The Acadiana Advocate 12-14-2025 by The Advocate

Panel rejectsbid by chief justiceto reduce pay

CROPP NG UP

Astudy testsvegetable growth undersolar panels, whichcould help balanceclean energy andagriculture

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Hundredsofsolar panels generate clean energy at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sLouisiana Solar Energy Laboratory, but it’swhat’sin betweenthose panelsthat one researcher hopes will revolutionize Louisiana agriculture Vegetable crops have been planted in the shady areas between panels, withthe hopethattheycan produce astrong yield. It’sarelatively newidea called agrivoltaics.

Agrivoltaics, or AV,isthe science of raising crops —whether livestock or row crops —alongside solarproduction. In states such as Texasand Arkansas, “solar grazing” has taken off in recent years, partly because livestock can use solar panels for shade while keepingvegetation under control.

Just last month, RWEClean Energycompleted building asolar farmoutside Monroe that will generate enough electricity to power 17,000 homes. Aﬂock of about600 sheep willsoon be grazing around the solar panels to keep thevegetation undercontrol

Virtually no research has been done into AV in Louisiana. Until now

Caitlin deNux, avisitingprofessoratUL, is leadingthe university’srecent research intoAV. She

See CROPPING UP, page 7A

STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIE WESTBROOK Caitlin deNux, visiting assistant professor in the School of Geosciences, talks about the agrivoltaics testbed on Nov. 24 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sSolar EnergyLaboratoryinLafayette. TOP: Broccoli plants grow between rows of solar panels in the agrivoltaics testbed.

“We’re looking to see if agrivoltaics is viable for Louisiana’sclimateand whether the specialty crops are as nutritious when grown in the shade.”

CAITLIN DENUX, professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LSU’sexecutive contractsshownew vision forschool

Leaderspursue majorchanges foruniversity

BYHALEY MILLER Staff writer

In the past month, the LSU BoardofSupervisorshas hired two top leaders, given them in-

centive-laden contracts andrestructuredhow the various campuses they oversee ﬁt together Themoves, board members say,comefrom afundamental conviction:LSU needstolevel up. They believethe system needs amore uniﬁed approach to improveits national prestigeand drive major expan-

sions of revenue from both public andprivate sources.

“Theseare decisions that don’tcome lightly,” LSUBoard of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard said. “Everyone knows that Ihave fought to get the rankingsofLouisiana, LSU,towhere we should be, and we’re not there. We’rework-

ing towards that.” The BoardofSupervisors ratiﬁedemployment contracts with President Wade Rousse and Executive Vice President James DaltononThursday,offering the leaders possibly hundreds of thousands in incentivesontop of theirbasesalary andushering in an era of majororganizational

Weimer says judges’ totalcompensation needstobemore transparent

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Chief Justice John Weimer has lost anotherbattleinhis lonely crusade to hold downjudicial pay

Astate entity known as the Judicial Compensation Commission rejected Weimer’sarguments on Monday, instead voting overwhelmingly to recommendapay raise of at least $25,000 next year forjudges. Louisiana Supreme Court judges currently earn $195,000 peryear, while trialjudges make $176,000.

It marked the latest defeat forWeimer in hisyearslong effort to save taxpayers money by paying judges less. Weimer’s campaign haswon him few fans among judges or among the other six justices of the state SupremeCourt.

But he is offering no sign that he’s giving up, even though other judges say he is tilting at windmills, and the amount of money at stake is equivalent to pennies in the overall state budget.

“The pennies become dollars, and the dollars become millions over a period of time,” Weimer told members of the compensation committee, in countering the judges’ view In an interviewafterward, Weimer said, “I’m attempting to applythe disinfectant of sunshine on how judges are being paid beyond their salaries so the public can have atrue picture.”

Weimer’sroleaschiefjustice— a position he has held since January 2021 as the longest-serving member on the high court —means he’sthe top judge in Louisiana. So critics are loath to speak out against him

But other judgesand justices do challenge him in public meetings.

“Why nothaveajudiciary thatis paid ajust compensation?” associate SupremeCourt Justice John Michael Guidry told the compensation commission in asking them to reject Weimer’sfrugal view.“Judges are notcomingheretryingtoget anything other than something that’sa

Weimer

Flight safely returns after engine failure at takeoff

DULLES Va A United Airlines

ﬂight experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport on Saturday before safely returning to the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said United ﬂight 803 was traveling to Tokyo when the engine failed Saturday afternoon The plane, a Boeing 777-200, safely returned to the airport around 1:20 p.m. The plane returned to the airport after losing power in one engine, according to the airline

There were no reported injuries among the 275 passengers and 15 crew members, and a different aircraft was scheduled to continue the ﬂight later Saturday.

Peter Greene, who was Zed in ‘Pulp Fiction,’ dies NEW YORK Peter Greene, a character actor best known for his role as the iconic villain Zed in “Pulp Fiction,” has died. He was 60. He died in his home in New York City, his manager Gregg Edwards conﬁrmed on Friday His cause of death was not immediately released.

“He was just a terriﬁc guy,” said Edwards. “Arguably one of the greatest character actors on the planet; has worked with everybody.”

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene landed some of his ﬁrst leading roles in “Laws of Gravity” in 1992 and “Clean, Shaven” in 1993, according to IMDb. In 1994, he played the memorable villain in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” who is brought in to torture characters played by Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames. That same year, he played another leading villain opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in “The Mask.” U.S., Mexico settle Rio Grande water dispute

The U.S. and Mexico agreed to end a dispute over water at the border with Texas, days after President Donald Trump vowed to impose additional tariffs. Both governments agreed that Mexico will deliver an additional 202,000 acre-feet of water beginning this week and ﬁnalize a broader distribution plan by the end of January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement on Friday

The agreement seeks to “strengthen water management in the Rio Grande basin” within the framework of the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said in a separate statement on Saturday The treaty requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water over ﬁve years to the U.S. from the Rio Grande, while the U.S. is required to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River

The deal eases rising tension between the countries after Trump threatened to slap additional 5% tariffs on Mexican imports and set a deadline for water deliveries starting Dec. 31. Communities along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas have been affected by water shortages, with the Trump administration pledging a $12 billion lifeline for farmers affected by U.S. tariffs Talks between both administrations continued during the week.

Russia, Ukraine trade attacks

By The Associated Press

Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strike of its own on southwestern Russia, a day before talks involving senior European and U.S. ofﬁcials aimed at ending the war were set to resume.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian, U.S. and European ofﬁcials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he will personally meet with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys.

“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House ofﬁcial, who spoke on condition of anonymity

American ofﬁcials have tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including which combatant will get control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

“The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community,” Zelenskyy said. “We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is digniﬁed, and to secure a guarantee a guarantee above all — that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion.”

As diplomats push for peace, the war grinds on.

Russia attacked ﬁve Ukrainian regions overnight, targeting the country’s energy and port infrastructure. Zelenskyy said the attacks involved more than 450 drones and 30 missiles And with temperatures hovering around freezing, Ukraine’s interior min-

ister, Ihor Klymenko, said more than a million people were without electricity

An attack on Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the coastal city’s port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper

Kyiv and its allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian ofﬁcials call “weaponizing” the cold.

The drone attack in Russia’s Saratov region damaged a residential building and killed two people, said the regional governor, Roman Busargin, who didn’t offer further details. Busragin said the attack also shattered windows at a kindergarten and clinic. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

On the front lines, Ukrainian forces said Saturday that the northern part of Pokrovsk was under

Belarus frees Nobel Prize laureate, opposition figure

BY YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press

VILNIUS, Lithuania Belarus freed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, key opposition ﬁgure Maria Kolesnikova and dozens of other political prisoners on Saturday capping two days of talks with Washington aimed at improving ties and getting crippling U.S. sanctions lifted on a key Belarusian agricultural export

President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 123 prisoners, Belarus’ state news agency, Belta, reported In exchange, the U.S. said it was lifting sanctions on the Eastern European country’s potash sector

A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron ﬁst for more than three decades, and the country has been repeatedly sanctioned by the West for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

John Coale, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus who met with Lukashenko in Minsk on Friday and Saturday, described

the talks to reporters as “very productive” and said normalizing relations between the two countries was “our goal,” Belta reported.

“We’re lifting sanctions, releasing prisoners. We’re constantly talking to each other,” Coale said, adding that the relationship between the U.S. and Belarus was moving from “baby steps to more conﬁdent steps” as they increased dialogue, the Belarusian news agency reported.

Belarus has released hundreds of prisoners since July 2024. Among the 123 freed Saturday were a U.S. citizen, six citizens of U.S. allied countries, and five Ukrainian citizens, a U.S. official told The Associated Press in an email. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic negotiations, described the release as “a significant milestone in U.S.-Belarus engagement” and “yet another diplomatic victory” for U.S. President Donald Trump.

The ofﬁcial said Trump’s engagement so far “has led to the release of over 200 political prisoners in Belarus, including six unjustly detained U.S. citizens and over 60 citizens of U.S. Allies and partners.”

Arkansas first state to sever ties with PBS

By The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK,Ark. — The commission that oversees public television in Arkansas voted Thursday to sever ties with PBS, making it the ﬁrst state to end its contract with the broadcast giant that provides popular television programs such as “Sesame Street,” “Nova” and “Antiques Roadshow.”

Ukrainian control, despite Russia’s claims this month that it had taken full control of the critical city The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the claims. The latest attacks came after Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov reafﬁrmed Friday that Moscow will give its blessing to a ceaseﬁre only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from parts of the Donetsk region that they still control.

Ukraine has consistently refused to cede the remaining part of the region to Russia.

Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard troops would stay in parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan — a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine as U.S.led negotiations drag on.

Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

Israel says it has killed a top Hamas commander

By The Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israel on Saturday said it killed a top Hamas commander in Gaza after an explosive device detonated and wounded two soldiers in the territory’s south. Hamas in a statement did not confirm the death of Raed Saad. It said a civilian vehicle had been struck outside Gaza City and asserted it was a violation of the ceaseﬁre that took effect on Oct. 10. Saad served as the Hamas official in charge of manufacturing and previously led the militant group’s operations division. The Israeli statement described him as one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, and said that he had been “engaged in rebuilding the terrorist organization” in a violation of the ceaseﬁre. The Israeli strike west of Gaza City killed four people, according to an Associated Press journalist who saw their bodies ar-

rive at Shifa Hospital Another three were wounded, according to Al-Awda hospital. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of truce violations. Israeli airstrikes and shootings in Gaza have killed at least 386 Palestinians since the ceasefire took hold, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel has said recent strikes are in retaliation for militant attacks against its soldiers, and that troops have fired on Palestinians who approached the “Yellow Line” between the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza and the rest of the territory Israel has demanded that Palestinian militants return the remains of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, from Gaza and called it a condition of moving to the second and more complicated phase of the ceasefire. That lays out a vision for ending Hamas’ rule and seeing the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision.

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PBS confirmed in an email Thursday that Arkansas is the first state to definitively sever ties with the broadcaster

Alabama considered similar action last month, but opted to continue paying its contract with PBS after public backlash from viewers and donors.

“The commission’s decision to drop

The eight-member Arkansas Educational Television Commission made up entirely of appointees of the governor, announced in a news release Thursday that it planned to disafﬁliate from PBS effective July 1, citing annual membership dues of about $2.5 million it described as “not feasible.” The release also cited the unexpected loss of about that same amount of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was targeted for closure earlier this year and defunded by Congress. PBS Arkansas is rebranding itself as Arkansas TV and will provide more local content, the agency’s Executive Director and CEO Carlton Wing said in a statement. Wing, a former Republican state representative, took the helm of the agency in September “Public television in Arkansas is not going away,” Wing said. “In fact, we invite you to join our vision for an increased focus on local programming, continuing to safeguard Arkansans in times of emergency and supporting our K-12 educators and students.”

PBS membership is a blow to Arkansans who will lose free, over the air access to quality PBS programming they know and love,” a PBS spokesperson wrote in an email to The Associated Press. The demise of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a direct result of President Donald Trump’s targeting of public media, which he has repeatedly said is spreading political and cultural views antithetical to those the United States should be espousing. The closure is expected to have a profound impact on the journalistic and cultural landscape — in particular, public radio and TV stations in small communities nationwide. Arkansas House Democratic Leader Rep. Andrew Collins called the demise of PBS in Arkansas sad. “It’s certainly a loss for Arkansas families who value the programming of PBS,” he said.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Maria Kolesnikova, key Belorussian opposition figure, shows a gesture of love while sitting in a bus Saturday after being released from detention in Belarus at the Ukraine-Belarus border

Shooter still at large after Brown University incident

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, JENNIFER McDERMOTT and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A shooter

dressed in black killed at least two people and wounded eight others at Brown University on Saturday during final exams on the Ivy League campus, authorities said, as police searched for the suspect.

Officers were hunting through campus buildings and sifting through trash cans more than three hours after the shooting erupted

The shooter was a male in dark clothing who was last seen leaving the building, said Deputy Chief of Police Timothy O’Hara.

Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-in-place was in effect for the area and encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside and not to return home until it is lifted.

“We have all available resources” to ﬁnd the suspect, Smiley said.

The eight wounded people were in critical but stable condition, the mayor said. He declined to say whether the victims were students.

University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custo-

dy, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a shooter or shooters, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notiﬁcation system.

The mayor said a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but was later determined to have no involvement.

“We’re still getting information about what’s going on, but we’re just telling people to lock their doors and to stay vigilant,” said Providence council member John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Brown campus.

“As a Brown alum, someone

who loves the Brown community and represents this area, I’m heartbroken. My heart goes out to all the family members and the folks who’ve been impacted.”

The shooting occurred near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department.

According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and ofﬁces.

Engineering design exams were underway in the building when the shooting occurred.

Trump vows retaliation after 3 Americans killed in Syria

BY SAMAR KASSABALI, BASSEM MROUE and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria President Donald Trump said Saturday that “there will be very serious retaliation” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group

“This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them,” he said in a social media post.

The American president told reporters at the White House that Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was “devastated by what happened” and stressed that Syria was ﬁghting alongside U.S. troops Trump, in his post, said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

The two servicemembers killed were members of the Iowa National Guard, according to a person briefed on the situation who was granted anonymity because they did not have permission to speak publicly

U.S. Central Command said three service members were also wounded in the ambush Saturday by a lone IS member in central Syria. Trump said the three “seem to be doing pretty well.” The U.S. military said the gunman was killed in the attack. Syrian ofﬁcials said the attack wounded members of Syria’s security forces as well

The attack on U.S. troops in Syria was the ﬁrst with fatalities since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago.

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, said the civilian killed was a U.S interpreter Parnell said the attack targeted soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the region and is under active investigation.

The shooting took place near historic

Palmyra, according to the state-run SANA news agency, which earlier said two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan. Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said a gunman linked to IS opened ﬁre at the gate of a military post He added that Syrian authorities are looking into whether the gunman was an IS member or only carried its extreme ideology

Later al-Baba said that the attacker was a member of the Internal Security force in the desert adding that he “did not have any command post” within the forces nor was he a bodyguard for the force commander

Al-Baba added in an interview with state TV that some 5,000 members have joined Internal Security forces in the desert and they get evaluated on weekly basis. He added that three days ago, an evaluation was made for the attacker that concluded he might have extreme ideology and a decision was expected to be issued regarding his case on Sunday but “the attack occurred on a Saturday which is a day off for state institutions.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, ﬁnd you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

U.S. ofﬁcials made no reference in their statements to the gunman being a member of the Syrian security forces. When asked about the matter, a Pentagon ofﬁcial did not directly respond to the question but said, “This attack took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control.”

The ofﬁcial spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military issues.

working on a ﬁnal research project in his dorm directly across the street from the building when he heard sirens outside and received a text about an active shooter shortly after 4 p.m.

“I’m just in here shaking,” he said, watching through the window as a half-dozen armed officers in tactical gear surrounded his dorm. He said he feared for a friend who he thought was inside the engineering building at the time.

Students in a nearby lab hid under desks and turned off the lights after receiving an alert about the shooting, said Chiangheng Chien, a doctoral student in engineering who was about a block away from the scene.

Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. A police ofﬁcer warned

media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.

President Donald Trump told reporters that he had been briefed on the shooting and “all we can do right now is pray for the victims.” “It’s a shame,” he said in brief remarks at the White House.

Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.

Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information ofﬁcer for the city of Providence. The FBI said it was assisting in the response. Brown is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK STOCKWELL

Ambulances line Hope Street at Brown University in Providence, R.I., on Saturday during reports of a shooting

change at LSU.

“I sincerely believe the workweare going to do in thecoming months and years willchange the way we educate Louisiana, will drive economic growth in our state and beyond and will push the LSU system to new heights,” Rousse said at the conclusion of the meeting.

The contracts establish a$750,000 base salary for both men and an extensive list of incentivepayments tied to specific university goals. Incentive compensation could allow the ofﬁcials to more than double their annual salary,with no earning cap placed on many of the payments.

The priorities laid outin the contracts underscore LSU’sambitions to achieve national research stature, furthercentralize the system’s eight campuses and ensure robust private and public funding as uncertainty roilsthe federal grant landscape

Following Rousse’svision for the system, the Board of Supervisors also approved an overhaul of LSU’sorganizational structure, which included reinstating the chancellorposition at the flagship campus, incorporating the LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical Research Center,LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport intothe flagship in BatonRouge, and shifting reporting lines so all chancellors reportto the president.

“It is so,socriticalthat our system work as one,” Ballard said. “It is so critical that we somehow show people that Louisiana can be top 50, thentop 25, and as Chancellor Dalton says, number one. And youjust can’tdothat without becoming an enterprise.”

Enrollmentand funding

The objectivesoutlined for Rousse are more detailed than former President William Tate’sand more targeted at enrollment,state and federal funding and key re-

search distinctions,suchas an incentive of $100,000 to secure aNational Institutes of Health Clinical Translational Science Award At thetimeofhis departure for Rutgers University, Tate was paidthe samebase salary of $750,000. He was offered fewer metricbased incentives eight compared to Rousse’s21.

Board members declined to answer questions on the contracts.

Ahandfulofpaymentsare incremental. For example, Rousse couldearn$20,000 for every 0.5% year-overyear increase of each LSU institution’sfreshman retention rate,accordingto his contract. He would be paid $75,000 if statefunding forinfrastructure hit $50 million in agiven year,and $25,000 more for every $25 million in funding beyond that.

Nine of Rousse’sincentives —more than athird —are tied to revenue objectives. He will receive extra payifLSU signsanagreement with LouisianaEconomic Development valued at at least $10million over four years, if federal appropriationstotal $30 million or more, and if thestate provides funding to reduce the disparity between LSU faculty salaries andpeer institutions.

Dalton,asthe chief academic officer of theLSU system, shares many of

Rousse’sincentives but has agreater focus on research andfacultysuccess in his contract. He’seligibletobe paid $25,000 if total research expendituresincrease by 10% over the prior year

Both officials’ contracts reflect LSU’saspiration to becomeaTop 50 research university,which wasexpressedthroughout the presidentialsearch in the fall. Rousse andDalton

would receive $100,000 each if LSU achieved the Top50 ranking amongpublic universities in theNational Science Foundation’sHigher Education Research &Development survey

Restructuringhesitancy

It isn’tonly thecontracts that chart anew course for LSU.Rousse and the Board of Supervisors have amendedthe system’sor-

ganizational chart, drawing concernfromsome of those affected by the changes.

In particular,boardmembers saidthey didnot want to lose all authority over institutions in the LSU systemoutside of the main Baton Rouge campus. The new structure changedthe titles of the headsofseveral specialized research unitsfrom “chancellor” to “senior vice chancellor,” and directed chancellors at LSU satellite campusestoreportdirectly to Rousse

They agreed theboard must approve contracts for allseniorvicechancellor andchancellorpositions, thoughthe president will retain removal power in consultation with it.

“Wehavetohavethe ability to supervise and manage this institution,”supervisor Rémy Starns said in ameeting of the board’sexecutive committee

Speaking to the board Thursday, state Sen. Thomas Pressly,R-Shreveport, calledthe reorganizationa “seismic shift.”

He expressed unease about renaming the chancellorpositionatLSU Health Shreveport and other research units to “se-

niorvicechancellor” as the system coalesces, saying he fears disempowering local decision-making andreporting to acampus “three and ahalf hours away with little to no knowledge of our regionalneeds.”

“I understand the goal of this change, to capture national recognition by placing all of our research institutions under the same name andsame system in order to capitalize on the work being done throughoutthe state of Louisiana,” Pressly said. “I understand that ultimategoal,and I agreewith it. But Iamconcerned with the process, the lack of information being provided to our stakeholders and the implications that this mayhave to the LSU Health Sciences CenterinShreveport.”

Rousse and Ballard emphasizedthatnoautonomy would be lost at regional institutions under the new plan.

“Shifts in titles and clear linesofreporting should notbeviewedasthreats,” Rousse said. “They should be viewed as opportunities. We arebuilding ateamthat can support you in your efforts to elevateLSU.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU President Wade Rousse, left, is introduced to speak by Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard during anewsconference at the LSUFoundation on Nov. 4.

By The Associated Press

ALos Angeles jury awarded $40 million on Friday to twowomen who claimedthattalcumpowdermade by Johnson &Johnson causedtheir ovarian cancer

The giant health care company said it would appeal the jury’sli-

PAY

Continued from page1A

livable, affordable wage for what they do. They could be making awhole lotmore money in the private practice of law.”

Arunning dispute

Twomonthsago, Weimer also personally appearedbefore an obscure board called theJudicial Supplemental Compensation Fund, but he failed to sway its members into agreeing to pay the Supreme Court for the time its staff takes to administer the fund.

The chair of the supplemental compensation fund, district court Judge William Burris,interrupted Weimer three times as the chief justice was making his presentation before Burris added, “everyone disagrees with your interpretation.”

Weimer said he was simply trying to fulﬁll his job obligations. Weimer also noted that Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack sided with him in saying that judges are required to reimburse the Supreme Court for the court’sstafftimein administering the fund.

At stake is about $50,000 per year.Paying this money would costjudges about $150 per year in salary and perhaps that much annually once retired.

Twoyears ago, Weimer went to the State Capitol to speak in favor of abill by state Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, that would have reduced the $118 per diem thatjudges canclaimasreimbursement for food, lodging and other costs incurred while traveling. Weimer wants judges instead to accept alower per diem set by the federal General Services Administration.

Then-Justice Will Crain andthen-JusticeJames Genovese attended the hearing to oppose Weimer

The chief justice disclosed that day that his colleagues had voted 6-1 to accept the $118 per diem.

Zeringue ended discussion of his bill before the committee took avote, knowing it would lose.

Several committee members were confounded that the justices were disputing an issue that involved only $150,000 per year,orless than one-tenth of 1% of the judiciary’s$198million annual budget.

At the hearing, Weimer also disclosed that the justices opposed him 6-1 on whether judges would have to reimburse the Supreme Court for its staff’s work in administering the supplemental compensation fund. Should judges getaraise?

Weimer’smost recent effort occurred at the State Capitol before the Judicial Compensation Commission, which wascreated by the Legislature in 1995to provide recommendations

ability verdict and compensatory damages

Theverdict is thelatest development in alongstanding legal battle over claims that talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body power was connected to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, acancer that strikes the lungs and other organs. Johnson &Johnson stopped sellingpowder madewith talc worldwide in 2023. In October,anotherCalifornia

to lawmakers on howmuch they should raisejudicial pay

Before then, judges would besiegelegislators with requestsfor more paywithout any objective standard, saidEdwin Murray,thenaDemocratic state House member from New Orleans who currently chairs the compensation commission. The commission typically meets everytwo yearsand receives apay raise recommendation from Loren Scott, aretired LSUeconomics professorwho now conductseconomic analysis for public and privateentities. Judges payfor Scott’sstudy,which Weimer contended creates aconﬂict of interest.

jury ordered J&Jtopay $966 million to thefamily of awomanwho died of mesothelioma, claiming she developed the cancer becausethe baby powder she used was contaminated with the carcinogen asbestos. In the latest case, thejury awarded $18 milliontoMonicaKentand $22 milliontoDeborah Schultz and herhusband. “The only thingthey didwas be loyal to Johnson &Johnson as acustomer for only 50 years,” said their attorney, Daniel Robinson

islature awarded judges in 2024 andin2025. Stipends are notapermanentpart of the base salary,but they do raise judges’retirement pay —which is based on the average of their highest three salaries andtheir length of service. Judges who serve30years receive theirfull judicialsalary during retirement.

Scottalwaysﬁnds thatjudgesneed a pay raise to keep up withinﬂation,and legislators then have increased those salaries every time but one in the pastdozen years.

Scott’slatestanalysis showed that payraises in Louisiana have notkept pacewithinflation nationally since 1983, hisbaseline year.Nor havesalaries kept pace with raises for judges in the neighboring statesof Texas, Arkansasand Mississippi, Scott found To keeppace, Scott said, judges should receive apay hike from$27,409 to $25,414 next year,depending on theirposition,and another $15,402 to $13,596 cumulatively over the following three years.

Weimer questioned Scott’s ﬁgures, noting that because

Weimernoted that, because the otherjustices voted to have the2024 stipend paid outasalump sum, Genovese collected the full amount and left before the year ended to become president of Northwestern State. Then-JusticeScott Crichton collected the full amount of money but left the benchmidway through the fiscal year when term limits forced him out of ofﬁce and didn’twork afull year.Those payments are increasing their retirement pay by $5,000 and $2,500 per year,respectively, Weimer said.

Thepayment“equalized past due discrepanciesin judicial salaries,” Crichton saidinaninterview.“That was the opinion of sixassociate justices andprobably 98% of the judges.”

State Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro,who

of theRobinsonCalcagnie lawﬁrm in Newport Beach, California. “That loyalty was aone-waystreet.”

Erik Haas, J&J’sworldwide vice presidentoflitigation, said in a statement that the company had won“16 of the17ovarian cancer cases it previously tried” and expected to do so againuponappealingFriday’sverdict. Haas called the jury’sfindings “irreconcilable with the decades of independent scientiﬁc evaluations confirming that talc is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.” Johnson &Johnsonreplaced the talc in its baby powdersoldinmost of North Americawith cornstarch in 2020 aftersales declined. In April, aU.S.bankruptcycourt judgedeniedJ&J’s plantopay $9 billion to settle ovariancancer and othergynecological cancer litiation claimsbased on talc-related products.

chairs the House AppropriationsCommittee, saidinan interview before Monday’s hearing thatlegislators were reluctant to give apermanent payraisetojudges recentlybecause they were dragging their feet in providing theinformation for a study to determine whether some judgesdon’t have enough work. The resultsof that study might lead legislatorstotake the controversialmove of shifting judgeshipsfromone part of the statetoanother

“How do you keep coming back recommending pay raises when our population is declining andwehave morejudges than surrounding states?” asked McFarland. Only one member of the compensation commission raisedthat type of question

on Monday. It came from J.R. Ball, aformer executive editorofthe BatonRouge Business Report, who was appointedtohis positionby Weimer

Ball questioned why the commission waslooking only at salaries and not total compensation.Henoted that raising judges’ paywould costtaxpayers even more because it would mean higher retirement pay for judges.

“Ultimately,it’s thetaxpayers of the state that bear the financial burden of when these things getenacted,” Ball said.

Murraythennoted state lawcalls forsheriffs and some parish presidents to automaticallyreceivepay increases when judges col-

lect more. Ball offereda motion to have thecommissionapprove the pay raises recommended by Scott but also to require judges to take the lower perdiemamounts set by the General Services Administration. No othercommission membersupported Ball. The commissionthen approved Scott’spay raise figures, with only Ball dissenting. As the meeting wasending, state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge anda commissionmember,said he hopedthe group never meets again, indicating he will file legislation to give judges automatic pay increases based on inflation projections.

Murray

Scott

McMakin

formerly worked with the LSU AgCenter at its Crowley research station.

“We’re looking to see if agrivoltaics is viable for Louisiana’s climate and whether the specialty crops are as nutritious when grown in the shade,” deNux said.

But AV isn’t emerging in a vacuum.

Land-use tension

In the past ﬁve years, Louisiana has seen hundreds of acres of rural land — often agricultural or pasture — converted into large-scale solar sites, with developers like D.E. Shaw and corporations such as Meta and Amazon driving the expansion.

That growth has collided with longstanding agricultural traditions — particularly in the state’s sugar cane belt — creating a new wave of land-use tension in rural communities.

Plans for solar farms in Iberville and St. James parishes were scrapped following local pushback, in particular from sugar cane farmers who view the initiatives as an encroachment on their own economic viability In October, members of the Sunset community expressed similar frustrations at a town hall discussing a proposed solar farm on Hippolite Miller Road.

It’s happening nationwide: Farmland is disappearing, and solar development is expanding. The United States loses 2,000 acres of farmland a day to nonagricultural development, and by 2050, solar farms alone are expected to occupy more than 10 million acres — roughly 0.5% of the contiguous United States, according to American Farmland Trust.

With farmland disappearing and solar panels spreading across rural Louisiana, agrivoltaics could offer farmers a way to maintain production while also generating energy

“The whole premise is really looking at sustainability and dual sources of revenue for producers, which comes from the energy they can sell back to the grid,” deNux said.

Some researchers counter that the expansion of agrivoltaics into Louisiana agriculture should be limited and would require a longterm investment for what is likely to be a small initial return.

“I don’t see being able to convert 500 acres of sugar cane into 500 acres of vegetable crops under solar panels, at least not without a major hit to the farmers or the producer,” said Kurt Guidry, an agribusiness researcher at the LSU AgCenter “You, as a producer would need to get in touch with a buyer willing to purchase at that scale I’m skeptical of it. It would likely need to be at a much smaller scale.” Guidry has conducted previous research into the economic consequences of transitioning sugar cane fields into solar farms, warning of possible losses in revenue for the state’s economy

Due to the size of the plants, sugar cane is not a viable crop for AV, and thus any transition of sugar cane farms into AV farms will require produce to come in the form of different crops.

“Most sugar cane farmers in Louisiana rent their land, and most of our farmers aren’t trained for vegetable crops. So when a landowner

decides to transfer land from sugar cane into a solar farm, even if they are growing crops under the panels, unless we’re specifically training those farmers for growing those crops, it’s putting people out of a job,” Guidry said.

‘Both sides can be happy’ At UL’s solar farm on

Eraste Landry Road, researchers and students under deNux’s guidance have planted 434 broccoli plants in between the solar panels already located there. While not a major crop in the Louisiana agricultural industry, AV studies have shown broccoli to have a particular propensity for growth using the procedure,

ventionally grown plants. Customers there preferred the visual appeal and taste of AV-grown broccoli. That could increase consumer demand,” deNux said.

The additional source of revenue isn’t the only beneﬁt of transitioning a traditional solar farm into an AV farm, either The presence of crops themselves can beneﬁt energy production, according to deNux.

“These plants take water from their roots and release it as vapor, which in turn creates a cooling effect under the panels. Solar panels don’t do as well when they’re overheated, so the plants also make the energy production more efﬁcient.”

While still in its infancy, deNux is hopeful UL’s research will lead to increased exposure and viability for the emerging approach to farming and offer Louisiana’s economy a path toward reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

which deNux said influenced her decision in choosing the crop for the study

The study also aims to determine if members of the public prefer the look and taste of produce grown through AV or conventional means by use of a blind sample.

“There’s a South Korean study that showed that broccoli grown in AV plots were a more vibrant green. It’s very fresh-looking when compared with the more dullish green of con-

“It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve made massive changes in agriculture. I think this provides a way that both sides can be happy When I’ve presented research, I’ve gotten a lot of interest from people who want to know how they can implement this on their land. I do believe in sustainable energy, and with climate change getting more unpredictable here in the Gulf South, having reliable energy sources is important. If we train people, if we do it the right way, this will hopefully be a way of getting there while giving some farmers additional sources of revenue.”

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Students upset by immigration sweeps can get help

Fear keeping some children at home, and away from support

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

For three decades, Tulane University psychology professor Stacy Overstreet has studied the impact of chronic stress and trauma on New Orleans children — from community violence and poverty to devastating hurricanes and the COVID pandemic.

In 2015, she was one of several experts the New Orleans City Council recruited to help address crises that happen outside schools but affect student learning. That work evolved into helping schools support students who are dealing with chronic stress.

Overstreet defines trauma as an event that results in the harmful interruption of a person’s sense of safety agency dignity and belonging. She says it can include economic insecurity and racism faced by many children of color, or fleeing violence and being separated from family members experienced by some children who immigrated to the U.S. Trauma can leave young people with a “profound and persistent sense of danger” and trigger “survival brain,” which makes it exceedingly difficult to learn, she added. In a state of hypervigilance, students might respond impulsively or aggressively to perceived threats at school.

Now, as U.S. Border Patrol agents conduct immigration sweeps in the New Orleans area, Overstreet said she’s concerned some students could face mental health and academic challenges similar to the fallout from past traumatic events she’s studied.

It’s likely some children’s parents were among the dozens of immigrants that federal agents have

arrested in the New Orleans area over the past week, while other young people are worried that their loved ones will be detained next. Agents do not appear to have entered any schools, but some families are opting to keep their children home out of fear, cutting students off from the social support and counseling they might get at school.

“We know from Katrina and from COVID, the more kids are out of school the more impact this is going to have,” Overstreet said.

“These impacts can be long-lasting unless schools have supports in place to help kids navigate it.”

In a recent interview with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, Overstreet discussed how trauma can play out in students’ lives and how teachers and school staff can mitigate the negative impacts.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity How does trauma affect young people?

It can have wide-ranging impacts on learning and on mental health, but also on interpersonal relationships. If you don’t feel like you’re a valued member of a community, then you may retreat and withdraw or have difﬁculty trusting others.

It impacts all the domains of development cognition, socialemotional well-being, interper-

WITH STACy OVERSTREET

UNIVERSITy PSyCHOLOGy PROFESSOR

rights and continue to make sure that schools themselves are safe places for students. That means understanding that unless there are proper warrants in place, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn’t have a right to enter Schools need to clearly communicate that to parents and educators so that everyone has a very clear and transparent understanding of school as a safe place. Could this also take a toll on educators?

Educators are worried about students’ learning, their mental health and their families being separated.

During COVID, when educators became very worried about their students and aware of all the challenges their students were facing, that took a hit on educators’ mental health. They’re experiencing their own stress and vicariously experiencing the stress of their students while being called on as kind of ﬁrst responder That’s a really heavy load to put on educators.

sonal relationships, and ultimately health. Kids can develop chronic headaches and chronic stomachaches from experiencing all of those feelings on a day-to-day basis.

But I want to acknowledge that our kids are also incredibly resilient and most are able to ﬁnd their way through these challenges to their safety, agency dignity and belonging. Often times it just takes a single caring adult to make that resilience happen.

How might the recent immigration sweeps affect local kids?

Our kids in New Orleans do experience chronic trauma, so they’re already primed to look out for their own safety and signs of danger This mass enforcement is turning on the alarm for all of our kids, not just kids who are from immigrant families, who are seeing it on social media or the news.

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA

When that fear takes over, it can interfere with both engagement in academics as well as our ability to control our emotions and our behaviors and be fully present and engaged.

What impact could this have on classrooms and learning?

The lack of attendance due to fear is one of the biggest, most immediate impacts. If you’re not in school, then you can’t learn.

For a lot of kids, if you’re not in school then you don’t have the social connections where you get a lot of your resilience from. You don’t have those connections with your teachers or your friends. And some kids aren’t getting the nutrition that you might get from the school meal program.

What are some ways teachers and schools can support students?

The most important thing schools can do is know their

Schools really need to be thinking about what is in place to support their staff. Transparent communication is important and access to mental health support and peer support so that there’s space for them to get support from each other

What else can schools do in this moment?

Schools are struggling — we can see from the attendance data with actually getting kids into the building. They could create carpool structures or a system where community members walk kids to school whose parents may not feel safe enough to come out of their home. Then schools should be thinking about when kids come back to school. What kind of supports do they need to really process the complex emotions they’ve been having and really come back to learning and reestablish a sense of safety

Overstreet

-J.Morris

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

WASHINGTON —Congressenters its ﬁnal week of work before the holidays without aclear path on how to handle skyrocketing health care insurance premiums.

The U.S. Senate shot down competing plans —one Democratic and one Republican —onThursday

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, releaseda bill Friday that the GOP House majority plans to vote on vote this week.

He says the bill will address increased costs across the board and not just for the 7% of Americans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. That speciﬁc group will see the cost of their policies double starting with the New Year in three weeks if Congress doesn’tact.

Ballard

Democrats insist on extending ACA marketplace tax credits for three years to avoid aﬁnancial slap that 24.3 million working Americans are about to feel and to allowtime to develop more systemic ﬁxes.

Republicans, who have for 15 years tried unsuccessfully to get rid of Obamacare, oppose extendingthe tax credits, saying they do nothing to tamp down soaring health care costs.

They say Democrats are just looking for acampaign issue in the November 2026 midterm elections.

But some moderate Republicans fear enoughoftheir constituents, angered at the higher prices, will turn them out of ofﬁce in their districts, which are more competitive than many of held by conservatives.

They’re pressing for accommodation with the Democrats.

Unless renewed by Congress, Obamacare tax credits expire Dec. 31. Democrats argue it’sa harbinger of the pain that will be caused by Republican changes to health care, particularly Medicaid, made overthe summer butdon’tgointo effect until after the midterms.

Militaryspendingbill includes money forLa.

Louisiana military facilities picked up about $20.2 million for construction and more than $1 5 billion for programs in the 3,000-plus-page National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

The Senate on Thursday began the process for ﬁnal approval of the NDAA, which the House passed Wednesday night on avote of 312 to 112.

Enhanced ACAsubsidies wereadded when Democrats held power during the COVID pandemic. The credits aredesigned to cover thegap between what insurance costs and what the participants can afford to pay.How much in tax credits each policyholder receives is based on acomplex formula that includes annual income and thesizeofhouseholds.

Without that relief, nearly every ACA marketplace policyholder mustpay the full amount.

TheACA marketplace alsoreﬂects the growing number of people who workindependently or for companies that don’t offer health insurance.

Health insurance premiums,not just ACA, rose by historic proportions across the board in 2026.

Center

TheNDAA includes $931 million for thecontinued modernization of B-52 bombers,many of which are housed on thebase in northwest Louisiana. Another $607 million will continue development of aLong RangeStandoff Weapon, which will replace existing air-launched cruise missiles.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

Senators voted75-22 Thursday to set up the vote next week that will send the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature into law

“The legislation improves the livelihoods of America’sbrave men and women in uniform by giving them awell-deserved pay raise,and ensures ourwarﬁghters have access to the best and mostinnovative military technologies,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, in a statement.

At Barksdale Air ForceBase in Bossier City, $18 million will go toward aWeaponsGeneration Facility Dormitory that supports the new $275 million Weapons Generation Facility,which iscurrently under construction

Another $2.2 million will gotoward building a13-room addition to the existing Child Development

Military spending accounted for $17 billion in economic output in Louisiana in ﬁscal year 2024, according to aJune 2025 Louisiana Economic Development report. More than 117,000 employees are associated with themilitary economy, which equates to approximately 5.4% of total state payroll employment and$700 million in state andlocal tax revenues.

Trumpstronglybacked the ambitiousannual defense authorization bill, the headline features of which includea 3.8% payraise for servingmilitary and building more F-47 ﬁghter aircraft, submarines and warships.

Additionally,Trump wanted to remove “diversity,equityand inclusion,” or DEI policies.

“This year’sNational Defense Authorization Act helps advance President Trumpand Republicans’ Peace Through StrengthAgenda by codifying 15 of PresidentTrump’sexecutive orders, endingwoke ideology

Policies for roughly 160 million people

whoreceive their insurancethrough employerswent up nearly 10%, according to KFF,aWashington-based health care think tank. Employersreceive taxbeneﬁts for picking up alion’sshareoftheir employees’policy costs.

Medicarecosts 67.3 million people over theage of 65 yearsnearly 10% more than lastyear

The increases arecaused by multiple factors, including inﬂation, higher prescription costs, and more people seeking care, according to many experts, suchas Mercer,aNew York-based asset management consulting ﬁrm.

Johnson’sproposal probably won’thave an extension of thetax credits forACA participants. Butthe bill is expected to

at the Pentagon, securing the border,revitalizing the defense industrial base, and restoring the warrior ethos,” Johnson said. “It rootsout Biden-era wokeism in our military and restores meritbased promotions and admissions to service academies, prohibits contracts with partisan ﬁrms, counters antisemitism, and halts harmful, unnecessary programs like CRT(critical race theory), DEI, and climate initiatives.”

Planfor newvoting machines advances

Six voting systemsLouisiana displayed for public testingthis summer have been certiﬁed to advance to the state’sbidding process, Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced Thursday Just one of those will ultimately replace Louisiana’scurrent, decades-old machines.

Companies can only compete for thestate contract if their voting system complies with dozens of standards, including using paper ballots, having tamperevident seals, and not connecting to theinternet,among many other requirements.

Previousefforts to replace the voting system have stumbled at multiple junctures in theface of bid-rigging allegations.

Louisianalawmakers imposed morestringent standards for new machines in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, when

include limits on income levels, reduced cost-sharing with insurancecompanies andlargerhealth savings accounts for consumers —all efforts to lower prices for everyone,not just for the 7% of the ACA policyholders abouttosee their costs double,hesaid.

“Wehavesome low-hanging fruit. We have some things that every Republican agrees to,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “You’re going to seea packagecome together that will be on the ﬂoor next week thatwill actually reducepremiums for 100% of Americanswho areon health insurance.”

Still, some antsy Republicans are turning to aparliamentary procedure to circumvent Johnsonand forcea ﬂoor vote on extending ACA taxcredits for ayear or two.Discharge petitions arerareand an indicationthatJohnson’sholdonthe 220 House Republicans is getting more slippery Twoofthe petitions seeking extensions have attracted the signatures of nearly a dozenRepublicans. If the 213House Democratssign on to either one —218 signaturesare necessary —then the discharge petitions will succeed. But the Democrats have their owndischarge petitionfor a bill thatextends the subsidies for three years.

Meanwhile, Johnson is in negotiations with the ﬁve Republicancliques in the House House Majority Leader Steve Scalise,of Jefferson andthe second-highest ranking Republican, said the GOP is working on proposals thatwould lower costs.

“Weare nowfocused on bringing a numberofthose bills to the ﬂoor thatwe have consensus on.There are still some areas thatwedon’t have full agreement upon, andwe’regoing to keep working on those,” Scalise said. “Nothing is affordable aboutthe Affordable Care Act, and Republicans want to ﬁx that.” Email Mark Ballardatmballard@ theadvocate.com.

false claims that the election was rigged proliferated.

Now,the Secretary of State’sofﬁce will either issue atraditional request for proposals or use a ﬂexible procurement process called “invitation to negotiate” to purchase anew voting system

The secretary of state will announce which procurement method it will use “at the appropriatetime,” said spokesperson Joel Watson.

It’snot clear exactly how long thebidding process will take or when anew system will be selected, Watson said.

The new voting machines will eventually be implemented through a“phased rollout,” he said.

“A new system will not be in place for the spring primaries,” Watson said. “Ifa new system is in place by November,itwill only be in place in afew parishes.”

The companies certiﬁed to compete forLouisiana’svoting system contract are: Clear Ballot, Democracy Live, ES&S, Hart InterCivic, Liberty Vote and VotingWorks.

The company Liberty Vote bought Dominion Voting Systems in October Sanders, Landryspar over data centers

Gov.Jeff Landry andBernie Sanders, the Vermont senator and former Democratic presi-

dentialcandidate sparred on social media last week over Meta’s enormous data center planned for Louisiana

“Mark Zuckerberg is building adatacenterinLouisiana that will use 3x more electricity than allofNew Orleans,” Sanders wrote on X. “Oligarchs want YOU to payfor these data centers with higherwater & electric bills.

Sanders

Americansmust ﬁght back against billionaires who put proﬁts over people.”

Afew hours later, Landry shot back in arepost: “Bernie tweeting this knowing his state is missing outonbillions of dollars andthousands of jobs.”

He continued: “America must win the AI race andLouisiana is proud to be leading while others sit back andcomplain!”

The Richland Parish project, calledHyperion, is expected to cost$27 billion.

Landry andotherstate leaders have trumpeteditasatransformative economicwin that is expected to createhundreds of jobs. Some environmentaladvocates criticize the enormous amounts of powerthe plant will require, which theysay will require polluting powerplants andpotentially raise utility prices.

Save big on an outstandingseniorlivingexperienceand grow with us as youmeetnew friends, explorenew opportunities,and enjoy aworry-freelifestyle.Here, youwillengage in exciting,enriching, adventurous, andsocialactivities.

Ourapproach to senior care is focusedonthe individual wants andneedsofevery resident we serve. Whatever your preferences, our gracious andcaringstaff is readytoaccommodate. We can’t wait to welcomeyou home to the ultimate in comfort, care and support. Callustoschedulea tour or to learnmore.

Mark

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-La., center, flanked by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer,R-Minn., left, and House Majority Leader SteveScalise, R-La., speak to reporters at theCapitol in Washington.

INVISION FILE PHOTO By CHRIS PIZZELLO

Dick Van Dyke accepts the award for outstanding guest performance in a daytime drama series for ‘Days of Our Lives’ during the 51st Daytime Emmy Awards on June 7, 2024, at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles.

‘100 years is not enough’ for Dick Van Dyke

By The Associated Press

Comedy icon Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday, hitting the century mark some six decades after he sang and danced with Julie Andrews in “Mary Poppins” and starred in his self-titled sitcom.

“The funniest thing is, it’s not enough,” Van Dyke said in an interview with ABC News at his Malibu, California home. “A hundred years is not enough You want to live more, which I plan to.”

As part of the celebration of Van Dyke’s birthday this weekend, theaters around the country are showing a new documentary about his life, “Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration.”

Van Dyke became one of the biggest actors of his era with “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” which ran from 1961-66 on CBS; appeared with Andrews as a chimney sweep in the 1964 Disney classic “Mary Poppins” and, in his 70s, played a physician-sleuth on “Diagnosis: Murder ”

Also a Broadway star, Van Dyke won a Tony Award for “Bye Bye Birdie” to go with a Grammy and four Primetime Emmys. In 1963, he starred in the ﬁlm version of “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Just last year, he became the oldest winner of a Daytime Emmy for a guest role on the soap “Days of Our Lives.”

In the 1970s, he found sobriety after battling alcoholism, and spoke out about it at a time when that was uncommon to do.

Van Dyke said he’s gotten some perspective on how he used to play older characters.

“You know, I played old men a lot, and I always played them as angry and cantankerous,” he told ABC News. “It’s not really that way. I don’t know any other 100-year-olds, but I can speak for myself.”

He recently imparted wisdom about reaching the century mark in his book, “100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.” He credited his wife, 54-year-old makeup artist and producer Arlene Silver, with keeping him young “She gives me energy She gives me humor, and all kinds of support,” he told ABC News. Van Dyke was born in West Plains, Missouri, in 1925, and grew up “the class clown” in Danville, Illinois, while admiring and imitating the silent ﬁlm comedians.

He told ABC News he started acting when he was

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Dick Van Dyke, left, and Mary Tyler Moore, co-stars of ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ appear with their Emmys for best actor and actress in a series May 25, 1964, at the Television Academy’s 16th annual awards show in Los Angeles.

about 4 or 5 years old in a Christmas pageant. He said he was the baby Jesus.

“I made some kind of crack, I don’t know what I said, but it broke the congregation up,” he said. “And I liked the sound of that laughter.”

And what’s hard about being 100?

“I miss movement,” he told ABC News “I’ve got one game leg from I don’t know what.

“I still try to dance,” he said with a laugh.

Expiring subsidies hit enrollees hard

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

NEW YORK For one Wisconsin couple, the loss of government-sponsored health subsidies next year means choosing a lowerquality insurance plan with a higher deductible. For a Michigan family, it means going without insurance altogether

For a single mom in Nevada, the spiking costs mean fewer Christmas gifts this year She is stretching her budget while she waits to see if Congress will act.

Less than three weeks remain until the expiration of COVID-era enhanced tax credits that have helped millions of Americans pay their monthly fees for Affordable Care Act coverage for the past four years.

The Senate on Thursday rejected two proposals to address the problem and an emerging health care package from House Republicans does not include an extension, all but guaranteeing that many Americans will see much higher insurance costs in 2026.

Here are a few of their stories.

Spending more on less

Chad Bruns comes from a family of savers. That came in handy when the 58-year-old military veteran had to leave his ﬁreﬁghting career early because of arm and back injuries he incurred on the job.

He and his wife, Kelley, 60, both retirees, cut their own firewood to reduce their electricity costs in their home in Sawyer County Wisconsin. They rarely eat out and hardly ever buy groceries unless they are on sale.

But to the extent that they have always been frugal, they will be forced to be even more so now, Bruns said. That is because their coverage under the health law enacted under former President Barack Obama is getting more expensive and for worse coverage.

This year, the Brunses

were paying $2 per month for a top-tier gold-level plan with less than a $4,000 deductible. Their income was low enough to help them qualify for a lot of ﬁnancial assistance.

But in 2026, that same plan is rising to an unattainable $1,600 per month, forcing them to downgrade to a bronze plan with a $15,000 deductible.

Kelley Bruns said she is concerned that if something happens to their health in the next year, they could go bankrupt. While their monthly fees are low at about $25, their new out-ofpocket maximum at $21,000 amounts to nearly half their joint income.

“We have to pray that we don’t have to have surgery or don’t have to have some medical procedure done that we’re not aware of,” she said. “It would be very devastating.”

Going without insurance

Dave Roof’s family of four has been on ACA insurance since the program started in 2014. Back then, the accessibility of insurance on the marketplace helped him feel comfortable taking the leap to start a small music production and performance company in his hometown

of Grand Blanc, Michigan. His wife, Kristin, is also selfemployed as a top seller on Etsy

The coverage has worked for them so far, even when emergencies come up, such as an ATV accident their 21-year-old daughter had last year

But now, with the expiration of subsidies that kept their premiums down, the 53-year-old Roof said their $500 per month insurance plan is jumping to at least $700 a month, along with spiking deductibles and outof-pocket costs.

With their joint income of about $75,000 a year, that increase is not manageable, he said. So, they are planning to go without health insurance next year paying cash for prescriptions, checkups and anything else that arises.

Roof said his family is already living cheaply and has not taken a vacation together since 2021. As it is, they do not save money or add it to their retirement accounts. So even though forgoing insurance is stressful it is what they must do.

“The fear and anxiety that it’s going to put on my wife and I is really hard to measure,” Roof said “But we can’t pay for what we can’t pay for.”

Single mom strains budget

If you ask Katelin Provost, the American middle class has gone from experiencing a squeeze to a “full suffocation.”

The 37-year-old social worker in Henderson, Nevada, counts herself in that category As a single mom, she already keeps a tight budget to cover housing, groceries and day care for her 4-year-old daughter Next year, that is going to be even tougher

The monthly fee on her plan is going up from $85 to nearly $750. She decided she is going to pay that higher cost for January and reevaluate afterward, depending on whether lawmakers extend the subsidies, which as of now appears unlikely She hopes they will. If Congress does not act, she will drop herself off the health insurance and keep it only for her daughter because she cannot afford the higher fee for the two of them over the long term. The strain of one month alone is enough to have an impact. “I’m going to have to reprioritize the next couple of months to rebalance that budget,” Provost said. “Christmas will be much smaller.”

thatforgeourbeliefthatreportingthetruth–forourreaders, forourcity–isaresponsibilitywemustfulﬁllnomatterthecost.

Trumpunabletoinsulthis waytovictory in Indiana

BY THOMAS BEAUMONT and ISABELLAVOLMERT Associated Press

If Indiana Republican senators had any doubt about what to do with President Donald Trump’sredistricting proposal, he helped them make up their mindsthe night before the vote.

In asocial media screed, Trump accused the state’s top senator of being “a bad guy,oravery stupid one.”

“That kind of language doesn’thelp,” saidSen. Travis Holdman, abanker and lawyer from near Fort Wayne who voted against the plan. He was among21Republican senators who dealt Trump one of the most signiﬁcant political defeats of his second term by rejecting redistricting in Indiana. The decision undermined the president’snational campaign to redraw congressional maps to boost his party’s chances in the upcoming midterm elections.

In interviews after Thursday’svote, several Republican senators said they were leaning against the plan from the start because their constituents didn’tlike it. But in aMidwest nice rebuttal to America’sincreasingly coarse political discourse, somesaid they simply didn’t like the president’stone, like when he called senators “suckers.”

“I mean, that’spretty nasty,” said Sen. Jean Leising, a farm owner from Oldenburg

whoworksather daughter’s travel agency Trump didn’tseem to get themessage. Asked about the vote, the president once againtook aimatIndiana’s top senator,Rodric Bray

“He’ll probably lose his next primary, whenever that is,” Trump said.“Ihope he does, because he’s done a tremendous disservice.”

Sen. Sue Glick, an attorney from La Grange who also opposed redistricting, brushed off Trump’sthreat to unseat lawmakers who deﬁed him.

“I wouldthinkhe would have better thingstodo,” shesaid.“It would be money better spent electing theindi-

viduals he wants to represent his agenda in Congress.”

The president triedto brush off the defeat, telling reporters he “wasn’tworking on it very hard.”

But the White House had spent months engaged in what Republican Sen. Andy Zaydescribed as “a fullcourt press.”

Vice President JD Vance met with senatorstwice in Indiana andonceinWashington. White House aides frequently checked in over thephone.

Holdmansaidthe message behind thescenes was often moresoothing than Trump’s social media attacks.

“Wewere gettingmixed messages,” he said. “Two days before the vote, they wanted to declare atruce on Sen. Bray.And thenext day, there’sapost on Truth Social that didn’tsound liketruce language to me.”

SomeofTrump’s other comments caused backlash too. For example, he described Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz as “retarded,” which upsetSen. Mike Bohacek because his daughter has Down syndrome. Bohacek had been skeptical of redistricting anddecided to vote no in response.

The White Housedid not respondtoquestions about

outreach to senators, but it distanced itself fromconservative allieswho claimed Trumphad threatened to withhold money fromthe state.

“President Trump loves the great state of Indiana,” said spokesman Davis Ingle,who insisted Trump“has never threatened to cut federal funding andit’s100% fake news to claim otherwise.”

Regardless, Trump had struggled to get traction despite months of pressure.

Holdman said he turned down an invitationtothe White House lastmonth because he hada scheduling conﬂict. “Plus, by then it was alittle too late,” he said.

Mitch Daniels, aformer Indiana governor and aRepublican, had astraightforward explanation for what happened. “Folks in our state don’t reactwelltobeing bullied,” he said.

Daniels’ successor as governor, Mike Pence, fielded calls from senators during the redistricting debate, according to aperson with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity to disclose private conversations.

The persondeclinedto describe Pence’sadvice.

Pence has been at odds with Trump ever sincehe, while serving as his vice president, refused to help Trump overturn his electiondefeat to Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021.

Some Republicanslashed outatsenators fordefying

Trump. “His life was threatened —and he wasnearlyassassinated,” Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwithwrote on social media.“All forwhat? So that Indiana politicians could grow timid.” The message to the president,Beckwithsaid, was “go to hell.”

But senators whoopposed redistricting said they were just listening to their constituents. Some believed the unusual push to redraw districts was theequivalent of politicalcheating. Others didn’tlike that Washington was telling Indiana whatto do.

The proposed mapwould have divided Indianapolis into four pieces, grafting pieces of thecityontoother districts to dilute the inﬂuence of Democratic voters. But in small towns near the borders with Kentucky and Ohio, residents feared the state’s biggest metropolitan area would gain inﬂuence at their expense.

“Constituents just didn’t wantit,” Holdman said. Sen. Greg Goode, whois from Terre Haute, saidhe hadspoken twice to Trump on the phone while weighing theredistricting plan.He declared his “love” for the president but decried “overthe-top pressure.” Goode said he wouldn’t vote forthe proposal.

“I’m conﬁdent my vote reﬂectsthe will of my constituents,” he said.

BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. Apair of lawsuits seeking to redraw congressional boundary lines that currently favor Republicans in Wisconsin are on track to be resolved after the 2026 midterms, even as attorneys for one case argued Fridayincourt that there’sstill time to enact new maps for the November election.

Court hearings in both cases came the day after Indiana Republicans soundly rejected President Donald Trump’sdemand that they redraw congressional lines in that deepred state. Trump is waging anational redistricting battle as he triesto preserve aslim Republican majority in the House in next year’selections.

An attorney forDemocrats who brought one of the Wisconsin challenges argued for the panel to issue aruling by around March 1, the deadline given by the state elections commission in ordertohave new maps in place.

“It’sabsolutelypossible,” Julie Zuckerbrod,anattorney with the liberal Elias Law Group, told athreejudgepanel in support of the more aggressive timing But Dane County Circuit Judge JulieGenovese pushed back on thepressure to act quickly.“We’ll decide them when we can decide them,” she said of the pending motions to issue aruling or dismiss the casewithout further arguments.

Attorneys for Wisconsin’s six Republican congressmen and other conservative defendants pushed for aschedule that would not result in a trial until March 2027.“Seeking relief in time for the 2026 election would be unfair,” saidKevinLeRoy,anattor-

neyfor thecongressmen

The three-judge panel in that case will first decide earlynext year whether to dismiss the case or rule in favorofthose whobrought it without further argument. Both of theWisconsin cases are before newly assigned three-judge panels, thefirst time that processhas been used under a2011 lawenacted by Republicans.The dual hearings on Friday afternoon were two hours and two floorsapart in the same courthouse, just blocks from the state Capitol. The WisconsinSupreme Court last month ordered that theredistrictingcases be first heard by thethreejudgepanel over objections

from Republicans. The three-judge panel hearing the case brought by abipartisan coalitionof business leaders set apotential trial date for April5 2027, if the case survives a motion to dismiss Any ﬁnal rulings of those panels on the merits of the cases can be appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is controlled4-3 by liberal justices.

TheWisconsinBusiness Leadersfor Democracy argues in itslawsuit that Wisconsin’scongressionalmaps areunconstitutional because they are an anti-competitive gerrymander. Thelawsuit notes that the median margin of victory for candidates

in theeight districts since the maps were enacted is close to 30 percentage points “Ina50-50 state,itmakes no sense that 75% of Wisconsin seats in the House of Representativesare controlled by oneparty,” Law Forward saidinasummary of its lawsuit on its website.

The other case, filed on behalf of Democratic voters, contends the current maps discriminate against Democrats. They do so by packing asubstantial numberofDemocrats into two districts while breaking up other Democratic areas into six Republican-favorable districts.

In 2010, the year before Republicansredrew the con-

gressionalmaps, Democrats held five seatscompared with threefor Republicans. Republicans hold six of the state’seight U.S. House seats, but only twoare considered competitive. The current congressio-

nal maps, which were based on the ones drawn in 2010, wereapproved by the state Supreme Courtwhenitwas controlled by conservative judges. The U.S. Supreme CourtinMarch 2022 declined to block them

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Indiana Lt.Gov.Micah Beckwith announces the results of avote to redistrict the state’s congressional mapThursdayatthe Statehouse in Indianapolis.

THE GULF COAST

Popular Mississippi road becoming a deadly detour

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Sun Herald

The young brothers killed in a tragic crash last week on Texas Flat Road in Hancock County are among 13 people who have died in car accidents there over the last three years, according to the coroner

The toll of fatal collisions on the two-lane route, often used by Louisiana drivers as an alternate route when Interstate 10 trafﬁc is heavy near the state line, is raising new safety questions among county leaders and grieving families. The accident on Friday was the second deadly crash on Texas Flat Road this year Those wrecks killed four people, including two 14-year-olds.

Law enforcement officials say speeding is common on the straight, 13-mile thoroughfare between Kiln and Picayune. And some victims’ families are now leading a growing push for better policing on the road and pleading that leaders across the state do more to prevent future tragedies.

“It feels like a raceway,” said Richard Bouchard, whose grandson died on Texas Flat Road earlier this year “Now we’ve got more sad stories. We’re going to continue to have sad stories unless we do something.”

The road’s dangers are just one example of the problem in Mississippi, where the rate of fatal car crashes has long been among the nation’s highest.

Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam called the issues on Texas Flat Road “carelessness and speed.” But state law prohibits deputies from using radar, and sheriff’s departments rarely issue tickets that hold speeding drivers accountable.

“It’s virtually impossible,” Adam said.

Tragedies on road

In the last three years, crashes across rural Texas Flat Road have killed parents, working profession-

als, one pedestrian and at least ﬁve teenagers.

Last week authorities said a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler dump truck killed brothers from Pearl River County The sheriff called the crash an accident and said the department does not expect to ﬁle charges in the deaths of 21-year-old John Michael-David Foster and 14-year-old Rowdy Liam Foster Michael-David Foster was a hardworking and selfless older brother to Rowdy Foster, a talented golfer according to their obituaries Texas Flat Road has several dangers. Drivers pass other cars by accelerating into the opposite lane.

County Supervisor Greg Shaw said distracted driving is also a problem. He recalled a half-foot drop-

off on the road’s shoulders before the county began ﬁxing them and resurfacing the asphalt this year

Drivers on Texas Flat Road also veer outside their lanes so often that a Gulf Regional Planning Commission analysis marked three spots on the road as among the Coast’s intersections with the highest rates of lane departure crashes.

Others say the road needs far better law enforcement patrols to at least deter speeding.

Bouchard’s grandson, 14-yearold Ayden Stockstill, died on Texas Flat Road last May His family said he was buckled up in the backseat on his way to soccer tryouts when a speeding driver hit his parents’ car

The driver and Stockstill both died, and Stockstill’s parents were

injured.

Bouchard and his family are now leading a push to change state law

They are asking the Legislature to strengthen the ranks of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, require proof of insurance for a car tag and let sheriff’s departments use radar

Sheriff’s agencies across the state have long asked for access to the technology, which Mississippi law only allows the Highway Patrol and some police departments to use. The push has failed for years because some lawmakers say deputies would abuse it and collect profits from barely speeding drivers.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol does not police Texas Flat Road, which is maintained by the county Troopers headed to Hancock or

Pearl River counties sometimes pass through and write tickets if they encounter problems, according to the agency

The responsibility of enforcement falls on the sheriff’s department, which says deputies ride the road but can do little else to ensure safety

Scotty Adam, president of the Board of Supervisors, said more deputies on the road could help deter speeding.

But “they can’t be everywhere all the time,” he said. “That’s the problem.”

‘Just horrible’

The issue grows when a crash snarls traffic on Interstate 10. Facing backups, many cars and 18-wheelers take Texas Flat Road instead.

“When you have oversized loads and you have big trucks that weigh 50,000 pounds or more, those roads usually aren’t equipped for that,” said state Sen. Philman Ladner

He said he would like the Mississippi Department of Transportation to work with Louisiana to one day add another bridge across the state line, where even minor crashes can stall trafﬁc and send more drivers across Texas Flat.

“That’s just a possibility,” Ladner said. The road’s deadliest year in recent memory was 2023, according to the coroner Six people died on Texas Flat that year, including three teenagers from Diamondhead.

Three people died from car accidents on the road in 2024. Adam, the board of supervisors president, called the numbers “astounding.”

Bouchard is busy these days telling his grandson’s story and asking state leaders to help change the law

But he paused to consider the road’s 13 recent fatalities.

“That is worse than I thought,” he said. “That is just horrible, just horrible that we do that to ourselves.”

TheKreweofGabrielPresentationBall

TheKrewe of GabrielPresentationBall washeldonDecember6th at theFremF.BoustanyBallroom The31debutanteswerepresented with nosegays of pink rosesbytheir sponsors in frontofanEnglish Garden Setting. CommodoreRichard Domingue presentedeachyoung womanwitha KreweMedallion. Ball Chairman wasJoe Giglio III, advisorwas ScottDomingue andmasterofceremonies wasPaulEason

Back Row: EleanorGuidry, Leah Foreman, LaurenQuoyeser

Kennedy, SofiaElliott,Ava Bourque

This year’s KreweofGabriel debutantes areasfollows:

 Sophia Brents Bouligny,daughterofMr. &Mrs Joseph DanielBouligy, junior

 AvaRoseBourque,daughterof Mr.& Mrs. Josh AnthonyBourque

 Emily Anne Broussard, daughter of Mr.& Mrs. Mark AnthonyBroussard,junior

 Lucy DescantCentanni,daughterof TheHonorable &Mrs.JustinAnthony Centanni

 Mary FrancisChappuis, daughter of Mr.& Mrs. CameronCharles Chappuis

 MolliMarie Clark, daughter of Doctor &Mrs JacobScott Clark

 Anne MarieCortez, daughter of Mr.&Mrs.Glenn DavidCortez, junior

 Ella Elizabeth Costello,daughterofMr. Timothy JamesCostello&the late Mrs. Randon Rabalais Costello

 Anna CatherineCryer,daughterof Ms.Charlotte BuschCryer &Mr. RussellAnthony Cryer

 SofiaIsabellaElliott,daughterof Doctor &Mrs

WilliamTalmage Elliott III

Row: Sophia Bouligny,LucyCentanni,MarvelPotier, JosiePatin

 Elizabeth Grace Fontenot,daughterofMs.

Ashley Elizabeth Reed &Mr. BryanJosephFontenot

 Leah MarieForeman,daughterofMr. &Mrs

Andrew Edward Foreman

 EmmaClaireFortenberry,daughterofMr. &Mrs

JeffreyEdwardFortenberry

 Anna KathrynFremin, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

Ronald Joseph FreminII

 EleanorRoseGuidry, daughter of Mr.& Mrs.

Neal Blaine Guidry



JillianPaige Kennedy, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

RichardRamseyKennedyIII

 GabrielleMarie Laborde, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

Steven John Laborde

Laborde, Kate Mouton,Mamie Searcy

 Martha Elizabeth Odom,daughterofMr. &Mrs

MichaelMorse Odom

 Yvette Lussan Olivier,daughterofMr. &Mrs

JasonMichael Olivier

 Josie Keller Patin, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

Mark Ryan Patin

 Mackenzie Grace Laborde, daughter of Doctor &Mrs

Jeremy John Laborde

 Audrey Yvonne Matt,daughterofDoctor&Mrs

ChristopherJude Matt

 CorinneElizabeth Mendell, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

John Joseph Mendell, senior

 CatherineElisabeth Mouton,daughterofMr. &Mrs

BrittonElliot Thomas Mouton

 CarolinaClairePolozola, daughter of Mr.&Mrs

Kyle PatrickPolozola

 Marvel AnnElise Potier,daughterofMr. &Mrs

Robert Wilton Potier

 Lila AnnPugliese, daughter of Doctor Jennifer Breaux

Pugliese&Mr. Craig AnthonyPugliese

 Lauren Ashley Quoyeser,daughterofMr. &Mrs

John CamilleQuoyeser

 CamilleMarie Schoeffler,daughterofMr. &Mrs

TedChristopher Schoeffler

 Anne Conway Schoeffler,daughterofMr. &Mrs

DavidMichael Schoeffler

 Mamie Elizabeth Searcy,daughterofMr. &Mrs

Robert Lawton Searcy

SUN HERALD PHOTO By JACKSON RANGER

Texas Flat Road in Hancock County, Miss., has become a deadly corridor, claiming the lives of 13 people in three years.

Back Row: Audrey Matt,Corinne Mendell, Caroline Polozola FrontRow:Molli Clark, Anna CatherineCryer,Mackenzie Laborde

Back Row: ElizabethFontenot, Emma Fortenberry, Martha Odom FrontRow:AnneConwaySchoeffler,CamilleSchoeffler,EllaCostello

Back Row: Fran Chappuis,AnnieCortez, Anna KathrynFremin FrontRow:EvieOlivier,Emily Broussard, Lila Pugliese

FrontRow:Jill

Back

FrontRow:Gabrielle

Report highlights cuts at state DEQ

Staff reductions among nation’s highest, part of larger trend, group says

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Louisiana’s environmental agency has cut its staff by nearly a quarter over the past 15 years, one of the sharpest reductions for state pollution regulators nationwide, according to a new report from the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project.

The state has also slashed fund-

Lafayette schools leader gets high marks

Touchet praised for communication, safety improvements

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

ing for the agency by 26% over the same time period, according to the report, which warns of the growing risk of severely weakened environmental enforcement both locally and nationally

Louisiana’s pattern aligns with all of its Gulf Coast neighbors. Mississippi saw the nation’s biggest cuts, reducing its budget by more than 70%. Coastal states from Texas to Florida all saw funding and staffing losses, though the report notes the trends didn’t fall entirely along

The reductions at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality are part of a larger national trend, according to the report The watchdog group examined budgets of environmental agencies across all 50 states from 2010 to 2024, and found that more than half cut budgets and nearly two-thirds reduced department stafﬁng.

traditional party lines. Connecticut, for example, cut funding at its state agency at nearly twice the rate of Louisiana. The report frames these state agency losses in the context of a weakened federal environmental agency Over the last year, the second Trump administration has shrunk the Environmental Protection Agency in size and capacity, rolling back pollution prevention

measures as part of an “energy dominance” agenda highly favorable to oil, gas and petrochemical industries. The administration is pushing for further cuts to the federal agency, and Congress is scheduled to vote on EPA’s funding in January “Not only will the federal pollution cop no longer be on the beat, state authorities may not show up either,” the watchdog report states. Louisiana has been directly

Touchet

The Lafayette Parish School Board in Thursday’s regular meeting presented Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr with a favorable evaluation. The nine board members gave Touchet a combined score of 3.8 out of 4. It’s a slight increase from last year’s evaluation, which had a combined score of 3.5 “It went up, and rightly so,” said School Board President Britt Latiolais. The board discussed Touchet’s evaluation privately in an executive session for about 20 minutes Latiolais said the board praised Touchet’s increased efforts in communicating more with the board, district staff and families. He also

ä See TOUCHET, page 2B

Activists sue to see expansion deals

Environmentalists say Ascension development points to pattern of secrecy

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Two environmental groups opposed to a large industrial buildout in Ascension Parish are suing over the local government’s decision to withhold any agreements that ofﬁcials signed with companies to not publicly discuss aspects of the expansion plans.

Rural Roots Louisiana and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade claim the parish government and the Ascension Economic Development Corporation illegally refused their records requests made two months ago over projects proposed for the 17,000-acre RiverPlex MegaPark near Modeste. The two groups are asking a state district judge to force the parish entities to produce the documents.

ALL AGLOW

ABOVE: People play in the snow after the lighting of the Christmas tree on Friday during downtown Lafayette’s Merry & Bright at Parc Sans Souci in Lafayette. The lighting of the 25-foot tree was accompanied by a free concert.

RIGHT: Grace Novosad and Carnelian start the evening’s entertainment.

BELOW: Children have their photos taken by the lights.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP

JeffersonParishusing drones to fightcrime

Sheriff’sOffice has19onthe streets

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish Sher-

iff’s Ofﬁce has afew dozen new sets of eyes hitting the streets to help deputies respond to 911 calls.

Sheriff Joseph Lopinto on Wednesdayunveiledthe Drone as FirstResponder program, afleet of drones equipped withcameras and stationed throughoutthe parish, ready to launch at a moment’snotice.

“This new technology allowsour eyes in the sky to arrive on the crime scene in seconds,” Lopinto said Thedrones quicklypro-

TOUCHET

Continued from page1B

vide authoritieswith critical informationbeforedeputies arriveonscene: Descriptions of suspects or the vehicles being used, the direction asuspectmay have ﬂed, abird’s-eyeview of the sceneorthe hiding locations of perpetrators and even victims.

“Thisisagame changer for us,” Lopinto said, adding that the dronescan increase apprehensions, improve ofﬁcersafety andprovide evidence,such as on-scene video thatcan be used in court.

Traditional drones require line-of-sight operation.But the department’s first responder drones are operated remotely by acrewof sixlicensedpilots working out of acontrolcenter in Harvey Thedepartment received aspecial waiver from the

said Touchet had increased safety in thedistrict and improved facilities. Board member Roddy Bergeron said Touchet took the board’s suggestions fromlastyear to heart and implementedthem.Hedid not expand on what thosesuggestions were.

As part of its vote to approve Touchet’sevaluation, it voted for the board president and vice president to meet with the superintendent to discuss any contract amendments and report back with any recommendations at the board’sJanuary meeting. Touchet’ssuperintendent contract lasts through May 8, 2028 Otherboard news

The board also voted to approve aone-time incentive payment for teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers and bus attendantswho meet certain attendance goals.

DEQ

Continued from page1B

impacted by anumber of Trump’senergy and environmentalpolicies. In July,the administration exempted a dozen industrial plants from following apollution rule aimed at reducing health risks in the area called “Cancer Alley” by advocates. Top Trumpofﬁcials toutedtheir goals of removing red tape for industry during avisit to oneofLouisiana’sbiggest liqueﬁed natural gasterminalsinPlaquemines Parish in March.

Meagan Molter,press secretary for DEQ, said that the agency “continued to meet allfederal grant requirements and performanceexpectations” by the EPA.

“Under the leadership of Gov.Jeff Landry,the administration remains fully committedtorobust environmental protection efforts that promote the health, safety and welfare of the people of Louisiana,” Molter said.

‘Low staffing levels’ Over the last 15 years,

DEALS

Continued from page1B

Those include any“cooperative endeavor agreements” between the parish’seconomic development agency,the state,the parish government and Hyundai Steel Company,one of the big companies set for the RiverPlex. They also include any “nondisclosure agreements” that would muzzle elected parish officials, keeping them from publicly discussing some project details.

“Rural Roots Louisiana is pursuing legal action over nondisclosure agreements signed by government ofﬁcials because those agreements violate the oath they swore to serve and protect the public —not private corporations,” said Ashley Gaignard, who lives in Donaldsonville and is president of Rural Roots. “Any project that impacts our health, safety,land and water must be discussedopenly,not be-

Federal Aviation Administration to pilotthemremotely,according to Sgt. David Lago, commander of the Drone as First Responder program

As of Wednesday, the Sheriff’sOffice had19 drones in service. The department will eventually deploy 23 drones, which are made by Skydio and cost about $1.5 million,Lopinto said.

The drones are housed in temperature-regulated docks on secure rooftops across theparish, including government buildings, according to Lopinto. Each docked drone has a2-mile radius staged tocover almost the entiretyofunincorporated Jefferson Parish as well as the cities of Gretna, Westwego and Harahan. Kenner’sproximitytothe

airport andaircraft means thecity isn’tcovered by the drones. Neither Jean Laﬁtte nor Grand Isle have docks because of thelow volume of calls for service there, Lopinto said.

Since Nov.3,the ﬁrst responderdroneshave taken 1,475 flights, assisted in 62 suspect apprehensions, helpedrecover nine stolen vehicles and assisted in cases involvingeight firearms, according to thedepartment.

They’vebeen deployedto avariety of calls, including reports of vehicle burglaries, suspicious persons and shoplifting.

“The stores usuallycall before thesuspectshave leftthe building,” Lopinto said. “We’reable to makea stop before they get away.”

The Sheriff ’s Office

Teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers and bus attendants who have no absences from Jan. 5

Louisiana cut 222positions from thestate environmental agency out of aprevious totalof933, according to state records cited in the report.Louisiana ranked fourth in thenationfor staffing cuts, following North Carolina, Connecticut and Arizona.

Most of these cuts came under the administration of Republican Gov.Bobby Jindal, wholauded his deregulation efforts in the state as akey accomplishment during his failed 2015 presidential campaign.

DuringJindal’sadministration, staffingatthe department decreased by roughly athird and funding shrank by $92 million, when adjusted for inﬂation.Staffingand funding atLDEQ rose marginallyunder his successor,Democratic Gov John Bel Edwards, but not to pre-2008 levels.

Thewatchdoggrouppoints to a2021 report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’sOfﬁce that found DEQ “does not issue enforcement actions in atimely manner” to facilities thatviolate their pollutionpermits Louisiana hadthe highest toxicair emissions per

hind closed doors.”

Ofﬁcials don’tdisputethe existence of thedocuments, but have insistedstate law protects them from public disclosure

Aparish government spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday, citing government policy regardingactivelitigation. The parish has been developing the RiverPlex for over adecade. The cane ﬁelds and sparsely populated area, once proposed for an international cargo airport, have been thetarget of multiple industrial announcements since late 2022. They total nearly $18 billion in capital investment that’sprojected to generate nearly 1,770directjobs and 5,600 indirect jobsfor the Baton Rougeregion

The projects include the Hyundai Steelplant, alowcarbon ammonia plant by CF Industries and other partners, anda startup lowcarbon hydrogen plant

Though the projectswould relyon“carbon capture” storing greenhouse gases

Obituaries

Lutgring,David

handles about 500 calls forservice every day,according to Lopinto. In the first month of use, the first responderdroneshandled an average of 40 calls per day, andtheywere thefirst on sceneabout 46% of the time, Lopinto said.

Jefferson Parish’sfirst responderdrone program is the third largest in the country behind New York andLas Vegas, according to Lopinto. Othercitiesusingthe technology include Miamiand OklahomaCity “Drones certainly don’t replace ourmen andwomen on the street. It supplements theirresponse andmakes their jobsigniﬁcantly more efﬁcient,” Lopinto said.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

aone-time $500 payment. If alleligibleemployees have zero absences,itwillcostabout $581,000, board memberJeremy Hidalgo said in the meeting.

The board also approved a$3,000 stipend to recruit certiﬁed Algebra Iand geometry teachers formiddle andhigh school vacancies.

To be eligible forthe one-time bonus, applicants must apply by Jan. 16 andremainemployed through their last contracted day.The stipend does not apply to current employees.

David Lutgring,84.

to May 22 will receive aone-time

$1,000 payment and those who have two or fewer absences will receive

square mile of any state, according to a2014 EPA assessment, according to the audit.But jobs at DEQ related to air qualityregulation decreased by around 15% between 2010 and2019.

“Wefound as well that DEQ faces challengesrelated to low stafﬁng levels, high workloads, frequent turnover of staff, andineffective data systems that make it more difficult to perform its regulatory work,” DarylG.Purpera, theauditor,wrote.

LNGexpansion

The EnvironmentalIntegrity Project notesthe system of “shared responsibility” between the EPAand statedepartments.The federal agency sets the standard andprovides oversight forpollution laws like the Clean Air Act, while state departments like LDEQ implement and enforce these rules on aroutine basis.

“If bothlines of defense fail, through harshcutsto federal and stateenvironmental agencies,public health,our natural ecosystems and the global climate will suffer serious andlastingharm,” said Jen Duggan,

underground —tobemore environmentally friendly, federal data shows some toxic emissions wouldincrease in an area already bearing a high pollution burden from existing industries along the Mississippi River.

The area includes zones of elevated long-term cancer risk thatthe U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency says already hit or exceed the minimum acceptable levels. Parish ofﬁcials have proposed voluntary buyouts of residents.

The RiverPlex projects have enjoyed strong support from parish and city leaders and someresidents in the area as away to lift up a historically poor partofthe parish.

Butothers areresisting that push duetothe use of carbon capture,possible healthimpacts from air pollutionand potential displacement of anothersmall, but historic LouisianaBlack community

Anne Rolfes,founder of the Bucket Brigade, says the failure of parish ofﬁcials

“Middle andhigh school math positions are consistentlysome of thehardest rolestostaff,” Touchet saidinastatement. “Earlier this year,weincentivized teachers who started the schoolyearwith LPSS, which meant mid-yearhires did not qualify.Byoffering this stipendnow,we’re creating an opportunity for talented educators from across the region to join our teamand beneﬁt from thedistrict’s ongoingeffortstoincrease teacher compensation.”

the executive director of thewatchdog group.

ShesaidLouisiana “provides aclear example” of state-level rollbacksinthe midst of rapid industrial expansion.The number of industrial facilities that requireair pollution control permitsrose in thestate by almost 30% between 2016 and 2024.

The liqueﬁed natural gas industry is acenterpiece of Louisiana’sindustrial growth—and controversy

The export industry has boomed in southwest Louisianainthe lastdecade and transformed the state intothe global epicenter of LNG.

The technology at the massive LNG terminals convertsnatural gas into liquid form by supercooling it,allowingittobeloaded and exported aroundthe world. Proponents of LNG tout job creation, revenue andthe importance of supplying U.S. allies with fuel long seen as burning cleaner than coal.

ButmakingLNG is more energy-intensive than burning gasalone,leading to more emissions. An October report from the

to producethe sought-after documents is “part of an ongoing patternofsecrecy” involvingthe Hyundaiproject intended to keep residentsin the dark.

Stateeconomic development officials have long argued thatnondisclosure agreementsare astandard part of recruiting industry Such deals typically,but not always, end once projects arepublicly announced.

The groups allege they learned about thepossibility of the nondisclosure agreementsfroma priorrecords request to the state economic development department. That request turnedupa nondisclosure agreement between Ascension Parish Council member ChaseMelancon and the department regarding HyundaiSteel

To justifywithholding nondisclosure agreements, the lawsuit alleges, parish ofﬁcials at onepoint said the documents would fall under anew state public records exemption. Adopted in 2024, it allows governments to hold secret

Environmental Integrity Project found that all operating LNGterminals in the country violated air pollutionrules, andmultiple Louisiana facilitieswerethe top polluters. Duggan saidsome of the on-the-ground impacts of a hobbled state agency dealing with this growing industry are fewer inspectors, fewer people to respond to community complaints and longer time periods resolving aviolation.

Anne Rolfes,director of the environmental advocacy group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, also critiqued in the report DEQ’sExpedited Permit Program, where companiescan paythe agency forcosts incurred fromemployees working overtimetoexpedite apermit.

“When industry pays for the permitting process, they get what they pay for,” Rolfes said. “I’ve been doing this work, and Ihave never seen the Department of Environmental Quality deny apermit.”

Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@ theadvocate.com.

talks andkeep documents confidentialifthey are part of active negotiations for“aproposedproject involving theretention, expansion, or attraction of further economicdevelopment within the local government’s jurisdictional boundaries.”

But thegroups allege parish officials failedto take the required procedural steps under that new law meant to notify the public about the parish’s plansfor conﬁdential discussions, and furthermore question the constitutionality of parts of it.

LOTTERY FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 2025

PICK 3: 2-0-2

PICK 4: 5-9-9-3

PICK 5: 6-1-1-4-5

MEGA MILLIONS: 10-50-55-58-59

MEGA BALL: 5

Unofficial notification,

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Lafayette Parish schools Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr.greets Love Our Schools representatives Lisa Lazard, left, and Betty Sellmanastheyhand out supplies to students on Aug. 7, 2024, in Lafayette.

OUR VIEWS

‘Catahoula Crunch’ questions deserve answers

Gregory Bovino, commander-at-largeofthe U.S. Border Patrol, saidashestrodethrough the streets of Kenner last weekend that “I think this is about as transparent as it getsright here.” We wish we could agree that’s thecase. Because well overaweek intowhat the feds are calling “Catahoula Crunch”— a deceptively playful name foracrackdown that’scausing seriousdisruption and fear across ourregion —we’re still notsurewhether BorderPatrol agents are meeting their stated goals. What we do know as of thiswritingisthis: In announcing the operation,the Departmentof Homeland Security saiditwould target “criminal illegal aliens roamingfree,” including “violent criminals who were released afterarrest for home invasion, armed robbery,grand theft auto, and rape.”

We also know that the Border Patrolisproviding too little information on how many of the people they are targetingare indeedthe “worst of the worst,” as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has put it.

The rest we can only piece together frompublic accounts and our paper’sreporting, andit’s deeply troubling. People at or heading to jobs have been detained. Many others, herelegally or not, are hiding at home in fear,unabletoshop forgroceries, missing days of schooland leavingrestaurants and other businessesthatrely on their work in dire straits.

We’re sad to say that we believe their fears are warranted, givenwidespread anecdotal evidence here and in other parts of thecountry that people here legally whoare accusedofno serious crime couldbehandcuffed and hauled away.Even those detained forashortperiod reportbeingshaken. Theoverall pictureisa chilling one.

And for what?

DHS announced Thursday that it had made 250 arrests in the operation’s first eightdays, or 5% of the 5,000 total officials initially said they’d seek. The announcement highlightedthe violent pasts of some of them. But by the government’s own tally,just 23 have previousconvictions or arrests on charges ranging from child sexual abuse to traffic violations. Immigrationattorneys tell our reporters that mostofthe arrestees have no criminal records, andthatmany hold valid work permits

All this raises serious questions about thepurpose of the overtly theatrical show of force.

We are not burying our heads in thesandhere. We know that acountry needs to protect its borders and that ours has often failed at thattask. Andwecertainly agree thatall dangerous criminals shouldface appropriateconsequences.

But we also know thatthe realityfor many immigrants is anuanced one, that legal status comes in many forms, that preexisting rules have been thrown into chaos by this administration’sdecisions and that punishmentfor anyoffense should be proportionate.

We are also troubled by thedismissive attitude of Border Patrol ofﬁcials and theirsupporters, including Gov.Jeff Landry,toward those raising legitimatequestions.

We share the concernofLt. Gov.Billy Nungesser,alifelong Republican, that thecrackdown has disrupted Louisiana’slabor force.

“These people, alot of them haveplayedby the rules and have aworkvisa and noware fearful,”hesaid.

We ﬁnd New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno’s request thatagents provide information about stops and arrests, their legal bases and any criminal warrants entirely reasonable We urge federal ofﬁcials toengage with them, not act as if local authorities play no role in the safety andprotection of thepeople they represent. And that starts with being farmore upfront about what’sgoing on than they, to date, have been

Judge’sremoval agoodmovefor court

cover up her actions.

Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts won’tbe on the bench in Baton Rouge anymore, and that’sa good thing

On Thursday,the LouisianaSupreme Court ruled, by a4-3 margin, that Foxworth-Roberts’ legions of lies during her 2020 campaign were not just shady politics, but disqualifying to her role.

Not only that, the court forbade FoxworthRoberts from qualifying to run for any judicial ofﬁce for ﬁve years, and said she must be cleared by theSupremeCourt should she want todoso.

It was an extremely unusual move for thestate’shighest court, which last removed ajudge 16 years ago.

Foxworth-Roberts really gave them no choice.

During her campaign ﬁve years ago, she pitched herself to voters as theveteran of three wars who had obtained the rank of captain in the U.S. Army.She put out campaign materials that said she understood what it was to “stand on the front lines during the call of duty.”

It was all hogwash.

Foxworth-Roberts was just 16 when Desert Storm, one of the wars in which she claimed toserve, happened. She never obtained the rank of captain and, in two subsequent wars, she

served in postsinthe United States.

The justices also hammered Foxworth-Roberts for lying on insurance claims about $40,000 worth of jewelry she said was stolen from her car

When she was confronted with all of that, she refused to accept any responsibilityfor her actions. Laughably,she continued to insist she had not intentionally misled folks.

Ahearing ofﬁcer charged to investigateher case determined that she had “little, if any credibility,” and said she had been “ﬂagrant”inher attempts to

Even when confronted with her lies, she refused to back down.

The removal order,written by Chief Justice John L. Weimer,was unsparing.

Foxworth-Roberts’ defenses were “not credible, and she has not demonstrated acknowledgment of or accountability forher misconduct in any meaningful sense,” he wrote.

“This court is concerned that Respondent did not genuinely acknowledge or understand her misconduct.

Even before this court, no remorse was demonstrated and her excuse forher lack of candor was a‘lack of focus.’”

Three judges dissented from the majority opinion, though notably,none opposed removing her from the bench. Twoofthose argued she should be suspended without pay forthe rest of her term,and the third said she should be removed without the prohibition on running again.

That sort of unanimity among the court is something worth noting. And now,the much-maligned Baton Rouge bench is better off without FoxworthRoberts on it.

Now, if only we could get the SupremeCourt to go after others wholie on the campaign trail.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

We can’tprint all the letters we receive each week, but we generally get in about 25-30 of your letterson theﬁve days aweek that lettersappear in thenewspaper We do not publish letterson Friday,when guest columns are featured. Andwedonot publish letters on Sunday Avariety of factors determine when aletter is published. We trytoget the timeliest letters published when atopic is in the news, but that isn’talways possible. We know that sometimes thenews cycle moves quickly,and someletters are overtaken by events before getting to thepublication stage. If that happens, we invite readers to resubmit their letter to add updated information. We also ﬁnd that if aletter refers to afuture event that has already taken place, it’ssometimes as simple as changing the verb tense to

makethe letter accurate. But unfortunately,some letters must be rejected because thefacts on the ground have changed so drastically that thepoint the writer is trying to makebecomes moot.Ifthat has happened to you, we apologize and urge you to continue sending in your opinions. Right now,wehave asked you to weighinonthe question of who should be the Louisianan of the Year.There are awide range of people who have madenews this year who hail from Louisiana. It doesn’thave to be apolitician or public ﬁgure. It could be someone whois working to improve your community We hope to get several good responses from readers in time to publish by the end of the year.Sotake the opportunitytowritetoustoday.Send your nomination to letters@theadvocate. com. Last time, we got someletters af-

ter the deadline, and we werenot able to get them in.

Turning to our letters inbox, Ican report that forthe week including Nov 20-27, we received 44 letters. That was less than usual, but as it was the week of Thanksgiving, it’snormal to see a dropoff.

We received four letters related to issues involving the U.S. military, mainly focused on the ad by lawmakers urging members of the military to refuse illegal orders. We received three letters on immigration, with two focused on the enforcement action in NewOrleans. We also received three letters on the Trumpadministration’s campaign against boats allegedly carrying smuggled drugs in the Caribbean.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

PROVIDED PHOTO

TiffanyFoxworth-Roberts

COMMENTARY

Yes, Tulane andLSU should have annual game

This newspaper’seditorial boardwas absolutely righton Dec. 9tosuggest arenewal of annual football games between Tulane and LSU. The benefits could accrue not just to the two football programs, but to thewhole state. Let’sflesh out the “why” and the “how” of this idea, with some history and perspective thrown in. Start with how fun it could be again to haveamajor in-state rivalry To show what acrowd an annual game could attract, the editorial mentioned the then-record, and still astonishing, attendance of 86,598 at the LSU-Tulane game in Tulane Stadium on Dec. 1, 1973. Amazingly,that game came not on the heels of an evenly matched rivalry,but after 24 consecutive wins by LSU. If agame could mean so much even when ordinarily non-competitive, imagine whatarevival could mean if both teams are regular winners and if both schools hype it up. That huge amount of interest, by the way,wasn’taone-time thing: The prior year,whenthe game was played in Tiger Stadium and not on regularTV, a closed-circuit telecast (alas, of not very high quality) attracted an auditorium-filling audience at the old Rivergate buildingon the site that now hosts Caesars Casino. LSU held on in that game,

9-3, when its safetyFrank Racine tackled Tulane’sBill Huber one yard short ofatouchdown on the game’s ﬁnal play Adecadelater,when Tulane’s Reggie Reginelli tight-roped his way 31 yardsupthe sideline late in the fourth quarter for a31-28 Green Wave victory, it marked theculmination of 11 straight years of ﬁerce, uber-competitive games. At some grade schools, students each year wore either Tulane or LSU colors the day before thebig match. There’sno reason that sort of atmosphere

can’treturn.

Imagine thepotential for TV ad sales and aparaphernalia market statewide that could grow up around ayearly Tulane-LSU scrum.Imagine, if both teams remain winning programs, some national coverage. Play the game afew weeks into the season, so thelosing squad could still recover in the rankings for theCollege Football Playoff, but where bothteams would garner more “strengthofschedule” points for playing each other than for playing, say,Western Kentucky

or South Alabama. Or perhaps Tulane could replace Ole Miss with LSU –one SEC opponent for another,but with fargreater statewide interest.

Play thegame in the Superdomewhich, now that Tulane’s own home games are at wonderful Yulman Stadium on campus, truly wouldbeaneutral ﬁeld. There surely are moreLSU fans in the greater NewOrleans area than Tulane fans, but LSU would have theslight inconvenience of a75-minute bus ride. Play it on a weekend when the Saints have an away game, so it would literally be “the onlygameintown.”

For that matter,anannual Superdomegame could be arecruiting tool for LSU. No venue in the country says “big timesports” morethan ourfamed arena.

Festoon the Dome all week with acolored-light show,purpleand-gold on one side and greenand-blue on the other.Generate somebuzz. Make it aspectacle, as southern Louisiana wellknows how to do.

As my colleague Jeff Duncan’s Dec. 11 column amply highlighted, the hoopla around big athletic contests can pay off in big ways beyond direct ﬁnances. For Tulane, for example, newfound gridiron prowess has “dovetailed with record-breaking student enrollment ﬁgures and growth in research, enterprise and bold investments in innovation and infrastructure.”

Isaw this sort of thing ﬁrsthand

in the early 1980s at Georgetown University.Always astrong academic institution, it nonetheless exploded in prestige and attention when Coach John Thompson’s Hoya team reached the highest echelon of college basketball. With Georgetown’sname in the national newsthrough hoops success, the TV networks suddenly began noticing the expertise of the school’sacademicians as well, so that rarely aweek passed without aGUfaculty member (or several) gracing anational news show as asubject expert. Student applications surged, as did alumni donations to what had been asurprisingly small endowment. Attention and success bred still moresuccess. If Louisiana’sreputations both athletically and academically could be enhanced, that would be ahuge win.

Meanwhile, the extra cash mentioned earlier could do real good. Imagine if both schools announced that proceeds from all school paraphernalia sales the week of the Tulane-LSU game would go to academic scholarship funds. Imagine if area businesses got into the spirit and joined the colleges in Tulane-LSU productmarketing partnerships.

The beneﬁts could be enormous. For the state itself,along with both schools, it would feel like a game-winning touchdown.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

What’s affordable in La.iswhat’simportant here

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump became President Donald Trump largely because he positioned himself as aman of the people, aman who understood their pain, aman whoclaimed that it was the Democratswho wereresponsible for their familyeconomicmiseries, aman who could improve their ﬁnancial positions with tariffs and immediate deportations.

That’swhat he said.

foughtover what it would taketoend what became a43-day government shutdown. Republicans argued that the U.S. Congress should continue government operations, then discusswhether and how expiring tax credits might impact millions who rely on them for reduced health premiums.Democrats argued that it was time to resolve the matter,extending thetax credits before they expire on Dec. 31.

In 2016, when he was running for president the ﬁrst time, he promised thathewould eliminate the nationaldebt in eight years. That isn’t happening.

Just last year,when he was running for presidentathird time,Trumpreﬁned his pitch to focus on immigration andthe economy.Itworked. Trumpedgedpast Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, winning 49.8% of thevote to her 48.3%

Butvoters who asked for onething and got another are speaking outand up against the president andhis policies.

Just this month, aAP-NORC poll showed that while 69% of Republicans approve of the way the president is handlingthe economy,only 7% of Democratsagree. Overall, his economic approval rating fell from40% in March to 33% in November, and it continues to fall.

Nationally,Democratstook abig risk and challenged Republicans as the two parties

Politicians,

It seems half the country’spolitical ﬁgures have been instructed to grin like atheme-parkgreeter Supposedly,that makes them seem friendly,approachable, relatable. When Iwant humanoid patter,Iturn to chatbots. They’re more convincing. Why this epidemic of wax museum smiles? One reason, certainly,issocial media, where every sour look gets ampliﬁed. No politician wants to get caught with his grin down. The forced smiles of President Donald Trump’seconomic advisers really don’twork. As they’re pressed about grim economic news, their jolly best-is-yet-tocomedemeanor is painfulto watch.

Iadmit,Ididn’tlook deep enough to determine whether thepollsters included Louisianacitizens among those they surveyed. So Ichecked theU.S. Joint Economic Committee for context.

According to their state inﬂation tracker, the average Louisianahousehold was paying$890 moreeach month as of December 2024 than it was in January 2021. That’s a total of about $28,400 more.

Another indicator shows that housing affordability in the state has declined by 4.2% since 2023 and by about 29% since 2021. That is achallenge for those selling homesand thosewho wanttobuy one.

We all know insurance in our state is a bigproblem.

How big? One indicator ranks Louisiana as theleast affordable state in the nation for personal vehicle insurance. It’sabout 40% higher than thenational average. It was earlier this year that the Pelican Institute for Public Policy released astatewide survey showing that the economy and

tor is losing jobs. Would he care to comment? Lutnick’s voice is pure Coney Island barker.(Hisforced smile recalls the weird grin of Tillie, the amusementpark’scartoon face.)

insurance were the top concerns among those who live in this Pelican state, and by along shot. About 22% identiﬁed the economy as their top concern. About 20% said homeand auto insurance weretheir biggest concerns. Arethese affordabilityissues real? Is it fake news?

Apparently,Trumpthinks so. He called affordability aDemocratic “hoax” months ago, earlier this month and he’sstill at it.

Days ago, he said theDemocratic affordability message is ahoax, a“con job” and a“scam ”

Tell blue-collar workers at the paper mill in West Monroe that.Tell schoolteachers who deserve morepay in Shreveport that. Tell that to Acadiana agriculture workers who get their hands dirty growing crops for therest of us. Tell that to Baton Rouge and New Orleanscivil servants as their respective cities face budget cuts, meaning someofthem may lose their jobs.

Ours is ablue state with moreregistered Democrats than Republicans but adeep red state when it comes to recent statewide voting history

LouisianaDemocrats have been watching their partycome close in races around thecountry that were considered easy Republican wins and seeing some easy Democratic wins where Republicans thought they had achance.

New York Cityelected anew Democratic mayor narrowly withastrong affordability platform, beating back opposition from

Republicans and Democrats whothought he was too farleft. They saw Democratic candidates win gubernatorial races in NewJersey and Virginia with affordability platforms. Just recently,aTennessee Democrat ran an affordability race and lost acongressional special election by only 9percentage points to aRepublican in district Trump won by 22 points.

Cuban Republican Miamielected a Democratic mayor,with a59% margin of victory,for the first timein28years. Something’snot working nationally Something’snot working statewide. Something’sgotta change if we want real affordability If Louisiana Republicans and Republican-voting Democrats aren’twilling to challenge Trumponthe Epstein files that have evidence of his connections to the convicted pedophile and sex trafficker; if they aren’twilling to challenge Trumpon the inhumane treatment of people federal agents think are illegal immigrants based on their names, their skin color and their surnames; and if they aren’twilling to challenge the president because he’safoulmouthed man far from acting like agood Christian, maybe they’ll challenge him as their 401(k)s and bank accounts decline and as they lose incomeand jobs. Maybe.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate. com.

creepy jokersmiles

“Next year,the numbers are goingtobefantastic! Lutnickexclaims.“Ithink you’regonna see GDP next yearsuperb! Over 4%!”

National Economic CouncilDirector Kevin Hassett on Fox News is asked about polls showing Americansare most unhappy about the economy.Face frozen in pure delight, Hassett blames Joe Biden, then turns to gaslighting. What the public thinks it sees isn’thappening, he insists.Wages are rising faster than inﬂation.

ACNBC anchor tells Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick what everyone knows: The private sec-

“Pardon me for interrupting,” theanchor said, “but thenumbers we looked at show that inﬂation

is still higher than wage growth.” Hassett’ssmile didn’tcrack. The king of thefossilized grin must be New York’snew mayor Zohran Mamdani. Hislook of unbridled joy lit upmanyadorable TikToks. In one, he emerges from theicy Atlantic waters in suit and tie, grinning as he promises to “freeze” rents. Mamdani wisely adopted a neutral face on announcing plans to end the sweep of homeless encampments. Three years ago, Mayor Eric Adams ordered the New York Police Departmentto start the removal of thesidewalk camps with their stretches of dampcardboard, garbage piles, drug marketsand menacingaddicts. The homeless commonly suffer aconstellation of mental problems, and many prefer risking the cold streets to ashelter Mamdani’ssunny view is that his

social workers can convince these disturbed souls that he has abetter offer without specifying what that may be. As it happens, the Adams administration had been pairing police with social workers, in part forthe social workers’ safety.

“The quality of life of the city will go backwardsagain,” retired NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.

Onethingthat brought smiles to somelongtime New Yorkers alarmed at this proposal wasa darkly funny tweet from aMamdani critic at the Manhattan Institute. “The troubled can live on the free buses,” Nicole Gelinas wrote.

Just imagine how wellDemocrats might have done in Tennessee’s7th Congressional District race had their candidate not been AftynBehn. Her plastered smile bordered on thederanged, which only underscored the lunacy of

her past statements: Behn had said that she “hates Nashville,” acity she was to represent. She couldn’tstand country music. And she suggested abolishing the local police force. This is adistrict that last voted forTrumpby22percentage points. Growing discontent with Republican Washington was such that Behn’sopponent, Matt VanEpps, won by only about 9 percentage points. Think of the political earthquake Democrats could have set off with aserious contender

All this frantic smiling is branding, not emotion. Or as Nietzsche might have put it, “Man learned to smile only after he learned to hide himself.” Politicians, drop your Joker smiles. They’re mostunpleasant. Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop.

Quin Hillyer

Will Sutton

Froma Harrop

please drop your

FILE PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

LSUtakes on Tulane on Nov. 26,1988.

SPORTS

Cajuns hope to ﬁnishinstyle

to go do for theseniors that are leaving.”

Kevin Foote

There’snodoubt those believing the UL Ragin’ Cajuns were going to abowl game after fallingto2-6 on the season was asmall group. The effort it took to beat four teams in arow was both admirable andtelling about the culture coachMichael Desormeauxand his staff have built here. The new question is whether the Cajunshave enough left to end the season on aﬁve-game winning streak when

they meet Delaware at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesdayinthe 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

“Wecertainly want to ﬁnish it theright way,” Desormeaux said.

Wanting to anddoing so can be two very different things, but the incentivetosucceed is there.

“Finishing with ﬁve wins in a row,goinginto the offseason, goinginto next year, that’s just huge momentum,” Desormeauxsaid.

“That’sreally what we need to try

Topping that list are players such as offensive lineman Jax Harrington, who sophomore running back Bill Davis suggested was amajor source of his motivation to ﬁnish strong when UL was 2-6.

“I haven’tbeen playing my best thepast couple weeks and for those guys in that locker room to step up and feel aneed to play harder for me,” Harrington said. “it’s everything that you can imagine. It’severything that you can wish for,being asenior.Iap-

preciatethose guys so much.” Harrington andhis colleagues on the line put out extra effort to get to this point, but is there anythingleft in the tank?

We’ll ﬁnd outWednesday evening.

Senior wide receiver Robert Williams is also full of motivation.

“This one is going to mean alot to me,” he said. “What we went through earlier in the season wasn’teasy.Sotoget that extra win, one moreand hold up atrophy is big especially with what we went through this year.”

It would be quite astorybook

Play is talking

Saints QB Shough is invalidating

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Let’stalk about some stuffthatdoesn’t matter

ending forthis gutsy squad.

Senior defensive end Jordan Lawson is another shining example. The Brandon, Mississippi, native worethe tworings he’s wonduring his career at UL to the team’s postseason banquet.

“It’satestament to the sacriﬁces,” he said. “Weknow what it is, we know what to do. We know it’spossible, so let’sgoand get another one.”

But the chore just keeps getting tougher.The offensive line has endured 10 critical injuries this

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Thestruggling UL men’sbasketball team hung around forabout 25 minutes, but once Louisiana Tech got hot offensively,the Ragin’ Cajuns had no answer in a65-44 road loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston.

The Cajuns droppedto1-10 with the loss andare nowonanine-game losing streak. The Bulldogs improved to 6-3. UL will open up Sun BeltConference play at 7:30 p.m.Thursday against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The 1-10 start is the worst in the modernera of UL basketball. Thelastrecorded season with aworse start was 1-11 in the 1936-37 season. Once again, UL’s issues revolved around poor shooting.

With 3:03 left in the first half, the Cajuns were shooting 11% from the field compared to 50% for Tech. UL didn’t reach double figures until Mike Collins hit apair of free throws with 6:40 leftin the first half By the end of the first half,ULwas up to 26% shooting compared to 45% for the Bulldogs, wholed 31-19 at intermission.

Thebig issue was in the paint where Tech held a16-2 edge.ULhad 10 turnovers to seven forthe Bulldogs.

Let’stalk about that throw.Ifthat does not ring any bells, just type “Worst throw in NFLcombine history” into an internet search engine. See it?The failed attempt at atrick-shot, off-platform throw to areceiver crossing over the middle,a

Let’stalk aboutthe age. New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback TylerShough turned 26 in September.That makeshim olderthanJa’Marr Chase, Patrick Surtain Jr.and Penei Sewell, allofwhom are in their ﬁfth NFL season and have at least one All-Pronod on their résumé. Shough’sage has been an easy punchline for many zingers.

ﬂapping duck thatfell incomplete when there was absolutely no pressure around him. That throwhas liveda long life on social media whenever Shough’sname is brought up. For good measure, let’sbring up the draftstatusand history that goes along withit. Shough was good enough to

LSUwomen shakeoff slow start

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’sbasketball teamgot offtoanuncharacteristicallycoldstart Saturday in the Smoothie King Center But because Mikaylah Williams helped them shake off that rough first quarter,the No. 5Tigers (110) found their offensive groove andbeatLouisianaTech 87-64in the Compete 4Cause Classic, winning only the second game Kim Mulkey hasever coached against her alma mater Williams, ajunior,finished with aseason-high 19 points, five rebounds and four assists after shooting 6of10from the field. Flau’jae Johnson scored 13 points andgrabbed 10 rebounds. Kate Koval, the Notre Dame transfer

center whoreturnedtothe startinglineup Saturday,scored 13 points and grabbed five boards LSU did not score 100 points against the Lady Techsters(54) like it didinnine of its first 10 games of theseason. Or even 90 like it did on the road against Duke on Dec. 4. But the Tigers still shot an efficient 48% from the field. Across the second through fourth quarters, they converted 22 of the42 shots theytook. Mulkey last coachedagainst Louisiana Tech in December 2009. That night in Waco, Texas, one of her Baylor teams that eventually reached the Final Four built a24-point lead over theLady Techsters, then coasted to a77-67 win. On Saturday, LSU’s lead

climbedashigh as 33. But the Tigers first hadtobattle through ashaky start before they could start buildingthatadvantage LSUallowed LouisianaTech to find open looksfrom beyond the3-point arcthroughout the first quarter.Four of the Lady Techsters’ first sevenfield-goal makes were 3-pointers —a fact that made it difficult for the Tigers to take controlofthe game as quickly as theyhave against most of theirnonconference opponents this year In the first quarter,LSU scored only 19 points —aseasonlow for aquarter.

TheTigers played sharper defense in the secondquarter,

The Cajuns showed alittle spunk offensively early in the second half Joshua Lewis hit a3 to cut Tech’slead to single digits at 31-22. Dorian Finister followed with apair of 3s himself,with the second one making the deﬁcit 37-28 with 17:19 left. But Tech kept answering with buckets as well. AJ Bates hit aprayer to beat the

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws apass against the Atlanta Falcons at the Caesars Superdome on Nov. 23.

STAFF

PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams scores against Louisiana Tech during the first half

6:30

Lafayette surging ahead of district play

BY MATTHEW LOUVIERE

Contributing writer

Early-season success has given Lafayette boys basketball coach Clifton Brown reason for optimism, but the veteran coach remains focused on long-term growth as the Mighty Lions prepare for the grind of District 3-5A play

Lafayette entered its recent matchup against Peabody with a 6-0 record, continuing a trend of fast starts under Brown. A year ago, the Lions opened the season 9-0 before ﬁnishing 16-9 overall, a campaign that included valuable lessons during a challenging midseason stretch.

“We’ve been fortunate to win some games against some good teams,” Brown said “We’ve played some quality basketball early, including tournament play, and the guys have just kept playing and getting better.”

The Lions’ offensive production has been a notable early-season storyline. Three of Lafayette’s wins have topped the 70-point mark, and none of the victories have come with fewer than 50 points scored, a reﬂection of the pace and balance the Lions have shown on the offensive end

Depth has played a major role in that success. Lafayette relies heavily on a talented corps of juniors who gained meaningful experience last season, with several underclassmen now logging extended minutes in key roles.

“We’ve got a lot of juniors playing big roles,” Brown said. “Those guys are gaining experience, and we’re just trying to keep improving every day.”

Leadership comes from a small but impactful senior class. Lafayette has three seniors, with senior

Jaleel Sinegal playing a crucial role as both a leader and on-court presence for a young roster

“He’s our leader,” Brown said.

“We go through him. He’s averaging a double-double right now, about 17 points and 10 rebounds He does a great job keeping us together, and that’s big for us.”

That leadership was tested against Peabody, where Lafayette struggled in several phases of the game against one of the state’s most tradition-rich programs. While the Lions had dif-

ﬁculty sustaining offense, Brown said he was encouraged by the team’s defensive effort against a physically strong opponent led by a legendary head coach in Charles Smith.

“They’re tough, they play hard, and there’s a lot of tradition there,” Brown said. “Just being in games like that helps you get better.”

Last season’s midyear adversity remains a point of reference for the program. After a strong start, Lafayette endured a six-game losing streak before regrouping and ﬁnishing the year competitively

“We had some ups and downs,” Brown said. “We were young, and we lost some key seniors. But the kids never stopped grinding. They kept working, and when district play came around, they responded.”

That experience has shaped the team’s current mindset.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,”

Brown said “You can’t take anything for granted You just keep working, keep grinding and try to improve every day.”

As the Lions look ahead, the focus is on continued development before entering the highly competitive District 3-5A race.

“We just want to keep jelling,” Brown said. “We’ve got some new guys in bigger roles, and we want to be battle-tested before district. Defense is our strength. If we defend and play hard, we give ourselves a chance every night.”

For Brown, the early wins are encouraging, but the bigger picture remains unchanged.

“We’re just trying to build,” he said. “Build the program, build the kids and keep getting better.”

S.C. State tops Prairie View in Celebration Bowl

ATLANTA Ryan Stubbleﬁeld found Jordan Smith on a two-point pass in the fourth overtime and South Carolina State defeated Prairie View 40-38 on Saturday in the 10th Celebration Bowl, the matchup between the champions of the MEAC and SWAC.

After both teams kicked field goals in the first overtime, Cornelius Davis intercepted a Stubblefield pass on the first possession of the second overtime. Prairie View, needing any score to win, set up Diego Alfaro for a 31-yard field goal, but he missed. South Carolina State trailed by 21 points at halftime but tied it in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns, all on drives of less than 50 yards.

Utah promotes Scalley as Whittingham’s successor

SALT LAKE CITY Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach at Utah on Saturday, succeeding Kyle Whittingham, who announced Friday he would step down after 21 seasons.

Scalley will take over after No. 15 Utah plays Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. He’s been the defensive coordinator under Whittingham for 10 seasons and has been a part of the Utah coaching staff since 2007.

Utah ranks in the top 20 nationally this season in passing efﬁciency defense, total interceptions (14) and scoring defense (18.7 points per game).

Scalley played safety for Utah from 2001 to 2004 Urban Meyer coached him over his ﬁnal two seasons, and Scalley helped lead the Utes to the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.

Indiana keeps defensive coordinator Haines No. 1 Indiana is keeping defensive coordinator Bryant Haines after he agreed to a new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the nation, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday Haines made $2.1 million this season, and this deal is said to include a signiﬁcant pay raise. Haines has been one of coach Curt Cignetti’s mainstays He has followed Cignetti from Indiana University-Pennsylvania to Elon to James Madison and Indiana. The 40-year-old Haines grew up in central Ohio and played college football at Ball State before starting his coaching career at Manchester University an NAIA school in northeastern Indiana.

Michigan expands its probe after firing Moore

23 Rayne 64, Church Point 38

Renaissance 53,

Iberia 41 Ascension Episcopal 44, Erath 23 Lacassine 57, Iota 28 Delcambre 59, Glencoe 25 Rummel 49, Catholic-NI 43

54, Hannan 51 Midland 60, Westminster 51 Notre Dame 35, St. Edmund 19 Hanson 81, Gueydan 33 Highland Baptist 47, Bolton 46 Broadmoor 50, North Central 40 Opelousas Catholic 55, WestminsterLafayette 46 St. Thomas More 59, Kinder 32 KINDER (32): Monroe Guidry 3, Laturys Guidry 19, Kingston Fontana 10. Totals: 10 (2) 6-9. ST. THOMAS MORE (59): LG Carbo 5, Mack Tasman 2, John Charbonnet 8, Matthew Cook 19, Ryan Robertson 9, Michael Lacour 5, Xarian Babineaux 7, Landon Ortte 2

Totals: 14 (9) 2-12 Kinder 6 13 8 5 — 32 STM 19 8 15 17 59 3-pointers — STM: Cook 5, Robertson 1 Charbonnet 2, Carbo 1; KIND: M. Guidry 1, Fontana 1. Total Fouls: Kinder 15, STM 13. St. Thomas More 68, Loranger 31 LORANGER (31): Dawson Jones 4, Jayme London 7, Peyton Harris 6, Nate Hall 9, Cooper 3. Tahj Hill 2. Totals: 5 (7) 0-2. ST. THOMAS MORE (68): LG Carbo 2, Mack Tasman 3, Kyle Guillot 6, John Michael Charbonnet 6, Matthew Cook 3, Ryan Robertson 7, Lucas Guerin 4, Tucker Arceneaux 3, Michael Lacour 2, Xarian Babineaux 2, Landon Ortte 11, Noah McCormic 8 Grayson Jenkins 6, Willliams Bruphacher 3, Paxton Brunet 1. Totals: 19 (9) 5-8 Loranger 3 8 8 12 31 STM 18 18 21 11 — 68 3-pointers — STM: Charbonnet 2, Cook 1, Arceneaux 1, McCormic 2, Jenkins 2 Total Fouls: STM 7, LOR 7. Girls Carencro 57, Pine Prairie 47 Midland 68, Lafayette 33 Teurlings

Eunice 39, Mamou 35 Hanson 45, Gueydan 28 Highland Baptist 41, Bolton 36 Opelousas Catholic 38, WestminsterLafayette 17 Ville Platte 53, Opelousas 45 Church Point 50, Rayne 35 Slaughter 22, Northside Christian 18 Acadiana 46,

Brazile leads No. 17 Arkansas past No. 16 Texas Tech

BY STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press

DALLAS Trevon Brazile scored 18 of his 24 points after halftime and ﬁnished with 10 rebounds as No. 17 Arkansas overcame No. 16 Texas Tech 93-86 on Saturday in a rematch of a Sweet 16 game in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Arkansas (8-2), which trailed by as many as 10 points before halftime, went ahead for good on Brazile’s driving layup that made it 78-77 with 5:20 left. A minute af-

ter that, coming out of a timeout, he made a move near the baseline that got JT Toppin in the air and drove by the preseason AP AllAmerican for an emphatic onehanded slam dunk Brazile is one of the three starters for the Razorbacks who played in the Sweet 16 game last March, when they had a 16-point lead midway through the second half before Tech rallied for an overtime victory Toppin had 30 points and 11 rebounds for the Red Raiders (7-3),

while Christian Anderson had 26 points and 11 assists. They were the only Tech starters back from that comeback to the Elite Eight It was Toppin’s 24th double-double in 42 games with Tech the past two seasons. Darius Acuff and Karter Knox both had 20 points for the Hogs. Brazile’s slam ended a nearly ﬁve-minute stretch for the Razorbacks in which he scored 12 points — and Acuff scored their other seven in that go-ahead stretch. The Razorbacks led only once

before halftime at 43-42 when Knox made a 3-pointer with 1:40 left that capped their 17-6 run in which he also had a dunk and a layup. Texas Tech went back in front with the last seven points of the half, starting with back-to-back layups by Toppin.

Up next Texas Tech is home against Northern Colorado on Tuesday, the same night Arkansas hosts Queens.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The law firm hired by the University of Michigan to investigate former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with a staffer will continue its probe of the program and is prepared to expand its inquiry throughout the athletic department, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday, when the school said an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer He is married with three daughters.

The 39-year-old Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors said on Friday he “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.

Vonn places second in World Cup downhill

ST MORITZ, Switzerland Lindsey Vonn nearly did it again. The American, 41, ﬁnished second in a World Cup downhill on Saturday, a day after becoming the oldest winner in the circuit’s history

After winning the season’s opening downhill by nearly a full second on Friday, Vonn was beaten by only one racer this time: Emma Aicher of Germany was 0.24 seconds faster Vonn attributed a mistake landing a jump midway down her run for the gap, when she nearly lost her balance for an instant and leaned heavily on her left leg to raise herself back up.

“I’m a little bit tired from

terday, there was a lot of

tion,” Vonn told Swiss broadcaster RTS.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Lafayette’s Austin Drew shoots the ball during the Mighty Lions’ game Friday against Peabody in the Big Dave Classic at Northside High.

No. 22 Navy nabs victory over Army

BY NOAH TRISTER Associated Press

BALTIMORE Blake Horvath threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich with 6:32 remaining — on fourth-and-goal — and No 22 Navy rallied to beat Army 1716 on Saturday Horvath turned the ball over twice, and his fumble near the goal line nearly spoiled Navy’s key drive. On second down from the 1, the ball came loose when the Midshipmen (10-2) attempted a tush push, but Heidenreich fell on the ball back at the 8. After an incompletion, Navy — down 16-10 — decided to go for it on fourth down, and Horvath found his top receiving threat over the middle in the end zone.

Army then had to punt, and on third-and-3 from the Army 43, the ball popped loose on a run by Horvath, but he was able to catch it out of the air and reach for the first down. It came loose again and Army recovered, but after a review Horvath was ruled down before the second fumble — a yard short of the line to gain.

Alex Tecza then ran for the ﬁrst down that enabled Navy to kneel out the clock. In what was at times a chippy game with some postplay shoving, there was a bit of a ruckus near midﬁeld after the final kneel-down before things eventually calmed down for the traditional singing of the alma maters.

With President Donald Trump in attendance, Navy got its second straight victory over Army (6-6), and the Midshipmen won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for a second straight season The Black Knights have not beaten a Navy team that was ranked by the AP since 1955.

The teams traded touchdown drives to start the game, each lasting 13 plays, 75 yards and over seven minutes. Horvath scored on a 5-yard run, and Army quarterback Cale Hellums answered with a 2-yarder. Army’s ﬁrst drive didn’t end until 5 seconds into the second quarter

Then it was a while before anyone reached the end zone again. With Army up 10-7 late in the second quarter, the ball slipped out of Horvath’s hand while he was looking to pass. Army recovered the fumble at its own 45 with 20 seconds to play and moved into range for a 45-yard ﬁeld goal by Dawson Jones.

Horvath was intercepted in the third, giving Army the ball at the Navy 30, but the Black Knights had to settle for three Dawson

UL MEN

Continued from page 1C

shot clock at 15:39, and DJ Dudley followed with one of his ﬁve 3-pointers at 14:14 to build a 42-29 lead.

De’Vion Lavergne’s 3 with 12:13 left helped, but Scooter Williams responded with seven straight points for a 51-38 Tech lead with 10:17 left.

Moments later, Dudley essentially ended any UL comeback hopes with another 3 for a 56-38 lead with 8:59 left to play Most of Tech’s players struggled shooting as well, except for Bates and Dudley Bates ﬁnished with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Dudley collected 19 points on 7-of13 shooting.

FOOTE

Continued from page 1C

season. It’s been a process of applying just enough Band-Aids to keep the unit together With left tackle Bryant Williams entering the transfer portal, can the offense be explosive enough to outscore Delaware’s dynamic passing attack?

Exactly how much damage can one unit absorb in one season?

The biggest spark to UL’s turnaround this season was quarterback Lunch Winfield, who suffered a groin injury in the regularseason finale. Desormeaux said Friday that Winfield is expected to start. Time will tell whether he is healthy enough to be himself for four quarters. The obstacles just don’t seem to end with this club. Then there’s the defense and the Delaware passing attack.

connected on a career-long 48yard kick.

Navy’s Wing-T offense has been explosive this season. The Midshipmen entered the day with an FBS-high 10 plays of at least 60 yards.

Army mostly kept them contained, but Horvath slipped free for a 37-yard run that set up a third-quarter ﬁeld goal that made it 16-10.

After Hellums’ underthrown pass was intercepted by Phillip Hamilton, giving Navy the ball at the 50 with 11:19 to play, Tecza’s 24-yard run made it ﬁrst-and-goal from the 5.

Trump tossed the coin before the game at midﬁeld, then returned at halftime to walk from the Navy sideline to the Army one.

Kaden Cooper reached double figures with 10 points and also pulled down 18 rebounds in the win.

Finister was UL’s only double-ﬁgure scorer with 14 points on 5-of12 shooting, while Jaxon Olvera settled for nine points on 4-of-11 shooting

The Cajuns shot 30% from the field for the game, 30.4% from 3-point land and 53.8% at the line.

Louisiana Tech ﬁnished at 44.9% from the ﬁeld, 29.4% from 3-point land and hit 84.2% of its free throws after shooting under 60% at the line coming into the game. The Bulldogs outscored UL 32-6 in the paint. The Cajuns lost the turnover battle 16-14 and in rebounds 35-31.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

The takeaway Army: The Black Knights were trying to turn the tables on Navy after a ranked Army team lost to the Midshipmen last year Army was the better team in the first half Saturday but didn’t do much offensively after that.

Navy: Horvath made some big plays and some bad ones, and the Navy defense was stout in the second half. The Midshipmen ﬁnished tied for ﬁrst in the American Conference this year but missed out on the league title game because of tiebreakers.

Up next

Army: Faces UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27.

Navy: Faces Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2.

LSU WOMEN

Continued from page 1C

which allowed them to create more open shots at the other end and take a 39-30 lead into halftime.

Louisiana Tech’s leading scorer was sophomore guard Paris Bradley She ﬁnished with 19 points after shooting 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point line.

The Lady Techsters shot only 31% from the ﬁeld, but 10 of their 18 ﬁeld goals were 3s — a key reason why they kept pace with LSU for a large chunk of the game.

The Tigers next will return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to face Morgan State at 11 a.m. Tuesday After that matchup, the annual field-trip

that

it at a much higher level. Can this secondary withstand

that kind of an attack?

The good news is the defensive backﬁeld should be better equipped for this game. With the suspensions of Tyree Skipper and Kody Jackson and the injury to Jalen Clark, secondary coach George Barlow had to rely heavily on newcomers such as Lake Bates and Steven Ranel in the last two games. With Skipper’s suspension rescinded and the younger players more experienced, perhaps the secondary will be more capable of handling Delaware’s passing game.

Despite the Cajuns’ motivation, it’s still going to be difﬁcult to outmatch Delaware’s excitement for this bowl.

The Blue Hens are making their ﬁrst bowl appearance in their ﬁrst year in FBS football. If there were enough 6-6 teams, Delaware wouldn’t have been allowed to earn a bowl bid as a probationary member at this level.

UL experienced a similar situation in 2023.

“I do remember their level of energy a little bit,” UL receiver Dale Martin said of Jacksonville

State’s performance in the 2023 New Orleans Bowl. “They came out a little more excited to play It was their ﬁrst bowl game too, so they were pretty ﬁred up, and we kind of were a little soft and quiet to start out.

“But I think this year, regardless of where we’re playing, we’ll be ready to go. We’re ﬁred up.”

In basketball, many teams have overcome a 20-point deﬁcit only to run out of gas

physical part of it, you can manage it.” Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

coach Kim Mulkey yells from the sidelines during a game against Louisiana Tech at the Smoothie King Center on Saturday LSU won 87-61.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By DANIEL KUCIN

ABOVE: Navy quarterback Blake Horvath runs with the ball against Army on Saturday in Baltimore. BELOW: Navy running back Eli Heidenreich runs with the ball on Saturday.

Saints quietlystarting

sideration suchfactorsasdown and distance, ﬁeld position, home-ﬁeld advantage and time remaining.

“The thing I’ve been impressed with is the improvement,” Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. “Anytime we have had asetback or atough stretch, ourguys have bounced back and they’ve been resilient,and that shows agroup that’swired the right way.”

Like any good coach, Staley is quick to divert thepraise to his players. Butthe cerebral 43-year-old coordinator is being characteristically modest. While implementinganew scheme with ahodgepodge cast of rookies, aging veterans

(238.5) to sixth(182.6).

Andthe Saintshave doneitwithout any spectacular individual efforts. In fact, theunitmight nothave aPro Bowler in thebunch. The defense is aclassic example of the sum being greater than the individual parts.

“These guys have been fantastic,” Staley said. “They’re wired theright way When you have agroup that is wired the right way,you will see improvement. I love coaching these guys.” The secondary,inparticular,has come together.It’sa young group,with safety Justin Reid andfourth-year cornerback Alontae Taylor being the only veterans.

come around and now is clicking on all cylinders. Staley pointed to a26-14 loss to the Chicago Bears as aturning point. The defense started slowly that day,but the unit held the Bears and quarterback Caleb Williamstojust twoﬁeld goals in their ﬁnal six drives to keep the Saints within shouting distance. “Our guys wereable to see that

lker

STAFFFILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

his hands as the team warms up before apreseason game against the

be taken 40th overall, which meant the rebuilding Saints felt good enough about him to spend oneoftheir premiumassets. That decision was roundly questioned,because historically,itmeant he was probably not actuallygood enough to be afranchise quarterback.Since 2000, 175 quarterbacks have been selectedafter the first round. Far more of them never started agame (40) than threw for4,000 yards in aseason (11) He’stoo old. He had abad moment that went viral. His draft positioning made him abad bet. None of that seems to matter at the moment.

Shough will make his sixth career start for the Saints on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and the one thing that does matter— his play on the ﬁeld —has been driving the talklately.That is exactly the way Shough likes it.

“What Iput on tape, Iwant that to do the talking,” hesaid. Those who still want to buy into the stuff that doesn’tmatterwillpointtothe statistics. Shough has not lit thebox scores on fire in his first five starts. Sincehetook overas thestarter in Week 9, he ranks 14th among NFL quarterbacks (minimum: 75 attempts)in passer rating (88.3) and19th in success rate (43.7%). He has thrown ﬁvetouchdowns in his ﬁve starts But those who really watch are starting to buy in, because the tape has spoken louder than the statistics.

Trent Green was one of those late-roundsuccess stories. His career began long enough agothathewas selectedinthe eighth round. He was 27 years old by the time he actually saw the ﬁeld in an NFL game and made two Pro Bowlsafter turning 33.And he was in the booth last week, broadcasting the game for CBS when Shough made magic happenin the fourth quarter against the Buccaneers. Green didn’tknow much about Shough goingintolast week’s game and didn’twatch aton of him at Louisville last year,either.Hecan’tspeakon why Shough was available for the Saints in thesecond round, butafter watching him in person last week, he thinks the Saints “got the right one.”

“I was impressed,” Green said. “Everybody joked about his age before the draft, but that is an advantage for him. He talked to us (during production meetings)about all the different systems he played in in college and how it and Louisville’ssystem and coaches prepared himsowellfor the NFL.That’sareal thing, and it’sshowing right now.”

The age never factored into the Saints’ decision, at least not in anegative way.LikeGreen, they sawthe advantages of bringing in aplayer whohad experienced alot in his extend-

ed collegecareer

Shough played at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, gaining exposure to different styles and schemes. He also navigated personal hardship, experiencing multiple seasonending injuries.Theysaw this allas a net positive —especially considering the position he plays

The current NFL leaderin passingefficiency and touchdowns is 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. The leaderinpassing yards is 32-year-old Dak Prescott. Aaron Rodgers, at 42, ranks justoutside thetop 10 in passer rating. TomBradyis the ultimate quarterback outlierand is not fairtouse for comparison,but he didthrow for5,316yards and43touchdowns at 44.

“Quarterbacksinthisleague, there’samaturity that goes much furtherthanother positions just because there’ssuch a mentalcomponentofit,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “You look at alot of quarterbacksthat are playing as good as anyone in this league,a bunchofthem are in their 30s …and stillgetting better.”

One badthrowat the combine makesfor potent social media fodder,especiallywhenmixed with afew other confounding clips from his college days. But it’salsowillfully ignoring the scores of high-level throws Shoughmade in game settings —throwsthathave carried over to the NFL. Take the touchdown he threw to Devaughn Vele whilenearly completing afourth-quarter comebackagainst Miamitwo weeksago

Shough surveyedthe field, lookingright,then looking left, thenswinging his head back aroundtothe right. As he faded toward hisarm side,hechucked theballtothe back of the end zone for Vele where only the 6-foot-5 receiver could get it FormerSaintsquarterback Luke McCown saw everything he needed tosee on thatplay.

“There’snot five, six guys

in the NFL that can make that throw,” McCown said. “There’s guys thatwould attemptit, but notmanythatwould complete it.Tobeabletohave that velocity to getitthere andget it up anddown and over the defender in aspacewhere Vele can get his feet down in the end zone —that’s aJoshAllen, Matthew Stafford type of throw

“I was blown away.Iknewhe couldthrow. Iknew he could really rip. But that’sa bigtime throw there.”

Shough still hasa long way to go to prove he’sanexception to the historical rule abouta franchise quarterback selected outside of the ﬁrst round But the early signs have been encouraging on severallevels

It’snot just the maturity,the highlight-reel playsortwo impressive wins.Those signs are visible in themob of teammates rushing over to celebrate the way they didafter his 34-yard touchdownrun in Tampa last week.

“It lets youknow that the team has bought into this rookie quarterback,” McCown said. “That tells you they believe this kid is bringing something to the table thatthey want to eat.”

This is the stuffthatmatters. Shough won’tlie. There is partofhim that uses the other stuff as motivation. He is ahuman being whorelishesthe chance to prove people wrong, but that doesn’tmakeupthe whole of it. There have been moments in his career when he’s leaned toofar into proving himself, andhesaiditisnot a healthy place to be.

So,his advice for collegeprospects who are about to enter the draft is refreshingly simple: Be authentic to who you are, and acknowledge your journey and your shortcomings.

Oh, and one lastbit.

“Don’tlisten to anything that anyone is saying,”Shough said. Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com

STAFF PREDICTIONS

JEFF DUNCAN

PANTHERS 21,SAINTS20: This wasadifficult call,given how thoroughly dominantthe Saints were againstthe Panthers just a fewweeks ago. ButCarolinahas played well sincethenand hasall of theintangiblefactors on itsside. Regardless,thisfeels like agame that will be decidedinthe final minutesand wonbythe team that makesthe fewest mistakes

LUKE JOHNSON

SAINTS 27,PANTHERS23: Ihavebeenhoodwinked by this team in this prediction spacea few timesthisseason, allowing agood performancethe previous week to change howIviewthe team.And Iam doingitagain.I do thinkthe Panthers arethe better team andhaveproven that by knocking offsomeofthe NFL’s best.Ialsobelieve we’reseeingthe startofsomethingwithTyler Shough

MATTHEWPARAS

PANTHERS 19,SAINTS16: Ihavenoideawhattodowiththis one. TheSaintsalwayshavetormented Bryceyoung,and thedefense has made meaningful stridesoverthe last month. Butthisgamemeans so much to thePanthers, andthey’re coming off awin over theLos AngelesRams. Isee them edging it out. Ihaven’t picked a Saints winright this year,sowhy start now?

RODWALKER

SAINTS 24,PANTHERS16: TylerShoughis2-3 sincetaking over as thestarter.Bothwinscame on theroad. This will be hissecond startinthe Dome.Assuminghe continuestomakestrides andthe defenseplays as well as it hasbeen playing, this is achancefor

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough walks offthe field against the Atlanta Falcons late in the fourth quarter at the Caesars SuperdomeonNov.23.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneersdefensivetackle Vita Veadefends in the second half on Oct. 26

LOUISIANATECH65, UL 44

M-AO-T APFPTS

26 0-43-4 6-80 03 Lewis 17 2-40-0 1-10 46 Finister 26 5-12 2-51-2 02 14 Lavergne 29 2-80-0 1-23 15 Olvera284-110-2 0-43 39 Mejia 30 1-50-0 1-40 13

Woodson 16 0-10-0 0-20 10

Collins 14 0-32-2 1-13 12

Evans 91-2 0-00-1 05 2 Ratliff 60-0 0-01-2 00 0

Totals 200 15-50 7-13 12-27 91844

Percentages: FG .300, FT .538. 3-Point Goals: 7-23, .304 (Lewis 2-2, Finister 2-5, Lavergne 1-4, Olvera1-4,Mejia 1-5, Woodson 0-1, Collins 0-2) Team Rebounds:5.TeamTurnovers: 2. BlockedShots: 2(Jones2). Turnovers: 14 (Evans 4, Olvera3,Finister2 Jones, Lewis, Mejia, Ratliff, Woodson). Steals: 7(Collins 2, Jones2,Evans,Lavergne, Mejia).

Technical Fouls: None FG FT Reb

LATCHMin M-AM-A O-TA PF PTS Herron 29 2-41-3 1-20 45

Jeffress 15 0-31-2 1-30 01

Bates 40 7-13 9-90-3 81 23

Cooper 40 3-94-4 3-18 01 10

Dudley 40 7-13 0-00-0 11 19

S.Willims 20 3-71-1 2-51 27 Allen 70-0 0-01-1 00 0 Howze5 0-00-0 1-10 10 Thomas 50-0 0-00-0 01 0 Totals 200 22-49 16-19 9-33 10 11 65

Percentages: FG .449, FT .842. 3-Point Goals: 5-17,

LSu had to exercise patience as its top coaching target mulled his options. but once the Tigers brought Kiffin into the fold, the new football coach wasted no time laying the foundation of his tenure in baton rouge

‘TIRELESS APPROACH’

LSU football coach Lane

an opening statement at an introductory news conference on

and

From recruiting to finalizing coaching staff, inside Kiffin’s first 10 days as LSU coach

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

From the moment he got to LSU, Lane

Kiffin has worked quickly to put together his team. He spent his first night as the head coach in his new office talking to five-star recruit Lamar Brown and several staff members, conversations that took place within a day of a lengthy meeting with Ole Miss officials about his future and a messy departure from Oxford, Mississippi.

A week later, Kiffin has solidified most of his staff, including his offensive and defensive coordinators, and helped sign 14 recruits, some who flipped to LSU and others who had wavered during the early signing period but ultimately signed with the Tigers. The timing of the college football calendar necessitated the speed to a degree, and now LSU can turn its focus to the upcoming transfer portal.

“It hasn’t been easy,” LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker said. “I was talking to (Kifﬁn) the other day, and he was on like three hours of sleep. I give him a lot of credit just for his relentlessness and tireless approach. He knows, because of the timing of everything, it’s probably not ideal, but it takes what it takes, and he’s doing a hell of a job.”

After weeks of courtship, LSU signed Kiffin to a seven-year, $91 million deal the night before he left Ole Miss, and things were put in motion with his staff before he boarded a flight out of University-Oxford Airport. Several Ole Miss staff members flew with him, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr and general manager Billy Glasscock.

Since then, LSU has locked in almost its entire offensive staff, many of whom followed Kifﬁn from Ole Miss. The Tigers have already agreed to terms with Weis Jr., co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, passing-game coordinator and wide receivers coach George McDonald, quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and offensive line coach Eric Wolford, the one person in that group who was not at Ole Miss. Wolford coached offensive lines in the SEC for the past nine years at South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky With Wolford conﬁrmed as the offensive line

LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker speaks with his players during a game against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 6 at Tiger Stadium. Baker agreed to stay at LSU under a new three-year, $9.3 million deal.

coach, LSU only has one opening on the offensive staff. It needs to hire a running backs coach and longtime Kifﬁn

assistant Kevin Smith has not followed him from Ole Miss. The future of LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson may not be determined until after the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl

“He’s here early in the morning, (and) he’s here late in the evening evaluating, communicating everything from roster management to the things that will be necessary as he assembles his full staff,” Wilson said. “There’s constant evaluation of the organization in totality.”

Other than Wilson maybe staying on, none of LSU’s offensive coaches are expected to be retained after Kifﬁn brought so much of his staff with him. But Kifﬁn wanted to keep Baker, who had offers to be the head coach at Tulane and Memphis. After Baker met with representatives from both schools

at his home Thursday, he talked to Kifﬁn the next day

“Just needed clarity on certain things, whether it be current staff, how we practice, just everything from A to Z,” Baker said. “I had a bunch of questions that he did a great job answering, and that made me feel at ease.”

Baker agreed to stay at LSU later that night under a new three-year, $9.3 million deal With him remaining on staff, LSU is expected to retain edge rushers coach Kevin Peoples, cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond and safeties coach Jake Olsen. It is working through a role for Chris Kifﬁn, who coached linebackers at Ole Miss this past season, and is in the process of interviewing defensive line coaches.

Sources said there was an expectation last Saturday that LSU would hire Syracuse defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, but that feeling has since waned. LSU defensive line coach Kyle

Williams is expected to step away after one season as a college coach.

In the midst of making critical staff decisions, Kiffin and his new staff had to secure the 2026 recruiting class. LSU cut ties with some players while adding four-star wide receiver Corey Barber, four-star wide receiver Brayden Allen, four-star tight end JC Anderson and three-star offensive lineman Ryan Miret. Barber Anderson and Miret had been committed to Ole Miss, while Allen had been committed to Oklahoma. There was uncertainty going into the early signing period about LSU’s highly rated defensive line class, which has four top 75 overall prospects. Brown and five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson considered waiting to sign and their representatives met with Kiffin, Glasscock and Baker to sort through any concerns. They both signed by the end of the week, as did four-star edge Trenton Henderson and four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds, both of whom were getting pushed to flip by other teams

“I think naming a head coach gave validity and stability to the class,” Wilson said. “I think coach Kifﬁn’s conversation with those young men helped solidify decisions that they had made, and collectively, we were able to close out on a class that predominantly was done years in advance with the addition of some key components to wrap it up.”

Still, Kiffin was not quite done at that point. LSU had to strike an amended three-year, $7.5 million deal with Weis after Ole Miss tried to keep him. Kiffin let Weis and the other offensive coaches return to Ole Miss for the College Football Playoff, but they are expected to return once the Rebels’ season ends. Things have slowed down for a moment before the team begins practicing for the Texas Bowl and the transfer portal opens from Jan. 2-16. LSU has to fill a few remaining holes on staff in the coming weeks, and now it is working through what the roster will look like in Kiffin’s first season He and his staff will be busy again soon.

“I think he’s been a tireless worker,” Baker said. “All of that takes time and effort, and I think he’s done an outstanding job spending the time and putting in the effort.”

I was talking to (Kiffin) the other day, and he was on like three hours of sleep. I give him a lot of credit just for his relentlessness and tireless approach. He knows, because of the timing of everything, it’s probably not ideal, but it takes what it takes, and he’s doing a hell of a job.”

BLAKE BAKER, LSU defensive coordinator on coach Lane Kiffin

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

New

Kiffin gives

Dec. 1 at Tiger Stadium. In his first 10 days as LSU coach, Kiffin has locked in most of his offensive coaching staff

has landed recruits during the early signing period.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

SETTING THE TONE

New Tigers coach Kiffin, offensive coordinator Weis face significant project ahead

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Before they became part of the same staff, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker coached against Lane Kifﬁn and Charlie Weis Jr for the past two years. Baker had more success than most, holding Ole Miss to 26 points or less in both games, but he still saw the qualities that have made their offenses so difﬁcult to defend.

“I think there’s a fearlessness to how he calls the game,” Baker said “I don’t think he’s reckless. It’s not reckless, but there’s a fearlessness, there’s an aggressiveness to it that keeps you on your toes as a defensive play caller, without a doubt.”

Kifﬁn’s offensive mind was one of the things that appealed to LSU about hiring him, and athletic director Verge Ausberry called him “an offensive innovator” in an introductory news conference. Kifﬁn has a long track record of productive offenses, and with Weis as his offensive coordinator, they have to rebuild the one at LSU.

LSU has averaged 21.8 points per game this season, which ranks 108th in the country, and it has yet to score more than 25 points against an FBS team going into the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl against Houston. The Tigers struggled to run the ball the last two years of the Brian Kelly era without dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels, and their passing game dropped off this fall.

Kifﬁn and Weis might be able to change that. Ole Miss scored at least 33 points per game and averaged 175 yards rushing per gameinKifﬁn’ssixyearsastheheadcoach

Even though it often had a proliﬁc passing attack, the offensive system is built on being able to run the ball. When they could the Rebels were able to use tempo.

“I do think they do a good job of changing tempos,” Baker said. “You know, they don’t always go lightning fast, but they’re a very efﬁcient offense, and that makes it tough.”

Baker added that Kifﬁn’s offense is “as good as it gets” in critical situations because he and his staff understand what the defense will likely do on third down, fourth down and in the red zone. He also agreed with the idea that Kifﬁn’s offense can be unpredictable because Ole Miss often broke its own tendencies.

“You might have broken down five

games, and when you play them in the sixth game, it’s nothing that you’ve seen before or completely different,” Baker said. “They do a really good job of mixing it up. Like I said, maybe going into the game, they’re very, very heavy run on this certain down and distance and then they’ll switch it up on you.”

A former Fresno State quarterback, Kifﬁn ﬁrst built his reputation as an offensive assistant at USC in the early 2000s. After several stops as a head coach and in need of a job, he overhauled Alabama’s offense for Nick Saban, who called him “one of the brightest offensive minds and one of the best play callers I’ve ever been around” in a statement released by LSU.

Over the past decade, Kifﬁn’s offenses have ranked in the top 30 nationally in scoring all but one year Ole Miss was never worse than 29th, when it still averaged 33 points per game during the 2022 season. The Rebels had a top 15 offense in terms of yards every year he was there, including back-to-back seasons in the top three.

“I think that college football has changed a lot over the years, and I think that a thing that we do extremely well is

we don’t just think outside the box,” Kifﬁn said. “We create a new box.”

In part, Kifﬁn traced the success to bringing in talented players and learning from other coaches. He said he learned how to attack defenses by learning from three of his mentors, all of whom were defensive coaches: his father, Monte Kifﬁn, former USC coach Pete Carroll and Saban. He also adopted parts of the Art Briles scheme by having his son, Kendal Briles, in 2017 at Florida Atlantic.

“It’s been a great offensive run because of that,” Kifﬁn said, “and I’m not going to get up here and talk about individual numbers and stuff like that, but if you research them, I would say since we left Alabama, so that’s nine years, if you take points and yardage, that’s the No. 1 offense combined in all of college football.”

Kifﬁn will now try to extend that run at LSU, and he brought most of his offensive staff with him from Ole Miss. Weis was a priority They first overlapped when Weis was a graduate assistant at Alabama, and they reunited at FAU and Ole Miss, forming an offensive braintrust the past four seasons. Kifﬁn said once in 2023 that Weis calls the plays, but he will

“interject” when he sees the need.

Along with several other coaches, Weis flew with Kiffin to Baton Rouge the day he left Ole Miss. Weis signed a threeyear deal worth $6 million that day, according to the term sheet, but that was renegotiated after Ole Miss expressed interest in keeping him. LSU then struck a three-year, $7.5 million deal with him that includes an annual “look-in period” to always make Weis the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the SEC. Together, Kiffin and Weis will have to quickly overhaul the offense for LSU to be competitive in their first season. They have to find a new quarterback, improve the offensive line and install the offensive scheme they have become known for “The way that we do things is not traditional, and just because in the book of coaching this is how we do it or it was done that way before, we’re always looking for new ideas trying to figure things out,” Kiffin said. “That started years ago with the innovative offense and changing the style of offense that we played over the years, having a unique offense that I don’t feel like is anywhere else in America by the system that we have and how it’s run.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Tech on Sept. 6 at Tiger Stadium.

BLOCKBUSTERHIRE

LSUgot its man when it hired Lane Kifﬁn.

The enigmatic offensiveguru topped the Tigers’ Most Wanted List fromDay 1and wasunequivocally theschool’s ﬁrst choice to succeed Brian Kelly and try to resurrect its moribund football program.

In landing Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry and schoolofficials priedhim fromthe clutchesofalongtime conferencerival and outmaneuvered fellow bluebloods like Florida and Florida State during an intense two-week battle for hisservices Kiffin’shiring is atestament to the power of the LSU football program, which has undergone aspectacular transformation in the last two decades, blossoming into oneofthe most prestigious jobs in the sport after underachieving for years in the 1980s and 1990s.

Here’show Irank theschool’salltime football coaching hires, focusing solely on the impact, popularityand difﬁculty of the hire on the dayitwas made, rather than theresults:

10. Bernie Moore

The promotion of Moore, theschool’s head track coach, freshman football coachand scout, cameonly afterLSU had been rebuffed by Tulane’s Clark Shaughnessy and Alabama’sFrank Thomas. Turns out, Moore was ahit. He led LSU to nine-winseasons and Sugar Bowl berths in each of his first three years. His 13 teams finished83-39-6 and earned fivebowlinvites.

9. Gerry DiNardo

DiNardo earned thejob by default only after TCU’sPat Sullivan backed out of the job at the11thhour. DiNardo was considered ahot prospect afterleading perennialSEC doormat Vanderbilt to a5-6 record in hisfourth season, but not everyone was excited about his hire. Scores of the LSUfootball players were so upsetbythe ne that Tigers defensive coordinator Ph Bennett had to meet with them at th school’sathletic dormitory to calm them down. DiNardo was picked fro an underwhelming list of candidate that included Sullivan,Washington Redskins receivers coach Terry Rob iskie, Florida special teams coordin Ron Zook, Bennett andTexas A&M fensive coordinatorSteve Ensming

8. Charles McClendon

“Cholly Mac” was Paul Dietzel’sha picked successor in 1962 whenheleft to takethe head coaching job at Arm Duringhis assistant coaching tenure derDietzel at LSU, McClendon tutor the legendary “Chinese Bandits,” the defensiveunit that wasthe catalyst LSU’s1958 nationalchampionship se son. McClendon’steamswent137-59 andmade 13 bowl appearances in his seasons. He was alsoNationalCoach the Year in 1970.

7. Charles ‘Bo’ Rein Ohio State coach WoodyHayes called Rein “probably the best young coach in the country” whenLSU hire himaway from N.C. State in 1980.A kansas coach Frank Broylescalledt precocious 34-year-old “ahighly edu cated overachiever.”Rein had comp

a27-18-1 recordinfour seasons at N.C. State, andDietzel,then the LSU AD, wasconvinced he had hired LSU’snext great young coach. But thestory ended in tragic fashion just 42 days later,when Rein was killed in asmall plane crash.

6. Paul Dietzel Dietzel was acoveted assistant un-

coach RedBlaik, when LSU hired him to succeed Gus Tinsley and resurrect its football program in 1955. The LSU job attracted aslew of interested candidates, butthe school’sboard of supervisors shrewdly picked the handsome 31-yearoldline coach from alist of more heralded and experienced coaches. Dietzel quickly turnedthings around, leading

top 4inthe nation three times

5. Les Miles In luring the 51-year-old Bo Schembechler acolyte from Oklahoma State, the Tigers were following the Saban blueprint. Miles, like the manhewas replacing, had been successful at amajor program despite having to play second fiddle in the state in terms of resources and popularity.Onthe surface, the formerMichigan manseemed an odd cultural fit, but he quickly adjusted to the SEC and led the Tigers to double-digit wins in his first three seasons, capped by the 2007 national title. Miles’ teams went 114-34 and never won fewer than eight games in any of his 12 seasons.

4. Nick Saban Hindsight obviously helps here. By no meanswas Saban considered asure thing at the time of his hire. Many questioned Saban’sﬁtinBaton Rouge. Somewondered if he could coach and recruit in the SEC. Credit to thenchancellor Mark Emmert, whohad the vision and ambition to lure Saban away from Michigan State, when no one and Idomean no one —saw it coming. Miamihead coach Butch Davis, Minnesota head coach Glenn Mason, Marshall head coach Bob Pruett and Florida State offensive coordinator Mark Richt wereamongthe candidates. LSU certainly got the right guy

3. Bill Arnsparger

The hiring of Arnsparger was a major surprise and quite the coup for then-athletic director Bob Broadhead, whopoached Arnsparger from the MiamiDolphins. Arnsparger wasthe architect of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins’ famed No-Name Defense, and Miami head coach DonShula fought hard to keep him. He only coached at LSU for three years, but he immediately elevated the program. His LSU teams went 26-8-2 and never ﬁnished worse than second in the SEC. Arnsparger was twice named SEC Coach of the Year and considered by some to be the best ootball coach in LSU history

Brian Kelly bviously,itdidn’twork out, but in moment, this was ahomerun hire he Tigers, one that spoke to the lure lore of the LSU program. To coax yaway from Notre Dame,the bluest ueblood programs, required moxie, ing and, of course, anow infamous ear,$100 millioncontract. Kelly 34-14 but ultimately failed because mplacency and afaltering offense, he hire waswidely heralded at the it was made.

ane Kiffin U’s hiring of Kiffinwas the biggest in sports. Given the high demand sservices and the soap opera-like sthat led to his departure from iss, Kiffin’shire generated even er hoopla than the stunning acquiof Kelly.LSU never has hired a in greater demand than Kiffin. ury is still out on whether this will end up being the “best” or not. ,50, is abrilliant offensive mind roven SEC winner,but he will enerthe greatest expectations of his r in Baton Rouge. National

Jeff Duncan

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

NewLSU football coachLane Kiffinpumps his fist to the crowd while leaving the MMR hangarshortlyafter arriving on Nov. 30 in Baton Rouge.

FILEPHOTO By BILL FEIG

football coach Bill Arnsparger speaks

By G. E. ARNOLD

UNAPOLOGETIC

Newcoach

Kiffin, LSUbrass don’thavetoapologize to anyone foranything

It’s impossibletobeneutralabout Lane Kifﬁn.

He’seither asaviorora sinner,depending on whether you’re pro-LSU or sympathetic to Ole Miss. Theﬁrst coach in the 12-team College Football Playoff era to leave his program beforethe playoffs begin, he’sspawned endless debate,venom,praise and even T-shirts in advance of the CFP ﬁrst-round game between Tulane and Ole Miss worthy of the Tiger TrollKing himself.

“Tulane vs. No Lane, Dec. 20, 2025,” the shirts read. With afew taps online, you can also ﬁnd aT-shirt that says “Merry Kiffmas” in purple and gold.

Afew more clicks bring you to plenty of anti-Kifﬁn ﬂammable liquids.

The heat isn’tjust turned in Kifﬁn’s direction, either “All they care about is anational championship,” former CBSSports.com writer nowAtlanta radio hostBarrett Sallee said recently.“They’resellingtheirsoul foranational championship. LSU …is oneofthe most dysfunctional programs we’ve seen in avery long time.”

There were dysfunctional things about theLSU coaching searchinthe wake of Brian Kelly’sﬁring on Oct. 26, no question. But the waves calmed down, LSU pursued the best coach available and Kifﬁn took the better job. Ajob where he felt he could compete for championships, not just be in the playoff this year —which he wanted to coach Ole Missin, butwas rebuffed.

Employers and employees do this millions of times ayear,every year: seek a better job, ﬁnd the besttalent.For that reason, Kifﬁn doesn’towe anyone an apology Neither does LSU.

COACHING STOPS:

“That’snot ourfault,”LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said of thetiming of Kifﬁn’shire. “I had to protectLSU’s interests. It was thebest for LSU.”

Yes, Kifﬁnleft OleMissataparticularlyfraught time,inthe midst of aCFP runand its best season since 1963, when the Rebels won their last Southeastern Conference championship.

But he gave OleMiss six successful seasons. Andhebuilt up the programto be aCFP contender, winning 55 games over that span, including 50 in the past ﬁveyears.

He gave the Rebelshis best. Now he wantssomething better What all the Kifﬁn/LSU critics failto acknowledge is that if he hadn’twon enough,Ole Miss would have long ago thrown himout on his ear.Noremorse. None of therampantsentimentality now being used as aweapon against Kifﬁn. Former ESPN broadcaster andNew Orleans nativeStan Verrett said it as well

as anyone: “Mississippihad acoach that loved the school, was an alumand might have stayed there forever.Matt Luke,” Verrett recently posted on X. “They ﬁred himafter he went 15-21 in 3years…to hire Lane Kifﬁn, whowas then,whathe is now,acoach looking for the best opportunity for hisown career “It’sacold game.Can’t be upset when you feel thechill.”

Kifﬁncritics may be proven right. Maybe he won’twin as bigasTigerfans hope or that he willleavefor another opportunityone day,like anothercrack at theNFL. Iwrote the same thing about Nick Sabanwhen he wenttoAlabama in 2007, noting the fact that he hadn’t coached anywhere— including LSU more than ﬁve years. But Saban gottoa point in his career wherehedidn’twant to move anymore andstayed until he retired in 2023.

Here is the realissuewith LSU hiring

AlookatLaneKiffin’scareerbeforearriving

at LSU

Kiffin: The rest of the country wants to think of Louisiana as the home to a bunchofbarefoot Bobby Bouchers. A place to visit forMardi Gras or fora SuperBowlora SugarBowl or JazzFest before flying home to resume having a good laugh at the state’s expense In the end, so what? It isn’tgoing to change.Everyone laughedatLes Miles forhis high hatand eating grass. They mocked Ed Orgeronbecause of his thick Cajun accent. Theyhated BrianKelly just because of his abrasive personality Now theywanttohateonKiffin. Whoever follows Kiffin will probably getsimilartreatment.

Ihaven’t gottentoknow Kifﬁn personally,having only been with him for ahandful of news conferences over the years, including two Mondays ago at LSU.

Perhaps people have aright to be negative.But whoever Kiffin is, it didn’tkeep Blake Bakerfromturning down Tulane, his alma mater,tostayatLSU as its defensive coordinator. It didn’tkeep LSU’s toprecruits like Lamar Brown, Richard Anderson, TrentonHenderson, Deuce Geralds andHavon Finney, committed underKelly,itmust be said, fromsigning with the Tigers earlierthis month. I’ve writtenplenty over the years aboutwhatLSU hasdonewrong and whenitplayedbadly.The sexualharassment scandal. The abjectly awful 2023 defense.The equally awful 2025 offense This time, allisfairinloveand football. LSU gotits man, someone who has reportedly generated15,000 newseason ticketrequests andmorecorporate sponsorship anddonations sincehis hiring. Kiffin gota betterjob LSU andKiffin should simply quote BuckWeaver fromthe baseball movie “Eight MenOut” andwalkaway: “You just playyourballgame andI’llplay mine andwe’llsee howitcomes out.” There’s aT-shirt foryou

Lane Kiffin’slatest career move brings him to BatonRougeasLSU’s34thhead footballcoach,luring him away from SoutheasternConference rival Ole Miss.

Oneofthe most sought-after coaches in collegefootball, Kiffinleft for LSU at the conclusion of the2025 regular season despite leading Ole Misstoits first CollegeFootball Playoff appearance. Thedecision led to acontroversial exit from Oxford, Mississippi, which wasn’t the first time that Kiffinhas changed jobs, causing astir Theson of awell-knownNFL assistant in Monte Kiffin, Lane Kiffin’scoaching career has included sevendifferent DivisionIschools, along with twoNFL stints before making his waytoLSU

AND

THEEARLY YEARS(1997-2000)

Lane Kiffinwas bornonMay 9, 1975, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and his coaching career began in 1997 as astudent assistant withFresno State. Kiffinwas just one year removedfrom playing quarterback at Fresno Stateand was partofthe coaching staff for twoyears before joining Colorado State in 1999 as agraduate assistant. He gothis first NFL experience ayear laterwiththe Jacksonville Jaguars, serving as aquality control assistant during the 2000 season under eventual Super Bowlwinninghead coachTom Coughlin.

FIRSTUSC STINT(2001-06)

Kiffin’sstint with the Jaguars lasted just one year,ashereturned to collegefootball with USC under head coach Pete Carroll as tightends coachfor the2001 season, arole he held for one year before becomingwidereceivers coach in 2002. Heserved as receivers coach for twoyears until becoming passing-game coordinatorin2004 and eventually offensivecoordinator in 2005,commandingone ofthe nation’smost explosiveoffenses that featuredHeisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush. Kiffinremained at USC through 2006 before earning his first head coaching opportunity with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders

JUMP TO THENFL (2007-08)

Kiffinbecame the youngest head coach in NFLhistoryat31 after being hired by the Oakland Raiders before the 2007 season.The Raiders were coming off adismal 2006 season, and Raidersowner Al Davis tasked ayoung offensivemind to turn around theonce-proud franchise. The Raiders held the first pick in the2007 NFL Draft and selected LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, adecision Kiffindisagreed with. Kiffin’sRaiders went 4-12 in his firstseason as an NFL head coach, and he was firedafter a1-3 starttothe 2008seasonthat includeda loss to the San DiegoChargersinwhich Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 76-yard field goal that came up embarrassingly short. Davis held alengthynewsconference announcing the move,saying that Kiffin“conned me” and called him a“professional liar.”

COLLEGEFOOTBALLRETURN(2009)

Kiffinreturned to the Division Icoaching ranks in 2009 and was hired as Tennessee’shead coach. Kiffin’s firstseason in Knoxville resulted in a7-6 overall record,animprovement after adisappointing 5-7season in 2008. However, his time at Tennessee lasted just one year,asUSC’shead coaching job opened after Pete Carroll left to coach the Seattle Seahawks Kiffinleftfor USC, citing it as his “dream job,” but his exitoccurred not long before national signing dayand resulted in several hundred Tennessee studentsstaging an on-campus riot.

USCREUNION(2010-13)

Kiffin’sUSC reunion marked areturntothe school where he had previously worked for six seasons.HeservedasUSC’shead coach forfour years, with the Trojans ineligible for abowlgame in his first twoyears because of atwo-year postseason ban stemming from violations during Carroll’stenure. His firstyear as USC head coach wasslightly underwhelming with an 8-5 record, but the Trojans improvedto10-2the following year.USC returnedtothe postseason in Kiffin’sthird season with a final record of 7-6, but the Trojans had athree-win drop from 2011. USC’spatience ran out in 2013 during Kiffin’sfourth year as head coach, as ablowout losstoArizona State led to his firing at the airportonce the team plane landed in Los Angeles after the game. Louisiana nativeEdOrgeron took over as USC’sinterim coach

ALABAMAWITHSABAN (2014-16)

Kiffinlanded back on his feet with Alabama’scoaching staff under legendarycoach Nick Saban for the 2014 season and served as offensivecoordinator and quarterbacks coach for three years Alabama had some of the best offenses in the countrywith Kiffin calling plays.Kiffin’s first season resulted in a12-2record and a Sugar Bowl berth, followedbytwo straight CollegeFootball Playoff championship appearances.The first national title berthwith Kiffin resulted

HEAD COACHING RETURN (2017-19)

n’sfourth head coaching opportunity at theFBS leveland his first time back as ahead coach in the SEC since his one-year stint with Tennessee. Ole Missreached abowlgame everyyear under Kiffin, even after an underwhelming 5-5record during the shortened 2020 season. Ole Missbounced back in 2021 and was an SECtitle contender, finishing 10-3and reaching theSugar Bowl. Ole Misswent 8-5,11-2 and 10-3 in the following three years under Kiffin, whodeveloped astrong reputation for recruiting transfersand earned the nickname “portal king.” Ole Missearned its first CFP bid after finishing 11-1thisseason. Kiffin’stimeinOxford came to an end after he accepted the LSUcoaching position. Kiffinwas prevented from leading the Rebels in theCFP,with athletic director KeithCarterdenying his request to stay on for the postseason runbecause he had alreadytaken theLSU job.Multiple Ole Missassistant coachesfollowedKiffintoLSU LSU’SNEW COACH(2026-) Kiffinwas hired by LSU on Sunday,Nov.30, andsigned a seven-year,$91 million contract to replace Brian Kelly,who was fired eight games into the2025 season after ablowout loss to Texas A&M. Frank Wilson became LSU’sinterim coach and will remain in that role through theTexas Bowl on Dec. 27 beforeKiffin and thenew LSUstaff members officially take over —SpencerUrquhart

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

TigerStadium.

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

Celebrations continue for theKingof Zydeco Clifton Chenier

With 2026 knocking on the door,we’re about to wrap up the Year of Chenier,the centennial birthday celebration ofthe King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier. Well, not quite. Accolades and achievements continue for the Grammy Hall of Fame accordionist born June 25, 1925, near Opelousas. The recognition stretchesinto the New Year The King of Zydeco’scrown will not be put away with the Christmas decorations. Happy Year of Chenier —the 2026 edition. Here are some recent and upcoming accolades.

Grammy-nominated‘Tribute’

Few were surprised that the star-studded album, “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco” on Valcour Records in Eunice, was nominated for the Best Regional Roots Album Grammy.The album features The Rolling Stones, “Zydeco Boss” Keith Frank, Marcia Ball, Charley Crockett and other music luminaries performing Chenier classics. The release has received rave reviews from New York City to Bangkok. Album sales and donations raised $30,413 to endow amemorial scholarship at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The album is also part of another banner year for Louisiana in the Regional Rootscategory.All ﬁve nominees, which include Corey Henry,Preservation Brass, Kyle Roussel and Trombone Shorty,are from the Bayou State. Grammy winners will be announced Feb. 1.

‘AtSunset’ mural

Artwork celebrating brothers Clifton and Cleveland Chenier was unveiled Dec. 12 outside The Funky Flea, an art gallery and vintage antique shop, in Sunset. The St. Landry Parish town is called the RubboardCapital of the World.

“Tee Don” Landry makes and globallyships his Keyof ZRubboards from his home in Sunset. Landry’sfather Willie, along with the Chenier brothers, designed the ﬁrstmetal, vest-styled rubboard in 1946. Lifetime Achievementencore Folklife AllianceInternational will present aLifetime Achievement Award in

ä See CHENIER, page 5E

BAKER’S DELIGHT

Gift alittleholiday sweetnesswith oneofsix cakestotry forthe season

The holidaysbringout thebest in home kitchens —simple ingredients, bigﬂavors and acombination of recipes passed down through generations alongsidenew ones takingthe internet by storm.

To help make themost of theseason, we asked thenewspaper’s features reporters to turn on their ovensand bake up their favorite cakes. Some chosefamily standbys. Others tried somethingcompletely new or ones that showcase local ingredients.

Each cake is paired with abrief explainer from thewriter who baked it, sharingwhere the recipecomes from andwhy she decided to bake it for this special cakecelebration

After the photo shoot,the entirenewsroom had thechance to try aslice —or allsix.Each cakefound fans alongthe way.

Maybe you’llﬁnd anew favorite amongthem. Maybe one will taste like home. Either way,there’ssweetness ahead

If you have afavorite cake recipeyou’d like to share, please send it my way to jan.risher@theadvocate.com. —Jan Risher,Louisiana culture editor

BY RACHELMIPRO Contributingwriter

Herman Fuselier

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Toprow,from left: Hummingbird Cake, Mississippi Pound Cake, RedVelvet Pound Cake. Bottomrow,from left: Brown Sugar Chai Cake, PistachioCoffee Cakeand SatsumaOliveOil Cake

Weathernomatch forthe museum’s Christmascheer

Kris Wartelle

Oh, the weather outside was frightful, but inside, theLafayette Museum wasso delightful. The rainy, cold nightdid not stop the party at the LafayetteMuseum Historic Homeand Gardens on Dec. 6.

Thanks to the ladies of Les VingtQuatre, the annualfundraiser welcomed hundreds of guests to share some Christmas cheer and enjoy delicious food prepared by theladies themselves.The historic downtown Lafayette home was decked out in all its Christmas decor,which Lafayette residents can view throughout the holiday season.

This party kicks off the holiday season every year with friends, families and museumsupporters whohelp prepare it for visitors to enjoy.From the tea girls, (young ladies who serve hors d’oeuvres to guests), tothe family recipes used to create the partybites, this event is brimming with tradition and history

Lafayette residents can enjoy the cheerful decorationsany time by just visiting the historic homeand gardens. The facilityisopen 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and on Sunday andMonday for tour groups, by appointment.

We enjoyed catching up with so many familiar faces. Cheers to you, Lafayette Museum andHistoric Gardens. Merry Christmas!

FriendsofMusic Acadiana celebratewithmusic,merriment

December is in fullswing with holiday eventsgalore. Christmas is in theair,and thereisholiday musiceverywhere.

Saturdaynight was no exception.The Friends of MusicAcadiana annualparty on Dec. 6drewalargecrowd of UL Lafayette School of Music supporters and guestsfor Music andMerriment2025.

The galaisa celebration of holiday music, but it is alsoa partywith apurpose.Friends of MusicAcadiana assiststalented UL musicstudentsbyproviding scholarships andperformance competition awards that allow musicstudentstocontinue their studies.Italsoraises awareness aboutthe programfor high school seniorswho may be interested

MusicDirectorShawn Roy andhis studentsshowed off that talent, performingmany holiday favoritesfor the crowd.Guestsenjoyedthe mini concertsurroundedbylovely Christmas decorations, holiday hors d’oeuvres and drinks at the Piccionehome in Lafayette

We can’t sayenough abouthow special this musical program is.Itisindeeda worthycause. Anyone who wants to show support can be apartofit. For informationonhow to help, contact friendsofmusicacadiana org. Merry Christmas, my fellow musiclovers. What alovely way to spread some Christmas cheer

PHOTOSByKRIS WARTELLE

Gail DeHart, Ann Marie Hightowerand JudyKennedy

Suzanne Odom, MariaBreaux, Ramona Mouton and Lennie Sobiesk

Sydneyand Frank Creaghan

Renee Fenstermaker,Glenda Matt and JoLynn Cole

Julie Morgan, SusanStephan and Rick Stewart

Mac and Lauren Francez

Emily,Ebbyand Charlie Babineaux

Brian Colomb, Ashley and Neal Guidry

Bill Blanchet and ChrisRader Gretchen Stewartand Michael Moreau

Laura AnnEdwards and Mimi Francez

Aimee Trahan and Debbie DeGravelle

Charles Mayard, Ronnie Daigle and Patricia Cran

AnnClark and Rebecca Blanchet

Kirk and Brenda Piccione, Jayand Margaret Ruffin

Timand Karen Melancon and Shawn Roy

Lynn and MikeCrochet

Cathy Meche and Ande Hakeman Carolyn French and Dean Daryl Moore

Martha and James Cross

Edwin Spangler andRondaVincent

Donand Tish Johnson

Elizabeth Headington and Sandra Domingue

Eleanor Mills Carbajal and Jeanie Rush

KreweofGabriel holdsannualfallpresentationball

December maybe Christmastime, but there are hints of Carnivalalreadyinthe air December is also thetime when the Krewe of Gabriel celebrates its annual FallPresentation Ball.

This year, the elegantevent was held on Dec. 6. The Krewe introducedarecord numberofyoung ladies as 31 debutantes took thestageatthe FremF.Boustany Convention Center to participate. All looked lovely in traditional white strapless gowns,escorted by their fathers or designated family members.

The program ﬂowed as smooth as silk,with each young lady gracefully pausing to curtsey before taking thestage. Gabriel Commodore Richard Domingue stood watch over it all fromhis excellentviewatthe commodore’s table. We werehonored to be invited to sitand enjoy theview fromthe table,aswell.

The GabrielFallBall is notonlya time-honoredtradition; for some, it is an unofﬁcial starttothe Carnival season.Itkicksoff endlessparties andeventshonoring royalty, leadinguptokrewe balls and paradesthatpunctuatewhatweall know as Mardi Gras.

We want to thank thekrewe forthe invitation to join in the celebration

Richard Domingue, AlbertGuilliot and Vince Saitta

Jackie, Lauren and John Quoyeser

Lucy Centanni and Parker Eldridge

William Kaufman and Scott Domingue

Camille Kane, NatalieBreaux,AinsleyKaiser,Jill Kennedy, Preksha Jain and Emma ClaireKyle

Cherie and Ralph Kraft

Julie Dronet, RobertGardes and Joseph Giglio

HOLIDAY CAKES

Red Velvet Pound Cake

Recipe from BrendaMorrow

Until Iwent to college, Ithought thisRed Velvet Pound Cake was what allred velvet ﬂavors tasted like. It was the only red velvet dessert my mom made while Iwas growing up. Imagine my surprise when Ifound outreal red velvet included cocoa powder.Mymom would make these bright andcolorfulpound cakes with unforgettable cream cheese icing forChristmas, special occasions andour birthdays. Imake themnow, andmymom always checks in to seehow my RedVelvet Pound Cakes turn out. —Joy Holden

FOR THE CAKE:

½cup shortening

7eggs

1ounce red food coloring

3cups flour 1cup butter

3cups sugar

1cup milk

¼teaspoon salt

2teaspoons vanilla FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

½cup butter,softened

8ounces of cream cheese, softened

1teaspoon vanilla

4cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoonsmilk

1. Combine butter,shortening and sugar.Cream until light and ﬂuffy

2. Add eggs, one at atime, beatingwell after each addition. Stir in vanilla and red food coloring.

3. Combine ﬂour alternately with milk, beating well. Pourbatter into agreased and ﬂouredBundt pan.

4. Bake at 325F for an hour and 20 minutes, or until atoothpick comes outclean.

5. For the frosting, combine butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla. Blend until creamy. Let the cakerest for at least an hour before icing.

SatsumaOlive Oil Cake

Recipe inspired byThe DeliciousLife

After along, heavy meal (and perhaps some holiday drinks), Iamrarely in the mood to tuck intoadense cake. Butthis olive oil cake, inspired by arecipe I’ve madewithoranges, is light, airyand agood way to showoff some baking skills with littlefuss. The original recipe calls for the zest, juice and slices of oranges. However, sincethis year my father had his ﬁrst satsuma harvest while living in Texas after moving from Louisiana many moonsago, Idecided to trythis cake out with satsumas instead, makingfor alovely Louisiana twist.—Margaret DeLaney FOR THE CAKE:

4satsumas (2 forslicing, 2for zest and juice)

1cup olive oil

1cup sugar

3largeeggs

1teaspoon vanillaextract

2cups all-purpose flour 1teaspoon sea salt

1teaspoon baking powder

½teaspoon baking soda FOR THE DECORATION:

1cup heavy whipping cream

3tablespoons powderedsugar

1 8 teaspoon creamoftartar

1tablespoon (leftover) satsuma juice

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C)

2. Prep a9-inch cake pan (or an 8-inch Bundt cake pan) withbaking spray or olive oil andline the bottom with parchment paper

3. Slice two satsumas in 1/8-inch thick slices. Using the largest slices from thecenters of thesatsumas, line the bottom of thecakepan in acircular design. The satsumas shouldoverlap. If additional cutting is needed to ﬁt the pan, that’s OK! I endedupusing semicirclesonthe outside of the pan.

4. Zest the remainingsatsumas to make at least 2tablespoonsofzest —although more zest won’thurt, it just adds more satsuma flavor When zestingisover,squeeze both satsumas for at least ½ cup of satsuma juice. Set aside1tablespoon of the juice for later for whipped cream.

5. In alarge mixing bowl, whisk togetherthe olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, satsumazestand satsuma juice.

6. Add the ﬂour,salt, baking soda andbaking powder tothe liquid mixture untilit’sjust combined some lumps are ﬁne.

7. Gently pour the cake batter over the top of the preparedsatsuma patterninthe cake pan. Bake for45to50minutes. The cakeis done when thetop is medium golden brown anda caketester (or toothpick) comes out clean.

8. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then remove it from the pan by ﬂipping it over likeapineapple upside-down cake. Removethe parchment paper from the top of the cake. Let the cake cool foranadditional hour beforedecorating 9. While the cake is cooling, pour theleftover satsuma juice, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and cream of tartar in astand mixer with awhisk attachment. Startoff mixing at aslowspeed,thenmix at higher speed when the whipping cream starts coming together.This will allow the whipped cream to get stiff peaks.

10. Once the cake is completely cooled, decorate as desired. Iused apiping bagwithatextured pipe tip to make acircular design around the cake. Ideally,the design will not cover thesatsumadesign over the top.

Pistachio Coffee Cake

Recipefrom Danielle Cochran’sThe Salty Cooker

Istumbled upon this pistachio coffee cake from an Instagram reel,and my tastebuds started dancing just from the look of it. The cake has a great balance of sweet and tangy ﬂavors—and Iappreciate that it’s not too sweet.It’sjust right. —Lauren Cheramie

FOR THE CAKE:

2cups 1.1 gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour

3teaspoons baking powder forGFor2 teaspoons if using all-purpose flour

½teaspoon baking soda

½teaspoon kosher salt

2largeeggs

2 3 cup sugar

1½ cups sour cream

1cup butter,room temperature

2teaspoons vanilla extract

1teaspoon pistachio extract

1cup pistachios, finelyground FOR THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER: 8ounces of cream cheese,roomtemperature

1teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups powdered sugar

½cup pistachio cream FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:

1cup pistachios (roasted, lightly salted) chopped

½cup brown sugar

8tablespoons butter,room temperature ½cup flour

1. Prepare thecream cheese Layer: In abowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and pistachio cream. Mix until smooth.Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 Fand spray a9-inch squarewith2½-inch high sidesor a9-inch round springform pan with

2½-inch sides.

Note: Place abaking sheet in the oven below the coffee cake in case there is any overﬂow

3. Preparethe cakebatter: In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and ﬂuffy, about 3minutes. Add in the eggs, sour cream, pistachio extractand vanilla extract, and mix until well incorporated. Gradually add in the ﬂour,baking powder,baking soda and salt. Mixuntil smooth. Stir in the ground pistachios.

4. Prepare the streusel topping: In aseparate bowl, mix together the chopped pistachios, brownsugar, butter and ﬂour until well combined.

5. Assemble the cake: Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Spread thecream cheese layer evenly on top. Sprinkle half of the streusel topping over the cream cheese layer.Pour the remaining cakebatteroverthe top and sprinkle the rest of the streusel topping evenly

6. Bakethe cake: Bakeinthe preheated oven for55-70minutes or untila toothpickinserted in the center comesout clean. Allowthe cake to cool completely in the dish.

7. Add the glaze: Once cooled, drizzlethe pistachio cream over the top of the cake.

Brown Sugar Chai Cake

Recipefrom Sloane’sTable

This recipe calls for theuse of baking strips, or cake strips, which can be found at stores that sell baking supplies or online. They help cakes bake evenly,resulting in tall, ﬂat tops with better texture. —Maddie Scott

FOR THE CAKE:

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1tablespoon and ¾teaspoon baking powder

1teaspoon kosher salt

1tablespoon cinnamon

2teaspoons cardamom

1teaspoon ginger

1teaspoon allspice

1teaspoon nutmeg

1teaspoon cloves

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature ½cup neutral oil

1¼ cup wholemilk, room temperature

2eggs, room temperature

1tablespoon vanilla extract

FOR THE FROSTING:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ blocks cream cheese, cold 3cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper

2. Soak cake strips in ice water

3. In thebowl of astand mixer fitted withthe paddle attachment,combine the ﬂour,brown sugar,baking powder,salt and spices.

4. Cut up the butter intosmall cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wetsand.

5. Add the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla,and mixuntil just combined.

6. Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Wrap the cake strips around the outside of the pans.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutesoruntil atoothpick inserted comes out clean. Immediately turn the cakes outonto awire rack to cool completely

8. Once cool, wrapthe cakes in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to decorate. (Frozen cake layers will be mucheasier to frost!)

STAFF PHOTOSByJOHNBALLANCE

HOLIDAY CAKES

Mississippi Pound

Cake

Recipe by Arrie Ellen Hawkins Henderson, Jan Risher’s great-grandmother

This is the cake my great-grandmother was known for making. She always had this cake or her famous tea cakes on hand for whoever dropped by. A few years ago, my aunt gave me my great-grandmother’s Bundt cake pan and recipe. Miraculously, it made it through our August house ﬁre, and I’m so happy that it did. For me, this cake smells and tastes like home. — Jan Risher

3 sticks salted butter, softened to room

2¾

1. Preheat oven to 325 F Butter and lightly ﬂour a Bundt pan Sift 3 cups of the ﬂour (I use a lot of butter to prevent the cake from sticking.)

2. In a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until creamy Add one egg at a time, beating for about a minute after each egg. Once beaten

well and all the graininess of sugar is gone, fold in one cup of the flour Beat at low speed with mixer Add in 1⁄3 cup of whipping cream. Beat some more. Continue alternating flour and whipping cream Add vanilla flavoring and stir

3. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.

4. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on oven or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan at least 20 minutes. Remove from pan and ﬁnish cooling on a rack (for the crunchiest cake bottom).

Hummingbird Cake

Recipe is adapted from Southern Living

To give the cake a festive touch, I added a little red food coloring gel to the frosting. After my sister, a huge Southern Living fan, served this cake a few years ago, I decided to try my hand at it If you’re wondering why it’s called Hummingbird Cake, there are two theories: One, that the sweet fruit and nuts would be attractive to the tiny birds; and two, that the cake originated in Jamaica in the early 1960s and was called Doctor Bird Cake after the country’s national bird, the doctor bird, a type of hummingbird. The name evolved to Hummingbird Cake after the confection became popular in the American South. — Judy Bergeron

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. In a bowl, whisk ﬂour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1E

by the New Orleans City Archives, and in the state of U.S. postwar ﬁnances.

Fighting over and funds needed

When the U.S. entered the fray of WWI in 1917, declaring war on Germany, the country needed a way to ﬁnance the war effort. The resulting idea was a campaign to sell war bonds, branded the Liberty Loan Plan.

During the war, the U.S. had four rounds of bond selling. When Armistice Day came in November 1918, it was greeted with intense celebration — and followed by one last ﬁnancial push.

In 1919, with fighting over and funds still needed, the fifth and final round of U.S. war bonds were sent out, titled the “Victory Liberty Loan.” New Orleans had a Victory Loan quota of around $21 million to meet, and local Victory Liberty Loan committee chairman Henry E. Groffman was hard at work.

Before the loan campaign launched the week of April 21, 1919, Groffman sent out a public call asking for the names of local Gold Stars through a newspaper notice. The Historic New Orleans Collection estimated 74,103 Louisianans served in the U.S. armed forces during the war Groffman asked for the names of locals who perished in this effort.

“What we want is the name of the man who died in the service,” Groffman is quoted in the April 11, 1919 issue of the New Orleans Item.

“Add to this the service, whether the navy, marine corps infantry, ﬁeld artillery, aviation, medical corps, or any other branch of the government’s ﬁghting force in which he was engaged. Unless this information is forthcoming in the immediate future, I am afraid we will not be able to carry out fully one of the most impressive features of the Victory Liberty Loan declaration.”

Drumming up public enthusiasm

Four days later, the newspaper de-

scribed these impressive features: a display on Canal Street consisting of eight three-sided pylons, each between 18-20 feet tall. The design was obelisk-like, tapering upward from a square base into a narrow pinnacle and decorated with a gold and ivory color scheme. Each erected pylon held a different symbol of war, such as a cannon, tank and airship. Names of Gold Star soldiers were placed on plaques near the bottom.

The pylons were accompanied by a display of electric lights and “novel displays of patriotic ideas,” including printed slogans from the Victory Loan Campaign, such as “Peace Insurance,” “Stamp the Bill Paid,” and “Make the Fifth Punch a Knockout,” all meant to drum up public enthusiasm for buying bonds over the weeks of the campaign.

The last mention of the display can be found in a brief note in the May 7, 1919, article of the New Orleans Item.

“Decorations on Canal which were placed for the Fifth Victory Loan and for the welcome of Louisiana troops will remain intact until after the arrival of the Jennings boys,” the article reads.

The pylons disappeared from public notice — given the lack of other evidence, they appear to have been taken down along with the rest of the decorations after the campaign ended. Even still, New Orleanians were aﬁre with enthusiasm for creating a proper war memorial. Debate over the form and design on this memorial began in the summer months of 1919, eventually resulting in the creation of the 9th Ward Victory Arch The carved stone arch was originally located in the center of McCarty Square. It was moved in 1951 to the edge of the square. The arch is America’s ﬁrst permanent tribute to WWI U.S. servicemen, according to The Historic New Orleans Collection.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

3. Add eggs and oil. Stir just until dry ingredients are moist.

4. Add vanilla, pineapple, bananas and toasted pecans; stir again.

5. Grease and ﬂour three 9-inch round cake pans. Divide batter evenly among pans.

6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of each layer comes out clean.

7. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pans, return to wire rack and cool completely, around an hour

8. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-low speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Change speed to medium-high and beat until ﬂuffy, 1 to 2 minutes longer

9. Place bottom cake layer on cake plate. Spread 1 cup of frosting over top. Place middle layer atop that, and spread with 1 cup of frosting. Place top layer and use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.

10. Place pecan halves, if desired, around the edge of the cake.

CHENIER

Continued from page 1E

Chenier’s honor during its 38th annual conference in January in New Orleans. Chenier received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. In its news release, Folklife Alliance International said, “Chenier turned dancehalls into joyous celebrations, insisting, ‘If you can’t dance to zydeco, you can’t dance period!’” C J. Chenier, Clifton’s son, folklorist Nick Spitzer, Maureen Loughran of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Adam Machado of the Arhoolie Foundation and yours truly participate in a panel discussion Jan. 24 at the conference. Box set fit for a king Chenier’s hits, unreleased record-

ings and rare live sets are part of “Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues & Zydeco,” a six vinyl LP box set, also available on four CDs. The 67 selections range from Chenier’s gems on Arhoolie Records to unreleased performances from the PBS TV show “Live from Austin City Limits.” Chenier appeared in the ﬁrst season of the landmark show in 1976. A 160-page book of photos, posters and essays complete the set. You’ll have to wait until Feb. 6 to get this royal release.

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN BALLANCE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Items are left at a memorial marker for Thomas Gragard, a Marine killed during WWI, in City Park in New Orleans in 2020.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Artwork celebrating brothers Clifton and Cleveland Chenier was unveiled Dec. 12 outside The Funky Flea in Sunset.

BOOKS

‘I

Don’tWishYou Well’tackles homophobia,secrets in smalltown

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

What would you do to uncover the truth? In the young adult novel, “I Don’tWish YouWell,” Jumata Emill explores this question withhis protagonist, Pryce Cummings, whoinvestigates aseries of murders that rocked his small town five years earlier Afreshman in college, Pryce utilizes his journalism training to find outif the masked killer was really who the police said it was. He setsout to make atrue crime podcastfor his university Over asummer in his south Louisiana town,Pryce revisits the past,and along the way,uncovers thetown’ssecrets and comes to term withhis own identity. Baton Rouge native, McKinley High School and Southern Universityalumnus JumataEmill has parlayed his own journalism career into writing captivating young adult thrillers. A former reporter at The Advocate, Emill covered both East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes. His first two books, “The Black Queen”and “Wander in the Dark,” also take place in Louisiana and feature youngBlack sleuths who uncover mysteries.

”I Don’tWish YouWell”presentsa nuanced Louisiana small town where the cycle of trauma results in violence and murder.While acaptivatingpage turner,the difﬁcult content means the novelisbest for older teensand adults. The novel comes out in print Jan.20, andEmill will be at Red Stick Reads, 3829 Government St., Baton Rouge, at 6p.m. that day for aQ&A discussion with Tere Hyﬁeld and abook signing.

This article was editedfor length and clarity

What inspired you to write this novel?

I’m all for being in this space and providing books for Blackteensto be able to see themselves. Ialways wanted to be able to solve amystery. Ididn’thave that in my time growing up. But also, Iwant White kidstobe able to read my books and go, “Oh,this is what it’slike to be on the other side.”

Where Iused to report has inﬂuenced my writing. Ipulled so much from aformer source whoworked for the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. We would have very frank and honest conversations about the disparities within the area. He would tell me how thepolice solved crimes by using Snapchat,text messages andsocial media. And Ithought, “Kids can do this.”

This book is also for Black queer boys who were told who they couldn’t be and they just wanted tobethemselves. There’s strength injustbeing whoyou areand not havingtocompromise to other people’sviews.

Can you tell me about incorporating the differentforms of media and primarysources in the novel that help Pryce solve the mystery?

Ialways have in the back of my mind, “How would this book beaccessible to kids and teachers?” This book would help kids understandhow journalism works and what we have to do. They need to learn how toread something and askquestions.

As akid, Ilovedepistolary storytelling. “Dracula” was my ﬁrst example of anovel with letters, and it always made me feel like Iwas part of the story.Ialways loved that because they made me feel like Iwas getting the same thing that the characters are getting. Iwondered, “How can Iget thereader to feel what the town wentthrough when the crime happened alongtime ago?”Then, Ithought about police re-

that our kids can’thandle it, but the truthis, they can handle it. We need them to be able to read and comprehend things, especially in the world today,where so much fakestuff is online. Ialso want to create an environment like Ihave with my mother, where we always felt comfortable to talk about certain things with her How did your experiences as acrime reporter inform your writing process? After college, Iwas at Hattiesburg American for ﬁve years as apolice reporter.Ireally learned alot about crime reporting. Andthen Ialso did crime reporting when Icame to The Advocate, and it was areally great experience.

Irealized Icould go back to my old reporter notebook to get ideas from there. Ijust leaned on all of this knowledge that Ihad from journalism. Journalism really forced me out of my bubble, and Imet people and had experiences that Iwould have never had otherwise.

How did you capture the characters so vividly and create authentic dialogue?

La.bookclub keepsmother’s reading passionalive

After my September column about Linda Lightfoot, aretired Louisiana journalist who’s kept arecord of her reading lifesince 2005, I heard from Tricia Day,who thought Ishould know about the reading journal kept by her late mother, Kitty Day, from 1937 until her death at 89 in 2007. Kitty’slegacy lives on through Kitty’sBooks, abook club with half adozen members whoread and discuss titles from Kitty’sreading journal. The club meetsregularly in Baton Rouge, homebase formuch of the Dayfamily.Tricia Dayand her sister Susan Crowther are members, and they like to keep the group small to encourage good conversation. Another sister,Jane Edwards, might start her own version of the club where she lives in Montgomery,Alabama.

Irecently met Tricia, aretired dyslexia specialist, and Susan, aretired educator,atTricia’shome to talk about their mother’sjournal. Jane, aretired nurse, happened to be in town, so she joined us, too. Gathered around acoffee table with Kitty’sreading journal in the center,they recalled amother of 11 whocounted books as aruling passion.

“She didn’tcook,” Susan told me. “She didn’t garden. She didn’thave asewing machine. But she read all the time.”

Kitty’sother passion wasrecord-keeping. As Susan pointed out, her mother becamethe secretary of every club she joined.

“She kept ascrapbook of every trip she took,” Tricia added.

For Kitty,reading wasapart of, not apart from, an active life.

“She could strike up aconversation with anybody,” Jane mentioned. “She loved to travel. She was athletic. She was awonderful diver.She was the mosteclectic reader Ihave known.”

“She read everything,” Susan explained.

Tricia told me that another sister,Beth Gerhart, had recently reminded her how Kitty’sreading journal got started. While living in Chicago as a young woman, Kitty took acollege class in which a professor assigned his students to begin ajournal of every book they read. That wasin1937. Kitty, whoeventually returned to Louisiana, worked as a teacher before her marriage to John Wilton Day, an engineer She kept up her reading journal forthe rest of her life.

“Most of the entries include abrief synopsis of the book,” Tricia noted. “She often reread books, and her favorite by farwas ‘Jane Eyre.’ She read ﬁction and nonﬁction, lots of biographies, and, of course, manyclassics …it’salike ashort history of literature foranyone whoreads it.”

The journal, which chronicles thousands of books, includes everything from Zane Grey Westerns to John Grisham thrillers to Eudora Welty’s“The Optimist’sDaughter.”

Recently,Kitty’sBooks tackled “‘Goodbye, Mr Chips” by James Hilton, “read by my mom in 1940,” Tricia said.

What would Kitty think of the Kitty’sBooks?

“She’d be amember,for sure,” Tricia told me. Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman. com.

cordsand social media, and Ithought it would be fun to have readers be able to see all of thethings that Pryce was gettinginthe book. Whymakethis story for teens as ayoung adult book?

As aYAauthor,Ireally try to pull thereinsinsometimes, to realize that you don’twant to give kids too much information. Ialso feel like kids are way smarter than we give them credit for,soweneed to give them the proper tools. My books are always abouttopics that parentsdon’thave discussions with kids about. Iwant aparent to read this book, give it to their child and havediscussions.

Toooften we are afraid to have a toughconversation because we think

Ilike writing complex people because Ifeel like people aren’tjust black and white. Everyone’snot all good. Everyone’snot all bad. There’s always this gray area that makes alot of people uncomfortable. It’salways about who’stelling the story.You’re thevillain in somebody else’sstory.

Ihave alove-hate relationship with theSouth. Ilove the culture and these larger-than-life, colorful people who are in powerful positions. At thesame time Ihate all the bigotry,the racism, thehomophobia and all those other thingsthat are alsotied toit.

I’ll probably always set my books here. There’ssomuch to write about.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Tricia DayofBaton Rougeholds the reading journal her mother,Kitty,kept between 1937 and her death in 2007. The journal has inspired abook clubin which members read and discuss booksfrom Kitty Day’slong reading life

TRADEPAPERBACK

PHOTO By DANNy HEITMAN.

Da an nny Heitm Danny Heitman

Kitty Day

TRAVEL

Natchitoches,‘SteelMagnolias’gohandinhand

After36years, filming sitesstill specialtofans

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

The ﬁlm “Steel Magnolias” turned 36 years old this year

The Southern comedy that summoned laughter and tears was filmed in Natchitoches during the summer and fall of 1988. Tours of filming locations bring fans to the buildings used for exterior shots in the film. Natchitoches, known for itsChristmas Festival and Northwestern State University,entertainedHollywood royalty for afew months nearlyfour decadesago Themovie became aclassic, especially among Southern women.

One enchanting way to experience Natchitoches as the home base of “Steel Magnolias” is by stayingin the Eatenton home, the Steel Magnolia House Bed and Breakfast, and taking atour of thelandmarks of the ﬁlm. Not only is Natchitoches home to the ﬁlm, but it is also home to playwright Rob-

is approximately one and one-half milesand takes abouttwo hours, while being mostly outdoors.

round, but it is self-guided. This tourisfree, but for more do-it-yourself types whowant to go on an adventure of their own with amap and an itinerary Privatecar tour

Roberts. the holidays,the Natchitoches Historic Founts on frontporch toursofthe “Steel ﬁlming locations third Thursdayof .The cost is $30 Children 12 and free.

ur begins at The Cunningham Law 550 Second St. and thePrud’hommeHouseon446 Rue The entire tour

‘heavy

future “after” pho,fuel placand winnable.

smell oway verify car passengers xperirental are

The6 p.m. tour is divided into three staggered groups limited to 40 persons.

Ticket holders meet at thehistoric Cunningham Law Ofﬁce forlight refreshments and then embark on a guided walking tour through Natchitoches’ National Landmark District, stopping at properties andsites featured in the movie “Steel Magnolias.”

The tour makes various stops at select properties whereticketholdersenjoy movie trivia,Christmas decorations and history Ado-it-yourselftour

If traveling to Natchitoches during Christmas isn’tpossible, another walking tour, offered by the Natchitoches Visitor’s Bureau, is available year-

One moreoption is the privatecar tour with Tour Natchitoches with Barbara. Jerry Dawson is the owner of this tourcompany, and she is amember of the Association forthe Preservation of Historic Natchitoches. Dawson or herguides meet theirvisitors and jumpinacar,van or bus with them foraprivate tour while driving through the city.The car ride stops at the sites for pictures and history.Ifsomeone is staying at the Steel Magnolias Bed and Breakfast, Tour Natchitoches withBarbara can give atour of the inside of the home. Dawson, whowas an extra in the ﬁlm, says she gets peoplefromall over wholove the movie and want to be up close and personal with the locations. She said many people watch themovie repeatedlywiththeirmothers, aunts, sisters and friends. The private car tour can take up to threehours and costs $45 per carload fora minimumoftwo hours.Prices may change according to season or size of group. Wheretoeat

WhileinNatchitoches, dine at MerciBeaucoup Restaurant, 127 Church St., for somedelicious Louisiana cuisine in historic downtown. Anotherrestaurant that locals say can’t be missed is Lasyone’sMeat Pie Restaurant, 622 Second St., the homeofthe famous Natchitoches meat pies and manyother Southern comfort dishes. After atour of homes, churches and other locations from“Steel Magnolias,” soak up the history of Louisiana’s oldest European settlement andbaskinthe beauty of the Cane River

smokesmell’inrental

usually pretty honest about their habits. Youwere acareful renter, and it looks like you were being charged forsomething you didn’t do. There werealso the timeand mileagediscrepancies, which were problematic.

Isee you also appealed this case to an Avis executive (I list the names, numbers and email addresses of theAvis executives on my consumer advocacy site, elliott.org). Amanager should have reviewed your case and ﬁxed it.

My advice? Document every scratch,smelland mile on your rental car.Ifyou catch even a whiff of impropriety,say somethingimmediately.Don’twait for

the car rental company to write it up, because at atimewhen car rental companies are monetizing everything, it probably will. Ithought Avis should take another look at this claim, given the inconsistencies in its ﬁles and the fact that you don’tsmoke. Avis agreed to reopen your case, and it refunded the $450 it had charged foryour car

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on elliottadvocacy.org.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Dec. 14, the348thday of 2025. There are 17 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 14, 2012, agunman with asemiautomatic riﬂe killed 20 ﬁrst-gradersand six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, then took his own life as police arrived; the 20-year-old fatally shot his mother at their home before the school attack

Also on this date:

In 1799, the ﬁrst president of theUnited States, George Washington, died at his Mount Vernon, Virginia, home at age 67.

In 1819, Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd U.S. state.

In 1903, Wilbur Wright madethe first attempttoflythe Wright Flyer but climbed steeply,stalled the aircraft anddove into the sand on North Carolina’sOuter Banks. Three days later on Dec.17, his brother Orville would make history with thefirst successful controlled, powered flight.

In 1911,Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the ﬁrst men to reach the South Pole, beating out aBritish expedition led by Robert F. Scott by 33 days

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States, ruled Congress was within itsauthority to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against racial discrimination byprivate businesses (inthis case, amotel thatrefused to cater to Blacks).

In 1995, the Dayton Accordswere formally signed in Paris, ending the Bosnian war that had claimed over 200,000 lives and forced 2million people from their homes over threeyears

In 2020, the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history began with health workers getting shots on thesame daythe nation’s COVID-19 death toll hit 300,000.

In 2021, Stephen Curryset anew NBA career 3-point record; the Golden State Warriors guard made his 2,974th3-point shot against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

In 2024, South Korea’sparliamentimpeachedPresident Yoon SukYeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, ending days of political paralysis as jubilant crowds celebrated the prodemocratic move.

Today’sBirthdays: Tennis Hall of Famer Stan Smith is 79. Actor Dee Wallace is 77. Rock musician Cliff Williams (AC/DC) is 76. Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggiois 60. Actor and comedian Miranda Hart is 53. Actor Natascha McElhoneis54. Actor Jackson Rathboneis41. Actor Vanessa Hudgens is 37. Rapper Offset is34. Singer Tori Kelly is 33. NFL widereceiverDK Metcalf is 28.

Straightforward‘Ouch!’ aclassic forareason

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas at theheadofaline to vote; the precinctwasn’tcrowded, and no one’swait was long. The precinctvolunteer encountered aproblemthat prompted her to seek help, and Ispent my wait looking at the ﬂoor rather than staring in her direction, not wanting her to misinterpret my gaze as annoyance (the wait wasnobig deal)

Afterabout 30 seconds,the personbehind me jabbed my left shoulder ﬁve times,HARD, to alert me to the volunteer’s availability

Miss Manners, Iamill, weak, meek and small (5 feet tall, 90 pounds); thestranger behind me wasatleast6inches taller at least 20 years younger and clearly much stronger/sturdier. Iturnedtoher and mumbled “sorry.”

Iwish I’dhad the presence of mind to utter aloud, reproachful “Ouch!,” which Miss Manners has suggested afew times over the years in comparable situations. Barring that, would it have been acceptable for me to say, “Please don’tjab strangers; if you had simply tuggedlightly on my coat sleeve, you would have gotten my attention?”

Gentle Reader: When we are not happy with how we acted when mistreated in the past,itmay be natural to rehash those events —including pondering better ways to handle it in future.

But newproposedsolutions should be superiorifthey are to be adopted. Lecturing the perpetrator in aroom full of strangers sounds to Miss Manners toomuch like correcting another person’smanners (rude)—not to mention challenging to execute for someone who describes herself as meek.

Unlike MissManners’ preferred solution, which you mention, your proposed response alsoforfeits the sympathyof

everyone in the room, which she would have thought would be much more satisfying —not just in the moment, but when you are replaying it in your mind later

Dear Miss Manners My husband and Ihave taken our grown children, their children and friends on several nice vacations. We planned another trip to surprise them at Christmas. Nowwehave learned from our daughter that her husband does not want to go. He didn’t offer an explanation, and now our daughterisn’tgoing. We are out big bucks for nonrefundable tickets, and they haven’toffered to reimburse us. Why would someone refuse afree vacation?

GentleReader: Even if Miss Manners’ clairvoyance were functioning, it is her experience thatthe answers to such questions are seldom welcome. Nor, generally,are surprises that commandeer adults’ schedules.

Dear Miss Manners:Iamthe “last hostess standing” in my family

and an associated circle of older friends. Everyone else has a reason why folks cannot gather at their house. Iwelcometheir offers to “bring something” because I cannot manage holiday meals and birthday celebrations without help. I’ve gotten quite good at suggesting whattobring. Ihave one relative who insists on doing preparation in my kitchen immediately before the meal instead of bringing acompleted dish. Iswear, if Iasked her to bring salt, she would need 3feet of counter space and 30 minutestoassemble an heirloom salt grinder ﬁrst. She’d also need two people to assist, and she’d complain Idon’thave salt spoons. Is it OK to ask her to do the dishes instead?

Gentle Reader:Not really.But how about drinks? Preferably ones in closed containers that do not require mixing, shaking or decanting.

Email dearmissmanners@ gmail.com.

Dear Heloise: We so enjoy your column.I tried this method of cookingafrozen pizza, and it workswell for me. The box directions say to put thefrozen pizza directly on the hot oven rack. Most of the time, thecheese melts onto my racks and makes amess. Inow grab a nonstick baking raised-wire coolingrack (the ones to cool cookies after they come out of oven) and place thefrozen pizza onit. Iput it crossways in the oven and cook the pizza perthe instructions. Nothing seems to fall off the pizza or stick to the oven racks. Simply lift the cookie rack out and transfer it to aplate for cutting Thecookie rack is easy to wipe clean if needed. (It’sso much easier than cleaning an

oven or oven racks.) Thanks for your wonderful hints!

D.R.C., in Manhattan Beach, California

Termsfor generations

Dear Heloise: Thanks for sifting through our generations. Don’t forget theGreatest Generation and the Silent Generation. BarbaraL via email

Gettingthe most outofa BOGO

Dear Heloise: In reference to senior widower Charles H. and his frustration over stores offering BOGOs to thedetriment of those on aﬁxed incomeand/ or those who live alone, may Isuggest that he reach out to neighbors who may also be in thesame predicament to see if one of them would like to be theother half of the “GO?”

Perhaps aneighbor would be willing to go in with Charles to get,for example, aCostco or Sam’s membership.

Items that are purchased at either of these stores could easily be divvied up between thetwo households. —JoR., via email

Markinghairproducts

Dear Heloise: Lori, in Texas, suggested marking the top of lotion bottles so that you know which way to turn it. Well, Ido this with shampoo and conditioner

The bottles look so similar, and when Iaminthe shower, it’shard to tell which is which, especially without glasses. So, Iput an “S” or a“C” on the top with amarker

This way, it’seasy to grab theright one. —Judy,inAnaheim, California Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey

Dear Heloise: My father taught me andmysister how to open and close lids and screw in things by giving us the little jingle “righty-tighty,lefty-

loosey.” Ihave never forgotten it and smile to myself when Ihear myself say the phrase while I’mopening or closing something! I’mthankful for your column; Iread it every day! —Susan, in Hamilton, Ohio Old-schoolreader

Dear Heloise: Someofusdon’t want, don’thave and don’tneed apps on our cellphones. Iknow, I’mobsolete, retired, and out of touch. Iuse alandline phone, write real letters, use the United States Postal Service, read newspapers and books, listen to AM/FM radio, paint and draw,use abicycle, take the bus, ﬂy kites, and talk faceto-face with humans. —A Reader, in Los Angeles Reader,I’m with you. For all of its conveniences, we can’t let technology completely take over our lives! —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Hints from Heloise

State’stechies help make oneofthe world’smostsuccessfulvideo games

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Jessa Carlsonusuallystarts her workday by taking astroll in the blockssurrounding her 200-year-old Faubourg Marigny home.

When she heads upstairs for her first videoconferenceofthe day,she may have to step over the fabric for the “Underthe Sea”-themed costume she’s making for nextyear’s Mardi Gras. Then shegets to work buildinga world that’sasabout as far removed from historic downtown New Orleans as you can get

As astudio head of High Voltage Software, aChicago-based video game maker with aNew Orleans satellite ofﬁce, Carlsonleads ateam of designers, artistsand computer programmers helping to build Fortnite, one of the world’smost success-

ful videogames.Sinceits 2017 release, the multiplayer platform has earned billions of dollars and has partnered with Disney LEGO andotherhuge companies.

Creating by North Carolina-based Epic Games, Fortnite is built andtestedbyhundredsofemployeesand many contractors worldwide,including twogroupsinNew Orleans.

The two companies —High Voltage and game testerDAQA— are partofLouisiana’ssmallvideo gameindustry,first conceived more than two decades ago when state economic development officials created incentives in the hopes of adding new sectors to the state economy. The boosters’ efforts haven’ttranslated to thousands of high-tech workers filling

ä See PLAYERS, page 6F

Safety promptsriver pilots to double Mississippicoverage

Criticssay move points to industry’s lack of oversight

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

The lower Mississippi River’spilotage system underwent amajor shift this summer when the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association quietly began assigning two pilots to certain large cargo vessels transiting the most congested stretch of the river Thechange, implementedJuly 1, has drawn concern from some shippers and sparked questions abouttransparencyand oversightinasystem that plays acentral role in moving billions

of dollars of commerce through the Port of New Orleans each year Under thenew policy, the Crescent RiverPort Pilots’ Association now dispatches two pilots to vessels more than 950 feet long or 140 feet at its widest point. The dual-pilotrequirement applies only between Point Celeste and theNew Orleans harbor,the portion of theriver where pilots say they encounterthe highest concentration of trafﬁc, industrial facilities andnavigational complexity Capt. E. Michael Bopp, president of theassociation, said the move followed theFrancis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. He said it was based on a recommendation from theRiver Port Pilots’ Safe Navigation Committee to the Board of River Port Pilot Commissioners, which concluded that risks on

the lower Mississippi have risen “signiﬁcantly” over the past decade.

The committee cited increasing vessel size, shifting river conditions, new terminals and industrial facilities, and greater trafﬁc densityasfactors that warranted the additional pilot support.

Boppsaid the two-pilot arrangement is already standard forcruise ships and LNG carriers operating on the river and mirrors established practices at other major Western Gulf ports, including Houstonand Mobile, Alabama.

Those ports routinely assign dual pilots to wide-beam tankers and container ships,aprecedent that Boppsaid supports the decision to extend similar requirements to thelargest cargo vessels entering New Orleans.

GRUNFELD

STAFFPHOTOSByENAN CHEDIAK

Jessa Carlson, the NewOrleans satellitehead for Chicago-based video game makerHigh VoltageSoftware, worksfromher home office, where she designs everything from video game skins to her Mardi Grascostume. Carlson leads ateam of designers, artistsand computer programmers helping to buildFortnite, one of the world’smost successful video games.

Carlson leafs through pagesofher sketchbook withplans for her Mardi Gras costume, which she is working on at her homeoffice in NewOrleans.

Issued Dec. 3-9

Commercial alterations

RESTAURANT: 5801 Johnston St., description, rebranding and minor renovation to existing Twin Peaks restaurant; applicant, The Architectural Studio; contractor,RichardEarl Flynn; $50,000

RETAIL: 137 Arnould Blvd., description, minor interior demolition and interiorrenovation; applicant, BHA; contractor, Cristian Brothers Construction; $8,000.

CLINIC: 105 Englewood Drive,description, tenant improvementfor physical therapyclinic;applicant, Threshold Architecture; contractor, C.M. Miciotto &Son; $300,000.

OTHER: 103 Row 1, LotA,description, Buildout and modify existing space for commercial kitchenfor

Jim Lyons,board president for First National Bank of Louisiana, was named the bank’s CEO.

Lyons held several leadership positionssince joining the bank in 2006 and was named president and appointed to the board in 2021.

Anative of Jennings, Lyons earned abachelor’sdegreefrom LSU and amaster’sinbusiness administration from the University of New Orleans. He is also agraduate of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU.

Acadian Ambulancemadethe followinghires:

MaryPham was named community relations supervisor supporting community engagement and partnership development across the company’s Hub City district, which spansLafayette, St. Martin, Iberia and Vermilion parishes. Phamhas 14 years of health care experience, spanning physical therapy,acute care, skilled nursing and outpatient settings.

GregSmith wasnamed seniordirector of analytics.

Smith spent the last sevenyears with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and with his lastrole being

RIVER

Continued from page 1F

Best option

The Safe Navigation Committee did not recommend daylight-only restrictions or requiringescort tugs for these ships, Bopp added, making asecond pilot the appropriate tool to enhance safety without significantly increasing operational burdens.

By contrast, he said, havingtwo pilots on the bridge improves situational awareness, strengthens communication and provides alayer of redundancy during the river’s most challenging segment. That, he said, better protects “Louisiana’speople, environment and economy” along a route that has grown more complex and congested over time.

The association also emphasized that the financial impact of the change is limited. Pilotage fees constitute one of avessel’s smallest routineoperating costs, Bopp said, and the two-pilot requirement applies to only about3%oftotal river trafﬁc. Because thedecision was rooted in safety and navigation, it did not require action by the Louisiana Pilotage FeeCommission, which has no jurisdiction over such matters.

“This is about ensuring the safe and uninterrupted flow of commerce on one of the country’smost vital waterways,” Bopp said, adding that River Port Pilots looks “forwardto continuingtohonor that

BUILDING PERMITS

Noni’sKitchen; applicant,Van Eaton Inc; contractor, VanEaton Inc./selfcontractor; $20,000.

Newcommercial

RETAIL: 262 RidgeRoad, description, demolition of existingstructure for 21,000-square-foot Tractor Supply store;applicant,SE3 LLC; contractor, WimcoCorp.; $4million. SCHOOL: 2645 S. Fieldspan Road, description,siteimprovements, new building construction and building renovations atJudice Middle School; applicant, Prouet ArchitectureAnd Engineering; contractor, J.B. Mouton; $18.2 million

Newresidential 108 WILLOW CREEKDRIVE: DSLD $175,625. 112 KNOLL CRESTLANE: DSLD,$166,625.

ACADIANA INBOX

assistant chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer

He is aBaton Rougenativewho earned adegree from LSUand master’sinbusiness administration from theUniversity of New Orleans.

Rebekah Cummings wasnamed operations manager for itsHub City region. She was also selected forthis year’sclassofthe EMSNext honorees, an initiative that spotlights emerging Emergency Medical Services leaders andoffers them leadership development, structured mentorship andcollaborative networking opportunities throughout theyear

KristaGravouia was namedvice president of human resources to replace JoeLightfoot,who recently retired Gravouia has over 25 years of HR experience and is acertified professional in humanresources. Sheisagraduate of theUniversityof Southwestern Louisiana, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Allyson Duck was promoted to director of humanresources after

responsibility.”

Still,the shifthas unsettledsome maritime operators,manyofwhom view it asanother exampleofthe highly autonomous power that Louisiana’sriver pilots wield in shaping the rules governing ship transits.

Several shippers contacted for this story declined to speak on the record, saying they did not want to publicly criticize the inﬂuential andpolitically well-connected pilot groups that control various stretches of the Mississippi fromthe Gulf to Baton Rouge.

Aspokesperson forthe Port of New Orleans also declined to comment.

Privately, however, several industry executives said theJuly change reignited longstanding concerns about alack of consultationand oversight in major operational decisions. They argue that decisions affectingnavigation, costs andport competitiveness should be made only after broad engagementwith carriers, terminal operators, port ofﬁcials andexporters —something they say didnot occurinthis case.

An independentoverseer

“The issue is thatthere is no oversight of decisions like these outside of thepilots themselves, no consultationwithindustryorthe ports,” saidone seniorexecutive, who requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.“That could become areal cost issuewhen we have the downriver terminal built and more of the larger vessels.”

110 KNOLLCREST LANE: DSLD $157,625. 102 KNOLLCREST LANE: DSLD, $175,625. 100 KNOLLCREST LANE: DSLD, $166,625. 132 LILLYST.: Felipe Vega, $75,000. 218 HARRELLDRIVE: TJVConstruction, $210,000. 116 BELL NORTH DRIVE: Forward Thinking Construction, $161,250. 118 BELL NORTH DRIVE: Forward Thinking Construction, $161,250.

116 STAR LANE, BROUSSARD: DSLD $202,030. 114 STAR LANE, BROUSSARD: DSLD $200,677. 105 LOTUS ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $218,698. 103 LOTUS ST., BROUSSARD: DSLD, $187,146.

serving as HR manager.She has 18 yearsinHR, insurance and investments,including 14 years in roles throughout Acadian.

She has abachelor’s degree from the UL and amaster’sinbusiness administration from Nova SoutheasternUniversity

MandyThomas was named vice president commercial lender by JD Bank.

Thomas hasover than two decades of experience in banking, including commercial and consumerlending, credit analysis,riskassessment and relationship development.

She beganher banking career with JD Bank in 2007 andworked as branch operations manager, market development manager and relationship manager

Acadian Ambulance’s Joannie Sanchez and Alison Cagle wereamongmore than100 honorees to receive the American Ambulance Association’s prestigious Stars of Life award, recognizing exemplary service andexcellence in emergency medical services Sanchez,acertified flight registered nurse, and Cagle, an emergency medical technician, were honored as Acadian’stop EMT and paramedic of the year in April.

Thereferencewastotheproposed LouisianaInternationalTerminal, a multibillion-dollarcontainerfacility the Port of New Orleans is developing in Violet, in St. Bernard Parish, alongside private-sector partners Ports America and asubsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Co. The terminal is designedtohandle the ultra-large container ships that currentlybypass New Orleans for faster-growing Gulf portssuch as Mobile andHouston.

Industry critics worry that if pilotagerequirements continue to expand without broader stakeholder input,carrierscould face higher operatingcosts that undermine the competitive advantages the new terminal is meanttodeliver.While the two-pilot ruleapplies to asmall number of ships today,they note thatthe share of large vessels callingonNew Orleans is expected to growsubstantially once theViolet terminal is complete. For those shippers, the concern is notsolely aboutthe cost of an additional pilot but about the structure of decision-making. Louisiana’s system— divided among four autonomous pilotgroups, each with itsown board and statutory authorities —has long been apoint of friction for carriers who say theylack meaningful avenuestoweigh in on navigational policy or fee-setting. Pilotage is ahighly specialized and safety-critical function, they acknowledge, buttheyargue that the state’scurrent governance frameworkgives pilots near-exclusive control over decisions thatcan

Motley Fool Fool’s School:Credit reports,scores

single number

As we go about our financial lives, it’simportant to build and maintain astrong credit report and a high credit score. Failing to do so could doom you to being rejected by lenders (for,say,amortgage or acar loan) or cost you steep interest rates on loans. Consider this: If you borrow $320,000 fora$400,000 home with a30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your monthly payment might be around $1,920 with a 6% interest rate —but $2,130 at 7% interest. That $210 monthly difference amounts to $2,520 over ayear,and nearly$76,000 in total interest paid over the30-year period. Your creditreport is generally amultipage document featuring your birth date and Social Security number,the status of your credit accounts, your creditlimits and how often you’ve madeloan repayments on time (or otherwise). It can also include loans sent to collections, overdue child support payments, liens against you, foreclosures, bankruptcies and more. Its purpose is to help lenders and others decide whether they should lend you money,take you on as arenter or even offer you cellphone service. If you allow aprospective employer to see your report, it may influence whether you’re hired, too. Everyone in the U.S. is legally entitled to afree copy of their credit report annually from each of the maincreditreporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It’s best to review reports from all three, as they may differ,and it’sworth correcting any errors you spot. Youcan order all three at annualcreditreport.com (or by calling (877) 322-8228). Right now,the siteeven allows you to view your reports online once each week. Many creditcard issuers, banksand credit unions also offer free access to your credit score —what you get when much of the information above is consolidated into a

signiﬁcantlyaffect port competitiveness andthe costofdoing business on the lower Mississippi.

In the past, shippers have clashed withpilots over fee adjustments, stafﬁnglevels and trafﬁc management protocols, often arguing that such decisions should be made by abroader commission or state agency.The Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commissionprovidesoversighton the cost side, but its authority does not extendtosafety or navigation policy—precisely theareas under which theJuly change falls.

Deeper questions

Pilotgroups counter that their independence is essential to ensuring safety on ariver that is both economically vital anduniquely challenging. They point out that pilots areonthe waterevery dayand possess the firsthand experience needed to identify emerging risks. They also note that manymajor ports around the country and the worldoperate withsimilarly insulated pilotage systems.

Thetension betweenthose positions is likely to sharpen as the Louisiana International Terminal project advances. The Port of New Orleans has pitched the terminal as thestate’smostimportant infrastructure investment in generations, one that could reassert the region’srelevance in globalshipping andallow it to compete more effectively fortrans-Gulf trade

But achieving that ambition, port ofﬁcialshave repeatedly said, will requireclose coordination among

Youcan improve your report and/or score by paying bills on time and avoiding excessive use of your credit limit. Learn moreabout credit reports and how to dispute any errors at consumer.ftc. gov

Ask the Fool:High dividend yields

Is it smarttofocusonly on stocks with highdividend yields and low priceto-earningsratios? —T.P.,Youngsville Notnecessarily.Some dividend yields are steep simply because the stock price has fallen —perhaps due to troubles at the company.After all, adividend yield is the result of dividing the annual dividend amount by the current stock price, so alower share price will result in a higher yield. Yields of, say,2% to 4% (or even more) can be solid, especially if the payout has been growing well, but dig deeper into any company sporting an outsized dividend yield. Remember,too, that afast-growing 2% dividend yield can be preferable to a slow-growing 3% yield. Meanwhile, plenty of great and growing companies don’tpay dividends, so don’t exclude nonpayers, unless you’re really looking forincome. (Current non-dividendpayers include Amazon. com, Netﬂix, Tesla and Ulta Beauty.)

Also, while alow P/E ratio suggests abetter value than ahigh one, remember that P/E ratios vary by company and industry.And promising companies not yet turning a proﬁt won’thave P/E ﬁgures at all (because you can’tdivide by zero).

Compare acompany’srecent P/E with its own ﬁve-year average to see if it’snow relatively high or low.Compare it with peers in its industry,too. Youcan research companies and assess manyother valuation measures at sites such as fool.com and ﬁnance.yahoo. com.

Whenastock is said to be up $1.65 or down $4.22, fromwhat price has it risen or fallen? —F.S.,Westwood, New Jersey The gain or loss is generally measured from where the stock traded at the end of the last trading session.

pilots,carriers,exporters,and state regulators to ensure the lowerMississippi remains both safe andcostcompetitive

For now,the two-pilot requirementremains in place, affecting only asliverofthe ships thatmove along the river each year.But its rollout has underscored deeper questions about governance and inﬂuence on awaterway whose future —and whose costs —are tied to decisions made far from the public eye.

The Louisiana Chemical Association, atrade body,has been a leading critic of some of the river pilots’ past actions, challenging rate increases through thecourts as well as legislativeefforts to change the oversight system.

Core issuesinclude the high salaries and expense reimbursements for pilots, some earning over $700,000 ayear,whichshippers pay for.There have also been criticisms of alack of transparencyoverratesetting and internal operations of pilots.

David Cresson, CEOofthe LCA, said members recognize the need forsafety and the additional pilot costs haven’tyet affected chemical vessels.

“That said, we will monitor the situationand work with the pilotassociations to ensure safe and competitive shipping conditions for chemical manufacturers in Louisiana,” he said.

EmailAnthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Gravouia

Lightfoot

Cagle

Thomas

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Associated Grocers CEO sets sights on brisk expansion

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Associated Grocers President and CEO David Politz describes his company as “small” and “nimble.”

Politz

Q&A WITH DAVID POLITZ

Since its founding in 1950, the Baton Rougebased company has kept its mission simple: Serve independent grocers. It provides support including procurement and accounting to more than 200 local retailers in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi

Politz said the company’s small size allows it to react quickly to industry challenges, but now Politz has his sights set on something bigger “As far as I’m concerned, I want to dominate the Gulf Coast,” he said. “I want AG to be the wholesaler of choice for anybody doing business along the Gulf Coast.”

Politz officially took over as the head of Associated Grocers in April, after 40 years with the company He started working for Associated Grocers part-time when he was a student at LSU and rose up through the corporate ranks. After spending the previous five years as senior vice president and chief information officer, he was named interim president and CEO in November 2024, when Manard M. Lagasse Jr stepped down.

In this week’s Talking Business, Politz discusses plans to grow the company, establishing the Associated Grocers brand and navigating industry challenges.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What have been your priorities in the first few months as CEO?

When all this ﬁrst happened we were in the middle of a major system upgrade and putting automation in the warehouse. We were going into the holiday season and the last thing we want to do is have business disruption during the busiest time of year I was involved in that from the IT side, and we had to see that through before we could do anything else.

Any new leader coming in, you have to kind of establish your style, what you want to do differently There were some things I deﬁnitely wanted to do differently than what we were doing before. I value debate. I don’t want everybody in the room nodding their heads and agreeing with me, because if you’re agree-

ing with me, we’re in trouble. I don’t have all the answers in, but collectively I think we can solve most problems. The third thing we’re really still working on, but I feel, is incredibly important, is establishing the Associated Grocers brand. Historically, AG has always just been kind of behind the scenes. We’ve always wanted our retailers in the spotlight. And rightly, they should be. But things have changed. There are a lot of competitors in our marketplace now and the retailer has a lot of choices as to who’s going to supply them, and so we have to have a presence. We have to have an identity You said you want to dominate the Gulf Coast. How exactly will you do that? I believe right now, very

clearly, that what we do, we do better than anyone else. I ﬁrmly believe that. I think a big part of being able to grow this thing is establishing AG as its own brand and having that identity in the marketplace. Getting even more involved in these communities is part of it and actively recruiting new members, which we’ve done in the past, but we’re applying much more resources and such to that. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail there. I want people to know who we are before we even walk in the door to talk to you. This is a time of high food prices.What has been Associated Grocers’ response to this so far and what more needs to be done?

Ever since COVID, everything’s changed. Everything’s been different. The supply chain

got extremely challenging for a long time. I think we’ve done much better than most as far as overcoming the supply chain challenges to make sure that our retailers have product when they when they need it. Some of the rollbacks on tariffs would be helpful. There are things that are out of our control. Cocoa is imported. Coffee is imported. There’s a lot of produce that’s imported, and then a lot of supplies and containers that are used in packaging that’s used are all imported. We’ve just absorbed higher costs on everything, as everybody has since COVID. Many things have tripled in price, and so it’s been tough for business in general, tough on the consumer in general, right? We’re always looking at additional areas where we can make money, save money, squeeze money, so that we don’t go up on a cost of goods to the retailers, so important that we keep our retailers competitively priced.

We do our own freight management now All our inbound freight, we’ve got somebody that coordinates and negotiates all of that. Anytime we’re in an area making a delivery, we want to pick something up and bring it back so that we’re not coming back with an empty truck. We want to make sure that those miles are full of products, really optimizing all of those opportunities is making a big difference for us. We have not done any kind of price raising whatsoever since COVID. In fact, we’ve cut costs. It’s made things lean, but it’s the right thing to do, and we can’t lose sight of our why we’re here. We’re here to service those communities where our retailers are. We are not a proﬁt-driven business. We’re not here to pad our bottom line and make as much as we can. We’re here to serve those communities.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Dan Chastant with Associated Grocers sorts the food display in a refrigerator inside the Circle Food Store in New Orleans.

AROUND THE REGION

Expansion creating 600 jobs at former Shreveport GM plant

BY LIZ SWAINE and TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writers

SLB said it will spend $30 million to expand its Shreveport advanced manufacturing operations, a move that will nearly double the number of employees in the former General Motors assembly plant.

The move will add about 600 workers at the plant, which currently has about 660 employees. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the expansion will create an additional 744 indirect jobs in northeast Louisiana.

SLB, which was formed in 2016 when Cameron International Corp. merged with Schlumberger, has said the Shreveport plant is its largest facility worldwide. After the expansion is complete, the company will take up 2 million square feet in the building.

SLB bills itself as a global technology company that works on “innovating oil and gas, delivering digital at scale, decarbonizing industries, and developing and scaling new energy systems that accelerate the energy transition.”

At the Shreveport plant, the company builds modular infrastructure used in data center construction, speciﬁcally power distribution and cooling equipment for the facilities, said Andrew Johnston, SLB’s director of data centers.

The demand for the components in data centers is booming; capital expenditures for data centers is expected to reach $7 trillion worldwide by 2030, according to consulting ﬁrm McKinsey & Co. Of that, about 40% of the spending is projected to take place in the U.S.

“It’s an industry that’s growing rapidly, and we’re here to capitalize on that growth,” Johnston said.

While the event last week announcing the expansion was held at SLB, it took place inside a tent Everything inside, Johnston said, is proprietary and off limits to the general public. Not because

of SLB, he explained, but because its data center customers — who he could not name demand it to be so. SLB has already spent $18 million on the Shreveport facility

Johnston said the vast expanse of former GM assembly-line buildings drew the company to Shreveport. “When SLB goes into a business, they want to do it at a large scale,

“When SLB goes into a business, they want to do it at a large scale, and when we kicked this project off, there were only four sites in the United States that had a manufacturing facility under a roof the size that we needed, and the local workforce that was able to scale up as quickly as we wanted.”

ANDREW JOHNSTON, SLB director of

and when we kicked this project off, there were only four sites in the United States that had a manufacturing facility under a roof the size that we needed, and the local workforce that was able to scale up as quickly as we wanted,” Johnston said.

North Louisiana Economic Partnership CEO Justyn Dixon said that SLB had brought the long-vacant former GM plant back to life. “SLB, as several of you have mentioned, went into the old GM facility which basically had sat empty for the past 12 or 13 years,” Dixon said. “They came in and committed to 596 jobs 2.5 years ago As of this day, they’re at 660.” Work on the expansion is set to begin in January Stafﬁng increases are planned throughout 2027 as new areas of the site become operational. SLB said it will hit its new employment projections by the end of 2027.

The expansion announcement came a few days after the Caddo Parish Commission approved a $3 million Performance Based Grant for “over 500 new High Impact Jobs.”

The High Impact Jobs program was launched by LED in July, as a way to incentivize higher state wages while slowing out-migration. Under the program, a business that creates a new job that pays 125% of the parish average wage can get an 18% grant. If it creates a job at 150% of the parish average wage, the grant jumps to 22%. In Caddo Parish, the average wage is $56,253.

GM vacated the plant in 2012. At the height of operations, more than 3,000 people worked at the facility building pickups.

But the American auto manufacturing industry was nearly wiped out around 2008, thanks to the Great Recession and consumer demands for more fuel-efﬁcient vehicles. That took a toll on the Shreveport plant, which made Hummers, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks. When GM announced in 2009 it would phase out operations at the Shreveport plant over the next three years, the number of employees had been cut to about 950 with just one shift working. There were frequent production shutdowns as unsold trucks piled up in dealer lots.

NATION & WORLD

Stock market thriving amid U.S.’s dragging economy

BY EMMA NELSON

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

From jobs to housing to grocery prices, the U.S. economy has been weakening for months.

But the stock market is telling a different story, thanks to a handful of companies called the Magniﬁcent 7: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla.

These tech giants — which deal in everything from e-commerce to software to chip manufacturing — comprise a disproportionate share of the market and have pushed it to record highs in the artiﬁcial intelligence boom.

Without spending by the Mag 7 and other tech companies, the U.S economy “would have barely grown” in the ﬁrst half of the year, Oxford Economics lead economist Adam Slater wrote in an Oct. 3 research brieﬁng.

In other words, tech is helping keep the economy afloat. But if these companies’ fortunes change, the downstream impact could be severe.

Though economists aren’t forecasting an AI crash, they have acknowledged similarities between the AI boom and previous bubbles, from the dot-com bust of the early 2000s to the ultimately catastrophic bull market of the 1920s.

The fear is, if trillions of dollars in projected spending on AI infrastructure fail to generate revenue, there is potential for a downturn with global ramifications.

The Mag 7 for years have exceeded the rest of the S&P 500, the index that tracks the stock performance of the leading 500 public companies. The gap started widening after OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, launching the AI boom.

The impact of the Mag 7 on the markets is clear when those companies are out of the picture.

Between January 2020 and Nov 14 of this year, the S&P 500 outperformed the S&P 493 (the index minus the Mag 7) by a median an-

nual return of nearly 8 percentage points, according to analysis from Piper Sandler Technical Research.

The bull market has been good news for high-income Americans, who tend to hold more stocks than the average consumer and so beneﬁt more from rising stock prices.

Those high-earners also tend to keep spending when economic headwinds cause lower-income consumers to pull back.

Higher-income earners are driving about half of U.S. consumer spending, said Anthony Saglimbene, vice president and chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial.

“With the market up right now, one of the things that we’ve been talking about is, markets and the economy stand on pretty narrow pillars, or at least they have so far

this year,” he said The University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers reported in October that the economic sentiment of stockholders, especially those with the biggest portfolios, has improved since May Sentiment of nonstockholders has declined in that time, landing where it was in 2022 when post-pandemic inﬂation peaked at 9.1%.

Overall consumer sentiment has fallen this year in the face of rising prices, a frozen job market and anxiety over a possible recession. But how high-income consumers feel about the economy “may help buoy consumption spending even amid views of the economy that are relatively subdued from a historical perspective,” according to the survey The Federal Reserve’s November Beige Book, which outlines

economic conditions across the central bank’s 12 districts, reported an overall decline in consumer spending “while higher-end retail spending remained resilient.”

The Mag 7 account for more than a third of the value of the S&P 500. Nvidia, which last year skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot as the go-to chipmaker for powering AI data centers, makes up about 8% of the index.

For comparison, the companies in that top spot at the end of 1990 (IBM), 2000 (GE) and 2010 (Exxon Mobil) comprised about 3% to 4% of the S&P, according to research from Ameriprise

The weight toward the Mag 7 and other tech stocks means the fortunes of the average 401(k)- or pension-holder are tied disproportionately to the fate of a handful of companies in a single industry

“You have a market that is going to be very dependent upon the performance of those particular names,” said Craig Johnson, managing director and chief market technician at Piper Sandler.

Consider the week of Nov. 17, when investor anxiety about tech spending on CapEx capital expenditures, such as data centers led to a sell-off that produced a 1.9% drop in the S&P and a 2.7% drop in the more tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite.

Nvidia’s banner third-quarter earnings report allayed fears, and the markets ended the week on a positive note. CEO Jensen Huang, during the company’s Nov 19 earnings call, addressed investor concern head-on.

“There has been a lot of talk about an AI bubble,” he said.

“From our vantage point, we see something very different.”

The AI gold rush has prompted comparisons to the dot-com bubble, when CapEx spending on early internet infrastructure outstripped demand. Of respondents to Bank of America’s November Global Fund Manager Survey 45% said the biggest “tail risk” to the economy and the markets is the “AI bubble.”

Though the two moments rhyme, there are key differences. The Mag 7 includes established players like Microsoft, Apple and Amazon that have survived previous tech bubbles. And so far companies have been relying more on revenue for CapEx spending than debt, even though massive debt deals like Meta’s $27 billion to build a northeast Louisiana data center have made recent headlines.

“The starting point is that these companies don’t really have any debt; their balance sheets are very healthy,” said Daniel Grosvenor, director of equity strategy at Oxford Economics “It’s a risk that’s worth monitoring, but our view is that it’s not an immediate risk.”

Big Tech is expected to spend up to $7 trillion on capital investments by 2030, McKinsey estimated in April. Supporting the demand will require about $2 trillion in new revenue, according to a September report from Bain & Co.

What happens if the tech giants can’t deliver revenue to match their spending remains an open question investors are waiting to answer In a worst-case-scenario comparison, the increasingly deregulated U.S. economy could be riding its second Roaring Twenties high. A century ago, that era of ﬁnancial speculation after the Spanish ﬂu pandemic crashed into the Great Depression.

For now the stock market continues to power through headwinds, with the S&P 500 concluding its third consecutive year of double-digit returns.

But the markets’ record-setting rise means they have further to fall.

“The concentration, while it has been great on the way up, might also be painful in a corrective phase,” Piper Sandler’s Johnson said. “People forget that coming out of the overhang of the dot-com bubble, it took multiple years before you actually saw a lot of tech stocks doing well again.”

Science vs.Spin: The TruthAboutMenhadenFishing in LouisianaWaters

Louisiana’scoast supports awide variety of uses,including conservation, recreation, commercial fishing, energy,and shipping. Thedebate overmenhaden harvest andthe Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission (LWFC)’sproposed Notice of Intent reflects howdifficult it is to balance thoseinterests using science-based decisionmaking. Recentcommentary has raised concerns about the sustainabilityofGulfmenhaden and the impact of modifying buffer zones.Some of this misleading pressurehas come from out-of-state advocacy groups unfamiliar with Louisiana’sworkingwaters.Ithas led people to ask howthe fishery is managedand whatthe proposed changes would meanonthe water. Louisiana’smenhaden fishery produces over $419 million in annual economic outputand provides livelihoods formorethan2,000 people in the industryand its supply chain. Menhaden alsoserveits ecosystemrole as forage for gamefish and recreational fisheries In adebate full of online noise, facts still matter most

Howthe Menhaden Fishery Is Managed Menhaden fishing in Louisiana is overseen by multiple layers of management, including the Louisiana DepartmentofWildlifeand Fisheries,Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission, NOAA Fisheries,and the Gulf StatesMarine FisheriesCommission. Season timing and duration, gear requirements catchreporting, and bycatchlimits are governed through state lawand regional managementplans Theseoverlapping systems exist to ensure thatthe fishery operateswithin limits establishedbylong-term scientific monitoring

and stock assessments.While external groups sometimes weigh in on management decisions,the Louisiana Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries relies on local ecological expertise and decades of in-state data to guide regulations This is nota free-for-all. Louisiana’s menhaden ﬁshery is the most closely monitored ﬁshery in Louisiana

Whatthe Bycatch StudyFound

Oneofthe main concerns raised in the currentdiscussion is bycatch, or the unintended captureofnon-targetspecies In 2024, Louisianafunded a$1million, independent, on-waterstudy to gather precise data on this issue.

Some out-of-state special interest groups have suggested thatbycatchlevels maybe higher thanreported; however, Louisiana’sdata indicates thatoverall bycatchremained below the 5percentlegal limit. Reddrum bycatch accountedfor only 3.4percentoftotalred drum landingsinLouisiana.Inareas identiﬁed forpossible limited reopening under the Notice of Intent,available data did not showa measurableimpact on reddrum recruitmentor overall population health.

The study alsohelped the state identify when and wherebycatchrisksare highest information nowusedtoreﬁne ﬁshing practices,timing, andlocation of harvest In short: the data does not support the alarm.

Whatthe Proposed Buffer Changes

Actually Do

The Notice of Intent does not simply remove nearshoreprotections.Instead, it reﬁnes and reorganizes buffer zones based on scientiﬁc

evidence. The total protected area would slightly increasefromroughly 264 squaremiles to approximately 276squaremiles

Additional protections arefocused on environmentally sensitiveareas such as the Chandeleur Islands and the Isles Dernieres Technical upgrades,including GPS coordinates and clariﬁed zone boundaries,make enforcementclearer.Some historically ﬁshed areas whereecological risk is minimal could see limited accessrestored.

This represents ashift from uniform, broad stroked boundaries to moreprecise, location-speciﬁcmanagementthatbalances conservation and responsible ﬁshing.

It’snot recklessexpansion –it’ssmarter science-driven precision.

Changes the Industry Has Already Made

In recentyears, the Louisiana menhaden ﬂeet has invested heavily in updatedequipment and technologies.Theseinclude Spectraand Plateena nets,which aremoredurable and reduce accidental releaseevents, and hose-end cage systems,which have loweredred drum mortalityby24percent.

The fleet has alsoadopted newprotocols forrapid response, spill containment, crew training,and reporting.Theseinvestments total morethan $6.5 million and reflect ongoing adaptation to scientific findingsand environmental standards

This is an industry adapting, not one standing still.

Whythe Outcome Mattersfor Communities Farfromthe Coast

The menhaden ﬁshery directly supports multiple coastal parishes.Jobstied to the

ﬁshery include vessel crews, processors, mechanics,welders,truck drivers, and othersupport services.For communities whereother industries have declined, thesepositions provide stable, year-round employmentwith beneﬁts

Beyond employment,the industry purchases roughly $62 million in goods and services across32coastal parishes, supporting local businessesand suppliers thatdepend on the fleet’soperations.Menhadenproducts –including fishmeal and fish oil –are also essential to U.S. aquaculture, petfood, and animal feed supply chains,demonstrating the fishery’s broadereconomic significance Whathappens offshoreisfelt onshore, sustaining families and localeconomies acrossLouisiana ABroader Conversation AboutStewardship At its core, the menhaden debate is about managing ashared resource in away that protects ecosystems while supporting the people who depend on the coast.The Notice of Intent is ascience-guided compromise, reflecting Louisiana’scommitmenttoshared stewardship,transparency,and data-driven decision-making. Although advocacy from outside the state caninform discussions,the ultimate decisions rely on input from Louisiana scientists regulators,industry,and coastal communities The conversation is farfromover, but ongoing collaboration among regulators scientists,industry,and the public will shape the final approach. The real question isn’twho’sloudest –it’s who’sright.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD DREW

While the U.S economy has been weakening for the past few months, the stock market is booming thanks to the performance of a handful of companies dubbed the Magnificent 7: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla.

office towers across Louisiana, but the state now is home to a few hundred video game pros, many employed by global companies that are increasingly relying on remote workers to create, update and test their products. It’s a small but scrappy community far from industry hubs on the country’s East and West coasts and Carlson is happy to be a part of it.

“New Orleans is such a cool city in so many ways that it’s spoiled me and my peers,” she said during a recent interview “Folks are putting down roots — buying homes, paying taxes — and even when some of our alumni join big-name companies, they stay here.” ‘Nose down’

Building a video game, especially one as complex as Fortnite, is a major undertaking that requires multiple skillsets.

Game designers dream up storylines and gameplay Art directors create the look and feel. Software engineers write the code required to bring the ideas to life on computers, video game consoles and smartphones. Production managers keep it all organized Together, these creatives contribute to a $200 billion-plus global industry that makes more money than movies and music combined. Carlson, who started as an artist but climbed the ladder over a two-decade career, now spends her days in high-level meetings overseeing activities in New Orleans; Austin, Texas; and Orlando, Florida. Her 16-person New Orleans team, meanwhile, is busy creating character art, game design and engineering for Epic’s frequent Fortnite updates.

Jessa Carlson, New Orleans studio head for High Voltage Software, pulls up a picture of a Fortnite skin on her monitor at her home office.

quality

Outsourcing and co-development are common in the industry because they allow companies to build teams quickly, save money and manage the inconsistent nature of project-based work, Carlson said.

“The big developers don’t want to hire a bunch of people and then ﬁre them when the work comes to an end,” she said. “They can just contract with co-development studios, who know they eventually will be looking for work elsewhere.”

When Carlson arrived in New Orleans, the High Voltage team was working every day from its ofﬁce in Place St. Charles, an ofﬁce tower in the Central Business District After the pandemic, the company moved to a hybrid model.

Looking for bugs

As Carlson’s employees help build new Fortnite features, there’s another group in New Orleans that just might be checking their work.

From a fifth-floor office overlooking Lake Pontchartrain, a team of about 40 people working for video game testing company DAQA spend their days searching for software glitches. They document the bugs and report them to developers.

DAQA, originally a Californiabased company, opened an office at the University of New Orleans’ research and technology park last November and has moved twice to new ofﬁces in the complex as it has grown. A year later, it ofﬁcially relocated its headquarters to New Orleans, where employees pursue an often-misunderstood line of work.

“People think we just play video games all day,” said DAQA partner Tim Hudson, who runs local operations. “The reality is we manage many complex test cases.”

In games with millions of lines of code, Hudson’s team ﬁnds all sorts of problems, from graphics glitches to downright malfunctions.

“One problem we found in Fortnite was if your character sat down in a certain car, you couldn’t get up. You became fused with it,” he said. “You had to actually quit the game

and log back in to ﬁx it.”

For a separate mobile phone game, called Star Sable, Hudson’s team found what the industry calls an “economy exploit,” a programming error players can use to avoid paying for upgrades. In this case, players could set the dates on their phones ahead to claim free rewards multiple times.

‘Nerdy developer’

In addition to High Voltage and DAQA, Louisiana is home to several other video game companies, the highest profile being California-based inXile, which opened an Uptown New Orleans ofﬁce on Oak Street in 2016 Established in 2002, the company has 25 local employees.

In 2018, the well-regarded indie studio, known for its elaborate fantasy role-playing games, was acquired by an industry giant.

“We were a nerdy developer that caught the eye of Xbox, so Microsoft bought us,” said Matt Findley, who ran the company’s New Orleans ofﬁce until his partial retirement last month. “That means there is an actual Xbox game studio in the city, which most people don’t know.”

A third Louisiana game studio, Pixel Dash, is headquartered in Baton Rouge. Unlike High Voltage and inXile, it’s a Louisiana-based busi-

ness, co-founded by Jason Tate and Evan Smith in 2010 to make games and other forms of digital media inXile is a frequent client. Also in Baton Rouge, King Crow Studios began in 2015 as a game maker Now it builds virtual reality training tools, helping Air Force pilots practice cockpit safety procedures or industrial workers learn how to handle a crisis.

Back in New Orleans, between 20 and 30 former Turbosquid employees do work that’s adjacent to the game industry Turbosquid, a New Orleans company, was acquired by Shutterstock in 2021. Video game makers often rely on the 3D models, images and other tools available via the company’s online marketplace. These companies are joined by many part-time developers around the state hoping to make a hit game. The pros and part-timers often meet at events hosted by the New Orleans Game Developers and the Baton Rouge chapter of the International Game Developers Association.

Keepling a local presence

Louisiana business boosters hoping to grow the video game industry have had their share of setbacks.

Jeff Strain, an industry icon with family ties to New Orleans, announced he was setting up shop in the city in 2021, teasing up to 75 local lobs, but the plan ﬁzzled. In 2022, High Voltage ended its incentive contract with the state after failing to meet payroll goals. Industry giant Electronic Arts opened a testing facility on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge in 2008 but shut it down in 2023.

Another testing company, Testronic, announced plans for a downtown New Orleans facility in 2019. The project has since quietly moved to an ofﬁce building in Kenner,

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

STAFF PHOTO By RICH COLLINS

Specialist Steven Harris looks for software glitches in a new version of the video game Fortnite at the DAQA

assurance facility at The Beach at UNO

MADE IN LOUISIANA

Ecolab helping quench industries’ insatiable thirst

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Every month, up to 20 railcars, 500 tanker trucks and 2,000 freight shipments are loaded up with chemical products produced at Ecolab’s 58-acre plant in St. John the Baptist Parish.

St John the Baptist Parish

Headed to destinations ranging from nearby chemical plants to international clients, the Minnesota-based company ships about 227 million pounds of ﬁnished products from the Garyville facility

Some 800 in all, those products are used for water treatment industrial chemical processes and the systems used to cool power plants and artiﬁcial intelligence data centers, as well as in more familiar settings like the hospitality industry

Ecolab is the biggest U.S.-based player spanning the cleaning, sanitation and water management business Analysts estimate it controls nearly 10% of a $165 billion global market. And about 10% of its products are made only in Louisiana.

The petrochemical giant and its subsidiaries have faced criticism from environmentalists and paid out more than $2 million in ﬁnes to environmental regulators for violations in other states, though it has a maintained relatively clean record at its Garyville plant.

Now, amid the rush to build massive data centers to support the AI industry Ecolab is positioned to profit from the growing demand for its specialized treatments for cooling water — both at the centers themselves and the power plants being built to electrify them.

“Those data centers are going to use a tremendous amount of water in their processes,” plant manager Chris Rogers said. “So the chemicals that we use allow for water to be used much more efﬁciently and effectively — and in environmentally friendly ways.”

How it’s made

Chemicals manufactured at the

Garyville facility include polymers used in wastewater treatment to help clump and remove solids, in paper processing to make more absorbent paper towels or stronger cardboard and to keep contaminants and corrosion from building up in machinery.

The plant also produces biocides — chemicals used to kill bacteria and fungi and salt-based chemicals.

Water-oil blends, used to improve fuel quality and reﬁnery efﬁciency, comprise about 40% of the Garyville plant’s output Another 35% is made up of latex polymers and solution polymers for use in industrial wastewater treatment.

Raw materials arrive at the plant in bulk on railcars, though some arrive in smaller containers on box trucks, Rogers said

“The types of materials that we use are everything from monomer backbones that go into making polymers, to some polymers that are pre-produced that we blend and mix with our polymers,” he said.

“There are other salts and additive chemicals that we use to perfect our product.”

Depending on the type of product being made, those raw materials are taken to either reactors or blenders, which can be as small as a couple hundred gallons or as large as several thousand gallons.

Some of its products are manufactured through a continuous reaction process, which involves constantly feeding materials into the reactor as products flow out, Rogers explained.

“As long as we want to run it, as long as we have a need for that material, we could run for days, weeks, even months straight, where you’re putting raw materials into the process and taking ﬁnished goods out,” he said. Other products made at the plant are produced in batches, which can take anywhere from minutes to three days.

Neighbors among clients

The Garyville plant was built in 1970 by Nalco Water, which became a subsidiary of Minnesotabased publicly traded Ecolab in 2011. The following year, the new owners expanded the facility with a 300,000-square-foot polymer pro-

Beyondthe Complexities.

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vironmental and academic institutions. The certiﬁcation means the plant has met standards for sustainable water management — reducing water use, ensuring water quality and protecting local watersheds. Cooling the boom

The rapid pace of growth in the AI data center sector — with $46 billion in construction spending projected for the year — means more potential customers for Ecolab’s products that prevent scale and other residue from building up on the cooling equipment.

“When you prevent that, it allows for less electricity to be used to circulate and re-cool that cooling water,” Rogers said. “It also allows for that water to be used more efﬁciently itself.”

duction facility

Today, Ecolab has 110 manufacturing centers, 48,000 employees and operates across 170 countries and 40 different industries. In 2024, the publicly traded company earned $2.1 billion in proﬁts on $15.7 billion in sales. Of its 1,400 customers, more than half are based between Alabama and Texas, with nearly 300 in Louisiana.

“We’ve got another facility next door to us that we do business with,” Rogers said. “We’ve got facilities down the road that we do business with.”

The plant’s location along the Mississippi River affords it a huge advantage, he added.

“We pull the industrial water we use out of the Mississippi River, clean that water for usage within our facility And then, once we use it in our facility, we clean it again before we put it back into the Mississippi,” he said.

Since 2018, the Garyville facility has maintained certiﬁcation from the Alliance for Water Stewardship, an independent nonproﬁt made up of businesses, governmental, en-

Large data centers can go through several millions of gallons of water every day, and the massive Meta facility being built in Richland Parish is projected to use even more, raising concerns among environmentalists about the impact on the area’s water supply Cooling systems require makeup water to replace what escapes through evaporation and exhaust, and chemicals produced at the Garyville plant reduce the amount of replacement water needed.

Looking to the future, Ecolab ofﬁcials expect the AI boom will continue to be big business for the company This month, they announced plans to sell an integrated “cooling as a service” program that continuously checks the health and temperature of cooling liquid in real time.

“Data centers are at the heart of an AI-driven future, and their cooling needs are becoming increasingly complex,” Josh Magnuson, executive vice president and general manager for Ecolab’s Global Water Solutions sector, said in a statement. “Cooling as a Service is not just a platform but will be a dynamic hub that integrates cooling and power infrastructure to provide data center operators with the insights to achieve best-in-class performance.”

Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah. Meadows@theadvocate.com.

2025 HasEmerged as aPivotal Year forStrategic CharitableContributions

Thefederal tax code is widelyregardedas oneofthe most complexlegal frameworks in theworld. Spanningthousands of pages, it includesintricate rules, exceptions,and frequent updates that challenge even seasoned professionals.

Rose Sher

Itscomplexitystems from overlappingprovisions,specialized deductions,and theneed to reconcilefederal, state, andlocal tax laws.Charitablegivingrules areparticularly convoluted

Recent legislation introduced majorchangestocharitable giving taxrules,startingin2026. To maximize beneﬁtsbefore thenew limits take effect, 2025 is akey year forcharitable gift planning.Individualsshould consider taking action before theend of theyeartomaximizefederal incometax charitable contribution deductions

Jones Walker is proudtohelpleadthe wayforwardfor Louisianaindividuals andbusinessesnavigatinganevolving andcomplex tax environment.

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Gallagher: LessonsinResilience

On the recent 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Gallagherteam has been looking backat theexperienceand howitshaped today’sinsurance industry.

NancySylvester is an area executive vice presidentatGallagher,based in Baton Rouge. Sherecentlysharedher story of Hurricane Katrina, the challenges the insuranceindustry facedand howresilienceshaped the path forward.

With damages exceeding USD200 billion, Katrina notonly altered the city’sphysical landscapebut alsoreshaped global perspectives on disasterpreparednessand response.Today, 20 yearsafter Hurricane Katrina struck NewOrleans, its impact remains deeply felt acrossthe affectedcommunities as the costliestand one of the ﬁvedeadliesthurricanes in US history.

Q: Take us back to Augustof2005. Howdid youexperience the landfall of the hurricane?

IliveinBaton Rouge,70milesfromNew Orleans. That weekend, my oldestson wasﬁshing in the Gulf of Mexicoand when we urged him to come back inland, whatshould have been an hour’s drivetook about 12 hoursdue to the worseningconditions. The news reports initiallysaid things were under control, butby lunchtime on Monday, the levees began breaking and things quickly spiraled out of control.

Q: What were the ﬁrstdayslikewhen family andfriendssought shelter at your home,far from the mostaffectedareas?

Iwelcomed my family from NewOrleans,expectingittobe manageable,but soon found myselfhosting 26 people.Islept undermydining room table,the only privatespaceleft. Wandering into the kitchenatnight, I’dmeetstrangers saying, “I work foryour cousin. He said it would be OK.”Ireassured everyone,“Yeah, everything’s ﬁne.”

Q: Howwas daily lifeimpactedinthe aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

My usual 15-minutedrivetothe office would takehours due to the crowds seeking refuge in BatonRouge and justtrying to get somewhereelse. Schools also faceda suddensurge in students, andthe schoolofficeswould announcewherepeople could ﬁnd food.

Blackhawk helicopterswereconstantly ﬂying overhead, transporting the injured from NewOrleans to Louisiana State University(LSU), where the athletics departmentbecame a makeshift emergency hospital. TheLSU studentbody even donatedclothingtothose in need, and youcouldsee people wearing purple andgold, thecolorsofthe university. It wasa touching displayofhumanity after Hurricane Katrina, with everyone welcomed and cared forasbestaspossible

Q: Howhaveyour clients’ perspectives on extremeweather risks evolved since Hurricane Katrina?

BeforeKatrina, redundancies were oftenviewedasunnecessary expenses. Today, having backups is understood as essential. Clients nowprioritizestrengthening buildings to ensuretheir facilities can enduresevereweather,addressing all potential exposures on supply chains or backup power, forexample Everyoneisfocused on preventing businessinterruptionclaims and avoiding closingtheir doorsbecause, once theydo, theymay neveropen again. We knowthatFEMA [Federal Emergency ManagementAgency] has stated 40%ofcompanies don’t reopen after adisaster, and another 25% fail within oneyear

As acommunity, we’realso massively investing in roof resilience to withstand strong winds and preventpiercings. When damage or lossoccurs, my clientsaren’tinterestedinjustrebuilding what wastherebefore; they’refocused on constructing to newercodes and following thehighestbuildingstandards

article from Gallagher

LOUISIANA

REDESIGNING HEALTH CARE

16 LSU interior design students draw up plans for new Baton Rouge emergency department

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

When Dr Mark Laperouse and his team at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center sat down to make plans for a renovation for the emergency department, they did not expect to turn to 16 LSU undergrads.

A $55 million renovation began in August 2025 at Our Lady of the Lake, the only Level 1 trauma center in the Baton Rouge area. The hospital cited two reasons for the refresh: to increase capacity and improve patient care.

Expert: Hydration important for La. athletes

BY SHANTELL GOMEZ Contributing writer

Louisiana embraces its brief cool season, but for most of the year, athletes train in heat that pushes the body hard from the first warm-up to the final whistle. High heat indexes, heavy humidity and packed tournament schedules drain fluid fast, raising the risk of fatigue and preventable injury

South Louisiana’s climate makes hydration a year-round priority

Even mild ﬂuid loss can affect reaction time, endurance and overall safety

Early attention can prevent problems before muscle cramps appear Elliott

“We wanted the environment to match the quality of care inside the department so there’s nothing left for misinterpretation,” Laperouse said In 2019, Laperouse, the physician medical director of emergency services at the Lake, reached out to Julie Elliott, a professor of interior design at LSU’s College of Art & Design and a health care interior designer of 30 years. Elliott, who has worked on large projects with Our Lady of the Lake, Tulane, Ochsner and national projects, was the perfect ﬁt for the job.

Laperouse and Elliott met at a coffee shop to discuss the basics of health care design.

“The emergency room and department didn’t feel warm and inviting,” Laperouse said of the old emergency department design. “It’s all the same color.”

Two months after their initial conver-

sation, Laperouse proposed that Elliott work with her students at LSU to design the space.

Laperouse joined the students in one of their ﬁrst classes of the semester to “pitch” them the prospective project to design Our Lady of the Lake’s new emergency room — including future plans for the waiting room, lobby and treatment rooms in the hospital.

“I told him, ‘You have to sell this health care design thing to them,’” Elliott said.

“They didn’t know they were going into health care when they signed up for the class.”

Laperouse won the students over, according to Elliott, and 16 students ended

up working on a 5-month-long project to learn, understand and reinvent the existing hospital space. Before designing a residential or business space, the typical interior designer considers purpose and function. A kitchen needs an oven. An office needs desk space. An office floor needs a break room for coffee and drinks.

Hospitals, especially emergency rooms, need a bit more than that.

“It’s all about evidence-based design. You have to future-proof your space,” Elliott said. “Health care designs need to be able to take you into the next 30

JD Boudreaux, a physical therapist and director of sports performance at Ochsner Lafayette General, said early attention to hydration can prevent problems long before the first muscle cramp appears.

Hydration plays a role far beyond sports. In adolescents and adults, low ﬂuid intake may contribute to fatigue, dizziness and blood pressure swings. Symptoms such as nausea or headaches are often blamed on other causes when dehydration sits at the root.

For some athletes, caffeinated drinks add another layer Many people experience a mild diuretic effect after coffee which can increase the need for extra water on hot or high-activity days.

Reliable habits before, during and after activity help reduce the risk of cramping or overheating.

Fatigue rises as hydration drops. Lower fluid levels reduce blood volume and force the heart to work harder

“Dehydration raises cardiovascular strain, slows reaction time and reduces coordination,” Boudreaux said. “It also increases mental fatigue, which can lead to more technical mistakes and poor decisions late in games.”

Hydration-related losses in coordination may raise the risk of strains, poor landings and other noncontact injuries.

Younger athletes face even greater challenges because thirst cues often appear late. Performance in youth athletes can fall with as little as a 1% loss in body weight from ﬂuid depletion.

Boudreaux recommends consistent intake.

“Provide water before, during and after activity and increase amounts on hot or active days,” he said.

Small sips every 10 to 20 minutes can help. Electrolyte drinks

See

page 3X

PHOTO

COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Boudreaux RENDERING

LADy OF THE LAKE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Construction at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center’s emergency department will have three phases and add 20 expanded treatment spaces.

Mental health disorders may double risk of heart disease

Researchers find link in Emory University study

BY MORAYO OGUNBAYO

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

Nearly half of Americans are affected by cardiovascular disease, while about one in four lives with a mental health condition.

A newly released report from Emory University points to a deeper connection between these two growing health challenges. According to the findings, certain mental health conditions can increase the risk of developing heart disease by 50 to 100% and for those already diagnosed, the likelihood of severe outcomes in existing heart conditions

may rise by 60 to 170%.

“It’s not only important to realize that people with mental disorders are at higher risk, according to disease, but also people with cardiovascular disorders are more likely to show mental health problems,” lead researcher Viola Vaccarino said Vaccarino, a professor of cardiovascular research in Emory’s School of Public Health and School of Medicine, said the main goal of her team’s work was to provide an overview of research on cardiovascular health “with particular emphasis on the disparities that involve people with mental disorders.”

Depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and, more recently, PTSD are among the mental health conditions linked to a signif-

icantly higher risk of heart disease. Of these, schizophrenia — though relatively rare — shows the strongest association. According to the report, these mental disorders can elevate the risk of heart disease for multiple reasons. First, the body may experience more inflammation, which takes a toll on heart health. Autonomic dysfunction, or what is essentially “amping up” the nervous system, can also be dangerous for the long-term care of your heart.

Certain behavioral aspects or social determinants of living with mental disorders can increase your general risk.

“We really want to emphasize that we need to improve health care and improve policies to allow for better

recognition of this commonality and better care for the people who have it,” Vaccarino said.

Reducing risk

There are ways you can reduce many of the behaviors that raise the risk of heart disease — even while managing a mental illness.

“Mental health really should be considered a mind-body disorder, not a mind disorder,” Emory professor JoEllen Schimmels said.

Schimmels, who served as a psychiatric nurse during combat for over 20 years and a psychiatric nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs, pointed to multiple negative effects poor mental health has on the body and how they can be mitigated. Poor sleeping habits are a

common symptom of mental illness that wreak havoc on the body and heart. Schimmels recommends people maintain a consistent sleep schedule and try to refrain from naps longer than 30 minutes as much as possible.

For people who struggle to fall asleep each night, try not to look at the bed as a negative place, she recommends. Instead, get out of bed and do something quiet or dull until you start to feel drowsy

Diet and exercise play a key role in decreasing inflammation. Schimmels notes that plant-based diets and Mediterranean-style diets are most beneficial.

However, a person’s environment can significantly influence their access to healthy foods.

“When we look at some

of those behavioral risks, we also have to look a lot at the environment too,” she said. “We don’t always consider the interplay between access to care and some of the environmental factors.”

Overall, Schimmels recommends staying present and practicing mindfulness whenever you can, and practicing grounding techniques and breathing exercises to sustain those feelings.

“It’s really cool that our brains can function kind of in the past, present, and future at the same time, but that can also cause a lot of problems,” Schimmels said. “A lot of worrying about what’s happened yesterday or what’s happened in the past can really actually be overwhelming for your brain and your body.”

New FDA-approved glasses can slow nearsightedness in kids

BY MATTHEW PERRONE AP health writer

WASHINGTON For many children, the experience of getting their ﬁrst pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the ﬁrst in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor

But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child’s vision and reduce the chances for more serious eye problems in adulthood?

That’s the promise of a new type of lens approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September While the technology has previously been available in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world, it’s now rolling out in the U.S. Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is when people can clearly see objects at close range but struggle with distant objects, which often appear blurry or indistinct.

Studies conducted around the world have shown rising rates of myopia, which researchers have associated with increased time indoors looking at screens, books and other objects held close to the eyes

In the U.S., 30% to 40% of children will have myopia by the time they ﬁnish high school, according to Dr Michael Repka, a professor and pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Until now, doctors had few options for treating the condition.

“It was typically and simply: ‘Your child needs to wear glasses and they’ll live with it,’ ” Repka said. “‘It will be lifelong and it will likely get worse over the next few years.’”

How it works

The specialized glasses, sold un-

STUDENTS

Continued from page 1X

years — or 40 years — into the future.”

The Lake is one of three Level I trauma centers in Louisiana and the only one in metro Baton Rouge. It earned the designation in 2022.

Level I trauma centers provide the highest level of trauma care. To earn the designation, a hospital must admit at least 1,200 trauma patients per year, or 240 patients with severe injuries, and provide 24-hour emergency care that includes operating room availability within 15 minutes and round-the-clock availability of specialists. They must also be national leaders in medical education and research.

“The emergency department is the front door of the hospital,” Laperouse said.

“Of our patients, 60% to 70% start out in the emergency department.”

In the fall of 2019, Laperouse took all 16 students to the hospital, let them shadow staff in the emergency room and even took them to the helipad as part of their research. They looked at case studies, old emergency rooms and new emergency rooms to inform their design decisions.

Some design considerations that impact health outcomes include, according to Elliott: n Commuter stairs with access to natural daylight n Universally designed

der the brand Essilor Stellest, are approved by the FDA to slow nearsightedness in 6- to 12-year-olds.

The FDA said it cleared the lenses based on company data showing children experienced a 70% reduction in the progression of their myopia after two years.

Over time, myopia causes the eye to grow longer, worsening vision and increasing the risk of tears to the retina — the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that is essential for vision.

The new lenses use 11 concentric rings ﬁlled with tiny raised dots to refocus light onto the retina in a way that is believed to slow elon-

gation of the eye.

“Whether this hypothesis is ultimately proven to be true, of course, matters only in part,” Repka said, noting that the lenses appear to work regardless of how the underlying science works.

In the company study, children wearing the lens showed a 50% reduction in eye lengthening when measured after two years. Currently, researchers in the U.S. and other countries are conducting their own independent studies to conﬁrm those results.

Ophthalmologists say the potential beneﬁts go beyond preserving vision to heading off some long-

walkways and trails n Convenient water bottle filling stations n Sit to stand desks n Access to outdoor spaces n Respite areas n Spaces that engage the senses n Access to fresh produce markets. Students looked at how natural daylight calming colors and imagery can have positive impacts on health. They also looked at more practical components of design like hospital wayfinding — signage and directions for visitors to find their way — infection prevention designs and which materials can hold up to bleach cleaners. The goal was to put students in the shoes of a patient or a family member in order to make more informed decisions about the space.

“In the design, we wanted to ask ourselves: What does it feel like to be laying on a

stretcher and look at title windows? What does it feel like to be a family member searching for your loved one?” Laperouse said.

The students were divided into four groups, each with their own responsibility to present full design plans to Our Lady of the Lake and the Dallas-based architectural firm, Perkins & Will, who would implement their designs, by the end of the semester In December 2019, each group presented their prospective designs for the emergency room. One group had skylights. Another had a clear story One group used blue. Another used green. One group focused on Louisiana and local patterns. Another used geometric shapes.

The students worked together for four hours, three times a week on their project presentations, wanting their hard work to be reﬂected in their ﬁnal presentation

term consequences of severe myopia, which can include cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment that can lead to blindness.

“Now we have a way to slow that down and maybe we can prevent kids from having that really elongated eye that puts them at risk for blindness,” said Dr. Rupa Wong, a Honolulu-based pediatric ophthalmologist.

Cost

The suggested retail price is $450, according to EssilorLuxottica, the company that makes the lenses.

Major U.S. vision insurance pro-

viders are expected to cover the lenses for children who meet the prescribing criteria.

Comparing lenses

The only other FDA-approved product to slow myopia are contact lenses made by a company called MiSight. The daily disposable lenses, approved in 2019, use a similar approach intended to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children ages 8 to 12.

But Gupta says many parents and physicians are likely to prefer the glasses.

“A lot of people might be hesitant to put a child as young as 8 in contact lenses, so the glasses offer a really nice alternative,” she said. Some doctors prescribe medicated eye drops intended to slow myopia, but those are not approved by the FDA.

Candidates

Under the FDA’s approval decision, the lenses can be prescribed to any child with myopia who’s within the recommended age range. There were no serious side effects, according to FDA, although some children reported visual disturbances, such as halos around objects while wearing the lenses.

The studies that the FDA reviewed for approval were conducted in Asia. Repka said U.S. ophthalmologists and optometrists may want to see some additional research.

“I think before it becomes widely used, we will need some data in the United States” showing that the lenses work, said Repka, who is conducting a U.S.-based study of the new lenses supported by the National Institutes of Health.

with real stakeholders.

“At the time, I probably seemed demanding, but I pushed them,” Elliott said.

“When all is said in done, I wanted them to feel like they were actually doing something that matters.”

Our Lady of the Lake and Perkins & Will chose to mix all four design concepts together to use as their new emergency department

plans. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction, but the new emergency department is expected to be completed in 2027.

Additional emergency medical services bays, exam rooms and treatment rooms will boost the emergency room capacity by 33%. With the expansion, hospital ofﬁcials said the emergency department will be able to see

an additional 25,000 patients a year — above the current volume of 85,000 patients annually

Elliott says the some of the students got interior design jobs because of the Our Lady of the Lake project.

“It’s rewarding to see students grow,” Elliott said. “It’s very meaningful work. You’re building a place to help people get better.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana.

Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PHOTO PROVIDED By LSU COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Sixteen undergraduate interior design students at LSU gave presentations on new plans for an emergency department at Our Lady of the Lake in December 2019. Joining them are, at back right, Dr Mark Laparouse and Julie Elliott.

PHOTO PROVIDED By EyE WANDER

LSU interior design students presented full design plans to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and the architectural firm, Perkins & Will, for the hospitals new emergency department.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Refractions caused by lenslets embedded in the Essilor’s Stellest eyeglass lens are projected onto a table. The specialized glasses are approved by the FDA to slow nearsightedness in 6- to 12-year-olds.

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BY THENUMBERS

Strokeswere the fifth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, and one Louisiana parish ranks among the highestinthe nation for strokeprevalence.

Approximately 795,000 people —1 person every 40 seconds —has astrokeeach year in theUnited States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention

Louisiana had the third-higheststroke mortality rate per 100,000 in 2022with 2,724 deaths due to strokes.The state was proceeded in the national rankings by Mississippi withthe highest strokemortality rate and Alabamawith the second-highest.

East Carroll Parish had the fifth-highest percentageofadults whohavehad astrokein their lifetime compared to all 3,145countiesin the U.S. —Madison Parish was 15th-highest.

Strokes include both ischemic, when ablood vessel leading to the brain is blocked by aclot, andhemorrhagic strokes, when ablood vessel within the brain ruptures.

These parishes had the highest percentage of adults whohad astroke in their lifetime, according to CDC data, in descending order:

HYDRATION

Continued from page1X

become useful for longer or very sweaty sessions. Pale urine is often asign of good hydration. Before cramps or heat illness set in, the body often shows early signals. Dry mouth, reduced urine output, darker urine,irritability,nausea, headache,fatigueand decreased focus arecommon indicators. Heart rate may alsorise faster than expected and performance candip. South Louisiana’sheat raisesthe stakes.Competinginextreme heat or humidity wearing heavy gear or recovering from illness can all require additional ﬂuids. Even amild fever can increase hydration needs. Some children or teenagers struggle with waterintake.Strategies that help include:

n Adding asplash of 100% juice or using low-sugar electrolyte tablets;

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n East Carroll Parish with 6.9%, n Madison Parish with 6.2%, n Claiborne Parish with 5.9%

n Tensas Parish with 5.8%

n Bienville, Evangelineand Morehouse parishes with 5.2%, n Avoyelles and Concordiaparishes with 5%, n WebsterParish with 4.9%, n Franklin Parish with 4.8%

These parishes had the lowest percentages of adults whohad astrokeintheirlifetime, according to CDCdata, in ascending order:

n Ascension Parish with 3.2%, n Livingston, St. Charles and St.Tammany parisheswith 3.3%, n Bossier Parish with 3.5%, n Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson and West Feliciana parishes with 3.6%, n Beauregard, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Plaquemines and Vernon parishes with 3.7%

According to the CDC and the American Heart Association, steps and strategies to prevent strokes startwith lifestyle choices likechoosing healthyfoods, keeping ahealthy weight, regular

n Usingbottles with measurement marks to track progress;

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Runners takeoff in the boys 3-mile runonOct. 30 during the CatholicLeague cross country championshipsinCity Park in NewOrleans. JD Boudreaux,

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Beyond 2 years

Teachfor Americaalumniare reshaping Louisiana

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

For 35 years, Teach for America has brought thousands of college graduates to Louisianaclassrooms with the promise of atwo-year commitment. But the organization’smost lasting impact may come from what happens afterward

Of the 4,004 corps members who have served in Louisiana over 35 years, more than 1,300 alumni have stayed. They plant roots. They lead schools, run nonproﬁts, start businesses, shape policy and build programs that endure long after their corps terms end.

Lucas Spielfogel graduated from Yale and cametoLouisiana in 2010 as asocial studies teacher at Baker Middle School. Since 2012, he’s been leadingthe Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. He’shelped theorganization grow from supporting50high school students to serving nearly 500 eighth through 12thgraders and 920 alumni.

Spielfogel has led apartnershipwithEast Baton Rouge Parish Schools to launch an in-school program serving 183 juniors and seniors through ACT preparation classes and 150seniors through their in-school advising program.

Teachfor America alumni, Dan Kahn and Sam Joel, had started the organizationin2008 with thegoal of helping driven students from difﬁcultbackgrounds get into college and succeed there.Through these Teach forAmerica alumni’sleadership, more than 900 Baton Rouge students have pursued their dreams of afour-year university education.

‘Power of leadership’

Teach For America, which is partofAmeriCorps, has arigorous interviewprocess and setshigh standards for candidates, with annual admissions rates as low as 12%, accordingtoEducation Next.

The interview process is designed to identify talented individuals who will make the two-year commitmentto teachinhigh-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to ensure educational excellence forall children, according to Laura Vinsant, executive director of Teach for AmericaGreater Baton Rouge.

John White,former Louisiana state superintendent of education and current CEOofGreat Minds in NewOrleans, explains what kept him in education after serving with Teach for America in Jersey City,New Jersey

“Teach for America calledmetoeducation as acivil rights issue,principally.And it kept me in educationbyshowing me the powerofleadership to affect the lives of children,” Whitesaid.

Whitethought he would pursue journalismafter college, but his timewith Teach for America altered his career trajectory Educational leadership became his focus.

“The most obvious and evident value is that teach America recruits outstandingindividuals to serveyoung people,” Whitesaid.“They have agreat effectonthe learning of those kids and on the schools where they work, but more than that, Teach for America is aforce.” White has observed how senses of consciences are shaped by the experience Teach for America alumni had in schools. He says these corpsmembers aredestined to go on to be change makers in theworld on behalf of abet-

ORGANIZATIONS FOUNDED BY TEACH FOR AMERICA ALUMNI

MORE THAN 20 ORGANIZATIONS FOUNDEDORCO-FOUNDED BY ALUMNI, INCLUDING:

n Baton Rougeyouth Coalition (Dan Kahn, Sam Joel; led today by Lucas Spielfogel ’10)

n NewSchoolsfor NewOrleans (Sarah Usdin ‘92)

n NewSchoolsfor Baton Rouge(Chris Meyer’04) &(Catherine Pozniak ‘04)

n Thrive Academy(Sarah Broome’08)

n TreStreet Kitchen (Kristen Smith-Devine’14)

n Watershed Advisors (Jessica Baghian ’06; Kunjan Narechania ’00)

n unCommon Construction (Aaron Frumin ’11)

n youth Run NOLA (multiple ’09 alumni)

n youthForceNOLA (Cate Swinburn’00)

n youth EmpowermentProject (Melissa Sawyer ’98)

n Propeller (Andrea Chen ’04)

n Next LevelNOLA (Rhonda Dale’99)

ter abetter country

“Andweneed that in our society,” White said. “Weneed people whohaveanunabashedcommitment to abetter future and whoare willingtowork on behalf of their country and their community.”

Living in Louisiana

From cane ﬁeldsinPointeCoupeeParishtobustling streets in New Orleans, Louisiana offers rural and urban school environments that college graduates from all over the country come to in ordertolearnhow to teach, build relationships and improve education.

Along the way,manyembrace the spirit of Louisiana, not only thestate’sunique culture, but also the difﬁcult challenges that many face.

The organization’s competitive selection process works to identify candidates with their leadership potential. In Louisiana,inmanycases, corps members build on that potential to grow.They end up working to solve problems and assist others.

AsyaHowlette, originally from Colorado Springs, came to Louisiana in 2012 toteach math at Pointe Coupee Central. Fromthe mountains to False River, Howlette recognizesspeciﬁc things she lovesabout the Pelican State, particularly itsculture.

“The way the air feels during Mardi Gras,the music playing on the way to tailgate, my neighbors, thefood, the festivals,” shesaid. “Living in Louisiana is truly abeautiful experience in living and being present.”

Howlette is now thedirector of theOfﬁce of Youth and Families for the City of New Orleans.She says raising adaughterwho goes to the oldest all-girls school in the country —Ursuline Academy —isanexample of how legacy and family rundeep here.

‘Makinglasting change’

In 1990, Wendy Kopp founded Teach for America.Baton Rouge was the ﬁrst city shechosetosend corps member. Therewas aclear need for teachers andwhenKopp met with community leaders, they were supportive.

Vinsant, anative of Arlington,Texas, knows ﬁrsthand

JanRisher

Long road trips are good for my soul for reasons Idon’tfully understand.

Last week, my husband and Ileft Louisiana to head to El Paso, on the far western edge of Texas. With all the hubbub of ﬂying, airports and missedconnections, we decided to drive.

Driving all the way across Texas takes time. Watching the sometimes gradual and sometimes sudden changes of landscape helps me connect the dots between more than places on amap.

We’ve made the long drive from Louisiana to El Paso several times. When we’re heading west, Iappreciate the way the skies get bigger and the horizon broadens. Expansive horizons make me calmer —like the world isn’tquite as hectic as it was when everything wascrowding in. On this particular road trip, my husband and Iwere driving toward afuneral for our beloved nephew.There was something cathartic in taking so long to get to El Paso —inwatching the trees, landscapes and even the food shift along the way Maybe putting distance between everyday life and responsibilities helped, too. But maybe aroad trip also helps create a more balanced perspective, as poet David Whyte describes when he writes about horizons: “Horizons between the known and the unknown are everywhere in our human lives, even when we refuse to lift our heads and our eyes to see them….” Lifting my own eyes to see the sun —or even shielding them from the late-afternoon, low-hanging wintersun —gave me time to contemplate the known and unknown, especially the mysteries of grief. In looking back at the trip, East Texas was still full of green and noise, like the chaos of the early days of grief. West Texas was spare, honest and uncluttered. It reminded me of the way grief can strip life down to the barest of bones. Youcan’thurry West Texas, just like you can’thurry grief.

When we hit the mountains near El Paso, Ifelt like we were climbing to say goodbye.

We took our timetoget to El Paso. We turned whatcould have been abrutal oneday haul into three gentle days —visiting with people we love and staying in surprising places along the way We stopped in Big Spring, Texas, aplace we hadnever been —adusty,overlooked town to many —but there we found a hotel with rooms as gorgeous as any I’ve ever seen. The Settles Hotel surprised me.Itwas like this little oasis of comfort and care. In the middle of ahard trip, that unexpected beauty felt like akindness. So muchofmyadult life has been about proving that places that aren’tbig, fancy cities can still be wonderful, and The Settles Hotel is evidence of that.

Looking out from our 10th-ﬂoor room in Big Spring gave me more time to consider horizons and be grateful for the chance to be there —and for the time and distance between where we were and where we’d been.

While Iappreciate the wonderthat is air travel, ﬂying can be so jarring in the sense of walking into one place and stepping out somewhere completely different. Driving across the whole of Texas is the opposite of that.

Road trips are so good for my heart, mind and spirit. Every time, they remind me that we are small and the world is still vast.

Idon’tknow exactly why road trips help with healing, but this one did. The milesgave our grief someplace to stretch its legs —and gave us abroader horizon to bear it.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Lucas Spielfogel,right,CEO of Baton Rougeyouth Coalition, and Myeisha Anderson, deputy chief of staff and aformer studentofSpielfogel, help lead the organization to serve nearly 500 eighth through 12th graders.

White

Vinsant

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASK THEEXPERTS

Communityleaderkeeps handsinmanybaskets

Lafayettenative thriveswith involved lifestyle

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Josh Edmond, theassistant manager of maintenance and repair for facilities at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, is cofounder and president of All4One Foundation which works to uplift and rebuild of people in Lafayette communities they serve.

All4Oneworks with other local civic andreligious groups on avariety of fronts, including antiviolence campaigns, building Little Free Libraries in at-risk areas and mentoring programs for teens. The nonprofit organization strivesto promote and exemplify community service, spiritual leadership andeducational guidance. Edmond is also aboard member for Habitat for Humanity, thevice president for 100 Black Men of Lafayette, acertiﬁed life coach and aLafayette Parish School Board Member for District 3. Edmond is married to Linda Edmond. Together they share eight kids and 12 grandchildren.

BEYOND

Continued from page1y

how being aTeach for America corps member is life changing.

As acorps member,she taughtsecondgrade and third grade in north Baton Rouge from 2007 to 2009. She’sbeen working with the organization professionally for 16 years. Shevalues that the organization builds leaders who invest in their communities after their terms end.

“It’sabout connecting leaders with purpose-driven work,” Vinsant said.“I cannot actually think of an alum whoisnot connected somehow to working to improve the lives of ourstudents and families, whether they’re working in law, serving on anumber of different boards or working in nonproﬁts.”

New Iberia native Ge’ron Tatum, the executive director of Teach For America in Greater NewOrleans, says that the organization’s foundation of making lasting change motivates corps members to stay involved in the work after their contracts expire.

He says one common misconception about Teach For America is that college graduates come intoschools and communities and leave after two years. He says the numbers showotherwise.

“Our theory at Teach For America really is about creating lasting change,” Tatum said. “They’re goingto

Can you describe the mission of your All4One Foundationand the community needs it aims to addressinLafayette?

OursloganatAll4One is “Answeringthe CALL.” CALL is an acronym for community,awareness, love and literacy

We arefocusedonmakingsure our community is being served the way it should be, understanding the needs of our community and understanding that every resident of our communityhas adifferent need —not assumingeveryone has thesame needs.

Theawareness partofitisto make sure that people know what we have forseniors, forelections and for kids.

The love piece, we feed our community.Every year,wehost acommunity feeding, whether it’s barbecuewith all the trimmings, po-boys, red beans and rice or hot dogs,wefeed ourcommunity

The reason we started is because there was akid who was riding his bike in front of my house, and his chain popped.The kid ﬂipped, and he scraped hisknee. We didn’t knowwho he belonged to. So I took that as inspiration to help our whole community get out and meet their neighbors.

What has your community work taught you about leadership? Do you have anyadvice for young people who aspire to be in positions of

Q&A WITH JOSHEDMOND

ALL4ONE FOUNDATION FOUNDER

leadership?

I’ll give youthreenuggets on leadership:

n If you don’thave thickskin, don’tget in.

n As aleader,you can’tbeeverywhere.

n Beingaleader is lonely

What do you think wouldhelp to combat that loneliness?

For me, Iwent to life coaching

The Kitchen Table Counseling and Life Coaching —inLafayette. It is counseling with aChristian twist to it. You’re able to learn certaintools that you pick up through coaching.

So Iknow what type of tools to use on myself if Iget frustrated.

I’llgoand pull outone of my favorite cigars.I’m notcondoning smoking, but I’ll pull out one of my cigars and relax. Then Ithink myself out of situations.

Howcan residents playabigger role in keeping the city thriving?

My community shouldn’treinvent the wheel. If there’s an organization that’sdoing something that’sneeded,and doing it successfully,weshouldn’ttry to duplicate that. We should add to the organization tomake it even greater

Toomany timeswesee mul-

Teach ForAmerica alumni in Louisiana

Thepercentageofcareers forTeach forAmerica’s

applythat across sectors, across ties.” For those corps whoexitedu pletely,Tatum continue to carry room experience single area that into Building resilien Teach for Amer na, Alicia Carelus brother,aN has carried her experience into managing dire ershipdevelopment for Teach for America in Baton Rouge.

tiple organizations pushing for the same cause, and they get watereddown because there’stoo manypeople involved. We don’t know whichorganization is doing theproper processes, and sometimes some of the cries fall down on deaf ears. We have morebang

workingtogetherinstead of ﬁve of us trying to ﬁght for the same wgrant cycle. If we allget together,it’sall going to the samecause. If it’sall going to the same cause,itshouldn’t matter who gets it —aslong as people are being served.

Fairbrother came to Louisiana in 2018 with Teach for America andtaught Spanish at East Feliciana High Schoolin Jackson. She met herhusband here, also a Teach For America corps member. She completeda master’sdegreeatLouisianaState University —for free.Withthis LSU partnership, corps members whostay andteach for two

“Sometimes thosehard days outweigh the good days. But if you continue to recite your whyand reground yourself,it’sgoing to makethoseharddays become betterdays.”

Thewhy andthe purpose Minnesota native Lori Halvorson, seniorvice president and executive directorofCityYearBatonRouge, taught French at Baker High School from 2010 to 2012. Aftera

year teachinginNigeria, Halvorson returnedtoBaton Rouge and has been with City Year since.

Although beinginthe classroom long term was not for her,the Teach for America experience did afﬁrm that she wanted to remainina space that was ﬁghting for educationalequity

One level of support is active mentoring across alumni and corps mem-

bers. Tatum says that regular alumni-hosted dinners offer atwo-way mentoring relationship. Not only do the alumni coach the corps members, but the corps membersbring energy and new ideas to theveteran teachers.

“While we have along waytogoregarding education in Louisiana,” said Halvorson, “there are alot of incredible people doing incrediblework, making

strides and really doing everything they can for students.Ifone wants to do educational equitywork, this is the place to do it.”

Atwo-year commitment may be where the story begins formanyTeach for America corps members butfor more than 1,300 of them,Louisiana becomes the next chapter

Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

Josh Edmond’snonprofit, All4One Foundation, services the community of Lafayette.

‘Experienceherehas made hercourageous’

World-classarts center in St.Charles transforms lives

BY MATT HAINES

Contributing writer

Venturing out to Luling, onthe west bank of the Mississippi River and opposite from Destrehan, many are surprised to ﬁnd amultistory,$30 million buildingwith amosaic of windows stretching from ground to roof. The building, ahalf-hour from New Orleans,is decorated with four large letters displayed vertically: A, R, Tand S. This is St. CharlesParish’sDr. Rodney R. Lafon PerformingArts Center,aone-of-a-kind facility that immerses the parishschool district’snearly 10,000 studentsin the arts.

On school days, the building is full of children,bused in from across thedistrict whoare engaging in classrooms with state-of-theart technology: aTVbroadcasting class is taught by aformer WDSU producer in anewsstudioreplica; asculpture andceramicslesson makes use of two fully functioning kilns —and apiano classroom features students preparing for their semester recital, which they will perform on abeautiful Steinway pianothathas starredinconcerts around the world andhas been signed by icons like Randy Newman and Tony Bennett.

But the Lafon Arts Center isn’t satisﬁed with glitz, glamour and cutting edge. It has aseriousgoal: to positively impact the lives of St. Charles’ students by providing them opportunities in the arts.

Aimee Braud, mother to 16-yearoldEva,saidshe has deﬁnitely seen achange in her daughter since she began attending Lafon, both during the school year and through the Center’ssummer camps.

“Eva’sfather and Iwere both into athletics when we werein school, and that was never 100% Eva’sthing,” Braud said.“But, through Lafon, she learned that theater is her sport.”

Braud says she’swatched the school and theater program help transform her daughter “Notjust as aperformer,but in

the way she interacts with new peopleand newsituations,” Braud said. “Her experience here has made her courageous.”

Cutting-edge

The education wing is rounded out with classrooms teaching graphic design, photography,3D printing, marketing, technical theater and dance.

But theeducation doesn’tstop in those classrooms.

TheLafon Performing Arts Center’smost impressive areas are its performance spaces. A sleekand intimate,150-seattheater is perfect forcommunity events such as evening comedy shows, but the center’scrown jewel is its 1,300-seat auditorium with alarge stage, LEDtheatrical lighting— and asound system that supports everything from rockconcerts to Broadway-level productions.

Lafon’sexecutive director,Ned Moore, said these spaces host more than55schoolproductions each year,including choirand band concerts, theater productions, dance/piano recitals, art galleries, workshops and joint performances with visiting artists from aroundthe world

“We’re inspiring St.Charles Parishstudentsthrough the arts,” Moore said. “That includesgiving them opportunities to perform, but also bringing in talent from across theglobe.”

Recently,for example, 800 second grade students watched a performancebythe puppeteers of MermaidTheatre from Nova Scotia, Canada. Fifty sixth graders had the opportunity to perform alongside the Sharpe Family Singers, previously featured on “American Idol” and“America’s Got Talent.”

Tennational tours come through St. Charles each year,thanks to the center,and it all begsthe question: howdoesa performing arts center like this exist in an American school district?

“Dr.Rodney Lafon was this gregarious, larger-than-life guy,” Moore said of the jazz trumpeter, music teacher and eventual St Charles Parish district superintendent forwho the Lafon Center was named. “He caredfor his students

andhewas beloved —alwaysinvitedintopeople’shomes fordinner.This center was his dream.”

When Lafon passed away in 2014, ayear after retiring from the district, afund was created in hisname. When atax millage was up for renewal, the people of St. Charles Parish voted to fund the construction of theirformer superintendent’s dream

That school district funding, alongsidea$5millionendowment by Shell Norco and donations from Hancock Whitney Bank and the St. Charles ParishHospital, all help to ensure giving the community a world-class art center that will exist long into thefuture.

“Honestly,Ithink abouthim every day,” Moore said, “about what he gave this blue-collar town.People comeuptomeall the time and say, ‘This is exactly what he envisioned.’”

Changing lives

The Lafon Arts Center first opened in 2018. Since then, it has left an impact on countless stu-

dents, such as 22-year-old Diavian Ceaser

“I was asophomorebackthen, andIcouldn’tbelieve Ihad this opportunity to act in plays in this big, beautifultheater,” Ceasar said. “And to take classes in dance, andtolearn howtobeona stage crew as atechnician with all of this equipment.”

She said that the community’s willingness to invest in itschildren “sayssomuchabout the community.”

Caesar said her time at thecenter ﬁlled her with conﬁdence and gave heropportunities she never imagined werepossiblefor herself.

Then, whenher LoyolaUniversity musical theatereducation became too expensive to continue, shewas welcomed back to thecenter that she had always thought of as “a second home.”

“Two years ago, they hired me to work behind thescenes on productions, and now I’m aproductioncoordinator,” Caesar said. “I gettoworkwithand learnfrom

someofthe best technicians in the country when they cometoLafon on tour.”

Moore said several of the center’sstudents whofound apassion in stagecrew—working on the technical side of productions as a spotlight operator,stage manager, or deck hand, forexample —have transitioned to jobs at the center operating its world-class equipment. This upcoming semester,alineup of talent will once again be coming through Lafon —including Broadway starMandy Gonzalezsinging the music of “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Gonzalez will be accompanied by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

“It’sanincredible opportunity for our students, but not only for our students,” Moore said. “Everyone is invited. Make the short drive from New Orleans or Baton Rouge. We have plenty of parking, world-class talent every month—and the ticket you buy will support the dreamsofLouisianachildren.”

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Lafon PerformingArtsCenter provides St.Charles Parish PublicSchool students and members of the River Parishes opportunities to participate in the creation and appreciation of the arts.

FAITH & VALUES

Survivors of riots heal with women’s empowerment

BY PRIYADARSHINI SEN

Contributing writer

Five years after riots swept through her neighborhood in northeast Delhi, the region around India’s capital 18-year-old Anam Sa still wakes up in the middle of the night ﬂushed, breathing fast, arms shaking.

Sa recalls most clearly how her father collapsed when he saw their three-storied house set on ﬁre by Hindu rioters.

In February 2020, after the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, which would exclude many Muslims from a fast-track to citizenship, Delhi witnessed a deadly, dayslong wave of violence in which Muslims saw their properties destroyed, mosques and prayer books set on ﬁre. Hundreds of homes and shops were set ablaze by mobs wearing saffron headbands to signify their faith, and more than 50 people were killed.

As rioters stormed into dense and overcrowded neighborhoods in northeast Delhi, the epicenter of the riots, residents ﬂed to their ancestral villages with little on their backs. When the ﬂames subsided, most residents returned without homes, jobs or social security, haunted by memories of smoke, gas cylinders and petrol bombs.

Today Sa is a frequent visitor to Sabaat, a safe space on the outer fringes of Delhi for women survivors of religious hate and violence, where she has begun to heal “In the last six months, I’ve learnt how to stitch dresses and trousers,” she said, her light-brown eyes kohl-lined. “We stitch fabric here,

share our traumas and help each other heal.”

“It’s the women who suffer most in the aftermath of riots,” says Aasif Mujtaba, a social activist and engineer who initiated the women’s empowerment center in the riot-affected area two years ago. “I wanted a place where women could express themselves freely and rebuild their identities.”

Sabaat the name means ”endurance” — also provides women rare personal space in a largely working-class neighborhood densely packed with one-room tenements. In these houses, lower middle-class Hindus and Muslims coexisted peacefully until the riots wrecked their communal harmony In Sabaat’s three-story building, with rooms for stitching and other crafts, Hindu and Muslim survivors of the riots turn fabric into outfits, handicraft and tote bags and draw patterns on magnets and tumblers.

“Each stitch carries a story of resilience and healing,” said Shehnaz Bano, a 19-year-old student who survived an attack in which rioters broke into her house with sticks, cylinders and ammunition. “Those memories still haunt me, but my faith in Allah has grown stronger.”

Fearing for their personal safety Bano and her family ﬂed in the middle of the night for the nearby town of Gorakhpur, where their people have lived for generations. Their faith in humanity, they said, was badly jolted.

At Sabaat, Bano turns fabric into abayas — loose robe-like dresses worn by Muslim women to forefront their religious identity — in a two-hour morning class dedicated

to embroidery, sewing and design. The instructor, Farheen Ansari, said her classes have swelled as families, at ﬁrst reluctant to send their girls out of their homes, were persuaded through house-to-house visits, counseling and conversations on bridging community divides.

“From trauma and suffering we’re seeing so many vulnerable women achieve ﬁnancial independence,” said Ansari, who instructs her students on ways to start small garment manufacturing units at home after completing their sixmonth course. They eventually supplement their family incomes by supplying uniforms to schools, selling them online or at local boutiques.

Ansari at times serves as more than a teacher, but as a comforter of her students when memories of the horror ﬁve years ago overwhelms them.

Sangeeta, a devout Hindu who sheltered Muslim families during the riots, said working with other survivors has restored the women’s faith in Allah and Hindu goddesses like Durga and Kali, who emphasize the power of women

“The rioters tore mosques down, stamped on prayer books and defaced our holy places,” said Sangeeta, her thin voice recalling past horrors. “But see how we are weaving our gods and goddesses into our work and rising above petty religious divisions.” By creating items for a greater

purpose, they see a deep “spiritual connection” developing among them, allowing them to process their emotions.

“It’s God’s hand at work,” said Islamuddin Mansoori, the chief coordinator at the safe house who has been watching closely the psychological toll of the riots.

After Mansoori’s own college education was disrupted by the riots’ effect on his family he resolved to promote interfaith harmony and education in areas most vulnerable to communal tensions.

In the aftermath of the violence, he said, some women were so traumatized that the loud chanting of a religious procession could keep them from leaving their houses “Women’s mental health has taken a major hit,” said Mansoori. “That’s why we felt the need to build a center that could support them socially ﬁnancially and spiritually.”

Their work offers a measure of hope to families still recovering from their losses and those caught up in the long-drawn and complicated struggles for justice and compensation. Sabaat’s founder, Mujtaba, calls it “sabr” active self-restraint and thoughtful action by women who’ve remained spiritually steadfast against all oppressions and injustices.

The riots may have driven a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, but Mujtaba believes it has also allowed communities to endure hardship while maintaining their faith. “People are more resilient and their faith has got stronger,” he said. “At Sabaat, women are stepping forward as guides for spiritual renewal of affected communities.”

Hawai‘i farmers turn to Korean natural farming

Practice revives soil and strengthens local food systems

BY NOELLE FUJII-ORIDE

Contributing writer

Editor’s note: This story, created by Noelle Fujii-Oride for Overstory is part of the Solutions Story Tracker from the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about responses to social problems Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world

The sound of squealing pigs reverberates as Daniel Anthony points to a variety of verdant crops around his Windward O‘ahu farm, from kukui nut to milo, avocado, noni and star fruit.

It’s a marked contrast to when Anthony got the land over a decade ago. It was covered in weeds and had no topsoil left, having been depleted by harsh chemicals after being used for sugar, pine, cut ﬂowers, vegetables and cattle.

In the years since, he’s fed the land with biochar from his imu, plus compost, mulch, dust from his pig pens and papa ku‘i‘ai (wood kalo board) and p haku ku‘i‘ai (stone kalo pounder) workshops. He’s also relied on a variety of solutions made from plants seawater, ﬁsh guts and everyday ingredients like brown sugar and vinegar, rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides. His goal has been to cultivate and harness the indigenous microorganisms — bacteria and fungi — naturally in the soil to build ‘Aina momona, or fertile and abundant land.

“When the land is abundant, anything you grow just grows so much easier and it’s not a struggle and the quality of what you’re growing is also reﬂected in that,” he said Anthony has been practicing a type of regenerative agriculture called Korean Natural Farming (KNF), or simply Natural Farming. The approach has been gaining traction around the world and in Hawai‘i as more food producers seek to reduce their reliance on imported fertilizers and pesticides — or forgo harmful chemicals altogether and better nurture the lands they care for Principles of natural farming Natural Farming is based on centuries-old farming practices used in Asia and elsewhere and was

systematized in the ’60s in Japan.

South Korean farmer Cho Han Kyu retroﬁtted it to Korea.

Today, longtime local advocates estimate there’s 2,000 growers using Natural Farming around the state.

One local training site is Hawai‘i Community College’s agriculture program, which has taught nearly 100 students the method since 2016. Assistant Professor Lew Nakamura said some of his students stick with Natural Farming after graduation because of its regenerative approach

“We just abused the land with herbicides, pesticides, heavy chemicals, so it’s really rebuilding the soil out there,” he said. “So, to me, this is the perfect example of how you can do it.”

Natural Farming also aligns with traditional Hawaiian practices.

David Fuertes, executive director of Kahua Pa‘a Mua, said both focus on creating vibrant, healthy soil ecosystems and working in harmony with nature.

Kahua Pa‘a Mua is a Kohala nonprofit that blends traditional Hawaiian farming practices with Natural Farming, aquaponics and other contemporary methods to teach residents to cultivate their own food and achieve self-reliance.

In addition to cultivating indigenous microorganisms, Natural Farming involves creating and applying a series of nutrient-rich mixtures made from locally available, organic materials.

“You’re not trying to, like, juice the plant or make the plant, like, big or anything,” said Drake Weinert, a Hawai‘i Island farmer who teaches the method through Natural Farming Hawai‘i. “You’re just trying to unlock its natural potential. And every plant has just like inert natural potential, just like a

child you feed them well and, brah, they’re gonna just be great.”

For example, spraying fermented plant juice made from guava on an ‘ulu tree growing in a grassy orchard essentially tricks the tree into thinking it’s in a forest, where it’ll thrive from the diversity of plants and microbes, he said.

‘All the crops just thrived’

Local farmers note many successful results from Natural Farming efforts.

Weinert revitalized a strip of dead land in downtown Hilo by amending the soil with biochar, indigenous microorganisms and halved coconuts. The microorganisms helped break down the toxins in the soil, while the biochar gave them a place to hold nutrients and created a stabilizing buffer, he said. At the same time, they grew kalo, ‘uala, papaya, and mai‘a.

“We ended up feeding 200 people right out of this ground that was just, you know, dead, and all the crops just thrived and did amazing,” he said

Some farmers use Natural Farming to raise animals, using its deep-litter system. Indigenous microorganisms inoculate the system so that beneﬁcial microbes suppress odor and deter ﬂies. The system is then naturally ventilated and oriented for sunlight to encourage microbial fermentation of the animals’ waste.

Mike DuPonte, a retired Hawai‘i Island livestock extension agent, said there are 66 such systems across the state. They’re also in 29 countries.

In Wai‘anae, David Wong of Mountain View Farms, uses that system for his nearly 1,000 pigs. He also grows moringa, beets, green onions, lettuce and other crops. While the farm is organic-

certified, Natural Farming has enabled it to eliminate the use of herbicides and pesticides and use 60% less water, he said.

He believes that Natural Farming is one way to help the islands become more food secure. With Hawai‘i importing 90% of its food, it’s estimated that Hawai‘i only has enough food supply to last ﬁve to seven days, according to the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency Island Harvest, an organiccertified farm in North Kohala, formerly used Natural Farming across its 750 acres of macadamia nut and some ‘ulu for six years, said Chris Trump, whose family owns Island Harvest. During that time, the farm saw increases in fruit size and yield, and macadamia trees usually considered lost to disease ended up thriving.

Trump teaches others in Hawai‘i and around the world about Natural Farming through his company, Biomei Natural Farming Solutions. Creating a sprayable, liquid version of indigenous microorganisms and using tractor-pulled sprayers enables Natural Farming to be done at scale, he said.

While Island Harvest isn’t currently using Natural Farming due to labor and equipment limitations on its farm, it hopes to one day restart it.

Not a farming panacea

Scientific evidence of Natural Farming’s effectiveness is limited because the approach depends on local conditions and resources, said DuPonte, who helped bring Natural Farming to Hawai‘i nearly 20 years ago while he was with the University of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience

In India, Natural Farming resulted in cowpeas with longer shoot and root lengths, larger leaf areas and seed weights, and more pods per plant and seeds per pod, according to a 2023 article in the International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research. The field experiment compared Natural Farming to a type of brown seaweed and a fermented liquid organic manure.

Locally, two UH field trials found that Natural Farming led to a higher abundance and diversity of beneﬁcial bacteria in vegetable crop soil compared with conventional farming, according to a 2021 paper

Other research evaluated three P hoa farms in 2011-12, comparing Natural Farming to conventional farming — where synthetic inputs are used — or organic permaculture. Results varied. One farmer

growing soybeans saw improved soil health, slightly higher yields, and leaves with higher nitrogen content. Another farmer who grew kabocha saw little difference, though the crop had a powdery mildew infestation. The third farmer which grew kale, beet, broccoli, onion and leek — saw an eventual increase in plant biomass but no signiﬁcant soil-health change.

Two farmers reported costs and said they spent less on materials for Natural Farming. However, their labor costs were higher in the first year due to the time it takes to make and apply the inputs.

Today, farmers can use a drone spraying service or other technology to make that application process more cost efﬁcient, Weinert said. Producing inputs, though, is still a challenge because growers don’t always want to make them, said DuPonte, who is a board member of Cho Global Natural Farming Hawai‘i. While some of the mixtures can be made in a week, others can take up to six months.

Anthony, also a board member of Cho Global Natural Farming Hawai‘i, creates and sells his inputs through his nonproﬁt, Aloha Organic. DuPonte said a couple others sell inputs too, but he’d love to see each island have an organization, like an agricultural co-operative, that can make and distribute the solutions at scale.

‘Agriculture of the future’

With farm costs rising, especially for synthetic inputs, DuPonte said, Natural Farming can help make operations more economically viable.

“We are at disadvantage. We’re out here in the islands and we need to figure out how we can survive if the boats don’t come to Hawai‘i anymore,” he said. “And one of the methods is Master Cho taught us is you try to make your own amenities for farming in Hawai‘i using what you have on the islands to create the means to grow proﬁtable crops.”

For Anthony, Natural Farming has given him tools to move his land’s previously unhealthy soil toward a state suitable for traditional Hawaiian farming practices. Traditional practices, he said, were based on a healthy ecosystem.

He believes that Natural Farming is not just a trend or fad.

“This is the agriculture of the future,” he said. “And who knows? Maybe in 30 years, they’ll call KNF conventional because that’s what everybody is doing.”

PROVIDED PHOTO By PRIyADARSHINI SEN

Women browse abaya styles, loose robes worn by Muslim women, recently at Sabaat, a Delhi-based safe house for female survivors of religious hate and violence in India.

PROVIDED PHOTO By DAVID FUERTES

Kahua Pa‘a Mua in Kohala combines traditional Hawaiian farming and conventional practices, like Natural Farming, to help area families and keiki grow their own food.

SUNDAY, December 14, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — HArBored: HARberd: Gave shelter or refuge to. Average mark 49 words Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 69 or more words in HARBORED?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

Can of corn

South won the opening spade lead with his ace and he regretted his timid bidding. 13 tricks seemed like a “can of corn”, needing only a 3-2 diamond split or for the jack of hearts to fall in one, two,orthreerounds Heexpected that quite a few of the other pairs in the game would bid a grand slam on this deal and that he was doomed to get a poor score. He cashed the ace of hearts, followed by a diamond to the ace. He discarded a spade and a club on the king and queen of hearts. When the jack did not fall, he led a diamond to his king. When the suit failed to split 3-2, he could no longer make his contract.

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

SUBJECT: HISTORICAL FILMS

the clue to identify the film title. (e.g., Vivien Leigh stars as Scarlett O’Hara. Answer: “Gone with the Wind.”)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

A German industrialist saves many refugees from the Holocaust.

A group of soldiers are on a mission to locate a private. Answer________

Judah becomes a cham-

The future King

with a stammer

The title character, played by Russell Crowe,

Assuming that South was correct in thinking that he would get a poor score if 13 tricks were available, he should have played as if 13 tricks were not available. Aftercashingtheaceofhearts,he shouldhaveplayedalowdiamond from both hands! East would win andreturnaspadetoSouth’sking.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take time to reflect on the past, present and future, and the direction you see yourself heading. It’s time to dream a little bigger, and to trust and believe in yourself and what you can achieve CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Proceed with a plan in place. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need or want. Review any rules or regulations before you commit to avoid hidden costs. Take control and breathe easy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Use your power of persuasion, intelligence and energy to turn your thoughts

Now South can lead a diamond to dummy’s ace and take his two discards. A club to his ace would be followed by a claim, knowing that all his remaining diamonds were good.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

into a reality. Say no to emotional spending and yes to a budget and plan that’s within your means. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Protect your reputation. Don’t share personal information or your plans. Do your research and eliminate unnecessary steps that eat up your time and money

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Rethink your pursuits, consider who you are trying to please and choose a path that leads to satisfaction and gratitude. Find balance in relationships. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Use your time and energy wisely Set a

budget to accommodate the home improvement changes you require to further your agenda. Joining forces with someone who shares your agenda looks promising.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pursue your dream, stop procrastinating and make a move. Consider your attributes and how best to use them to manufacture what gives you hope for a brighter future.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Refuse to let emotional mayhem stand in the way. Focus on what you enjoy doing most and engage in activities that bring you in touch with likeminded people. Explore the possi-

bilities, but stick to the basics and a budget.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Opportunity is within reach, but it’s up to you to make things happen. Be the one to start a movement or to engage others in your plans.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Be careful how you handle domestic situations and emotional issues. Shared expenses, medical concerns and unexpected changes will leave you questioning your next move.

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22) An event that addresses causes and concerns will broaden your perspective about what you can or cannot do. Use your intelligence, make changes on the fly and pledge only what’s within your means.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Dream big, but refrain from taking on too much. Stick to your budget and capabilities to ensure you enjoy the outcome instead of stressing over it. Put your time and energy into home improvement and peace of mind.

goren Bridge zodiaC

Answers to puzzles

1. "Schindler's List." 2. "Saving PrivateRyan." 3. "Ben-Hur." 4. "The King's Speech." 5. "Gladiator." 6. "Patton." 7. "Lawrence of Arabia." 8. "Apollo 13."9."DasBoot." 10."The Bridgeon the River Kwai." 11. "Dances withWolves " 12. "TheLast of theMohicans."13. "Braveheart." 14. "Gettysburg."15. "The Patriot."

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Shadows cannot see themselves in the mirror of thesun. —Eva Peron

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

FoXtrot/ by BillAmend dustin /bySteve Kelley&JeffParker