When the private plane carrying Lane Kiffin landed Sunday night, it pulled into a hangar out of sight from a small crowd of fans who had gathered in the misty cold. They peered through a chain-link fence, trying to see the new LSU head coach. Kiffin was greeted inside by school officials, then he got into a car along with his family and the coaches he brought with him from Ole Miss.
Escorted by police, four black Chevrolet Suburbans pulled out of the hangar to bring him to the LSU football operations building There was no sign of Kiffin himself as the fans chanted “LSU” until he rolled down his window With his agent Jimmy Sexton on the phone, Kiffin pumped his fist and gave a thumbs up, drawing a loud cheer
“We’re never losing again,” one man declared.
“He’s going to win five
ä See LANE, page 4A
ä Scott Rabalais: The Lane Kiffin experience is at LSU and it will be like nothing before. Page 1B
ä Kiffin appears to be
Natchez mayor dedicated to revitalizing village
Patsy Ward Hoover says fight is ‘for another generation’
BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer
NATCHEZ Natchez Mayor Patsy Ward Hoover weeds as she walks, plucking errant grass from flower beds beside city buildings in the city park and along her property, just down the road.
“Got ’em,” she said, clad in cowboy boots and a gold cross, holding up a bit of crabgrass with a grin. Ward Hoover had been on her knees, weeding around the flowers beneath a city sign, when a state senator pulled up in 2023 with some news: Her tiny village, which for years had struggled with a mold, rat and asbestos-infested
City Hall, had won $250,000 for a new building. It would be small, just 1,400 square feet. It would be temporary But to Ward Hoover, a longtime activist and local politician, it represented a new era for Natchez, one she’d been fighting for via months of daily calls to lawmakers, to the governor, to anyone who would listen.
“I refused to let it go,” Ward Hoover 73, said as she stood last month beside the fresh building, framed by rose bushes. It was hours before the village was set to host its National Night Out. Since she started in 2022 as mayor of the lesser-known Natchez, a poor, close-knit community in Natchitoches Parish, Ward Hoover has made beauty a priority. That’s meant planting, clearing and
ä See MAYOR, page 5A
Oct. 7.
A vast sugar cane field blankets more than 700 acres just north of the Sunshine Bridge near Donaldsonville, the Mississippi River bending north around the land before reversing direction as it flows toward New Orleans.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Natchez Mayor Patsy Ward Hoover streams the National Night Out Against Crime party on Facebook to get residents to come to Natchez Pecan Park in Natchez on
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
Staff writer
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Indonesians hunt for food, water after floods
MEDAN, Indonesia Some residents of the flood-hit Indonesian island of Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, authorities said Sunday, while Sri Lankan officials said deaths from floods and mudslides in that island nation have risen to 193.
The floods, which hit Indonesia nearly a week ago, have killed 442 people — with the number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered and displaced 290,700 people as nearly 3,000 houses damaged, including 827 that were flattened or swept out by floods.
The deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island, and downed communication lines, prompting officials and limited communities using Starlink satellite internet for relief operations.
Another 402 people are missing in Indonesia’s three provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh, according to the National Disaster Management Agency
The challenging weather conditions and the lack of heavy equipment also hampered rescue efforts. Aid has been slow to reach the hardest-hit city of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra Videos on social media showed people scrambling past crumbling barricades, flooded roads and broken glass to get their hands on food, medicine and gas. Some waded through waist-deep floodwaters to reach damaged convenience stores.
Death toll in Hong Kong complex blaze at 146 HONG KONG The death toll in Hong Kong’s apartment complex blaze rose to 146 on Sunday as investigators discovered more bodies in the burned-out buildings. A steady stream of people placed bouquets of flowers at an ever-growing makeshift memorial at the scene of the disaster, among the worst in the city’s history
The Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit has been going through the buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex meticulously and has found bodies both in apartment units and on the roofs, said the officer in charge, Cheng Kachun.
The buildings remain structurally sound, but the search has been slow, he told reporters, still wearing his white coveralls with his hard hat and respiratory mask at his side. “It is so dark inside, and because of the low light, it is very difficult to do the work, especially in places away from the windows.”
So far the team has examined four of the seven blocks, Cheng said.
Lost Rubens painting sells for $2.7M VERSAILLES, France A long-lost painting by Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, which was hidden for more than four centuries, sold at $2.7 million at an auction Sunday in Versailles.
The painting was recently found in a private townhouse in Paris. It depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was part of a French collection and was initially thought to be from one of the many Rubens workshops that existed at the time. The artwork was rarely valued at more than $11,500 “I immediately had a hunch about this painting, and I did everything I could to try to have it authenticated,” auctioneer JeanPierre Osenat said “And finally, we managed to have it authenticated by the Rubenianum, which is the Rubens committee in Antwerp.”
CORRECTION
The headline on the story Sunday about plans for a new Mississippi River bridge south of Baton Rouge incorrectly said those plans have slowed Rather, state Department of Transportation and Development officials said they are weighing location and funding options. The project is currently in the environmental review phase The Advocate regrets the error
Rubio: U.S.-Ukraine talks productive
Official says much work remains on deal to end war with Russia
BY JOSH BOAK and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — U.S. and Ukrai-
nian officials completed roughly four hours of talks Sunday aimed at finding an endgame to the war between Russia and Ukraine, just days before a U.S. envoy is due in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters afterward that the session with the Ukrainian team in Florida was productive but work remains in the search for a peace deal.
“It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” Rubio said. “It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity I think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done.”
President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to meet with Putin in Moscow in the next few days.
Rubio, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, represented the American side in the high-level talks, held at a sensitive time as Ukraine continues to push back against Russian forces that invaded in 2022 while dealing with a corruption scandal.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force
One that he was briefed by them and that “Ukraine’s got some difficult little problems,” referring to the corruption scandal, which he said was “not helpful.”
The president added that “there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government has been roiled by fallout from a scandal over $100 million embezzled from the energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors, causing newfound domestic pressures for Zelenskyy Diplomats have focused on revisions to a proposed U.S.-authored plan that was
developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow That plan has been criticized as being too weighted toward Russian demands. As the meeting began Sunday, Rubio focused on reassuring Ukraine.
As the teams sat down at the Shell Bay Club, a golf and racket club developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach, Rubio said the goal goes beyond peace to “securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s security council, responded to Rubio by expressing his country’s appreciation for U.S. efforts, a message geared toward Trump, who has at times claimed that Ukraine has not been sufficiently grateful for U.S. assistance during the war “U.S. is hearing us,” Umerov said before the meeting “U.S is supporting us U.S is working beside us.”
Umerov, who appeared with Rubio to deliver a brief statement to reporters after the talks, underscored Ukraine’s gratitude for U.S support during nearly fouryear war But he offered no hints about what, if any, progress was made during the talks.
Rubio said the talks were comprehensive and went beyond finding agreement on ending the fighting.
Trump has repeatedly said that if Ukraine builds deeper commercial ties to the United States it can help deter Russian aggression in the future.
To that end, the U.S. and Ukraine this spring signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources.
Among measures included in Trump’s draft peace proposal is the creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries, including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence. The proposal also calls for Washington to cooperate with Kyiv to jointly rebuild, develop, modernize and operate Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities. Russia has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the war
Post-Thanksgiving travel snared in Chicago after winter storm
Hundreds of flights canceled and delayed
BY ADAM SCHRECK and NAM Y. HUH Associated Press
CHICAGO Don Herrian was among the crowds of travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Sunday hoping to make it back home after Thanksgiving as hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled following a winter storm in the Great Lakes region
“It is what it is,” Herrian said. “It’s congested but that’s expected due to the snow the delays and the holidays.”
The 76-year-old retiree from Ardmore, Oklahoma, had visited his daughter and her family in Indianapolis. He said his first flight was three hours late, and his connecting flight to Oklahoma City from Chicago was already running another two hours behind.
“I just hope I get home tonight,” he said.
On Saturday 8.4 inches of snow fell at O’Hare, setting a record for the highest single calendar day snowfall in November at the airport, according to the National Weather Service. That broke the previous record of 8 inches on Nov 6, 1951.
Roads leading to the airport were packed Sunday with slow-moving vehicles even after the roads had been cleared of snow Inside, delayed travelers crowded into gate seating areas, restaurants and sports bars to pass the time.
Others grabbed spots on the floors of the terminals, snacking, knitting or scrolling their phones.
About 300 flights into and out of O’Hare had been canceled by early evening, while about 1,600 had been delayed, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
Planes were being de-iced at several airports across the country on Sunday, including at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Minneapolis—Saint Paul International Airport, according to the FAA.
Over 12 inches of snow had fallen since Saturday in areas close to Lake Michigan
Hundreds of churches in western Michigan told worshippers to stay home or watch services online.
In Wisconsin, utility crews worked to restore power to thousands of people. We Energies reported more than 6,000 power outages, with more than half in Milwaukee and South Milwaukee. The airport in Des Moines, Iowa, reopened on the critical travel day after a Delta Connection
flight landing from Detroit slid off an icy runway No injuries were reported, and passengers were transported to the terminal by bus.
By early Sunday evening there were over 400 flights into and out of Detroit Metro Airport that were delayed and over 45 canceled, according to FlightAware. Elsewhere in Iowa, gusty winds Sunday were blowing snow back onto roads, extending hazardous travel conditions, the National Weather Service said.
“We did have areas of Iowa and Illinois that saw over one foot of snow,” said meteorologist Andrew Orrison.
Over 16 inches of snow fell in Fort Dodge, Iowa, according to the National Weather Service.
CALIFORNIA
Officials plead for tips after shooting
Authorities say 3 children, 1 adult killed
BY SOPHIE AUSTIN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press
STOCKTON, Calif. Authorities in California appealed to the public for tips, cellphone video, witness accounts and even rumors as they searched Sunday for a suspect in the killing of three children and an adult during a mass shooting at a child’s birthday party
Someone opened fire at a banquet hall in Stockton where 100 people or more had gathered on Saturday San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told reporters He said detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters.
Withrow said the deceased were ages 8, 9, 14 and 21. Eleven people were also wounded, with at least one in critical condition, he said. No one was in custody by Sunday evening, and the sheriff urged anyone with information to contact his office.
“This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior when people will just walk in and kill children,” Withrow said during a Sunday media briefing. “And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know
If not, you just become complacent and think this is acceptable behavior.”
Sheriff’s spokesperson Heather Brent said earlier that investigators believe it was a “targeted incident.” Officials did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted. Roscoe Brown said the party was in honor of his brother’s granddaughter, who turned 2 years old and was uninjured. Brown, who works for the city of Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention, was in Arizona when he learned about the shooting and drove straight to the scene. He said a niece and nephew of his were shot, and he knows several other victims. He didn’t have information about their conditions.
“Who would come and do that to some kids, you know?” Brown told The Associated Press following a vigil organized by faith leaders to honor the dead and pray for the wounded.
“You can’t shoot up a party That’s senseless. A kid’s party at that.”
The shooting occurred just before 6 p.m. Saturday inside the hall, which shares a parking lot with other businesses in the city of 320,000 residents about 80 miles east of San Francisco.
“This was a birthday party for a young child, and the fact that this happened is absolutely heartbreaking,” Brent told reporters. She said investigators would welcome any information, “even rumors.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TERRy RENNA
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, from left, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner attend a meeting Sunday with Ukrainian officials in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE PHOTO By CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ Investigators with the San Joaquin Sheriff’s
Lawmakers voice support for reviews of boat strikes
Bipartisan officials endorse congressional probe
BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON Lawmakers from both parties said Sunday they support congressional reviews of U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean citing a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.
The lawmakers said they did not know whether last week’s Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns.
“This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Rep. Mike Turner R-Ohio, when asked about a followup strike aimed at people no longer able to fight, said Congress does not have information that happened. He noted that leaders of the Armed Services Committee in both the House and Senate have opened investigations.
“Obviously, if that occurred, that would be very serious and I agree that that would be an illegal act,” Turner said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Sunday evening while flying back to Washington from Florida, where he celebrated Thanksgiving, confirmed that he had
Tim Kaine, D-Va.,
foreign
recently spoken with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
The U.S. administration says the strikes in the Caribbean are aimed at cartels, some of which it claims are controlled by Maduro. Trump also is weighing whether to carry out strikes on the Venezuelan mainland.
Trump declined to comment on details of the call, which was first reported by The New York Times.
“I wouldn’t say it went well or badly,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked about the call
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the call with Trump. Turner said there are concerns in Congress about the attacks on vessels that the Trump administration says are transporting drugs, but the allegation regarding the
Sept. 2 attack “is completely outside anything that has been discussed with Congress and there is an ongoing investigation.”
The comments from lawmakers during news show appearances come as the administration escalates a campaign to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. On Saturday, Trump said the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be considered as “closed in its entirety,” an assertion that raised more questions about the U.S pressure on Maduro Maduro’s government accused Trump of making a ”colonial threat” and seeking to undermine the South American country’s sovereignty
After the Post’s report, Hegseth said Friday on X that “fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our
Netanyahu requests pardon to end his corruption trial in Israel
BY SAM MEDNICK Associated Press
TEL AVIV Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked the country’s president to grant him a pardon from corruption charges, seeking to end a long-running trial that has bitterly divided the nation. Netanyahu, who has been at war against Israel’s legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous change in the region. But it immediately triggered denunciations from opponents, who said a pardon would weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he’s above the rule of law
it “significant implications.”
Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. He hasn’t been convicted of anything.
Netanyahu rejects the allegations and has described the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, police and judiciary.
day, Israeli media reported a small protest outside Herzog’s home, including a pile of bananas with a sign saying a pardon equals a banana republic.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said the trial has divided the country He also said the requirement that he appear in court three times a week is a distraction that makes it difficult for him to lead.
incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.”
“Our current operations
in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,” Hegseth wrote.
Trump said on Sunday the administration “will look into” the matter but added, “I wouldn’t have wanted that not a second strike.”
The president also defended Hegseth.
“Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump said. He added, “And I believe him.”
Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and its top Democrat, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, said in a joint statement late Friday that the committee
“will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine
the facts related to these circumstances.”
That was followed Saturday with the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, and the ranking Democratic member, Washington Rep. Adam Smith, issuing a joint statement saying the panel was committed to “providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean.”
“We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question,” Rogers and Smith said, referring to U.S. Southern Command.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., asked about the Sept. 2 attack, said Hegseth deserves a chance to present his side.
Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. The president’s office called it an “extraordinary request,” carrying with
His request comes weeks after President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu, turning to President Isaac Herzog during his speech to Israel’s parliament last month. Earlier this month, Trump also sent a letter to Herzog calling the corruption case “political, unjustified prosecution.”
Herzog is a former political rival of Netanyahu, but the men have a good working relationship. Later Sun-
“The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within, stirs up this division, and deepens rifts. I am sure, like many others in the nation, that an immediate conclusion of the trial would greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs,” he said.
Netanyahu has taken the stand multiple times over the past year But the case has been repeatedly delayed as he has dealt with wars and unrest stemming from the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
speaks with reporters on Nov. 6 about President Donald Trump’s
policy intentions, with Venezuela in particular, at the Capitol in Washington.
championships,” yelled another
That’s right — the Lane Kiffin era has begun at LSU.
LSU finalized the hire Sunday, ending a monthlong coaching search by landing its top target and the most sought after coach on the market.
By taking the job, Kiffin decided to leave Ole Miss with the No. 7 Rebels likely to reach the College Football Playoff. Kiffin said in a statement he wanted to coach the team through the postseason, a sticking point in the timing of his decision, but Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter “denied” his request.
Kiffin claimed players asked Carter “to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance.”
“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement posted to social media. “I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything in a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern.”
moted Ausberry to full-time athletic director the same day. After Rousse caused some confusion by calling Ausberry the “acting AD,” the drama settled until Kelly filed a lawsuit against the LSU Board of Supervisors over his nearly $54 million buyout, an issue that has since been resolved. Ultimately, none of that prevented LSU from landing its top target. Its pursuit heated up Nov 17, when a private plane arranged by LSU officials brought several of Kiffin’s family members, including his ex-wife Layla Kiffin, to Baton Rouge. LSU officials began to prepare a formal offer after the visit, creating internal confidence about their standing with Kiffin for more than a week. Will LSU be the place that he wins a championship? Known for his offensive mind, Kiffin has a 116-53 record across 14 seasons at Tennessee, USC FAU and Ole Miss. He has been successful at times, but this season at Ole
LSU officials were informed ahead of time of Kiffin’s intention to take the job, and they expected to finalize a deal by Sunday, multiple sources told The Advocate | The Times-Picayune. The school sent two private planes to Oxford, Mississippi, to pick up Kiffin, his family and some coaches. Videos from the airport showed Ole Miss fans booing him as he boarded the plane With an 11-1 record, Ole Miss will make the CFP for the first time and might host a first-round game. Kiffin said this week it was “very important” to him to finish the season with the team, but Ole Miss did not want him to stay if he intended to leave for an SEC rival. The disagreement came to a head this weekend, and Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach
“While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford,” Kiffin said in his statement. Kiffin, 50, emerged as LSU’s top target after the firing of Brian Kelly last month. He had a 55-19 re-
cord in six seasons at Ole Miss, one of the most successful stretches in program history The Rebels won at least 10 games in four of the past five years and secured their first 11-win regular season Friday by beating rival Mississippi State. Florida also pursued Kiffin for its head coach opening after firing Billy Napier while Ole Miss attempted to keep him with a contract extension Florida and Ole Miss offered Kiffin similar financial packages as LSU, according to multiple reports. Florida turned to other candidates, ultimately hiring Tulane University coach Jon Sumrall. Ole Miss also began to look elsewhere as Kiffin’s
decision became clear LSU started looking for a new head coach after firing Kelly, who had a 34-14 record in three-plus seasons but never reached serious championship contention. With LSU once again falling out of the playoff race, LSU dismissed him Oct. 26 with six years left on his contract. LSU wanted to avoid another 10-year commitment with the new coach. Exact terms of the contract have not been released. LSU put together a seven-year offer with an annual salary expected to top $13 million, sources said, which will make Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. LSU has
also prepared to commit $25 million to $30 million annually to the roster through revenue sharing and name, image and likeness funds, which was an important factor to Kiffin.
Chaos surrounded the beginning of LSU’s coaching search. Within a week of firing Kelly, LSU parted with athletic director Scott Woodward the day after Gov Jeff Landry publicly criticized him and said he would not hire the next coach. Longtime LSU athletic official Verge Ausberry was named interim athletic director and given authority to lead the search.
Less than a week later, LSU hired new school president Wade Rousse and pro-
erecting signs. But it’s also meant pushing the city’s 500 residents to clean up their own properties. And that’s where her approach gets controversial, several residents said. Because top among the reasons to live here, in this rural crook of the Cane River, is the ability to keep an old car on your property, an old pig in a pen behind your house.
“When she came to be the mayor, she said she was going to have Natchez looking like a magazine,” said Joe Walker Jr a retired railroad operator He questions whether that should be the goal. The 1949 Ford truck on his property, where he was born and raised, “isn’t bothering nobody,” he argued, and he keeps the grass around his vehicles short and neat. Ward Hoover’s husband stores “all kinds of stuff behind her house,” Walker said, “and he’s not moving nothin’.” Walker led an effort in 2023 to remove Ward Hoover from office but failed to get the number of signatures needed. Rather than turn in the signatures, he burned the paper, believing that Ward Hoover would retaliate But Ward Hoover and her fans are undeterred. Using words like “determined,” “dogged,” and “tenacious,” they describe a mayor who has accomplished more in her short time than many leaders before her “She just has a heart for Natchez,” said Louie Bernard, the former state senator who stopped by that day in 2023 and who worked with Ward Hoover when she served on the Natchitoches Police Jury, now called the Parish Council. “And golly, if anybody needed to bring Natchez forward, she’s the one to do it.” Natchez, which sits 7 miles south of the bigger, more picturesque Natchitoches isn’t hoping these efforts land it a new manufacturing plant. Ward Hoover isn’t gunning for the next Trader Joe’s. Her needs are more basic: a safe, functioning City Hall A sewer system that sustains itself A working restroom for Pecan Park.
“It gives the community a sense of pride,” Ward Hoover said, running her nails along a new brick city sign, one she convinced a local monument company to donate. “And it teaches their children right to have pride in what they do.
“My whole fight is for another generation.”
‘I don’t do parties’ Ward Hoover’s office is covered with photos of her, in smart suits and high heels, smiling beside political figures. They include lawmakers and mayors, former Gov John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, and current Gov Jeff Landry, a Republican. In her younger days, Ward Hoover fought for African American rights in Natchitoches Parish, where she protested the “Uncle Jack” statue of an elderly Black man tipping his
hat. She was once a Democrat, then a Republican Now she considers herself an independent: “I don’t do parties. I don’t do color. I do people.”
But she doesn’t linger on the photos of politicians, instead drawing visitors’ attention to another set of framed photographs of her three daughters and six grandchildren, many of them clad in caps and gowns, clutching diplomas. Just this month, her youngest daughter Renita Ward Williams, who earned a law degree, was named vice chancellor at Baton Rouge Community College Ward Hoover ticked off their accomplishments, and the accomplishments of her grandkids who are themselves earning degrees.
But she admits to a stubborn streak that extends even to them Once, her daughter refused to give her legal advice, instead passing along resources meant for city leaders. “I stayed mad at her for two weeks,” Ward Hoover said.
She introduces one City Council member as “my favorite” and points out another’s beleaguered property
Alderwoman Monique Sarpy said it can be “a challenge” to work with Ward Hoover The fight over junk highlights one reason why, she said. “Folks don’t mind doing what needs to be done, but it’s the way you address it and ask it to be done.”
Since Sarpy grew up in the village, its population has grown, she said, though census figures show a stagnation. The main thing city leaders need to do is “give residents a better quality of life.”
That fight has its obstacles Audits filed with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office have warned that “the village’s deteriorating financial condition could potentially discourage community investment, future economic development, or similar activities.” In response, city leaders touted their plan to increase sewer rates.
This year, for the first time in decades, they did.
Improving residents’ lot is complicated for historical reasons, too, said Rolanda Teal, an anthropologist who hired Ward Hoover decades ago to help interview decedents of slavery who settled in the area, once home to several large plantations
The first time Teal walked through Natchez, witnessing the dilapidated homes and broken windows, she cried.
This area is still feeling the effects of slavery, Teal said.
Instilling a sense of pride in such a place can be difficult, she continued.
“When you have such a negative thought process around your ancestors, it’s hard to find the glory in it.”
Ward Hoover, though, is determined enough to push against all that, Teal said.
“She gets something in her head and wants to see it done,” she said. “That is to be admired.
“Pat doesn’t give up.”
‘Nothing without prayer’
In the hours leading up to the National Night Out gathering in Pecan Park, Ward Hoover was on one of two cellphones, reminding the city clerk to bring the gift bags, someone to grab the cupcakes, everyone to arrive early In her home office, she heard the back door open.
“You got my wieners?” she called. “Bring them on in!”
This home is where, for months, she conducted official business, taking meetings on the back deck and accepting sewer payments in the mailbox. At the old, infested City Hall, one city staffer after another complained of asthma and coughing, hoarseness and headaches. Finally, Ward Hoover, too, went to the doctor, who noted her swollen throat and told her: “You need to get out of there.”
So she started making calls.
An elegant sign stands at her property’s entrance: Hoover’s Gated Horse Farm At the end of the long, fenced
driveway are goats, horses, chickens and a few heaps of old equipment. “This is my husband’s favorite pile,” she said, shaking her head.
“When I became mayor, I said, ‘Everybody has to clean up.’ So it was good. You know why it was good?”
She laughed. “Because my husband had to clean.”
The acreage was freshly mowed, however, between neat shrubs Ward Hoover called by the names of those who had given them to her
When she dies, the mayor
said, she plans to open up this property, offering her antiques and more to neighbors who might need them.
Ward Hoover once ran a Christian bookstore and gallery and considers her true mission to be ministry. She erected a trio of short, white crosses on city property and begins meetings with prayer
“You do nothing without prayer,” she said, “not in the village of Natchez.”
At 5 p.m., Ward Hoover drove back to the park pavilion, where her team had
filled tables with tacos and cupcakes, free backpacks and school supplies. Ward Hoover circled, broadcasting on Facebook live, encouraging residents to come by “Good evening, Facebook friends,” she said, panning the park’s benches, balloons and playground. As the light faded, kids overtook the jungle gym, yelping and laughing. For a moment, between calls and hugs, Ward Hoover watched them as they climbed.
That hasincludedstrengthening communicationamongdepartments, addressing issues more rapidly, andworking closelywithpartner organizationstosustainprogramming forall ages “We’re runningasfastaswecan, butalong theway,we’re finding out thatwemustslowdowninsomeareas. We’redouble-checkingeverything to make sure we areabiding by all thelawsand policies that we need to,” said Simmons. “The good thing is that we areall workingtogether andaddressingthe needsofeachof ourcommunities.”
Simmonsrecentlydiscussed BREC’s most notable achievements for2025and what patronscan look forwardtointhe future What do youconsidersomeof BREC’sbiggestaccomplishments this year?
Therapidresponsesystemisatthe topofthe list.Wehave significantly decreased theamountoftimeto addressissues. We arebetterable to answer people’s concerns about parks, providereal-time updates on progress,makesuretheyare up to standardsfor ourpatrons,and that thetaxpayers’money is being properly spent.
Oneofmyfavoriteexamplesis MayfairPark.Thepatronshavebeen beggingforairconditioningforitsrec center for alongtime. We recently purchasedand installed5energyefficientminisplit airconditioning unitsatthatlocation.
If this innovative system workswell, we can do thesameatother recreationcenters.That’s an exampleofsolving aproblem in theshort term withoutwaiting fora multi-layered plan to take placeorembarkonalarge-scale project. Whataresomekeytakeawaysfrompublic feedback that have resonatedwithyou?
We continue to hear that thecommunity wants fewerfacilities,butbetterfacilities.Theywanthigh quality,nothighquantity.Thatissomethingweare keepinginmind. We’rehavingsomestakeholder meetings nowand will have communitymeetings in thefuturetoget more feedback We’vealsobeenmoreintentional aboutmaking astrongimpressiononout-of-town visitors.We know we have campersatFarrParkfor everyLSU home football game.Thisyear, we’vemadesure that thegrass is cut, thebathrooms arethoroughly cleaned, andthatweare readytoaccommodate RVsevery weekend. We want to show guests that BREC is athrivingparksystem.Whentheysee cleanfacilitiesand updatedmaintenance,that showsa park system that is on topofits game Youand your team have spenta lotoftime evaluating allBREClocations.How do you
plan to addressthese in the future?
We have 30 properties that we have deemed obsolete so far. Thenextstepistodetermine howtorelease properties from theportfolio.Wemay sell some of them.Wemay work with an organization to letthemtake over thelocation. We’llreview theoriginalagreementsand makesurewecomplywiththose stipulations.Weare also using theImagine Your Parks3plan to guideour decisionstomake sure we areincompliancewith whatthecommunitywantstosee Oneofourprimaryfocusareas is recreationcenters,manyof whichareolderfacilitiesthatwe needtotransitionintosomething new.Weplantouseatieredmodel to determinewhattheir future will be.Somewillserve as more traditional recreation centers with agym forindoorsports, a quarter-mile mezzaninetrack alongthetop,andanoutdoorplay area.Othersmay work better as indoor community centersthat aredesignedmoreasmeeting spacesthatalsoincludeoutdoor play areasfor children Ho wi mp or ta nt ar e communitypartnerships indevelopingandsustaining BREC programming? Thosecollaborationsare critical for us.The next step is that we aredevelopingan athletic counciland putting together an athletic plan forall of Greater BatonRouge.Many differentsportshappenatBREC parksevery day. We want to make sure that we have acohesiveplantoattract leaguesand tournamentsfor allofthose.Wewant people to play thesport of theirchoiceatBREC. This hasthe potentialtohavea bigimpactonthe localeconomy andquality of life
What aresomeofthe biggestlessons you have learnedthisyear? My biggeststrengthisproblem-solving.I can identify theproblem andthe stepsweneedto take andthenmakea decision.I have been really heartened to seethe staff buyintothatand work together more collaboratively. Each department nowhas abetterideaofwhatother departments aredoing.Ithas reinforced for me just howcrucial internal synergyand communications are. I’malsoremindedthatweare notjust Baton Rouge. BREC hasfivecitiestoserve,and each onehas itsuniquewants andneeds.Whatworks for onecommunity will notnecessarilyworkfor another. As we move forward,wewanttomake sure we addresseachcommunity individually andprovide what theircitizensdesire.
Visitwww.brec.orgtolearn more aboutBREC locations andprogramming
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Mayor Patsy Ward Hoover picks the dead buds off a rose bush in her yard in Natchez on Oct 7.
Alive oak rises from the cane, indicating the site of an unmarked cemetery thatlocal researcherssay is aburial ground for people formerly enslaved on the area’s plantations. According to their research, the surrounding area includes the foundations of the former plantation house and aNative Americanvillage, possibly with more graves.
Thepropertywas previously identified as adeepwater access megasiteby the Ascension Economic Development Corp. Now, NEMOIndustries has an option to purchase the land for a$3billion, artificial intelligence-powered pig iron plant. Pigiron is used to make steel, and an AI-generated video on the companywebsite states the facility will be a“self-learning” plant.
Yetwith centuries of archaeological artifacts and one cemetery visible on Mississippi River maps from the 1800s, independent archaeologists Don Hunter and Joanne Ryan say the area needs afull study and properpreservation.
“It needs to be preserved or treated with respect to descendants of these people, andwethinkthere’s agood chance that we can possibly identify descendants of the slaves and freedmen that worked on this plantation,” Hunter said. “And they should be involved in the consultation process of what is going to be done with the cemetery.”
In astatementonbehalf of NEMO Industries, Blanche Gallagher,aproject manager with the TJC Group,said the company is conducting fieldwork on the site.
“Like all Louisiana land along the Mississippi River, PointHoumas hasdeep historical roots that must be respected. In compliance with federal and stateregulations, NEMO Industries is currently conducting field work as part of environ-
mental permittingarchaeological study,” she wrote. “NEMO is committedto protecting andpreserving any historic findings incoordination with Louisiana’s State HistoricPreservation Office.”
Rivermap identification
Thecemeteryappears prominently on U.S. Coast Surveys from 1877 and 1878 that have been used to identify other unmarked burial grounds along the
lowerMississippi River.In the1878 survey,asmall box withcrosses inside it is visible in thespot where the live oak grows.
“Several of thosemaps actually show thelocation of plantation cemeteries,” Hunter said. “This particular one was one of the first ones that we observed and developed an interest in.”
Earlier thisyear,Hunter andRyanindependently published astudy of archivalmaterialsofthe Point
Houmas land. Utilizing the surveys, U.S.Freedmen’s Bureau records,newspaper archives and additional sources, their report documentsownership,sugar caneoutput, overseer John Colfield’sharsh treatment of sharecroppers andthe names of freedmen who workedonthe propertyfollowing the Civil War.
Since thereport’spublication, Hunter and Ryan have found a1772 map showing a likely HoumaNative American village on the property Because of theunique bend in the river,artifacts or burials from the village could be preservedonthe land or in the batture,the area between theMississippi River and the levee.
“The thing that’ssounique about Point Houmas is it’son apoint bar,which means the river is migrating away from it. It’sactually migrating to thenorth,” Hunter said.“So, anyarchaeological site on thatwould be preserved or hasa better chance of being preserved because theriver is not cutting intoit.”
Graves across theregion
In the RiverParishes, hundreds of unmarkedburial
grounds possibly existed at onetime.Graves were discovered on land beingconsidered for an expansion of the Shell Convent Refinery in 2013, withasmanyas 1,000 people thought to be buried there. Following that discovery, thecompanydedicated amarker and hosted amemorial service in 2018.
Lastyear,New Orleans nativeImani Jacqueline Brown andthe Londonbasedresearchgroup Forensic Architecture debuted amapping tool of the plantations along the lower Mississippi River.The tool combines satellite imagery, aerial photography and river surveys to identify likely cemetery locations.
Currently,state law prohibitsanyonefromdisturbing burialsites without astate permit and requires anyone who discovers an unmarked site to report it to lawenforcement within 24 hours.
Hunter and Ryan said they know of two other unmarked cemeteries near Donaldsonville, although they haven’t had an opportunity to deeply research them. Both fall within the RiverPlex MegaPark, a17,000-acre area slated for industrialdevel-
opment, with one appearing in the former NewHope Plantation site on a1963 U.S. Geological Survey map
“Weonly know about the location of about 30 of these graveyards, whenthere weresomething like 1,500 sugarplantations in Louisianaalone in 1850,” Hunter said. “And each one of those had its own cemetery for slaves —atleast one.”
Questionsofaccess Descendantsofthose buriedinthe cemeterieshave pushed foraccess to them.
ForShell,the company allowsdescendants to visit the two burial grounds on itsproperty through scheduled visits. However,inSt. James Parish, twoLouisiana groups recently sued FormosaPlastics over access to aburial ground.
Point Houmas remains on private property,and the director of the Donaldsonvillebasedcompanythatowns theproperty did notrespond to arequest forcomment leftinaletter at its door
After being informed about the likelycemetery, Kathe Hambrick, apublic historian, encouraged afull accounting of all those who lived on —and could be buried beneath —the land.
“The publicdeserves to know whothe inhabitants of that geography were prior to the European settlers coming to Louisiana —speaking of the indigenous people and the people who may haveinhabited that propertyasfarmers, landowners, free and formerly enslaved,” she said.
AndRyansaidthatwhile many cemeteries have likely been lost due to development, it is essential to identify and preserve those that remain.
“The cemeteries are certainly themost critical pieces of history preserved on the landscape,” shesaid. “Unfortunately,alot of prehistoricand historicsites have been lost to developmentinthe past and probably will continue to be. But finally,public awareness of unmarked cemeteries has increased remarkably in the last 10 years.”
LIVINGSTON PARISH
‘Adopt a Senior’ program fills need
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
The Livingston Parish Council on Aging is looking for people to buy Christmas gifts for more than 300 older adults who have filled out wish lists and been put up for “adoption.”
Stephanie Landry, Livingston Parish Council on Aging executive director, said the annual ”Adopt a Senior” program has registered 318 residents, while an additional 210 homebound seniors are separately receiving blanket donations.
The program allows Livingston residents between the ages of 61 and 99 to receive holiday gifts.
As of Thanksgiving, fewer than 70 residents need to be adopted They can be adopted online.
The program began in 2017 as a way for local businesses to donate money for the council to buy gifts. More recently, it developed into a communitywide program.
“The community is more involved in it now,” Landry said.
Community members buy gifts for the assigned residents, wrap them and deliver them to one of the four senior citizen centers in the parish. The adoptees open the gifts at a party a few days before Christmas. Wish list gifts range from gift cards to clothes to personal necessities.
“We also have seniors here that you’re their only contact. You know that they’re struggling, and when they have that great party day, somebody cared enough to think about them,” Landry said. “You know when they get tears in their eyes, it’s because somebody thought of them.”
The deadline to adopt a senior is Dec. 5 and the deadline to bring in gifts is Dec. 12.
Email Claire Grunewald at claire. grunewald@theadvocate.com.
Hammond police ID 18-year-old killed in shooting
BY ANTHONY MCAULEY Staff writer
Officials with the Hammond Police Department have identified the victim of Saturday’s fatal shooting at the Town & Country Plaza on Thomas Street as 18 year-old Jermaine Stevenson Jr
The shooting was initially reported at approximately 5:15 p.m. Saturday at a hair salon on the west side of town.
Police said Kylan Green, 19, fled to nearby Main’s Market, where he contacted police to report he had shot someone. He later surrendered to police without incident, police said.
An acquaintance drove Stevenson to North Oaks Medical Center before police arrived. Despite lifesaving efforts, he died at the hospital. Green was booked into the Hammond Police Department Jail on counts of second-degree murder and illegal discharge of a weapon. Police said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation
“This is a senseless crime where two young kids had some type of issue with each other, and a life was taken,” Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said via the department’s social media. “It is a shame that the suspect chose violence to resolve the problem, rather than some other means.”
Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com
Picture perfect
Climate scientist stands firm against pressure
Former La. wildlife and fisheries chief honored for scientific integrity
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
Virginia Burkett faced the most egregious instance of political interference in her scientific career seven years ago, she said, when political appointees during President Donald Trump’s first term tried to alter the country’s preeminent climate change report
policy,” organizers say The two other winners hail from Chile and Australia.
“The Maddox Prize highlights the damage done to society when good research is suppressed and when scientists are intimidated from contributing to public discussion,” said Tracey Brown, a judge for the award. “This year’s courageous winners have insisted on the public’s access to evidence.”
Burkett said the award is both “vindication and encouragement.”
“To me, it represents that you can get past all of the hostility, the retaliation, the harm to your career and just keep going,” she said of the award.
moval as “a loss for the program.”
“She was not only a staunch defender of the work but was really thoughtful in her approach and had a lot of experience with coastal issues and ecosystems,” said Reidmiller, who now works at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. A spokesperson for the USGS declined to comment on Burkett’s treatment or the issues raised in her whistleblower complaint.
A stiff spine
over the decade and a half that they worked together, including supporting Burkett’s choice to get her Ph.D. in forestry and pursue her pilot’s license.
She eventually started commuting to Lafayette from Sabine Parish — by plane.
“It’s hard being a woman pilot, by the way because the guys don’t treat her that well,” Stewart said.
As a top scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey Burkett had already served as lead author on the first, second and third National Climate Assessment, as well as four United Nations climate change reports. Thirty years prior, she had been the first woman to run a state wildlife agency when she helmed Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. It was hardly her first rodeo confronting influential figures.
“From those early experiences starting in the late ’70s and early ’80s dealing with coastal impacts here in Louisiana I found that when scientific findings collided with the financial interests of powerful corporations and politicians, that scientific integrity could be threatened,” Burkett said at a hotel patio in the French Quarter on a recent visit, before returning home to Sabine Parish. But in 2018, the coastal wetlands ecologist refused to compromise her values and downplay the impacts of climate change in the report, she recalled. She convened a meeting with White House officials and maintained that the alterations would undermine the report’s integrity She told them that if they changed the findings, her team would have to go back out for peer review
“The agency scientists stood together and, in the end, the climate assessment was published as written,” she said. Burkett’s commitment to her science landed her an international award last month from the publishers of the journal Nature.
The John Maddox Prize recognizes researchers who “stood up for science and advocated for evidence-based discussion in public
The recognition caps an extraordinary career that saw her help shape the world’s understanding of climate change and other scientific developments, often working from the small town of Many She was also involved in key early research into Louisiana’s land-loss crisis.
And, if that’s not enough, she’s a licensed pilot, too, who would sometimes commute to work in Lafayette by plane.
‘The most painful thing’
Burkett’s efforts during the first Trump presidency were successful, though she says they came with a cost
In a whistleblower complaint last year she describes how she became a target: demoted and removed as chair of the U.S. Global Change Research program overseeing the climate assessment. Her department at the USGS, responsible for all climate science and land-use change research at the agency was dismantled as part of a larger attack on climate science.
Under the Biden administration, Burkett’s title was restored, and she continued climate change research. But in July, the Trump administration shuttered the global change program. Beyond the retaliation, harassment and hostility toward her, Burkett said that “the most painful thing I experienced was the dismantling of the critically important climate-related research and expertise.”
David Reidmiller, who was hired by Burkett in 2016 and directed the fourth climate assessment from a role at the White House, was in charge of writing the executive summary of the report that some political appointees were “attempting to water down,” he said. He described Burkett’s re-
She retired earlier this year and now serves as an emerita scientist at the USGS. She still lives in Many, a town of around 2,500 in Sabine Parish, where her husband Don Burkett has served as district attorney for over 40 years. Virginia Burkett was born in Jackson and grew up in Biloxi, but she’s made Louisiana her home.
Her first job out of college was as a research scientist at LSU Sea Grant, documenting changes in coastal salinity She later worked at the Louisiana Geological Survey, when the state’s coastal landloss crisis was beginning to gain wider notice, recalled Donald Boesch, a marine scientist and New Orleans native who has been recognized internationally for his scientific achievements. Boesch and Burkett worked together during those early years.
“Even back in those early days when I started and first knew her she was always remarkably composed,” Boesch said. “She’s got a stiff spine and stands up for principles.” Her ascendance as director of the fish and wildlife service was rare, Boesch said, as the agency was an “old boys’ gun and bullet crowd.” Burkett introduced new thinking and reforms to the agency during her two years in the position.
“I can only imagine she was a significant role model for others in the field,” Boesch said. Boesch and Burkett would continue collaborating throughout their careers, during the first national climate assessment in the late 1990s, the state’s coastal master plan and subsequent studies documenting the importance of reducing emissions to help preserve Louisiana’s coast. After her stint in state government, Burkett began working at the National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, part of the USGS. Her former boss, Bob Stewart, said hiring her “was one of the best decisions” he ever made. He tried to encourage her
Following her work at the wetlands research center, Burkett assumed a series of roles within the climate and land-use change division at the federal agency, culminating in her position as chief scientist. She rented an apartment in Washington, D.C., for a couple years, then worked remotely from Many
“I don’t know how she pulled it off, but she’s managed to do this national role from very remote Many, Louisiana,” Boesch said.
‘Stay the course’
Burkett said that family and faith have been extremely important to her during the “intense hostilities” she faced at the federal government.
“My wife Virginia is one of the most ethical, hardworking people you will ever meet, and she takes her job very seriously so it was extremely stressful for her, what she was put through,” Don Burkett said.
She never considered giving in to the pressure to change the reports. Demotion is less important than compromising your values, she said.
During her speech in London at the ceremony for the John Maddox Prize, Burkett offered advice to scientists under threat, such as finding allies and keeping records of “even the most subtle attempts to inappropriately alter your work.” Her final piece of advice was to prepare for setbacks and push forward anyway
A woman takes a photograph of a great egret recently near a pond in Forest Community Park in Baton Rouge.
Burkett
BY CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras
Former
HonduranPresident Juan Orlando Hernández, who went from close U.S ally in the war on drugs to aposter child forpresidential corruption in Central America, is on the verge of becoming once againafriendofthe United States with President Donald Trump’sintention to pardon him.
The 57-year-oldformer two-term president was sentenced last year to 45 years in U.S. prison for helping drug traffickerstosafelymovehundreds of tons of cocaine north through his country to the U.S.
At thestart of his trialinFebruary 2024, aU.S. prosecutor said Hernández had even boasted at ameeting with drug dealers that “together they were going to shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos.”
But Trump criticized Hernández’s prosecution, awide-ranging case that also enveloped his brother during Trump’sfirst term, saying Friday that people he respects told himHernández was “treated very harshlyand unfairly.”
On Sunday,U.S. Sen.Tim Kaine, D-Va., ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and a Hernández critic while he was still president,called Trump’sdecision to pardon Hernández “shocking.”
“He was the leader of oneofthe largest criminal enterprisesthathas ever been subject to aconvictionin U.S. courts, and less than one year into his sentence, President Trump is pardoning him, suggesting that President Trump cares nothing aboutnarcotrafficking,” Kaine saidonCBS’ ‘Face the Nation.’
The latest reversal of Hernández’s fortunesrivaled only his fall in early 2022 from recently former president to shackled prisonerbound for aU.S. courtroom.
Hernández was suddenly thrustinto Honduras’ national electionwhere voters are electing anew president, Congress and hundreds of local positions on Sunday
While presidentfrom 2014 until January2022, Hernández had the support of U.S. officials waging the war on drugs and some diplomats who did not see abetter option. But less than three weeks out of office,nolongerof use to the U.S. government, prosecutors moved for his extradition and the chance to make him an example in a region wrackedbycorruption.
Hernández had enjoyed support from the first Trump administration whenthe leaders’ terms overlapped, currying favorwith actions like moving Honduras’ embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from TelAviv But when the Biden administration entered in January 2021, talk turned to corruption in Central America as an
important force driving emigration to the United States.
Days after Hernández left office in January 2022 —and still aweek before his arrest in Honduras —the U.S.State Department publicized that it had added Hernándeztoits list of corruptand undemocratic actors in July 2021.
Hernándezwas arrested at therequest of the United States in February 2022, weeksafter handing over power to current President Xiomara Castro. Twoyears later, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison in aNew York federal courtroom for taking bribes from drug traffickerssothey could safely movesome 400 tons of cocaine north through Honduras to theUnited States
Hernández maintained throughout that he was innocent and the victim of revengebydrug traffickers he had helpedextraditetothe United States.
But prosecutors saidHernández had used Honduras’ militaryand police to shepherd drug shipmentsthrough the country,earning him millionsofdollars that fueled his political rise from rural congressman to the presidency Judge P. Kevin Castel called him a“two-faced politician hungry for power.”
Trial witnesses included traffickers who admitted responsibility for dozens of murders.They said Hernández was an enthusiastic protector of some of the world’smost powerful cocaine dealers,includingnotoriousMexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán,who is servinga lifeprison term in the U.S. U.S. prosecutors said Guzmán had paida$1million bribe to Hernández’s
brother,Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, aformerHondurancongressman whowas sentenced to life in aU.S prisonin2021 in New York for his own conviction on drug charges. They repeatedlyimplicated the Honduran president during his brother’s2019 drug trafficking trial, alleging that his political risewas fueledby drug profits. Hernández, abusinessmanand former lawmaker,took office in January 2014 andbuilt support largely on a dropinviolence, whichhad reached breathtaking levels. Later, afriendly Supreme Court opened thedoor to his reelection, allowing Hernández to seek asecond term, which he won in an election plagued by irregularities. Honduras was described as anarcostateand aprosecutor on thebrother’s casecharacterized it as “state-sponsored drug trafficking.”
Castel described thenumber of killings linked to thedrugtrade during Hernández’spolitical career as “staggering,”saying onedrug trafficking witness admitted at thetrial that he aided56killings andanothersaidhe was involved in 78 murders before he began cooperating withU.S. authorities Shortlyafter Trump announcedhis intentiontopardon the ex-president, Hernández’swife AnaGarcía and their adult children gathered on the steps of their homeinTegucigalpa. García thankedTrump,sayingthat Trump hadcorrected an injustice, maintaining that Hernández’sprosecutionwas acoordinatedplotby drug traffickers and the “radical left” to seek revenge against the former president
Trumpinvites families of Guardmembers shot in Washington,D.C., to WhiteHouse
BY SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press
PresidentDonaldTrump on Sundaysaid he’sinvited the family of aNational Guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, saying he spoke to her parents and they were “devastated.”
U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after the Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C., while her seriously injured colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. AndrewWolfe, remained in critical condition.
The president said he’sdiscussedaWhite Housevisit for the parents of both members of the West VirginiaNational Guard.
“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’satough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,”
Trumptoldreporters. “And likewise with Andrew,recover or not.”
In recent days, local vigils in West Virginia have honored the soldiers, including oneSaturday evening at Webster County HighSchool, where Beckstrom attended classes.
“Sarah wasthe kindof student that teachers hoped for,she carried herself with quiet strength, acontagious smile and apositiveenergy that lifted people around her,”said Gabriel Markle, theschool’sprincipal.“She was sweet, caring and always willingtohelpothers.”
Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24 were deployedwith the West Virginia National Guard as part of Trump’saggressive crime-fighting plan that federalizedthe D.C. police force
A29-year-old Afghannational faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in the shooting, which prompted the Trump administration to halt all asylum decisions andpause issuingvisas for people traveling on Afghan passports.
Funeral arrangements had notbeen finalizedfor Beckstrom,accordingtoCathy Pettry,the owner of Dodd &Reed Funeral Home in Webster Springs. Pettry said Saturday the home hasbeen in contact with Beckstrom’s family about services
The hometown crowd, seated in bleachersand folding chairs, lit candles as they heardfrom clergy and Gov Patrick Morrisey,who said he had visited Wolfe’sfamily earlier in the day
FuneralsToday
Fryoux, Mary St.GeorgeCatholic Church,7808 St George Dr BatonRouge,LAat11am. Greene, Janette ResthavenFuneralHome, 11817 Jefferson Highway,Baton Rouge at 2:30pm
Obituaries
LeBlanc Jr.,Vernon 'Super Vern'
Vernon "Super Vern" LeBlancJr., alifelong resident of Gonzales, Louisiana,passed away peacefully on November 22, 2025. BornonSeptember 16, 1958, to Edith Gautreau LeBlancand Vernon Joseph LeBlanc Sr Funeral services will be heldonTuesday, December 2, 2025, at Fellowship Church,14363 Highway73, Prairieville,LA70767. Visitationwill take place from 3:00-5:00 PM,followed by a service at 5:00 PM Family andfriendsare invitedtojoina reception at hishomeimmediately following the service.
Mckenzie, Mark Allen'Marcus'
Official Obituary: Mark "Marcus" AllenMckenzie Jr
MarkAllen MckenzieJr. (known by hisloved ones as Marcus), aloving, devotedfiancé andloyal friend, went to be with his Lordand SaviorJesus Christ on November 18th, 2025. _Hewas born on August 9th, 1983, and passed away on November 18th,
Marcus is survived by hisbeloved fiancé,Joan MartelloPriester;his brother&sister-in-law, Justin& Lyanna Martinez theirchildren Mia, Tyson, Trey &Kylie; hisdaughterinlove, Amanda Martello; andhis highly adored granddaughters; AlisonMarie, HadleighRae, &Alaina Grace. He lovedhis grandbabiesand fiancé with all hisheart,and he lovedto make them smile. Many of hisdays were spent playingwith hisgranddaughters like thebig kid that he was.
Marcus wasatreasure to all whoknewhim. He wasa natural storyteller. Hisfavorite waytoshow love wasthrough laughter andhis incredible,often lengthystories,hehad a gift for turningthe ordinary into theextraordinary. Whetheryou needed ahandyman or just alistening ear,Marcus was always there. Hisspirit remains strongwith hislifelong friends that he consideredfamily: Blake Cardinal, GradyFelder, AimeeWilkinson, John Jennings, ErinBerry Miley, Kinzy Mileyand countless other chosenfamilymembers whom he cherished so much.
Your presence we miss,
Your memory we treasure; Loving you always, Forgettingyou never.
As we remember Marcus, letusnot dwellonthe void hisdeparturehas left, butratherfillitwith the love he shared. Hishumorousand loving spirit remains with us.His hands have left their mark on this worldthrough his craftsmanship,and hismemory will forever be etched in theheartsofthosewho lovedhim.
Columnist pegged why Johnson is letting Louisiana down
Ican remember atime when I felt gratified if we had aLouisianarepresentative raised to the upper echelons of power in D.C It meant that the vital needsof our poverty-stricken population and our dangerously subsiding homeland would be more likely to get seriously addressed. Sadly, those days have disappeared, and StephanieGrace eloquently called that fact to our attention in hercolumn, “Johnson won the shutdown but lost his way.” Thank you, Stephanie, foryour reliable diligence in describing SpeakerMike Johnson’s“puppylike eagerness” to please the president.When Johnson speaks publicly,Ican almost hear him panting and see his tongue hangingout.
Yetsomany Louisiana voters seem unaware of his appalling failure to represent us.Are they deceiving themselves thathis professed political party and religious faith are directing his actions rather than face the disturbing reality that it’sactually an attempt to achieve the power that he craves? Have they even considered that sharing those labels with him does not necessarily mean they share the essential beliefs that exist behind thelabels?
Whyelse would Johnson sidestep the health care issue that so many in Louisiana desperately need? Why else would he unlawfully usethe shutdown to justify his refusal to swear in anewly elected Democrat, depriving American citizens of their legitimate representation?
In my opinion, anyone who demonstrates such alack of principles and integrity has provided visible proof that they are not to be trusted.AsGrace so succinctly concluded,“If the onlyway to stay in power is to basicallyabdicateit, then what, exactly,isthe point?”
Iwish to add my sincere congratulations to Stephanie Grace forwinning amuch-deserved prize at the newspaper conference in Colorado. The newspaper’sreaders are lucky to beable to benefit from her pragmatic political insights.
SUE GISCLAIR Baton Rouge
YOUR VIEWS
Rodeoevent awin for state, thanks to Landry
Amajor new event is coming to Louisiana this spring, and we have thevision and commitment of Gov.Jeff Landry and Shane Guidry to thank for making it areality
For its first expansion outside Phoenix, the Hondo Rodeo Fest has announced that it will bring its rodeo, concert series andfan festival to Louisiana next spring.
From the beginning, thegovernor and Guidry both saw the potential to showcase ourstate’s unmatched hospitalityand eventhosting capabilities to abrand-new national audience. His administration’scommitment to attracting large-scale entertainment has positioned Louisianaasapremier destination for fans, competitors and event producers alike. Events of this magnitude generate jobs,
fill hotels and restaurants and inspire visitors to experience all that Louisiana hasto offer.This kind of impact happens when visionaryleadership understands how tourismand sports can drive opportunity and economic vitality On behalf of the Greater NewOrleans Sports Foundation and the many partners who help make events like this possible across Louisiana, we appreciate the foresight and effortsofLandry and Guidry to make Louisiana apremier destination of choice for high-caliber events.
DAVID R. SHERMAN chairman emeritus, Greater NewOrleans Sports Foundation
Iwatched arecent broadcast on the National Geographic channel about Katrina.
The basis of the biased, liberal program was to blame theU.S.ArmyCorps of Engineers, using some clipsofDr. Ivor van Heerdan’s opinionsoffor the failings of the Corps’ design of thehurricane protection system, for New Orleans. Iknew Ivor,and his flawed opinionswere based on an ignorant foundation. His knowledgeofthe history of the Congressionalfunding of the Corps was dismal. Iwas acontracted consultant to the Corps of Engineers at the New OrleansDistrict in thelate 1970s. Iremember the design work for thelevee system, and the brilliant design work that was developed along with my adviceonsubsidence rates and proper compensations for accommodations for the levees’ subsequentand inevitable subsidence. Iwas also responsible for the design of the surveyingand mapping of theentire area on both sides of the lake in the late 1970s for the sole
purpose of designing thesystem.
Ialso remember that the design work and construction costs were denied by the U.S. Congress. Thanks to theCongressional delegations from Kansas and Oklahoma, thehurricane protection system forMetro New Orleanswas reduced by the “good” Congressmen of Kansas and Oklahoma. The Corps had to do as best as possible with what money was allocated to theNew Orleans District Corps of Engineers, and the less-thanoptimal design was then constructed. That was in spite of protestations of the Corps that thefunding was inadequatefor the proper construction! It seems that such historical facts have been conveniently overlooked. That was not thefault of the Corps! It was themidwestern Congressional delegations that chose to scrimp on flood protection for NewOrleans.
MUNGIER Baton Rouge
Politicians like Mamdani don’toffer real solutions
Viewed from almost any rational level, recent midterm elections in the populous states of NewYork, NewJersey and Virginia reinforce the view that American politics is akin to aGreek tragedy.Inthose states voters spoke loudly at the ballot box that “everything costs too much.” Ironically,in American politics, voters usually reward those politicians who recognize their frustrations rather than those whoadvance meaningful solutions. NewYork Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is just the latest headline-grabbing cheerleader of the leftward driftinpolitical expression, without regard to the nefarious consequences of its favored policies. If The Wall Street Journal can be trusted, the economics of Mamdani’s“reforms” do not add up. By his own campaign’sestimates, new taxes would bring in $9 billion; but the costs of funding his program of universal child care, rent stabilization, and free buses would cost $18.8 billion. Who pays forthe shortfall? Among much of the electorate, the stubborn desire to believe in a“free lunch” simply will not die. Most people would likely agree that afickle electorate will produce fickle election results. Our bitter experience with Bidenomics should have taught us that like fire, inflation is easy to start, but hard to extinguish. Inflation is caused by excessive growth in the money supply,the proximate cause of which is government spending in excess of its collected revenue (i.e., debt creation). NewYork has ahistory of one financial crisis after another The city continues to spend more than it collects, relying on shrinking surpluses to close gaps. Mamdani’s “compassionate socialism”will merely serve to widen the gaps, leaving NewYorkers with broken promises once again. Will other states follow his lead?
ROBERT
HEBERT Baton Rouge
Rabalais’ slyreferences provoke chuckles
OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER, SCAN HERE
Recruiting athletes matters as much as coaching does
It is time we pay coaches less and recruiters more (assuming they are not one and the same). Iremember when Iwas on the University of Minnesotagymnastics team many years ago and everyone on the team was from Minnesota. Later,Iwas proudofmystate when Minnesotaproduced two women Olympic gymnasts. Iwas less excited when one of these women went to Auburn (Suni Lee) and the other went toUtah (Grace McCallum)
Ienjoyed watchingthe LSU women’s gymnastics team become national champions, even though only two of their 19 gymnasts were from Louisiana. Ihave to give coach Jay Clark credit for presently recruiting one of Minnesota’stop gymnasts (TatumDrusch). At least she will be performing withateam that can win it all!
JAYWIERIMAN Metairie
Oh sure, Scott Rabalais is asuperb LSU sports columnist, as lately demonstrated by his online adieu to head football coach Brian Kelly But whoknew he was so clever as to slip in subtle references to Clint Eastwood and Monty Python movies (“Kelly’sHeroes” and “Lifeof Brian”)?
Imean, great Scott!
DREW BROACH Jefferson
Saints fans can jump on this trend
Ilike 6, 7.
Iambacking the Saints 6,7
CLIFFORD
Tyler Shough, Taysom Hill. MARTIN AUDIFFRED Mandeville
STAFF FILE PHOTO BANTHONy MCAULEy
Hondo Rodeo Fest’sNew Orleans dates in April 2026 were announced at the Greater New Orleans SportsFoundation’sannual Hall of Fame awards luncheon on Nov6
In trying to assesswhat 2025 has taught us about the struggles to save Louisiana’scoastal zone from the Gulf of Mexico and remove thestate from the list of the nation’smost polluted, one word comes to mind: complicit. It means beingactively involved in awrongful act. That adjectivemust be worn by Gov.Jeff Landry,the Republican members of our congressional delegation and saddestofall —everyLouisianan who voted to put them in office.
This verdict has nothingtodowith traditional conservative values: small government, fiscal responsibility anda strong nationaldefense. Nor even the cultural battle flags today’s GOP has raised: immigration, transgender,gay and minority rights, liberal leaning universities and being considerate of others —often termed “woke.” It has to do with two of President Donald Trump’stop priorities.
Thefirst is his drive to stop allrenewable energy programs while ramping up the nation’sproduction anduse of fossil fuels.
This is adagger at the heart of the state’sMaster Plan for aSustainable Coast because emissions from fossil fuelsare driving the record acceleration of sea level rise. Research shows that if emissions are not dramatically reduced over the next two decades, 80% of our sinking, sediment-starved delta landscapes couldbe under water in the next 25 years.
So, at the same time the stateis searching for billions to keep some of what is left south of I-10 above sea level and prevent what could be the largest forced migration of communities in America, Trumphas decided to increase the chances that disaster will happen.
And the reaction from our governor and GOP membersofCongress representing those communities in dire
peril?
Either enthusiastic support or cowardly silence.
ThesecondofTrump’stop priorities threatens notjustour qualityoflife, but ourvery lives.
This is hisrollback or elimination of more than 100 environmental regulationsthat have helped clean the poisons from of our air,water and land since the 1970s. Not surprisingly,many of those rollbacks are aimed at making petrochemicalindustries moreprofitable throughlighter restrictions on the toxins they releasethat wind up in the air you and your children breathe, the water you drink and foods you eat.
Andthe response from Landry and your GOPcongressional delegation?
More enthusiastic support,orsheepish silence.
They have been complicit in Trump’s ruinous assaults on Louisiana.
Now,it’sthe fashion these days to say,“Well, they know if they cross Trump, he’llsupport an opponent against them.”
The response to that from Louisiana votersshouldhave been: “So what? They are there to represent our best interests, notTrump.”
And this is where thetag “complicit is earned by the state’sGOP voters, because they keep electing these people.
This isn’t aplea for Republicans to become Democrats. It’s acall for
The marshes of southeast Louisiana are washing away with saltwater intrusion in St.Bernard Parish.
STAFF FILEPHOTO
them to open their eyes to the damage being done to their lives now and to future generations.
In thenearly 50 years I’ve covered our coastal crisis, people have frequently asked, “What is themost important thing Ican do to help?”
For thelast 20 years, one of my answers has been “Join theRepublican Party andchange it.” That often drew laughs, but it wasn’t meantasa joke. This has always been aconservative state, so thetraditional GOP tenets are where most Louisianians feel comfortable. Butthere is nothing conservative about supporting policies that make much of thestate below I-10 uninhabitable in 30 years or pumping more poisons intothe nation’smost polluted state. Time is running out for Louisiana conservatives to find pro-science, proenvironment candidates who serve the statefirst,not apresident Otherwise, when their grandchildren ask them what they did when the coast was drowning and people were moving to other states, they can only answer: “I was complicit.”
Bob Marshall, aPulitzer Prize-winning Louisianaenvironmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@ gmail.com, and followed on X, @BMarshallEnviro.
Enforcingimmigration laws is not moralequivalentofthe Holocaust
Whence cometh the conviction, in America and even more in Britain and Europe, that open borders is the only moral immigration policy? Of course, not everyonebelieves that, and many who do stop shortofsaying so. But the contrast between the rhetoric and policies of the first two decades of the century and those that have prevailed since President Donald Trump’selection is unmistakable.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, like the George Bushes, professed to want to enforce immigration laws. They decried the flood of illegals that crested in the prosperous decade before the financial crisis, and afterward saw with relief that the flow of illegals slowed.
Immigrantstothe United States
over the past half-century have come mostly from Latin America and Asia from countries that to varying degrees share religious orientations, market economic norms,and cultures of literacy and numeracy with most Americans
semblement National, whoseleader Marine Le Pen, was blocked from running by adubious courtdecision. But her 30-year-old deputy, Jordan Bartella, appearsmore popular than other parties’ leaders.
Theoriginal Gerryin gerrymandering liveson
MARBLEHEAD,Mass. He helped supply the Continental Armyduring the early days of the American Revolution. He signed the Declaration of Independence. He shaped the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He wasamember of the House of Representatives, agovernor of Massachusetts, and vice president. He lent his name—perhaps the mostmispronounced name in American history,even more so than Kamala —tothe creative shaping of acongressional district we now call “gerrymandering.”
Gerry (pronounce it with a hard “G”like “garden”) wasperhaps the most famous native of this historic seafaring town, and gerrymandering (I spent years as executive editor of the Post-Gazette failing to persuade asingle soul to pronounce that wordwith ahard “G”) is once again at the heart of American politics. Even so, the districts being crafted in Texas, where they are drawntofavor Republicans, and California, where the samescurrilous activity is being employed to the advantage of Democrats, lack the artistry of the original gerrymander,which won its namebecause the district here on the seacoast north of Boston looked remarkably like asalamander These maneuvers, and in Gerry’scase this virtuosity,come in service of an element of American politics that the old political warrior —who died in the role of vice president in 1814 —didn’t foresee when, having been amajor voice at the Constitutional Convention but concerned the documentwasn’tsufficiently protective of individual liberties, declined to support the final product. The founding document of the American government does not mention political parties. And yet today’spolitical strifegrows directly out of the changes in the country’stwo political parties, which are careering in opposite directions, the Republicans fiercely to the right, the Democrats equally aggressively to the left.
If William Butler Yeats wereapolitical scientist, he would say that the center cannot hold because there is no center anymore. So it is lefttotwo political scientists, David W. Brady and Brett Parker of Stanford, to explain to us why, as Yeats surely would have written had he been observing American politics in this fraught time, “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the political world.”
In From Dominance to Parity: America’sPolitical Parties and the NewEra of Electoral Instability,published this fall, the twoexperts argue that the nation has “moved from astate of party hegemony —the prevailing political environment in the United States in 1937 —tothe current era of party parity and its attendant problems.” Or how, to quote adifferent poet from the British isles, Matthew Arnold, “weare here as on adarkling plain/Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,/Where ignorant armies clash by night.”
It’slikely truethat aflood of mostly illegal immigrants, like those welcomed by theBiden administration, will tendto have ahigher proportion of violent migrants than among legalimmigrants. And ahigher proportion of arrivals with adversarial attitudes toward American mores, traditions and government
As Iwrote recently,careful projections of the illegal population estimate that it peaked at about 12 million in 2007, fell to about 10.5 million in 2019, then increased by about 4millionduring the Biden administration, which essentially opened the borders tothe point of paying for illegals tolive in NewYork’sRoosevelt Hotel, two short blocks from where Jamie Dimon’s JPMorganChasewas constructing its $3 billion office tower
The impetus forthis policy came from something other thanthe usual elite economic argument that,aspopulation growth is slowing, advanced countries need more workers tomaintain economic growth. That something else can be summarized in the phrase “Orange Man Bad.” If Trump wants to stop people at the border,then we shouldn’tstopanyone there.
There is another element here, seen moreprominently in Europe. And that is the conviction that barring people from your country who are different, in ancestry or customs, from the preexisting population is invidious discrimination.
Butthat is aproblem orders of magnitude greater in Britain and Europe, where very much larger shares of immigrants, from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, are Muslims. Many are quite ready to assimilate to European mores. But many are not Theywanttoimpose their religion and their cultureonthe hostsociety,and eliteleaders of such nations have been willing to let them do so.
An exampleisthe scandal of Britain’s“grooming gangs,” often longsettledimmigrants from Pakistan and Afghanistan, who sexually abuseand enslave adolescent working-class Englishgirls
This oppression of women and violation of human rightsisvirtually unknown to American liberals. Nor are they aware, despitemention of the practice, that Britain has been arresting thousands of citizensfor social media posts that are thought to hurt immigrants’ feelings.
Political parties that campaign for restrictions on immigration are treated as pariahs with which established parties must never allow in coalition governments. This includes Britain’s Reform party,which currently has huge poll leads, and France’sRas-
Germany’sAfD, which is currently tied in thepolls, is treated with particular scorn by thetwo main parties, which, between them, capture less than 50% in polls.Within AfD’sranks are some with nostalgia for Germany’s Nazi past, and the nation’sleading parties deserve respect for their longstanding commitment to renouncing Nazism and making reparations for the Holocaust. Butit’snot apparent that AfD’s policy of restricting the inflow of immigrants, or those of Eastern European democracies like Poland and Hungary, which are decried by unelected European Union leaders, is themoral equivalent of Nazism. Excluding people with different cultures and attitudes from your country is not themoral equivalent of murdering all your Jews
Thoseleaders whotreat thetwo as morally equivalent are captive to bad ideas.They have been taught to divide theworld into oppressors and the oppressed, to cast immigrants as virtuous victims and theirown citizens as culpable oppressors. They have been instructed to see colonialismnot as alimited chapter in history but as itsdominant theme, and to treat its harms as akind of secondHolocaust. From these delusions, most ordinary Americans, including recentlegal immigrantsand theiroffspring, and large numbersofordinaryBritons and Europeans, seem happily immune. Perhaps in time, theircommon sense will dissuade the elites of their “luxury belief” in open borders.
Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.
Brady and Parker take us from the growth of Democratic power in and after the New Deal to the partial realignment in the 1980s, and from the creeping movement to the Republican Party and to today’spolitical parity.“Unlike the extended midcentury period of Democratic dominance,” they write, “control of Congress and the presidency has seesawed between the two major parties since the early 1990s with neither achieving a consistent advantage over the other.”
The result: the emergence of two ideologically consistent parties in adeath struggle leading to an impasse where there is little practice in, or inclination toward, compromise.
When, more than two centuries ago,the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were themselves at an impasse —this case over whether the states would be represented equally in the newSenate Gerry pleaded for compromise, arguing, “Wemust make concessions on both sides” because “accommodation is absolutely necessary,and defects may be amended by afuture convention.”
The twopolitical scientists point out that no longer do morethan 20% of Republicans vote fora Democratic House candidate and aGOP presidential candidate, as they did between 1980 and 1992. In the 2012 and 2020 elections, that figure fell as low as 7%.
At the sametime, as divisions in American politics grew larger,the margins between the two parties grew smaller.Presidents routinely have becomeelected with lower numbers of Electoral College votes than their predecessors, presidential blowouts, the two write, have “gone the wayofthe liberal Republican.”
Back to Mr.Gerry.For 82 years from 1887 to 1969, his homecongressional district wasrepresented by aRepublican, morethan athird of that period by one family: George G. Bates and William H. Bates. When the younger Bates died, state Rep. Michael J. Harrington broke the trend and was elected as an insurgent Democrat. Today he owns the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem.Inthe lobby of the historic hostelry is agigantic framed picture. It is of the original gerrymander.And so it goes.
Email David Shribman at dshribman@post-gazette.com
Michael Barone
David Shribman
Bob Marshall
Mondaywill startoff cloudy, but rain shouldn’t be an issue for the morning driveasmanyreturntowork and school.Still, keep the raingear handy.Anotherwaveofshowers willmoveinfrom the west during the afternoon.This could makefor amessy drivehome.Rain will become steadier and morewidespread during the evening bringing another soaker to the area. Dryair will rush in for Tuesday.
BY NICOLE WINFIELD and ABBY SEWELL Associated Press
BEIRUT Pope LeoXIV chal-
lenged Lebanon’spolitical leaders on Sunday to be true peacemakers and put their differences aside, as he sought to give Lebanon’slongsuffering people amessage of hope and bolster acrucial Christian community in the Middle East. Leo arrived in Beirut from Istanbul on the second leg of his maiden voyage as pope. He came to encouragethe Lebanese people to persevere at aprecarious moment for the small Mediterranean country as it faces economic uncertainty,deep political divisions and fears of anew war withIsrael.
Leo is fulfilling apromiseofhis predecessor,Pope Francis, who had wanted to visit Lebanon for years but was unable to because of its many crises and as hishealth worsened.
Lebanon’s political system, based on sectarian power-sharing, has been prone to deadlock with lengthy powervacuums andregular stalemates over controversial issues, including the investigation into the deadly 2020Beirut port explosion.
Most recently,the country has been deeply split overcalls for Hezbollah, aLebanese militantgroup and political party,todisarm after fighting awar withIsrael last year that left the country deeply damaged.
Leodidn’tdirectly reference the recent war or thedebate over weapons in his speech at thepresi-
BY JIM GOMEZ Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines
Thousands of
demonstrators including from the Roman Catholic Church clergy protested in the Philippines on Sunday, calling for the swift prosecutionof top legislators and officialsimplicated in acorruption scandal that has buffeted the Asian democracy
Pope callsonLebaneseleaders to be true peacemakers
dential palace. But he acknowledged thehardships the Lebanese peoplehave endured.
“You have suffered greatly from theconsequences of an economy that kills, from global instability that has devastating repercussions also in theLevant,and from theradicalization of identities and conflicts,” Leo said.“Butyou have alwayswanted, and known how,to start again.”
He told Lebanese leaders to seek the truth and engage in aprocess of reconciliationwith“those who have suffered wrongs and injustice” if they truly wanttobeconsidered peacemakers.
Aculture of reconciliation, he said, must come fromthe top with leaders willing to put their person-
al interestsaside and “recognize the common good as superiorto theparticular.”
The highlight of Leo’sLebanese visit will comeonTuesday,his last day,when he spends time in silent prayer at the site of the Aug. 4, 2020, port blast, which killed more than 200 people and did billions of dollars in damage.
For many people, Leo’smere presence was amessage.
“It shows that Lebanon is not forgotten,” said Bishop George, archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut
At the Beirut airport,where his plane landed withaLebanese military jet escort, Leo was greeted first by President Joseph Aoun, then by ParliamentSpeaker Nabih
Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
He movedthrough the streets of the Lebanese capital in aclosed popemobile, areturn to thepast afterPopeFrancis eschewed closed popemobiles. Lebanese troops deployed on both sidesofthe road and ahelicopter flew overhead.
The Vatican spokesman,Matteo Bruni,had declined to discuss the types of vehicles Leo would use in Lebanon, andwhethertheywould be bulletproofed. The visit came just aweekafter an Israelistrike in Beirut killed five people, including atop Hezbollah official.
As the convoyreached theentrance of the presidential palace, adance troupe performed dabke, a traditional Arab folk dance, under heavy rain.
In Turkey,Leo markedanimportant Christiananniversary In Lebanon, Leo was seeking to encourage Lebanesewho believe their leaders have failed them, and to call on Lebanese Christians to stay or,iftheyhavealreadymoved abroad, to come home.
AMuslim-majority country where about athird of the population is Christian, Lebanon has alwaysbeena priorityfor the Vatican,abulwark for Christians throughout the region. After years of conflict, Christiancommunities that date from the time of the Apostles have shrunk as families have moved abroad forsafety and better lives.
In his welcome speech, Leo said “much good can come”fromthe Lebanesediaspora. “However,we must not forget that remaining in
our homeland and working day by day to develop acivilization of love andpeace remains something very valuable,” he said.
Aoun, Lebanon’sMaronite Christian president, vowed that Christians will remain.
“Lebanon is ahomeland of freedomfor everyhumanbeing,” Aoun said. “Your Holiness, tell the world that we will not die. We will notleave, we will notdespair,and we will not surrender.”
Despite aU.S.-brokered ceasefire last year that nominally ended atwo-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel continues to launch near-daily airstrikesthat it says aim to stop the militant group from rebuilding. The war killedmorethan4,000 people in Lebanonand causedwidespread destruction.
The pope “is coming to bless us andfor thesakeofpeace,” said Farah Saadeh,a Beirut resident walking on the city’sseaside promenade. “Wehopenothing is going to happen after his departure.” Before Leo’sarrival, Hezbollahurged the pope to express his “rejection to injustice and aggression” that the country is being subjected to, referring to the Israeli strikes.
Thegroupalsourged itssupporters to line up alongthe papalconvoy route. Hundreds of them did so, waving theflags of Lebanon and the Vatican.
Mounir Younes, the leader of a Hezbollah-affiliated scout troupe, said they aimed to send amessage about “the importance of coexistence and national unity.”
Left-wing groups led aseparate protest in Manila’smain park with ablunt demand forall implicated government officials to immediately resignand face prosecution. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr hasbeenscrambling to quellpublicoutrage over the massivecorruption blamed for substandard, defectiveornonexistentflood control projectsacross an archipelago longprone to deadly flooding and extreme weather in tropical Asia.
More than 17,000 police officers were deployed in metropolitan Manila to secure the separate protests. The Malacanang presidential
palace complex in Manila was in asecurity lockdown with keyaccess roads andbridges blocked by anti-riot policeforces, trucksand barbed wire railings. In adeeply divided democracy where twopresidents have been separately overthrowninthe last 39 years partly over allegations of plunder,there have been isolated callsfor themilitarytowithdraw support from the Marcos administration.
The ArmedForces of the Philippines has steadfastly rejected such calls andwelcomed on Sundaya statementsignedbyatleast 88
mostlyretired generals, including threemilitary chiefs of staff, whosaid they “strongly condemn andreject anycallfor the Armed Forces of the Philippines to engage in unconstitutional acts or military adventurism.”
“The unified voice of our retired and active leaders reaffirmsthat theArmed Forces of the Philippinesremainsapillarofstability and asteadfast guardian of democracy,” the militarysaidina statement Roman Catholic churches across the country helped lead Sunday’s anti-corruption protests in their
districts, withthe main daylong rally being held at apro-democracy “people power” monument alongEDSA highwayinthe capital region. Police said about 5,000 demonstrators mostly wearing white joined before noon. They demanded that members of Congress, officials andconstruction company owners behind thousands of anomalous flood control projects in recent years be imprisonedand orderedtoreturn the government funds they stole. Aprotesterworeashirt with a blunt message: “No mercyfor the greedy.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HASSAN AMMAR
Pope Leo XIV wavesSunday as he arrives for awelcoming ceremonyat thepresidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut.
Particulates
63/47
Kiffin begins to assemble coaching staff
BY WILSON ALEXANDER and REED DARCEY Staff writers
New LSU head coachLane Kiffinhas already started assembling hisstaff bringingseveral OleMisscoaches and staff memberswith him toBaton Rouge the day he tookthe job,including the offensive coordinator Avideo captured and posted to social media Sunday showed OleMiss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.boarded one of the planes that LSU senttoOxford, Mississippi, topickup Kiffin, members of his family and certain Ole Miss personnel.
LSU is expected to strongly consider retaining defensivecoordinatorBlake Bakerand otherdefensive coaches amid the transition, sources said. The only defensivecoach who came with Kiffin was his brother, Chris Kiffin, an analyst who coached linebackers this season.
According to CBS Sports, Kiffin is also expected to bring general manager Billy Glasscock,senior associate athletic director forfootballoperations Thaddeus Rivers,widereceivers coach George McDonald, head strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage, co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, senior director of player personnel Mike Williams and graduate assistant Sawyer Jordan with him to LSU.
All of their names,aswellasWeis and Chris Kiffin,have been removed from Ole Miss’ onlinestaffdirectory
Kiffin hired Glasscock in 2024 to replace current LSU general manager
ä See STAFF, page 6B
Followinga long-awaited decision,high-profile coach arrivesinBaton Rougewithentourage,greeted by cheering fans
WELCOMETOTHE KIFFINEXPERIENCE
LSUhas its new football coach. Get ready for the full Lane Kiffin Experience.
We all got asample of it Sunday
There were jeers, finger-pointing (not thepolite kind) and curses at the Oxford, Mississippi, airport as the now former Ole Miss coach and his entourage took flight for Baton Rouge.Then cheers, sirens and an impromptu motorcade from BatonRouge MetroAirport to LSU.
Kiffinhas gone straight to work, assembling his coaching staffand meeting in his new office with University High defensive tackle Lamar Brown, the nation’s No. 1prospect, Sunday night.
Kiffin drove by aknot of fans poised outside the MMR Group’sprivateaviation facility,giving athumbs up out thewindow of his SUV with his right hand while he cradled acell phone in his left.
The whole scene was ludicrous and exhilarating at the sametime, people standing in the misting rain for just afleeting glimpse of aman whose record at LSU is currently 0-0. But still, on agut level, you knew how completely cathartic it was for them.
“We’re never losing again!”one young fan yelled.
Brownflashed an “L” forLSU hand sign in aphoto with Kiffin, appearing in an instant to confirm his commitment to the Tigers with the start of the early national signing period on Wednesday.They also ventured out onto the coach’s office balcony,giving amoment of sheer euphoria to the fans below in the rain whocouldn’thave been happier if Kiffin and Brownstarted throwing $100 bills. All this is to makeapoint. No one is neutral on Lane
Monte Kiffin. He either is the hero or the villain of the piece, andbyall indications, is comfortable in either role. He’sasocial media machine, delighting in getting arise out of people, good or bad. He is the man wholeft Ole Miss in its greatest hour of glory in decades to some, and ä See RABALAIS, page 6B
Saints almost pull off wild comeback,but lose to Dolphins
BY MATTHEW PARAS
Staffwriter
MIAMI GARDENS,Fla. As afinalscore, 21-17 is fairly common in the NFL. That has happened 109 times in league history,according to the website NFL Scorigami. Andnormally,the result means one team scores three touchdowns and the other scores two touchdownsand afieldgoal. Pretty standardstuff. But nothingwas normalabout Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins for the New Orleans Saints.
All within thespanof42seconds of game time.
We’ve just gotto operate, and Ifeel like we did areally good job of staying focused.” TyLER SHOUGH, Saintsquarterback, on thelast minutes of thegame N.O. remainsunabletoshake offseason-longproblems Interimcoach Wilson meetswithnew coach upon hisarrival
page 4B
Forget all the ways that the Dolphins who scored one touchdown with an extra point, four field goals and one “pick-two” got to those 21 points. Or theabnormal route the Saints —who scored twotouchdowns, one two-point conversion and one field goal —took to get their 17. It was the craziness of the final minutes that will be remembered about theSaints’ latest loss. There was Devaughn Vele’s15-yard dramatic touchdown to put the Saints in apositiontotie. There was Tyler Shough’s back-breaking interception on the two-point attempt toensurethere wouldn’t be atie, returned 100 yards by the Dolphins for two points of their own. There was therecovered onside kick from thekicker whose family flew in from Ireland to watch his professional debut. And there was the stuffed Shough sneak on fourth-and-1 to seal theSaints’ 10th loss of the season, as well as eliminate them from playoff contention. (Hey,don’tlaugh. It had to happen officially sometime.)
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByLyNNE SLADKy
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough lookstomakeapass against the MiamiDolphins on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla
Scott Rabalais
ASSOCIATEDPRESS
PHOTOByROGELIO V. SOLIS
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffinpumps his fist during the second half of agame against Washington State on Oct.11in Oxford,Miss. Kiffinwas named LSUfootball coach on Sunday.
6
Tigers’ red-hot start continues
LSU women scoring 112 points per game
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
The LSU women’s basketball team is on a tear ahead of its ACC/ SEC challenge matchup with Duke, which will tip off at 8 p.m.
Thursday
The No. 5 Tigers (8-0) have scored at least 100 points in every game they’ve played this season. Until Friday when LSU rolled past Marist in the Paradise Jam tournament on the U.S. Virgin Islands, no NCAA team had ever hit the century mark in seven consecutive games.
The Tigers have now done it eight times in a row — and counting. They won their last two games by a combined score of 225-88. Here are three things we learned about coach Kim Mulkey’s new-look roster in that group of contests. The Tigers are just past the halfway point of their nonconference schedule.
LSU can score
Halfway through the third quarter of its Paradise Jam title game on Saturday, LSU led Washington State 65-32.
The Tigers then spent the next 15 minutes of game time widening that advantage. If they looked up at the scoreboard after freshman forward Meghan Yarnevich drained a free throw at the 1:47 mark of the fourth, they would’ve seen that they had hit 109 points.
The Cougars, at that point of the night, were still stuck with 32. That 44-0 run was representative of LSU’s season to date. Easy offense. Suffocating defense Little let-up against an overmatched mid-major opponent that could only hang on for dear life while the Tigers kept making enough shots to extend their NCAA-record streak of 100-point games.
LSU produced some eye-popping numbers in its first eight games.
n The Tigers are scoring a staggering 112 points per game. To put that average in perspective, Michigan State is the country’s second-best offensive team, and it’s putting up 99.9 ppg.
n LSU is also shooting a hyperefficient 56% from the field and 44% from 3-point range. As of Sunday, it’s the only Division I team that’s shooting at least 55% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, per Basketball Reference data.
n According to Her Hoop Stats, the Tigers are scoring 137.6
points per 100 possessions — the top rate in the nation. In the nonconference games it played in 2022, LSU’s national title team scored 126.2 points per 100 possessions.
Some of those numbers could look different after LSU faces Duke The Blue Devils were one of the top defensive teams in the nation last season.
But the Tigers have never played offense as well as they are now No NCAA team, arguably ever has.
Clear roles for Fulwiley, Richard
Both MiLaysia Fulwiley and Jada Richard are settling into their respective roles nicely Fulwiley is LSU’s top scoring threat off the bench. Richard is the starting point guard.
Against Washington State, Fulwiley chipped in 12 points, five
assists and four steals. Both her scoring average (16.1) and fieldgoal percentage (54%) are still career highs, as well as her steals average (4.5) the third-best mark in the country
Richard has almost twice as many assists (21) as she does turnovers (12) through eight games, and now her scoring is starting to pick up. On Friday and Saturday, she scored 25 total points after shooting 10 of 17 from the field and 5 of 6 from beyond the arc.
“I thought Jada was solid,” Mulkey told The Advocate on Saturday, “and it has nothing whatsoever to do with her scoring. I’ve always known Jada could score the ball.”
What Mulkey’s starting to figure out, she said, is that Richard can run the offense and defend the point of attack like she needs
her point guards to do.
“Just be the general out there,” Mulkey said. “Be the quarterback. I just thought she had two outstanding games.”
Depth and balance
Seven LSU players are now averaging at least 10 points per game None are averaging more than 17.
Eleven Tigers are playing at least 12 minutes per game. None of them are playing more than 24 minutes per game
The distribution of minutes will likely shift once SEC play begins in January, but LSU appears to have a deeper, more balanced team than it did in either of the past two seasons. Its eight newcomers are a large reason why
The Tigers’ bench is scoring 54 points per game — the most in the country
LSU men take ‘big step forward’ at tourney
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
A clear success is the best way to describe LSU’s trip to Florida for the Emerald Coast Classic.
Coach Matt McMahon’s group beat Drake 71-62 in the first round on Friday and then beat DePaul 96-63 in the championship game on Saturday at Raider Arena in Niceville, Florida.
“This was a big step forward for us as a team,” McMahon said Saturday “Really proud of our players for their effort, their energy and their focus over the two days here.”
The remarkable showing for LSU (7-0) elevated its standing on the basketball analytic site KenPom. After entering Friday with the 37th-highest rating in the country, the Tigers are now 24th before Sunday’s games.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the past two games. Talent advantage
LSU took a jump in competition level and still looked like the superior team for both games.
The team was connected defensively, holding its opponents to a combined 38.9% from the field. The offense was also crisp. Against DePaul (5-3), the Tigers had seven double-digit scorers and scored on 13 of their first 14 possessions.
LSU’s commander was junior
rst
on Nov 10 at
point guard
Classic in Orlando, Florida.
Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach
AUBURN,Ala. — Auburn hired South Florida’s Alex Golesh as its next coach on Sunday counting on him to revitalize an offense that has ranked in the bottom half of the Southeastern Conference each of the past six years. The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United States at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons. Freeze lost 12 of his last 15 SEC games.
Golesh went 23-15 in three seasons with the Bulls, a tenure that culminated with USF ranking second in the country in total offense (501.7 yards a game) and fourth in scoring (43 points a game).
Michigan State fires its coach after two years
Michigan State fired coach Jonathan Smith on Sunday, two years after he was hired.
The Spartans lost eight of their last nine games to finish 4-8.
Smith’s overall record at MSU was 9-15 and just 4-14 in the Big Ten. Smith is due more than $30 million, according to terms of his seven-year contract, and the school will have to spend many millions to find a replacement.
Expectations were low for this season, and the results were worse.
The Spartans followed up wins against Western Michigan, Boston College and Youngstown State with an 0-8 start in Big Ten play They lost to USC, Nebraska, UCLA, Indiana and Michigan by double digits before blowing a late lead and losing at Minnesota by three points.
NC State coach Doeren returning for 14th season
RALEIGH, N.C. — N.C State coach Dave Doeren is returning for a 14th season with the Wolfpack. Athletic director Boo Corrigan confirmed Doeren’s return on Sunday The previous night, Doeren’s Wolfpack beat rival North Carolina for the fifth straight year and the program is headed to a bowl game for the 11th time in Doeren’s 13 seasons.
“Dave has built a program that is centered on culture and player development — on and off the field,” Corrigan said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “You can see his passion for this program and the student-athletes in how hard our team plays and competes. I look forward to continuing to find new ways to support him and the football program.”
Jordan’s fight against NASCAR heads to court
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Jordan’s bitter fight against NASCAR heads to federal court Monday in a jury trial that could rip apart the top motorsports series in the U.S.
nament, the transfer from Northeastern stood out as a scorer and defender, averaging 10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
Reece, a freshman point guard, had his first signature performance against DePaul. The Orlando, Florida, native not only scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting, but he also had six assists with no turnovers in 20 minutes. McMahon said he was impressed with his play, which is essential as he runs the offense whenever Thomas is off the floor Jalen Reed injury
The only low moment of the tournament was Jalen Reed’s injury He suffered a lower left leg injury, according to a team spokesperson. This was not the same leg in which he tore his ACL in December 2024, which forced him to miss the rest of the season.
The injury occurred when the 6-10 redshirt junior jumped for an offensive rebound with about eight minutes remaining against Drake (5-3).
The antitrust allegations leveled by Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports has exposed salacious personal communications, NASCAR’s finances and a deep contempt between some of the top executives in the sport and its participants.
Denny Hamlin, who owns 23XI alongside Jordan, warned this weekend the gloves will be off.
“Our fans have been brainwashed with (NASCAR’s) talking points for decades,” Hamlin wrote on social media. “Lies are over starting Monday morning. It’s time for the truth. It’s time for change.”
Shiffrin wins slalom, stays perfect in Olympic season
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. American standout Mikaela Shiffrin dominated a World Cup slalom on home Colorado snow Sunday to remain perfect in the discipline during the Olympic season.
Dedan Thomas. The UNLV transfer was able to get to the basket at will, using his tight ball handling. The threat of the 6-foot-1 lefty’s scoring made it easier for teammates like Max Mackinnon to score. The 6-6 Australian guard was among the five players to make the all-tournament team after averaging 12 points per game. Thomas was named the Emerald Coast Classic MVP after averaging 15 points on 52.4% shooting, five assists and 1.5 turnovers. New players step up
After he landed on his feet, he limped to the team bench across from him.
Rashad King and Jalen Reece were two players who had their best performances during the tournament. King, a 6-6 senior, averaged three points in 12.8 minutes in the first five games In the tour-
Reed didn’t return to play and missed the following game Before the tournament, he was averaging 11 points on 60.6% shooting and six rebounds in 17.8 minutes.
In the eight games he played last season, he averaged 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Shiffrin extended her winning streak in slalom to four races after also claiming the opening two races this season and the final event of last season. It was Shiffrin’s record-extending 104th World Cup victory and her 67th in slalom extending the discipline record, too.
Shiffrin added to her first-run advantage and won by a whopping 1.57 seconds ahead of Lena Duerr of Germany, who moved up from ninth after the opening
Lara Colturi of
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU guard Rashad King drives the ball up the court against UNO in the fi
half
the PMAC. King, a transfer from Northeastern, averaged 10.4 points at the Emerald Coast
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU guard Jada Richard brings the ball up the court against Southeastern on Nov. 6 at the PMAC. Coach
Kim Mulkey is looking to Richard to run the Tigers’ offense.
Seattle’s defense forces five takeaways in win
By The Associated Press
Ernest Jones IV returned an interception 84 yards for the first touchdown of his career, one of five takeaways by the Seahawks’ dominant defense, and Seattle blanked the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 on Sunday for its first shutout victory in more than a decade.
The Vikings were shut out for the first time since Green Bay beat them 34-0 on Nov 11, 2007. Seattle’s most recent shutout win was 26-0 over Chicago on Sept. 27, 2015. This one was a mismatch, with the Seahawks (9-3) going against an undrafted rookie quarterback in Max Brosmer, who was making his first NFL start for the freefalling Vikings (4-8). Seattle moved into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West, while Minnesota lost its fourth straight.
The Vikings had the first takeaway of the game, when Sam Darnold — the quarterback who led Minnesota to a 14-3 season a year ago — fumbled deep in Seattle territory early in the second quarter Brosmer couldn’t take advantage. Trailing 3-0, the Vikings went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 4, and DeMarcus Lawrence got a free run at Brosmer, who scrambled to his right and made a desperation sidearm heave. The pass landed in Jones’ arms, and the linebacker took it the distance to give the Seahawks a 10-0 lead. Jones has a career-high four interceptions this season.
Brosmer threw three more picks in the second half, and Aaron Jones lost a fumble when he caught a screen pass and Lawrence chased him down from behind and stripped the ball.
PANTHERS 31, RAMS 28: In Charlotte, North Carolina, Bryce Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns two of them coming on fourth down — and Carolina forced three turnovers by Matthew Stafford to beat Los Angeles and snap the Rams’ six-game winning streak
The Panthers intercepted Stafford twice with Mike Jackson returning one for a 48-yard touchdown and ended the 37-year-old’s NFL record of 28 straight TD pass-
nessee for its third straight vic-
tory
With the win, the Jaguars (8-4) improved their AFC playoff hopes while chasing their first division title since 2022 The Jaguars still have two games left against Indianapolis, and the Colts fell to 8-4 with a 20-16 loss to Houston.
The Jaguars also beat the Titans for the sixth time in seven games.
Josh Hines-Allen had two of Jacksonville’s three sacks of rookie Cam Ward and the Jaguars recovered two fumbles.
The Titans (1-11) lost their seventh straight overall and 11th consecutive at home, matching the longest such skid since this franchise moved to Tennessee. They also lost 11 in a row at Nissan Stadium in a stretch over the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Fans booed the Titans early and often before heading to the exits well before the end.
threw two touchdown passes while playing through an injury to his non-throwing hand, and Kimani Vidal made a 59-yard scoring run during Los Angeles’ victory over spiraling Las Vegas.
Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey had TD catches and Vidal rushed for a career-high 126 yards for the Chargers (8-4), who snapped back from an embarrassing loss at Jacksonville for their fourth win in five games to keep pressure on the Denver Broncos atop the AFC West.
Jaret Patterson rushed for his first NFL touchdown since 2021 to ice the victory with 1:55 to play Los Angeles comfortably beat its longtime West Coast rivals for the fourth straight time, sweeping the season series and emphasizing the current gulf between the Bolts and the Raiders (2-10), who had less support in the SoFi Stadium crowd than in past seasons.
es without an interception.
Derrick Brown, who tipped a ball resulting in one of Stafford’s first pick, came up with a key strip-sack with 2:25 left in the game to preserve the win.
49ERS 26, BROWNS 8: In Cleveland, Brock Purdy rushed for a touchdown and passed for another score in the second half, and San Francisco spoiled Shedeur Sanders’ first home start by defeating Cleveland Cleveland took an 8-7 lead late in the second quarter when Sanders hooked up with Harold Fannin for a 34-yard touchdown and Quinshon Judkins’ run added the 2-point conversion But San Francisco (94) scored the next 19 points in its third consecutive win. All three of San Francisco’s touchdowns came on short fields — two the result of recovering turnovers and another after a 66-yard punt return by Skyy Moore.
BUCCANEERS 20, CARDINALS 17: In Tampa, Florida, Baker Mayfield tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay’s defense held in the final two minutes and the Buccaneers beat Arizona to snap a threegame losing streak Mayfield, who started after sit-
ting out the second half of a 34-7 loss to the Rams because of a left shoulder injury, threw for 194 yards and ran for 27 to help the Buccaneers (7-5) remain first in the NFC South.
Jacoby Brissett, making his seventh start filling in for Kyler Murray, threw a wide pass incomplete on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 17 with under a minute remaining. Arizona (3-9) has lost four straight and nine of 10.
Down 17-3, the Cardinals finally got going in the third quarter Brissett connected with Bam Knight on a 22-yard TD to cut it to 17-10.
Tampa Bay’s defense made a big stop when Arizona when for it on fourth-and-1 from its 39. Knight was stuffed by Anthony Nelson after taking a pitch.
The Bucs couldn’t do much with the field position and Chase McLaughlin hit a 57-yard field goal to increase the lead to 20-10.
But Brissett drove the Cardinals 73 yards, throwing a 15-yard TD pass to Trey McBride to trim the deficit to 20-17.
JAGUARS 25, TITANS 3: In Nashville
Tennessee, Trevor Lawrence threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and Jacksonville beat Ten-
Nick Folk’s 56-yard field goal lifts Jets to win over Falcons
BY DENNIS WASZAK JR. AP pro football writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J Nick Folk
had already atoned for his first field goal miss of the season. With the game on the line, he kicked the New York Jets to a comeback victory Folk lined a 56-yarder through a heavy mist as time expired to lead the Jets past the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on Sunday
“Any time Nick kicks the ball,” coach Aaron Glenn said, “I feel like it’s good.” But in a game between two struggling teams that was anything but pretty, Folk’s kick was also far from it
The 41-year-old kicker in his second stint with the Jets said the 38-yard line — a 56-yard field goal try — was his limit in pregame warmups on a cold and damp day Tyrod Taylor got the offense to that very spot on the field and then Folk got just enough on the football to bounce back from an earlier miss on a 55-yarder
“I was like, all right, I’m pretty sure with a little adrenaline I can let one ride,” Folk said before breaking into a wide grin. “So I just went up there and gave it a boot.”
He was mobbed at midfield by his teammates as the Jets fans in a drenched and half-empty MetLife Stadium went wild.
“It felt amazing,” Taylor said of the win. “It wasn’t a perfect game, by any means. We speak about our brand of football and being complementary to one another in all three phases. I think this was the perfect game to show that.”
Taylor went 19 of 33 for 172 yards and a touchdown pass and also ran for 44 yards and a score in his second start in a row for the benched Justin Fields as the Jets (3-9) snapped a two-game skid. Adonai Mitchell had a career-high eight receptions for 102 yards and his first NFL touchdown, and Breece Hall ran for 68 yards and a score. After the defense held Kirk
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER New york Jets kicker Nick Folk celebrates with teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J
Cousins and the Falcons to a threeand-out, the Jets got the ball back at their 43 with 35 seconds left and two timeouts remaining. Taylor had a 14-yard run and hit Mitchell for 10 and 5 yards on the drive to put Folk in position for his winner
“It’s more to me than just the win I’m looking at,” Glenn said. “These guys never quit.” Cousins went 21 of 33 for 234 yards and a touchdown in his second start for the injured Michael Penix Jr Bijan Robinson ran for 142 yards and a score and caught five passes for 51 yards for the Falcons (4-8), who lost for the sixth time in seven games.
“It’s always tough to lose in this league and it’s a lot tougher when you don’t have production,” Cousins said. “I’m proud of the way Bijan played and the guys around him who helped him have a day like he had. I just wish it had been in a win, and he does, too.”
Cousins threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Sills to put the Falcons up 24-17 with 8:46 remaining. It was the 291st career TD toss for Cousins, who broke a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas for 17th on the NFL’s alltime list. But Taylor scored on a 10-yard
run that capped a 15-play drive during which the Jets converted three third-down plays and one on fourth down — a 2-yard keeper by Taylor on fourth-and-1 at the 11 — to tie it at 24 with 1:53 remaining. The Jets got just their second takeaway of the season when Jamal Agnew fumbled a fair catch of Austin McNamara’s punt and Qwan’tez Stiggers recovered at the Atlanta 2. Hall ran it up the middle on the next play to put New York up 7-0 1:02 into the second quarter Tyler Allgeier powered into the end zone from 1 yard to tie it at 7 for the Falcons with 9 seconds left in the opening half.
Atlanta marched 95 yards on its opening possession of the second half, capped by Robinson’s 5-yard touchdown run. But the Jets needed just two plays to tie it again. Taylor launched a deep pass downfield to Mitchell who got wide open after Mike Hughes fell in coverage — for a 52-yard touchdown. It was Mitchell’s first touchdown catch since being acquired from Indianapolis at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts. It was also the Jets’ longest pass play of the season.
TEXANS 20, COLTS 16: In Indianapolis, Nico Collins scored the tiebreaking touchdown on a 7-yard run with 12:38 to play, Nick Chubb also ran for a score, and Houston’s top-ranked defense came up with a late stop on to seal a victory over slumping Indianapolis.
Houston (7-5) won its fourth straight, moving within one game of AFC South-leading Indy (8-4), which has lost three of four C.J. Stroud improved to 3-0 at Lucas Oil Stadium by going 22 of 35 for 276 yards with one interception in his first game in four weeks. He cleared the concussion protocol Friday Collins caught five passes for 98 yards.
Houston sealed the win by forcing a turnover on downs with 1:45 to play after Daniel Jones had taken Indy to Houston’s 31-yard line.
The Colts have lost two straight for the first time this season, and this was the first time they were held under 20 points.
Playing through a lower leg injury, Jones finished 14 of 27 for 201 yards and two TDs. Jonathan Taylor the NFL’s leading rusher was held to 85 yards on 21 carries and failed to score for only the fifth time this season.
CHARGERS 31, RAIDERS 14: In Inglewood, California, Justin Herbert
BILLS 26, STEELERS 7: In Pittsburgh, Josh Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another, Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to spring Christian Benford for a gametilting, 17-yard scoop-and-score, and Buffalo pushed Pittsburgh around.
Buffalo (8-4) bounced back from a loss at Houston by whipping Pittsburgh (6-6) up front James Cook ran for 144 yards as the Bills piled up 249 yards on the ground and controlled the clock for nearly 42 minutes inside blustery Acrisure Stadium.
The swirling winds at one of the league’s trickiest venues made passing nearly impossible. Allen completed 15 of 23 for 123 yards with an interception and a 3-yard scoring toss to Keon Coleman, who returned to the active roster after being a healthy scratch the last two weeks due to disciplinary issues.
The reigning MVP essentially put the game away when he bulldozed across the goal line from 8 yards out early in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 16-point lead. It was the 76th rushing touchdown of Allen’s career, breaking the NFL record for touchdown runs by a quarterback that he briefly shared with Cam Newton.
Diggs has been focused for Patriots this season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The performance of Stefon Diggs was one of the biggest unknowns for the New England Patriots entering the season.
Diggs established himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers during a run with Minnesota and Buffalo from 2018 to 2023 when he had six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
But after a trade from the Bills to the Houston Texans following the 2023 season and subsequent season-ending knee injury after a mostly lackluster eight games with the Texans last season, where the 10-year veteran would land in free agency was a mystery
That place ended up being one of the biggest offseason acquisitions for a New England team that was in need of a dependable wide receiver for second-year quarterback Drake Maye It may be a decision responsible for both revitalizing Diggs’ career and helping return the Patriots (10-2) to AFC relevancy as they prepare for a Monday night matchup against the New York Giants (2-10).
“I’m thankful to be where I’m at right now, around a good group of guys,” Diggs said recently after celebrating being a year removed from last year’s knee surgery “But more importantly I think is we’re still going. We’re right in the thick of it. I feel like I can’t get caught up in the moment, but I would be remiss if I didn’t thank God and thank my teammates and everybody for pushing me where I’m at right now But more importantly I’m still grinding.”
After a slow start where he had a career-high seven-game drought without a touchdown to open a season, Diggs said he was clinging to his philosophy of “eating the food that’s on your plate” in regards to how he was used in the offense. Over the past five games, Diggs’ plate has been more than
full. He has three touchdowns over that stretch, and now leads the team with 61 catches and 679 receiving yards. It’s helped New England vault to a 10-2 record. Diggs credits the way first-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and the training staff managed his post-surgery rehab, beginning with slowly bringing him along in the preseason and then methodically increasing his targets early in the season. He’s yet to miss a start.
That may have roots in his previous familiarity with Patriots wide receiver coach Todd Downing, whom Diggs credits with being part of the reason he came to New England in the first place. Downing was also tight ends coach in Minnesota in 2018 when Diggs was there.
“I trusted him,” Diggs said. “I don’t trust many people. I believed him. He gave me face value words and I appreciated his honesty Same with Coach Vrabes. I appreciate straight shooters. You can tell me the truth no matter what it is and I’ll rock with you if it’s the truth. But if you try to pull the wool over my eyes than it gets a little dicey.”
That trust also is there with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has brought out a more intense off the field work ethic in Diggs.
“This is probably like my biggest year I’ve studied the most, as far as recognizing coverages and being able to try to see it before the play starts. Kind of like from a quarterback vision,” Diggs said “And then McDaniels, he’s going to challenge you. He challenges me each and every day to be studious, be tedious, keep learning, don’t get comfortable and have competitive stamina. So I feel like being a leader that helped me a lot. It’s my first year really diving into the mental aspect of it that deep. I’m just used to just balling for real.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tyler Hall runs against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half of a game on Sunday in Seattle.
DOLPHINS 21,SAINTS17
BY THENUMBERS
Jordan movesuponNFL’s all-time sackslist
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
MIAMI GARDENS,Fla.—Cam Jordan has passed another Hall of Famer in theNFL record books.
Jordan is now tied for 17th on the official all-time list.Some statistical services have tracked sacksfrom before they became an official statistic, andonthat list, Jordan is now 26thall-time.
His statistical line was modest, with his five carries going for15 yards, but it was ameaningful day for Hull twoyears after asevere injury that nearlyderailedhis playing career just as it began.
OFFICIALS—Referee AlanEck,Ump Tab Slaughter, HL David Oliver, LJ GregBradley, FJ John Jenkins, SJ Dale Shaw,BJGrantis Bell, ReplayJoe Wollan.
SAINTS
Continued from page1B
“Shoot, the last couple minutes, it was like this,” Shough said,waiving his hand in the pattern of aroller-coaster track. “We’ve just got to operate, and Ifeel like we did areally good job of staying focused.” That focus wasn’tenoughtopull off an improbable comeback. Once again this season, the Saints delivered postgame remarks about how they were proud of their fight to the end. But onceagain,they stressed theneed to start faster
As wild as Sunday’sending was, the Saints weren’t able to overcome many of the season-long problems that have plagued the franchise.
Kellen Moore may not be close to the hot seat in his first year,but the coach’sinability to self-correct their issues over the course of theyear has to be one of the more discouraging developments of the season. Think backtoMoore’s reputation before he was hired to coach the Saints. He was seen as ayoung, innovative play-callerwho thrived in three stops, fresh off winning a Super Bowl with thePhiladelphia Eagles. But against the Dolphins, and as it has beenfor most of the year,itwas Moore’sown offense that held the Saints back.
The Saints went three-and-out on theiropening drivefor the sixth time in 12 games. They had 63 yards at halftime. They forced Kai Kroegertopunt sixtimes on a day that was set up to be about the kicker, not the punter
The New Orleans Saints defensive end dropped Miamiquarterback TuaTagovailoa for asack on the Dolphins’ opening drive, giving him127 in hiscareerand moving him past former Kansas City Chiefspass rusher DerrickThomas on theNFL’s all-time sacks list.
“I think BryanBresee had amiddle interior pushpressure, Ithought he was going to getit. …Really, it was aclean-up (sack),” Jordan said. “If one’sfor free, you’ve got to go earn one.” Jordan added another sack later in the first quarter,giving him his first two-sack game since Decemberoflast year againstthe Washington Commanders. With that sack, Jordan tied Saints legend Rickey Jackson on theall-timelist at least officially Sacks became an official NFL statistic in 1982. Jackson, whorecorded eight sacks in his 1981 rookie season,officially has 128 sacks.
Not everything, to be fair,can be pinned on Moore. He calls the plays, but theplayers have to execute them. It wasn’t Moore’sfault, for instance, that before Shough threw an interception on his twopoint attempt, tackle TalieseFuaga committeda false-start penalty that put theSaints back an extra 5yards.
“Wehad changed thecadence when we broke the huddle,(and) Ijust didn’thear it,” Fuaga said.
“That’sonme.”
“Obviously,it’sa challenging two-pointplay when you’regoing from the 7,” Moore said.
Theroster also needs work. The Saints’lack of explosive playmakers stood in stark contrast to Miami, which has wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and star running back De’Von Achane. Achane, who ripped off a29-yard touchdown on Miami’sfirst drive, fueled aDolphins rungamethat gained 164 yards on 32 carries. New Orleans, by contrast,inched and clawed its way for every yard without Alvin Kamara (knee injury). The Saints gained81yards on 27 carries.
Butthe Saints still had achance. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel mysteriously went away from Achaneinkey situations, such as the fourth-and-1 runthat was stuffed to set up Shough’spotential game-tying drive with 3:03 left. Miami quarterback TuaTagovailoa (157 yards on11-of-23 passing) also struggled against aSaints defense thatpicked himoff once and sacked him four times. The Saints even found abit of a rhythm offensively in the second half.
After his two first-quartersacks, Jordan now has ateam-leading 61/2 on the season —easily his best campaign since thelast time he madethe ProBowl, in 2022.
“Hard work and effort, the ability to meshwell with our D-line as well as knowing who you’re rushing with,” Jordan said. “At the end of the day,…God has blessed me with immense talentand I’m overly grateful for what he’s given me.”
Long road back
When the 2025 season began, running back Evan Hull wasathome, training and waiting for an opportunity to prove he still belonged in theNFL.
Sunday againstthe Miami Dolphins,thatopportunityarrived: Playinginjusthis thirdNFL game,Hullserved as the Saints’ No. 2back with Alvin Kamara unavailable because of aknee injury.
Hull suffered atorn MCL and ameniscus root tear in the first game of his rookie season after the Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the fifth round of the2023 draft The root tear led to an especially difficult andlengthy recovery becausethe meniscus had to be reattached
“WhenIwas talking to doctors andgetting secondopinions, it hadmealittle worried, because I’dnever dealtwiththatkind of injury before, something that kept me outfor theentireyear,” Hull said. “So obviously there was somedoubts.
“Will Ibethe sameplayer when Icome back? Andittook alot moretime than Ithought it would, even in that secondyear.Finding whoIwas as aplayer again, it took alittle bit of time into that season for me to figure it out.”
He played only onesnapfor theColts last year before being
Theshiftstarted with aseries of hard runs that put the offense in morefavorable situations. And from there, two other things mainly changed: The Saints started running moreplays from tempo, and Vele got involved.
Aftermonths of wonderingabout his role in the offense and whether acquiring him fromthe Denver Broncos was worthit, Vele hada signature day with the Saints. He finishedwitheight catches and93 yards. The27-year-old not only
waived midseason. Hull spent thesummerwiththe Pittsburgh Steelers but did not make the team out of training camp. “So to be here now is avery surreal moment,” Hull said. “This was my first full regularseasongame. (I)cameintothe gamehealthy,played through the whole game. Ijustthank Godfor that, because God has brought me through all this to this point now.”
Reid injured Saints safety JustinReid suffered aknee injury on the first play of thegame againstthe Dolphins, and he wasofficially ruled out for theremainderofthe game at the beginning of the second half Reidbriefly looked likehe’d be able to return to the game, checking back in after missing three plays. But whenthe Saints defense returned to the field, Reid remained on the sideline. With Reid outofthe game, the Saints rotated safeties Jordan Howden and TerrellBurgess into the lineup. Coach Kellen Moore did nothavean update on the severity of Reid’s injury after the game.
caught the touchdown, but he also recovered the onside kick.
Unfortunately for Vele, he was also part of the “picktwo” that proved to be costly.Asheran a shallow route, Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick jumped the pass intended forthe wide receiver andran it allthe waytothe opposite end zone.
If the Saints had converted that play,noonside kick would have been necessary,and one stop from the defense would likely haveled to overtime. And if it had simply been incomplete, and the Saints still managed to recover the onside kick, they could have been in fieldgoal range to win.
“I would have liked to maybe put it outinfront alittlebit more, but (I) had to get it out of my hands,” said Shough, whowas blasted by a defender right after the throw
The finaldrive didn’tgoNew Orleans’ way, either.Despite a10yard pass to Chris Olave andthen another 9-yard pass to Devin Neal, the offense stalledout in another short-yardage situation —just as it hadsooften theprevious week against the Atlanta Falcons.
“The fact that I’ve come up and say we’rea tenaciousteam, we’re ateam that keeps fighting,” defensive end CamJordan said. “When you’re fighting an uphill battle, you have to eventually reach the top of the hill.
“We’re taking shots, we’re swinging and you just wish they would fall in our favor,and they haven’t forwhatever reason this year.”
Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByLyNNE SLADKy Saints wide receiver Chris Olave catches apass foratouchdownduring the second half of agameagainst the Dolphins on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
DOLPHINS21, SAINTS 17
THREEAND OUT: JEFF DUNCAN’S TOPTHREE TAKEAWAySFROMSAINTS’ LOSS IN MIAMI
SAINTS SHOWED FIGHT
1
After aleaky first half, the Saints held theDolphins to just five points in the second half, allowing the team to fight into contentionand come within atwo-point conversion of tying the game in the final minutes.Alas,the Saints’ faulty execution derailed the comeback.Afalse startpenalty on Taliese Fuagaled to adisastrous pick-twobyMinkah Fitzpatrick on the ensuing conversion try, accountingfor the final score.The Saints had onelast tryafter Vele recovereda beautifully executed onside kick by Charlie Smyth, but they failedto convertafourth-and-1 at the Dolphins’ 36-yard line in the final minute, ending the comeback attempt.
2
SLOWSTARTS CONTINUED
The Saints once again found themselves playingcatch-up.Theyfailed to gain a first down and went scorelessintheir three firstquarter possessions. Meanwhile, Miamimarchedfor a touchdown on its opening series to takeaquick 7-0 lead and addeda field goal on the first playofthe second quarter.From there, it was anotheruphill climb. TheSaints have nowscored just one touchdownin27 first-quarter drives this season.Asaresult, theyhave been outscored92-19 in the openingperiod. It wasthe ninth timein12gamesthat the Saints failed to lead for asingleminute
3
SMYTH,VELE WERE BRIGHT SPOTS
If youwerelooking fora silver lining to theloss, looknofurtherthan second-yearplayers Charlie Smyth and Devaughn Vele.Smyth,the kicker fromNorthernIreland, wasmaking his NFL debut after the Saints releasedBlakeGrupe earlierinthe week.He opened eyes by booming a56-yard fieldgoal in the first attemptofhis career.Smyth alsoperformed aperfect onsidekick in the final 2minutes that Vele recovered.Vele meanwhile, had abreakout game with eight catches for 93 yards, including aspectacular 15-yard touchdowncatch. Vele made several acrobatic and contested catchesin traffic, manyonin-breaking routes overthe middle.
‘ABSOLUTELYBUZZING’
IrelandnativeSmyth’s parentstraveltoMiami to witnesshis dazzling NFLdebut
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
MIAMI GARDENS,Fla. It was approaching 9p.m. in Mayobridge,County Down, NorthernIreland, when the cheers roaredand the taps got busy
The native son was getting his first chance to play thisforeigngame across the Atlantic. Maybethose watching from the local pubweren’t exactly sure about the difficulty of what he was lining up for,but they knew the payoff: If New Orleans Saints kickerCharlieSmyth made his first NFL field goal attempt from 56 yards out, they got their free pint
The snap and hold weregood, the ball left Smyth’sfoot true, and the kicker didn’teven wait to watchitgo through the uprights beforehestarted celebrating.
“I blacked out. Ican’tremember,” Smythsaid. “. Ilookedupand sawit was going down the middle. Iknew I had enough power on it anyway,the way it felt off the foot.”
Smythjoineda rare fraternity as a nativeIrishman to appear in an NFL game. He has been with theSaints developing behind the scenes for thelast 18 months, but Sunday’sgame against theMiami Dolphins washis first chance to show his talent in ameaningful professional game.
The chances were limited, but boy, did he make them count
In addition to his longfield goal, Smyth also pulled off the rare successful onside kick lateinthe fourth quarter,giving the Saintsa chance at a go-aheadscore in the final minute.The onside kick was aresult of filmstudy, noting the way Miami’shands team did not block the player that would be in Devaughn Vele’sposition.
Learning an onside kick is new for Smyth, too. This specific kick wasonly put into the game plan this week.
“Wecaught our own handsteam offguard (in practice),” Smyth said. “Me and (special-teams coordinator Phil Galiano) had adiscussion about it, and we went for it. Vele did agreat job; everybody did agreat job.” And he got to do that in front of his parents and sisters, whopurchased last-minute flights from Ireland toMi-
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByLyNNE SLADKy
Saints kicker Charlie Smyth poses with his parents, Leoand Julie, and afriend before agame against the MiamiDolphins on SundayinMiami Gardens, Fla. Smythshined in his NFLdebut withthe Saints.
ami in ordertowatch him play
Smythlearned he would makehis NFL debut Friday afternoon,and his first callwenttohis mother.His father hadtocall himback, becausehewas helping someone at the counter at the shop where he works. His family booked last-minute flights lateFridaynight in Ireland, drove across thecountry to Dublin to make their flight along withhis kicking coach Tadhg Leader,enduredweather delays in Chicago because of snow,but they made it on timetosee Smyth play—and they’renot staying in the States for long.
“They’re going homeonMonday,because my mom’s aschool teacher and she got asub in on Monday and she’s back to work Tuesday,” Smyth said. “I don’tknowwhatmydad’sdoing; he’s trying to getsorted on his work holidays aswell.But they madeitwork.”
Leaderwas sitting next to Smyth’s family andpaying close attention to Smyth in the minutes before his 56-yard attempt. As Smythlined it up, Leader noticedhis mothercouldn’twatch.She had her eyes closed when it sailedthrough, and afew tears followed.
“I truly couldn’t have been morecon-
fident that he was going to hitapure ball, and he hit it really,really pure,” Leader said. “... That’sbased off chattingtohim every day the last week or so, when he’sbeen going through all of this to win the job, to validate to the coaching staff, ‘I’m the guy.’ He was put through thewringer this week to prove that to them.”
Smythsigned with theSaintsinMarch 2024 through the International Player Pathway(IPP),onlymonthsafter he’d kicked an American football for the first time in hislife. Theformer Gaelic football player grew up appreciating the game from afar,but he’d nevertried it for himself until he heard about aworkshopbeing put on by Leader,the IPP’s lead punting and kicking coach. He’sthe first IPPpunting and kicking product to play in an NFLgame. Up until Sunday’sgame he’dmainly served as acuriosity —a talent who could dazzle with hisabilitytokick long fieldgoals butwhose rawness showed up in inconsistent training camppractices. NewOrleans kept himonthe practice squad,takingadvantage of the roster exemption they received for an international player,
and the patience paid off Sunday
“Charlie’s earned thisopportunity,” said coach Kellen Moore. The opportunity came aboutbecause theSaintscould no longerbepatient with Blake Grupe. The team reached abreaking pointwith Grupeafter his seventh and eighth missesofthe season in Week 12 against Atlanta.
New Orleansreleased Grupe on Tuesday,then put Smyth through aseries of competitions before elevating him forSunday’sgame.
“Tuesday was strange emotions, because you saw your opportunity potentially coming up, but seeing (Blake) like that, it wastough because we’re friends,” Smythsaid. “You getyour head right, andI was buzzing. Thursday wasabig day, andIkicked really well.
“I wasjustexcited to getthe opportunity,and to be honest, I’mhiding it a little bit. I’mabsolutely buzzing.”
Even though they had to wait for their free drink, there’sagood chance the people in the pub back homewere buzzing, too.
Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
RESULTS
Thelast day of November will be one to remember for sportsfans in Louisiana. Here’s what all happened on acrazy Sunday that made for abusy dayfor thefolks tasked with putting this newspaper together
n The New Orleans Saints found their offense in the secondhalf andalmost climbed out of a 16-point hole againstthe Miami Dolphins.
n Cam Jordan foundthe fountain of youth yet again.
n Kellen Moore found outthat receiver Devaughn Vele is indeed on the Saints’ roster.
Rod Walker
n LSU found its head coach n Tulane foundout that it is nowin the market for one.
n Oh, and aguy from Northern Ireland (Charlie Smyth) booted a56-yard field goal on his very first field goal attempt in an NFL game.
Smyth followed that up with asuccessful onside kick that gavethe Saints achance late in what ended up being a21-17 loss to the Dolphins. History was on Smyth’sside on the onside kick. The last timethe Saints tried one at Hard Rock Stadium was Thomas Morstead’s“Ambush” to
start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. Smyth’skick landed right in the arms of Vele, much thesame way that many of Tyler Shough’s passes did. Vele, acquired in atrade withthe Denver BroncosinAugust because theSaints needed abig-bodied receiver,had rarely been used. He had nine catches before Sunday.Healmost equaled that in one game, hauling in eightpassesfor 93 yards and a touchdown.The Saints, unfortunately, weren’table to move the ballmuch on their final drive that stalled on afailed fourth-and-1 attempt at the Dolphins’ 36-yard line.
“Itwas an unfortunate ending,” Mooresaidafterward.
He certainly wasn’tthe only one talking about unfortunateendings. Fans of Ole Miss football were no doubt saying the same thing(except with awholelot more curse words included) as Lane Kiffin made it official that he was leaving Oxford and headingtoBaton Rouge to be LSU’s next football coach. Kiffin was hoping to stick aroundand coach the Rebels in theCollegeFootball Playoff but
said Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter denied that request.
Meanwhile, Tulane coach Jon Sumrallmadeitofficial Sunday that he has accepted the Florida job. Sumrall could have been in aKiffin-like situation with Tulane headed to theplayoffs if they beat North Texas for the American Conference championship Saturday at Yulman Stadium. But the Green Wave administration has decided to let Sumrall stick around and coach Saturday’sgame and continue to theplayoffs if the Wave advances.
Fan bases at bothOle Miss and Tulane are split on whether their nowexes should be allowed tostick around after the divorces.
“Wejust believe that it’sthe right thingtodofor our student-athletes,” Tulane athletic director David Harris saidinastatement. “Weare just really appreciative that he has thelove andconcern for his players first and foremostinhis mind, that he wantsto help them finish theright way.”
After that, Sumrall will head to Florida, about five hours north of where theSaints(2-10) were handed yet another loss Sunday The Saints’ offense struggled early gaining just 63 yards in thefirst half
that ended with them trailing 16-0. A bright spot was the 36-year-old Cam Jordan sacking Miami quarterback TuaTagovailoa twice. Jordan now has 61/2 sacks, the most he’shad since 2022.
He’d much rather have those sacks come with somewins.
“Weare ateam that keeps fighting,” Jordan said. “When you are fighting an uphill battle, eventually you have to reach the top of the hill. We are taking shots and we are swinging, and you just wish they would fall in our favor.”
The only thing falling in the Saints’ favor is their chances of landing the No. 1draftpick. With the New York Jets upsetting the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday,the Saints currently hold the No. 2draftpick.
The Saints return to Florida next week to play the TampaBay Buccaneers. The Bucs have wonthe last three games against the Saints and are looking to makeitfour straight forthe first timeinseries history
ASaints upset of the Bucs sounds crazy
Notquite as crazy as this last Sunday in November was, though. Email RodWalkeratrwalker@ theadvocate.com.
Sumrall leaving Tulane for Florida the price of success
BY GUERRY SMITH
Contributing writer
When hiring him two years ago, Tulane knew football coach Jon Sumrall might not stay long if he maintained the recent success of predecessor Willie Fritz.
That possibility became a reality on Sunday morning when Sumrall accepted an offer from Florida to become its coach a day after the Green Wave clinched its fourth consecutive appearance in the American Conference championship game and the host role for the third time in four seasons.
Tulane athletic director David Harris confirmed Sumrall would coach the Wave against North Texas at Yulman Stadium on Friday and in the College Football Playoff if the team qualified as Sumrall made clear he wanted to do Saturday night.
“We just believe that it’s the right thing to do for our studentathletes,” Harris said. “We are just really appreciative that he has the love and concern for his players first and foremost in his mind, that he wants to help them finish the right way When I thought about trying to do the right thing and what’s in the best interest of the team and who’s going to help us win the game, it just became the obvious decision for Tulane athletics.”
Sources said Sumrall, who is 4211 in his career (19-7 at Tulane), weighed offers from Auburn, which hired South Florida coach Alex Golish on Sunday Florida and Ole Miss, which finally lost Lane Kiffin to LSU on Sunday but had a contingency offer if he left.
Sumrall earned a base salary of $3 million per year in his six-year contract with the Wave and reportedly will more than double that figure in a new six-year deal with the Gators.
Tulane made a counteroffer that Harris labeled “competitive,” but it was not enough to convince Sumrall to stay
“Often people wonder if we’re doing things behind the scenes to try to make sure we can hold on to our most prominent coaches,”
Harris said. “People can rest assured we did have those conversa-
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MIKE STEWART
Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield walks on the field during the first half of a game against UAB on Oct 18 in Birmingham, Ala Silverfield was named the new football coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Arkansas hires Memphis’ Silverfield as new coach
By The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield away from Memphis as the Razorbacks’ new coach Sunday after a miserable 2-10 season filled with near misses.
Silverfield is 50-25 in six seasons at Memphis, and he was at his best going 10-3 in 2023 and 11-2 in 2024. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 22 this season before finishing 8-4. He also went 4-0 in bowl games, not counting the Cotton Bowl in December 2019 that Silverfield coached after Mike Norvell left for Florida State He will be the 35th head coach in Arkansas history
“Coach Silverfield’s proven ability to win games over a sustained period separated him from the pack and make him the right choice to be our next head football coach,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. Silverfield’s worst season at Memphis was 6-6 in 2021. Silverfield has won 29 games over the last three seasons, putting Memphis among the top 15 programs nationally and he led the Tigers to 12 straight bowl berths, the longest streak among non-Power Four programs. Yurachek said Silverfield shares Arkansas’ vision of making the College Football Playoff and competing for national championships.
“With our new and significant financial investment in the football program, we are confident we now have the coach and resources to
“Coach Silverfield’s proven ability to win games over a sustained period separated him from the pack and make him the right choice to be our next head football coach.”
HUNTER yURACHEK, Arkansas athletic director
make that happen,” Yurachek said. Memphis athletic director Ed Scott thanked Silverfield and wished him the best in his next chapter The Tigers named Reggie Howard as interim coach with a national search for Silverfield’s replacement underway The Tigers ranked 19th nationally averaging 34.6 points a game, the fourth straight season Memphis has ranked in the Top 25 nationally in that category at the end of the regular season. Silverfield’s teams averaged at least 30 points in each of his seasons.
Memphis also gave up only 22.5 points a game this season, the Tigers’ best under Silverfield. Arkansas lost at home 31-17 to Missouri on Saturday to cap a season that included an 0-8 record against Southeastern Conference opponents for the third time since 2018 Bobby Petrino, a former Razorbacks head coach from 2008-11, went 0-7 as interim coach after Sam Pittman was fired Sept. 28, though the Hogs lost four of those games by 3 points or less behind a defense that struggled all season.
tions with both Jon and his agent and put together what we felt was a very competitive retention package in order to retain his services.”
Competing for rings is all Sumrall has known in his four years as a coach he guided Troy to Sun Belt Conference championships in 2022 and 2023 before Tulane lost at Army in the 2024
RABALAIS
Continued from page 1B
the savior who will lead LSU to its next national championship to others. If he wins at LSU, the Tiger faithful will eat Kiffin up with a spoon. This is a school, a fan base, that also delights in wearing the black hat, being the school everyone in the SEC likes to dislike. Beating you, then telling you about it.
That’s Kiffin to a T.
Of course, he needs to win at LSU to be beloved. That’s just what he did at his last two gigs, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. Kiffin did an excellent job in both places, going 26-13 with two Conference USA titles at FAU and going 55-19 (11-1 this season) with the Rebels, who are now poised to make their first appearance in the College Football Playoff. There are few better offensive minds in the college game, to boot. Since Kiffin went to Oxford in 2020, no other FBS program has gained more total yards than Ole Miss with 37,437 (Alabama is second with 36,257). He took a Division II transfer quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, and turned that obscure pumpkin into Cinderella’s glittering carriage, averaging more than 300 yards per game passing. They loved him for it at Ole Miss, until they didn’t. Until he left, with the school refusing to let him coach the Rebels in the CFP or meet with the players before he left. Until he
STAFF
Continued from page 1B
Austin Thomas It’s unclear what Kiffin’s hiring means for Thomas’ future at LSU. Thomas spent time on Kiffin’s staffs at Tennessee, Southern Cal and Ole Miss before helefttotakehiscurrentjobatLSU.
Most of Ole Miss’ defensive staff members did not follow Kiffin. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach after Kiffin’s departure, and the Rebels are expected to keep co-defensive coordinator Byran Brown, defensive line coach Randall Joyner and safeties coach Wes Neighbors.
Offensive line coach John Garrison, quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, running backs coach Kevin Smith and special teams coordinator Jake Schoonover have not followed Kiffin to LSU. Though that would leave Kiffin with several openings, it’s unlikely that LSU will keep many of its current offensive assistants.
The new staff could include run-
Sumrall is already intimately familiar with the SEC. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, was a threeyear letter-winner at Kentucky (2002-04), spent two years there as a graduate assistant (200506), one season as an assistant at Ole Miss (2018) and three more at Kentucky (2019-21), where he served as co-defensive coordinator in 2021.
Friday’s American championship game will pit two teams that are losing their coach. Eric Morris of North Texas was hired by Oklahoma State earlier in the week. The school announced he would continue to coach the team as long as the season lasted, and the Mean Green clobbered Temple 52-25 on Friday while rolling up 605 yards, clinching a spot in the title matchup.
Sumrall confirmed the news of his departure to the team in a meeting at 1 p.m.
“I was there,” Harris said. “Because of the transparency he had with the team the whole time, it didn’t feel like he was coming in to drop an unexpected bomb. He gave them the information they needed to know, but he quickly pivoted back to what we were here to accomplish this week.”
The way Sumrall handled the whole situation contrasted dramatically with how Kiffin dealt with Ole Miss, another factor in Sumrall being allowed to continue coaching the team.
“I would start with my relationship with Jon,” Harris said.
American title tilt. Florida finished 4-8 this season after beating Florida State on Saturday Former coach Billy Napier was fired with a 3-4 mark seven games into the season, ending a rough three-and-a-half-year stint in which the Gators went 6-7 in 2022, 5-7 in 2023 and 7-5 in 2024, beating Sumrall and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“He’s been very clear from the beginning that he wants the success at Tulane to continue and is not looking to do anything to hurt this program on the way out. The relationships that would put a student-athlete in a position that they would want to leave and go with a coach, those have already been established.”
took a chunk of his staff with him to LSU. That chunk did not include Hammond native and defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who Sunday was hastily named Kiffin’s successor Because Kiffin is leaving in the Ole Miss program’s most ascendant moment since winning the 1963 SEC title (to date, its last), the feeling there for Kiffin has gone from appreciation to animosity It’s mixed with a little fear as well, I’m
ning backs coach Frank Wilson, the New Orleans native who took over the program on an interim basis after Brian Kelly was fired. He said after the Tigers lost to Oklahoma on Saturday in their regular-season finale that he’d like to return to LSU if the new coach wanted to retain him.
On Sunday evening, Wilson was spotted meeting with Kiffin inside the LSU’s head coach’s office.
Kiffin was the primary target of LSU’s coaching search, which began when the school fired Kelly on Oct. 26. Kiffin coached Ole Miss for the last six seasons. He’s now leaving the Rebels behind ahead of the College Football Playoff, which they’re essentially guaranteed to participate in for the first time in program history because they beat Mississippi State on Friday in the Egg Bowl to improve to 11-1. Ole Miss had never won 11 regular-season games until this season.
Golding will now lead the Rebels into the CFP, while Kiffin works to build his staff at LSU. High school recruits will begin signing with
sure, fear that Ole Miss won’t be able to reach these heights again anytime soon. The idea that Kiffin may take the Tigers, the Rebels’ biggest rival after Mississippi State, to those heights or beyond isn’t helping either If LSU fans worry that Kiffin may leave the Tigers for another job one day, there is validity to that. Kiffin left Tennessee for Southern California in 2009 after just one season in Knoxville, and his six seasons at Ole Miss are the longest time he has been anywhere as an assistant or head coach. That said, as Kiffin has changed elements about his personal life, the same may prove to be true for his professional life. There is certainly precedent. Nick Saban, who advised Kiffin and apparently encouraged him to make the move, left LSU after five seasons for the Miami Dolphins and had never stayed anywhere longer than that until he left Miami for Alabama in 2007. He, of course, coached there for 17 seasons before retiring in 2023. What the future holds for Kiffin at LSU is unknowable, if limitless. The only thing to be sure of is that he will bring brashness and energy that perhaps has never been seen in the program. And if he wins as big as LSU hopes? The Lane Kiffin Experience may be like nothing ever before.
For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter
schools on Wednesday, and the transfer portal will open on Jan. 2.
LSU has the 12th-best recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports composite rankings. The group’s top-ranked commit is five-star University High defensive lineman Lamar Brown He told On3 on Sunday that he still plans to sign with the Tigers. Kiffin met Sunday night with Brown. The Ole Miss coaches and staff members who accompanied Kiffin on the flight could not be seen when the planes landed Sunday night. They parked inside private hangars, where the passengers deboarded and climbed into black SUVs. A small group of fans had gathered outside the airport’s gates, chanting “L-S-U,” and Kiffin rolled down the window of his car to acknowledge them with a fist pump. The caravan then drove to LSU’s football operations building. There, Kiffin will begin the early stages of assembling his new coaching staff.
Email Wilson Alexander at walexander@theadvocate.com.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin watches LSU head to the locker room before a game on Oct. 12 at Tiger Stadium. Kiffin was named LSU’s new football coach on Sunday.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall and his family join players on the field after a win against the Charlotte 49ers during the second half of a football game at yulman Stadium on Saturday
Georgia rises to No.3; Texas Tech up to fifth
Texas A&M falls out of top five in AP poll
BY ERIC OLSON Associated Press
Texas A&M fell out of the top five of The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in two months Sunday Texas Tech notched its highest ranking in 17 years and a season-high four teams from Group of Five conferences are ranked as the top five got a shuffle with a week to go before the postseason bracket is set. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana, the only remaining unbeatens, are the top two teams for a seventh straight poll heading into their Big Ten title game clash on Saturday No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Oregon each moved up a spot and Texas Tech’s No. 5 ranking is its best since it spent three weeks at No. 2 in November 2008. Mississippi remained No 6 and was followed by Texas A&M, which slipped four spots after its 10-point loss at Texas. Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama again rounded out the top 10.
The weekend results created two top-10 matchups in conference championship games this Saturday Besides the Big Ten showdown, Georgia and Alabama will play for the Southeastern Conference crown. The other Top 25 matchup pits Texas Tech against No. 11 BYU in the Big 12. The Atlantic Coast Conference game matches No. 16 Virginia against a Duke team that is 7-5 No 12 Miami and No. 13 Vanderbilt traded places in the rankings. The Hurricanes, who finished the regular season with a 31-point road win over Pittsburgh, are the highest-ranked ACC team and hope to receive a College Football Playoff at-large bid. Vanderbilt slipped despite beating Tennessee by 21 points on the road.
James Madison, which will host Troy for the Sun Belt championship game Friday, moved up one spot to No. 19 and is the highestranked Group of Five team. Three teams from the American Conference are behind the Dukes: No. 20 North Texas, No. 21 Tulane and No. 24 Navy. North Texas visits Tulane for the American championship game Friday Tulane was the only G5 team in last week’s CFP rankings. In and out
n No. 22 Arizona is ranked for the first time since September 2024. The Wildcats won 23-7 at Arizona State in the battle for the Territorial Cup and are on a fivegame winning streak.
n No. 23 Navy, which won 2817 at Memphis, is in the Top 25 for the first time this season and will take its highest ranking since 2019 into the annual showcase game against Army on Dec. 13.
n No. 25 Missouri beat Arkansas by two touchdowns and returned to the poll after a oneweek absence.
n Tennessee (No. 18), Pittsburgh (No. 24) and SMU (No. 25) dropped out.
Poll points
n Seven straight weeks with the same Nos 1 and 2 teams is the longest since Georgia and Michigan went 11 weeks in a row as the top two in 2023.
n The American Conference’s three Top 25 teams are its most since Nov 20, 2022, when the same number were ranked. The league record for ranked teams is four, in 2015 and 2019.
n The last time there were four Group of Five teams ranked was the final poll of the 2024 season.
n Tennessee’s streak of 33 straight poll appearances ended after it dropped to 8-4 with its loss to Vanderbilt Ranked vs. ranked
No. 2 Indiana (12-0 9-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0), Saturday, at Indianapolis: It’s a matchup of Heisman Trophy front-runners in QBs Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Julian Sayin of Ohio State.
No 4 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. No. 10 Alabama (10-2, 7-1), Saturday, at Atlanta: This will be their fourth meeting in a SEC championship game since 2018. No. 11 BYU (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) vs. No. 5 Texas Tech (11-1, 8-1), Saturday, at Arlington, Texas: Each team will be playing in the Big 12 championship game for the first time
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KATHLEEN BATTEN Texas Tech cornerback Amier Boyd intercepts the ball against West Virginia on Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.
Jaguars celebrate not just a win but a ‘character-building’ season
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
Ckelby Givens checked his phone when his celebratory mood had calmed some.
Southern’s star player had six tackles, a tackle for loss and the game-sealing fumble recovery with 32 seconds left in Southern’s 28-27 win over Grambling on Saturday in the 52nd Bayou Classic at the Caesars Superdome.
Givens collected himself briefly after the win and saw a text message.
“One of my friends texted me and said this,” Givens shared with reporters. “‘You couldn’t write a better story.’”
His final play in the Columbia blue and gold was a poetic conclusion to a standout career for the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, who led all of FCS in tackles for loss a year ago.
“Way to steal the show,” defensive end Jerome Wallace said jokingly to Givens after the fumble recovery.
He and the rest of the seniors can leave Southern saying they never lost to Grambling (7-5, 4-4 SWAC) in four years.
The storybook nature of this season’s conclusion also rings true for the entire program.
In a year where Southern (2-10, 1-7) had more lows than highs and lost by at least 17 points in eight contests, the early parts of its Bayou Classic performance seemed to be heading in a familiar direction.
Although it trailed 14-0 with 10:52 remaining in the second quarter, the Jaguars fought back.
For the first time since their win against Mississippi Valley State on Aug. 30, they were resilient. The players’ and coaches’ efforts were finally rewarded, interim coach Fred McNair said.
“It’s very deserving,” McNair
said of the win. “I can’t speak, (more) highly of this coaching staff that we have and the way these guys hung in there each and every week with ups and downs and the battles.
“The young men showed a lot of character.”
Givens said that despite the unexpectedly poor season, as the Jaguars were voted to win the SWAC West in the conference preseason poll, he’ll still fondly remember 2025 among other seasons, where he reached conference championship games as a freshman and junior The Shreveport native harkened back to a quote from Inky Johnson, a former college football player and motivational speaker he listens to.
“Can we be committed to the process of what we’re doing without being emotionally attached to the results of what we’re doing?” Givens recalled Johnson saying.
The senior absorbed that message.
“Being able to push through when things don’t look like how you thought it was gonna look,” Givens said. “So I feel like for us, it was just a character-building season This season will forever be cherished in my heart.”
The play of Southern’s leader and the manner in which he conducts himself were appreciated by McNair
“You can’t ask for a better ending for Ckelby,” McNair said. “Ckelby been hurt. Still get up and practice every day, and you know, it’s just him being a senior, going out the right way The leader of that defense. Ckelby is a great athlete, and you know, he’s gonna have another future playing football somewhere.”
The Southern star’s blue-collar attitude trickled down to everyone. Players like redshirt senior defensive tackle Zak Yassine
were able to push through two shoulder injuries this season and still be impactful, Givens said. Running back Barry Remo remained motivated and patient even when he didn’t have consistent carries until the secondto-last game. The sophomore returner had his moment when he won the Bayou Classic MVP His biggest play was a 51-yard rushing touchdown. He broke four tackles, cutting Southern’s deficit to 17-14 at the start of the third quarter
“This your time to score, it’s your time to show everybody you are an explosive running back,’” Remo said he was thinking. “You’re not just (breaking) tackles, get down to the 1-yard line. It’s time for you to take over.” That moment vastly improved the spirit of Southern, which carried into the fourth period. A 51yard pass from Cam’Ron McCoy, who had his first start since Oct. 11, to Cam Jefferson helped set up a 9-yard rushing touchdown for Trey Holly This was followed by a go-ahead 34-yard touchdown throw to Khalil Harris to take its first lead with 7:16 left in the game.
Wallace, who had six tackles and two tackles for loss, said he thinks the group learned the value of perseverance and how to “keep chopping wood” when things don’t go their way Southern players of all years were overjoyed with the ending to a trying season They also feel it was a positive step toward the future.
“Just knowing what we went through all season, it’s just really special,” Givens said. “I’m glad we got the win for the seniors and just something to build on for the 2026 Southern Jaguars.”
Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy.brown@theadvocate.com.
Indiana, Ohio St. battle for Big Ten title, top seed in CFP
BY JOE REEDY Associated Press
Conventional wisdom has topranked Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana both earning first-round byes in the College Football Playoff regardless of what happens in Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship Game.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is not buying that for one second.
“The way you play should mean something. It will be the last thing you put on the field. I don’t expect any handouts,” Cignetti said during a Zoom call on Sunday. “We’ve earned everything up to this point and we’ve got to earn it on Saturday.” If this had been last year, the winner would get the first-round bye and the loser likely the No. 5 seed and a first-round game since the top four ranked conference champions got the top four seeds in the first year of the 12-team field. However the rules were adjusted this year where the top four
teams — even if they are from the same conference — receive the byes.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day is of the opposite opinion, pointing out that if a team is already seeded highly, it shouldn’t get dinged for playing this Saturday “You’re not supposed to be penalized for playing in the conference championship,” he said. “So yeah, both teams deserve to get a first-round bye.”
Day, though, also knows that a win on Saturday would lock up the top seed as Ohio State tries to become the first team since Georgia to win two straight national titles.
“I think it’s important to win this game and be the one seed. It’s going to help your chances. Everything matters,” Day said. Both teams are 12-0 and unbeaten in nine Big Ten games. Indiana started its preparations after a 56-3 romp of Purdue on Friday night. Ohio State snapped a four-game losing streak to Michigan with a 27-9 victory
The Buckeyes coaching staff
started watching film in Ann Arbor on Saturday night as the plane was delayed from taking off due to a snowstorm. This will be only the third time there has been a matchup between the top two ranked teams in a conference championship game. The previous times were in the Southeastern Conference when Alabama faced Florida. Both times the No. 2 team won the matchup. Florida beat Alabama 31-20 in 2008 and the Crimson Tide returned to get revenge the following year with a 32-13 victory Cignetti was an assistant at Alabama during those two matchups. The Buckeyes are 3-2 as the topranked team when facing No. 2. The last time was in the 2007 BCS title game when they lost to LSU 38-24. Indiana comes into the game with the nation’s second-highest scoring offense, averaging 44.3 points per game. Ohio State leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 7.8 points per game.
STAFF
PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Southern running back Trey Holly center is tackled by Grambling defenders during the first half of the Bayou Classic on Saturday at Caesars Superdome.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RyAN SUN
against
ALL FOOTBALL
BY NOAH TRISTER | Associated Press
When Garth Brooks recorded his version of “Callin’Baton Rouge” —anup-tempo country hit previously produced by New GrassRevival and others —he hadaspecific vibe in mind.
“New Grass recorded the song for bluegrass festivals,”Brooks said. “Werecorded thesong to be played in stadiums andarenas, with one lone purpose. Get people fired up!”
PRESS FILE PHOTO By
Fans dance to ‘JumpAround’ during agamebetween Wisconsin and Ohio State in Madison, Wis.
Nowadays, Brooks’ vision comes to life at LSU’sTiger Stadium when that catchy intro begins andthousands of football fans yell aheartfelt “LOUISIANA!”when the state’s nameismentioned in thefirstline of the song.
Museum displays holidaytreefeaturing origami
BY JOSEPH B. FREDERICK and PHILIP MARCELO
theAmerican MuseumofNaturalHistory opens to the public on Monday. The colorful, richly decorated13-foot treeisadorned with thousands of hand-foldedpaperornamentscreated by origami artists from
What is meant by elder mediation?
Elder mediation aims to address conflicting issues in families and in institutions and provides aforum forfamily decision-making. Eldermediators assist with difficult conversations among family members, and they help make plans andreach acceptable outcomes to disagreements. When an elder parent or relative, forinstance, is hospitalized and needs continuing or rehabilitative care after that hospitalization, new responsibilities are thrust upon the offspring. There are often manyfamily dynamics, i.e., the maincaregiver sibling, the out-of-town sibling, the sibling that’snot trusted, etc. Old rivalries among siblings, long buried grudges, past hurts and misunderstandings can interfere with making good decisions about the aging parent. The situation regarding the parent’sfuture care becomes stressful and uncomfortable, and conflicts arise amid mixed opinions forthe parent’scare. Decisions regarding the responsibility and workof caring foranaging parent are involved, as well as looking at finances and long-term care issues. Many times, conflicts occur because one or moreofthe siblings is trying to gain total control of that care. Elder mediation can worktosiftout an amiable solution as the elder mediator facilitates apurposefuland directed conversation with all parties, whoare all encouraged to express their opinions and concerns.
The forum the mediator facilitates seeks to resolve the problemsamongthe family members forthe best interest of the aging parent. This includes allowing everyone to air their disputes, to identify the strengths and weaknesses in each opinion, and to finally agree on asatisfactory solution, asolution that all family members can live with and trust. The mediator has no authority to impose adecision so nothing can be decided until everyone agrees.
Colorful origami dinosaurs
To get started, the family members having adispute agree to bring in aneutral person —anelder mediator —and once one is chosen, adate is set to meet in person, or by Zoom or other teleconference methods. The mediator will guide the dialogue, encouraging all sides to work cooperatively and gives everyone achance to express their differences. Sometimes, the mediator will meet with each family member privately to discuss personal and other issues of concern, and after these exchanges, presents them to the family at large. There may be several negotiations until an agreement is reached; one that is to maintain the best possible quality
MORRy GASH
Garth Brooks performs duringhis StadiumTour concert in 2022 at TigerStadium. | STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAELJOHNSON
Morningsicknesslinkedtohormone called GDF-15
Dear Doctors: My daughtersuffered from hyperemesis while she was pregnant two years ago, and it was truly amiserable pregnancy.Isthere away to prevent this for future pregnancies? Iunderstand this condition is linked to the hormone GDF-15 andread that the key is to suppress it beforeitbegins.
Dear reader: Hyperemesis is the medical termfor extreme and persistent vomiting. When it happens during pregnancy,it’scalled morning sickness. As many mothers can attest, even mild morningsickness is no picnic, and the queasy feelings and nausea often extendwell beyond the morning hours.Even without active vomiting, it makes getting throughthe day achallenge.
It’sestimated that up to 80% of women experience some morn-
FOOTBALL
Continued from page1C
“CBR sang at LSUseems more like awar cry than a tradition,” Brooks said in an email to The Associated Press. “I get goosebumps every time Ihear them sing it.” Callin’ Baton Rouge at LSU is just one example of atrend sweeping college football. Pep bands and fight songs still have their place, butnow fans at some of the most prominent programs haveembraced the stadium anthem as something of amodern tradition. Rock, country,hip-hop, electronic dance music different genres can work at different places. Perhaps the most famous of these is House of Pain’s“Jump Around” at Wisconsin, nowinits third decade of inspiring Badgers fans to do just that.
Others include “Mr Brightside” at Michigan, “I Won’tBack Down”at Florida, “Shout” at Oregon, “Sandstorm” at South Carolina and “Dixieland Delight at Alabama. Sometimes fans add their own colorful lines to the lyrics —agood way to get asong banned if you’re not careful.
Even Notre Dame which still puts generic diagonal lines in the end zones, and where the band plays an iconic rendition of Tchaikovsky’s1812 Overture —has introduced flashing lights and more modern music in recent years
“In the world right now, where you have to play for today and figure out what’s motivating people and what’sgetting people genuinely excited about what’s going on at auniversity,at ateam, at abrand, you have to ride that to the full extent you possibly can,” said Columbia University lecturer Joe Favorito, asports and entertainment marketing consultant. “I mean, who knew that aKillers song was going to become an anthem at theUniversityof Michigan, and how that gets played out? ‘Mr.Brightside,’ now you ask kids who go to Michigan, and they’re going there because of ‘Mr.Brightside.’ Idon’tthink The Killers ever had that in mind.”
Some schools are notable fortheir pregameorpostgame tunes —think “Enter Sandman” at Virginia Tech or “Country Roads” at West Virginia —but the break before the fourth quarterhas proven an ideal spot for a crescendo. Plus, there’san extra benefitinwaiting untilthenbeforeplaying the
ORIGAMI
Continued from page1C
how an asteroid crash some 66 million years ago reshaped life on Earth.
Talo Kawasaki, the tree’s co-designer,said the tree’s theme is “New Beginnings,” in reference to the new world that followed the mass extinction.
Dr.Elizabeth Ko
Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS
ing sickness during pregnancy
In somecases, thecondition can become severe, known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum is frequent and intense vomitingthat can lead to dehydration,electrolyte imbalance anddangerousweight loss. The condition often requires medical care. In some cases, women are hospitalized to receive IV fluids andnutritional support
As recently as 2018, thecause
of morning sickness was unclear
Butemerging genomic technologies have helped scientists identify growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) as akey contributor This is thehormone you mentioned. The placenta produces a lot of GDF-15 early in pregnancy It signals to thebody that pregnancy has begun and tomodulate immune response to tolerate the growing fetus.
GDF-15 also appears to regulate appetite. It may be aprotective measure to steer the mother away from potentially harmful toxins and toward nutritional needs. Because concentrations of the hormone are so high and many women are sensitive to it, varying degrees of morning sickness often occur
Several large studies found a correlation between very high
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ALAN yOUNGBLOOD
Florida fanssing TomPetty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ in the fourth quarter ofafootball game against LIU Brooklynon Aug. 30 in Gainesville, Fla.
crowd favorite.
“How do you keep students at the game longer and longer? When you’reblowing opponents out, peopleare leaving,” said Jake Stocker, director of game presentation at Michigan. “If you do Brightside thatfirst break in the thirdquarter,it’sdone and peopleare leaving. .We moved ‘Mr.Brightside’ to the thirdand fourth quarter break just to set it as more of atradition there to at least keeppeopleintheir seats until that point.”
Michigan, of course,has its own famous fight song anda band that’sanimportant part of game day,but in this era of constant(and lengthy) television breaks, there’splenty of timefor everything “Wealways knowthat we have enough time in that third andfourth quarter break,” Stockersaid. “The band plays BluesBrothers andthen we do‘Mr.Brightside.’ Wisconsin’s tradition began in 1998 when tight end Ryan Sondrup, working an internship in the athletic department whileinjured, was asked to thinkofideas forgameday operations. He went to asportsbar while brainstorming with friends and teammates, andthey played songs onthe jukebox, including“Jump Around.”
Sondruptalked it over with his bosses.
“They weremoreinterested, Ithink becauseI was on the football team, in what would get the guys fired up,” Sondrup said. “Wewere talking more like before-the-game-type stuff Isaid, ‘Well, actually,ifyou couldplaysome of this during the game, like in akey moment orsomething toget everyone riled up.’ And we’d circled ‘Jump Around.’” Thereweresome complaints from older fans about themusic, but it was ahit among students (and
amongsome of thevisiting teams),and it’s certainly stood the test of time.
“It’sall-encompassing of allpeople in Wisconsin. Everyone knows ‘Jump Around,’ ”said defensive tackle Erik Waisanen,who wasbartending thatday of thebrainstorm.“It’s been so intertwined with Wisconsin football, Wisconsinathletics There’stimesnow where because people know (his involvement), they’llbeata wedding and I’ll get avideo, and the bride and groom are Wisconsin grads and on the video,people Idon’teven know will be doing‘Jump Around’ at their wedding as one of their dances.”
While “Jump Around” had no big connection to Wisconsin, Florida fanshavegood reason to sing along with “I Won’tBack Down” because TomPetty wasaGainesville native. “Callin’Baton Rouge” fits at LSUgames for even more obviousreasons.
Brooks, however,went to Oklahoma State. The Cowboyshaveplayedhis “Friends in Low Places” at games, andBrooksmay have anew tune at some point intended for specific use at Oklahoma State games.
“Forthe last 20 years, I have so wanted to sing asong that would represent my alma mater andthe people who make that college the best. Iaminthe middle of recording asong Iwould love to pitch to them to startplaying if the song turns out the way Ihopeitdoes,” Brooks said in the e-mail. “It’s called COWBOY BLOOD. The lyric fits the cowboy life and the music was recorded to fire people up.”
AP sports writers Steve Megargee and Aaron Beardand Associated Presswriter Mike Householder contributed to thisreport
levels of GDF-15 and the likelihood of developing hyperemesis gravidarum. This has led to the pursuit of targeted treatments. Oneapproach is to suppress production or activity of the hormone during pregnancy.This may be risky due to the role GDF-15 plays in regulating immune response so that the body does not treat the fetus as aforeign presence. Another is to desensitize themother to the hormone before pregnancy begins. Acclimating thebody to the hormone before theplacenta produces alot of GDF-15 has emerged as apossible safer approach. These arepromising directions for easing the misery and risks of hyperemesis gravidarum,but they remain experimental for now.Because pregnancy involves thewell-being of both the mother
and her baby,testing any new treatment’ssafety,effectiveness and side effects is complex. Women whohave had hyperemesis gravidarum can prepare forafuture pregnancy by consulting their doctor before conception. Adoctor can review medical history and makeplans forearly interventions if the mother’shealth appears at risk. Having good nutrition, starting prenatal vitamins and arranging follow-up care early in pregnancy may help lessen the severity if hyperemesis recurs.
Send yourquestions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1450, Los Angeles CA, 90024.
Usingsocks as adustrag
Dear Heloise: With four boys in my home, we go through alot of athletic socks. If one sock gets lost or develops ahole, it becomes adust rag. But when I’m dusting, Inever spray thefurniture; I spray thesock and then apply the polish or cleaner on the furniture. This preventsoverspraying or spraying therest of the furniture. —Lana D.,inPeabody,Massachusetts Handytools
Dear Heloise: Ithink we all appreciate the now-
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, Dec. 1, the 335th day of 2025. There are 30 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, aBlack seamstress, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to aWhiteman on asegregated bus in Montgomery Alabama. The incident sparked ayearlong boycott of the city’sbuses and helped fuel theU.S. Civil RightsMovement.
Also on this date:
In 1824, thepresidential election was turned over to theU.S. House of Representatives after none of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford and Henry Clay) won more than 50% of the electoral vote. DespiteJackson win-
MEDIATOR
Continuedfrom page1C
Hints from Heloise
common practiceofitems thatneed to be assembled coming with small, throwaway tools to assemble the product, which is usually furniture Irecently ordered aframed picture,and Iwas happily surprised thatitcame with an inchlong round level. What agreat ideathatshould become common practice! Thanks foryourgreat
TODAYINHISTORY
ning the mostelectoral votes, Adamswould ultimately winthe presidency
In 1965, the first “Freedom Flight” from Cuba to the United States landed in Miami. Over the ensuing eight years, the twice-daily flights allowed morethan 250,000 Cuban refugees to migrate to the United States through ajoint U.S.Cuban agreement.
In 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly forindependence from the Soviet Union.
In 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops into thewar in Afghanistan butpromised during aspeech to cadets at theU.S.Military Academy at West Point to beginwithdrawalsin18months.
In 2017, retired Lt. Gen. MichaelFlynn, who served in President Donald Trump’sfirst term as his
column. —Tom K., AReader Home safes
Dear Heloise: If you choose to have asafe at home, it should be fire-resistant. (Nothing is completely “fireproof.”) It should be bolted/mounted securely —preferably to the foundation —and it should also be water-resistant. Never keep your will or instructions foryour last wishes in asafety deposit box. StevenHallett, viaemail Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
initial national security adviser,pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about reaching out to the Russians on Trump’sbehalf. (Trump would later pardon Flynn.) In 2023, Israel’swar with Hamas, which began in October,erupted anew minutes after aweeklong truce expired as Israeli airstrikes hit houses and buildings in the GazaStrip. Today’sbirthdays: World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino is 86. Rock musician John Densmore (The Doors) is 81. Actor-singer Bette Midler is 80. Model-actor Carol Alt is 65. Actor Jeremy Northam is 64. Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker is 59. Actor Néstor Carbonell is 58. Actor-comedian Sarah Silverman is 55. Actor Riz Ahmed is 43. Singer-actor Janelle Monáe is 40. Actor Sarah Snook is 38. Actor Zoe Kravitz is 37.
plan about each sibling’s involvement in the parent’s care. Elder mediatorshelp families come together, taking over that emotional controlsothat an effective action plan can be provided for the aging parent. Mediation is successful about 70% to 80% of the time and is less expensive than disputes that escalate into lawsuits or other public displays. Compromise is a way to peace for families in conflict, and an elder mediator is there to facilitate and encourage apositive and working outcome.
Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’sadvocate and authorof“What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’sDisease.” She hosts “TheMemory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.
“Wewanted to focus more not so much the demise of the dinosaurs, but the new life this created, which were the expansion and theevolution of mammals ultimately leading to humanity,”Kawasaki explained on arecent visit.
The origami tree has been ahighlight of the museum’s holiday season for more than 40 years. Volunteers from allover the worldare enlisted to make hundredsofnew
Locatedoff themuseum’s Central Park West entrance, theartificialtree is topped with agolden, flaming asteroid. Its branches and limbs are packed with origami works representing avariety of animals and insects, including foxes, cranes, turtles, bats, sharks, elephants, giraffes and monkeys. Dinosaur favorites such as thetriceratops and tyrannosaurus rex are also depicted in the folded paper works of art.
models.The intricatepaperartworks aregenerally made from asingle sheet of paper but can sometimes takedays or even weeks to perfect
The new origamipieces are bolstered by archived worksstored from priorseasons, including a40-year-old model of apterosaur,anextinct flying reptile,thatwas folded for one of the museum’s first origamitrees in theearly 1970s.
Rosalind Joyce, thetree’s co-designer,estimates that anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 origami works are embedded in thetree.
“This year there’salot of stuffstuffedinthere,” she said. “So Idon’tcount.”
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take a moment to breathe, then pickupget going.Test yourideas and enforce change. The outcome will favor you if you are selective, honestand diligent
CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Consider your options and move forward alone or in secrecy until you have everything in place. Prioritizing your emotions can lead to errors.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You will face opposition if you are sloppy or uncertain in your approach. Offerproof, explanationsand facts to peoplewho arehesitating or trying to discredit your decisions.
PIsCEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Be agood listener, but don'tfollow someone who doesn't shareyour values or who is heading in adifferent direction. Opportunity comesfromdoing what's best foryou.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Refuse to let emotions interfere. Organization and diplomacy will determineyour success and your leadership ability. Knowing when to say no andhow best to apply your talentswill help.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Stop stewing over things youhave no control over and start living life your way. Discipline, coupled with creativity, will help you change what bothers you.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Achange of heart can lead to newbeginnings.Test what's available to see if it's agood fit
for you. Share your thoughts, make a difference and enjoy theoutcome.
CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Focus more on finances and less on what others are doing, buying into or wantfrom you. Make choices that adddress your needs. You have more skills and attributes than you give yourself credit for.
LEo (July23-Aug. 22) It's OK to show off if you have something worthwhile to offer. Don't be shy; use your attributes to helpothers, and you'll have apositive impact on thoseyou encounter VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Think before you act or say something youmay regret.You maywant change, but timing is essentialifyou want to maintain your reputation and attract the right crowd.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Simplifyyour plans to meet financial demands and easethe minds of thosefearfuloffailure. Talks, travel and testing your theories will encourage you to finish what you start
sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Change can be good; however,it's how you bring it about that makes adifference. Disciplineand innovativeideas will result in widespread opportunities, knowledge and apositive platform.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
toDAy's CLuE: LEQuALsD
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
peAnUtS
zItS
FrAnK And erneSt
bIG nAte
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
GooSe And GrIMM
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The objectistoplace thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe samenumber onlyonce.The difficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday.
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Bridge can be astrange game at times Usually, you are happy to have lots of honors, but occasionally youwould find acontractmucheasierifitweren’tforan unnecessary high card. Do notresist the idea thatanhonor maybeextraneous. In thisdeal, South is in fourspades West leadsthe club king. Howshould South planthe play? South starts with four potential losers: oneheart,onediamondandtwoclubs.He has nine winners; six spades, one heart, one diamond and one club. So it seems as if the diamond finesse had better be winning. In theory, this is a50-50 shot, but surely youknowthatfinesses never work on Mondays! And if the diamond finesse is failing, is there anyotherway to make the contract?
Howabouttryingtoestablishdummy’s diamond suit? As long as the suit is splitting3-3 or 4-2 (or 5-1 with asingleton king) andtrumps arenot 4-0, an extra diamond winnercan be established
South should take the first or second club, playa trump to his king, cash the diamond ace, andcontinue with the diamond queen
Suppose West takes that trick,cashes two clubwinners and shiftstoaheart
Declarer wins on the board,ruffs a diamond high in his hand, leadsatrump to dummy’sjack, ruffs another diamond high, returns to dummywith aspade and cashes the diamondeight —bingo
EachWuzzleisawordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: NOONGOOD =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,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
toDAy’sWoRD EPILEPsy: EP-ih-lep-see: Adisorder marked by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain.
Averagemark13words
Time limit 20 minutes
sAtuRDAy’s WoRD —CALCuLAtED
Canyou find 17 or more words in EPILEPSY? cadet
daily in thetemple, and in every house, theyceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
mallard
Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. forthe follow‐ing: RFxNo. 3000025674, REBIDTRACTOR TRUCKFTCC, 12/16/25 RFxNo. 3000025673, Lenalidomide10mgCap‐sules, 12/17/25 Bidproposalforms,in‐formationand specifica‐tionsmay be obtained by accessingthe bidnum‐berinLaPac at www.doa Louisiana.gov/ospor from theprocurement sectionlistedabove.No bids will be received afterthe date andhour specified.The rightisre‐served to reject anyand allbidsand to waiveany informalities. TomKetterer Director of State Procurement FAX(225) 342-8688 168746-dec1-1t $12.34 PUBLIC NOTICE
ADVERTISEMENTFOR PROPOSALS Sealed Proposalswillbe received by thePurchas‐ingoffice.Louisiana StateUniversityHealth ScienceCenterinShreve‐port,LA, 1501 KingsHigh‐way, Room G-22A Shreveport,LA71103, until2:00PMfor thefol‐lowing: December 11th. 2025: Bid# 007280 -H/R EM‐PLOYEE CLASS/PAYEVAL at whichtimeand place theproposals will be opened andread. Specifi‐cationsmay be obtained from thePurchasingOf‐fice.Evidenceofauthor‐itytosubmitthe bid shallberequiredinac‐cordance with RS 39:1594 (C)(4).The right is reserved to reject any or allbidsand to waive informalities.AnEqual Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.By: Mary AliceTempleton Director of Purchasing andMaterials Manage‐ment 164876-nov3-dec 8 $433.80
PUBLIC NOTICE
Invitation to Bid
SEALED PROPOSALSAS LISTED BELOWWILLBE RECEIVED BY THEPUR‐CHASINGDEPARTMENT AT: LSUHEALTHSCIENCES CENTER 433BOLIVAR STREET ROOM 623 NEWORLEANS,LA70112 (504) 568-2947
UNTILTIMES ANDDATES INDICATED, AT WHICH TIME ANDPLACE THE PROPOSALSWILLBE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ:
BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AT:LSUHSC-433 BOLIVARST. 6THFLOOR RM 623NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112
SPECIFICATIONS MAYBE OBTAINED FROM THE PURCHASING DEPART‐MENT.THE RIGHTISRE‐SERVED TO REJECT ANY ANDALL BIDS ANDTO WAIVEINFORMALITIES 168626-DEC1-1T $40.20
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS SP#1626
Sealed proposalswillbe received by theOffice of StateProcurement,1201 NorthThird Street,2nd Floor,Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, LA until 10:00 AM CT on January22, 2026 forSolicitationNumber Doc1701573331 -Request forProposal(RFP) forAn‐alytical andConsulting Services forthe LouisianaDepartmentof EnvironmentalQuality TheRFP maybeac‐cessedat https:// discovery.ariba.com/rfx/ 23591791. No proposalswillbecon‐sideredafter thedate andhourspecified.The rightisreservedtoreject anyand allproposals andtowaive anyinfor‐malities
TomKetterer Director of State Procurement Phone(225) 342-8010 168734 Dec. 1, 1t $10.91
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO PROPOSERS SP#914 Sealed proposalswillbe received by theOffice of StateProcurement,1201 NorthThird Street,2nd Floor,Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, LA until 10:00 AM CT on January22, 2026 forSolicitationNumber Doc1701573331 -Request forProposal(RFP) forAn‐alytical andConsulting Services forthe LouisianaDepartmentof EnvironmentalQuality TheRFP maybeac‐cessedat https:// discovery.ariba.com/rfx/ 23591791. No proposalswillbecon‐sideredafter thedate andhourspecified.The rightisreservedtoreject anyand allproposals andtowaive anyinfor‐malities TomKetterer Director of State Procurement Phone(225) 342-8010 168726 Dec. 1, 1t $10.91
on December 03, 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales,offerfor sale at public auctionthe followingdescribed mortgagedpropertybe‐longingto: MACK C. WELLSJR. A/K/AMACK CHARLESWELLS,JR. THAT CERTAINPIECE OR PORTIONOF. GROUND,to‐gether with allbuildings andimprovements thereon, andall of the rights,ways, privileges servitudes,appurte‐nances and. advantages thereuntobelonging or in anywiseappertaining, situated in Section76, Township 4South,Range 1West, Parish of East BatonRouge,State of Louisiana, in that subdi‐vision knownasHigh Plains Crossing,and des‐ignatedona mapenti‐tled "Final Plat,ofHigh 'PlainsCrossing"made by SigmaConsulting Group, Inc. Engineers andSurveyors,recorded as Original 7, Bundle 11724, laterrevised 6/23/05 (approved 6/23/05 andrecordedat Original 643, Bundle 11736) andlast'revised 8/25/05 (approved 9/16/05 andrecordedat Original.541, Bundle 11766),ofthe official recordsofEastBaton RougeParish; thesaidlot beingdesignatedonsaid map, as Lot56and hav‐ingsuchmeasurements anddimensionsand beingsubject to'such servitudes as aremore particularly describedon said-map
TERMSOFSALE: Cash to thehighest bid‐der, at Public Auction WITHOUTAppraisement andaccording to law. SidJ.Gautreaux,Sheriff East BatonRouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE October31, 2025 December 01, 2025 $262.78
SHERIFF'SSALE Suit No:(17) 736353 FARMERS-MERCHANTS BANK ANDTRUST COM‐PANY vs KMTHOLDINGS ANDDEVELOPMENT LLC, WALTER NYARBROUGH AND BRADLY BROWN BatonRouge,LA 19thJudicialDistrict Parish of East Baton RougeState of Louisiana Acting under andby virtue of Writ of Seizure andSaleissuedout of thehonorable court aforesaid,inthe above entitled andnumbered cause, dated, June 06, 2025 and to me directed Idid seizeand will,be‐ginningat10:00 o'clock a.m. on December 03 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site at www. bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales,offerfor sale at public auctionthe followingdescribed mortgagedpropertybe‐longingto: KMTHOLD‐INGS ANDDEVELOPMENT LLC, WALTER N YARBROUGHAND BRADLY BROWN ONE(1) CERTAINLOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND,to‐gether with allbuildings andImprovements thereon, situated in that subdivisionofthe Parish of East BatonRouge StateofLouisiana knownasFOREST HEIGHTS, SECTION1,and beingdesignatedonthe official subdivisionmap on file andorrecordin theoffice of theClerk andRecorderofsaid parish andstate,asLOT NUMBER SEVEN(7),said subdivision, said lothav‐ingsuchmeasurements anddimensionsas shown on said map. Municipaladdress: 5785 Crestway Avenue,Baton Rouge, LA 70812 KMTHoldings& Develop‐ment,LLC,a Louisiana LimitedCompany,Domi‐ciledinEastBaton Rouge Parish,Louisiana,repre‐sented herein By Bradly i d l h
MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA COUNCIL CHAMBERS 3325 GROOM ROAD, BAKER, LOUISIANA 70714 www.youtube.com/@bakerforward November 18, 2025 -6:00 p.m.
The City Council of the City of Baker,Louisiana, met in regular session on November 18, 2025, with the following members in attendance at the meeting: MAYOR Darnell Waites COUNCIL MEMBERS Desiree Collins Rochelle Dunn Cedric Murphy Dr.Charles Vincent Robert Young
CALL TO ORDER –Mayor Waites presided.
The invocation was given by Council Member Murphy The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Young.
***Public comments will be allowed on all agenda items. Such comments shall not exceed 3minutes and shall be confined to the agenda item and any proposed disposition thereof.***
DISPOSITION OF THE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
The motion was made by Council Member Murphy,seconded by Council Member Vincent to approve the minutes of the meeting held on November 10,2025.
The mayor called for public comments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None
ABSENT:None ABSTAIN: None
The motion passed with avote of 5-0.
RECOGNITIONS
1. Lillie Carr-Chambers of Louisiana Capital Housing and Community Development Corporation (Vincent)
Ms. Lillie Carr-Chambers gave apresentation regarding the various programs and resources available to the citizens of Baker and asked that council members work with her to help residents avail themselves of all the programs they qualify for. The mayor and council members were enthusiastic about Ms. Carr-Chambers’ knowledge and experience and wereextremely appreciative of her willingness to help the people of Baker The mayor stated he wants to work with Ms. Carr-Chambers to initiate his plan for providing residents with acommunity resource liaison and making his vision to facilitate social services in the Baker community areality PLANNING AND ZONINGMATTERS
RESOLUTIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
1. Proclamation declaring November 2025 Alzheimer’sAwareness Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Aneatra Boykin.
The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Dunn to accept the proclamation.
The mayor called for public comments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 5-0.
2. Proclamation declaring November 2025 National Family Caregivers Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Aneatra Boykin.
The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Murphy to accept the proclamation.
The mayor called for public comments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 5-0.
3. Proclamation declaring November 2025 Stomach Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Baker (Vincent) The proclamation was read by Aneatra Boykin.
The motion was made by Council Member Vincent, seconded by Council Member Murphy to accept the proclamation.
The mayor called for public comments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy,Vincent, Young
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None The motion passed with avote of 5-0. NEW BUSINESS
ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMENTS
y y Brown, its dulyautho‐rizedMember, pursuant to acertificate of author‐ityon file andofrecord in theoffice of theClerk andRecorderfor the Parish of East Baton Rouge,Louisiana,whose mailingaddress is 8416 Scotland Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70807
TERMSOFSALE: Cash to thehighest bid‐der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and accordingtolaw
SidJ.Gautreaux,Sheriff East BatonRouge Parish
ADVERTISED DATE October31, 2025 December 01, 2025 $272.96 BatonRouge,State of Louisiana, knownasCap‐ital Heights; andbeing designated on theoffi‐cial subdivisionmap·, on file andofrecordinthe office of theClerk and Recorder forsaidparish andstate,asLot Number Twenty four (24),Square Forry two(42) said subdi‐vision,saidlot having such measurements and dimensions as shownon said map.
SHERIFF'SSALE Suit No:(17) 754828
FEDERALHOMELOAN MORTGAGE CORPORA‐TION vs SAMUEL FRANCIS HARRISONA/K/A SAMUEL FHARRISON A/K/ASAMUELHARRI‐SON
BatonRouge,LA 19thJudicialDistrict Parish of East Baton RougeState of Louisiana Acting under andby virtue of Writ of Seizure andSaleissuedout of thehonorable court aforesaid,inthe above entitled andnumbered cause, dated, March12, 2025 andtomedirected, Idid seizeand will,be‐ginningat10:00 o'clock a.m. on December 03, 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site at www bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales,offerfor sale at public auctionthe followingdescribed mortgagedpropertybe‐longingto: SAMUEL FRANCISHARRISON A/K/ASAMUELF HARRI‐SONA/K/A SAMUEL HAR‐RISON One(1) certainlot or par‐celofground,together with allthe buildingsand improvements thereon, situated in that subdivi‐sion of theParishofEast
TERMSOFSALE: Cash to thehighest bid‐der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and accordingtolaw SidJ.Gautreaux,Sheriff East BatonRouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE October31, 2025 December 01, 2025 $216.82
SHERIFF'SSALE Suit No:(17) 756901 U.S. BANK TRUSTNA‐TIONAL ASSOCIATION NOTINITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUTSOLELYAS OWNERTRUSTEE FORRCF 2ACQUISITION TRUSTVSGARYRUSSELL JOHNSONAND ELIZA‐BETH R. JOHNSON BatonRouge,LA 19thJudicialDistrict Parish of East Baton Rouge StateofLouisiana Acting under andby virtue of Writ of Seizure andSaleissuedout of thehonorable court aforesaid,inthe above entitled andnumbered cause, dated, January09, 2025 andtomedirected, Idid seizeand will,be‐ginningat10:00 o'clock a.m. on December 03, 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site at www bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales,offerfor sale at public auctionthe followingdescribed mortgagedpropertybe‐longingto: GARY RUS‐
One(1) certainpiece or portionofground,to‐gether with allthe build‐ings andimprovements thereon, andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,appurte‐nances andadvantages thereuntobelonging or in anywiseappertaining situated in theParishof USTBATON ROUGE, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐division knownasSHER‐WOOD FOREST,SIX‐TEENTH FILING PART 1, anddesignatedonthe official plan thereof, on file andofrecordinthe office of theClerk and Recorder of theParishof East BatonRouge,State of Louisiana, as LOT NUMBER ONETHOUSAND FIVE HUNDREDFIFTY SEVEN(1557),saidsubdi‐vision,saidlot having such measurements and dimensions andbeing subjecttosuchservi‐tudesasare more partic‐ularly describedonsaid subdivisionmap (the "Property") TERMSOFSALE: Cash to thehighest bid‐der, at Public Auction WITHOUTAppraisement andaccording to law. SidJ.Gautreaux,Sheriff East BatonRouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE October31, 2025 December 01, 2025 $252.60
thehonorable court aforesaid, in the above entitled andnumbered cause, dated, July 11 2025 andtomedirected, Idid seizeand will,be‐ginningat10:00 o'clock a.m. on December 03 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site at www bid4assets.com/EBR SOsheriffsales,offerfor sale at public auctionthe followingdescribed mortgagedpropertybe‐longingto: DELINDA PHILLIPSDOWDEN One(1) certainlot or par‐celofground,together with allthe buildingsand improvements thereon, situated in theParishof East BatonRouge,State of Louisiana, in that sub‐division knownosMag‐noliaWoodsSubdivision anddesignatedonthe Official mapthereof of record in theOffice of theClerk andRecorderof theParishofEastBaton RougeinPlanBook 21 Page 2asLot Eighty Two (82) Magnolia Woods Subdivision, said Lot82 measuringOne Hundred and4/10(100.4')feet frontonMagnoliaWoods Avenue andhaving a depth on itsnortherly side line of TwoHundred FortySeven and7/10 (247.7')feet anda depth on itssoutherly side line of TwoHundred Thirty Nine (239')feet with a width across therearof OneHundred (100')feet andbeing subjectto a servitudeoften (10')feet across therear, Whichhas theaddressof 812 Magnolia Wood Av‐enue,Baton Rouge, LA 70808 TERMSOFSALE: Cash to thehighest bid‐der, at Public Auction WITH Appraisement and accordingtolaw SidJ.Gautreaux,Sheriff East BatonRouge Parish ADVERTISED DATE October31, 2025 December 01, 2025 $260.22
NEW BUSINESS
from6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Walmart. She said the Christmas Giveaway is being held Saturday,December 6, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Municipal Auditorium,and stressed that participants must register in advance to take part in the event.
2. What about backyardovergrowth at abandoned houses and snakes, gas linesdigging in District 1, etc. (Vincent)
Council Member Vincent expressed his concerns regarding overgrown backyards and stated he is still receiving calls regarding this issue. He asked about the digging going on in District 1and verified that new gas linesare being installedinthese areas. Council Member Vincent spoke about the work session regarding atireordinance that was held yesterday.Heprovided an overview of the proposed ordinance and asked his colleagues to review the draft they weregivenand to submitany questions and/or thoughts once their review is complete. Council Member Vincent asked FireChief Pease if his department is trainedfor accidents involving hazardous materials. Chief Pease stated that his fireman are trained to operationslevel and that the Baton Rouge Fire Department has jurisdictionover all hazmat incidents throughout the parish.
APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
The mayor announced the drive-thru food box giveaway will be held Saturday,November 22, 2025 8:00 a.m. until supplieslast at Advantage
Charter School.The giveaway is forBaker residents only and you must provide proof of residency.Driver’slicense or utility bill will be accepted as proof of residency,and thereisa one box per car limit.
The mayor thanked the council for their willingness to work with himand with each other.Hestated he appreciates and respects all of them and the work they do for residents and the Baker community
CONDEMNATIONS
REPORTS ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
1. Planning and Zoning Commission
2. Annexation Review Committee
3. EconomicDevelopment Team
4. Heritage Museum/Related Committees
5. ABC Board 6. Other Special Committees a. Buffalo Festival b. Prayer Breakfast c. StrategicPlanning Committee d. Citizens Advisory BoardtoLaw Enforcement e. Main Street District Committee
ADJOURN
The motion was made by Council Member Murphy seconded by Council
Member Vincent to adjourn.
The mayor called for publiccomments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy,Vincent, Young NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The motion passed with avote of 5-0.
CITY OF BAKER
PARISH OF EAST BATONROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA
I, AngelaCanady Wall, certify thatI am Clerk of the Councilfor the City of Baker,Louisiana, and that the above and foregoing is acopy of the minutes of aregular meetingofthe Council for the City of Baker,Louisiana held on November 18, 2025.
AngelaCanady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Council
MINUTES
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS NORMAN E. “PETE” HEINE MEMORIAL GARDENS CITY OF BAKER
PARISH OF EAST BATONROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD BAKER, LA 70714 November 18, 2025
The City Council of the City of Baker,Louisiana, sitting as the Boardof Commissioners for Norman E. “Pete” Heine MemorialGardens, met in regular session on November 18, 2025, with the following members in attendance at the meeting: COMMISSIONERS DesireeCollins RochelleDunn Cedric Murphy Dr.Charles Vincent Darnell Waites Robert Young
CALL TO ORDER –Commissioner Waitespresided.
DISPOSITIONOFMINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
The meeting was called to order and the motionwas made by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Murphytoapprove the minutes of the meeting held on November 10, 2025.
Commissioner Waitescalled for public comments or questions.
Vote was called for YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
The motion passed by avote of 6-0.
PUBLIC NOTICE
and 5th
SHERIFF'SSALE Suit No:(17) 760175 BANK UNITED NA vs LATONYAFREEMAN AND DWAYNE A. BROWN BatonRouge,LA 19thJudicialDistrict Parish of East Baton RougeState of Louisiana Acting under andby virtue of Writ of Seizure andSaleissuedout of thehonorable court aforesaid, in theabove entitled andnumbered cause, dated, June 12 2025 andtomedirected, Idid seizeand will,be‐ginningat10:00 o'clock a.m. on December 03, 2025, viaanonlineauc‐tion site atwww.bid4as‐sets.com/EBRSOsheriff‐sales, offerfor sale at public auctionthe follow‐ingdescribed mortgaged property belongingto: LATONYAFREEMAN AND DWAYNE A. BROWN ONE(1) CERTAINLOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND)to‐gether with allthe build‐ings andimprovements thereon, andall the rights,way,privileges, servitudes,appurte‐nances andadvantages thereuntobelonging or in anywiseappertaining; situated in theParishof East BatonRouge Louisiana, in that subdi‐vision thereofknown as OLDEASTPLACE
OTHER NECESSARYBUSINESS
1. Monthly Business Report
2. OtherReports
3. ItemsRequiring Action
ADJOURN Therewas no other business to come beforethe commission.The motion wasmade by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Dunn to adjourn.
Commissioner Waitescalledfor public comments or questions.
Vote wascalledfor YEAS: Collins, Dunn, Murphy, Vincent, Waites, Young
NAYS: None
ABSENT:None
ABSTAIN: None The motion passed by avote of 6-0.
CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA
I, Angela Canady Wall, certify thatIamClerk of the Council for the City of Baker,Louisiana, andthatthe above andforegoing is acopy of the minutes of aregularmeeting of the Board of Commissioners for the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens held on November 18, 2025.
Angela Canady Wall, LCMC Clerk of Council MINUTES
BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS
BAKER CONSOLIDATED UTILITIES SYSTEM CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA 3325 GROOM ROAD BAKER, LA 70714 November 18, 2025
The City Council of the City of Baker, Louisiana,sitting as the Board of Commissioners for the Baker ConsolidatedUtilitiesSystem, met in regular session on November 18, 2025, with the following members attending: COMMISSIONERS DesireeCollins Rochelle Dunn Cedric Murphy Dr.Charles Vincent Darnell Waites Robert Young
CALL TO ORDER –Commissioner Waitespresided.
DISPOSITION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
The meeting wascalledtoorder andthe motion wasmade by Commissioner Waites, seconded by Commissioner Vincenttoapprove the minutesofthe meeting held on November 10, 2025.
Commissioner Waitescalledfor public comments or questions.
CITYOFBAKER PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATEOFLOUISIANA
I, Angela Canady Wall, certify thatI am Clerk of the Council for the City of Baker,Louisiana, andthatthe above andforegoing is acopy of the minutes of aregularmeeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Baker Consolidated Utility SystemheldonNovember 18, 2025.
