm,chill the filled whoopiepies for 15 minutesbeforeserving. This helpsthe fillingset, so the tops stay putand don’tslide off thebottoms.

Thesefreezebeautifully. Wrap individually andfreezeup to 2monthsfor make-ahead magic.

Yield: about24servings|Prep Time:50mins|Cook Time:10mins|TotalTime: 60 mins

leekris, stock.adobe.com

Holiday Celebration Biscotti

Perfectfor gifting, dunkingoradding to aholiday cookie plate. Crispbut not tooth-breaking andjustsweet enough.

What You’ll Need:

4tablespoons unsalted butter,softened or cold,cut in pieces

¾cup granulated sugar

2large eggs, room temperature

1to2teaspoonextract(see flavor variations)

2cups flour(all-purpose,or half all-purpose +halfwhite whole wheat)

1teaspoonbakingpowder

½teaspoonsalt

Optional:turbinado sugarfor sprinkling

Here’s How:

Heat oven to 350 F. Line abaking sheet with parchment. Beat butter andsugaruntil creamy. Addeggsand extract; mix well.Whisk flour, bakingpowderand salt.Add to bowl;mix until combined.Stirin flavor add-insifusing.

Divide doughinhalf. Shapeintotwo 8-inchlogsand flattento¾ inch thick. Sprinkle with coarse sugarifdesired. Bake for25minutes, until lightly golden and firm to thetouch.Coolon thepan for30minutes.

Slicelogs diagonallyinto¾-inch slices. Laycut side up on thesheet and bakefor 15 minutes, until dry. Cool completely. Optional:For extra-crunchycookies, turn off the oven andleave thebiscottiinthe oven to cool.

Flavor Variations:

•Crunchy Almond:1teaspoonalmond +1 teaspoonvanillaextract. Stir in 1cup chopped almonds.

•Cranberry OrangePistachio: 1 teaspoonvanilla+ zestof1 orange. Stir in ¾cup driedcranberries and ¾cup chopped pistachios.

Tips:Dress them up!Dip oneend of cooled biscotti in melted chocolateand sprinkle with nuts,chocolate chipsor festivesprinkles.

Thesebiscottikeep1-2 weeksatroomtemperature or 3monthsinthe freezer.

Yield: 20 -24servings| Prep Time:10minutes |Cook Time:45minutes |Total Time:55minutes +cooling

Holiday Brie madeeasy

Party season is here,and the eternalquestion arises: What am Igoing to serve(or bring) that looksimpressivebut doesn’t eatup my time or budget?

Here’s theanswer: Bake awheel of brie.It’squick, elegant, universally adoredand equallyathomeata backyard potluckorablack-tie soirée. Warm,gooeybrieis especiallywelcome in thecolder months,when “richand creamy”sounds downrightirresistible.

Brie is versatile, pairingbeautifullywithboth sweetand savory toppings. Thebasics aresimple: place awheel of brie on parchment, scorethe rind andbakeat350 Ffor 1015 minutes untilsoft and melty.Serve it just like that (alwaysahit), or dress it up with toppings fora festivetwist.

powdered sugar“snow.”

•Caramelized Onion& Thyme: Sweet onions slowly cooked down with freshthyme.

•SavoryMushroom&Herb: Sauteed mushroomswithgarlic andparsley.

•PepperJelly Kick:Spicy-sweetred pepper jellywithasprinkleofalmonds.

Whydoesitsmellfunny?Briehas anatural“bloomy rind.” If it smells strong when youunwrapit, just let it breathefor 30 minutes—the aroma mellows andthe flavor is divine

BAKED BRIE JEWEL BOX WITH JAM &NUTS

JasonCoblentz/DivasOnADime

Sweet &SavoryTopping Ideas

•Cranberry-Orange:Warmcranberry sauce with orange zest andtoasted pecans.

•Fig &Walnut: Fig jam, chopped walnutsand adrizzle of honey.

•CherryPistachio:Dried cherries, pistachios andmaple syrup.

•Holiday Harvest: Pomegranatearils, freshrosemaryand adusting of

Mixsomething sweet, something savory andsomethingcrunchy,and you’ve gota show-stoppingappetizer.

QuickBrieQ&A

Is therindedible? Yes! Scoringthe top makesiteasier to scoopthe gooeyinside,but youcan eatthe rind too. Do Ihavetobakeit? Notatall —brie is delicious at room temp,but warmth makesthe flavor shine.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Placean8-ounce wheelofbrieonparchment andset on abakingsheet. Scorethe toprindina crosshatch pattern. Spread 2tablespoons of jamacrossthe top, sprinkle with 2tablespoons chopped toastednuts, drizzle with 1tablespoonhoney and finish with apinch of flaky salt.Bakeuncovered for10 minutes, until bubbly.Let cool slightly,thenserve with crackers or slicedbaguette. In thephoto,apricotjam, pistachios anddried cranberries were used forapop of color. Butthe combinations areendless.

Yield: 4to8 servings |Time: 15 minutes

Tip:Keepa wheelof brie,a jarofjam anda bagofnutsinyour“emergency entertainmentarsenal.” In minutes, you’ve gota built-in partytrick that lookslikeyou plannedahead.

Winter Wishes

robynmac,stock.adobe.com

Easy Throw-togethers

Pair simple ingredient lists with low-effort cookingmethods withoutsacrificing taste.

Whenyou need arecipefor somethingthatcomes together quickly,tastesyummy,is easy to transportand looksgreat on aplate, look no further. Thesemeatball recipeswork with anystandard frozen meatballand also with veggie meatballs.Serve plated on toothpicks foranappetizerspread, or make them with pastaand servefor acozy family dinner.

GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS

What You’ll Need:

•1 bagfrozen beef or pork meatballs

•1 12-ounce jarofgrape jelly

•1 12-ounce jarofchili sauce

Here’s How:

Combineall ingredients in a slow cooker.Cookonlow for4-6 hours. Stir andserve with toothpicks.

Tip:Not achili sauce fan? Substitute ketchup if youlikea sweetersauce.Ormix half ketchup andhalfbarbecuesauce.

Winter Wishes

MEATBALLS with RICOTTA and RED SAUCE

What You’ll Need:

•1 bagfrozen Italian-style meatballs

•1 jarspaghetti sauce,yourfavoritevariety

•½ cupgratedRomanoand Parmesan cheese,plus more forgarnish

•15-ounce containerofricottacheese

•Parsley,chopped,for garnish

•8-ounce packageoffresh mozzarellapearls(for appetizer)

•1 bunchofbasil leaves (for appetizer)

•1 boxpasta,likepenne, ziti or rigatoni (for meal)

zoryanchik, stock.adobe.com

Here’s How:

Combinethe meatballs, jarofsauce andgrated cheese in aslowcooker. Cook on lowfor 4-6 hours. Before serving, add ricottacheesetosauce andstir. Allowtoheatinslowcookerfor 15 minutes.

Forappetizers: Spoonsauce onto aplatter.On toothpicks, thread amozzarellapearl,abasil leaf and onemeatball.Sprinklewithadditional grated Parmesanand parsley.

Forameal: Cook pastaaccordingtopackage directions. Combinecookedpasta andmeatballsin sauce,and garnishwithadditional grated Parmesan andparsley.Serve with crusty garlic bread.

BONUS RECIPE: MEAT CANDY

(Bacon-wrappedsausages)

•1 packagebacon

•1 packageporkLittleSmokies sausages

•1 cupbrown sugar

Cutbaconstripsintothirds.

Wrap each sausageinapiece of bacon andsecurewitha toothpick.

Place in aslowcooker, andcover with thebrown sugar, making sure each sausage is coated in brownsugar.

Cook on highfor 3hours,stirring after thesecondhour, untilcrispy. When it’s partytime, setthe slow cooker on warm, andwatch thesedisappear

Winter Wishes

DIY AppleCiderStation

By PattiDiamond,Divas on aDime

Holiday cheerisinthe air, and what better way to celebrate than with acozy, DIYapple cider station? This funand inviting setupis perfectfor gatherings or simplyaquiet night at home,turninganordinary eveningintoadelightfulexperience.

DIYAPPLECIDER STATION

ESSENTIALS

Startwithabaseofhigh-quality applecider from your favorite localstore.Toinfuseitwiththose warm,autumnal flavors, pour thecider into apot or crockpot andadd cinnamonsticks, wholeclovesand freshorangeslices. Letit simmer gently on thestove until your home is filled with the comforting scentofspicedapples andcitrus.

HOWMUCHCIDER TO STARTWITH

Forthisrecipe, startwith1gallon of applecider. This amount is perfectfor singleservingsfor asmall gatheringof 8-10 people or providingmultipleservingsfor acozynight in.Multiplyasdesired.

SPICEMIX RECIPE FORMULLEDCIDER

Foranextra boost of flavor,createyourown spicemix to addtothe cider:

•3 cinnamon sticks

•1 tablespoonwhole cloves

•1 teaspoonwhole allspice berries

•1 star anise(optional, forasubtlelicorice note)

•1/2 teaspooncardamompods

•1 orange,sliced

Addthese ingredients to thepot with theapple cider and simmer for20-30 minutes formaximum flavor infusion.

Strain theciderbeforeserving fora smooth,spiceddrink.

CUSTOMIZETOYOURHEART’S CONTENT

Make your cider stationinteractive andinvitingwithanarray of add-ins andtoppings. Here aresomeideas to elevateyourcider experience:

•KeepitWarm: Useaslowcookeroraninsulated drink dispensertokeepyourcider warm throughout theeveningwithout needingconstantattention.

•Whipped Cream: Addadollopofwhipped creamfor an indulgenttouch.

•Caramel Drizzle: Adrizzle of caramelsauce canturn your drinkintoadessert-worthytreat.

•Nutmegand/orAllspice: Alight sprinkle of thesespices addsdepth andwarmth.

•CinnamonSugar Rim: Dipthe rimofyourmug in abit of waterorapple cider,thencoatitwithcinnamon sugar forasweet, festivetouch.

•StarAnise: Forasophisticated look andanaddedlayer of flavor.

•HomemadeSyrups: Offer flavored syrups like vanilla, mapleorpumpkin spicefor guests to personalize their drinks.

•Mini Marshmallows: Addabowlofmini marshmallows forthose wholoveasweeter,dessert-like twist.

•SpicedHoney: Provide spiced honeyfor atouch of naturalsweetness with awarm, aromatic kick.

•GarnishGalore: Provide guestswithcinnamon sticks, thin appleslices or orange twists forastylish garnish.

•AlcoholicOption: Foradult gatherings, offer asplashof spicedrum, bourbonorapple brandy foraspiritedversion.

Winter Wishes

sveta_zarzamora, stock.adobe.com

PAIR WITH TREATS

Complementyourcider stationwith simplefall snacks like spicednuts, gingerbread cookies, or applecider donuts.

Pumpkin Bread: Moistand spiced with cinnamon andnutmeg, it’s perfect fordunking in cider.

MaplePecan Scones: Theseadd a buttery, nuttytouch that pairsbeautifullywiththe warm flavorsofapple cider.

CinnamonRolls: Soft,gooey rolls topped with creamcheeseicingadd a rich andindulgent treat.

Cheese andCharcuterie Board: A mix of sharpcheddar,smokedgouda, driedfruitsand nuts complements the sweetnessofthe cider.

AppleFritters: Aclassic match that emphasizes theapple theme.

Toffee or CaramelPopcorn: Adds asweet andcrunchy snackthatpairs with thespiced flavors.

Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels: Sweet andsalty,these make agreat accompanimenttothe cider’s warm spices.

Mini Pumpkin Pies or Tarts: Individual servings that pack the flavorsof fall in each bite.

Spiced Shortbread Cookies: Simple, butteryand with ahintofcinnamonorclove.

TIPS FORTHE PERFECTAPPLE CIDERSTATION

To add an extra layerofcoziness, consider including:

DIYToppingsBar Sign: Create asmall,decorativechalkboardsign listingall theavailable toppings and garnishesfor apersonaltouch.

Themed Mugs: Provide fall-themed

ormismatchedvintage mugs to make theexperience even more charming.

CiderBar Labels: Create labels or tags foryouradd-insand toppings to make it easy forguests to explore options.

Seasonal Decor: Addsmall pumpkins,gourdsand autumn leaves around thecider stationfor afestive ambiance.

MusicPlaylist: Curate afall-themed music playlist to enhancethe cozy atmosphere.

PERFECTSCENARIOS FORYOUR APPLECIDER STATION

Autumn Get-Togethers: Bringthe warmth andcozinesstoyourfallthemed partyorfamilygathering.

Thanksgiving Celebration: Delight guests as they arrive with awarm, fragrant drinkthatsets thetonefor a festivemeal.

WeekendBrunches: Addaseasonal twist to your brunch menu with a cider stationalongside classic breakfast treats.

Book ClubsorCraft Nights: Create arelaxed andinvitingatmospherewith acomfortingbeverage that everyone cancustomize.

OutdoorBonfires: Servewarm spicedcider whilesitting around the fire andenjoyingthe crispautumn air.

HolidayDecoratingSessions: Sip on your creation whiledecking the hallsfor theupcomingholidays.

Whetheryou’rehosting friends or cozyingupwitha book, this apple cider stationisa surefire waytoembrace theseason. Enjoythe warmth, comfortand cheerthatthissmall touchcan bringtoyourhome.

Winter Wishes

Goncharuk film,stock.adobe.com

A Fresh Take on Green BeanCasserole

ByPatti Diamond, Divason aDime

Forgetthe canned soup andfried onions —thisupgraded version is all aboutrealfood. Freshbeans are blanched to stay crispand green, then foldedintoasilkymushroomsauce made from butter,stock andcream

Topped with golden friedshallots, it’s vibrant, flavorfuland afar cryfromthe canned classic.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Yield: 6-8servings| TotalTime: 45 mns

What You’ll Need:

2poundsgreen beans(freshorfrozen)

1tablespoon+1 teaspoonkoshersalt, divided

2tablespoons butter

8ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered

½teaspoongroundblack pepper

3clovesgarlic, minced

3tablespoons all-purpose flour 1cup chickenorvegetable broth

2cupshalf-and-half

1(2.8-ounce) packageFrench’s

Onions or 1recipeCrispyFried Shallots (below)

Here’s How:

Prep thebeans:

•Fresh beans: Bring1gallon waterand 1tablespoonsalttoaboil. Blanch beans5minutes,thendrain andplunge into ice water. Drain againand setaside.

•Frozenbeans: Thaw,drain andpress

outexcessmoisture.

Make thesauce: Melt butter in a large, oven-safeskillet (10-12 inches) over medium-high heat.Add mushrooms, 1teaspoonsaltand thepepper. Cook,stirring, until mushroomsrelease their juices, about5 minutes. Stir in garlic andcook2 minutes more.

Sprinkle flourovermushrooms,stirring to coat.Cookbrieflyuntil the flour begins to brown. Stir in broth, scraping up brownedbits. Simmer 3minutes. Lowerheat, add half-and-halfand cook until thickened, about10minutes (longerifyou prefer athicker sauce).

Assemble: Stir aquarter of thefried shallots(or onions)intothe sauce, then fold in greenbeans until well-coated. Transfer to acasserole dish if desired. Topwithremaining shallots/onions. Bake at 350 Funtil bubbly,about 15 minutes. Servewarm.

CRISPY FRIED SHALLOTS

Yield: 6-8servings| Total Time:25mns

What You’ll Need:

12 ounces shallots(about 3large)

¼cup cornstarch (or corn flour)

1cup vegetableoil

Pinchofsalt

Here’s How:

Usinga mandoline, slice shallots into thin rings(aboutdime-thick). Toss with cornstarch to coat,separatingthe rings. Heat 3inchesofoil in adeepsaute panovermediumheat. Fryshallotsin batches, 3-5 minuteseach, until golden. Stir to keep ringsseparate.

Transfer with aslotted spoontoa papertowel-lined tray andsprinkle with salt.Repeatuntil allare fried. Save the flavorfuloil forother recipesthis season

Make-Ahead Tip:Busy holiday kitchen? Prep the beans, mushroom sauce,and fried shallotsaday ahead. Storeseparately, then assemble andbakejustbefore servingfor an effortlessside dish.

JasonCoblentz/DivasOnA Dime

Winter Wishes

On Thanksgiving, theturkeymay take centerstage,but it’s the sides —especiallystuffing —thatsteal theshow. Everyyearwewonder:Why don’twemakethismoreoften?

Forgetthe box. Homemade stuffing is simple, versatileand always worthit. Startwithdried bread(pick up day-old sourdough, ciabatta,cornbread or any hearty loaf), toss in onionand celery, then enrichwithbutter, brothand eggs forthatcustardymiddle andgolden crunch on top. Addsausage,baconor creative extras, andsuddenlystuffing goes from sidekick to scene-stealer.

CLASSIC THANKSGIVING STUFFING

Yield: 8servings| TotalTime: 1hr20mns

What You’ll Need: 1(16-ounce) loaf bread, cutinto1-inch pieces anddried 2tablespoons oliveoil

Spotlight on Stuffing

12 to 16 ounces sausage, baconor mushrooms

1½ cups onion, diced 1½ cups celery, diced

2cupsadd-ins(optional;see variations below)

2teaspoons poultry seasoning ¾cup butter,divided 2eggs 2to4 cups chickenorturkeybroth

Here’s How:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a9×13inch bakingdish. Place driedbread in a large bowl.

In askillet over medium heat,warm oliveoil.Cookchosenmeat, breaking it into crumbles, until browned. Usinga slottedspoon, transfer to thebowlwith bread.

In thesameskillet, cook onion, celery andany additional aromatics. Season with salt,pepperand poultryseasoning. Stir often until onions aretranslucent. Addany add-ins(like appleorpeppers) andcookuntil softened.Stirin½cup butter until meltedand infused with flavor.

Scrape themixture into thebread bowl.Inanother bowl,whisk together eggs and2cupsbroth;pouroverthe breadmixture.Seasonwithsaltand pepper,tossingtocombine.Add more broth, ½cup at atime, until thebread is fullymoistened

Transfer stuffing to theprepared bakingdish. Cutremainingbutterinto small pieces anddot over thetop.Cover with foil andbakefor 30 minutes. Uncoverand bake20minutes more,until golden.

Recipe Variations:

•Apple Cranberry Pecan: Use12 ounces maplesausage.Add 1cup chopped apple, ½cup chopped pecans and½cup driedcranberries.

•BaconParmesan: Use12ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped.Stirin1 cupgratedParmesan, ½teaspoon blackpepperand 1tablespoon chopped freshrosemary.

•VegetarianorVegan:Substitute1 poundcoarselychopped mushroomsfor themeat, sauteinguntil caramelized. Forvegan:Use oliveor coconutoil insteadofbutter, vegetablebroth in place of chickenstock, andomitthe eggs.

Winter Wishes

Roast Beets with Orange-ThymeGlaze

Sweet,earthybeetsget aglamorous upgradewitha glossy orange-thyme glaze. Roasteduntil tender andcaramelized,thentossedina citrusy, honey-kissed sauce, they make avibrant,elegant side dish that’s surprisingly easy.

What You’ll Need:

12 beets (small,mediumorlarge)

3tablespoons extra-virginolive oil, divided

1teaspoondried thymeor1tablespoonfresh leaves

1teaspoonkoshersalt

½teaspoonfreshly ground blackpepper

1tablespoonbalsamic vinegar(or redwinevinegar+apinch of sugar)

Zest of 1orange(finely grated)

Juice of 1large orange (~¼ cup)

1tablespoonhoney (ormoreto taste)

Optional:tinypat of butter or splash of oliveoil forshine

Here’s How:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line alarge bakingsheet with foil andspray with cookingspray.

Trim tops androots of thebeets. Leavethe peel on for simplicity.Cut into 1½-inch chunks (halve small,quarter medium, eighthlarge).

Toss beets with 2tablespoons of theolive oil, thyme, salt andpepper. Spread in asinglelayer androast 35-45 minutes, turningonceortwice,until tender andcaramelizedatthe edges.

Meanwhile, make theglaze: Warm 1tablespoonolive oilin asmall saucepan over medium heat.Add balsamicvinegar, orange zest, juice andhoney.Simmeruntil slightly thickened andglossy.Adjustsweetness or acidity to tasteand stir in a pinchofthyme.

Toss hotroasted beets with thewarmglaze.For extracaramelization,returnglazedbeets to theoven5minutes.

Garnishwithfresh thymeand extra orange zest before serving.

SageParmesan Popovers

Not just ordinarypopovers (thoughthose arefabulous) —these are fluffy, buttery, Parmesan-and-sagepopovers, served with garlicky sage butter to take them over thetop.

No specialequipmentrequired:Use a standard muffintin (you’ll getabout 10 smaller popovers)orasix-wellpopover panfor six generous ones

Popovers areinstant gratification no yeast, no rise time.Steam does theheavy lifting,and in aboutanhouryou’llhave golden, crisp, hollow beauties readytodevour.

Forthe best rise,preheat theempty muffintin until it’s blazinghot before addingthe batter.And don’tskip room-temperature eggs and milk.(Shortcut:Warmeggsin hottap waterfor 10 minutes andzap themilk in themicrowave for50seconds.)

SAGE PARMESAN POPOVERS

Here’s How:

We’regoing to startbyinfusingour butter.Place 1½tablespoonsbutterin asmall skillet over lowheat. Addthe smashedgarlic cloveand sage leaves to thebutter. After about5minutes the butter shouldbebrowning, thesage crisping andthe garlic smellingheavenly.Removethe garlic andsagefromthe skillet andreserve formakingthe sage garlic butter (recipebelow). Transfer the

infused butter andpulse,add flourand Parmesan andblendfor 30 seconds. No blender? No problem.Inamedium bowl,whisk eggs andmilk together. Whiskinmeltedbutter. Add flourand Parmesan,whisk untilsmooth.

Carefullyremovethe nowextremely hottin from theovenand divide the batter evenly into the10oiled cups. Cups shouldbeabout half full

Prep Time:15mns |Cook Time:35 mns

What You’ll Need:

Vegetableoil and/orcooking spray

1½tablespoons butter

1clove garlic, smashed

6freshsageleaves

2large eggs, room temperature

1cup wholemilk,roomtemperature

1cup all-purpose flour

3tablespoons freshlygratedparmesan cheese

infused butter into asmall bowl to cool. Move theovenracktothe lowest position.Preheat oven to 425 F. Next, either generously usecooking sprayor add 1teaspoonvegetable oilto10muffincups(leavethe middletwo empty). If usingapopover pan, you’dspray or oil thosewells as well.Place muffintin or popoverpan in oven to heat while you make thebatter.

Place theeggsand milk into ablender andblendtoget all foamy. Addthe

Bake popovers at 425 Ffor 20 minutes, then withoutopeningthe oven door,reduce heat to 350 Ffor 15 minutesmoreoruntil they’repuffed,golden brown andcrispy. Do notopenthe oven door during baking, as thechange in temperature can causethemtodeflate, andthat makesnoone happy. Turn popovers outontoacooling rackand pierce thebottoms with asmall knifetoallow steamtoescape. This helps keep them puffylonger. For best results, serveimmediately. However, they will keep forup to aweeksealedinazip-top baggie.

GARLIC SAGE BUTTER

Mash thereservedgarlic into apaste with aforkand mince thecrispysage. Stir thegarlic andsagetogetherwith4 tablespoons softened butter.Slather on everything.

Have extra sage?Preserveitbymincing finely andplacing1tablespoon into each well of an ice cube tray.Add just enough waterorolive oiltocover Freeze, then storeitinafreezer bag.

Winter Wishes

JasonCoblentz/DivasOnADime

MEALSCAPES

Make dinnertime an experience with atoppingsextravaganza

Agood tablescape —creatinga pleasing decorativestory foryourdinnertable —can make an ordinarymenufeelupscale. When youhaveguests or just want to make a family dinner feel extra special, youcan take thepressure off of creating alabor-intensive meal by letting themealbethe tablescape. Combineatried-and-truestaplewithanarray of toppings fora dynamite DIYdinner.Here’s how.

Flex Mex: At-home BurritoBowls

Slow-roast aporkbutt(easy-peasy in aslow cooker) andshred.Serve with cilantro rice, blackbeans,pinto beans, fajita veggies, corn relish,anarray of salsas,shreddedcheese, sour creamand shreddedlettuce.Bonus:tortillachips andqueso.

Quickcornrelish: Defrostand drain abag of frozen corn.Add 2tablespoons of limejuice and ¾cup of finely choppedred onion. Stir andlet setfor an hour to blend flavors.

arinahabich, stock.adobe.com

Wintery Warmup: Chili

Serveacrockpotofchili alongside favorite toppings, complementedwithcornbread,sliced breads with butter,crackers,chopped freshherbs anda selectionofhot sauces.

Toppings: cheese,sourcream,crushedcorn chips, tortillastrips, chopped onion, tomato, chives, cilantro,parsley,jalapenos.

Winter Wishes

pbdStudio, stock.adobe.com

Hot Stuff: Baked Potato Bar

Arrange aplatter of baked potatoes with classic (and notsoclassic) toppings like cheese,sourcream,chives, chili, chopped rotisserie chicken, steamedbroccoli, bacon, caramelizedonions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic or chopped avocado.

Hotpotatoperfection:

Preheat oven to 450 F. Wash anddry potatoes, then pierce on all sides usingafork. Add alittleoil to your handsand rubitall over thepotatoes. Place on abakingsheet and season all sides generously with salt.Bakeabout an hour and15minutes depending on size,until aforkcan be inserted easily.

Winter Wishes

HOLIDAY BONUS: CookingSubstitutes

Missing

an Ingredient?Try TheseSubstitutes

No eggs?

If it’s forbaking, substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for1egg.

No cornstarch?

Forevery 1tablespoonofcornstarch, use 1tablespoonarrowroot,or1tablespoon potato flourorpotatostarch, or 21/2 tablespoons flour.

No buttermilk?

Useplain yogurt, thinned sour creamor cremefraiche instead. Or add 1tablespoonlemon juiceorwhite vinegarto1 cupmilk andlet stand5minutes.

No kitchentwine?

To trussaturkey, useunwaxed, unflavored dental floss.

No cake flour?

Replace2tablespoonspercupofallpurposeflourwith2tablespoonscornstarchandsiftthoroughly.

No sweetpotatoes?

Fora casserole, soup or gratin-typedish, usebutternut squash or pumpkin.

No confectioners’sugar?

To make your own, add 1tablespoonof cornstarch to each cupofgranulated sugarand whirlinblender forafew secondsuntil it’s a fine powder.

No granulatedsugar?

Forevery 1cup needed,use3/4 cup confectioners’ sugaror3/4 cuphoney.

No parchmentpaper?

Usebrown paperorwaxed paper(not over high heat), or just grease and flour thepan.

No drybreadcrumbs?

Just getsomebread,tearitupintosmall chunks andsaute in askillet with alittle butter untilbrowned.Whirltoasted bread pieces in afoodprocessor.

Winter Wishes

African Peanut Stew with chicken

By DonnaErickson

This easy-to-prepare chickenpeanutstewisanadaptation of adelicious dish Ienjoyed during atrip to theUbangiregionofthe DemocraticRepublic of Congo.Servedinlarge bowls, it is afavoritemeal forcelebrationswhenfamilies andguests gather. This simplified interpretation serves 6-8and uses bonelesschicken breastsfor easy prep.Natural peanut butter givesitacreamyrichnessand an “I’ll gladly have asecondhelping” flavor. Thechilies provide aspicy kick.

Preparethe hearty recipe forfamilyand friends for amemorable meal if youcelebrate Kwanzaa this year (Dec.26-Jan. 1), andserve it at othereventsinthe newyear. You’ll likely discover that it will be anew favorite forbothkidsand adults.

WhatYou’ll Need:

1/4 cuppeanutoil or canola oil

11/2 pounds boneless, skinlesschickenbreasts, cutinto small bite-sizepieces

1teaspoonsaltand blackpeppertotaste

1mediumonion,chopped 1clove garlic, minced

1large sweetpotato, peeled andcubed

1inchpiece freshginger, peeled andminced, about1 tablespoon

1(14-ounce) candiced tomatoes,drained

1/4 cupcannedchopped chilies (optional)

3cupschickenstock

1/2 cupnaturalpeanutbutter, smooth or chunky

2cupssalad spinach, chopped

Chopped roastedpeanuts,for garnish

Here’s How:

Heat 2tablespoons oilinalarge stew potover medium-highheat. Season chickenwithsaltand pepper,and add to pot. Cook until tingesofbrown appear on all sides, about8 minutes. Transfer to aplate,and setaside.

Addremaining oiltothe potand sauteonionuntil soft, about5 minutes. Addthe garlic, sweetpotatoand ginger, stirring frequently, about3minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Return chickentothe potand add chilies (optional) and 2cupschickenstock.Bring to aboiland simmer on lowfor about15minutes.

In amediumbowl, whisktogetherthe peanut butter and remainingcup of chickenstock.Stirthe mixtureintothe soup.Add chopped spinachand simmer forabout 5minutes. Adjust seasoningand serveinbowls with peanutssprinkled on top.

The meaningoflifeisto find your gift. The purpose of lifeistogive it away.

—Pablo Picasso

If nature hasmadeyou for agiver, your hands areborn open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when yourhands are empty, your heart is always full.

—Frances HodgsonBurnett

Rememberthat thehappiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

—Robin Sharma

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.

—James Allen

Winter Wishes

giving from theheart

Some people arenatural gift-givers. They seem to instinctivelyknowthe perfectitemthatwilllight up someone’sface,and they take pride in making every exchange feel personal.For therestofus, choosing giftscan feel overwhelming—where do youevenstart? Agood rule of thumbistobegin with theperson, not thepresent.Whatdo they enjoy, howdotheyspend their time,and more importantly, what little luxuries wouldtheyrarelybuy forthemselves?

Once you’ve answered thosequestions, consider these ideas forinspiration:self-caretreatstonurture their well-being, ways to spoiltheir (oryour) furrycompanions,cleversmart-homeupgrades that add convenience,personalizedpresentstomakethemfeelseen, adventures andlearningopportunities to sparkcuriosity,oraDIY creation that comesstraightfromthe heart.

GiftingSelf-Care

Forthe deservingsouls on your holiday list whogiveand give to others,considerthe gift of self-care. Here are10ideas forpresentstohelpyourloved ones pause, pamper andrestore!

1.

Ajournal or plannertorecordthoughts, tracktheir dailyjourney or stay organized. Trythe PassionPlanner (passionplanner. com, weekly planners from $55),a beautifullydesignedplanner with space to dream andgrow. Pair with stickers andwashi tape,as well as aselection of gelpens.

2.

Forthe consciously flexibleoranyone lookingtomaintainfunctionalstrength, trygivingyogagear. Anew mat(with a strapfor toting)inaspunky, upliftingcolor or design, or ablock (foamfor restorativeposes; cork forsupport andbalance) canhelpbuddingyogis keep their pose game fresh.

Winter Wishes

FotoHelin, stock.adobe.com

3.

Theuse of essentialoilsfor health and wellness benefits is common practice,and aromatherapy diffuserspairessential oils andwater vaportokeepyourenvironment smellingclean andfresh.

4.

Forthe carpoolparentand caregiving errand runner whospendshours aday in their vehicle, consider agift certificate for acar detailing, includingsteam-cleaned upholstery anda nice newair freshener!

5.

Asilk (orsatin) pillowcase canhelp reduce facial creasesand keep hair smooth during theovernight hours. Fishers Finery 25mm 100% PureMulberrySilk (fishersfinery.com, $55) andBlissy(blissy. com, $80) aretwo highlyrated brands.

6.

Bath bombs, bath saltsand all thebody buttersturntub time into ahighlyanticipatedwellnessritual. Forbathbombs that foam forever, andhappentobevegan and cruelty-freeaswell, trythe incredible selectionatLush(lush.com).

7.

Heated eyemasks add weight and warmth to relaxfacial muscles,block light andeasedry eyes. Lookfor asoft,removable andwashablecover.Microwaveable versions areperfectly respectable, or spring fora USB-chargedelectronic version, includingmasks that add gentle massage.

8.

Meditation has proven health benefits,so tryasubscriptiontoaprovider like Headspace or Calm.

9.

Newpajamas areaclassic holiday gift, butdon’t overlook comfortableloungewear —soft knitswithcomfortable waistbands areperfect forsleepy, snowyweekends when youhavetogoout butyourheart is still in bed.

10.

Feel cozy,calmand secure with aweighted blanket. Search forone that has a stitched grid small enough to keep the filler beads(typicallyglass)welldistributed. An easy to add/removewashablecover is a plus.

Winter Wishes

ThoughtfulPresentsfor Pets and thepeople who love them

Here areyoureight best bets fora petgiftthatwill be appreciatedand remembered

By SamMazzotta

Pets arepartofthe family,and celebratingthe holidayswouldn’t be completewithout them. Andpet owners appreciate thoughtful giftsfor their furry(or scaly, or feathered) companions Notall giftsare appropriate, though.Beforerunning outand buying the first flashy petgift yousee,keepa fewthings in mind. Here’s what nottobuy forsomeone else’s pet(unlessyou’veasked them first):

•Pet beds:Dogs andcatscan be finickyabout wheretheysleep andrest, and findingthe perfectbed forthemcan take afew tries. If youbuy this gift,makesurea generous return/refundpolicycomes with it.

•Food andtreats: Many pets areonspecial diets.

•Stuffed toys: They’reeasyto chew to pieces, creating achoking hazard,and will cluttertheir home.

Winter Wishes

1 Apersonalized collar and/orleash. There’snothinglikeabedazzledcollartoshowoff apet. Andowners like keepinganextra collar andleash around

2 Agift card to Chewyoranother favorite petretailer.Good petproducts canbeexpensive,and you’ll helpdefray thosecosts.

4 Anew puppygift basket. Forfamilies gettingapuppy,a basket filled with puppy-appropriate treats, toys, soft blankets, trainingpadsand agift card will be appreciated.

5 Coveravet visit. Forseniors,students or friends in atough spot,a gift card to coverawellnessvisit is atremendoushelp. Annual checkups can costover$200.

3 Dogorcat subscription services. BarkBox, WolfPacksand othersubscriptionservices send amonthly box of goodies —treats, toys andother products —tothe petowner

6 Ayearofpet insurance. Costsfor pet insurancevarywidely,but forpuppy owners,pet insurancethatreimburses their costs forthe firstyearisafantastic gift.

7 Pet-themedhousehold items. A welcome matwitha bone or paw prints, kitchentowelswithgamboling kittens, amug with pets’names printed on them —all giftsunder $20 that pet moms anddadswill love.

8 Privateorgroup dog training. While aprivate sessioncan cost$150 per hour,group trainingfor most breeds runs about$200-$300 percourse. This is agift you’ll want to talk to theowner about first, butcoveringtheir puppy’s trainingwill be arealrelief to their wallet.

Winter Wishes

By SamMazzotta

ASmart Home Gifts for the SmartHomeFanatic

re youlooking foragift forsomeone who’sinterestedinupgradingtheir houseto asmart home?Frombasic smartmonitorstofullyautomated systems,you’vegot plenty of itemstochoosefrom. Butwhichsmart device is asmart gift —and which will be apaperweight?Here’saquick guide to choosingthe rightsmart home device.

ASMART START: THEBASEDEVICE

If your recipientdoesnot alreadyown a smartspeaker or hub, thebestgifttogiveis thebasestation that will tietogetherdevices as they add them. Amazon’s Echo and Apple’sHomePod (whichworks on the Appleecosystem) arepopular choices. Software like Google’s Home or Amazon’sAlexa connects to hundreds of smartdevices and appliances from different manufacturers, allowingusers to controlthemthrough the software “hub”without having to open the manufacturer’scontrol app. jade,stock.adobe.com

JuanCi Studio,stock.adobe.com

CONNECTED ELEMENTS:ESSENTIALDEVICES

Thebestpartofcreatinga smarthomeishavingthe abilitytoautomatekey functionsand controlthem remotely. Thedevices beloware excellentgiftsthathelpmaximize thesmart home experience.

Weather Stations

No need to struggle outsidein winter weathertocheck your barometerand temperature.Gift aweather stationthatconnects to AlexaorGoogleorApple.

HomeSecurity

Products like SimpliSafe make it possible to setupmultiple security camerasand sensors to protectagainstintrudersand receivewarnings even when not at home

Thermostat

Connectedthermostats like ecobee,Nestand Sensiprovide precisedigital readings andallowusers to controltheir home’s temperature remotely.Prices range from around $50 to over $200.

VideoDoorbell

Ring,Blinkand SimpliSafe canconnect throughthe base stationand asmartphoneto alertusers when someonerings thedoorbell. They canalsobe configuredasmotionsensors. Expect to pay$35 andup.

WaterSensors

TheseBluetooth-connected devices alertusers to increased moisture in bathrooms, kitchensand basements—helping to minimize waterdamagewhen abathtub overflowsorapipe breaks.

Motion Sensor/Bluetooth Light Switches

Save up to 25% more energy with motion sensor switches that turn lightsonwhenyou enterthe room.Picka Bluetooth-connectedswitch,and youcan schedule or control lightsthrough your Amazon or Google device.Pay as little as $15 fora connectedmotion sensor switch.

Automatic Shades

Pricey butimpressive, connected shades, like thosefrom Smartwings canopenorclose basedonsunriseand sunset timesinyourarea, or by voice command.

(www.smartwingshome.com)

imagecredits: ecco,stock.adobe.com

This year’s trendiestgift: blind boxes

By SamMazzotta

“Blindboxes”are thehottest trendinthe collectibles industry rightnow,and that’s part of what makesthemagreat gift ideafor friends or familymembers wholovesurprises or whocollect varioustoys, cardsorother productseries.

Availableassinglepurchases or as part of asubscription, blindboxes areoften beautifullydesigned —sothey’re as nice to look at unopened as when they are finallyopenedto reveal thecollectible item inside.

Thetypeofitemvaries. Inside,itcould be a figurine, atoy or akit that youhavetobuild. Thecatch:You don’tknow what’s actuallyinside.And that is theattraction that blind boxesholdfor collectors.Justlikeholdingalottery ticket

minutes before thenumbers aredrawn,anunopenedblind boxgenerates athrill of anticipation that’s often better than thejoy of finallyopeningittosee what’s inside.

Further, becauseblindboxes typicallyoffer itemsthat arepartofacollectible set, people keep comingbackfor more,buyingbox after boxtobuild their collection. They’re lookingfor rare andlimitededition items. Best of all,blind boxesare affordable—usuallyunder $20 —makingiteasy to getintocollectingthem.

That is part of what makesblindboxes agreat gift.You canbuy asubscriptiontoa blindbox delivery service,or purchaseindividualblindboxes to give to friendsorfamily. Collectors andkidsalike will appreciate this thoughtful gift.

Winter Wishes

PhotobyTadaImages, stock.adobe.com

BLINDBOX LINGO:

•Chase: acollectible in aseries that has thelowestoddsof beingfound,and is therefore more rare.Somemanufacturers obscuretheir “chase” items, increasingthe mystery around them.

•Foil: High-endblindbox collectible boxesare lined with foil wrap to preventpeople from usinghigh-techdevices to seewhat’sinside.

•Mystery box: Similartoblind boxes, butnot always tied to a themeorseries.

•Lucky bag: An earlyname forblind/mystery boxes. The “lucky bag” (fukubukuro) originated in Japan’sdepartment stores andwas away to repackageand sell leftover inventory. Today’sblindboxes arehardlyleft over,asbuyersscramble to find that rare chase figure.

•Unboxing: Literally, opening andtakingout thecollectible item from ablindbox.Unboxingvideos aremassively popularonsocialmedia.

PhotobyLarissa,stock.adobe.com

Making it personal

Exceptionalgifts aretuned especially to therecipient.These ideasput personalizationfront andcentersothe presentisall aboutthe person.

1.

Commissionedart. Hire an illustrator to create aportraitofa family member, treasuredpet or favorite location.Find an artist whoworks in astyle your recipientwould like,whether that’s cartoon, traditional,minimalistlineart or watercolors.

2.

Engraved MaporCoordinatesJewelry.Keepmeaningfulplaces closetoyour heartwithjewelry that’s etched with the coordinates of abirthplace,engagement spot or your favorite person’s favorite city.Searchfor jewelrymade with maps that featureyourhometown, or maybe whereyourparents honeymooned.

Mari Dein, oiland palette knifeoncanvas, stock.adobe.com

3.

Birthstone Items. Jewelryfeaturing birthstonesisa timelesskeepsakefor anyone. Lookfor delicaterings, necklaces, or cufflinks featuringbirthstones. Afresh take is “family” jewelry, whichcombines stones forkids, siblings, or partners.Mom mayloveanecklace with abirthstone charmfor each child; let Dadsparkle with abirthstonesignetring.

4.

MonogrammedGoods. Everyday items canbeheirloomswhentheyhavethe addition of afancy monogram. Thinkleather keyfob or wallet; atotebag with initials; personalizedcharcuterie boardorcutting board; or coasters with thefamilyname.

5.

Custom PhotoPuzzles. Afun activity that turnsintoa family keepsake, puzzles from afamilyphoto,vacationsnapshot, or even achild’sartwork areeasytocreateand canbemade in differentsizes and difficultylevels.

6.

PrintedTextiles. Addpersonality to your home with acustom-printed fabric item. Consider teatowelsorapronsprinted with heirloom handwrittenfamilyrecipes. Or cozy throwblankets or pillow coversthatfeature family photos or artwork.

7.

MixtapeorCurated Playlist. Music capturesmemories. Create acustomplaylist of songsthatspeak to afriendship, alove, amomentintime. Burn it to aCD, completewithcustomart coverand tracklist on theback. Or,createa Spotify/Amazon/ Applemusic playlist with aprinted insert explainingyoursongchoices.

8.

EmbroideredGoods. Hand-embroidered details harken back to asimpler time andfeelintimate. That’s whytheymakea beautifulgift. Thinkhandkerchiefs,napkins,orpillowcases with names, quotes or song lyrics; embroidered patchesfor jackets or tote bags; even clever recreationsof an old-school“sampler” that featurepersonaltouches.

GiftingExperiences

from virtual workshops to in-personadventures

By SamMazzotta

Watercolor,Drawing & Painting: SiteslikeDomestika

offer thousandsofgroup courses in amonthly or yearly subscription package, or fora one-time course fee(many under $20).

Ifthe Covid-19 pandemic hadasilver lining, it wasthe explosionofvirtual experiences availabletoanyone, anytime, anywhere in theworld.Online coursesoffer rich learningexperiences that areeminentlygiftable.

Virtualconcerts bringpopular bands andgreat performances rightintoyour home.YouTube dominates this category,but MomentHouseisstill plugging alongwithscheduled performances that canbebookedonits site (MomentHouse.com).

ANew Language: Gifting asubscriptiontoa language app like Duolingo or RosettaStone is agreat waytoget started. Or,how aboutasignlanguagecourse? ASLBloom, Lingvano andSignSchool teachcomprehensive, accurate American Sign Language.

PrivateYoga: YouTube teemswithyoga sessions that are easy to follow alongwith, buta one-on-one virtualsessionwitha gurucan improveform, prevent injury andboost confidence.

Monkey Business, stock.adobe.com

Hybrid Workshops: Awelcome offshoot of completelyvirtual workshops,the hybrid workshopcombinesavirtual classwiththe righttools andsupplies. From cookingand cocktail making, to painting andclayart,hybridworkshops provide amorepersonalized experience.You canpurchase credit,gift cardsorasubscriptionfor your favorite person from siteslikeUncommonGoods, which shipsthe suppliesfor aclass aheadoftime.

Genealogy: Help someonetrace their familytreewithanannualsubscriptiontoAncestry, FindMyPast, or FamilySearch.Or, buythemavirtual sessionwitha professionalgenealogist.

Career Development hastaken off thanks to apps like Coursera, Master Classand Wondrium. Subscriptionsare affordableand open aworld of skillsand knowledge. From computer science andinteriordesign to history, literature andonward, thegift of virtuallearningcanimmeasurably improvesomeone’s life.

In-PersonAdventures: Does your giftee prefer their adventures to stay IRL? Here areafew ideas:

•Local attractions: Aseasonpass, one-time pass,orgift card to anearbytheme park, museumsorother attractionsprovides real enrichment.

•Pottery classes: There’sareasonthatsmall potterystudios aresurviving —painting and firing clay artisfun!Purchaseagift card or aclass forsomeone youknowwho lovescraftsand clay art.

•Skydiving (orskydiving simulators): I guessafew people DO enjoythe idea. Checkwiththem firstbeforepresenting this gift.

•Get outdoors:Gift aNationalParks pass ($80,available at REI, LL Bean or shop. usparkpass.com) or astate parkspass to someonewho lovescamping.Or, gift them aguidedtriporastayatAMC’s High Mountain Huts (www.outdoors.org).

SpaDay: From skincare to relaxingfacialstomakeuptutorials, recipients cantreat themselves andbeatthe winter blahs.

MusicLessons: Learntoplay an instrument,singorstudy music theory.Lessons andsubscription packages canguide buddingartists throughthe basics andbeyond.

AstrologyReading: Bin thoseexpensive psychic readings andgift avirtual classonhow to read your ownbirth chart.

Merry, Mindful, and Healthier:

Homemade FoodGifts for the Holidays

ByPatti Diamond, Divasona Dime

The holidaysare a time forindulging in belovedtreatsand traditions—but this year,my family is giving ours agentle makeover.Not acookiecancellation(perish thethought!), just ashifttowardlowersugar, higher-protein, wholefood options alongsideour nostalgicfavorites.

Thegoal?Tocreatenew, wholesometraditionswe’ll love everybit as much as theold ones. Andwe’re not alone—somanyfriends and

readerstellmetheir families arecraving thesamechange. Whetherit’ssupportingloved ones with diabetes, heartissues,allergies, chronic inflammation or simplyadesirefor healthier habits, it’s agiftof wellness wrappedinsomethingdelicious.

Theserecipes arejustthe thingfor thoughtful,healthconscious holiday giving.Easy to make,budget-friendlyand packed with flavor —they provethat“better foryou” can still feel indulgent. JasonCoblentz/DivasonaDime

Winter Wishes

DARK CHOCOLATE BARK

Melt unsweeteneddarkchocolate andspread it outonparchment paper. Topwithnutsand asprinkleofsea salt.Onceset, breakitinto pieces andpackageitinadecorativebox or jar. Dark chocolateislower in sugar, andthe nuts andseedsprovide healthyfatsand fiber, makingthistreat both indulgentand nutritious.

MAPLE TOASTEDCOCONUT CASHEWS

Yield: 12 servings |Total Time:30mins

•3 cups roasted, unsalted cashews

•½ cupshreddedcoconut flakes, unsweetened

•¼ teaspoonsalt(optional)

•1 tablespooncoconut oil, melted

•3 tablespoons maplesyrup

•2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 300 Fand line abaking sheet with parchment. In amixingbowl, mix cashews, coconutand salt.Meltthe coconut oiland combinewiththe maplesyrup.Stirin maplesyrup mixturetocoatcashewmixture. Addsugarand stir once more.Spreadthe mixture on thebakingsheet ina singlelayer with gaps forairflow.Bake15minutes, flip andbake another10minutes until golden. Cool for30 minutes before storing.

NO-BAKE CASHEW COCONUT BITES

Yield: 32 pieces |Total Time:1 hr,10mins

•½ cupmedjool dates, chopped,tightly packed

•1 cuproasted,unsaltedcashews

•1 cupshreddedcoconut flakes, unsweetened

•½ cupoats

•½ teaspooncinnamon

•2 tablespoons chia seeds

•½ tablespoonpuremaple syrup

•2 tablespoons coconutoil,melted

•½ teaspoonvanillaextract

Blitzdates andcashews in afoodprocessor until chopped.Add coconut, oats andcinnamon, andpulse.Add in chia seeds, maplesyrup, coconutoil andvanillaand pulseuntil combined. Pressintoa parchment-linedloafpan andrefrigerate until firm.Slice into squares.

PEANUT BUTTER STUFFED DATES

Yield: 1dozen |Total Time:1 hr,15mins

•12Medjool dates, pitted

•¼ cuppeanutbutter

•¼ cuproasted peanuts, chopped

•2 tablespoons dark chocolate, chopped

Slice dateslengthwiseand remove pits. Fill each date with 1teaspoonpeanutbutter. Sprinklethe sticky peanut butter with chopped peanuts anddarkchocolate. Chillbeforeserving.

Easy giftable treats: 3No-Bake PeanutButter Delights for the Holidays

Amongthe optionsfor holiday recipes, there’sa classicduo that is always popular: peanut butter andchocolate.We’re goingtogivethe oven abreak todayaswecraft threeno-bake wonders.

By PattiDiamond,Divas on aDime

THE EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

Yield: 40 pieces |Total Time:1 hr

4cupsgranulatedsugar

1cup milk

2cupspeanutbutter

1tablespoonbutter

1tablespoonvanillaextract

Line a9x13 baking panwithparchment paperand setaside.Ina heavybottomedsaucepan, setovermediumheat, slowly bringmilk andsugartoaboil. Boil forexactly4minutes, stirring constantly to dissolvethe sugar into themilk.Overcooking leadstocrumbly fudge. Remove from heat,stirinpeanutbutter, butter andvanillauntil well-incorporated and smooth.Pourintoyourpreparedpan,let cool completely, then cutintodelicious squares.

Tobias Arhelger, stock.adobe.com

The followingrecipes requiremeltedchocolate. Meltingchocolate in themicrowave is aquick andeasy process. Breakyourchocolate into small,uniform pieces to ensure even melting.Place them in a microwave-safe bowl andheatin15-secondintervals,stirring after each interval. This prevents overheating andmaintains asmoothtexture. Typically, it takesaround1to2minutes, depending on thequantityand type of chocolate. Just be patient, stir well andyou’llberewardedwithsilky, smooth chocolate.

PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES

Yield: 90 pieces |Total Time:1 hr

3½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

1½ cups creamy peanut butter

8tablespoons butter,softened 1tablespoonvanillaextract

½teaspoontable salt

2½ cups chocolatechips or chocolatecandy coating

Mixpowdered sugar, peanut butter,butter, vanillaand salt until well-combined.Shape into 1-inchballs, placingthem on waxed or parchmentpaper.Let ballsstand for20minutes until firm.Meltchocolate accordingtodirections. Usingafork or skewer,dip each ball in thechocolate andlet them setto harden. Storecovered in acool, dryplace.

NewAfrica, stock.adobe.com

NO BAKE CHOCOLATEPEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Yield: 30 sandwich cookies| Total: 1hr30mn

1cup peanut butter

60 butterycrackers (suchasRitz, 2sleeves)

2½ cups chocolatechips or chocolatecandy coating

Line abakingsheet with parchmentorwaxed paper. Spread a generous 1teaspoonofpeanutbutterontohalfofthe crackers, then topwiththe remainingcrackers.Put them on your preparedbakingsheet andrefrigerate until firm (20-30 minutes). Melt chocolateaccordingtodirections. Dipeachsandwichinto chocolatetocoatand refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes). Storeinanairtightcontainer foruptoone week.

Wishes

AlenaKos, stock.adobe.com

GIVING

for the seniorwho has everything

Someseniors have acquired so much “stuff”overthe yearsthatitfeels like they have nearly everything andmore. If you’ve held off buying agift forasenior in your lifebecause youdon’t know what to getsomeone whoalready has everything, here area fewgift ideasthatwould be most welcome.

•Gift certificatesfor rides, restaurant meals, laundryservices, auto detailing, spaorhairsalon services.

•Gift basket createdespeciallyfor your senior,suchasgourmet food,cheese, jams or chocolate. Or considera subscription to aquarterly or monthly gift club.Options range from fruit baskets to bacon, coffee andcigars or cupcakes.

•Pay forayearofcable TV,the daily newspaper, magazinesubscriptionora streamingservice.

•Two ticketstoa play or otherevent whereyou’llaccompanyyoursenior, or apairofmovie passes so your seniorcan take afriend.

•Pay forasenior’slifelonglearning class, either at thesenior centeror nearby university, andarrange for transportation.

•Put together abox of useful things,like stamps,notecards andaddresslabels, alongwithacalendarwithlarge print.

•Makesingleserving mealsfor the

freezer.Havethe grandkidsdecorate labels foreachmealwithwords of love.

•Don’t leaveout your ownparticipation andthatofyourchildren. Asmall couponbookfull of services youcan do year round, such as cleaning, painting aroom, weedingthe garden, raking

leaves andcheckingexpiration dates on food in thecupboardall will be appreciated.

•Sendfresh flowers, or better yet, deliver abouquet of themonth yourself. What do seniors really want most? Thegift of your time.

HAPPY at HOME

CELEBRATETHE JOYOFTIME TOGETHER

Thesmells of Christmasare thesmells of childhood. —Richard Paul Evans

Kindness is likesnow. It beautifies everything it covers. —Kahlil Gibran

Hanukkahisabout thesparkofthe divine in allofusmade visiblethrough hope,resilience, andjoy.— Unknown

Thegreatestlegacywecan leaveour childrenishappy memories.– Og Mandino

Winter Wishes

ByAmy Anderson

I3From-the-HeartDIY

fyou’reheadedintothisholiday season thinking timesare toughand moneyistight,Ihavegoodnews: Themostmeaningful giftsdon’t come from astore;theycomefromyourtime, effort andthoughtfulness. Thinkofhow abox of candyfroma storeis nice,but freshlybaked cookies in your favorite flavor hitdifferently Just becauseit’sDIY doesn’tmeanitcan’t be cute andusable foranyoneonyourlist. Here arethree simple,heartfelt DIYprojects —pineconefirestarters,a jarofencouragement notesand ahand-painted flowerpot—tospark your creative (and thrifty) gift-givingplans

1.

Pinecone Fire Starters

Foranyonewitha fireplace or fire pit,thiscozy, thoughtful gift perfectly addswarmthand ambiance on acold night.

Supplies Needed:

•Clean,dry pinecones

•Wax (old candles,soy wax, or paraffin)

•Wicktrimmings or candle wicks (optional, helps with lighting)

•Muffintin or oldcupcake liners

•Essential oils (like cinnamon, pine,orcedar)for fragrance (optional)

•Twine or ribbon forbundling

To Make theFireStarters:

1. Melt wax carefullyin adouble boiler or heat-safe container. Add

essential oils or fragrances (if using) andstir.

2. Wrap wick around pinecone,leavingacoupleofinchesstickingout for lighting.

3. Dippinecones into wax, coating thoroughly;allow to cool andharden. Repeat forstrongercoating.

4. Before wax dries, sprinkle on anyof thefollowing forextra flair(or flare).

•Dried herbs (lavender,rosemary)for acharminglook

•Glitter,which will sparkleas it burns

•Table salt forayellowglow, Epsomsaltfor awhite glow, Borax foragreen glow

5. Bundle afew pineconeswithribbon forgifting.

GiftstoMake with LOVE

2.

Encouragement Jar

Provide ongoingsupport andlove throughout theyearwithajar of notes that canbereadanytime they areneeded.It’slikegivingsomeone ahug for everyhardday.

Supplies Needed:

•Mason jarordecorativecontainer

•Colorfulpaper or index cards

•Pensormarkers

•Ribbon, stickers,orwashi tape for decoration

To Assemblethe Jar:

1. Cutpaper into slips.

2. Writeprompts like “Openwhenyou feel discouraged,”“Open when youneed alaugh,” “Openwhenyou miss me.”

Addheartfelt notes, quotes, or memories on each.

3. Fold andplace notesintothe jar.

4. Decorate thejar with ribbon,stickers, or alabel.

5. Presentitwithinstructions: “Open onewheneveryou need alift,” or You’re lovedevery day.”

3.

Hand-PaintedFlowerpot

Gardenersoften have plants to spare (and share). Combineyourplant babies with aprettybut simplepainted pot, and your gift recipientcan enjoyboththe pot andthe living plantinside.Itwill make them smile andthinkofyou everytime they waterthe plant.

Supplies Needed:

•Plain terra-cottaorceramic flowerpot

•Acrylic paints or paintpens

•Paintbrushes

•Clear sealantspray (toprotect design)

•Small plant, herb,or flowersfrom your garden

To Paintthe Pot:

1. Cleanand drythe pot.

2. Sketch asimpledesignorpaint freehand—think florals, geometricpatterns, or wordsofencouragement.Handprints of children work very well forgrandparentgifts.

3. Allowpaint to dry, then spraywith sealant.

4. Planta flower,herb, or succulentfrom your garden inside.

5. Addahandmadegift tagfor a finishingtouch.

Gift-givingisnot aboutperfection, but intention. When youthink it through andput effortintothe execution, ahandmade gift carries love in everydetail.

Celebrate theSeason With Winter Lights

Create awarmglowona winter nightwiththese easy-to-make projects.

By DonnaErickson

Candles glow this monthonour advent wreath,onmyhusband’s birthday cake andonour frontporch to welcome guests throughout theholidayseason. Different occasions,different meanings, butthe candles areuniversal. There’ssomethingabout that small circleoflight that has drawn people together since thebeginningoftime. So no matter what you’re celebratingthisholiday season,light acandleand let itsgentleflickerdrawyou closer to the people andcommunity youlove.

LUMINARIAS

Your children will keep busy indoorsaddingtheir creativetouches to these“paper lamps,”and thewhole family will enjoysetting them outside before dusk.Place flickeringlightsalong apathway to your home,oronadeckor porchtowelcome eveningguests.

FLOATING VOTIVES

Fill atall,clear vase one-thirdfull with freshcranberries. Addwater anda candle floating on topnearthe rim.

Fold thetop of apaper lunchbag over 1inchtoform acuff. Useapaper punchtocreatedotteddesigns belowthe cuff on thetop half of thebag.Or, decorate with stickers.Bring thebagsoutside,poura cuportwo of sand in each oneand place avotivecandleinthe center. Line your walkwaywithdozensofbagsifyou wish,or clusterseveral together on your porch. Make extra luminarias andshare them with your neighborstolight up your street.

Winter Wishes

DonnaErickson

CANDLESINAJAR

Pour 1cup of sand into aclear,glass canningorjam jarand nestle avotivecandleinthe sand.Makeseveral foraneye-catchingdisplay.

OUTDOOR ICECANDLES

Fill aballoonwithwater untilitisthe size of asoftball.Blowonceintothe balloonand tieaknot. Place in aplastic bowl or deli containerand setinthe freezer forabout 6hours.Onceathickshell of ice has formed inside theballoonbut youstill hear some watersloshinginside theshell,pop theballoonand discard of it properly.Pourthe excesswater outtoleave acavityinthe middle whereavotivecandlewill laterbeplaced. Refreeze.

At sunset, remove from thefreezer,place a votive candle in thecavityand light it outside.It will sparklelikecrystal!

If youmakethe ice candles in an area where thetemperature is abovefreezingthe next day, storeitinyourfreezer

Indoor use: Fill adecorativebowlwithsnow or chippedice.Set theice candle in themiddle of theice,and light fora centerpiece on abuffet table.

Safety note: An adultshouldalwaysbepresent when burningcandles. Keep an eyeonburning candles (and neverleave children unsupervised around burningcandles).

SNOWBALL LAMP

Afterasnowfall,besuretoinclude all ages in making thesnowball lamp.

In your yard,arrange 12-14 snowballstogetherin aringshape.Securelynestleavotiveorpillarcandle in themiddle of thering. Adda second ring of 10-12 snowballsontop of thefirst.Continuetopilesnowball ringsontop,makingeachringslightly smaller than the onebeforeuntil youare leftwitha small opening at the toplarge enough foryou to reachintolight thecandleatsunset. Thecheeryglowofthe candle will shine throughthe snowballs.

DonnaErickson

By DonnaErickson

IPick aPen From a Holiday Bouquet

love howsimple, decorative holiday touches add charm, sparkleand extra glitztoour home.Evenour draband dull calendararea in thekitchen gets aseasonallift.

“Out”withaboringcontainer jam-packedwithmismatched pens,markersand unsightly pencils, and“in”withacolorful, mock floral bouquet of spiffedup new, inexpensive pens that I decorate andarrange in afavorite bowl.Nolongerdullsville, now shinymini ball ornaments, glittery starsand bright-red poinsettias topthe slim pens to brighten thespace forthe holidays.

Notonlyattractive andhandy, they arealsoa thoughtful token to give friends when they come by forholiday visits andgatherings. NowIjustsay,“Pick apen!”before adults andkidsheadout the door.It’sanice little mementoof ourtimetogether.

Then, purchaseseveralpens, such as roundstick pens that areflatontop.

2. Attach toppersusinggreen floral tape.Place a stem or wire of theobjectgoingupwardabout 11/2 inches from theend of thepen with theflowerorcharm on thetop endofthe pen. Hold in place andwrapthe entire lengthofthe penwiththe tape.Wrapwitha slight angle to preventbunching.

Here’s howto do theeasycraft,perfect for involvingyourkids:

1. Gather silk flowersand holiday charms with wire attached to decorate thetopsofthe pens.

Alternatemethodusing a glue gun: An adultshould carefullyremovethe button at theend of thepen with an X-acto-style knife. Insert a tine stem or narrow part of an objectinthe hole andsecure in place with thegluegun. Wrap with tape as described above.

3. Arrange pens in apretty containerfilled with whiterice or Arboriorice.

Extraidea: Usedecorated pens as placecards at your holiday table. Setone by each plateovera mini notepad. On thetop page,write the guest’s name.

Winter Wishes

DonnaErickson

Fragrant & Natural

Make

pomander balls for holiday decorand gift-giving

By DonnaErickson

Inserting wholeclovesintoa firm appleorcitrus fruit to create what is knownasapomander is alovelytraditional craft youmight remember doing when youwereyoung.‘Tisthe season to pass this artful funontoyourown kids or grandkids. Easy to make,pomander balls’ rustic beauty andholiday scent make them unique giftsfor friends andneighborsthat will last long into thenew year.

Forthisversionusingapples,you’llneed to do some shoppingfor just twoingredients: wholeclovesand apples. Ieconomize by buying cloves in bulk at our neighborhood co-opgrocerystore.You mayalso find them in jars in thespice sectionofmostmarkets. Use anysize appleyou prefer. This year,Ichose cute, small snack-size apples ratherthanlargerones, whichmakes creating alovelyclove-studdedapple easier forkidsto completeinone sitting.

Here’s the stuff forone pomander ball covered with cloves:

•Fresh, firm apple

•Whole cloves

•Narrowfestive ribbon

•Toothpick or bamboo skewer

•Gift boxto fit finishedpomander ball andone sheet of tissuepaper (for gift-giving)

Here’s the fun:

To coverthe entire applewithcloves, usethe toothpick or bamboo skewer andpokeseveral evenly spaced small holes making acircularpattern throughthe apple skin, beginningnearthe topstem. Insert cloves oneby oneintothese holes, like a“dottodot”activity. (Leave space betweenthe cloves, as theapple will shrink in size.) Continue making holes around andaroundthe appleand fillingthemwithclovesuntil youreach thebase.

Foragift,decoratethe clove-studdedapple by criss-crossingcolorfulribbonarounditverticallyonce or twice andtoppingitwithalooptohanginawindowsill or on awreath. Fora nice presentation,set in small gift boxwith tissuepaper.Whenthe recipientliftsthe lid,the delicious,spicy scentwillpermeatethe air.

DonnaErickson

Cute & Edible

HOWTOMAKEA MARSHMALLOWSNOWMAN

Onacold, wintry day, whip up asnack with thekidsthatpairs perfectlywith ahot cupofcocoa!Children love assembling —and then eating —these cute marshmallowsnowmen.Assemblesupplies andunleashyourcreativity.

Supplies Needed:

•Large whitemarshmallows

•Stick pretzels,for connecting andfor arms andlegs

•Writing icing, jelliedfruit,large sprin-

kles,fruit leather, etc. fordecoration

Usingstick pretzels,connect threemarshmallowsstacked oneontop of theother.

Usepretzels forarmsand legs.

Usewriting icingtocreateaface,buttons down thefront or to outlineascarf between thetop andmiddle marshmallows. Getcreativeand useawedge of jelliedfruit fora nose or astrip of fruit leatherasa scarf. Make sure yougiveyoursnowman abig smile or aplayful smirk.

Admiretheneat!

Winter Wishes

AdobeStock Azurita

Hanukkah Craft and Play

Make aDreidel Decoration andTreat Container

By DonnaErickson

DuringHanukkah, theJewishfestivalof lights, children play atraditional game with adreidel, afour-sided Hanukkah top. You andyourkidscan create your owndreidel-shaped decoration to give as aparty favor, arrange on aholiday tableoruse as averyspecial boxfor a small gift.

Here’s the stuff youneed:

•1 half-pintclean anddry cardboardmilk carton or asmall,squarebox

•Stapler

•Tempera or acrylic paints

•Markers andpencil

•Decoratingmaterials such as coloredtissue, foil,paper strips, glitter, fabric scraps

•Household glue

Here’s the fun:

Place thesupplies on anewspaper-covered table. If youare making thedreideltobeusedas agift box, putsometissuepaper inside themilk carton or box. Then tuck thegift in thetissuepaper. If you’re usinga milk carton,carefullystaple shut thespout of thecartonand paintit, covering it completely. Letdry.

Turn thecartonupside down,and usethe marker or paintinsqueezebottles to writeadifferent Hebrew letteroneachofthe four sides. They beginthe Hebrew wordsthatmean, “a great miracle happened here.” (Gotowww.holidays. net/chanukah/dreidel.html to seehow to write theletters.You’llalsobeabletoreadthe wordsto thesong, hear themelodyand play thegame.)

Decorate thecartonorbox.Ifyou’reusinga carton,pokeapencilthrough thebottomsothat thedecorationlooks like atop.(If thereisagift inside,besuretopokecarefully!)

If you’re usinga box, poke thepencilall theway throughitand outthe otherend.

DonnaErickson

diy Doughs

By DonnaErickson

Doyou want to make some doughwiththe kids this weekend? Putawaythe eggs and thebutter, becausehereare tworecipes forafamilyholiday craft youcan enjoythat doesn’t involveeating. Theholidaysare busy,sodiscoverhow nice it is to pauseand simply do somethingfun together.

Whetherit’sasimpledough of flour, salt andwater,oranaromaticdough requiringonly twoingredients in very oddproportion—equal partsapplesauce andcinnamon —creativityisendlessasyou shapeeye-catchingornaments foryourtreeorasagift tag, or builda mini indoor snowman.

DonnaErickson

Salt Dough

This traditional salt-doughrecipe, whichiseasytomix androll outorsculpt, is akeeper. Once thecreations areslow-baked in an oven, grab paints,glueand glitterfromyourcraft drawer, buttons andbeads from ajar,and getcrafting.

Here’s thebasic stuff youneed:

•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 cupsalt

•1 cupwater

•Medium-size mixingbowl, rollingpin, cookie sheet

•Toothpick or straw

•Acrylic paints

•White household glue,optional

•Ribbonorwire

•Cookiecutters

Mixthe flour, salt andwater together in amedium-size bowl. Kneadseveraltimes on a flouredboard or countertop.Ifthe dough is toodry,justadd abit more water. It it’s toosticky, add flour. Now youare readytoshape andbakethe dough. To theright aretwo ideas to getyourstarted:

Make Holiday Ornaments

Roll outthe doughwitharollingpin to 1/2-inch thickness. Dipcookiecutters in flourand cutout your favorite shapes. Poke aholenearthe topwitha toothpickorstraw forhanging on atreeorgarland,or throughribbons on thetop of presents.

Make Whimsical Sculptures

Play with some of theclayinyourhands andshape into asnowman,house,birdorreindeer.

Bake thecutouts or small sculptures on atrayinan oven heated to 250Ffor about1 1/2 hours, or until doughishardtothe touch. Cool completelyona rack.

Paintwithacrylic paints andlet dry. Forextra shine, coat with whitehousehold glue. Thread ribbon or wire throughornaments, twistortie.

ExtraIdea: Make your owncookiecuttershapes forsmall handstograbontobybendingand shaping with pliersthe open endofsmall tomato sauce cans. Shapeintoasymbolofthe season,suchasa star.

Youdefinitely won’twanttoeat this concoction,but youcan enjoyits deliciousscentascut-outsfor tree ornaments, gift tags andevenjewelry for holiday gifts. Welcome to AppleCinnamonDough!

Here’s what you’ll need for asmall batchofdoughtostart:

•1/2 cupgroundcinnamon (purchaseinbulk)

•1/2 cupcommercialapplesauce (homemadeis toorunny)

Here’s thefun:

Mixtogetherequal partscinnamon andcommerciallymade applesauce.If it gets abit sticky,add more cinnamon. If it’s toostiff,try more applesauce.

Scoopontoapiece of waxedpaper, place anothersheet on topand roll it

out until it’s almost 1/2 inch thick. Stop anddecide what “charms” forjewelry or ornament shapes youwould like to create —stars,hearts, pine trees, alphabetletters,etc.Use cookie cuttersyou have,ormakeyourown templatesby cuttingout pieces of cardboardfroma cerealbox in thedesired shapes. Place on topofthe doughand trim away the dougharoundthe pattern.

Useadrinkingstraw to poke ahole in shapes forthreadinglater onto ribbon or string.Use atoothpick and carvedetails,suchasscales on a fish or asmile on acrescentmoon.

Time to decorate!Usingacrylic craft paints in squeezebottles, create patternsofany kind on your shapes. Dry.

Fashionapin or broochbygluinga clasponthe back,ormakeanecklace by stringingtogethera fewalphabetlettershapesorsmaller charms.Tie a string throughthe hole forornaments. Forgift decorations, make shapes of objects that areacluetowhatisinside thepackage.For example,ifyou are giving Uncle Jimawindbreaker for sailing, make asailboatshape.Tie it to theribbononthe gift,and it will be like giving twopresentsinone.

When complete, place them on a coolingrackand allow them to air-dry forabout 24 hoursormoreuntil they arenice andhard. Or,anadult mayset them on abakingsheet andplace in a 200 Fovenfor abouttwo hoursoruntil hard.

Winter Wishes

Aromatic Apple Cinnamon Dough

Memory in aBottle

Shake Up aSnow Globe with Memories of YourYear

By DonnaErickson

There’s somethingmagical aboutasnowglobe. Whocan resist shakingaliquid-filled decoration to watch it “snow”?Iknowfamilies that collect them on their summer vacations, andonoccasionthey give them agood shake, turn them upright andthensmile with thememories. Nowyou canmakeyourown to commemorate somethingspecial youdid in this year. Reminiscewithyourkidsabout activities your family enjoyedthispastyear, andthenmakeamemorysnow globeusingasmall waterproof objecttorepresent the activity or event. Here’s how:

First,you want to have avisionfor your sceneand how it will be contained. Will youneed alittlejar,afat jarora skinnyjar?Atall jamjar mightaccommodatethatplastic bear figureasareminder of acamping trip at anational park.Ababy-food jarwould make aperfect home fora little rubber starfish to representthe sealifeyou observed at an aquarium.It’sall up to youand your imagination.

Step 1: Fill thejar with waterand shaketotestthe lid fortightness.Pour thewater out, remove thepaper label andlet it drycompletely.

Step 2: Choose aclean,waterprooftoy,gamepiece,travelsouvenir or trinkettoinhabit theimaginary world. Place it temporarilyinside thelid and lowerthe jardownoverit, just to make sure it fits andallowsenoughspace for the“snow”tofall when complete. An adultshouldgluethe objectonthe inside of thelid with water-resistantglue, such as aquarium sealantfromyour localpet store. Letdry 24 hours.

Step 3: Fill thejar almost to the topwithbabyoil,oruse distilled water with afew dropsofglycerin added. Sprinkle glitterorwaterproofconfetti into theliquid.Anadult shouldapplywater-resistantgluetothe outside groovesofthe jarrim andcarefully screwonthe lid.Stand thejar with lid enduptodry for24hours.

Hot Cocoa Mix

•2 tablespoons or single-serving packageofyourfavoriteinstant hotcocoa mix

•1 teaspoonmini chocolatechips

•chopped peppermintfromacandy cane (optional)

•10-12 minimarshmallows

Usingafunnel, add ingredientsone by oneinorder,beginningwiththe hot cocoamix. Replace capand tieontag with aribbon.

Directionsontag:

Single-Serve HotCocoa.Justadd to a mugofhot waterand stir.

Create Ornaments With DipMix and Hot Cocoa Mix Inside

‘Tis theseasonoffestive parties, carolingchoirs, bakingand shopping. Andoh, what funitistoshopwhenstrolling throughoutdoor European-style markets, sippinghot cider whilepurchasinglocallysourced andhomemade goodslike maplesyrup,seasonednutsand tangyjamsand jellies.

Ialsofeelthe holiday spirit when Ipop in at acraft fair whereI can chat with localvendors,like9-year-oldAidan Bispala, whoset up shopwithhis sister andfriends in aneighborhood craft boutique to benefitthe music department at hispublic school.A topseller of the kid-crafted goodswas thehot cocoamix andthe dipmix ornaments trimmingapinetreebyhis cashbox.

He methodicallyexplained howheusedafunneland spooned cocoamix, topped off with severalmini marshmallowsintoaclear, cleanornament, andhow he carefullymeasuredherbs andspicesto create hisveggiedip mix ornament.Hereplaced themetal caps (“the toughest part,” he said) andtiedontagswith“how-to-use”recipe directionshis momdesignedontheir computer.Healsomade extras, aclevergift to delivertofriends andneighbors this week.

Here aretwo ideasfor creating theseornaments in your kitchen with school-age kids.Start with clean, food-safeclear ornamentswith capoff,thenset outingredients, measuringutensils, ribbonsand recipe tags, assembly-linefashion.

Dill Dip Mix

•1 teaspoondried dill weed

•1/4 teaspoonsalt

•1 teaspoononion flakes

•1 teaspoonparsley flakes

Mixinasmall bowl with spout. Pour throughafunnel into theornament. Replace capand tieontag with aribbon.

Directionsontag:

Addmix to 1/2 cupsourcream and1/2 cupmayonnaise. Stir until blended. Refrigerate twohours.Serve with crisp veggies or chips.

OFFLINEFUN Create aholiday zine for creative gifting

By AmyAnderson

If youare lookingfor an activity that requires no specializedskill,isengagingfor all ages andendswith acharmingtakeawaythatisquirky, deeply personal andmaybe aperfect handmade gift,looknofurther than zines —tinyhandmademagazines that tell a zinemaker’s storyinsix to eight pages.

Zinesare small,foldedpaper booklets decorated with drawingsand glued-oncutouts, andmarkedup with wordsand doodles, many communicatinginformationabout acause or promotingmusic, writing andart. These“fanzines”are funtocreateand don’t requireany artistic talentor creative writingskills— they canbeaselaborate or as simpleasyou like,with no points off forimperfection. It’s allabout your personalviewpoint,and DIYis definitely part of thevibe. Here’s howtocreateone of your own:

Supplies Needed:

Onesheet of standard printerpaper (8.5x11orA4)

Scissors

Glue stick

Pens,markers, or otherart supplies

Cutoutsfromprinted pages, magazinesorother materialstocreatecollages

Winter Wishes

Folding Instruction:

1.

Fold thepaper in half lengthwise(hotdog style), then unfold.

2.

Fold in half widthwise(hamburgerstyle), then fold each short endtothe centertomake eightsmall panels.

3.

Cutthe centercreasehalfway throughthe page from thefoldededge.

4.

Turn bottom flapsout to aT shape, then fold into aplusshape.

5.

Pinchtogethersothe paperforms abooklet with pagesthatturn.

6.

Crease edges firmly so thezineholds its shape.

7.

Unfold to decorate each page within its square.See imagefor howpages will display. Decorate thebackside as ahidden poster!

Winter Wishes

A Christmas Timeline

Telesphorus,the second Bishopof Rome,declared in the 2nd centuryAD that public Church services shouldbe heldtocelebrate “TheNativityofour Lord andSavior.”

In 320 AD, Pope Julius Iand otherreligiousleadersspecified Dec. 25 as the official date of thebirth of JesusChrist.

In the 13th century, St.Francis of Assisi introducedChristmas carols into formal church services.

In1531, in Germany, the firstprinted referencetoChristmas treesappeared. TheChristmas tree was firstdecorated with lightsinthe 16thcentury.Accordingtolegend, Martin Luther,the Protestant reformer,was so takenwith theChristmas night skythatheadded lighted candles to thetreetobring “the lightsofthe stars” into thehomeofhis family

A goose wascustomary Christmas fare untilthe early1600s, when King Henry VIII of Englandtookituponhimself to tuck into aturkey.

The firstAmericanChristmas carolwas written in 1649 by aminister named John de Brebeur.Itiscalled“JesusIs Born.”

Between1649 and1660, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas carols in England. Cromwell thoughtChristmas shouldbeaverysolemn day, so the only celebrationallowed wasa sermon andprayerservice.

In 1818, “SilentNight”was writtenby Austrian priest Joseph Mohr.Legend has it that hischurch’sorgan broke on theday before Christmas.Mohr couldnot imagineChristmas without music, so he satdowntowrite acarol that couldbesungbyachoir to guitar music. Laterthatnight,the people in thelittleAustrianchurchsang“Stille Nacht” forthe firsttime. Photocredits: SantaMaria Gloriosadei Frari, CC

In 1643, theBritish Parliament officially abolishedthe celebrationofChristmas.

In 1834, QueenVictoria’shusband,PrinceAlbert, brought the firstChristmas tree to WindsorCastlefor theRoyal family.

In 1836, Alabama became the firststate to declareChristmas alegalholiday

The firstcommercialChristmas card,produced in 1846, featured adrawing of family membershappily toasting each otherwithglasses of wine —ashockinglydecadentportrait that wasimmediately condemned by temperanceadvocates.

In 1856, President Franklin Pierce decoratedthe firstWhite HouseChristmas tree.

In1937, the firstpostage stamptocommemorate Christmas wasissued in Austria.

In 1945, a phonograph album containingBingCrosby’ssignature song,“WhiteChristmas,” wasreleased. Therecording wouldgoontobecomethe best-sellingsingleever, with sales of more than 50 millioncopies worldwide.

In 1955, NORAD“Tracks Santa”begins. Amisprinted Searsadled kids to call theCONAD opscenter; thetradition became NORAD’sannualSanta Tracker.

In 1964, Rankin/Bassstop-motionclassic “Rudolphthe Red-Nosed Reindeer”TVspecial premiered,followedayear laterby“ACharlie BrownChristmas.”

In 1983, Disney ParksChristmas DayParade —ABC’s annual Christmas morningbroadcast from theparks became holiday viewingfor many families.

In 1907, Oklahoma became thelaststate to declareChristmas alegalholiday

In 1994, Mariah Carey’smodernclassic “All IWantfor Christmas Is You” was firstreleased, issued as theleadsingle from “Merry Christmas.” Sincethen, it has since become a U.S. holiday standard andrecurring No.1.

Getready foragreat newbeginning to 2026 with a NewYear’sEve celebrationthatinvolves thewhole family. Startthe eveningoutside with ice-skating,hiking, sledding, flag football,capture the flag or anotheractive game that is funfor allages. Then move indoorsfor a meal of soup,steworchili,along with saladand bread. Foraspecial surprise before or after themeal, open homemade NewYear’scrackers. They areaneasy-tocreate variationonEnglish Christmas crackers —party favors that make acracking soundwhenyou open them. Theseare asilentversion, butjustasfun. Make them aheadoftime, andthey’ll be readytodelight everyone at theparty.

Gather recycled cardboardtubes from papertowels or your holiday gift wrap andcut to 6-inchlengths. Fill each small tube with small, inexpensive itemssuch as folded-paperparty hats, whistles, wrappedcandy,a luckypenny, tiny Post-it notes, afun pencil with snow-

Countdown to the New Year, family style

men printedonit, flavored Chapstickorcolorfulstring anddirectionstomakeacat’s cradle.For aspecial thought, tuck in astrip of paperwithameaningful or funnyquote from awell-known person your kids love or admire. It mightbea quotefromMr. Rogers anda memorablelinefromKermitthe Frog.Add funnylittle fortunes basedonthe interestsand activities of the person receiving it.

Wrap each filled tube with festivepaper.Large,colorfulpaper dinner napkinsare already“cuttosize”and work perfectly. Twistthe twoendsand tiewithribbon. Insteadofusingribbon, school-age children might prefer threadingsomeplastic beadsonpliable floral or bright-copper wire.

Addstickersand nametags on theoutside,and then place them in abig basket or at each person’s place setting at thetable.Let everyone open thecrackers at the same time andreadtheir fortunes aloud.

ACelebrationofCarnival is on sale now and is agreat gift foranyonewho lovesMardiGras. This 120-page, heirloom-quality hardcover book from The Times-Picayune features Arthur Hardy’sintimate stories behind five decades of purple, gold,and green.Whether youremember saving throws from the’80s, bringing your children to their first parade in the’90s,or celebrating our resilience in recent years, this book honorsyour memories andthe traditionsyou’vepassed down.Arthur Hardy has preserved the soul of what makes us NewOrleanians, making this theperfect holiday gift foranyone whoholds Carnival closetotheir heart.