The Advocate 12-02-2025

FAULK ERA BEGINS AT SOUTHERN

NFL

Hall of Famer says ‘it

‘THE BEST JOB IN FOOTBALL’

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

As LSU courted Lane Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry sent him a message Ole Miss had been jumped by Oregon in the College Football Playoff rankings even though it had not played a game, and Ausberry wanted to tease him a little bit. What he said also encapsulated the way LSU sold Kiffin on the job.

“Teams don’t jump LSU,” Ausberry said.

Kiffin was introduced as LSU’s head coach Monday afternoon inside the club suites overlooking Tiger Stadium, a day after he left an Ole Miss team on the cusp of hosting a first-round game. He is the first head coach to leave a playoff-bound team, and Kiffin felt torn At one point, he said the only way to describe the decisionmaking process was that “it sucked.”

questions at an introductory news conference

INSIDE

ä Scott Rabalais: Kiffin says previous success and failures made him ready to ‘go for it’ at LSU Page 1C

ä Kiffin talks about the role Nick Saban had in his decision to come to LSU Page 1C

ä Kiffin won’t coach LSU in their upcoming bowl game. Page 5C

ä LSU hires offensive coordinator, five other assistants from Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss. Page 5C

football,” Kiffin said.

That person may have been Pete Carroll or Nick Saban. Kiffin talked to both of them, looking for advice about what he should do. Though he did not say it explicitly, he suggested Saban told him to take the LSU job, saying, “I respect him, so there’s a reason I’m here.” Carroll told him that Kiffin’s late father, Monte, would have advised him to go.

Landry intervenes in House leadership election

Republicans prepare to pick caucus chair

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

The election to choose the next chair of the Louisiana House Republican Caucus, normally a littlenoticed piece of inside baseball, is roiling the ranks of the 73-member Republican delegation. That’s because Gov Jeff Landry, in an unprecedented move, is telling lawmakers he wants them to select Rep. Michael Echols, RMonroe instead of Rep John Illg, R-Metairie.

But Kiffin did leave, taking over a team that went 7-5 this year while he led Ole Miss to its first 11-win regular season in school history Kiffin saw LSU as one of the premier jobs in college football, a place where he could finally win his first national championship. Kiffin has taken other desirable jobs before, especially at Southern Cal, but he felt ready at 50 years old to make a move that he hopes will define his career

“I felt like everybody that I talked to outside of the state that I was in all basically said the same thing,” Kiffin said. “They all said, ‘Man, you are going to regret it if you don’t take the shot and you don’t go to LSU. It’s the best job in America with the best resources to win it.’”

There was mutual interest from the beginning. LSU put together a list of names after the Oct. 26 firing of Brian Kelly and Ausberry said administrators “performed due diligence on several other candidates.” Sources said Missouri coach

“Somebody very close to me reminded me this week that LSU is the best job in

ä See KIFFIN, page 4A

Numerous House members said Landry’s support for Echols stems from his anger at Illg for taking a stand against the governor’s biggest priority during the 2025 legislative session, a measure that will give Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple more power to reject car insurance rate increases. The bill would allow Landry to blame Temple if insurance rates continue to rise. Landry has already sought retribution against Republicans who opposed him on that measure. As The Advocate | The TimesPicayune reported in July, 16 of the 17 line-item vetoes issued by Landry killed spending projects sponsored by Republicans who had voted against him on the bill, including Illg. With nearly half of Republican House members voting against the bill at one point, the defection represented their biggest opposition to the governor House members and political analysts said they believe Landry also favors Echols because he is more likely to focus on shoring up the governor’s support among

ä See LANDRY, page 5A

White House says follow-up strike on drug boat was lawful

BY AAMER MADHANI and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

WASHINGTON The White House said Monday that a Navy admiral acted “within his authority and the law” when he ordered a second, follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea in a September U.S. military operation that has come under bipartisan scrutiny White House press secretary

Karoline Leavitt offered the justification for the Sept. 2 strike as lawmakers announced there will be congressional review of the U.S. military strikes against vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in

the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The lawmakers cited a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for a second strike that killed survivors on the boat.

Navy Vice Adm Frank “Mitch” Bradley, who Leavitt said ordered the second strike, is expected to provide a classified briefing Thursday to lawmakers overseeing the military Leavitt in her comments to reporters did not dispute a Washington Post report that there were survivors after the initial strike.

Her explanation came after President Donald Trump a day earlier said he “wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike” when asked

about the incident.

“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”

Late Monday Hegseth posted: Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made on the September 2 mission and all

ers since.”

ä See STRIKE, page 4A

oth-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a news briefing at the White House on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

New LSU football coach Lane Kiffin answers

on Monday at Tiger Stadium.

Echols

Illg

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Son of drug kingpin

‘El Chapo’ pleads guilty

CHICAGO A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” pleaded guilty Monday to U.S. drug trafficking charges, months after his brother entered a plea deal.

Known locally in Mexico as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos,” Joaquin Guzman Lopez and his brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez, are accused of running a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. Federal authorities in 2023 described the operation as a massive effort to send “staggering” quantities of fentanyl into the U.S. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking and continuing criminal enterprise after admitting his role in overseeing the transport of tens of thousands of kilograms of drugs to the U.S., mostly through underground tunnels. With the plea deal he’ll avoid life in prison.

Security was tight at Chicago’s federal court ahead of the hearing where prosecutors detailed events leading up to Guzman Lopez’s dramatic arrest with another longtime Sinaloa leader on U.S. soil in July 2024. Guzman Lopez, wearing an orange jumpsuit and matching shoes, spoke little in court. At the start of the hearing, U.S District Judge Sharon Coleman asked him what he did for work.

“Drug trafficking,” he said.

“Oh that’s your job,” Coleman said with a chuckle. “There you go.” If Guzman Lopez cooperates with the U.S. government, prosecutors say they would reduce the life sentence attached to the charges. Regardless, he faces at least 10 years in prison, said Andrew Erskine, an attorney representing the federal government.

Shot Guard member shows positive signs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia National Guard member who was shot last week in a brazen daytime attack in Washington, D.C., remains in serious condition but showed positive signs by giving a thumbs-up that he could hear a nurse’s question and wiggling his toes, Gov Patrick Morrisey said Monday.

Morrisey said the family of 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe has asked the public to pray for him. Another member of the West Virginia National Guard, U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in the shooting.

“Andrew is still fighting for his life,” Morrisey said “Andrew needs prayers.”

Morrisey said he could not yet share details of any funeral arrangements for Beckstrom and wants to respect her family’s wishes.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot Wednesday just blocks from the White House while deployed as part of President Donald Trump’s crime-fighting plan that federalized D.C. police.

‘Rage bait’ named Oxford word of year

LONDON Oxford University Press has named “rage bait” as its word of the year, capturing the internet zeitgeist of 2025. The phrase refers to online content that is “deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive,” with the aim of driving traffic to a particular social media account, Oxford said in a statement.

“The person producing it will bask in the millions, quite often, of comments and shares and even likes sometimes,” lexicographer Susie Dent told the BBC. This is a result of the algorithms used by social media companies, “because although we love fluffy cats, we’ll appreciate that we tend to engage more with negative content and content that really provokes us.”

CORRECTION

A story in Wednesday’s edition incorrectly stated Calandro’s and Rouses’ policies on cash transactions Calandro’s customers can still pay with pennies while Rouses will round customer change up to the nearest nickel and not round up cash transactions. The Advocate regrets the error

Survivor describes Calif. party shooting

Family was about to cut birthday cake when gunfire erupted

BY SOPHIE AUSTIN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press

STOCKTON, Calif. Family members were getting ready to cut the cake at a toddler’s birthday party when the gunfire started inside a banquet hall packed with relatives and friends over the weekend in California.

“I actually thought it was my balloons popping. It was gunshots,” said Patrice Williams, the birthday girl’s mother Her daughter, who turned 2, was uninjured But Williams told The Associated Press on Monday that her sister, a cousin and three of her friends were shot in the burst of gunfire Saturday evening in Stockton.

Three children ages 8, 9 and 14 and a 21-year-old were killed in the hall where at least 100 people were gathered, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said Detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters

Eleven people were wounded, and at least one is in critical condition, Withrow said. No one is in custody

Williams said partygoers who had gathered around the cake dropped to the ground the moment the gunshots rang out.

“It was just unexpected. I don’t know what happened, and I’m just so shocked and lost,” Williams said. She expressed remorse for the mothers who lost their children.

Williams said she didn’t get a look at the shooter and has no idea who would commit violence at what was supposed to be a joyous event.

“They deserve to be in jail. They deserve to go to hell,” Williams said. “I’m sorry, but I just it’s not respectable It’s a kids’ party.”

Williams, surrounded by family members, teared up as she said parents who plan birthday parties for their kids should consider having them indoors because of the risk of violence

The sheriff urged anyone with information to contact his office with tips, cellphone video or witness accounts.

“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 Sunday evening. “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 has said investigators believe it was a “targeted incident.” Officials did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted. She said investigators would welcome any information, “even rumors.”

Stockton resident Carolyn Tahod, who didn’t know the victims, showed up Monday to place bouquets of flowers at a makeshift memorial with candles lit in honor of those who died.

“I’m just the average person that has a big heart, and I have grandkids,” she said. “I would be devastated if this were to happen in our family.”

Roscoe Brown, who said the party was in honor of his brother’s granddaughter, works for the city of Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention. Brown was in Arizona when he learned about the shooting and drove straight to the scene. He said a niece and nephew 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 AP after a Sunday afternoon vigil organized by faith leaders. “You can’t shoot up a party That’s senseless. A kid’s party, at that.”

Emmanuel Lopez told the Los Angeles Times his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was shot in the head but survived. He didn’t share details about what led up to the shooting.

Stockton is a city of 320,000 residents about 80 miles east of San Francisco.

Stockton saw 3,680 violent crimes in 2024, at a rate more than double the statewide rate, according to city and state data. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, assault and robbery The San Joaquin Valley, where Stockton is located, had the highest violent crime rate in the state in 2023, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Hours after the shooting, the Stockton Police Department arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges There was no indication that the arrests were connected to the killings at the banquet hall, the sheriff said.

Mangione seeks to exclude evidence from trial in health care CEO’s death

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione watched stoically in court Monday as prosecutors played surveillance videos showing the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk last year and Mangione’s arrest five days later at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. The videos, including footage from the restaurant previously unseen by the press or the public, kicked off a hearing on Mangione’s fight to bar evidence from his state murder trial, including the gun prosecutors say matches the one used in the Dec. 4, 2024, attack. Thompson was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference. Mangione, 27, pressed a finger to his lips and a thumb to his chin as he watched footage of two police officers approaching him as he ate breakfast at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of Manhattan.

He gripped a pen in his right hand, making a fist at times, as prosecutors played a 911 call from a McDonald’s manager

relaying concerns from customers that Mangione looked like the suspect in Thompson’s killing. The manager said she searched online for photos of the suspect and that as Mangione sat in the restaurant, she could only see his eyebrows because he was wearing a beanie and a medical face mask. Before he was flown to New York City to face murder charges, Mangione was held under constant watch in an otherwise empty special housing unit at a Pennsylvania state prison.

A correctional officer testified that the prison wanted to keep Mangione away from other inmates and staff who might leak information about him to the media. The officer testified that the facility’s superintendent told him that the prison “did not want an Epstein-style situation,” referring to Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide at a Manhattan federal jail in 2019. Among the evidence Mangione’s defense team wants excluded are the 9 mm handgun and a notebook in which prosecutors say he described his intent to “wack” a health insurance executive. Both were found in a backpack Mangione had with him when arrested.

Ex-Trump lawyer disqualified as top N.J. prosecutor

Appeals court upholds ruling on Alina Habba

BY MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA President

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba is disqualified from serving as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor despite his administration’s maneuvers to keep her in the role, an appeals court said Monday

A panel of judges from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sitting in Philadelphia sided with a lower-court judge’s ruling after hearing oral arguments at which Habba was present on Oct. 20.

fighting on behalf of other candidates to be federal prosecutors who have been denied a chance for a Senate hearing. The White House had no immediate comment on Habba and referred questions to the Justice Department. Messages were left Monday seeking comment from the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey Habba’s personal staffer and the Justice Department. The decision affirmed Habba is serving unlawfully attorneys for the appellees said in an emailed statement.

“It is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place. Its efforts to elevate its preferred candidate for U.S Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, to the role of Acting U.S. Attorney demonstrate the difficulties it has faced — yet the citizens of New Jersey and the loyal employees in the U.S. Attorney’s Office deserve some clarity and stability,” the court wrote in a 32-page opinion. It concluded: “We will affirm the District Court’s disqualification order.”

The ruling comes amid the push by Trump’s Republican administration to keep Habba as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law It also comes after the judges questioned the government’s moves to keep Habba in place after her interim appointment expired and without her getting Senate confirmation.

Habba said after that hearing in a statement posted to X that she was

“We will continue to challenge President Trump’s unlawful appointments of purported U.S Attorneys wherever appropriate,” said attorneys Abbe Lowell, Gerry Krovatin and Norm Eisen in the statement. Habba is hardly the only Trump administration prosecutor whose appointment has been challenged by defense lawyers. Last week, a federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after concluding that the hastily installed prosecutor who filed the charges, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed to the position of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Justice Department has said it intends to appeal the rulings. The judges on the panel were two appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, D. Brooks Smith and D. Michael Fisher, as well as one named by Democratic President Barack Obama Luis Felipe Restrepo. It wasn’t immediately clear how the ruling would affect prosecutions. Jacob Elberg, a Seton Hall Law School professor, said the decision would have “real implications.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

Aundre Smith, left watches Monday as Genesis Smith places flowers near the scene of a mass shooting on Saturday at a banquet hall in Stockton, Calif.

Eli Drinkwitz was high on the list as abackup option. But theprimary target wasalwaysKiffin.

“Lane’sname kept popping up,” Ausberry said. “You know what? Let’stake ashot at him.”

Alongtime LSU athletic official, Ausberry led the search for thefirst time after the ousterof athletic director Scott Woodward afew days afterKelly. Ausberry had been involved in hiringthe previousfour football coaches in some capacity.When LSU promoted him to the full-time role, his connections with agents and coaches was viewed as astrength. Ausberry talked to former LSU players Booger McFarland, Ryan Clark andMarcus Spears, as well as former coaches. He mentioned one “who workedhere,” hinting again at Saban. Ausberry wanted to ask other people in the business about Kiffin to make sure he would be agood fit. He also watched OleMiss games, seeing how the team played and the way the offense functioned.

“He has atalent that notmany people have,” Ausberry said “Steve Spurrier had this talent. Nick Saban has this talent. Skip Bertman has this talent where they can lookata gameand say, ‘Dothisright now.Run this play right now.’ Not many guys can do that.” At some point in the process, Ausberry flewtomeetwithKiffin He did not specifythe location or date of the meeting when asked Ausberry said it lasted for anhour and20minutes. He asked Kiffin what he needed to be successful and what he expected from the LSU administration, nothis ideas about offensive game plans or potential hires.

“I’m going to leave you alone and let you coach the team,” Kif-

STRIKE

Continued from page1A

Amonthafterthe strike, Bradley was promoted from commander of Joint Special Operations Command to commanderof U.S. Special Operations Command. Concern over the Trump administration’s military strikes against the alleged drug-smuggling boats has been building in Congress, but details of this follow-on strike stunned many lawmakers from bothparties and generated stark questions about the legalityof the attacks and the overall strategy in the region, and particularly toward Ven-

fin

saidofAusberry’spitch.“Ilike when Ihear that. ‘We’regoing to give you everything to win, and I’mgoing to leaveyou alone and go coach theteam and bring us championships.’

“Verge isn’treally long-winded in those meetings, as some otherpeople, and he gets right to the point. Ireally like that. He sparked my interest from the first time Italked tohim.”

LSU’s pursuit heated up Nov.17, when school officials arranged for aprivate plane to bring several of Kiffin’sfamily members, including hisex-wife, Layla Kiffin, to Baton Rouge.

Theyspent the day looking at potential properties and learning about schools, trying to get a sense of where they would live if they moved. Kiffinsaid he thought abouthow his decision affected his childrenand thefamily of his brother, OleMissdefensive analystChrisKiffin, whofollowed him to LSU.

The family took asimilar trip the day before to Gainesville, Florida, as he considered the University of Florida head coaching job. Layla Kiffin’sfather,John Reaves,playedquarterback for the Gators and later returned to coach at theschool in theearly

1990s.

“Those are thethings that we were alittle afraidof,”Ausberry said. “That’sthatpulltoGainesville. When she came to Baton Rouge, she was like,‘Wow, Ireally like this place.’”

Over the rest of the week, LSU officials assembled aseven-year, $91 million contract offer.His $13 million annual salary made Lane Kiffin the second-highest paid coachincollege footballbehind Georgia’sKirby Smart.

But Kiffin joked Monday that he did not even know the numbers insidehis deal. He saidhe asked agent Jimmy Sexton to tell

him instead about how muchthe teams that wanted to hire him were willing to spend on the roster.LSU has prepared to commit $25 million to $30million annually through revenue sharing and name, image and likeness, sources said. Ausberry claimed donors who have already given NILmoney want to spendmore and that somewho haven’tcontributed before are now willing to do so.

“This was the best setup,” Kiffin said. “That definitely played a factor into it. Because Idon’tcare what your systems are, without good players, they don’twork. In the process of figuring out the NIL package, those werenot similar (at other schools). Those were not the same. That’sabig part of it.”

Still, Kiffin felt happy at Ole Miss andhad ateamheading toward the College FootballPlayoff. He said he wanted to coach through the postseason,whichLSU would have allowed him to do.

But Ole Miss did not agree to let him stayonduring meetings Saturday nightand into Sunday morning, letting LSU finally pickhim up with aprivate plane.

Kiffin said he felt “torn.” He described driving to the Oxford, Mississippi, airport with his son and having people try to run him off the road.

He even questioned the decision as he flew toward Baton Rouge, wondering if he had made the right call. Once he landed and rode past Tiger Stadium on the way to the football operations facility,itfelt right.

As he wentpast, Kiffincalled another coach: formerLSU head coach Ed Orgeron. He jokedthat the place madehim wanttotalk like his gravel-voiced friend.

“I don’tknow, man,I’m feeling you right now,” Kiffinsaid.

“Coach,” Kiffin recalled Orgeron saying, “you’re at the best place in America.”

and confidence in the experienced commanders at every echelon,” Caine’s office said in astatement. Thestatement added that thecallfocused on “addressing the intentand legality of missions to disrupt illicit traffickingnetworks which threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Monday broadly defended the operations,echoingthe Trump administration position that they’re necessary to stem the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States.

Thune said the committees in Congress will look into what happened.

“I don’tthink you want to

of armedconflict— andapprovedbythe best military andcivilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command,”Hegsethwrote.

SenateDemocratic leader ChuckSchumer called Hegsetha“national embarrassment” over his response to critics. Schumer demanded thatHegsethreleasethe video of the strikeand testify under oath about what happened.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker,ofMississippi, the chairman of theSenate ArmedServices Committee, pledged that his panel’sinvestigation would be “done by thenumbers.

“We’llfind outthe ground truth,” he said,adding that the ramifications of the report were “serious charg-

isfied” following aconversation with Hegseth on the attack,but that he also wanted to hear from Bradley “We’ll all have clarity on Thursday afternoon,” Rogers said.

Venezuela’spresident reacts Trump met later Monday with hisnationalsecurity team to discuss the ongoing operations andpotential next steps against Venezuela.

TheU.S. administration says thestrikes are aimedat drug cartels, some of which it claims arecontrolled by Maduro. Trumpalsois weighing whether to carry out strikes on the Venezuelan mainland.

Trump confirmed Sunday

that he had recently spoken by phone with Maduro but declined to detail the conversation.

Speaking to supporters in Caracas on Monday,Maduro said U.S. pressure has “tested”the country but Venezuelans are ready “to defend it and lead it to the path of peace.”

“Wehave lived through 22 weeks of aggression that can only be described as psychological terrorism,”Maduro said.

The September strike was oneina seriescarriedout by the U.S. military in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as Trumphas ordered the buildup of afleet of warships near Venezuela, including thelargestU.S.

aircraft carrier. More than 80 people have been killed in the strikes.

Venezuela’sNational Assembly has announcedthe launch of an investigation intothe lethal strikes. Sunday’sannouncementby theAssembly’spresident, Jorge Rodríguez, was the first time that aMaduro government official explicitly acknowledged that Venezuelans have been killed in the monthslong U.S. military operation. Rodríguez, Maduro’schief negotiator,said agroup of lawmakers will cometogether to investigate “the serious events thatled to the murderofVenezuelans in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU President Wade Rousse, left, and athletic director VergeAusberry,right, stand withnew football coachLane

Kiffinafter anewsconference on Monday

Republicans during the 2026 legislative session.

The 73 House Republicans have begun sending in their secret ballots to pick the next caucus chair, with the counting scheduled to take place in the State Capitol on Dec. 11.

Landry’s intervention is the latest in his efforts to place people he wants in positions of power He maneuvered to get his choices selected as the president of LSU and speaker of the House, and he publicly called to oust the athletic director of LSU.

“That’s Jeff Landry,” said veteran pollster and political consultant Bernie Pinsonat “That’s his way of governing, taking control as much as he can.”

Why it matters

Electing Echols, Pinsonat said, “would amount to a loss of independence” for

sending a text of his accomplishments that matched DeVillier’s text, word for word.

go along, believing that the bill would harm the insurance industry On the day of the hearing,

seated in January 2024, with Illg agreeing to step aside with the understanding that

he would succeed Wright in two years.

“It was sort of an agreement,” Wright said, adding, “he’d still have to get his votes.”

Echols decided to seek the job, too. He emailed Republican House members on Oct. 28, saying he wanted to strengthen efforts to raise money for their messaging by “clearly articulating our values and legislative accomplishments.”

Illg expressed disappointment that Echols didn’t give him a heads-up of his plans even though they had been together the night before at the Pentagon Barracks, across the street from the Capitol, watching a World Series game with other legislators.

Echols followed up with another email to House Republicans on Nov 25 that included a nearly two-minute video.

Illg also emailed Republican House members on Nov 25, saying he wanted “to promote our strong Republican

values with better communication.”

Illg defeated Echols in January 2024 to become the caucus vice chair But the two men describe themselves as friends during their six years together in the Legislature, sharing meals and hunting deer together at Echols’ camp.

Echols said he decided to run for caucus chair on his own and informed Landry only afterward.

“I did not ask the governor or his staff to make calls on my behalf,” he said. Illg said he strongly supports Landry’s agenda, not voting with him on only a couple of high-profile issues. Republican members, he said, “want unity, better communication and independence. Let’s be together and work with the governor.” Other legislators say the election creates a quandary “I love both of those guys,” said Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Hessmer. “I hate that it’s getting to this point.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Gov. Jeff Landry addresses the opening day of the

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. stocks fall as bitcoin tumbles

NEW YORK

U.S. stocks gave back some of last week’s rally, as bitcoin fell again on Monday

The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% and broke a five-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 427 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite dipped 0.4%.

Last week’s rally was largely due to rising hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week to help shore up the slowing job market. Such hopes are still high, with traders betting on a roughly 85% chance the Fed will cut at its next meeting, according to data from CME Group.

But yields for longer-term Treasurys nevertheless rose in the bond market Monday It was part of a worldwide climb for yields after the head of the Bank of Japan hinted at a possible hike to interest rates there.

When bonds are paying higher yields, they can attract investors who would otherwise buy stocks or cryptocurrencies Higher yields undercut prices for all kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.

Bitcoin, which was soaring around $125,000 in October, dropped toward $85,500. That’s down roughly 6% from a day earlier That in turn sent stocks lower across the crypto industry Coinbase Global sank 4.8%, and Robinhood Markets fell 4.1%, for example.

UK secures zero-tariff deal on pharmaceuticals

LONDON The U.K. has secured a 0% tariff rate for all U.K. medicines exported to the U.S. for at least three years, officials said Monday, in return for the U.K. spending more on new medicines.

Under the deal, the U.S. agreed to exempt U.K.-origin pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and medical technology from import taxes.

The Trump administration said in return U.K. drugs firms committed to invest more in the U.S. and create more jobs.

The U.K. government said the 0% rate on all of its pharmaceuticals exports was the lowest offered to any country As part of the deal, it said the country’s National Health Service will spend around 25% more in new and effective treatments the first major increase in such spending in over two decades.

Officials said that means U.K health authorities will now be able to approve medicines that deliver significant health improvements but might have previously been declined purely on cost-effectiveness grounds, including breakthrough cancer treatments or therapies for rare diseases.

Starbucks to pay about $35M to NYC workers

NEW YORK Starbucks will pay about $35 million to more than 15,000 New York City workers to settle claims it denied them stable schedules and arbitrarily cut their hours, city officials announced Monday

The company will also pay $3.4 million in civil penalties under the agreement with the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection It also agrees to comply with the city’s Fair Workweek law going forward.

A company spokeswoman said Starbucks is committed to operating responsibly and in compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations in every market where it does business, but also noted the complexities of the city’s law

“This (law) is notoriously challenging to manage and this isn’t just a Starbucks issue, nearly every retailer in the city faces these roadblocks,” spokeswoman Jaci Anderson said Most of the affected employees who held hourly positions will receive $50 for each week worked from July 2021 through July 2024, the department said. Workers who experienced a violation after that may be eligible for compensation by filing a complaint with the department.

TSA to charge travelers without REAL ID

$45 fee to begin in February

By The Associated Press

Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday

The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID.

REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Obtaining the ID indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most states means taking more docu-

PRESS FILE PHOTO REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

ments to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.

Beginning Feb. 1, travelers 18

and older flying domestically without a REAL ID and who don’t have another accepted form of ID on them, such as a passport, will pay the nonrefundable fee to verify their identity through TSA’s alter-

native “Confirm.ID” system.

TSA officials said that paying the fee does not guarantee verification, and travelers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away If approved, however, the verification covers a 10-day travel period.

The fee can be paid online before arriving at the airport Travelers can also pay online at the airport before entering the security line, but officials said the process make take up to 30 minutes.

The TSA initially proposed an $18 charge for passengers without a REAL ID, but officials said Monday they raised it after realizing the alternative identification program would cost more than anticipated.

Other acceptable forms of ID include military IDs, permanent resident cards and photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations. TSA also accepts digital IDs through platforms such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet at more than 250 airports in the U.S.

LAST CALL FOR DEALS

Cyber Monday could break spending records despite economic uncertainty

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Associated Press

NEW YORK — After four days of deal-fueled spending sprees that kicked off on Thanksgiving, shoppers shifted their focus on Cyber Monday, which is again expected to be the biggest sales day of the year for online retailers. Walmart was promoting up to 50% off on fashion on its website among some of the deals, while online juggernaut Amazon was hoping to ply customers with discounts of up to 55%.

It’s no secret that buying things online is now a staple of many people’s everyday routines. And year after year, those purchases mount during the gift-giving holiday rush.

Experts expect consumers to drive record Cyber Monday spending this year, despite wider economic uncertainty

Adobe Analytics estimates that U.S. shoppers will spend $14.2 billion online Monday or 6.3% more than in 2024. Spending is expected to peak between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time, when Adobe expects $16 million to pass through online shopping carts every minute nationwide.

U.S. consumers already spent $11.8 billion online for Black Friday, $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving Day and another $11.8 billion over the weekend — exceeding Adobe’s forecasts Purchases made across Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.

“Cyber Week is off to a strong start,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. “Discounts are set to remain elevated through Cyber Monday, which we expect will remain the biggest online shopping day of the season and year.”

Pandya said he will be analyzing Adobe data capturing Cyber Monday sales to see if some of the spending momentum dissipated after a strong weekend. Deals on electronics and apparel are expected to peak Monday at 30% and 26% off average listed prices, per Adobe’s latest estimates. But other categories will still continue to see deep discounts — including toys, which Adobe expects to reach 27% off listed

prices.

Meanwhile, software company Salesforce — which tracks digital spending from a range of retailers, including grocers — estimates Cyber Monday’s online sales will total $13.4 billion in the U.S. and $53.7 billion globally

While the amount of money going into online shopping carts is expected to reach new heights Monday rising retail prices also may contribute to any record sales figures that materialize. Consumers may be buying fewer total items. Experts say tighter budgets are causing many to shop with more precision than in years past such as focusing on a few “big ticket” purchases, for example, and spreading out what they buy over days of promotions in hopes of getting the most bang for their buck.

Businesses and households have watched anxiously for financial impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports Workers in both the public and private sectors are also struggling with anxieties over job security amid both corporate layoffs and the aftereffects of the 43-day government shutdown.

For the November-December holiday season overall, the National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. shoppers will spend more than $1 trillion for the first time this year But the rate of growth is slowing — with an

anticipated increase of 3.7% to 4.2% year over year compared with 4.3% during last year’s holiday season.

At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies on other short-term loans have been rising. More and more shoppers are turning to “buy now, pay later” plans, which allow them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items.

Buy now pay later loans are expected to drive $20.2 billion in online spending this holiday season, according to Adobe, up 11% from last year The firm predicted that buy now, pay later loans would pass a new $1 billion milestone on Cyber Monday the vast majority involving purchases made on mobile devices.

Overall, mobile devices have become the dominant shopping platform consumers are turning to for the holidays. Adobe expects smartphones, wearable tech and other handheld electronics to account for 58% of online spending this season.

Five years ago, a majority of online purchases were made on desktops. Shopping services powered by artificial intelligence are also expected to play a role in what consumers choose to buy For Black Friday, Salesforce estimated that AI assistants and digital agents contributed to $14.2 billion of the total $79 billion it said was spent online worldwide.

44% of trucking schools don’t comply with U.S. rules, report says

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

Nearly 44% of the 16,000 truck driving schools in the U.S may be forced to close if they lose their students after a review by the federal Transportation Department found they may not be complying with government requirements. The Transportation Department said Monday that it plans to revoke the accreditation of nearly 3,000 schools unless they can comply with training requirements in the next 30 days. The targeted schools must notify students that their accreditation is in jeopardy. Another 4,500 schools are being warned they may face similar action. Schools that lose accreditation

will no longer be able to issue the certificates showing a driver completed training that are required to get a license, so students are likely to abandon those schools.

Separately, the Department of Homeland Security is auditing trucking firms in California owned by immigrants to verify the status of their drivers and whether they are qualified to hold a commercial driver’s license. This crackdown on trucking schools and companies is the latest step in the government’s effort to ensure that truck drivers are qualified and eligible to hold a commercial license This began after a truck driver that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says was not authorized to be in the U.S. made

an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. Duffy has threatened to pull federal funding from California and Pennsylvania over the issue, and he proposed significant new restrictions on which immigrants can get a commercial driver’s license but a court put those new rules on hold.

“We are reigning in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses,” Duffy said.

It’s not clear how this action against these trucking schools could affect the existing shortage of drivers. The American Trucking Association estimates there were 3.58 million truck drivers out on the roads last year

The Transportation Department said the 3,000 schools it is taking action against failed to meet training standards and didn’t maintain accurate and complete records. The schools are also accused of falsifying or manipulating training data. The list of schools being targeted wasn’t immediately released. Trucking industry groups have praised the effort to tighten up licensing standards and ensure that drivers can meet basic English proficiency requirements the Trump administration began enforcing this summer But groups that represent immigrant truck drivers say they believe many qualified drivers and companies are being targeted simply because of their citizenship status.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MEGAN VARNER Shoppers browse for Black Friday deals at an outdoor mall in Atlanta.

ASSOCIATED

Westlake mayordoubles as auctioneer

McMillin finds passionin auctions,serving community

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

Westlake Mayor Hal McMillin has the typical southwestern Louisiana drawlof the people he represents, but he can switch to the musical, urgent chantofanauctioneer at amoment’snotice.

McMillin, 70, wascaptivated by auctioneers asa young child, but he didn’t pick up the profession until he was about 50. He’ssince made up for lost time by using his talent to raise millions of dollars for causes he cares about.

“My drug of choice,” he said, “is amicrophone and a crowd of people.”

When McMillin was 7or 8years old, he went to auctions each Friday night with his parents.

“I liked doing impersonations,” McMillinsaid.“So Istarted impersonating the auctioneer, learning howto count and listen to him.”

The auctioneer,Dave Black, took McMillin under his wing as achild. Black allowed him to “be part of the team” by doing chores, such as loading and unloading auction items.

Later,asayoung adult,McMillin attended DucksUnlimited auctions that raised money for waterfowl and wetlands conservation. He got more experience when another auctioneer,Charlie Willis, allowed McMillin to flag items for him.

“It was just being in an auction atmospherethat was exciting to me,” McMillin said. “It gave me arealkind of thrill, butInever really thought about being an auctioneer until years later.”

McMillin finally got an invitation to serve as an auctioneer when his friends were trying to raisemoney for afriend’swife who had cancer.They asked McMillintobeanauctioneerfor a fundraiser for her medical expenses. He did, butlater learned auctioneers must be licensed and bonded.

McMillin decided to make his interest official in 2005

when heattended anine-day training atAmerica’s Auction Academy in Dallas

Twenty yearslater,McMillin can still recite —inperfect rhythm —the tongue twister“BettyBotter” his class learned as they developed their vocal skills. McMillin andhis classmates also learned how to structure an auctionand control acrowd in away that keeps people engaged.

“A lot of times when you change increments, it resets theroom andyourbidders get back in,” McMillin said. “Theseare the little tricks of the trade that youlearnfrom going to anacademy.”

Although his cadence as an auctioneer is wildly different fromhis usualspeech pattern, McMillin sees his side hustle as anatural extension of his role as apublic servant

“I trulydolovebeing mayor and being in politics because Iget to helpa lot of people,” McMillin said. “And beinganauctioneer, I’ve been able to help people with cancerorpeoplewhose househas burned down. So there’ssomeoverlap there.”

The speedatwhich McMillin speaks changesdepending on the type of auction he’s hosting. Automobile or cattle auctions draw anicheaudience that respondswell to a quicker speech pattern,he said.McMillin slows it down anotch for community fundraisers or benefit auctions

Whilerapid-fire numbers in varying increments dominate his time atthe mic, McMillinhas achant that he falls back on —“able to bid, able to buy.” He slips those words between numbers, steadily and effortlessly

“In afundraiserauction, youdon’t need to be so fast people don’tunderstand where you’re at,” McMillin said. “You need clarity and good counting of numbers and areally good chant. Iuse the words ‘able to bid, able to buy.’”

“That’s probably going to be on my tombstone,”he added with alaugh. Live auctions aren’tjust an adrenaline rushora revenue stream for McMillin.They can also raise significant moneyfor the event organizers.

BlakeReed, thebaseball coach at Westlake High, switched from using golf

tournaments as afundraiser to live auctions becauseof howmuchmore money he’s found theycan make. He said his team’s benefit golf tournaments would typically bring in about$20,000, whileMcMillin’sauctions can bring in between $50,000 to $100,000.

“Fromstarttofinish, it’sa production,” Reed said, noting that McMillin is apro at figuring out theorder to auction items.“He does a really good job of knowing thecrowd andhow to work to get as much juice for the squeezeashecan get.”

Sometimes,whentwo people are bidding on ahot item and neither one is backing down, McMillin will ask if there’s the possibilityofdoubling the item. It happened once at aschool fundraiser.Two parentswere bidding to be the first in line at pickup each afternoon. Instead of selling one first-inline spot, McMillin managed to split the prize so that both high bidders would park side by side at the startofthe car rider line for therest of the school year.Awarding two coveted spots in line brought in $100,000 for theschool instead of the $50,000 high bid at the timeofthe decision.

“I make peoplefeel good when they spend theirmoney,” McMillin said. He alsoknows when not to split an item. Some bidders want the exclusive right to aprize and will pay almost anything to get it

At an athletics fundraiser for McNeese StateUniversity,someone asked McMillin if splitting adinner for eight with McNeesebasketball coach Will Wade might be the way to go. Thebidderswere at $24,000 at the time. If the prize were madeavailable to both bidders at that price,it would have raised $48,000.

“I said, ‘Nope,’ ”McMillin said.“And it sold for $65,000.”

McMillin knows his regular bidders and quickly learns about the new people at an event.

“I love it when youhavea lot of ego or testosterone in the room —somebody who wants to really showoff,” he said. “I’ll taketheir money.” McMillin and his wife, Sue,

work anywhere from 30 to 70 auctions peryear. He’s the big personality of each event, while she tracks the high bids and who is taking home which items. Sue McMillin said becoming the first lady of Westlake, along with an auctioneer’s wife, has forced her intothe spotlight in away she would not have expected.

“Are you kidding me?” she said witha laugh. “I wasthe most reserved person.They used to callmeSweet Silent Sue in school. And it took me awhile to come outofthat, but he drew it out of me.”

Although they went to high school together,the McMillins marrieddifferent people as young adults. They reconnected as divorcees at aclass

reunion in their 30s and have been inseparable ever since.

“We’re kind of aying and yang,” she said. “Because he’sADD and I’m more reserved. He’sreally pulled me out of my shell, but then Ikeep him basically in order We work well together.”

Herhusband, who worked in the chemical plant and business development industries, served forfive years on the Westlake City Council and 20 years on the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury before taking office as mayor in 2023.

Although he initially saw himself serving two or three termsasmayor,Hal McMillin now intends to retire after his first term is up at the end of 2026. That decision cameafter a quadruple bypass surgery in January.Hours after the surgery,anirregular heartbeat threatened heart failure. Hal McMillin saidhebargained with God.

“I was saying, ‘Hey,get me through this.I promise you I’ll be abetter Hal,’”hesaid. “He got me through, and he shook me.Heshook my mortality.Hereally showedme how short life is.”

Hal McMillin decided to retire at the end of his term

He’s also starting the process of becoming Catholic so he can receive the Holy Eucharist. He’sexpecting to achieve both goals in 2026. Although he planstostep down from his role as mayor, Hal McMillin said he does not intend to retire as an auctioneerand will likely work as aconsultant in the city where he was born and raised.

BY PATRICK WHITTLE and ADAM SCHRECK Associated Press

PORTLAND,Maine Black ice, snow showers and fog pestered post-holidaytravelers in the Midwest on Monday whilethe Northeast geared up for its firstmajor snowstorm of the season. More than 8inches of snow fell at Chicago O’Hare International Airport this weekend, setting arecord for the highest single calendarday snowfallinNovember at the airport, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was set in 1951. About 300 flights into and out of O’Hare had been canceled by earlySunday evening,while about 1,600 had been delayed, accordingto the tracking site FlightAware. Dozens remained canceled or delayed there into Monday,and commuting conditions on roads wereexpected to remain dangerous in some areas well into Monday night. In the Northeast, some parts of northern New England were expectingupto 10 inches of snow.Awindy, potentially icy storm was headed to the region, and could soak some parts of the region’ssix stateswhile piling snow in others, forecasters said. The NationalWeather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and New York. With plowable snow expected to coat large parts of

Pennsylvania,crews began to treat lanes alongthe 565mile Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Monday,said the agency’spress secretary, Marissa Orbanek. Vehicle restrictions on many interstatesinthe eastern half of Pennsylvania, includingon the turnpike system’sNortheastExtension, from the Lehigh Valley to Clarks Summit, will be imposed at 5a.m. Tuesday.

Morethan 600 equipment operators and safety workers are available tohelp clear theturnpike’s2,900 milesof lanes, Orbanek said.The turnpike’s winterstaffing schedulebegan in mid-November, and 23 maintenance sheds arestaffedaround the clock

“Wereally prepare for snow allyear long,” Orbanek said In Chicago, Don Herrian was among the crowdsof travelers at O’HareonSunday, hoping to make it back home after Thanksgiving as hundreds of flights were delayedand canceled following awinter storm in the Great Lakes region.

The 76-year-oldretiree from Ardmore, Oklahoma, had visited hisdaughter and her family in Indianapolis. He said his first flight was three hours late, and hisconnecting flighttoOklahoma City from Chicago was alreadyrunning anothertwo hours behind.

Roads leading to O’Hare were packed Sunday with slow-moving vehicles even

the roads

been

rants and sportsbarstopass the time. Others grabbed spots on the floorsofthe terminals,snacking, knitting or scrolling their phones.

PHOTO By CHRISTOPHER R. VINN

Hal McMillin, auctioneer and mayorofWestlake, calls bids at the McNeese State University women’s

Russia and Ukraine mull Trump’s peace proposal

Land and security are

main sticking points

BY DASHA LITVINOVA and ISOBEL KOSHIW Associated Press

Diplomats face an uphill battle to reconcile Russian and Ukrainian “red lines” as a renewed U.S.-led push to end the war gathers steam, with Ukrainian officials attending talks in the U.S. over the weekend and Washington officials expected in Moscow early this week.

President Donald Trump’s peace plan became public last month, sparking alarm that it was too favorable to Moscow It was revised following talks in Geneva between the U.S. and Ukraine a week ago.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the revised plan could be “workable.” Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a possible “basis” for a future peace agreement.

Trump said Sunday “there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”

Still, officials on both sides indicated a long road ahead as key sticking points — over whether Kyiv should cede land to Moscow and how to ensure Ukraine’s future security appear unresolved.

Trump representatives met the Ukrainian officials over the weekend and plan to meet with the Russians in coming days.

Ukraine’s national security council head Rustem Umerov the head of Ukraine’s armed forces Andrii Hnatov, presidential adviser Oleksandr Bevz and others met with U.S. officials for about four hours on Sunday U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the session was productive but more work

remains Umerov praised the U.S. for its support but offered no details.

Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff and former lead negotiator for Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, resigned Friday amid a corruption scandal and is no longer part of the negotiating team. It was only a week ago that Rubio met with Yermak in Geneva, resulting in a revised peace plan.

Trump said last week that he would send his envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Monday that Putin will meet Witkoff on Tuesday afternoon.

Trump suggested he could eventually meet with Putin and Zelenskyy, but not until there has been more progress.

Witkoff’s role in the peace efforts came under scrutiny last week following a report that he coached Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser on how Russia’s leader should pitch Trump on the Ukraine peace plan. Both Moscow and Washington downplayed the significance of the revelations

Eager to please Trump, Kyiv and Moscow have ostensibly welcomed the peace plan and the push to end the war But Russia has continued attacking Ukraine and reiterated its maximalist demands, indicating a deal is still a ways off.

Putin implied last week that he will fight as a long as it takes to achieve his goals, saying that he will stop only when Ukrainian troops withdraw from all four Ukrainian regions that Russia illegally annexed in 2022 and still doesn’t fully control. “If they don’t withdraw, we’ll achieve this by force. That’s all,” he said. The plan, Putin said, “could form the basis for future agreements,” but it is in no

way final and requires “a serious discussion.”

Zelenskyy has refrained from talking about individual points, opting instead to thank Trump profusely for his efforts and emphasizing the need for Europe — whose interests are more closely aligned with Ukraine’s — to be involved. He also has stressed the importance of robust security guarantees for Ukraine.

The first version of the plan granted some core Russian demands that Ukraine considers nonstarters, such as ceding land to Moscow that it doesn’t yet occupy and renouncing its bid to become a member of NATO.

Zelenskyy has said repeatedly that giving up territory is not an option. One of the Ukrainian negotiators, Bevz, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ukraine’s president wanted to discuss the territory issue with Trump directly Yermak then told The Atlantic in an interview on Thursday that Zelenskyy would not sign over the land.

Zelenskyy also maintains that NATO membership is the cheapest way to guarantee Ukraine’s security, and NATO’s 32 member countries said last year that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership. Since he took office, Trump has made it clear that NATO membership is off the table.

Moscow, in turn, has bristled at any suggestion of a Western peacekeeping force on the ground in Ukraine, and stressed that keeping Ukraine out of NATO and NATO out of Ukraine was one of the core goals of the war Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has been under pressure at home.

Yermak’s resignation was a major blow for Zelenskyy, although neither the president nor Yermak have been

accused of wrongdoing by investigators.

“Russia really wants Ukraine to make mistakes. There won’t be mistakes on our side,” Zelenskyy said “Our work continues, our struggle continues. We don’t have a right not to push it to the end.”

An activist with Ukraine’s nongovernmental AntiCorruption Center, Valeriia Radchenko, said letting go of Yermak was the right decision and would open a “window of opportunity for reform.”

Putin, meanwhile, seeks to project confidence, boasting of Russia’s advances on the battlefield.

The Russian leader “feels more confident than ever about the battlefield situation and is convinced that he can wait until Kyiv finally accepts that it cannot win and must negotiate on Russia’s well-known terms,” Tatiana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center wrote on X. “If the Americans can help move things in that direction — fine. If not, he knows how to proceed anyway That is the current Kremlin logic.”

NATO and the EU are holding several meetings this week focused on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macro n in Paris on Monday In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is hosting Ukrainian

Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU defense and foreign ministers are gathering to discuss European military support for Ukraine and Europe’s defense readiness.

On Wednesday NATO foreign ministers will gather again in Brussels.

The main issue for the EU right now is what to do with the frozen Russian assets in Belgium that the Trump peace plan in its initial version sought to use for postwar investment in Ukraine.

Those funds are central to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s strategy to ensure continued help for Ukraine while also maintaining pressure on Russia But Belgium’s prime minister is holding out, worried about the legal implications of tapping the frozen assets for Ukraine, the impact that could have on the euro — and of Russian retaliation.

The diplomacy set in motion by Trump’s peace plan “painfully exposed” Europe’s weakness, Nigel Gould-Davies of the International Institute for Strategic Studies wrote in a recent commentary

“Despite being the main source of Ukraine’s economic and military support, it is marginal to the diplomacy of the war and has done little more than offer amendments to America’s draft peace plan,” Gould-Davies wrote.

Vaccine panel chair leaves for HHS position

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. Health

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial vaccine advisory committee will be meeting later this week under a new chair, federal officials announced Monday Martin Kulldorff is leaving the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to take a leadership role within the Department of Health and Human Services, officials said.

Dr Kirk Milhoan, who has blamed vaccines for causing cardiovascular disease, will become the new chair He had been appointed to the committee in September Later this week the committee is scheduled to discuss the pediatric vaccine schedule and hepatitis B shots given to newborns.

HHS officials issued a news release praising Kulldorff and his work while leading the panel but did not answer additional questions about the changes. Kulldorff did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. The committee makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how alreadyapproved vaccines should be used.

CDC directors almost always adopted the committee’s recommendations, which were widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GAVRIIL GRIGOROV

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff shake hands Aug. 6 during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Building Kiffin’s La. to-dolist

If Baton Rougeisgetting a coach, Oxford is losing acharacter —and plenty of Oxfordcharacters had something to say about Mississippi’sloss and Louisiana’s gain.

Ispent much of the weekend on the Lane Kiffin watch. As the daughter of aMississippifootball coach, Icalled cousins, coaches and old friendstosee what was going on in Oxford.Most were salty

Icalled Square Books inOxford, where Ispokewith owner Richard Howorth.

“Ordinarily,wedon’t talk about aparticular customer’sbehavior, but in this case, Idon’t care,” Howorth said. “I only saw himinhere once. Istarted to introduce myself, but he was talking with someone, and Ididn’twant to interrupt him. Then, he was in and out.”

Howorth acknowledged that the Ole Miss faithful are frustrated but looking forward.

“People are alittle riled about the way that ordeal went down. Ithink the system is at fault to a great extent,”Howorth said. “People wouldn’thave mindedhad it been somewhere other than LSU.”

The bookseller went on to talk about the brokenness of university-level football, calling itaminor league farm system for professional football.

“I’m rethinking my devotion to being afootball fan,” Howorth said, before expoundingonthe ridiculous level of deliberations and process.

Isaid, “It was almost like picking the next pope.”

Howorth said, “Orlike picking the next dope.”

Coach Kiffin,inBaton Rouge, try Red Stick Reads. If you’reup for adrive, head to St. Francisville’sThe Conundrum or Denham Springs’ Cavalier House Books.

Then Icalled another Oxford favorite, the Chevron on South Lamar Boulevard, where they’ve been making the world’sbest chicken on astick for more than 50 years, according to the Ole Miss faithful.

Owner Rey Rupani saidKiffin

ä See RISHER, page 2B

BY KEVIN HALL Publisher

There’salot of excitement in Louisiana right now. LSUhas a newfootballcoach,the holidays are upon us and, thankfully,we’ve made it through another hurricane season unscathed

But what really excitesme not only today, but everyday,is the trust readers like you put in our journalism.

When you become apublic service journalist in Louisiana, you know that the journeywill alwaysbe a challenge, but it’sone our team wholeheartedly embraces —because it’sworth it.Our mission as anews organization is simple:We believe democracy thrives when a fair-minded press keeps citizens informed on issues of widespread importance.

To meet that end requires buyin from readers, businesses and

ä See TRUST, page 2B

Bakerjuvenilefacilitytoreopen

Concerns rise over security at former Jetson Center site

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Louisiana officials say aformerly shuttered juvenile facility in Baker will begin taking in incarcerated teens as earlyasApril, with planstobegin constructing a new facility on the property at the same time.

TheJetson Center for Youthofficially closed in 2014 after years

of reports of decrepit conditions andwidespread abuse.The facilitywas built in the 1940s as a school forBlack children. Officials have tried to reopen it since former Gov. John BelEdwards was in office.

Amid ashortage of space for incarcerated teens in Louisiana, the Office of JuvenileJustice plans to transport 36 low- to moderaterisk youthintoa single building

at Jetson known as the “Winter Unit” —housing near the back of the propertyconsideredtobein the best shape —within the next few months.

“Wedesperately need somerelief with our bed capacity issues,” saidJason Starnes, undersecretaryofthe Office of Juvenile Justice, who told legislators during aNov.20budget meeting that he expects the East Baton Rouge fa-

cility to take in teens by April.

Aboutthe same time youtharrive, construction of abrand-new, 72-bed facilityisset to break ground.

“This is asmallportion of the old facility that we are going to utilize temporarily while the construction of the new facility is being conducted,” Starnes said.

Bringing themagic home

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

Adelie “Addie” Latta, aDenham Springs High School senior and member of the school’spowerlifting team, died Sunday from injuries shereceived in acar crashthat happened nearly a month ago.

Latta died in the hospital where shehad been receiving treatment after she was critical injured in aNov.2crash, the school announcedinanonline statement. The school’spowerlifting team said in asocial media post that she put up “an incredibly impressive 27-day fight.”

“If you were ever at ameet with her or saw her on the platform, youreceived nothingless than

agreat jokeand an infectious smile,” the message said. “She wassomeonewho lit up aroom thesecond she walked in.”

“Respected by allofher teammates as aleader,ashoulder to cryonand an ear tolisten, she represented everything we preach within ourteam. …We love you always, Addie!” Latta’sfamily saidwhen their daughter first got her driver’s license, shechose to signupasan organ donor without hesitation, and is now helping to save others.

No information on services was immediately available.

Police investigatedeadly early morning stabbing BatonRouge homicide detec-

ABOVE: Robert Stonecariesa tree overheadatWindy Hills FarmsonFriday. The farm is located in EastFeliciana Parish andisa choose-andcutChristmas tree farm that featuresseveral types of Leylandcypressand Carolina Sapphire trees LEFT: Familieswalktogether andbrowsethe different trees available.

tives are investigating afatal stabbing that occurred early Monday morning in the Lobdell/ Woodale neighborhood. Kyle Deontae Coleman,28, had been involved in adomestic incident in the1000 block of North Ardenwood Drive, before he was stabbed about 12:20 a.m. Colemanthendrove to the 3100 block of MissionDrive, wherepolice found him dead.

Family dog rescued from Thanksgiving house fire Afamily’sdog was rescuedby firefightersonThanksgivingnight when aBaton Rouge homecaught fire, St.George Fire Department

said. The fire broke out at asinglestory homeinthe 17600 block of SugarMill Avenue about 8:20 p.m Firefighters foundheavy fire showing through the roof and, during theprimary search,confirmed that all the residents had gotten out, but located adog inside. The petwas safely rescued and transferred to Emergency Medical Services on site, who evaluated the animal and kept it warm, the Fire Department said in a newsrelease. Investigators determined the cause of the fire wasanelectrical malfunction. Theblaze wasput undercontrol in about 40 minutes.

Hall

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Entergy begins construction of new plants

Infrastructure to power massive Meta data center

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Entergy broke ground Monday on a pair of new electricity plants being built to power Meta’s massive artificial intelligence data center in northeast Louisiana, part of the utility’s plan to roll out billions of dollars in new infrastructure for the tech company’s historically large project.

The gas-fired plants located near the data center will deliver around 1,500 megawatts of power and will begin generating in 2028. A third plant in St. Charles Parish slated to help meet the tech company’s energy needs is awaiting permits, said Brandon Scardigli, a spokesperson for Entergy Louisiana.

The utility is constructing other resources for Meta as well, including substations and transmission lines, totaling more than $5 billion

in new infrastructure.

“These facilities represent the next step in Entergy Louisiana’s long-term strategy to modernize our generation fleet and deliver reliable, cost-effective power to our customers,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy, the state’s largest utility

But while Entergy has described the project as beneficial to ratepayers since much of the new infrastructure will be paid for by Meta, it has come under sharp criticism from environmental groups, consumer advocacy organization and other large industries. Criticism includes concerns that other ratepayers will have to cover project costs and whether the data center’s large power demands will affect grid reliability

Meta’s data center will need roughly three times the amount of electricity that the city of New Orleans uses in a year and increases Entergy’s electric needs in the state by around 30%.

Entergy officials stress that the plants will benefit all utility customers because of Meta’s contri-

butions to the infrastructure. The tech company will pay for all costs of the new generators over a 15year contract, as well as storm recovery costs, leading to a projected $650 million in customer savings, according to the utility But both environmental advocacy and oil, gas and petrochemical companies disputed Entergy’s plan to build the new infrastructure, arguing over the monthslong regulation process that the plan risked increased bills for all types of customers.

Of particular concern to opponents is the plants’ life span of up to 40 years compared with Meta’s contract of 15, which could potentially leave other ratepayers on the hook if the tech company leaves. All customers will also pay for a $550 million transmission line and operational costs related to the plants.

Environmental and consumer advocacy groups opposing the plan have also warned of grid reliability and environmental risks of the new fossil fuel-powered plants, which will produce pollu-

tion and climate-warming emissions.

Entergy, meanwhile, says the new generation added to the system will be “among the most efficient in the state” and provide long-term reliability benefits to customers. Meta is also planning to build 1,500 megawatts of solar power in Louisiana through its deal with Entergy

The utility also argues that the relatively newer plants will be able to serve all customers if Meta leaves, allowing them to retire older facilities after the 15-year deal.

Meta’s data center in Richland Parish and the nearby plants are located in one of the poorest regions of the state. Proponents of the facility highlight the opportunity for economic development, including 5,000 construction jobs and 500 operational jobs once the data center is complete.

“Truly a bright day for northeast Louisiana,” said Foster Campbell, who represents the area on the Public Service Commission, the state’s utility regulator

Bogalusa mayor pleads not guilty to charges

Official accused of malfeasance in office

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong pleaded not guilty on Monday to state charges of malfeasance in office, public intimidation and theft between $5,000 and $25,000, entering his plea before a dozen or so supporters that had filed into a courtroom in Franklinton. Truong’s plea followed an Oct. 30 indictment by a Washington Parish grand jury that listed seven different allegations under the single count of malfeasance in office, including having public workers improperly do a home repair job on his mother’s house and soliciting a bribe from a representative of a construction company

On Monday, wearing a blue suit and a red tie, Truong appeared beside his attorney Billy Gibbens, of New Orleans, who told Judge William Burris, of the 22nd Judicial District, that Truong was pleading “not guilty.”

Asked by a reporter for comment, Truong deferred to Gibbens, who issued a statement: “Today, we moved one step closer to clearing Mayor Tyrin Truong’s name of these baseless charges. Mayor Truong is innocent, and we are eager to

TRUST

Continued from page 1B

and $25,000.

have our day in court.”

There were around 40 people in the courtroom. Supporters included the mayor’s mother and grandfather

Appearing for the state was Doug Freese, the chief of the Criminal Division for the northshore District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Collin Sims was seated in the front row of the courtroom.

community stakeholders We are operating in a time of great disruption for all media where subscription and advertising dollars are no longer enough to support the kind of impact journalism that changes laws and changes lives. We need your help Your support helps make indepth reporting possible — stories like Sam Karlin’s look at the impact rising heat levels are having across Louisiana and Mike Smith’s examination of the ever-changing course of the Mississippi River and how it affects commerce and communities.

Continued from page 1B

had definitely been by the Chevron.

“I never met him personally, but I’m not here 24 hours a day,” Rupani said. “Yes, I’m sad that he left because he was a good coach, but I’m going to support Ole Miss regardless. Life moves on. Some people take it a little too far and make it a little too personal.” In Baton Rouge, there are a lot of options for chicken. Try Blue Store Chicken or Chicken Shack. Neither is on a stick, but both are tasty as can be.

I leaned into my Mississippi people and asked my baby brother, an Ole Miss grad, for other Kiffin favorites. My brother suggested Blue Delta Denim, a bespoke jeans place on the Square in Oxford.

I called their factory in Tupelo and first talked to Richard Sherrell. This is how our conversation went:

“Yeah, we do a lot with the school. Kiffin is very much a customer We’ve outfitted him and pretty much the entire coaching staff,” Sherrell said. There was a pause, followed by a shriek.

“A cat just ran through our factory in Tupelo,” he said. “Did you see that cat?” Sherrell went on to explain that they have customers “on both sides” as their plant is in Tupelo,

Monday’s court appearance also comes about 11 months after Truong was arrested by Louisiana State Police and accused of soliciting prostitutes, transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses and unauthorized use of a moveable.

Truong has not been formally charged in that case and he has denied the accusations. He has argued his criminal prosecution is

On this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to support this ongoing mission of journalism as a force for good in Louisiana. We’re nearing our goal of $100,000 by Dec. 31, but we need your help to push us past the finish line. Your taxdeductible donation goes solely to our impact journalists, photographers and editors in the field working the long hours needed to shine

in Baton Rouge. Ainsley Calloway was the yogalates instructor for Kiffin’s 6:30 a.m. Monday class.

dead center between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. According to Sherrell, Kiffin wore Blue Delta’s “performance fabric” on the sidelines. The company works with lots of SEC schools and coaching staffs, including Brian Kelly

“Kiffin was a fan of our raw denim,” Sherrell said. “Every pant that we make is made one at a time here in Tupelo, made to each personal measurement.”

Aside from the retail spaces in Oxford and Tupelo, Blue Delta also has an online virtual tailor Then Nick Weaver, co-owner of Blue Delta, walked in Weaver explained that Josh West is his business partner and they’ve been friends since elementary school because they had to sit in alphabetical order West sat behind Weaver I knew I had met a kindred spirit. (This is the same reason Melvin Rasco is my

Plans are underway to improve security prior to the juveniles’ arrival, including additional fencing and security cameras, as well as minor upgrades to the Winter Unit. Other buildings expected to be used include the laundry facility and the administrative building.

“We’re making the Winter Dorm area able to hold youth safely, and then we’re going to be turning and doing the new facility as soon as possible,” Matt Baker, director of the state’s Office of Facility Planning and Control, said during the meeting. “We are doing as efficient of a renovation as possible so we can retain as much budget as we can for the new facility.” Baker said the new Jetson Center will be completed by 2027 or 2028, with opportunities in the future to expand it. Starnes said construction will cost about $65 million, mostly drawn from state capital outlay funding, though an additional $16 million is set to come from the state’s Criminal Justice Priority Funding Commission. Baker added that the facility would be modeled after the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, with housing confined to smaller areas rather than older models, where young inmates were more spread out.

politically and racially motivated, as he tried to upend the status quo in the city

After the January arrest, Truong was booked into the Washington Parish jail in Franklinton and his bail was set at $150,000. He made bail the same day as his arrest.

On Monday, Burris said the bail from the original arrest would be transferred to the current case.

That means Truong will not have to be rearrested, said Sims, who said the state was in support of transferring the bond.

As part of the single count of malfeasance in the Oct. 30 indictment, Truong is accused of purchasing “illegal narcotics.” He is also accused of using public funds to rent an Airbnb in Atlanta and meeting with a prostitute there.

Another allegation relates to city contractors, while another claims Truong accepted excess salary payments and payments for unearned leave time as mayor He took office in January 2023.

The three-page indictment includes few details about the public intimidation charges or the theft charge.

It accused Truong of taking belongings worth between $5,000 and $25,000 from the city of Bogalusa. It also accuses Truong of intimidating two “public employee(s).”

Burris set a status conference for Jan. 14.

a light on issues many want kept in darkness. To learn more about the impact of our journalism and to donate, please visit LouisianaJournalismFund.org. Thank you again for being a reader, for being engaged in the success of our state and for putting your trust in the value of public service journalism. Happy holidays.

friend.)

The friends started Blue Delta because they were “young and stupid” and there were 3,000 blue jean seamstresses in a 30-mile radius who had just lost their jobs because of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Shortly after the company’s launch, they made jeans for the Manning family After Eli got a pair he bought jeans for the whole New York Giants team for Christmas.

Today, Blue Delta jeans cost around $500 a piece. Each pair is made based on 16 measurements for each pair of pants. Baton Rouge has a variety of bespoke tailors who also make fancy pants for coaches and athletes. Whether it’s a home, food or schools for your kids, the people of Baton Rouge and Louisiana are looking forward to you, coach Kiffin, and your family jumping in with both feet.

By Monday morning, Kiffin was sweating through hot yoga in Baton Rouge. Oxford, though, was still talking — in bookstores, gas stations, denim factories and everywhere else his shadow lingered.

Welcome to Louisiana, coach! We hope you’ll take us up on a few of the recommendations and let us know what you think. Down here, the welcome mat is out with books to browse and chicken to sample.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

The new facility comes during a tough-on-crime era in Louisiana, including the Landry administration’s reversal of much of the youth criminal justice reform that took place under Edwards. During the first quarter of this year, there were 480 youth in secure custody, according to juvenile justice data, up from 381 in 2018. The state plans to open a new youth jail for the River Parishes in Thibodaux, while another juvenile detention center is slated for Rapides Parish.

“All of our facilities are currently at max capacity,”

Starnes said. As a result, many adjudicated youth across Louisiana languish in local pretrial detention centers — facilities designed for short-term custody that lack the educational resources available at permanent placements.

“Many of them get backed up in those detention facilities that may or may not be equipped to provide the services they need,” said Kathleen StewartRichey, the state’s child ombudsman, though she maintained the problem as been around for decades. “It holds you up from making progress. It’s not fair to the kids.”

In 2008, as Louisiana attempted to move toward more rehabilitative juvenile justice policies, legislators voted to close the Jetson Center after former inmates described beatings and rape by guards as commonplace, though the facility continued operating at reduced capacity until 2014 After floods destroyed the state’s only women’s prison in St. Gabriel in 2016, part of Jetson temporarily housed about 500 women, who were brought back to a new facility that opened this year at the St. Gabriel site.

Starnes said most of the existing facilities at Jetson — which have not been maintained for years are aged beyond repair The plan is to demolish the older buildings after the new ones are built, he said.

“They are in very poor condition,” he said. “It was going to cost more than building a new facility.”

Yet, for years, Baker residents have expressed concerns about reopening the facility, fearing youth could escape into surrounding neighborhoods. The new facility will sit near the intersection of Old Scenic Highway and Groome Road, across the street from a brandnew subdivision.

“The residents in that area are very concerned,” said state Rep. Barbara Carpenter, DBaker “We want to be sure that security measures are in place up front, not after the fact.”

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan.mccahill@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

yoglates Studio owner Katie Fox, from left, welcomed LSU’s new football coach, Lane Kiffin, on his first morning

STAFF PHOTO By WILLIE SWETT

Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong exits the Washington Parish Courthouse in Franklinton on Monday after pleading not guilty to malfeasance in office, public intimidation and theft between $5,000

Obituaries

Helen Hebert Badeaux Loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother,sister, and aunt passed away at Ella Springs Senior Living Community in Houston, Texas on Friday, November 28, 2025. She was 78 years old and anativeofArnaudville. As a youngadult, she studied cosmetology and owned her own shop. After marrying the love of her life, she focused on family. She always stood up for what she believed was right and cared for the community She took great pride in volunteering at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for many years. But her number one priority was family and being there for them. "Call Aunt Helen, she ll take care of it." She loved totravel and visit family. She loved to dance, and we know she is dancing in heaven with our daddy. She is survived by her daughters, Saundra and David Kratzer, Tonia and Brad Umberger; her grandson, Chris and Rachel Badeaux; great grandchildren, Elora, Kevin, and IlyenaBadeaux; and numerous nieces, nephews,and cousins. She was preceded in death by her spouse Charles ABadeaux; parents, Claude and Eula Hebert; brothers, Charles and Marlene Hebert, Dewey and Helen Hebert andPaul and Faye Hebert. Pallbearers are Chris Badeaux, DavidKratzer, Brad Umberger, Tony Knott, Terry Canezaro, and Paul Bergeron. Avisitation will be held at Niland's Funeral Home in Livonia,la on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm and will resume on Wednesday at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church from 9:00 am until the Mass of Christian burial at 11:00 am. The burial will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.

James Edward

James "Jim" Edward Duncan, age 85 of Denham Springs passed away on November 28, 2025 at Our Lady of the Lake, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was born to the late James Monroe and Gladys Marie Spann Duncan on May 31, 1940 in LittleRock, Arkansas. Jim was preceded in death by his daughter Elizabeth Ann Duncan Weathers. Brother,Roy Monroe Duncan, sister Lois Ann Duncan Henderson.Jim served his country with the United States Army during the Viet Nam conflict. Upon his retirement from the military,he joined the Louisiana State Police and following retirement from the State Police, he again servedthe safety of ourcountry as aFederal Hazardous Materials Inspector for the Federal Railroad. He was adedicatedmember of Masonic Lodge #297, Denham Springs, with over 50 years of service. He was amemberofMysticStar #108, Order of the Eastern Star and St. Albans #80. Board member of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, Order of the Amaranth. Jim was privileged

to serve as Worshipful Master, Grand Royal Patron of the Orderofthe Amaranth and as Worthy Grand Patron for theOrder of the EasternStarfor the State of Louisiana. Jim's favorite Bible verseisJohn 3:16. He methis Lord and Savior at an early ageand was baptized at Welch StreetBaptist Church in Little Rock,Arkansas. Jim is survived by hiswifeand best friend of 64 years, Judith Ann Chandler Duncan of Denham Springs. Hisson Raymond Edward Duncan of Denham Springs, grandchildren, Chris(Tia) Weathers, AshleyIngram, great grandchildren, Alonna Ingram, Wyatt Ingram, AnthonyWeathersand Elizabeth Weathers all of Denham Springs.Brothers, Jackie (Donna) Duncan of Sherwood, Arkansas and Glen(Jennie)DuncanofLittle Rock, Arkansas, sisters Delta (Melvin) Yandellof Danville,Arkansas,Teresa Pace and Linda Duncanof Little Rock,Arkansas. Sonin-law, Howard "Bo" Weathers of St. Francisville, Louisiana.Many extended family members and friends thatJim counted as 'family". The family wishestothankPinnacle Hospice, Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, his doctors and the nursingstaff for the excellentcarethatwas provided during Jim'sbattle with leukemia. Avisitation willbeheldfrom10:00 AM to 12:00PMon2025-1204 at SealeFuneral Home, 1720S.Range Ave.

Afuneral servicewill be held from 12:00PMto1:00 PM on 2025-12-04atSeale Funeral Home, 1720S Range Ave

OnNovember29, 2025, a Christian soldier, Husband, Dad, Pawpaw, Great Pawpaw and Brother went to be with Jesussurrounded by his family. TommyEnsminger met the worldeach morning and accepted the challengetoovercome. Dad lovedmymom. She was the onlyperson he completely trustedtotake careofhim. His children, seven grandsonsand two great grandchildrenwitnessed atrue Godlymarriage.Thatmarriage of 60 years is atestimony within itself Dadwas preceded in death by his best friend and brotherCarey exactly one year to the day. They wereinseparable in life and now eternally. Dad was proudtohaveserved hiscountry in Vietnam, his garden, hunting, and LSU sports, but family was his greatest legacy.

Dadwas precededin death by his parents, Bobe andDaisy Ensminger; brothers,Bobe "Sonny"Ensmingerand Carey Ensminger

He is survivedbyhis wifeof60years, Cheryl Ann Ensminger; daughter, TammyBoudreaux and husband, Gerald; son Tom Ensminger, Jr and wife, Michelle. He hadseven grandsons,Matthew, Cody, Dylan,Wyatt, Jacob Hunter and Brody. He also had two great grandchildren, Violet and Clyde. Relatives and friends are invitedtojoin the family at IndianMound Baptist Church, 16755 Liberty Road, GreenwellSprings, Louisiana on Wednesday, December3,2025witha visitation starting at 9:00 AM until the funeralserviceat12:00PM. Graveside service with military honorswillbeheldat Louisiana National Cemetery

ShirleyWilsonVickers Hall died on November 27, 2025 at theage of 89. She was born February 10, 1936 in Brookhaven,MS, but was alifelong resident of Baton Rouge where she graduated fromIstrouma High School and Baton Rouge TradeSchool.She retired fromLouisiana Farm Bureau Federation after25years of service. She leaves behind her husband David A. Hall,her brother and sister-in-law, William and Sherry Wilson of Denham Springs, two sisters-in -law, Linda and Spencer Farmer and BrendaRohner and numerous nephews and nieces, great-nephews and nieces, and greatgreatnephews and nieces. She was precededindeath by her first husband Alvin Floyd "Vick" Vickers; her parents BufordThomas Wilsonand DorothyMargaretLoyd, twobrothers Robert "Bobby" Wilson and James "Larry" Wilson Shirleywas amember JeffersonBaptist Church where she was amember of the Fellowship Sunday School Class. Visitation willbeatthe Greenoaks Funeral home from4:00 to 8:00 Tuesday December 2, 2025, and continue from 9:00 to 11:00 December 3 with services to follow at 11:00 December 3conductedbyDr. David Goza. Interment willbeinThe Greenoaks MemorialPark Nephews and greatnephews willserveaspallbearers: Trey and Drew Argrave, Kevin Cotten and Austin Napoli and Brent and Brennan LeBlanc.

Kaufman, Leahnea Leahnea (Pat)Kaufman at theage of 94 was called home to be withher Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Sunday November 30, 2025. Born in MS, along-time resident of Walker, LA.Preceded in death by her parents, Williamand Ethel Patrick, her husband,Elkin Kaufman, threeofher grandchildren,Heather Trahan, Jason Trahan, TimothyKaufman. She is survivedbyher son, Eric Kaufman (Mary), daughter Linda Butler (Brad), son Michael Kaufman, grandchildrenKelly Bartley, Kevin Trahan Jr., Alex and Toby Kaufman, Joe Hawkey, Laci Farkas, Erica Kaufman, Brock Kaufman, and twelve greatgrandchildren. "The Lord gave and theLordhathtaken away. Blessed be thename of theLord" Job 1:21 A memorial servicewillbe held at 11:00 AM on 2025-12 -04 at First BaptistChurch of Algiers, 9559 Florida Blvd. Walker, LA

McGeheeIII,Charles G. AnativeofBaton Rouge and resident of Lettsworth, he passed away on Friday, November 28, 2025 at 5:55

vivedbyhis wife of 10 years, CharlotteCenac McGehee; sons, Charles G. McGeheeIVand wife Emily,Justin Cenac; daughter, Patsy Carter; grandchildren,Ben McGehee, Kyler Austin, Kenley and Chandler McGehee. He is preceded in deathbyhis parents, Charles G. McGehee Jr. and Celina Argrave McGehee, brother, Donald McGehee.A visitation will be held at Niland'sFuneral Home in NewRoads on Thursday,December 4, 2025 from5 pm until 7pm, followedbycremation.

Janice Kahler Parrino, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother, passed away peacefully at her home in DenhamSprings on November 29, 2025. She was anativeofChadwick, Illinois, and aresident of DenhamSprings. She was aretired supervisorfor the LouisianaDepartment of Revenue.Janice honorably servedher country as a member of theWomen's Army Corps during theKoreanWar from1954-1956. She tookgreat pride in being part of theLouisiana Women's Veterans, and one of the highlightsofher lateryears was participatinginthe 2018 HonorFlight to Washington, D.C.Janice lovedtotravel, cook and sew. Janice was amember of ImmaculateConception ChurchinDenhamSprings and enjoyed helpingwith theSt. JosephAltar each year. Visitationwillbeheld at Resthaven Funeral Home,11817 Jefferson Hwy. Baton Rouge, LA 70816 on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Visitation willcontinue at Resthaven Funeral Home on Thursday,December 4, 2025, from9:00 a.m. until Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m. officiated by Father Matthew Graham. Interment will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory. Janice is survivedbyher sons, Anthony (Karen) Parrino and Nick (Leslie) Parrino III. Janice was alovinggrandmother to Danielle(Giovanni) Estrada, PatrickParrino, Angela(Micah) Thibodeaux,Kelley (Chase) Samford, Stephen (Vonda) Parrino, Alison(Patrick) McCowan, NicholasParrino IV, Adrianna (Kevin) Bowen, and Christine Leblanc. She was aproud great-grandmother to Maggie (Austin), Jonah, Kelsey (Daniel), Emma, Mary Elizabeth,Levi,Isaiah, Sophie,Sarah, Serena, Caroline, John-Patrick, Haylea (Rian), Mackenzie (Chandler), Deuce,Landyn, Leland, Elizabeth,Jesse, Nathan, Noah, Nathalie, John-Byron and Emilia Kate.She was also blessed with great-great-grandchildren: Noah, Ezra, Grace, Charleigh, Camille, and Kahler. She is survivedbyabrother, Merlyn, and sisters, Lois,Mavis, and Diana, alongwithnumerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in deathbyher loving husband of 55 years

Nicholas Jr.; herparents, Rufusand Clara Kahler; andher son, Stephen. "I havefought thegoodfight, Ihave finished the race, I havekeptthe faith." —2 Timothy4:7. In lieu of flowers, thefamilyrequests memorial donationsbemade to St.Jude Children'sResearch Hospital or acharity of your choice

PoirrierJr., Victor Joseph

Alifelong resident of Prairieville, Louisiana, Victor Joseph Poirrier, Jr passedaway on November 28, 2025. He wasbornon February 26, 1939, to Stella JumonvillePoirrierand Victor Poirrier.

Vicproudly served in theU.S. MarineCorps and wasa dedicated50-year Freemason withthe New RiverGrandLodge.HeretiredasanInstrument Technician from theMotiva Refinery in Convent, Louisiana. Vichad apassion for planningfamily vacations, camping,woodworking,crossword puzzles,and repairinganythingthatfamilyorfriends broughthis way. Vicwas preceded in death by hisparents; brothers, Murray, John Ray, andHermanPoirrier; sister,Mary Kling; son-inlaw,Richard; andgreatgrandson, Brody Bullion He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Betty Daigle Poirrier; daughters, Becky Bullion andVicki Pellette(Jerry); sons, Brett Poirrier (Maria) andKennethPoirrier (Brandi); 12 grandchildren and11great-grandchildren Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at ResthavenFuneralHome, 11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge,LA 70816. Aservice will follow in theResthaven Chapel, with Military Honors and burialinthe Garden of Honor section Friends and familymay sign theonline guestbook at www.resthavenbatonro uge.com.

Grandmother, she leaves to cherish hermemory to herthree children, Deirdre Cucinello,Michelle Ford (Jerry) andDewey Joseph Robert,III,Grandchildren CathySaidous (Steve), AllenCucinello(Amy), Jonathan Cucinello(Alys) JerryFord, Angela Ford, Matthew Ford (Lenka), Great Grandchildren Aimee Robert (Jonathan Reulet), Katie Marie Robert (Stephen Lampert), Joseph Robert (Lindsey), Maria Hebrock(Stephen), TimothyUpton, Great GrandchildrenAlexis Ford, Tristan Ford, Patrik Ford, Betsi Dilts, ParkerReulet, Elijah Hebrock, Aiden Cucinello, Sophia Cucinello,and Sonny Cucinello. Patsy was preceded in death by herhusband DeweyJ,Robert, Jr parents Henry andMarie Phillips Meliet,siblings HenryMeliet,Delores Meliet,Elizabeth Roussell, Robert Meliet,Marguerite Zimmer and son in law, AllenCucinello, Sr daughterinlaw,Cindy Robert Sheissurvivedbyher sister Jean Meliet Hess. Sheissurvivedbyher many nieces andnephews, whocherish their memories with AuntPatsy. Herdevotion to the Catholic Christian faith andtothe Blessed Mother wasevidencedbynumeroustrips made to Medjugorje andthe stories she told thefamilyofso many miracles of conversion she witnessed. Patsy was atrailblazerinthe business worldduringthe 1960 -1990's, achievingaccolades wherefew women were recognized for their ability to make top sales exceeding businessgoals. Shehad confidenceand drive that shecould do whatever sheset hermind to do,and she didit. Hergenerosity and presence of always giving of herselftoall who needed anythingwas witnessed by anyone who knew herand herkindness. Shealways hadthe brightestgenuine loving smilefromher heart. Serviceswill be held on December 3, 2025 at St.Angela Merici Church,901 Beverly Garden Dr., Metairie, LA beginningat11:00 a.m. visitation,Christian Catholic Mass beginningatNoon. Therewill be acelebration of Life in honorofPatsy's love filledjourney at 1:30 p.m.,atNew Orleans CountryClub, 5024 Pontchartrain Blvd New Orleans, Louisiana

Hall, Shirley Wilson Vickers

Parrino, JaniceKahler

Badeaux, HelenHebert

Ensminger, Thomas 'Tommy'

Duncan,

'Jim'

McGehee III,Charles G.

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

DOTD must find aroute to lasting change

High on the list of priorities for Gov.Jeff Landry’s administration when it took officein 2024 was improving the state’sinfrastructure especially the condition of itsroadsand bridges Almost two years into his term, we aregetting someindication of how it’s going.

In November,the state chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers releasedgrades for Louisiana’sinfrastructure, givingthe state aC-overall. That’supslightly from the D+ the state received in the prior report released in 2017, butstill below the national averageofa C. The report lookednot only at roads and bridges, but also at sewerage and water systems, airports, dams, levees and other coastalprotection work.

It found that Louisiana is not keeping pace with its infrastructure needs due to avariety of factors, including extremeweather and alack of resources. There is much to raise concern as we look more closelyatamajor area of frustrationfor millions of Louisianadrivers daily:our roads and bridges. The report covers such alarge period that includes most ofthe termofGov.John Bel Edwards, so we know not allofits findings reflectactions by the currentadministration. The report gave our roadsa Dand ourbridges aD+. In other words, no change fromthe last report. That means despite ahuge influx of cash from the federalgovernment during theBiden administration, Louisianahas not moved the needle on road improvements.

We were optimistic aboutthe plan passed by the Legislature earlierthis yearatLandry’s urging to overhaul the Department of Transportationand Development andeliminate red tape to speedmaintenance and repaironstate roadways.

But it’snot all been smoothsailing.Some bridge projects set to be completed by theend of next year have barely gotten off theground, and the huge backlog of maintenance projects still lingers.

We are pleasedtosee Landry willing to shift gears whenneeded. He replaced hisprevious pick for head of DOTD, JoeDonahue,and named former chief of the Coastal Protection andRestoration Authority,Glenn Ledet, to lead the agencyinJune. He appointed Eric Dauphine, adistrict administrator in Lafayette, to leadthe OfficeofProjectDelivery and Julia Fisher-Cormier,who helpedimplement his ports plan as head of the Office of Multimodal Transportation, to run the agency’s newOffice of Transformation.

Changes at the top, however needed,may not be enough though. The commontheme that has spanned administrationsisthat Louisiana simply doesn’tdevote enough resources to fixing and maintaining roads. It’s past time forthe state to look at ways to generatea sustainable revenue stream for much-needed projects whether that means considering toll roads or raising the sacrosanct gas tax.All realistic options need to be on the table. Short of that, we’re just spinning our wheels

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A

LSUisonthe verge of acrisis that will damage the university for many years. The crisis is not related toan underperforming football team. The crisis is the purposeful loss of standards that lowers thevalue of degrees earned by future graduates and worsensthe reputation of LSU.

Why this assertion? First and foremost, LSUisnow test-optional. ACT scores are not arequired component of the admission process. Students with lousy testscores are admitted “holistically” using apotpourri of high school grades, essays, etc. They are, statistically,the “less smart”students. Painfully,LSU assertsthat ACT scores at LSU are rising, but that’sdeceitful because they only count the students who want their scores added to the database. Overall, the incoming credentials of the student body are getting worse.

Andthe outcomeofthese inferior studentsbeing admitted? Iknow professors at LSU who care that an LSU degree meanssomething. Typically,

I’ve read quite afew letters lately about Bootstaters’ disgust withthe likes of Reps. Steve Scalise, Mike Johnson, Clay Higgins and Sen. Bill Cassidy,etc. Imust be frank and admit it’shard for me to muster any empathyfor the writers when these shills get elected timeand time again. News flash: Yougot exactly what you voted for Louisianaisdead last in qualityof-life standards for areason. Meanwhile, the current Republican majority owned the longest government shutdown in American history,while President Donald Trumpenjoyed a night of opulence and nostalgia as he celebrated Halloween at Mar-a-Lago by throwing alavish party complete with burlesque dancers and glamorous

these “gatekeepers” act as afilter, preventing people whodon’tdeserve adegree from marching forward. I’m told by these gatekeepers that inferior studentsput downward pressure on expectations. Unfortunately,there’s incentive to allow poor performers to pass. After all, graduation rates are a metric valued above quality LSUupper management seems proud that enrollment has grownand thestudent body is more diverse. But pressuretolower standards to accommodate lower-quality students will soon hurt thehard-earned good reputation of LSU. Once lost, it takes avery long time to recover.The endorsement Iused to give LSUasa great value is now less enthusiastic.

In conclusion, mandatory test scores must be reinstated if LSUistofollow apositive corrective course as asolid academic institution. Isuggest aminimum ACT of 24 for nonathletes.

KEVIN W. KELLY Baton Rouge

women dressed in Roaring ‘20s outfits. The 1920s narrative of “The Great Gatsby” was fitting forTrump’sliving portrayal of the Gilded Age. Perfectly adapted for the wealthiest president in history.Ofcourse, we all know what happened after the Roaring ‘20s: the economic upheaval of the Great Depression. Although thestock market seemstobeholding its own forthe moment, thereare several economic indicators flashing like blinking lights on awarning panel: rising unemploymentand negative job growth, inflation,elimination of social safety nets, tariffs,etc, etc. Nero fiddled while Romeburned, andyou will reap what you sow MARK WALOCK Walker

When will Trumpsupportersget whyNoKings matters?

‘Tis ashamethat all sometook away from theNoKings protest is that President Donald Trumpmust not be a king since no one was arrested. The protests don’texist to test Trump; thegoal is to mock him and remindhim that “no kings” are toler-

here. (Butifhehad ordered arrests, would that have bothered his supporters? Would that wake them up to his other abuses?)

Like manyinLouisiana, Iwas following with interest the shocking newscoming almost daily from the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. Brian Kelly’stenure as head football coach did not go as planned or as mostof us would have liked. Now he’sgone, along with the man whohired him Athletic Director Scott Woodward. These twomen were owed nearly $60 million in total as buyout payments. Someofussaw this coming. At the risk of sounding naive, I hope the members of the LSU Board of Supervisors have learned from this disaster as they fill vacancies in the athletic department. It goes without saying that the definition of excellence in higher education should include academic achievement. Ultimately,the people of Louisiana must demand morefrom their flagship university and its leaders. FOSTER CAMPBELL public service commissioner,north Louisiana

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.Power in itself is not bad. It is simply the ability to influence and/or control. It can be used forgood or evil. It is the abuse of power that is the problem

When power is used in illegitimate, unfair and immoral ways, it is dangerous and evil and should be resisted and held in check. The end never justifies the means, particularly if the meansare wrong and abusive. The less powerful are always the victimsofthe abuse of power.All it takes forevil to prevail in this world is forgood men and women to stand by and do nothing. Jesus wasmerciful and forgiving, but he always called asin asin. The abuse of power,whenever and wherever it occurs, is asin.

We should speak out, resist and stand up against the abuse of power in every form we can. How we do that is each individual’schoice, but we and society and the world have much at stake in the outcome.

DAVID SCHOEN Covington

In 1988,when PresidentRonaldReagan was asked by areporter during the summit in Moscow what his goalwas in the Cold War, he said: “Wewin,they lose.”

When it comes to today’s Russia and its unprovoked war with Ukraine, President Trump’sgoalatleast in practice and outcome appears to be “we lose, they win.”

The president originallygave Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thanksgiving Day to accept his “peace proposal” which read as if it could have been written by Vladimir Putin. In fact, according to news reports, it mayhave been. According to the NY Post, “Secretary of State MarcoRubio told U.S. senators recently that the sweeping peace plan to end the nearly four-yearwar betweenRussia andUkraine was not America’s—but merelya‘leaked’ Russian ‘wish list.”

Maybe so, but it seems to align with the one-sided pressure Trump hasput on Zelenskyy to settle the war since he took office. Trump said the proposalis not his “final offer.”

If the document is from the administration, it is capitulation to most of Putin’sdemands and is an invitationfor thedictator to continue pursuing his stated goal of retaking all of the former Soviet satellite countries, whichhave been free and independentsince theend of the Cold War.

According to adraft of the proposal shared publicly by amemberofthe Ukraine opposition party,the 28-point document would require Ukraine to surrender its Eastern Donbasregion,as well as Crimea, the latter of which no previous administration hasdemanded since Putin invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It also wouldrequire Ukraine to forego NATO membership, though it does loosely promise a“security” force, presumablytoprevent Putin from gobbling up more territory. If Zelinskyy bows to U.S.pressure and accepts adeal forced upon him, we might as well get the U.S.S. Missouri out

of mothballs and replicatethe signing of surrender documents by theJapanese, endingWorldWar II.

In astatement to CBS News, White Housepress secretary Karoline Leavitt said:“This plan was crafted to reflect the realities of thesituation, after five years ofa devastating war,tofind the best win-win scenario, where bothpartiesgainmorethan they must give.” Thatsoundslike an admissionthe document came from us.

Among the provisions in theproposed dealisthatRussia would be allowed to keepmuchofthe territoryitnow occupies andeven takeover land Ukraine currently holds, along withregions of Crimea,Donetsk and Luhansk. These would be recognized by theU.S. as de facto Russia territory.Any betsonhow long it would take Putin to swallow whole these regions intogreater Russia?

The plan creates aneutral “buffer zone”with no Russian forces allowed. Again, placeyour bets on how long that will last.

Zelenskyy will be required to cap the size of hismilitary (thereisnosimilar requirement for Russia) and promise notto become aNATOmember,but

it can join theEuropean Union. Does anyone expect the EU to mount asignificant resistance should Putin choose to violate theagreement and especially if he invades other countries as he has promised to do to restore the old Soviet satellite countries?Itmay be theonly promise he has ever kept There is so much potential for Russia to violate theproposedagreement and so little effective response outlinedif it does. These include more sanctions, which so far have not worked. Putin has always had agoal in the war he started, but theU.S. and Europe have vacillated about ours. This proposed peace deal will only encourage vile dictators like Putin. President Trump likes to sayhewants to end wars. This agreement will only encourage Putin’s voracious appetite to startnew ones as well as eventually finishthe one against Ukraine. Afew days ago, the U.S. and Ukraine reportedly agreed to change the draft of the peace plan, but thekey is whether Putin will agree to anything that won’t give him everything he wants. Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.

The centralscandalinthe Epstein’ssex abuse ring targeting children is not the sex. It’sthe children.

Whatpowerful men do with grown-up women —thatis, females 18 or older —bothers me little

Inever cared much about Donald Trump’s assignationwith porn star Stormy Daniels. OtherTrump criticstried to pile on another layerofimmorality by noting that Trump was cheating on awife who hadjust givenbirth. I wouldn’tgothere.

Some years ago,during adinner party,our smoke detector started beeping while we were broiling steaks. Idashed into the hallway and poked at the detector with abroom, which paused,as if surprised, then resumed wailing. My husband came outofthe kitchenand had ago. Hismore muscular attention boughtus perhaps 30 seconds of relief, but themachine recovered andmore aggressively assaulted our ears. Eventually, we pulled the cursed thing out of itsframe andripped the batteries out.

That’swhen one of our guestssaid, “Guys, that’s really alot of smoke.” It sure was, because as it turned out, ourbathroom was on fire (thanks to a candle). Life is full of thesemessy signals Prices are asignal.They tell us how much people want stuff, how much that stuff costs to produce andhow much of it we have available. Standardized test scores are signs, telling uswhether kids have mastered certain skills. Those warnings are, like my smoke alarm, highlyimperfect. (We’vehad many alerts and exactly onefire.) But they contain vital information,and we ignore them at our peril Unfortunately,because these signals are messy,weare often temptedto ignore them, especially when theinformation they contain is bad news, like “your bathroom is on fire,” or “your schools are failing to close persistent racial and income gaps,” or “regulations have made it too hard to build newhousing.” Ideally you’dextinguish thefire or fix your failing schools or amend the regulations before theproblem worsens. But solvingproblems is hard, and in politics, it often involves taking on well-organized constituencies that willwaveaway thesmoke and insist that everything is justfine. So institutions oftenchoose to disregard the underlying issues and simply whack the alarm with ahammer untilitstops beeping. There has been alot of that goingon recently,most notablyineducation.

Instead of rectifying disparities in preparation and achievement, people decided itwould be simpler to adjust the measurements. Parents opposed to standardized testing got their kids disability diagnoses that allowed them extratime on testsand lobbied teachers to change badgrades. Exhausted teachers responded with grade inflation, which also helped conceal that low-income and minority kids weren’tdoing as well as their richer and White peers. Progressive educators watered down curriculums, gutted gifted and talented programs, and weakened admissions standards for honors classes and magnet schools. Colleges droppedstandardized testing requirements, in part because that madeiteasier to diversify their student body.None of these things happened everywhere, but they happened in many places, and all of them made it harder to see —orrectify —pandemicera learning loss. The results of this thinking can be seen in arecent report from the University of California at San Diego, which like the rest of theUCsystem stopped acceptingstandardized testscoresin 2020.In 2024,the school had to redesign its remedial mathprogramtocreate aclass that focused entirely on remediating elementary school and middle school math. In 2025, more than 8% of enteringstudentsneeded that class. These are college students who chose to enroll in amajor with amath requirement yet struggle to round numbers to the nearest hundred, add or dividefractions, or work with negative numbers. Most astonishingly,in2024, the majorityofkidswho needed arefresher on the most basic skills had taken at least onehigher-level high school math course,such as calculus or statistics, andhad an average grade-point averageintheir mathclasses of 3.65. More than one-quarter of them had straight A’sinasubject they demonstrably didn’tunderstand. Andthis problem is

not limited toUCSan Diego or California. I’ve heard professors at many institutions, including Harvard, express concerns about the number of unprepared studentsthey were seeing after admissions offices stopped demanding testscores. That’swhat happens when you silence the alarm instead of responding to it: The fire burns out of control. It should be awarning to thegrowing number of politicians who think they can fix other problems —like soaring rentsorrising electricity costs —by simply freezing prices. The prices are tellingusthat there’stoo little supply to meet demand, or that something (such as renewables mandates or too few natural gas pipelines) is driving up supply costs. Freezing prices doesn’t fix that any more than acourtesy A gives studentswhat they actually need to succeed in college.

It does theopposite, because it makes it less profitable to build housing units, transmission lines or generating capacity.You can claim you’re going to pair supply-side reformswith price controls (claims we’ve heard from Zohran Mamdani, New York’smayor-elect, and Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’snext governor). Butthe reason those reforms haven’thappened is that they require politicians to takeonpowerful groups such as homeowners or environmental activists opposed to new natural gas pipelines.

Aprice freeze doesn’tmake those fightsany easier towin. It temporarily relieves thepolitical pressuretoactually do something about rising prices, while creating problems down the road. Addressing educational disparities through grade inflation, or managing asupply shortage by freezing prices, is like trying to cure your lung cancer by smoking more. It undoubtedly feels better in the moment than the drastic therapy that’sactually needed. Butinthe long run, it can only make thingsworse.

MeganMcArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo.

Thatwas between Melania and Donald. One assumes that the third Mrs. Trump knewwhat she was getting into. Idoubt I’m going on alimb to assume that what attracted Melania to Donaldwas nothis winning personality.She made her deal, as was herright.

Trump hasjust given into the inevitable. Whenitbecame clearthat the House would vote to releasethe Epstein files, and the Senate would follow,heran to the front of the parade Trump is undoubtedly plotting ways to keep informationhedoesn’twantdisclosed outof the public eye.

His reluctance to release files on apedophile ring in which his name appearsrepeatedly is understandable

As the late Sen. DanielPatrickMoynihanfamously complainedin1993, deviancehas been defineddownsothatbehavior that was once deemed intolerable is now accepted as normal. One of his examples of deviancy being defined downward was sexual exploitation. Howfar downward we’ve come.

WilliamJ.Bennett was aconservative moral-mouth of the 1990s.Hewentinto full fire-and-brimstone mode afterBill Clinton was caught having afling with aWhite House intern.

Bennett milked the moment with abook grandly titled“The DeathofOutrage:Bill Clintonand the Assault on American Ideals.” (On aroll, he followed with his pious “The Book of Virtues.”) About adultery,Bennett wrote, “One reason societyneedstouphold high public standards in this realmisbecause sex —when engaged in capriciously,without restraint, and against those in positions of relative weakness —can be exploitative andharmful.”

Come 2016, Trump is running for president, andhis adulterous escapades were public.A 1990 tabloid headline attributed to Trump’s mistress Marla Maples(while Trump was married to Ivana Trump) went, “Best Sex I’ve EverHad.” Without ablush, Bennett argued that conservativeswho refused to back Trump “suffer from aterrible caseofmoral superiority and put their ownvanity and taste above the interestofthe country.”

Clinton’stryst with MonicaLewinsky was vulgarand inappropriate, but she wasnot a child. Monicawas a22-year-old college grad, andconsent was mutual.

Whathappened on Epstein’sisland was not technically adultery —sexualrelations between at leastone married personand another adult. Whenone is aminor,the legal term is statutory rape

Some of Trump’sfiercest defenders are now attempting to downplayEpstein’scrimes, thus diving belowthe second circle of hell that Dante reserved formere philanderers.

Megyn Kelly tried to sanitize Epstein’sdisgrace by saying on her show,“He was into the barely legaltype.Like,heliked15-year-old girls.” She goes on:“And Irealize this is disgusting. I’m definitely not trying to make an excuse for this. I’m just giving youfacts, that he wasn’tinto,like,8-year-olds.”

To which we can add5-year-olds. Epstein was notinto 5-year-olds, and that’safact,we think.

However,one of the girls, Jena-Lisa Jones, was 14 andstill in juniorhigh.

The American public, including alarge chunk of MAGA, deserves credit forfinally drawing amoral line that they wouldn’tlet even Trump cross. The story’snot over until the Justice Department releases allthe files, victim names redacted.We’re waiting.

Froma HarropisonX,@FromaHarrop. Email heratfharrop@gmail.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KATERyNA KLOCHKO

Aman walksinfront of burning residential building after aRussian attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, last week.

Froma Harrop

Cal Thomas

ega McArdle M n

Baton Rouge Weather

Southern believes Faulka programchanger

Jaguarsintroduce school’s 22nd football head coach

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Aeneas Williams shared atext conversationhehad with hisformer NFL teammate Marshall Faulk.

“Heybro,I’ll be at thepress conference. Thanks for accepting your next assignment,” texted Williams, aformer Southern standout and 14-year NFL defensiveback

Faulk, aPro Football Hall of Famer,responded by texting: “It’s acalling. Now Iget to blesssome young men and do what all the people who influencedme(did) by teaching and giving them what they need to be successful on and off the field.” Avery Johnson was also in attendance to support his friend’snew

opportunity.The former Southern basketball great whoalso played and coached in theNBA joked that he never hadflown to Baton Rouge forafootball news conference. He cametosee thestart of Faulk’s leadership at Southern that he believes will lead to tremendous success.

Faulk, aNew Orleans native who becamea legendaryrunning back in the NFL, walkedintohis introductory newsconference Monday as Southern’s 22nd coach to the soundsofthe Human Jukebox, thelove of his friends andfamily, andastanding ovation from many members of the school’scommunity

“For me to have my first head coachingjob in this state that gave me everything andprovidedeverything for me, as Isentthatmessage to Aeneas, it means the world to me to be here,” Faulk said. “I cannot haveitbeany other way.”

Twodays after Southern (2-10, 1-7SWAC) beat Grambling 28-27 in the52ndannual Bayou Classic,

theFaulk era launched.

Southern athletic director RomanBanks said thehiring process involvedseveral closed-doormeetings withthe university’sboard of supervisors. Apart of those conversations was centered on how thedecidingfactorsofchoosing the next football coach aren’tthe sameasthey werefive years ago.

“Our third-generation students arenot coming to The Bluff because of their uncles, their aunties or their grandparents (came) to play sportsanymore,”Banks said. “This thing has changed. It’sall aboutfacilitiesand allabout what you can give me in money.NIL So it’snot like it usedtobewhen Iwas 30 pounds lighter playing sports.”

Along with obtainingafootball mind thatcan lead Southern players to success on thefield, Banks said it’s important to have acoach whocan “open doorsinavariety of ways,” referencing meeting

ä See SOUTHERN, page 4C

and HeritageCenter

introductorynewsconference on MondayatTiger

As he wrestled withthe career decision of alifetime, Lane Kiffin dearly wished his father was there to help him choose his path.

Stay at Ole Miss,witha College Football Playoff-bound team in hand,or leave for aboundless but unknown future at LSU.

Monte Kiffin, one of the most respected defensive coaches in NFLhistory died in July 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi, where he had relocated in retirement to be close to his sons Lane and Chris, also on the Ole Miss staff. Without his dad, Lane did the nextbest thing he could think to do. He asked his two living mentors, former LSU andAlabama coach Nick Saban andLas Vegas Raiders and former USC coach PeteCarroll, for their advice.

Carroll once told MonteKiffin he

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

alwayswould look out for Lane in his career.More than anything, it seems it was Carroll’swords that cut through all of the emotion and indecision Lane faced in recent days.

“When we were talking, he really channeled (Monte) from knowing him for so long,” Kiffin said of Carroll. “He said, ‘This is exactly what (your dad) would do. He would tell you, ‘Boy,goget it. Go forit.’ ” So that’show it cametobethat Lane

Here is alist of wide receivers who have beentargeted at least eight times in agame while catching every pass this season, as New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele did in Sunday’s 2117 loss to the Miami Dolphins: •Dallas WR George Pickens (nine catches, 146 yards onNov.23 againstPhiladelphia) •Kansas CityWRRashee Rice (nine catches, 93 yards on Oct. 27 againstWashington) And nowVele makes it three. The Saints finally gotVeleinvolvedinthe offense, and it paid off. The27-year-old, whoNew

MonteKiffin was at apodium on arainy Monday afternoon before dozens of people and bristling cameras in Tiger Stadium’s SouthStadium Club, wearing apurple tie with an LSUpin on his lapel. Not at Ole Miss. Not anymore.

The decision to leave, as Kiffinsaid morethan once, was an excruciating one. Onethat drew jeersand anger —practically pitchforks and torches —from theOle Miss fans that until recently were cheering him, his innovativeoffense and the55wins he led the Rebels to over the past six years.

In theend, Kiffin felt compelled to takehis shot. To takeajob that, no provincialism involved, is one of the very best in America. He mentioned being on the visitor’s

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

It didn’ttakelong—threequestions, to be exact —before Lane Kiffinwas askedabout therolehis mentors, including NickSaban,playedinhis decision to come to LSU.

Kiffin, whowas hired as the 34th head coachofLSU on Sunday, stood at the podium at his introductory news conference less than 24 hours later and talked about how“torn”he was to leave Ole Miss, as it wasonthe verge of making the College Football Playoff. He relayedwhatLas VegasRaiders coach and former Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll told him: That Kiffin’slate father Monte would tell him he should take the LSU job.

“He would tell you,”Kiffin said. “ ‘Boy,goget it. Go for it.’

Butwhatdid Saban —the national championship winning coach at LSU andsix-time nationaltitle winneratAlabama—say to him about the LSU job?

“Coach Saban kind of coached at another place in this conference, so Ican’t really say exactly what he said,” Kiffin quipped.“ButI’llsay Ithink theworld of coach Saban, and Irespect him. So there’sareason I’mhere.”

Roughly six weeks after deciding to fire Brian Kelly,LSU finally found its man. Butthe journey LSUtook to get to Mondaywith Kiffin on the podium —sportinga purple suit andtie with awhiteand purple checkered buttondownshirt with an LSU pin on his chest —was anything but straightforward.

Threedaysafter Kelly’sfiring, Gov Jeff Landry stated he’d rather have Donald Trump hire LSU’snextcoach thanathleticdirector ScottWoodward. Woodward then parted wayswith the programthe next day. The next week, LSU appointed Wade Rousse as the new university president and promoted Verge Ausberry to the full-time athletic director position. Thenthe search beganfor anew coach, aprocess that was helped along

Orleansacquired in Augustfrom the Denver Broncos, finished with astatline of eight catches for 93 yards andone touchdown —a score thatgave the Saints achance to tie the game lateinthe fourth quarter Vele even recovered the ensuing onside kick, making avaluable special-teams contributioninaddition to his impact on the offense. What took so long? “Obviously, hisrolehas increased as we’ve made afew transactions,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. Those transactions included trading Rashid Shaheedand then releasing BrandinCooks, freeing up Vele to take over as the starting “Z”receiver and not worrying about having to subinand out. In themonth sincetheir departures, Vele leadsthe Saints’ skill players in snaps.Against the Dolphins, those snaps were rewarded with production.

The performance was the first time the Saints’ description of Vele matched the on-field product. When New Orleans gave up a2026 fourthround pick and 2027 seventh-round pick,Moore said theSaintswere getting abig-bodied receiver who could make contested catches and help in the red zone.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU president Wade Rousse,left, and athleticdirector VergeAusberry,right, pose with newfootball coachLane Kiffinafter an

Stadium.

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

NewSouthernfootballcoachMarshall Faulk answers questions fromthe media at an introductorynewsconferenceheldMondayatthe Leon R. Tarver II Cultural

Texas leaps to No. 2 spot

AP TOP 25

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

Texas moved up to No. 2 behind UConn in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after beating two top teams in a Thanksgiving tournament. The Longhorns topped then-No. 2 South Carolina 66-64 a day after beating then-No. 3 UCLA 76-65 in Las Vegas. It was the first time in the past 25 years that a team has beaten two top three teams in such a short time frame.

Texas received 10 first-place votes from a 32-member national media panel. No. 1 UConn garnered the other 22. The Huskies routed Xavier 104-39 to open Big East play South Carolina fell to third and UCLA was fourth.

LSU remained fifth. The Tigers, who haven’t played a ranked opponent yet, have scored over 100 points in each of their first eight games to set an NCAA record. They broke the mark of six in a row set by the 1981-82 Louisiana Tech team that LSU coach Kim Mulkey played on. Michigan, Maryland, TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones got a school-record 47-point effort from star post player Audi Crooks to beat Indiana on Sunday

In and out

Ohio State debuted in this year’s poll at No. 23 after edging West Virginia last week 83-81. The Buckeyes followed that up with a 98-point win over Niagara, the most points scored in school history and the biggest margin of vic-

tory ever for the Buckeyes. N.C. State fell out of the poll. Conference supremacy

The Big Ten matched the Southeastern Conference this week with eight teams ranked after Ohio State entered the Top 25 The Big 12 is next with five and the Atlantic Coast Conference has three. The Big East has one Games of the week

It’s ACC-SEC challenge week with a host of quality matchups between the two power conferences. On Thursday, No. 22 Louisville hosts No. 3 South Carolina; No 11 North Carolina visits No. 2 Texas; and No. 13 Ole Miss plays No. 18 Notre Dame

Michigan State, Iowa State men climb into top 10

BY JOHN MARSHALL

Michigan jumped to No 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll on Monday as rival Michigan State and Iowa State both climbed into the top 10 No. 1 Purdue and No. 2 Arizona remained atop the rankings. The Boilermakers received 40 firstplace votes from a 61-person media panel, Arizona got six and Michigan got 15 after its dominating run through the Players Era Championship. Duke and UConn held their positions from last week to round out the top five. Louisville remained No. 6, followed by Michigan State, which moved up four spots, and No. 8 Houston, which dropped five places after losing to then-No 17 Tennessee at the Players Era

Michigan made a run to the Sweet 16 in coach Dusty May’s first season a year ago and is looking like a title contender. The Wolverines opened the Las Vegas tournament with a 94-54 win over San Diego State, crushed thenNo. 21 Auburn 102-72 and handed Gonzaga coach Mark Few his worst loss in 902 career games with a 101-61 win over the 12thranked Zags.

That’s three wins by a combined 110 points and four straight wins by at least 20 points, the last two over ranked teams.

“Today was to put the world on notice that we’re here to be the best team in the nation and we’ll continue to do that,” Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg said after the win over Gonzaga

Rising No. 17 Vanderbilt had the biggest jump of the week, moving up seven spots after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis title in the Bahamas No. 10 Iowa State climbed five places after winning three games at the Players Era championship.

No. 7 Michigan State moved up four places following lopsided wins over East Carolina and No. 16 North Carolina in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. No. 13 Tennessee also

Michigan State center Coen Carr dunks the ball against East Carolina during a game Nov. 25

Fla.

gained four spots after beating Houston and losing to Kansas, which moved back into the poll at No. 21

Falling No 23 St. John’s had the biggest drop among teams still in the poll, losing nine places after wrapping losses to Iowa State and Auburn around a win over Baylor at the Players Era Reigning national champion Florida fell five places to No. 15 after losing to TCU in the Rady Children’s Invitational. No. 12 Alabama dropped four places after losing to Gonzaga in its opener of the Players Era.

In and out No. 21 Kansas returned to the poll after dropping out last week with three wins at the Players Era

No. 24 Southern California is ranked for the first time since the 2023-24 season following three wins in three days to take the Maui Invitational title. UCLA fell out of the poll from No 18 after losing to California 80-72 in the Empire Classic championship game. North Carolina State dropped out of the poll from No 23 and didn’t receive a single vote following a 1-2 run through the Maui Invitational. Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference had the most teams in the AP Top 25 for the second straight week with seven. The Big 12 matched the Big Ten with six ranked teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference had three, the Big East had two and the West Coast Conference one.

Vikings waive WR Thielen in his final NFL season

MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Vikings are waiving veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen following a request by his representation for his release, the team announced Monday morning via a statement from General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Thielen was inactive for the Vikings’ 26-0 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday

Both Adofo-Mensah’s statement and one from Thielen indicate that the 35-year-old intends for this to be his final NFL season, though when each party knew that to be the case is unclear

“Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere,” AdofoMensah wrote in his statement.

Colts CB Gardner to miss ‘some time’ with calf injury

INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis Colts

coach Shane Steichen said Monday that starting cornerback Sauce Gardner is expected to miss “some time” after injuring his left calf during Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans but that Gardner avoided hurting his Achilles tendon. Steichen didn’t provide details on how much time the two-time AllPro might miss but said he believed Gardner would return this season and that he’s not expected to go on injured reserve. Gardner was hurt on the Texans’ second offensive play of the game while in coverage, but he did not appear to get hit when he went down. Gardner later returned to the sideline and watched the rest of the game in street clothes and a walking boot.

Browns’ Collins will miss rest of season after injury

CLEVELAND Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins will be lost for the rest of the season after suffering a quad injury in Sunday’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement Monday that Collins will have to undergo seasonending surgery The 10-year veteran defensive lineman suffered the non-contact injury during the third quarter Collins is also a key reason why All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett needs four sacks to break the NFL’s single-season record of 22 ½

“When you lose a guy like Maliek, you don’t replace him. He’s made a big impact on this football team on the field and off.”

WNBA and players union extend CBA deadline

NEWYORK The WNBA and players union agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement to Jan 9 just before their current deadline ran out Sunday night. Just like the previous extension, both sides have the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours advanced notice. Under the league’s latest proposal, in 2026, the max salary would be a guaranteed $1 million base, with projected revenue sharing pushing total earnings for max

ary 2020.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy Texas guard Rori Harmon, left, holds her MVP trophy as she and teammates celebrate their win over South Carolina in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas on Thursday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SCOTT AUDETTE

in Ft. Myers,

WELCOME TO BATON ROUGE, CoachKiffin!

Anew era begins at LSU,and Baton Rougeisready.

As CoachKiffintakes thefield, FMOL Health |Our Lady of theLake is proud tosupportLSU athletesand our state as Championship Health Partners— keeping athleteshealthy, teams strong and the focus on performance where it matters most.

When Baton Rouge calls, Champions answer.Together we roar!

LEARNMORE

WhyOhioState replaces IndianaasmyNo. 1

There was alot of movement within the top 25 of my latest AP poll after acrazy rivalryweekend acrossthe country

Let’sdive into all of theaction

My latest AP Top25poll

1. Ohio State, 2. Indiana, 3. Georgia, 4. Texas A&M, 5. TexasTech, 6. Oklahoma, 7. Alabama, 8. Ole Miss, 9. Oregon, 10. Notre Dame, 11. Texas, 12. BYU, 13. Miami, 14. Vanderbilt, 15. Utah, 16. Southern Cal, 17. Michigan, 18. Arizona, 19. Missouri, 20. Tennessee, 21. Iowa, 22. Houston, 23. SMU, 24. Louisville, 25. Iowa State

Just missed: TCU, Pittsburgh Georgia Tech, Virginia

Anew No.1

Indiana and Ohio State’sresumes are basicallyidentical following the Buckeyes’dominant road win overMichigan last weekend. The Hoosiers own the better win between thetwo sides, having taken down Oregon, but Ohio State’svictoriesovera surging Texas and Michigan have boosted its resume. In the end, Ilanded on theBuckeyes because no team in the country has passed the eye test more clearly this season. Theylikely have the best defense in the nation and an offense that can beat you in any way

What to do with Texas

After taking down Texas A&M, Texas became the first team to earn three top-10 winsina season since LSU in 2019. Earningmultiplevictories of that stature would

Koki Riley

seemingly make the Longhorns a shoo-in for the top 10 of my rankings, but Icouldn’t quitepull the trigger on placing them ahead of Notre Dame.

It’strue, Texasholds thebetter wins. Beating Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt is far more impressive than the Irish’s top victories over SouthernCal, Pittsburgh andNavy.But thelows of Texas’ season are much worse, having lost to Florida and nearly losing to Kentuckyand Mississippi State.NotreDame has losses to Texas A&M andMiami but has otherwise been pretty dominant.

Ifind bothresumes, therefore, to be pretty much thesame, so ultimately Iwentwith Notre Dame first because ofits improving defenseand its offense, which has beenmuch moreconsistent than Texas’ this year

Oregon,Vanderbilt, Miami rise Oregon’s nicewin over Washington on the road was enough to nudge it past NotreDame in my rankings. BothOregon’sand Notre Dame’sbest wins came over USC, butthe Ducks’ resume, besides that victory, is stronger with wins over Iowa and now the Huskies.

Vanderbilt’sdominant showing

at Tennessee gave theCommodores their best victory of the year.With two ranked wins,Ishot them over Utah and USC. Utah has dominated lesser competition for the most part but lacks a ranked win. USC has avery similar resume, having beaten Michigan and Iowa, but theTrojans hold that extra loss to Illinois, and theeye testsuggeststhey’ve been theshakier team compared to Vanderbilt

Miami’sdemolition of Pittsburgh was probably itssecondbest win of the year,only trailing its opening week victory over Notre Dame. The Hurricanes lack any other top wins, but their two losses aren’tbad, falling to SMU and Louisville, two teams in my

AP PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

Bearsrolling with conference lead

BY ANDREWSELIGMAN

Associated Press

BenJohnsonpulled off his shirt and flexed like abody builder as playersscreamedand chanted in the locker room after the ChicagoBears beat thedefending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

The viral celebration sure turned some heads. The coach’s young daughter even had something to say about it.

“My 2-year-old was watching the TV screen back at home. She’spointing at the screen, ‘No shirt, no shirt.’ My wife hadno ideawhat was going on,” Johnson said Monday.“That’sabout how it went. Ithink anytime youget a chance to feed the city, you want to do it. So, man of the people.” With his infectious energy and amounting pileofwins,Johnson is endearing himself to the people of Chicago in his first season as ahead coach. The Bears (9-3) not only lead the NFC North, they hold the top spot in the confer-

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with families of prospectiveplayers and engagingboosters. Banks didn’tshy away from stating that Faulk’snew ties to Southern already have produced benefits.

“Being able to generate dollars as he’sbeen able to do for mealready,y’all,” Banks said. “(I’ve) been able to go and get some phone calls that we’ve never been able to get to upgrade locker-room facilitiestomakesurewehaveproper nourishment for our studentathletes. So this hire is alsoabout aCEO that can help the athletic (department)take this whole pro-

ence. They’ve won five straight andnineof10, andthey’lltry to keepitgoingwhen they visit rival Green Bay (8-3-1) on Sunday in amatchup of the top two teams in the division A24-15 victory at Philadelphia on Friday came with abonus: free hot dogs.InOctober the Wiener’sCircle on Chicago’s North Sideoffered free hot dogs if Johnson took hisshirtoff following aBears win. Johnson decided Friday was the right time to do it,and thewell-known stand will be handing them out Tuesday. The Wiener’sCircle hada similargiveaway in September afterCaleb Williams threwfour touchdowns in aWeek 3win over Dallas.

“I figured the sooner the better because I’m notinthe weight room very much anymore so this thing keeps getting alittle bit worseaswego alonginthe season,” Johnson said.

There’snoshortage of excitement in Chicago. In the span of ayear,the Bears went from fir-

gram to another level, andhelp our alumsand our supporters to be proudand be abletogoget the best student-athletethat we possiblyget and graduate them so they can besuccessful in life.”

When it was Faulk’sturn to address thecrowd, he also didn’tshy away from the importance of fundraising andbeyond.

“Here’swhat’sgoingtohappen,” Faulksaid,“we’re going to ask for money. Butmorethanmoney, I need your time.I need yousitting there (at games).I need you there with us. The kids need to seeyou. They need to feel your presence.”

When Faulk spoke with reporters in adifferent room, he was asked about his abilitytoaffect Southern before coaching asingle

ing former coach MattEberflus the day after an embarrassing ThanksgivinglossatDetroit, to taking out the defending champions on the road on Black Friday

They’ve gone from finishing last in the division to securing a winning season with five games remaining. Chicago hasn’tfinished above .500 sincethe 2018 team won theNFC North at 12-4. And with Carolina beating Matthew Stafford and theLos Angeles Rams (9-3), the Bears moved into thetop spot in theNFC.

“The significance of it at the moment isn’tmuch,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “Look, Iknow how this all is. We’re on the socalledmountaintopright now, but thosethings change quickly week to week.

Johnson figures teams will need 11 winstomakethe playoffs so he wasn’t getting too caught up in holding the No. 1seed at the moment.

“Wehavenot been guaranteed aspot in thetournament yet,” he said. “Wehavetoearnthatright.”

game.

“However Ican lend my name my image and my likeness to attract the companies —orwhatever it is to this institution —whatever Ican do to help to fundraise here,I’m gonna do it,”Faulk said. “Here’sthe thing:I look at it as those companies that come in, and they donate money. Iwantinternships, too. Iwantthese kids to have that experience of what thebusiness world is like, because football is not asport that you can play for therest of your life.” Faulk was asked what he would tell people who question his hire because of his limited coaching experience. “Nothing,” Faulk said. “You know and Iknow this is my first

rankings, by close margins.

Othernotes

The bottom of the poll wasa giant mess again this week. Six of the bottom nine teams in my rankings last weekall lost over the weekend, including Tennessee, Michigan, SMU, Pittsburgh, Arizona State and Washington.

The greatest beneficiary from all of this carnage wasArizona, which took downASU on the road to improve to 9-3. The Wildcats lack aranked win—although they barely lost to BYU —but all of their losses have come to ranked teams in my poll, and they took down Cincinnati on the road. Another team that rose as a result of this chaos wasIowa. The

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Vele’ssize was evident in Miami.

On his touchdown catch, the 6-foot-5 wide receiver outmuscled Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones on the route andusedhis frame to haul in asoaring pass in the back of the end zone What changed? Moore said the Dolphins ran alot of Cover 2, creating an opening for Vele to be found on in-breaking routesnear the boundary— just as Shaheed used to be.

Beyond the advantageous matchup, the Saints hope that Sunday’s outing can getVele going in part becauseofwhatthe wideout wasdoing to get open.

“He’ssupersmart,” quarterback Tyler Shough said. “He hasa great feel withhis routes. Ithink he does areally good job. Iwas really proudofDevaughn just because Ithink he’s sucha keyplayerfor us.”

Moore said Vele understands how each route affects the play as awhole. He notedthe former 2024 seventh-round pickhas no problem clearing out space for anothertarget and can read where the holes in the coverage will be. Moore said he saw“hints” of Vele’s processing when evaluating his filmfrom Denver,but he gotabetter appreciation of it when he started coaching him in New Orleans.

With theBroncos, Vele proved to

Hawkeyes have four losses, but all of them came by one score to teamsinmypoll. Three of those defeats came against top-16 teamsinUSC, Indiana and Oregon. Iowa lacks asignature win, but the Hawkeyes have proven they can hang with any team despite having little to no passing attack.

Iowa State earned the last spot in my top 25 on the strength of wins over Arizona and Iowa from earlier in the season. The Cyclones also beat TCU,which wasteam 26 in my rankings. Iowa State may have been even higher in my poll if it weren’tfor its defeat to Colorado and close victories over lowly Arkansas State, OklahomaState and Kansas State.

be atrustytarget for quarterback Bo Nix. Twenty-five of his 41 catches last season moved the chains, with 11 of 12 coming on third down. He also caught three touchdowns, all in the red zone. He left such an impact on Denver thatcoach Sean Payton called trading him one of the toughest dealsofhis career,openly wondering whether he’d regret the move in thesame vein as whenhe shippedout Darren SprolesinNew Orleans. For most of the season, it waseasy to wonder whether Payton’shigh praise wassimplya ploy to make his former team feel better about giving away multiple draft picks. Nothing aboutVele’snine catches for91 yards and atouchdowninhis first 10 games with the Saints suggested Payton had anything to have second doubts over But thenthe secondhalfofSunday happened. Vele’s production, which all cameafter halftime, wasn’tjust the best outing as aSaint. It marked apersonal best as well. That doesn’tmean Vele was satisfied. “I bring this up alot, I’m avery competitive guyand at theend of the dayIwanttowin games,” Vele said. “I’m grateful (that) Ihad acareer dayfor myself, but at the end of the day, Iwanttowin games.” If he can keep contributing as he didagainstMiami, NewOrleans will have abetter chance to do just that. EmailMatthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

head coaching job. Youcan’tgive answers to anything like that. You know it’s like anything else, just wait and see. Time will tell.”

Faulk’s2025 season as the running backs coach at Colorado is hisonlycoaching experience. Southern’snew leader has hadseveral chats with Colorado head coach DeionSanders, who ledJackson Statepreviously, concerning thenextchapter of his life and career.Sanders toldFaulk that coaching in the Southwestern AthleticConference is “challenging, but it’srewarding.” Faulk said he knows there will be parts of his job that will be difficult. He also believesthere is afoundationfor agood pro-

gram that just needstoberebuilt correctly Faulk isn’tready to set expectations forthe 2026 season,hesaid. That answer can’tbegiven until he knows his team. What he did tell fans is that the goal is to win.

“I also understand to whom much is given, much is expected,” Faulk said. “There’snofear in me. Winners win.And if you’re awinner,then you win. And at every level, somehow,some way, Ifound away to findthe win, andthat’s what we’re going to do.

“I look forward to making sure thatwhenyou spend your money on the ticketoryou invest in this program,thatyou getyour(return on investment). I’mgonna make sure that you get your ROI.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByREBECCA BLACKWELL Saints wide receiverDevaughn Vele,left,celebrates histouchdown with tight

Bears coach Ben Johnson,right, greets Eaglescoach Nick Sirianniafter the Bears’ win FridayinPhiladelphia

Kiffinwon’t coachinbowlgame

BY REED DARCEY and RASHAD MILLIGAN Staff writers

New LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Monday at his introductory news conference thathe will not coach the Tigers in their upcoming bowl game

Instead, Kiffin said, interim coach Frank Wilson will guide LSU through that matchup.

“(Wilson and I) have spent alot of time together the last 24 hours that I’ve been here,” Kiffin said, “and so I’ve made the decision that he’sgonna still stay in that roleasthe head coach of that team for thebowl game.”

Wilson is in hissecond stint at LSU. He workedoncoach Les Miles’ staff from 2010-15, then rejoined the Tigers in 2022 to serve as BrianKelly‘s associate head coach and running backs coach.

When Kelly was fired on Oct. 26,LSU elevated him to interim coachfor theseason’slast four games. The Tigers went 2-2 over that stretch.They beat Arkansas and Western Kentucky at home but lost to Alabama and Oklahoma on the road.

On Sunday,after Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge, he was spotted meeting with Wilson inside the LSU head coach’s office.

Kiffin said Monday that he was “still in the process” of figuring out what his new staff might look like. Nine Ole Miss coaches and frontoffice staff members, including offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach CharlieWeis Jr ,accompanied him on his flight from Oxford, Mississippi, on Sunday LSU is also expected to strongly consider retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker and other defensive coaches through the transition, sources have told The Advocate.

Wilson worked on Kiffin’s Tennessee staff in 2009.

KiffinchannelsOrgeron

Kiffin said Monday he almost fell victim to throwing on afake Cajun accent dur-

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sideline in Tiger Stadium calling plays for Alabama in a2014 overtime win over LSU and as the Ole Miss head coach here in 2024 in an overtime loss to the Tigers. Games that made him project himself on the home sideline.

“I’ve coached alot of places and alot of road games,” Kiffin said. “NFL, college, there is nothing like the feeling when you are on the other sideline. The intensity …it’slike a weight that you feel.

“I always thought to myself, ‘Man, what if we had that advantage on our side?

If we combine what we do, the way that we coach players, the systems that we run, and now we have that intensity on our side for the opponent to deal with.’

That’show it painted all together to say,‘This is where you are supposed to be.’

”

Kiffinhas spent most of his career in the harsh spotlight of being ahead coach. The Raiders made him the youngest head coach in modern NFL history at 32 back in 2007. This is his sixth head coaching job after Tennes-

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by Saban,who speaks with Ausberryevery two weeks.

“Nick is avery good friend of mine,”Ausberry said Monday. “He’sone of my role models. Ithink that’swhat helped me in this decision of getting him here, was all those great football coaches Iknew around the country that really helped me.”

The process behind landing Kiffinwas quiet at first, but it exploded upon the arrival of aprivate jet to Baton Rouge that included Kiffin’s ex-wife, Layla.

was like, ‘I don’tknow what’s going on, man, but I’m feeling you right now.’ ”

ing his first night in Baton Rouge on Sunday In his introductory news conference, Kiffin joked with local and national media after hearing anumberofLSU fans yell “Geaux Tigers” that he wanted to talk like former LSU football coach Ed Orgeron

“Actually,wewere going by Tiger Stadium, and Icalled one person,” Kiffin said. “I called Ed Orgeron. And Isaid, ‘Hey,man.All Ican do— this place just makes me want to talk like yourightnow.’ ” Kiffin then leaned back, as attendees in the room began to laugh, and he leaned back with his palms up. “I did,” Kiffin said. “We were in thecar.The kids were in there, and(my hands were on myhead),the coaches asked me, ‘What are you doing?’I was like, ‘I don’t know,I’m channeling Ed right now.I’m feelinghim right now.Irolled down the window,and Iyelled, ‘Geaux Tigers!’tothe fans “So then,I called Ed, and I

Kiffin said Orgeron respondedwithafew words

“He said, ‘Coach,you’re at thebestplace in America,’ ” Kiffin said. “So,Ifeel that.”

It’s been reported that LSU is open to adding Orgeron to Kiffin’sstaff.

KiffinonOle Miss fans

As Kiffin boarded his plane to BatonRouge on Sunday, OleMiss fans gathered outside the fences around the tarmac to boo and jeer him. Some lobbed obscenities his way

Others, Kiffin said,followed him and his son Knox to the airport and tried to “run themoff theroad.”

Kiffinaddressed those reactions Monday,saying that he doesn’t“get emotional” about thevitriol he received for taking theLSU job and leaving the Rebels behind ahead of theirexpected College Football Playoff run.

“That’s theSEC,” Kiffin said. “I’vebeen around it long enough to knowthat, andit’sjust the passionofthe SEC. I’m not upset at those

“You figure things outwhen you go through all those experiences andhavingmultiplehead coaching jobs, and then you become even better.”

LANE KIFFIN,new LSU coach

see, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss.

He’s50now,atanage where aman is shaped by his choices and experiences, good and bad. Positive and negative. At an age when he felt he was ready for what is likely to be a career-defining move.

Saban was 49 when he came to LSUand launched hislegend.Carroll was also 49 when hewenttoUSC anddid thesamething.The parallels are notlost on Kiffin atall.

“I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job,”he said. “Tohavebeen so many places, donegood things, made alot of mistakes and made them really early on.

“Like someone said, ‘You made mistakes on thenational stageatanage, in your early30s, that coaches aren’t even head coaches yet.’ So Igot to learn from those. This is my sixth head job.Idon’tknow if anybody haseverdone that.It’snot necessarily great in some ways. They weren’t allby choice. Butwhat that does is if you takeall that information andyou keepitand

“I just thought it was really important when they offered to have thefamilycome down without me andget a feel for it,” Kiffinsaid.“…I don’tknowthatI couldhave made thedecision, or certainly couldn’thave made it and felt good, without everybody on board like it was after going to multiple places and coming back and saying, ‘Hey,we’re all in. We’re allin to go to Baton Rouge and to go to LSU.’ “ The trip to Baton Rouge signaled the seriousness with which Kiffinwas considering LSU. He just needed somehelp in makinghis decision. And amongthose men-

you collect it and you learn from thegood, from the bad, that’sexperience.

“You figure thingsout when you go through all those experiences and having multiple head coaching jobs, and then you become even better.”

As Kiffin left thestadium, the gloomy dayturned into arainynight. Down below,TigerStadium was lit up —the field painted as for agame, even with the eye of the tiger at the 50.

On thevideo boards were giant images of Kiffinon white backgrounds, with adoctored image showing him wearing awhiteLSU visor as he will next fall.

When he drove by Tiger Stadium on Sunday night on theway to the LSU football complex, the angst over his choice melted away

“You are, like, ‘Iabsolutely made theright decision,’ ”hesaid.

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

tors, of course, was Saban. “I felt like everybody that Italked to outside of the state that Iwas in, (they) allbasically said thesame thing,” Kiffin said. “They allsaid, ‘Man,you are goingtoregret it if you don’t takethe shot and you don’t go to LSU. It’sthe best job in America with the best resources, and to win it.’ It’sobviouslybeen done here before by anumber of people.”

Email Koki Riley at koki. riley@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up forour newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

LSUmakes six assistantcoach hiresofficial

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

reactions by fans,bypeople. Ithink thatpeople get really upset when you leave somewhere because they feel hurt because you’re doing areally good job.

“They ain’tgoing to the airport and driving from all over to saythose things and yell those things andtry to runyou off the road if you weredoing bad.”

Kiffin has said that he tried to figure out away to both acceptthe LSUjob andcoach OleMissinthe CFP.Ole Miss, however,chose notto let him do that— adecision he said he respects and understands.

“Timeheals alot of things,” Kiffin said, “and having gone through (it) in this conference before, Isure hope that happens. Isure hope that the people thereand thefans there, as time goes, can focus on the amazing six years, the greatest football run in the history of the school, the greatest regular season ever in thehistoryofthe statejust happened there.

“I really hope they can focusonthat.”

Wilson Alexander contributed tothis report.

LSU has hired offensive coordinatorCharlie Weis Jr.and fiveother assistant coaches for Lane Kiffin’s staff after they followed him from Ole Miss, according to copies of their term sheetsobtainedMonday night by The Advocate. Weis first overlapped with Kiffinasagraduate assistant at Alabama, and he workedwith him at both Florida Atlanticand Ole Miss. Weis signedathreeyear deal worth $6 million. His annual salary starts at $1.9 million, which would have made him one of the top-10highest-paid assistantsinthe country this year,and increases annually over thecourse of the contract. Weis andKiffin have to overhaulanLSU offense thatranks 108thinthe country in scoring at 21.8 pointsper game. TheTigers havenot scored more than 25 points against an FBS team this season before their bowl game. They fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan in the middle of the season after dismissing head coach Brian Kelly LSU also agreed to terms with co-offensive coordinatorand tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald, inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan, head of strength and conditioning Nick Savage and senior executive director of player personnel Mike Williams. All of them are on twoyear agreements except Jordan, an analyst at Ole Miss this fall who has aoneyear deal.Cox will make

coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.isseen before agame between OleMissand Arkansas on Nov. 2, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark.

$800,000 per year,while Savage andMcDonald both make an averageof $825,000 per year

WhileKiffin hasnow solidified most of hisoffensive staff, he still will need an offensive line coach and arunning backscoach. He mayconsider retaining LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson,who will serveas theinterim head coach through the bowl game and has expressed adesire to stay on staff. LSU is also expected to hire general manager Billy Glasscock, senior associate athletic director forfootball operationsThaddeus Rivers and defensive analyst Chris Kiffin after they flew Sunday with Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The hires clarified what mostofthe offensive staff will look like next season. On theother side of theball, sources said LSU defensive coordinatorBlake Baker will be under serious considerationtoberetained. However,Baker could be a candidate for ahead coaching joband interviewed Mondaywith Tulane,his almamater

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON

The north videoboardatTiger Stadium welcomes newLSU coach Lane KiffinonMonday.

Tulane,Sumrall both hithomeruns

JonSumrall is going to crush it at Florida. He’sgoing to absolutely,positively kill it.

Some of the school’sfansand boosters might notknow it yet, but the Gators hit ahome run whenthey lured Sumrall away from Tulane. Florida is going to win big again. And it’sgoing to happen early and often.

Iunderstand why some Florida fans might be skeptical. The last two coaches the Gators hired with Louisiana ties Billy Napier and Ron Zook —did not work out so well.

But Sumrall isn’t Zook or Napier He’sarising star in the profession, someone who has been compared to Dan Lanning and Urban Meyer for his ability to build and galvanize programs. He’sinfinitelymore qualified and SECready than either Zook or Napier were when they were hiredat Florida. Sumrall played in the SEC and coached there forfive seasons. As ahead coach,he’s won and competed for championships at two differentstops.

Gator Nation will discover soon enough what it has in Sumrall. Meyer knows. He endorsed the hire of Sumrall, calling it “a special day for Gator Nation.”

“I’ve studied coachSumrall, Meyersaid in avideo posted on hissocial-media accounts. “Igot to spend some time with him overthe last few months.His teams are tough, they’re physical,and he creates acompetitive environment.”

If the man that led Florida to its last two national championships is OKwith Sumrall, then Gators fans might want to give him achance. My guess is it

Nevertheless, people like Sumrall areterminally ambitious and wired to compete. Theydon’t just want to win. They need to win.

In that way,Sumrall reminds me of Sean Payton, who usedto drive Saintsmanagementand ownership crazywithhis constantdemands andinsatiable drive to win. Sumrall ownsthe same relentless drive but possesseseven better people skills. He relates to folks fromall backgrounds and hasa rare abilitytolead,motivate andgalvanize people Sumrall’sdeparture leaves athleticdirector David Harris witha difficult challenge.It won’tbeeasytofind acoach that embraced thestrengths andunderstood theweaknessesofthe Tulane job better thanSumrall. Thanks to theresounding successofSumrall andhis predecessor, Willie Fritz, the program hasmomentumand expectations. This will be acritical hire

won’t take long for Sumrall to winover his skeptics and doubters. Igive it one news conference, andhe’ll havethem eating outofhis hands. Sumralland Floridaare an ideal fit. He’sthe coachFlorida needstorestore the program’s glory.He’ll bringswagger back to the Swamp. And in Florida, Sumrallwill have the resources andsupport to prosper and compete at the highest level of his profession. While the Tulane program has improved dramatically in recent years interms of organizational support,itstill has inherent limi-

tations. Theschool’s high admission standards, modest facilities andintractable policieslike the onethatrequiresstudents to live on campus for their first three yearsalwayswill make the job challenging for head coach

At his heart, Sumrall is aproblemsolver. He isn’tone to whine or complain. One of his team rules is “no energy vampires.” But it hadtograte on him to see his entire roster poached by Power Four programs this past offseason.Can youimagine how good Tulane would have been this season if even half of the 13 players whotransferred to larger programs this past offseason hadstuck around?

At Florida, Sumrallwon’t have to worry about such things.

Florida is the kind of school that players transfer to,not from. TheGatorshad myriad problems under Napier,but talent wasn’tone of them. Florida is oneofthe mostfertile recruiting basesinthe nation. The program had14playersdrafted the past three seasons, andits recruiting classes ranked no worse than 13th in the nation in each of the last fouryears. Give Sumrall that kind of talentand watch what happens. Sumrall neverwas going to leaveTulane forjust anyjob.He wasn’tdouble-parkedhere. He andhis family love NewOrleans andwerehappy at Tulane.They wereactive in thecommunity anddoveheadfirst into the culture.

SCOREBOARD

Reaves39:38 9-1511-12 0-58 133 LaRavia 25:31 4-14 0-02-5 21 10 Hayes21:01 4-40-1 2-62 38 Knecht 17:25 1-41-2 0-12 24 Kleber 13:12 0-02-2 0-10 12 Thiero2:52 0-00-0 0-00 10 Totals 240:00 42-8734-3911-46 26 14 133

Percentages: FG .483, FT .872. 3-Point Goals: 15-41, .366 (Reaves4-7, Doncic 4-12, Vincent2-4,LaRavia 2-7, Hachimura 2-8, Knecht 1-3). Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 1. BlockedShots: 10 (Ayton 4, Hayes2,Doncic, Knecht, LaRavia,Reaves) Turnovers: 8(Reaves 5, Doncic 2, LaRavia) Steals: 4(Doncic, Reaves, Thiero, Vincent). Technical Fouls: Doncic, 4:46 third New Orleans 27 30 35 29 —121 L.A. Lakers 46 31 31 25 —133 A: 18,824 (18,997). T: 2:18. Pro hockey

NHL

Washington 26, OT Monday’s game New England33, N.Y. Giants 15 Thursday Dallas at Detroit, 7:15 p.m. Sunday Cincinnati at Buffalo, noon Indianapolis at Jacksonville, noon Miami at N.Y. Jets, noon New OrleansatTampaBay,noon PittsburghatBaltimore, noon Seattle at Atlanta, noon TennesseeatCleveland, noon Washington at Minnesota, noon DenveratLas Vegas, 3:05 p.m. Chicago at Green Bay, 3:25 p.m. L.A. Rams at Arizona, 3:25 p.m. Houston at Kansas City,7:20 p.m. Open: New England, Carolina, N.Y. Giants, San Francisco

Monday Philadelphia at L.A. Chargers,7:15 p.m.

LATE SUNDAY Denver27, Washington 26, OT Denver 3107 07 —27 Washington 07 76 6— 26

First Quarter

Den—FGLutz 33, 10:28. Second Quarter

Den—FGLutz 33, 7:51. Was—Rodriguez 8run (Moody kick),2:21

Den—Sutton 11 pass from Nix(Lutz kick), :28. ThirdQuarter Was—Burks 5pass from Mariota (Moody kick), 10:02. Den—Harvey 1run (Lutz kick), 3:59. Fourth Quarter Was—FGMoody38, 12:37. Was—FGMoody32, :00. Overtime Den—Harvey 5run (Lutzkick), 6:59 Was—McLaurin 3pass from Mariota (pass failed), 2:47. A—63,159. Den Was First downs2330 Total Net Yards402 419 Rushes-yards23-87 33-143 Passing 315

1-0 2-0

Penalties-Yards 5-33 5-35 Time of Possession 32:13 35:00

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Denver, Harvey 13-35, McLaughlin 6-24, Nix 2-16, Mims 1-9,Prentice1-3. Washington, Mariota 10-55, Rodriguez 11-41, McNichols 6-30, Croskey-Merritt 4-20, Samuel 2-(minus3). PASSING—Denver, Nix

Sunday’s games Washington 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Chicago 5, Anaheim 3 Carolina 1, Calgary 0, OT Dallas 6, Ottawa 1 Monday’s games Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 1 Columbus 5, NewJersey 3 Buffalo 5, Winnipeg1 Anaheim4,St. Louis1 Utah at San Jose,n Tuesday’s games Boston at Detroit, 6p.m. Dallas at N.Y. Rangers, 6p.m. Ottawa at Montreal, 6p.m. TampaBay at N.Y. Islanders,6 p.m. Toronto at Florida, 6:30 p.m. Calgary at Nashville, 7p.m. Minnesota at Edmonton, 8p.m. Vancouver at Colorado, 8p.m. Chicago at Vegas,9 p.m. Washington at LosAngeles, 9:30 p.m. College basketball Men’s state schedule Monday’s games Southern 101, Louisiana Christian 48 Incarnate Word 71, McNeese 67 Tuesday’s games Grambling at Tulane,6:30 p.m. Nicholls at Creighton, 8p.m. Wednesday’sgames LSU at Boston College, 6p.m. Louisiana Tech at GeorgiaSouthern, 6p.m. Mississippi Valley State at UL-Monroe, 6:30 p.m. UNO at Memphis, 7p.m. Southern 101, Louisiana Christian 48 LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN (0-1) Kelly 2-7 0-2 4, Lee2-3 1-35,Tebbe 3-7 0-06 Thomas 0-9 2-22,Weinmunson 8-18 0-0 18, Lombard1-3 2-24,C.Jones1-8 0-02,Sewell 1-3 2-25,Wren0-0 0-00,Escheik0-1 2-22 Garcia 0-0 0-0 0, LaFleur 0-0 0-00.Totals 18-59 9-13 48. SOUTHERN (4-4) Dixon 2-3 4-48,Amboree 5-10 3-4 15, Hardy 5-7 2-314, Jacobs 8-11 4-5 22, Lamar2-5 0-0 5, Oshodi 7-13 0-014, Magee 5-10 3-5 13, Manning 1-3 0-02,Abdelgowad2-2 1-25 L.Bell 1-1 1-23,Barnes0-0 0-00.Totals38-65 18-25 101. Halftime— Southern 59-15. 3-PointGoals— Louisiana Christian 3-18 (Weinmunson 2-7, Sewell 1-1, Kelly 0-2, Tebbe 0-2, Thomas 0-2, C.Jones 0-4), Southern 7-27 (Hardy2-4, Jacobs 2-4, Amboree 2-7, Lamar 1-4, Magee 0-1, Manning 0-2, Oshodi 0-5) Rebounds Louisiana Christian 25 (Kelly 5),Southern 43 (Abdelgowad12) Assists—Louisiana Christian 10 (Tebbe 5),Southern 23 (Jacobs 8). Total Fouls—Louisiana Christian 19, Southern 13.

Thatsaid, theprogramisina better positionthanevertoland agood coach.Coaches andindustryofficials nowviewTulane as aplace where youcan win at the highest levelofGroup of Five competition.School officialsfinally seem to realize thebenefits of having asuccessful football programtomarketing andcampus life Tulane might always be a launching padratherthana destinationfor aspiring coaches suchasSumrall, but that’sinfinitely better than thedead endit was only adecadeago It wasalways going to take a special jobtolure Sumrall away Florida is that kind of place. With Sumrall running the show, the Gatorsare going to win championships again. Evenif theirfansdon’t knowityet.

Jeff Duncan

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane coach JonSumrall signals to the players during the first half against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 15 at yulman Stadium.

The cottage garden trend

If youwanta whimsicalspring retreat, sow those seedsnow

If you follow trends, you’ve probably noticed photos of cottage gardens floating around the internet in recent years. Characterized by abundant, mixed plantings that burst with color and texture, this style of garden has an informal, romantic air that feels like something out of afairytale. Cottage gardens have been around for along time, originating in the English countryside in the 15th century.People took small plots of land and turned them into multipurpose gardens densely planted withvegetables,fruits, herbs and, yes, even afew flowers —although they typically were grown for culinary and medicinal uses back then. Some of these gardens even doubled as space for keeping livestock and beehives By the 19th century,cottage gardens began to shift from practical to ornamental. Their carefree charm became popular among the middle and upper classes and inspired countless works of art. It was during these times that the modern vision of cottage gardens took form.

nowinLouisiana.

Their resurgence is no surprise: Cottage gardens’natural, whimsical vibe lendsitself to minimal maintenance and the use of pollinator-friendly and native plants —things that resonate with many gardeners today.Cottage gardensare budget conscious and perfect for small areas, and there is plenty of room for creativity and self-expression. Want to create acottage garden of your own? November is agreat opportunity to set the stage for apowerful springtime bloom.

Startwithseeds

Cottage gardens thrive on mass plantings of flowers, whichare easy to achieveby sowing seeds directly intothe ground. Direct seeding is a cost-effective practice for this kind of garden, as seeds generally are less expensive than transplants.

Plus, it can be fun to watch tiny seeds sprout and grow into awe-inspiring flowers.

Trythese flowersinLouisiana Now is agreat time to sow cool-season annuals, springblooming plants and some perennials into the garden in Louisiana. Many of these species are fantasticfor cottage gardens. Some annuals you can plant now include poppies,larkspur, delphinium, calendula and spurredsnapdragon. These sometimes self-seed. For

LIVING

FEEL GOOD,LOOK GOOD

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Yetta Russell’slifehas never followed astraight line.

She finishedcollege on herown timeline, skipped the traditional nine-to-five world and moved between fashionmerchandising and service-industry jobs. Butone thread has always held: clothes.

Twoyears agoinLafayette, Russell started her own clothing line —Tenant. It’sabout thoughtfully produced and curated clothing that focuses on sustainability.Her aim is simple —makepeople feel confident in what they wear and offer distinctive pieces that last.

“The idea of Tenant is that you live in your clothes,” Russell said. “You’re an occupant of these, and this is your house. Youwant to feel good in your house.”

After ricocheting between cities and hostingpop-ups around Louisiana, Russell has settled into Baton Rouge,where she’s set to open Tenant as abrick-and-mortar store in Mid City

“This is thefirst time Ihave something that’s mine,” she said. “The

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

yetta Russell stands in her booth, Tenant, duringWhite Light Night in Baton Rouge.

PROVIDED PHOTO

yetta Russell’scurated clothing line, Tenant, focuses on consciously produced, independent designers

‘Mrs.Husband’s Name’feels outdated

Dear Miss Manners: Due to acomputer meltdown earlier this year,I had to rebuild my holidaygreeting card address list. When I asked my mother-in-law to share her list from that side of the family,Iwas flummoxed to find that she addresses her cards as “Mr.and Mrs. Husband’s Name” —e.g., John and Jane Smith would be addressed as “Mr.and Mrs. John Smith.”

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

While Iknow this used to be acorrect form of address, I (married for 15 years and using my husband’slast name) findthis sexist and would be somewhat insulted to be addressedas“Mrs Husband’sName.”

Iimagine that in this day and

age, there are quiteafew other female friendsand relatives that would feel likewise. There are so manyother alternatives —the holiday cards maybeaddressed to “The Smiths,” “The Smith family,” “Mr. John and Mrs. JaneSmith,”for example. ShouldIbringupthe subject with my mother-inlaw? Ihad not realized the issue previously because we live in the same town, and shetypically gives us our cardsinperson rather than throughthe mail.

Gentle reader: When people want to insult their friends, Christmas cardsare probably not their weapon of choice. Or so Miss Manners would

Making the perfectcup of java

Dear Heloise: Whenthe coffee can is close to empty,I turn the can upside down over alarge bowl and hit the bottom and sides of the can. Ican rotate it while hitting the sides until it looks clear of most of the grounds. Then Iuse asoft brush inside the can to collect whatever grounds are still remaining. If the can is to be reused, it can then be wiped clean. Ialso make coffee in an electric 12-cup percolatorthat was purchased online. My husband and Ihave been making our coffee for several years this way, and it tastes great. All the parts are metal, so no plastic comes into contact with the coffee-brewing process. We order paper filters online to use with the percolator.This oldfashioned technique still seems to work for us.

Marlene S.,inTucson,Arizona

Thesilentgeneration

between 1946-1964. Iwas born in 1935, so what am I labeled? “Old”? —Grandma G., via email Grandma G., theSilent Generation refers to peoplewho wereborn between 1928-1945. Many readers had thesame question!

TREND

think.But you —and others, no doubt —think otherwise.

So here is an idea for an advance Christmas present for your mother-in-law: Offer to updateher list by asking each of her friends how theywish to be addressed.

Dear Miss Manners: Iamayoung woman who has recently moved into alarger city.Iamnot comfortable interacting with strange men on thestreet who ask passersby for change or attention.

It seems that most of my peers respond to such requests by ignoring them, but Idislike the contempt expressed in ignoring anyone. I prefer to give apolite“No, thank you,” “I’m sorry,no” or “Excuse me please,” and thenmove on. Unfortunately,since these gentlemenare used to being ignored, my

more-polite evasionsserve only to encourage them to continue these unwanted conversations.

Ifeel that if Igive in and begin ignoring people on the street, I will be allowing the rudeness of others to force me into rudeness myself. However,I do not care to spend every day disengaging from conversations with very persistent strangers whosee every tacticfor evasion —except for silence —asencouragement.

Anysuggestionsastohow to handle such tricky situations would be appreciated.

Continuedfrom page1D

perennials that will return year after year,try purple coneflower,rudbeckia and coreopsis.

—Heloise

Making life easier

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the terms that are used for certain years of birth. Baby Boomers were born

Dear Heloise: Ihave found that as Iam aging(I’m 71), there are some things that are becoming more constantpain-in-the-backs to do, specificallybending over.Since my wife and I don’tgenerate much dirty dishesand such, Ihave found it much easier to just put everything on the top rack of the dishwasher exceptdinner plates and silverware, which goes in the removable tray anyhow. This makes for alot less bending over, and there are fewer dishes to put away when it’sdone. My backreally appreciates it —BradHinks, via email Send ahint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 2, the 336th day of 2025. There are 29 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Dec. 2, 1982, in the first operation of its kind, doctorsatthe University of Utah Medical Center implanted apermanent artificial heart in the chest of Barney Clark, aretired dentist who lived 112 days with the device.

Also on this date: In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France in acoronation ceremony at Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral In 1823, President James Monroe outlined his doctrine opposing further European expansion or colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine effectively created separate spheres of influence for the Americans and Europe

In 1859, militant abolitionist John Brown was hanged for his raidthe previous Octoberon HarpersFerry in hopes of inciting alarge-scale slave rebellion. His execution further exacerbated North-South tensions in therun-up to the American Civil War.

In 1942, an artificially created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated for the first time at the University of Chicago. The experiment led by physicist Enrico Fermi marked the dawn of the Atomic Age. In 1954, the U.S. Senate, voting 67-22, passed aresolution condemning Republican Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin, saying he had “acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tendedtobring the

Senateinto dishonorand disrepute.”

In 1993, Colombian drug lord PabloEscobar was shot to death by security forces while tryingtoflee across rooftopsinMedellin. In 2004, Typhoon Nanmadollashed thePhilippines, killing hundreds of people.

In 2015, acouple loyal to theIslamic Stategroup opened fire at aholiday banquet forpublic employeesinSan Bernardino, California, killing 14 peopleand wounding21 others before dyingina shootout with police.

In 2016, afire raced through anillegally convertedwarehouseinOakland, California, during adance party,killing 36 people In 2020, TheU.N. Commission onNarcotic Drugs voted to removecannabis and cannabis resin from acategory of theworld’s most dangerous drugs, in astep with potential impactsonthe globalmedical marijuana industry

Today’sBirthdays: Actor Cathy Lee Crosby is 81. Film director Penelope Spheerisis80. Author T. Coraghessan Boyle is 77. Actor Dan Butler is 71. Actor Steven Bauer is 69. Actor Lucy Liu is 57. Bassist Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters) is57. RapperTreach (NaughtyBy Nature) is 55. TennisHall of Famer Monica Seles is 52. Singer Nelly Furtado is 47. Pop singer Britney Spears is 44. Actor-singer JanaKramer is 42. Actor Yvonne Orji is 42. Actor Daniela Ruah is 42. NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 42. Actor Alfred Enoch is 37. Pop singersongwriter Charlie Puth is 34.

This is just astarting point.Astime goes on, layer in plants that bloom at different times to keep the garden colorful and lively all year long. Youcan mix in other

DINING

Continuedfrom page1D

gameday watch parties and pop-ups.

The dining hall on theeast side of campus,the 459 Commons, was closed and under construction all of summer 2024, reopening on Aug. 17 that year.The renovations took intoaccount the collective feedback fromLSU Dining’sstudent surveys

TENANT

Continuedfrom page1D

idea, it’sall falling into place.”

Her soft opening is set for Dec. 10 at 2558 Government St., with agrand opening on Dec. 12. The store will be open 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Wednesday through Friday, with additionalprivate-appointmenthours.

Steepedinstyle

Fashion has long been part of Russell’sworld. Her paternal grandmother owned awomen’s andchildren’s store in London. Her maternalgrandmother worked in makeup. Her British father workedinhigh-endshops andlikestobe“put together.” Her mother—anartist wholivedinMexico— never dressed like “your typical J. Crew mom.”

Tenant beganasaside project while Russell managed Wild Child, awine shop in Lafayette. Before that, she spent four years as abuyerfor Genterie SupplyCo., curating women’s collections. She triedNew York, working in wholesale fashion, then came back to south Louisianaand worked in the service industry

After afew years, Russell returned to Tenant and started hosting pop-ups and placing merchandiseinstores around Lafayette and New Orleans.

As thebusinessgrew —and began taking over her floor space —Russell stepped away from herjob to focus entirely on fashion. This year,she and herfamily moved to Baton Rouge. In November,she set up abooth at herfirst White Light Night, just outside what is now her permanent, 150-square-foot shop next to Rad Dad.

Sustainability at thecore

Russell’sgoal with Tenant is longevity —pieces people can wear for years.

“WhatI’m carrying is consciouslyproduced, independent brands. The idea is, maybe you’re investing a littlebit more in your wardrobe, but it’sgoing to be more of alongtime investment,” she said. “I try to

Gentlereader: Youare not supposed to be comfortableinteracting with strange gentlemen on the street.Evidence that people are destituteand desperate should makeyou uncomfortable. And so should solvent strangers who have personal designs on you. However,Miss Manners is reluctant to discourage you from responding initially with those polite phrases when they might serve to acknowledge the humanity of the unfortunate. That does not oblige you to continue with an exchange. Whether they are seeking your money or your acquaintance, you should react to aggressive behavior by moving away

plants(including transplants) to add variety.Asa throwback tothe original cottage garden concept from medieval times,you may wanttoinclude some edible plants.

Alush, layeredeffect

Oneofcottage gardens’ mostdefining features is their effortless blending of adiverse assortment of plants.

Sow seeds of plantsthat grow tallesttowardthe

each semester

“Based on the resultsof morethan 1,400 student surveys, we developeda plan with our partners, LSUDining, to give studentsgreater visibilityintohow their food was produced, amore open floor plan andmore ties to LSU culture and community,”LSU AssistantVice President, AuxiliaryServices Margot Hsu Carroll said.

The dining hall nowhas amoreopen-conceptfloor plan withdifferent varieties

carry things that areseasonless and timeless.”

Her focusonsustainability means paying attention to how and where clothing is made and pushing against thechurnoffastfashion —the high-speed production of inexpensive, trendy clothing that creates immense waste. LSU instructorand fashionanthropologist Danielle Honeycutt studies how people interact withclothing socially andpsychologically Fast fashion, she said, has grown rapidly,with massive environmental consequences —somethingshe and colleagues areworking to “lighten.”

Elsevier,ascientific publishing company,reportsthat fast fashion has dramatically expanded clothingproduction and consumption, generating waste at every stage of manufacturing. According to Khairul Akter et al. (2022), about53million tons of textile fibers are consumedeach year,resulting in morethan 92 million tons of global textile waste 73% of which is incinerated or discarded, representing

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

back and center of the garden. Add in somemediumheight fillers and place lowgrowing plants toward the front and edges. Read your seed packets forinformation on how high each plant grows. Include avariety of colorsand textures. Youcan pair airy,delicateplants with bolder foliage and flowers.

The structure of acottage garden matters, too. When planting your seeds,

of seating and more natural lighting, Carroll said. The renovations also added five new food stations.

“Weknowfromour student surveys that students werevery,very interested in having local cuisine,”Carroll said.

JJ’sCamp,named after Senior Executive Chef Jon Jackson, will serve Louisianaspecialty foods. There’s also anew,all-day breakfast station in response to student requests.

over $100 billion in wasted rawmaterials annually

“According to Khairul Akter et al.(2022), roughly 53 million tonsoftextile fibers are consumed each year, whichleads to over 92 milliontonsoftextile waste being produced each year worldwide,73% of which is incinerated and/or discarded, whichrepresents a waste of over USD100 billions worth of raw materials annually,” the journal article stated.

Honeycutt notes that small changes in consumer habits can help, especially efforts tied to thecircular economy “Ifwecan keep things in thefashioncycle foralonger amount of time, that has been proven as an effective way,overall, to combat some of this textile waste and textile pollution,” she said.

Rental fashion, vintage shopping and clothing swaps can all play arole. But she also stresses that sustainable options must be more widely accessible.

“Sustainable can’tjust mean expensive,” she said. “Ithas to be accessible for everyone.”

Amongthe eco-friendly

work in drifts, not rows. Sow seeds in clusters and sweeping curves to create anatural look. Overlap different types of seeds to soften the transitions between colors and textures. Finally,besure to add somevertical interest. Use trellises or other objects for climbing plants to draw the eye upward and give depth to the garden. Grasses can provide vertical, swaying elements as wellasshelter forpollinators.

At another food station called Roux, students can find homestyledishes. At Deli Laville,students can mobile order custom sandwiches through Transact Mobile Ordering. They then scan aQRcode upon their arrival, where theirsandwich is madefresh to order Anew allergen station opened on Feb. 1and it has its ownkitchen area so all of the preparation and cooking is contained in the station.

brands Russell carries are Toit Volant,kowtow andLe Bon Shoppe. Acapsule wardrobe

Russell’sown style has evolvedsincebecoming a mother.She’s nowfocused on acapsule wardrobe —a small collection of versatile pieces she can wearrepeatedly

Honeycutt notes this approach is common in France, where women learn it from ayoung age.

Russellnow putsmore thought into her clothes so that shefeels “put together forthe day.” Shesaidit’s easy forpeople to get lost in the role of parenting, but she feels morehuman when she gets dressed with intention. “I love that fashion can help youexpress your individualityand feel comfortable being you, because that’swhat clothes are about,” Russell said. “Someone telling you, ‘I love what you’re wearing today’ is the best feeling, personally,that Icould get.”

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

Hints from Heloise

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refuse to let your emotions interfere with your professionalism. Observation will provide answers without involving a confrontation or conflict of interest.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities and take advantage. Change begins with you, and starting with self-improvement will offer the boost you require to initiate positive change. A partnership looks inviting.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your emotions on the shelf and use common sense when dealing with others. Hasty decisions, emotional meltdowns and overreacting will hold you back.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Use intelligence, not brawn, to make your point. You'll gain respect and bring about positive change if you offer solid solutions that benefit everyone, not just you.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Do some research and verify information before you engage in a change. Knowing the hidden costs will offer peace of mind and encourage you to make better choices.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to detail. Don't rush to please others, or it will cost you in the end. Map out a plan and stick to it until you're satisfied with the outcome. Show your strength.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) You'll be itching to make a change, but you must first consider the physical aspects of what's

required to make things happen. Given the chance, someone will take advantage of you.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) An opportunity to get ahead is within reach. Let your intelligence and creativity lead the way, and you will convince others to support your efforts.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) It's your turn to step into the spotlight. Believe in and love what you do, and your passion will have a positive influence on those whose attention you capture.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) One step forward and two steps back will sum up your day if you overload your plate. You have plenty to gain if you learn from experience and make only necessary changes.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Live, learn, love and be happy. Communication is the key to getting what you want. Show your understanding of what you bring to the table.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Think, expand and initiate your plans. Take the road that leads to what makes you thrive. Travel, reunite with past associates and confront negativity, and something good will happen.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By

Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: n EQuALs P

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe peAnUtS

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Our friend A.N. Other said, “Don’t gambleunless you can afford to lose, and if you can afford to lose, you don’t have to gamble.” At the bridge table, unlessyou are playinginapairevent,whereovertricks canbevaluable,donotgambleyourcontract.Justtaketheguaranteedlinetoget home.

Today’sdealwouldnotonlysnaregamblers,butwouldalsocatchoutthosewho play tooquickly at trickone.

The bidding went off the rails slightly when it didnot end in three no-trump. Southwaspropelledintofiveclubs.After West guessed well to lead adiamond, what shoulddeclarer have done?

North’s two-heart bid was fourth-suit game-forcing. His three-club continuation was reasonable because six clubs could have been agoodcontract if South had, say, 4-3-1-5 shape. Butover South’s threehearts,Northshouldhavebidthree no-trump.

With only one toploser, the trump ace, it looks safetotake the diamond finesse at trickone.However,ifEastwinsand shifts to aheart,suddenly five clubs has no chance.

Instead,Southshouldwinthefirsttrick with dummy’s ace and attack trumps.

wuzzles

Let’sassume East takes thesecond round and switches to aheart. Declarer winswithhisace,unblocksdummy’stwo spades, plays atrump to his hand, discards dummy’sremaining hearts on his ace-jack of spades,ruffs the heartjack on the board, and claims, conceding one diamond and one club. ©2025 by NEA,Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD cHRonIc: KRON-ik: Alway present, especially amedical condition.

Average mark16words

Timelimit 20 minutes

Can you find 20 or morewords in CHRONIC?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —EPILEPsy

loCKhorNs

Theseare good wordstoheed on adaily basis. They will save us alot of grief G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C. PiCKles

mallard fillmore

REQUISITION

Notice is hereby given to all citizens of the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge and to all other interested persons, of the introduction at the regular meeting of theMetropolitan Council of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, held on November 25, 2025 of the proposed resolutions/ordinances, the titles of which areset forth hereinafter,and that public hearing will be held thereon by the Metropolitan Council at 4:00 P.M.,Wednesday,December 10, 2025, in the Council Chambers (Room348) on thethird floor of the City-Parish Governmental Building in this City,these proposed resolutions/ordinances being entitled as follows: RESOLUTION

Granting a five-year property tax abatement estimated at $18,376 per year for Vagabond Properties, LLC located at 1620, 1640, 1660 Government Street. This application is referredbyLouisiana Economic Development Restoration TaxAbatement Program to the City of Baton Rouge as RTA application#20250069 for the purpose of encouraging private investment and restoration of property.ByPlanning Director.

ORDINANCE

Amending the 2025 current expense and capital budget so as to adjust estimated revenues and appropriations and to authorize the Director of Finance to make certain interdepartmental interfund transfers in accordance with the State Budget Act and The Plan of Government. (Budget Supplement 9132). By Finance Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President to execute acooperative endeavor lease agreement with American Cruise Lines, providing for atwenty (20) year exclusive docking arrangement at the City-Parish “Paperclip” dock in consideration of improvements to the docking facilities, maintenance, and/orrentalpayments, and docking fees as dictated by City-Parish Ordinance Title 10, Chapter 5§ 10:300 in order to grow economic development through an increase in the number of visitors to Downtown Baton Rougevia the Paperclip Dock. By Councilwoman Carolyn Coleman.

RESOLUTION

Approving the levy and assessment, pursuant to La. R.S. 33:9038.76 E (2)(b), of the sales and use tax and hotel occupancy tax within the LSU EDD Athletic Subdistrict, as established by the Subdistrict’sBoardof Commissioners. By Councilwoman Carolyn R. Coleman.

RESOLUTION

Aresolution providing written notice to the BoardofCommerce and Industryoutlining the Metropolitan Council’srecommendation to the Boardregarding Super Insulation LLC’snon-compliance with the Industrial TaxExemption Program contact for the years 2022 and 2023. By Council Administrator/Treasurer

RESOLUTION

Authorizingsettlement of the pre-litigation claim of Linda Trusclair for damages resulting from an auto accident caused by aBaton Rouge FireDepartment employee, in the amount of $16,000.00, which amount shall be paid from the account designated “Insurance -Auto Liability” (1000.4700.10.0550.0000. 0000.000000.644120). *This matter may be discussed in Executive Session. (In Proper Person). By Parish Attorney RESOLUTION

Authorizationfor the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to execute a Professional Services Contract with InterVistas Consulting USA LLC., to provide Air Service Development Consulting Services for the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in an amount not to exceed $60,000. By Aviation Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizationfor the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to execute aProfessional Services Contract with Sulla,LLC to provide oversight and administrative services related to the FAA’s DBE, ACDBE and SBE programs for the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in an amountnot to exceed $80,000.00. By Aviation Director.

RESOLUTION

Authorizationfor the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to execute aProfessional Services Contract with MMR Communications, Inc. to provide maintenance and support for the CCTV andACS Systems in an amount not to exceed $80,000.00. By Aviation Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizationfor the Mayor-President and/or Chairman of the Airport Commission to execute aProfessional Services Contract with Covalent Logic to

and/orChairman of the

Authorizationfor the

to

aProfessional Services Contract with US Computers to provide

support, maintenance and back-up services for the BatonRouge Metropolitan Airport in an amount not to exceed $60,000.00. By Aviation Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizationfor the Mayor-President and/orChairman of the Airport Commission to execute aProfessional Services Contract with Lamar Advertising,toprovide Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport two static

RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President Emile “Sid” Edwards to submitan amendment to the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (CDBG-DR) Resilient

Thisamendment changes the priority of

and includes funding to accept the

($3 million) and the Plank Road Light Up Program and OCDAdministration Planning ($1,915,204) both as priorities in consultation with LAOCD and citizen engagement and authoriz ng execution of alldocuments in connection therewith. By CommunityDevelopment Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute an agreement between the City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge, on behalf of the Office of Community Development,and Glen Oaks Security Dads, in an amount not to exceed $75,000.00, with aterm beginning October 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, and further authorizingthe execution of allrelated documents. By Community Development Director

RESOLUTION

Aresolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the result of the special election held in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Parish”) on Saturday,November 15, 2025, for the purpose of authorizing the Parish to extend the levy of an 11.1 mills ad valorem tax (the “Tax”), authorizedfor public library purposes upon all property subject to taxation within the Parish, for an additional ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2026, to and including the year 2035; and further authorizingthe Parish to (i) rededicate $52,400,000 of proceeds of the Tax heretoforeand hereafter received for Parish-wide general purposes and (ii) rededicate the use of proceeds of the Taxsothat (a) proceeds heretofore and hereafter received from 8.30 mills of the Taxshall be administered by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library BoardofControl and used to maintain and operate the public library system of the Parish, including acquiring land and constructing new library facilities, and (b) proceeds heretoforeand hereafter received from 2.80 mills of the Taxshall be used for Parish-wide general purposes; and providing for other matters in connection therewith. By Bond Counsel.

RESOLUTION

Aresolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the result of the special election held in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Parish”) on Saturday,November 15, 2025, for thepurpose of authorizingthe Parish to extend the levy of a1.00 mills ad valorem tax (the “Tax”), authorizedfor mosquito abatement and rodent control purposes upon all property subject to taxation within the Parish, for ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2027, to and including 2036; and further authorizing the Parish to (i) rededicate $6,000,000 of proceeds of the Taxheretoforeand hereafter received for Parish-wide general purposes and (ii) rededicate the use of proceeds of the Taxso that (a) proceeds heretoforeand hereafter received from 0.50 mills of the Taxshall be used entirely and exclusively to provide funds to purchase, maintain and operate machinery,facilities and equipment necessary in the eradication, abatement or control of mosquitoes, arthropods of public health importance and rodents, and providing for adequate administrative and support staff, and (b) proceeds heretoforeand hereafter received from 0.50 mills of the Taxshall be used for Parish-wide general purposes; and providing for other matters in connection therewith. By Bond Counsel.

RESOLUTION

Aresolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the result of the special election held in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Parish”) on Saturday,November 15, 2025, for the purpose of authorizing the Parish to extend the levy of a2.25 mills ad valorem tax (the “Tax”), upon allproperty subject to taxation within the Parish, for ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2027, and annually thereafter to and including 2036; and further authorizingthe Parish to rededicate the use of proceeds of the Tax, heretoforeand hereafter received, so that (a) 2.00 mills shall be used exclusively by the East Baton Rouge Parish Council on the Aging, Inc., or any successor thereto(the “Council on Aging”) to provide funds to operate and maintainprograms, services, and activities for elderlycitizens in the Parish, including mealsonwheels, senior centers, homemakers services, transportation, and nutrition, wellness, and recreational programs, to acquire,construct, operate and maintain facilities to serve elderly citizens in the Parish, and to otherwise fund the operating budget of the Council on Aging, and (b) 0.25 mills shall be used for Parish-wide general purposes; and providing for other matters in connection therewith. By Bond Counsel.

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President on behalfofBaton Rouge City Court to enter acontract for Professional Services with Lacey Dyess. The contract is not to exceed the sum of $72,000.00 for the term of the contract. The services provided arethe performance of highly responsiblecourt reporting activities which include taking verbatim testimony during court proceedings and transcribing. These services areprovided by licensed Certified Court Reporters for the contract period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, and may be renewed for up to two (2) additional twelve-month periods, upon mutual consent of both parties by written agreement and contingent upon the availability of funding in an amount not to exceed $72,000.00 per renewal period. Draftcontract is attached. By Clerk of Court/Judicial Administrator

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President on behalfofBaton Rouge City Court to enter acontract for Professional Services with Melissa David DBA MJ David, LLC.The contract is not to exceed the sum of $72,000.00 for the term of the contract. The services provided arethe performance of highly responsiblecourt reporting activities which include taking verbatim testimony during court proceedings and transcribing. These services are provided by licensed Certified Court Reporters for the contract period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, and may be renewed for up to two (2) additional twelve-month periods, upon mutual consent of both parties by written agreement and contingent upon the availabilityof funding in an amount not to exceed $72,000.00 per renewal period. Draft contract is attached. By Clerk of Court/Judicial Administrator

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aprofessional services agreement with Courson NickelLLC in an amount up to $150,000 for legislative consulting services for the City-Parish for calendar year 2026 and the option for one-year renewals contingent upon available budget. By Mayor’sOffice.

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President to execute acontract with Patton Productions, Inc. for professional consulting services related to the Baton Rouge FilmCommission for the period January 2, 2026, through December 31, 2026, in the amount of $120,000 and the option for oneyear renewalscontingent upon available budget. By Mayor’s Office.

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President to execute acontract with Nathan Hall for professional consulting services related to the Baton Rouge Film Commission for the period January 2, 2026, through December 31, 2026, in the amount not to exceed $59,000 and the option for one-year renewals contingent upon available budget. By Mayor’sOffice.

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute an agreement withBenjamin Beychok for curator services for condemnationproceedings in 2026, in an amount not to exceed $70,000. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President, on behalfofthe Baton Rouge Police Department, to renew an operating services contract with AXON Enterprises to provide cloud Storage services for in-car and body camera video systems to include Tasers and updated Cradlepoint Modems, including installation in vehicles, through alease bundlemulti-year agreement. The annual estimated compensation of the agreement will not exceed $1,380,00.00

RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION

RESOLUTION

Authorizing the Mayor-President to execute aSupplementalAgreementfor Professional Engineering Services with Forte &Tablada, Inc., for

Capacity Project

associated

–Gourrier) Segment 1, being City-Parish Project No.08-CS-HC-0035, in an amount not to exceed $381,875.92 (Account No. 9217100031-4306.00106-0000000000-653240). By Transportation andDrainageDirector

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe Mayor-President to accept agrantaward from the State of Louisiana’s Office of Community Development –Disaster Recovery (LOCD-DR) andThe Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI). The grant application wasapproved in the amount of $29,891,960.00and will be 100% federally funded. By Transportation andDrainageDirector RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President to execute acooperative endeavor agreementwith South CentralPlanning andDevelopment Commission, to provide environmental inspectionsand enforcementfor the Department of Development, in an amount not to exceed $338,000. By Development Director

RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President and/or EBROSCOtoexecute Amendment No. 13 with ECMConsultants,Inc.for Construction Inspection Support Services in connection with AnnualConstruction Inspection Support –Firm 1, being Project No. 15-CN-MS-0008, resulting in an increase in the contract amount not to exceed $600,000.00 andanextension of contract time to December 31, 2026 (Account No. 5100-7700-40-7710-77420000-000000-643540). By Environmental Services Director RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President to execute Amendment No. 5with NCMC, LLC for construction services in connection with the AnnualStorm Water Inletand Junction Box Rehabilitation project, being City-Parish Project No. 21-MH-MS-0040, resulting in an increase in contract in an amount of $600,000.00 andextending the contract through December 31, 2026 (Account No. 5600-7700-40-7770-7774-0000-000000-643500). By Environmental Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President and/or EBROSCOtoexecute Amendment No. 8tothe contract with K3B, LLC for Pump Station Lawn Maintenance–East Site Group being City-Parish Contract No. 800000776 for an amount not to exceed $175,000.00 andextending the contract through December 31, 2026 (Account No. 5100-7700-40-7710-7742-0000-000000-642260). By Environmental Services Director

RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President and/or EBROSCOtoexecute Amendment No. 9tothe contract with W. P. Enterprise, LLC for Pump Station Lawn Maintenance–North Site Group being City-Parish Contract No. 800000773 for an amount not to exceed $100,000.00 andextending the contract through December 31, 2026 (Account No. 5100-7700-40-77107742-0000-000000-642260). By Environmental Services Director RESOLUTION

Authorize the Mayor-President and/or EBROSCOtoexecute Amendment No. 8tothe contract with Carruth Holdings, LLC for Pump Station Lawn Maintenance–South Site

p g be held thereon bythe Metropolitan Councilat 4:00 P.M.,Wednesday,De‐cember 3, 2025, in the CouncilChambers(Room 348) on thethird floor of theCity-Parish Govern‐mental Building in this City,these proposed or‐dinances beingentitled as follows: ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 8644 Greenwell SpringsRoadToamend theComprehensive Land UsePlanfromResiden‐tial Neighborhood to CompactNeighborhood locatedonthe southside of Greenwell Springs Road,westofJoyce Drive, on property nowor formerly knownasRe‐mainderof18ofSunny Brook Farms. Section49, T6S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 6- Dunn Jr.) PA-6-25

p Square 1. Section 54, T7S, R1W, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 10 –Coleman) CASE 42-25

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 8020, 8022, 8030, 8032, 8040 and8042 NedAv‐enue To rezone from RuraltoLimited Residen‐tial (A3.1) on property lo‐catedonthe southside of NedAvenue,eastof Helm Drive, on property noworformerlyknown as Lot35, 36 and37, of Willow View Subdivision, FirstFiling. Section41, T8S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA (Council District 3Gaudet) CASE 45-25

PUBLIC NOTICE

Facility Closureand Access to Medical Records Please be advised that Sage Rehabilitation Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)located at 8000 Summa Ave.,Baton Rouge, LA 70809 will ceaseoperationseffec‐tive December 1, 2025. However, Please know that Sage Rehabilitation Hospital’s InpatientRe‐habilitation hospital will remain open andopera‐tional Sage is committed to ensuring that allpa‐tients and/or theirautho‐rizedrepresentatives continue to have access to theirmedical records followingthe SNFunit’s closure. HowtoObtain Your MedicalRecords: Patients and/or theirau‐thorized representatives mayobtaincopiesof theirmedical records upon proper authoriza‐tion.Requestsshouldbe directed to the Health In‐formationManagement (HIM)Department: •Organization: Sage Re‐habilitation Hospital SNF •Department: Health In‐formationManagement / MedicalRecords •Phone Number: 225-8190703 •Mailing Address: 8000 Summa Ave.,Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Medicalrecords will be retained fora minimum of ten(10) years from the patient’sdateofdis‐charge from facility in accordance with Louisianastate laws Afterthisperiod, records maynolongerbeavail‐able 165935-nov15-dec5-21t $3,277.89

ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 8644 Greenwell SpringsRoadTorezone from LightCommercial (C1) andSingleFamily Residential(A1)toLight CommercialOne (LC1)on property locatedonthe southsideofGreenwell SpringsRoad, west of JoyceDrive,onproperty noworformerlyknown as Remainderof18of SunnyBrook Farms. Sec‐tion 49, T6S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 6- Dunn Jr.) CASE 46-25

ORDINANCE Chapter18, Landscape andTrees Unified Devel‐opment Code amend‐ment to revise Chapter 18, Landscapeand Trees to modify regulationsas‐sociated with buffers street yards, screening andtreepreservation TA2-25

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 4232 NorthBoulevard To rezone from Transition (B1)toLimited Residen‐tial (A3.1) on property lo‐catedonthe southside of NorthBoulevard,west of Ray Street,onprop‐erty noworformerly knownasLot 4of BernardTerrace School Addition,Square2.Sec‐tion 81, T7S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 7- Harris) Case 41-25

ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 124 West Chimes Street To rezone from HeavyCommercial(C2) to Commercial Alcoholic Beverage (bar and lounge) (C-AB-2) on prop‐erty locatedonthe north side of West Chimes Street,westofHighland Road,onpropertynow or formerly knownasLot 13-AofCampanile View i

ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 4466 American WayTo rezone from LightCom‐mercial(C1)and Heavy Commercial(C2)toLight CommercialTwo (LC2)on property locatedonthe northsideof American Way, east of Coursey Boulevard, on property noworformerlyknown as aLot A-3-A-2-A-2of American WayExtension Section50, T7S, R2E, GLD, EBRP,LA(CouncilDistrict 8– Amoroso) CASE 47-25

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 16270 OldHammond HighwayTorezonefrom RuraltoNeighborhood Commercial(NC)on property locatedonthe southsideofOld Ham‐mond Highway, east of O’NealLane, on property noworformerlyknown as aLot E-1ofthe Strain Tract. Section73, T7S, R2E, GLD, EBRP,LA(Coun‐cilDistrict9 -Hudson) CASE 48-25

ORDINANCE

Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 10781 CourseyBoule‐vard To rezone from HeavyCommercial(C2) to CommercialWare‐housingThree (CW3)on property locatedonthe h id f

p p y north sideof Coursey Boulevard, east of CourseyCourt,onprop‐erty noworformerly knownasa TractA-1-A-1 of theE.W.Doughty Tract. Section98, T7S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(Coun‐cilDistrict8 –Amoroso) CASE 49-25 ORDINANCE Amending theCompre‐hensiveZoningMap of theCityofBaton Rouge andParishofEastBaton Rouge, as containedin andmadepartofthe “Unified Development Code “, as amendedso as to change thezoning on thepropertylocated at 800-900 SouthKenil‐worthParkway To rezone from RuraltoTown House(A2.5)onproperty locatedonthe southside of SouthKenilworth Parkway, west of Bur‐bank Drive, on property noworformerlyknown as TractX-1-B of Chatsworth Plantation Sections 5, 6and 77, T8S, R1E, GLD, EBRP,LA(Coun‐cilDistrict12- Racca) CASE 50-25 167908 Nov. 25, 26, Dec. 2, 3t $337.45

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUISITION11297711

OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE ANDTHE CITY OF BATONROUGE Notice is hereby givento allcitizensofthe City of BatonRouge,Parishof East BatonRouge andto allother interested per‐sons,ofthe introduction at theregular meetingof theMetropolitanCouncil of theCityofBaton Rougeand Parish of East BatonRouge,heldonNo‐vember 25, 2025 of the proposed resolutions/or‐dinances,the titles of whichare setforth here‐inafter,and that public hearingwillbeheld thereonbythe Metropol‐itan Councilat4:00P.M., Wednesday, December 9, 2025, in theCouncil Chambers (Room 348) on thethird floor of theCityParish Governmental Building in this City theseproposedresolu‐tions/ordinancesbeing entitled as follows: ORDINANCE Adopting therevised 2026 PayPlanfor the Classified,Unclassified Non-classified,Contract, Fire,and Police Employ‐ees of theCityofBaton Rougeand Parish of East BatonRouge;establish‐ingthe effectivedateof said plan as December 27, 2025; andrepealing allOrdinancesorparts of Ordinances in conflict herewith.ByHuman Re‐sourcesDirector. ORDINANCE

Fixing thenumberofem‐ployees of theParishof East BatonRouge,the City of BatonRouge,and agencies to whichappro‐priationsare made;and establishing theeffective date of December 27, 2025 andrepealing allOr‐dinances in conflicthere‐with.ByHuman Re‐sourcesDirector. RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe MayorPresidenttorenew aPro‐fessional Services Con‐tractwithConvenient Care,LLC forthe Baton RougeFireDepartment formedical-related ser‐vices($320,830),annual and fifth-year wellness physicals($335,000),and cancer screenings ($395,000) fora total amount nottoexceed $1,050,830, effectiveJan‐uary 1, 2026 throughDe‐cember 31, 2026. By HumanResources Direc‐tor.

RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe MayorPresidenttorenew aPro‐fessionalServicesCon‐tractwithFranciscan Health andWellnessSer‐vices, INCinanamount nottoexceed $360,000 annually forHealthy LivesServices, effective January1,2026 through December 31, 2026. By HumanResources Direc‐tor. RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe MayorPresidenttorenew aPro‐fessionalServicesCon‐tractwithHealthremede, LLCinanamount not to exceed $100,000 annually forvarious medicaland relatedservices, effec‐tive January1,2026 throughDecember31, 2026. By HumanRe‐sourcesDirector. RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe MayorPresidenttorenew aPro‐fessionalServicesCon‐tractwithHUB Interna‐tional in an amount not to exceed $225,000 annu‐ally foractuarial and health benefitconsulting services,effective Janu‐ary1,2026 throughDe‐cember 31, 2026. By HumanResources Direc‐tor. RESOLUTION

Authorizingthe MayorPresidenttorenew aPro‐fessionalServicesCon‐tractwithOur Lady of theLakePhysician Group (LACardiology Associ‐ates)inanamount notto exceed $60,000 annually forDiagnosticStress TestingServices, effec‐tive January1,2026 throughDecember31 2026. By HumanRe‐sourcesDirector. 168712-DEC2-1T $80

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING West BatonRouge Parish Council Notice Is Hereby GivenTo AllCitizensOfThe Parish Of West BatonRouge StateOfLouisiana,And To AllOther Interested Persons, Of TheIntroduc‐tion At TheRegular Meet‐ingOfThe West Baton RougeParishCouncil Of TheProposedOrdi‐nance(s) Introduced By TitleNovember13, 2025 As SetForth Hereinafter. An OrdinanceToAmend AndReenactThe West BatonRouge Parish Code Of Ordinances Part II (General Code of Ordi‐nances), Chapter70 (“Roadsand Drainage”) Section70-5(“Bridge Standardsand Permit‐ting).

PUBLIC HEARINGS will be held by theWestBaton RougeParishCouncil rel‐ativetothe aforemen‐tioned requests Date:Thursday,Decem‐ber11, 2025 Time 5:30 pm Public hearings will be held at theWestBaton RougeParishGovern‐mental Building,880 N. Alexander, Port Allen, LA 70767

ALLMEETINGINFORMA‐TION INCLUDING MIN‐UTES ANDVIDEOSCAN BE FOUNDONOUR WEBSITE WBRPARISH.ORGUNDER THEAGENDAAND MIN‐UTES TAB. Ordinances in full canbe found on ourwebsite under Notice of Public Hearings https:// www.wbrparish.org/720/ Notice-of-Public-

COUNCILtoshowcause whythe structureshould notbecondemned Date:Thursday,Decem‐ber11th, 2025 Time: 5:30pm Public hearings will be held at theWestBaton RougeParishGovern‐mental Building,880 N. Alexander, Port

PUBLIC NOTICE WBRNOTICEOFPUBLIC HEARING: CONDEMNATION Pursuant to Parish Code Chapter109-42 “Derelict Structures”, thefollow‐ingpropertieshavebeen condemnedbythe Parish President. Address: 1RosedaleRd Owner: NishaNorthern LegalDescription:LOT 5 MURPHYTRINSQ5 OF THEBURBRIDGE TR 52APUBLIC NOTICE CENTRAL FIRE PROTECTION

PUBLIC NOTICE WBRNOTICEOFPUBLIC HEARING: CONDEMNA‐TION Pursuant to Parish Code Chapter109-42 “Derelict Structures”, thefollow‐ingpropertieshavebeen condemnedbythe Parish President. Address: 1316 RevMan‐ualSt Owner: Albertha Wilson c/oDebra Richardson LegalDescription:LOT 7 MARIONNEAUXSUBD

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