The Advocate 12-14-2025

LSU’s executive

contracts show school’s new vision Rousse, board pursuing major changes for university

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

In the past month, the LSU Board of Supervisors has hired two top leaders, given them incentiveladen contracts and restructured how the various campuses they oversee fit together

The moves, board members say, come from a fundamental conviction: LSU needs to level up. They believe the system needs a more unified approach to improve its national prestige and drive major expansions of revenue from both public and private sources.

“These are decisions that don’t come lightly,” LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard said “Everyone knows that I have fought to get the rankings of Louisiana, LSU, to where we should be, and we’re not there We’re working towards that.”

The Board of Supervisors ratified employment contracts with President Wade Rousse and Executive Vice President James Dalton on Thursday,

ä See LSU, page 5A

Groups clash over breakaway district

Voters to decide whether city can form school system

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

In the new year, the proposal to create a St. George school district that matches the city will again take center stage as supporters and opponents rev up contrasting campaigns ahead of a key May 16 statewide vote. St. George Mayor Dustin Yates said supporters are preparing an expensive public marketing campaign that will launch in January to persuade voters to amend the Louisiana Constitution to fund the proposed new school district.

“I’m sure it will be in the six figures,” Yates said. “What the number is exactly I can’t tell you quite yet.”

A preexisting political organization in St. George, PULSE, is leading opposition to the new school district. PULSE, which stands for People United to Lead St. George Engagement, has already begun efforts to amplify opposition to the breakaway school district.

PULSE held public panels in October and earlier this month with speakers who cast doubt on carving St George out of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system. The group’s efforts, though, look to be more modest than the efforts of St. George school supporters, focusing on amassing volunteers, public events and word-of-mouth.

Backers of the proposed new school district say it is an overdue answer to the poor quality of many Baton Rouge public schools. Opponents argue that a St. George school district would exacerbate racial segregation in the parish, reduce the quality of education for poorer children in the Baton Rouge public schools left behind and encourage more breakaway school districts in the future.

Panel rejects bid by chief justice to reduce judges’ pay

Weimer says total compensation needs to be more transparent

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

campaign has won him

few fans among judges or among the other six justices of the state Supreme Court.

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

ä See PAY, page 4A

Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John Weimer gives a statement to the Judicial Compensation Committee during a meeting on judicial raises in House Committee Room 3 at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge on Monday.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ST. GEORGE Yates

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

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

BRIEFS

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.

“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 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

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

at the Ukraine-Belarus border

L.A. jury awards $40M in talcum powder cancer lawsuit

Johnson&Johnson to appealverdict

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

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period of time,” Weimer told members of the compensation committee,incountering the judges’ view

In an interview afterward, Weimer said, “I’m attempting to apply the disinfectant of sunshine on how judges arebeingpaid beyond their salaries so the public can havea true picture.”

Weimer’srole as chief justice —aposition he has held sinceJanuary 2021asthe longest-serving member on thehigh court —means he’s the top judge in Louisiana. So critics are loath to speak out against him.

But other judges and justices do challenge him in public meetings.

“Why not have ajudiciary that is paid ajust compensation?” associate Supreme Court Justice John Michael Guidry told the compensation commission in asking them to reject Weimer’s frugal view.“Judges arenot coming here trying to get anything other than something that’salivable, affordable wage for what they do.They could be making a whole lot more money in the private practice of law.”

Arunning dispute

Twomonthsago, Weimer also personally appearedbefore an obscure board called the Judicial 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’sstaff time in administering the fund.

At stake is about $50,000 per year.Paying this money would costjudges about $150per 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

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

that judgescan claim as reimbursement for food, lodging andother costs incurred while traveling. Weimer wants judgesinstead to accepta lower per diem set by thefederal General Services Administration.

Then-Justice Will Crain and then-Justice James Genoveseattended the hearing to oppose Weimer

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

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

Several committee members were confounded that the justices weredisputing an issue that involved only $150,000 per year,orless thanone-tenthof1% of the judiciary’s$198 million annualbudget

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’swork in administering the supplemental compensation fund

Should judges getaraise?

Weimer’smost recent effort occurredat the State Capitol before theJudicial CompensationCommission, which was created by the Legislature in 1995 to provide recommendations to lawmakers on howmuch they should raisejudicial pay

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 &Johnsonasacustomerforonly50years,” said their attorney, Daniel Robinson

creased those salaries every time but one in the past dozen years.

Scott’slatest analysis showed that pay raises in Louisiana have notkept pace with inflation nationally since 1983, his baseline year.Nor have salaries kept pace withraises for judges in the neighboring states of Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi, Scottfound.

To keep pace, Scott said, judges should receive apay hike from $27,409 to$25,414 next year,depending on their position,and another $15,402 to $13,596 cumulatively over the following threeyears.

Weimer questionedScott’s figures, noting that because he focuses only on salaries, his numbers didn’tinclude one-time payraises of about $15,000 per year foreach year that theLegislature awarded judgesin2024and in 2025.Stipends are nota permanent part of the base salary, but they do raise judges’ retirementpay —which is based on the averageof their highest three salaries and their length of service. Judges who serve 30 years receive their full judicial salaryduring retirement

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.

back recommendi ng payraises when our population is declining andwe have more judges than surrounding states?” asked McFarland.

Onlyone member of the compensation commission raised that type of question on Monday.Itcame from J.R.Ball, aformer executive editor of theBaton Rouge Business Report, who was appointed to his positionby Weimer Ball questioned why the commission was looking only at salaries andnot total compensation. He noted that raising judges’pay would cost taxpayers even more because it would mean higher retirement pay for judges “Ultimately,it’sthe taxpayers of thestate that bear the financial burden of when these things getenacted,” Ball said.

Murraythennoted state law calls for sheriffs and some parish presidents to automatically receive pay increases whenjudgescollect more.

Scott’spay raise figures, with only Ball dissenting. As themeeting wasending, state Rep.DixonMcMakin, R-Baton Rouge and acommissionmember,said

he hopedthe group never meets again, indicating he will file legislation to give judges automatic pay increases based on inflation projections.

Before then, judgeswould besiege legislators with requests for more pay without any objective standard, said Edwin Murray,then a Democratic stateHouse member from New Orleans whocurrently chairs the compensation commission.

The commission typically meets every two years and receives a payraise recommendation from LorenScott, a retired LSU economics professor who now conducts economic analysisfor public andprivate entities.Judges pay for Scott’sstudy,which Weimer contendedcreates a conflict of interest

Scott always finds that judgesneeda pay raise to keep up with inflation, and legislators then have in-

Weimer noted that, because theother justices votedtohave the2024 stipend paid out as alump sum, Genovese collected the full amount and left beforethe year ended tobecome president of Northwestern State. Then-Justice Scott Crichton collected the full amount of money but left thebench midway through thefiscal year when termlimits forced him out of office and didn’t workafull year.Those payments are increasing their retirement payby$5,000 and $2,500 per year, respectively, Weimer said.

The payment “equalized past due discrepancies in judicial salaries,” Crichton said in an interview.“That was the opinion of sixassociate justices andprobably98% of the judges.”

State Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, saidinaninterview before Monday’shearing that legislatorswere reluctanttogive apermanent pay raise to judgesrecently because theywere dragging their feet in providing the information for astudy to determine whether some judges don’thaveenough work. The results of that study might lead legislators to take the controversial move of shifting judgeships from onepartofthe stateto another “How do you keep coming

Balloffered amotion to have thecommission approve thepay raises recommended by Scott but also to require judgestotake the lowerper diemamountsset by theGeneral Services Administration.

No other commission member supported Ball. The commission thenapproved

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Murray

Scott

McMakin

offering the leaders possibly hundreds of thousands in incentives on top of their base salary andusheringinan era of major organizational change at LSU.

“I sincerely believe the work we are goingtodo in thecoming months and years will change the way we educate Louisiana, will drive economic growth in our state and beyond and will push the LSU system tonew 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 incentive payments 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, furthercentralizethe system’seight campusesand ensure robust private and public funding as uncertainty roils the federal grant landscape.

Following Rousse’svision for the system, the Board of

CLASH

Continued from page1A

TheLegislatureinJune approved the proposed constitutional amendment by the necessary two-thirds margin, sending it to voters It passed with aRepublican supermajority voting yes and Democrats either votingno or being absentfor the vote.

If voters say yes, the St. George school district would begin operating in July 2027. It would be thefifth public school district in East Baton Rouge Parish, following the lead of Baker,Central and Zachary,which broke away in 2003 and 2007.

“We’re excited that we are finally to get this thing to a vote, just like we were finally able to get the city to avote,” Yates said.

The proposed constitutional amendment needs to pass statewide as wellasin East Baton RougeParish. That makes it abigger task than the Oct. 12, 2019, vote that created the city of St. George. Only voters in St George voted that day,and the incorporation passed by aslim54% to 46% margin Yates said that he and asmall group of otherSt. George supporters have been meeting to iron out the details of the campaign to come, which he said will include some familiar faces and other groups that are coming on board

“I don’tknow that we’ll have an umbrella organization over it all,” Yates said. “Wedon’thave acatchy acronym like the other side.”

On Dec. 7, PULSE held

Supervisors also approved an overhaulofLSU’s organizational structure,which included reinstating the chancellor position at the flagship campus,incorporating the LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical ResearchCenter,LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport intothe flagship in Baton Rouge, and shifting reporting lines so all chancellors report to thepresident. “It is so, so critical that oursystemwork as one,” Ballard said.“It is so critical that we somehow show people that Louisiana can be top 50, then top25, and as Chancellor Dalton says, number one. And you just can’tdo that without becoming an enterprise.”

Enrollmentand funding

The objectives outlined forRousse are more detailed than formerPresident William Tate’sand more targeted at enrollment, state and federal funding and keyresearch distinctions, such as an incentiveof$100,000 to secure aNational Institutes of HealthClinical TranslationalScience Award. At the timeofhis departure for Rutgers University, Tate was paidthe same base salary of $750,000. He was offered fewer metric-based

incentives —eight compared to Rousse’s21.

Boardmembers declined to answer questionsonthe contracts. Ahandful of payments are incremental. For example, Rousse could earn $20,000 forevery 0.5% year-overyear increase of each LSU institution’sfreshman retention rate, according to his contract. He would be paid$75,000 if statefunding for infrastructure hit $50 million in agiven year, and $25,000 more for every $25 millioninfunding beyond that.

Nine of Rousse’sincentives— more than athird —are tied to revenueobjectives. He will receive extra payifLSU signs an agreement with Louisiana Economic Development valued at at least $10 million over four years, if federal appropriationstotal $30 million or more,and if thestate provides funding to reduce the disparity between LSU facultysalariesand peer institutions.

Dalton,asthe chiefacademicofficer of theLSU system, shares many of Rousse’sincentives but has agreater focus on research andfaculty success in his contract. He’s eligible to be paid $25,000 if total research expenditures increaseby10% over the prior year

Both officials’contracts reflect LSU’saspiration to

become aTop 50 research university,which was expressed throughout the presidential search in the fall. Rousse and Dalton wouldreceive $100,000 each if LSU achieved the Top50ranking amongpublic universities in the National ScienceFoundation’s Higher Education Research &Development survey

Restructuringhesitancy

It isn’tonly thecontracts that chart anew course for LSU.Rousse and the Board of Supervisors have amendedthe system’sorganizational chart, drawing concern from some of those affected by thechanges

In particular,board members said they did not want to loseall authority over institutions in the LSU system outside of themain BatonRouge campus.The new structure changed the titles of the heads of several specialized research unitsfrom “chancellor” to “senior vice chancellor,” and directed

chancellors at LSU satellite campusestoreportdirectly to Rousse They agreed the board 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 “seniorvicechancellor” 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.”

apanel discussion at the GreenwellSprings Branch Librarythatattracted about 30 people. It was apreview of thearguments voters will hear as the May 16 vote approaches. Panelist BelindaDavis is not new to the opposition. A parent of children in public schools, Davis was president of an opposition group more than adecadeago when the southeast Baton Rouge area unsuccessfully lobbied the Legislaturetocreatea breakaway school district with notably different boundaries thanthe current proposed district.She later served from 2020-23 on the Louisiana BoardofElementary and Secondary Education Davis testifiedearlier this yearinthe Legislature against the St. George school legislation.One ofthe debates focused on how much of an estimated$60 million in legacy costs, mostofitconnected with medicalcareof retirees, St. George would

pay for.

“Wewere able to getthem to take part of it,but they are not picking all of it,” Davis told the audience. “So what that means is if the St. George district passes, youare going to seemore dollars taken out of ourstudents’ classrooms in order to pay for what the wealthiest school district in the state of Louisiana refused to take withthem.”

Dadrius Lanus, an East Baton Rouge ParishSchool Board memberwho also testified against theSt. George school legislation, also served on the Dec. 7panel.Hequestioned the St. George supporters’ argument thatthey need theirown districtbecausethe parish school system is poor performing. He noted thatthe public schools in St. George are some of the highest performing in the parish school district.

“On average, they area B-plus,”Lanus said. “Which is whythatnarrativenever made anysense.”

Dalton

STAFF PHOTO By CHARLES LUSSIER

Donna Collins-Lewis, center,a former member of the East Baton RougeParish School Board, speaks on Dec.7 as partof a panel discussion held at the Greenwell Springs Branch Libraryorganized by PULSE, agroup opposed to the proposed creationofaSt. Georgeschool district.

3Americans killed in Syria; Trumpvowsretaliation

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 saidina social media post.

The American president told reportersatthe White House that Syria’s presi-

Iran raises gasprices forfirsttime since2019

BY NASSERKARIMI and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran Iran intro-

duced anew pricing tier Saturday for its nationally subsidized gasoline, attempting to rein in spiraling costs for the first time sinceaprice hike in 2019 that sparked nationwide protests and a crackdown that reportedly killed over 300 people.

Cheap gasoline has been viewed forgenerations as a birthright in Iran, sparking mass demonstrations as far back as 1964 when aprice increase forced the shah to put military vehiclesonthe streets to replace those of striking taxi drivers.

But Iran’stheocracy faces agrowing squeezefromthe country’srapidly depreciatingrialcurrencyand economicsanctions imposeddue to Tehran’snuclear program.

That has made the costof having some of the world’s cheapest gasoline at afew pennies per gallon that much more expensive. However,the government’shesitant move toward increasing prices likely signalsitwants to avoid any confrontation with the nation’sexhausted public after Israel launched a12-day war on the country in June.

“Our discontent has no result,” fumed SaeedMohammadi, ateacher who works as ataxi driver in his spare time to make ends meet. “Thegovernment does whatever it likes. They don’task people if they agree or not.”

The new pricing system implemented Saturday adds athird pricing level to the country’slong-running subsidy system. The revised structure allows motorists to continue receiving 60 liters per month at the subsidized rate of 15,000 rials per liter,or1.25 U.S. cents and the next 100 liters will remain at 30,000 rialsaliter, or 2.5 cents.

Anything purchased beyond that falls under the new pricing scheme of 50,000 rials per liter,orabout 4cents. Iran introduced fuel rationing back in 2007, but thathas yet to ease demand for the ultracheap gasoline. Iranian gasoline prices remain among the lowestin the world.

dent, Ahmedal-Sharaa, was “devastated by whathappened” and stressedthat Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops.Trump, in hispost,said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

The two servicemembers killed were members of the Iowa National Guard, according to aperson briefed on the situation who was granted anonymity because they did not have permission to speak publicly U.S. CentralCommand said three service memberswere also woundedinthe ambush Saturdaybyalone IS memberincentral Syria. Trump said thethree “seem to be doingprettywell.”The U.S. military said the gunman was killed inthe attack. Syrianofficials said the attack wounded members of Syria’s security forces as well. Theattack on U.S.troops

in Syria was thefirst with fatalities since the fall of President Bashar Assada year ago.

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman,Sean Parnell, said thecivilian killed was aU.S. interpreter.Parnell said the attack targeted soldiers involved in the ongoing counter-terrorismoperations in theregion andis under active investigation.

The shooting took place near historic Palmyra, according to the state-run SANA news agency,which earliersaidtwo members of Syria’ssecurity force and several U.S. servicemembers had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to theal-Tanfgarrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

Syria’sInterior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din alBaba said agunmanlinked to IS openedfire at thegate

of amilitary post. He added that Syrianauthoritiesare lookingintowhetherthe gunman was an IS member or only carried its extreme ideology Later al-Babasaid that the attacker was amember of the Internal Securityforce in the desert adding that he “did not have any command post” within the forcesnor washea bodyguard forthe force commander Al-Babaadded in an interview withstate TV thatsome 5,000 members have joined Internal Security forces in thedesert 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 extremeideology and adecision was expected to be issuedregarding his case on Sunday but “the attack occurred on a Saturdaywhich is aday off

forstate institutions.”

U.S. DefenseSecretary 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 thegunmanbeing amember of the Syriansecurity forces. When asked about the matter,aPentagon official did not directly respond to the question butsaid, “This attack took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control.”

Theofficial spoke on condition of anonymitytodiscuss sensitive military issues.

The U.S. hashundredsof troops deployed in eastern Syriaaspartofa coalition fighting IS

The U.S. had no diplomatic

relationswithSyria under Assad, but ties have warmed since the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule. Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppledBashar AssadinDecember 2024 and wasnamed the country’s interim leader in January Al-Sharaa once hadtiesto al-Qaida andhad a$10 million U.S. bounty on his head. Last month, Syria joined theinternational coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improvesits relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assadwheninsurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus. U.S. troops, which have maintainedapresence in different parts of Syria —including Al-Tanf garrison in thesoutheast —totrain other forces as part of abroad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Across theBaton Rougeregion, ExxonMobil employeesare workingalongside nonprofit leaderstocreate lastingpositiveimpacts.Projectsrangefromsupporting families living with disabilities to providingno-cost medicalcareand helpingarea children thrive –all built aroundcollaborations,compassionandasharedpurpose

“It’sso impactfultosee achild at aplaygroundthat youhelpedtorenovate,orheara homeless veteransay thankyou foramealyou helped provide, or to getahug fromamomwhosekidscanhaveChristmaspresentsthis year,” said TerryWiltz,who coordinatesExxonMobil BatonRouge’s Season of Caring program.

Wiltzand others reflectedonExxonMobilBaton Rouge’scommunityimpactthis year andhow that work willcontinue in thefuture.

Meet Dennis andLandon:How theirwork expandsoutreachforindividualswithdifferences As on eof ExxonMobil BatonRouge’s eightemployee resource groups,ABLE (A Better Life for Everyone) hasamissionto supportemployees andtheir families living withdisabilities anddifferences

ABLE Lead Dennis Hawesand Co-LeadLandon

Richards have made it aprioritytomakethe groupas accessible as possible to employees at allsites,helping ABLE grow to about100 members.

Richards said ABLE hashad atangibleimpacton ExxonMobil employees.For example, thecompany has connectedemployees to financial assistance programs if they have aloved oneonthe spectrum.

“Just because someonehas adisabilitydoesn’t mean they don’tbring alot to thetable.Itjusttakes adifferent work environment,”Richardssaid.

ABLE’s work extendsbeyondExxonMobilBaton Rougefacilities. Thegroup is active in community service,contributingmorethan$15,000andhundredsof volunteerhoursoverthepastyear. Collaborativeefforts includeTheEmergeCenter,theTimTebowFoundation’s NighttoShineandtheDreamDayFoundation’sFishin Galore forSt. Jude patients andtheir families

“There’s nothinglikeseeingthe looksonkids’ faces when you’re able to help them have an upliftingexperience,whether it’s theNight to Shinepromordoing a splash challengeat Fishin’Galore. We hope to continue to expand ABLE’s membership andevent participation so we canhave an even greater impact on thecommunity,” Hawessaid.

Meet Dr.Nicole Thomas:Bringing Free MedicalCareto BatonRougewithLove Impact Coalition Dr.NicoleThomas remembersthe dayin 2018 when Love Impact Coalitionlaunchedits firstfreepop-upclinic in BatonRouge.She andother volunteers expected a slim turnoutdue to thebrutalcold. Instead, theline stretcheddownthe street,withmanypeoplehuddled in blankets as they awaitedthe no-costmedical,dental andvisioncareatthe clinic. Over thepastseven years, Dr.Thomassaidthe need hasonlygrown “Costisthe biggestbarrier to health care, especially nowadays,andespeciallyonthedentalside.Basicdental careisexpensive,andaprocedurecancostthousandsof dollars,”Dr. Thomas said.“Thesecondbiggest barrier is accessibility andtiming. Alot of people can’t take off during aweekday foranappointment.Iftheydon’t work,theydon’t eat. That’s whywedoour clinicsfrom 7a.m.to7 p.m. on weekends.That’swhenmorepeople areavailable andwecan trulyfill that gap.

Days afterDr. Thomas spokeata focusgroup about howExxonMobilBaton Rougecould furthersupport thecommunity,company leadershad reachedout to seehow they couldbea part of Love Impact Coalition’s work.One keyoutcome wasatLoveImpactCoalition’s health fair at theRaising Cane’s RiverCenterthatwas held in May. More than 600patientswereservedat theevent,which included 183dentalcleanings,dental extractionson182 patients and160 eyeexams.The combined valueofthe services was$226,676.

“Wehad ExxonMobil employeeswho came to volunteer, includinglanguageinterpreters, whichwas ahugehelp. It’s notjustabout giving dollarstothem, Dr.Thomassaid. “TheyapproachedusinAugust with aclear commitment:toleadasthe presenting sponsor fortwo free clinicsin2026. They’refully on boardwith ourmission.”

Dr.ThomassaidhermaingoalforLoveImpactCoalition in 2026 is to providemorewraparoundservices so individualscan receivefollow-up care when needed “We’realwayslookingforsponsorstodefraythecosts, as well as in-kinddonations.ExxonMobilconnected us with theCapital Area CorporateRecycling Council (CACRC)who provided company-donatedlaptops,” shesaid. “Healthcareisuniversal.Regardlessofwhat industry youare in or thekindofjob youhave,itimpacts allofus. ExxonMobil understandsthat.

Me et Te rr y Wiltz: TheHeart Behind ExxonMobil’sEmployee Volunteers What beganasa single DayofCaring manyyearsagogrew intoaSeasonofCaring,

runningfromOctober to December.Wiltz explained that theprogram connects ExxonMobil BatonRouge employees to dozens of localorganizations

“Wehavealarge anddiverse workforcewithrelationshipseverywhere,”Wiltz said.“It’s hard to finda Little League game,a dancerecital or acookoff where ExxonMobil employees arenot there. That putsusina uniqueposition to provideassistance to ourneighbors.”

Last year,morethan460 ExxonMobil employees donatedabout2,000hoursofvolunteertime,encompassing32projectswith19organizations.Thatamounted to adirectimpactofabout $57,000,Wiltz said MeetAmeyCrousillac:Buildingstrongerfutures with theUnitedWay Throughout theyears, ExxonMobilhassupported theCapitalAreaUnitedWay, whichservesa10-parish area andisa gatewayfor theiremployeestoconnect with projects that arethe mostmeaningfultothem AmeyCrousillac,CAUW ExecutiveVicePresidentofResourceDevelopment said Fuelingthe Future ChildcareScholarshipsisjust oneway that ExxonMobil’s supportdirectlychanges thetrajectoryfor localfamilies.

Theprogram helpslow-income, workingparents in NorthBaton Rougecover childcarecosts while they pursue educationand career growth,supporting families in specific ZIPcodes to breakcyclesofpoverty by making educationaccessible.

Onelocal Realtorsaidthe scholarshipprogram allowedher to placeher daughter in ahigh-quality childcareprogram,where sheisexposed to learning opportunitiesthathaveled to rapidgrowth.

“Mydaughterisnow 20 months old, andshe is signingsimplewords like ‘more’ and‘alldone.’After just acoupleofmonthsindaycare,she startedsaying herletters andnumbers,” theRealtor said.“Notonly is my daughter thriving,but I’mabletoworkknowing sheiswellcared for.

“These dollarshave helped hundreds of thousands of individualsand families,connectingthemto qualityeducation,foodand safe shelter, financial stabilityprogramsand many otheressential services,” Crousillac said.“ExxonMobil’s ongoingcollaboration allows CAUW to invest in long-termsolutions.Their commitment helpsensurewecan continue meeting themosturgentneeds of families todaywhile building astrongercommunity fortomorrow,”saidCrousillac.

Creating change across theCapital Region

From inclusiontohealthcareand education, ExxonMobilBaton Rougeisopeningdoors to opportunities that trulymatter. Theseachievementsare possible because of thevolunteers, supporters andneighbors wholeadwithcompassionand purposeevery day. Together,these groups arenot just making adifference they’rebuildingastrongerBaton Rouge.

Trump

At least 2 killed, 8 hurt in R.I. shooting

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

— A shooter

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

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, and police were searching for the assailant.

Officers scattered across the campus and into an affluent neighborhood filled with historic and stately brick homes, searching academic buildings, backyards and porches for hours after the shooting erupted.

The shooter was a male in dark clothing who was last seen leaving the engineering building where the attack happened, said Timothy O’Hara, deputy chief of police.

Authorities believe the shooter used a handgun, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity

Rhode Island has some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S. Last spring, the Democratic-controlled Legislature passed an assault weapon ban that will prohibit the sale and manufacturing of certain high-powered firearms, but not their possession, starting next July

“The unthinkable has happened,” Democratic Rhode Island Gov Dan McKee said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said a shelter-inplace was in effect and encouraged people living near the campus to stay inside and not to return home until it is lifted.

“We have all available re-

Surfer

Ambulances line Hope Street at Brown University in Providence,

shooting

sources” to find the suspect, Smiley said Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student was in the engineering building’s lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops coming from the east side.

Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and ran to a nearby building where she waited for a couple of hours.

Eight people with gunshot wounds were taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where six were in critical but stable condition, according to Kelly Brennan, a spokesperson for the hospital. Another was in critical condition and one was stable, she said University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case. The mayor said a person preliminarily thought to be involved was detained but was later determined to

injured in shark attack off California coast

BY GAVIN J QUINTON Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES Frigid ocean water off Sonoma County wasn’t the only thing sending a chill down the spine of a surfer riding the waves on Friday The surfer was paddling in the water off North Salmon Creek, roughly 300 yards from shore, about 8 a.m. when a shark bit his hand. The surfer’s injuries were not considered life-threatening, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Marine Unit already had personnel nearby, who quickly located the surfer on shore after he exited the water on his own Medics treated the man’s wound, but the surfer declined an ambulance ride, sheriff’s officials said, choosing instead to drive himself to a nearby hospital.

“I’m really glad I didn’t paddle out,” surfer Alex Valentin told the SF Standard on Friday “I’m praying for the guy, hoping it was just a nibble and he’s back in the water soon.”

Sheriff’s officials posted about the incident on social media, sharing a photo of the surfer’s board with several puncture marks from the shark’s teeth.

Salmon Creek about 70 miles north of San Francisco is an area known for white shark activity, particularly during winter months when the animals feed near Tomales Point and the Farallon Islands before migrating offshore, the Standard reported

According to data compiled by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been 227 documented shark incidents statewide since 1950, across all species, though white sharks account for almost 200. Of those, 117 resulted in nonfatal injuries, 94 involved no injury at all, and just 16 were fatal.

There are more than 50,000 California beach rescues per year on average, and about six shark incidents over the same period between 2010 and 2021, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

have no involvement

Nearly five hours after the shooting, officers in tactical gear led students out of some campus buildings and into a fitness center

The shooting occurred in the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the 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 there when the shooting occurred.

Brown senior biochemistry student Alex Bruce was 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.

Mari Camara, 20, a junior from New York City was coming out of the library and rushed inside a taqueria to seek shelter. She spent more than three hours there, texting friends while police searched the campus.

“Everyone is the same as me, shocked and terrified that something like this happened,” she said.

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.

The FBI said it was assisting in the response.

Brown, the seventh oldest higher education institution in the U.S., is one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges, with roughly 7,300 undergraduates and more than 3,000 graduate students.

Tuition, housing and other fees run to

per

Min Kim in Washington; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake

and

nearly $100,000

year, according to the university Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Mike Balsamo and Seung

City; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota;

John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK STOCKWELL

R.I., on Saturday after a

6U.N.peacekeeperskilledindrone strike in Sudan

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO— Adrone strike hit aUnited Nations facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday killing six peacekeepers, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said.

Thestrike hit thepeacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli,inthe central regionofKordofan, Guterres said in astatement.

Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in thestrike. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the U.N. Interim Security Force for Abyei, UNISFA.

“Attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law,” said Guterres, who called for those responsible for the “unjustifiable” attack to be held accountable.

The Sudanese military blamed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, anotorious paramilitary group at war with the army for the control of the country for more than two years. There was no immediate comment from the RSF

TSArenews push to end collective bargaining

BY RIO YAMAT AP airlines and travel writer

The Transportation Security Administrationis renewing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’spush to end acollective bargaining agreement with airport screening officers the second such attempt this year,coming just amonth after the longest government shutdown on record

The agency said Friday the move relies on aSeptember memo from Noem —issued months after afederal judge blocked her earlierdirective —that says TSA screeners “have aprimary function of national security” and therefore should not engage in collective bargaining or be represented by aunion.

The American Federation of Government Employees swiftly vowed to fight the decision, calling it illegal and a violation of the preliminary injunction issuedinJunethat halted Noem’sfirst attempt to terminate the contract covering 47,000 workers

In the September memo cited by TSA, Noem acknowledged the injunction but did not explain why she concluded it did not prohibit herfrom pursuing the same outcome through anew directive while the case remainspending.The injunction barred TSA from rescinding the union contract or enforcing Noem’s orders to dismiss pending grievances, but it did not state whether its restrictions would extend to future directives by Noem.

“It definitely seems like they’reusing allloopholes to try to eliminate collective bargaining rights for the transportation security officers,” Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the bargaining unit for TSA workers, said Friday in a phone interview

The agency said it plansto rescindthe current sevenyear contract in January and replace it with anew “security-focused framework.” The agreement, reached last May,was supposed to expire in 2031. Noem issued her first memo in Februaryrescinding the collective bargaining agreement. But the union sued, claiming the move was retaliation for AFGE’sresistance to the Trump administration’sactions affecting federal workers, such as firing probationary employees. Atrial is currently scheduled for next year In granting the preliminary injunction in June, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman of Seattle said the order was necessary to preserve the rights and benefits TSAworkers have long held under union representation

The attack “clearlyreveals the subversive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it,” themilitarysaid in astatement. The military posted avideo on social media showing plumes of dense black smokeoverwhat it

said was the U.N. facility The oil-richAbyeiisa disputed region between Sudan and SouthSudan, and the U.N. mission has been deployed there since 2011 when SouthSudan gained its independence from Sudan.

Guterresalso called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudantoallow“acomprehensive, inclusive andSudaneseowned political process” to settle the conflictinthe northeast African country Sudan was plunged into

chaosinApril 2023 when apower struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.The conflicthas killed over 40,000 people —afig-

ure rights groups consider a significant undercount. The fighting has recently centered on Kodrofan, particuly since the RSF took controlofel-Fasher,the military’s last strongholdinthe western region of Darfur.

• An all-volunteergroup that shares thegiftofChristmas joywith theneediestchildreninEastBaton RougeSchools

• Guidance counselors in participatingelementaryschools evaluate everychild’s family application Each eligible childreceivesclothing, an ageappropriate toyand abook

• Throughthe generous supportofthe good people of GreaterBaton Rouge, more than 1,000 needykidswere giventhe gift of Christmas joylastyear.

• Unfortunately, more than 3,000 additional children are estimatedtoremaininneed.

• For111years, TheAdvocatehas supported theGood orted Fellows&GoodSamaritansChristmas campaign.Thirty oneyears agoThe Sunrise Rotary Club of BatonRouge became thehands-onpartner in this annual effort to sharethegift of Christmasjoy!

Fellows

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Mr.and Mrs. J. Dennis Westbrook

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Rampantrumorsfly amid U.S.-Venezuelatensions

BY MERYMOGOLLÓN and PATRICK J. MCDONNELL Los Angeles Times (TNS)

CARACAS,Venezuela— Even in Venezuela, anation battered by years of economic, social and political turmoil, the Christmas season is a time to put aside one’stroubles, spend time with family,enjoy abit of holiday cheer —if youcan escape theubiquitous uncertainty and rumors that mark life here.

On one day social media will be ablaze with reports that President Nicolás Maduro has fled to Brazil. Or to Turkey.Orthat he stopped in Turkey on his way to Qatar Or that the U.S. invasion had begun. None of it (so far) is true.

Social media daily fuels the rumor mill, in part, because access to independent news is severely restricted

“One hears so muchonsocial media, but learns little,” said Begoña Monasterio, 78, who was out shopping in Caracasfor ingredients to prepare las hallacas, the country’semblematicChristmas dish. It’sasucculent mix of cornmeal,meat, olives, raisins and other delectables cooked and wrapped in banana leaves, akindofVenezuelan tamale.

“I want to give asurprise to my eldest son, who is having abirthday during the holiday,” said the grandmother She toted asmall shopping bag and vowed to buy “the minimum,”now the custom in aonce-wealthy South American nation that has suffereda decade of hyperinflation, ravaged wages, lost savings, mass displacement and migration —the equivalent of multiple Great Depressions.

But the rumors of war,and peace —and all mannerof other developments, from the trivialtothe momentous —are neverfar away, even as shoppers make their way through storefrontsand well-lightedmalls brimming with holiday fare, much of it beyond most family budgets.

Alot of the current chatter-cloud hovers above María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition activist and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She lives “in hiding” in the capital, though the government’spervasive security apparatus probably watches her movements closely

After days of conflicting reports about her whereabouts, Machadoshowed up in Oslo aday after the Nobel award ceremony,reportedly following acovert, U.S.-aided voyage via land, sea and private jet. Thousandsofecstaticsupporters greeted herinthe Norwegian capital, apublicity coup for the opposition and another round of bad optics for Maduro’sembattled administration.

ThoughMachado didindeed make it to Norway,the Venezuelan rumor millstill churned out theories about her arrival.

“Weheard at one point

Members of the Bolivarian National Militia takepartina rally on Wednesday to mark the anniversaryofthe Battle of Santa Ines, in Caracas, Venezuela.

that MaríaCorinaleftthe country in the fuselage of an airplanecarryingmigrants, andthat once she was out los gringos would arrive,” Monasterio said.“Then we hear that Maduro has fled to Brazil.Really,nothing hasturnedout to be true. So Itry tocontinuewith my life,savoring my little alegrías[joys] as long as I can.”

It’s asagacious survival strategy in acountrywhere whatwill happen next is anybody’s guess. Will Maduro negotiate astay-in-power deal with President Donald Trump? Will U.S. forces,already amassed off the Venezuelan coast, attack?Or will thetense status quo just drag on?

“One doesn’tknow whom to believe,”said Sebastián López, 33, apublic employee whoparticipated in aprogovernment political rally downtown,one of aseries organized these days by the rulingsocialistparty.“Many rumors originate outside the country,from Venezuelans who have left and can write what they want on the internet. …Yes, it’strue, María Corina left. But she’ll be back again.”

One report circulating is that high-ranking chavistas —the hard-core government supportersnamed after late ex-President Hugo Chávez, Maduro’smentor —are sending theirfamilies abroad,anticipating a U.S. strike. But there have been no reported high-level defections, astark contrast from 2019, when Trump, duringhis first-term “maximumpressure” campaign against Venezuela,alsoattempted to force Maduro out.

Anotherrumor is that, in some fashion, Washington and its allies will officially recognize as the legitimate leaders of Venezuelathe opposition tandem of Edmundo González Urrutia andMachado.

González,aveteran diplomat who lives in exile in Spain, ranasa stand-in presidential candidatefor Machadoinlast year’snational election. Maduro claimed victory in balloting results widely denouncedas fraudulent. Whether such amove by

Washington would even make much differenceis notclear.Duringhis first term, Trump followed a similar strategy,declaring Juan Guaidó, then an oppositionlegislator,asthe U.S.recognized president of Venezuela, providing diplomatic backing and funding for a shadowgovernment. The gambitfailed. Guaidó has sincejoined the large Venezuelan exile community in Miami.

The news this week that U.S. forces had seized an oiltankeroff the Venezuelan coast only fueled the prevalent climate of unease. Maduro’sgovernment denounced theseizure as an act of international piracy Fears now abound about a possible U.S. blockade, potentially throttling oil exports, Venezuela’seconomic lifeline,and deepeninghardships for civilians.

“I’ve heard all therumors —that theinvasion will happenbeforeChristmas,that Maduro is negotiating his departure, to Doha, to Cuba, to Russia —but Ipay no attention,” said Carmen Luisa Jiménez, aMaduro supporter in the capital’sworkingclassArtigas district. “We know that el presidente will never leave, thathewill remain with us. …Weare anation of peace, but prepared to confront whatever at-

tack comes from the United States.”

Sonia Bravo, 40, who hawksChristmas trinkets from amakeshift stand, has also heardthat“zero hour” is imminent. She has no idea. Abigger concern, shesays, areslumpingsales andtrying to put food on the table forher family “Peoplecan’t affordtobuy much,”saidBravo. “Right now,anything seems possible. Butwhatweare all hoping is this:Thatsome-

thing will happen to end this nightmare.” Meantime, Venezuelans will keep on stocking ingredients for las hallacas, a complexdishthatcan take days to prepare. There is no doubt about the delicacy’s comforting presence in homes this Christmas, providing asense of continuity absent from so many other facetsofcontemporary life in Venezuela.

Howtoplace an obituary notice

Email: obits@theadvocate.com or visit placeads.theadvocate.com. Formoreinformation, call 225-388-0289 Howtoplace amemorialad

Amemorial ad is away to paytribute to your lovedone. Thisremembrance is oftenprinted on theanniversary of aloved one's death. Formore information on howtoplace an "In MemoryOf" ad, call 225-388-0132.

AFP/GETTy IMAGES/TNS PHOTO By FEDERICO PARRA

Expiring health care taxcredits hitenrollees hard

BY ALI SWENSON Associated Press

NEW YORK

For one Wiscon-

sincouple, thelossofgovernment-sponsored health subsidies next year means choosing alower-quality insurance plan with ahigher deductible. For aMichigan family,itmeans going without insurance altogether For asingle mom in Nevada, the spiking costs mean fewer Christmas gifts this year.She is stretching her budget while she waitsto see if Congress willact.

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.

Spending more on less

Chad Bruns comes from a family of savers. That came

in handy when the 58-yearoldmilitary veteran had to leave his firefightingcareer early because of arm and backinjuries he incurred on the job.

He andhis wife, Kelley, 60, both retirees, cuttheirown firewood to reduce their electricity costs in their homeinSawyer County, Wisconsin. Theyrarelyeat out and hardly ever buy groceriesunless they are on sale.

Buttothe extent thatthey have always been frugal, they will be forced to be even more so now,Bruns said. That is because their coverage underthe health law enacted underformer PresidentBarack Obama is getting more expensive andfor worse coverage.

This year, the Brunses were paying $2 per month for atop-tier gold-level plan with less than a$4,000 deductible. Their income was low enough to help them qualifyfor alot of financial assistance.

Butin 2026, that same plan is rising to an unattainable $1,600 per month,forcingthemtodowngradetoa bronze plan with a$15,000 deductible.

KelleyBruns said she is

concerned that if something happenstotheir health in thenextyear, they could go bankrupt. While their monthly fees are low at about$25,their newout-ofpocket maximum at $21,000 amounts to nearly half their jointincome.

“Wehavetopray that we don’thave to have surgery or don’thave to have some medical procedure done that we’re notaware of,” she said. “It would be very devastating.”

Goingwithout insurance

Dave Roof’s family of four hasbeenonACA insurance since theprogram started in 2014. Back then, the accessibility of insurance on the marketplace helped him feel comfortable taking the leap to start asmall music production andperformance company in his hometown of Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Hiswife, Kristin, is also selfemployed as atop seller on Etsy

The coverage has worked for themsofar,even when emergencies come up, such as an ATVaccidenttheir 21-year-old daughter had last year

But now,with the expirationofsubsidies thatkept

their premiums down, the 53-year-old Roof saidtheir $500 per month insurance planisjumping to at least $700 amonth,along with spiking deductibles and outof-pocket costs.

With their joint income of about $75,000 ayear,that increase is notmanageable,he said. So,they are planning to go without health insurance next year,paying cash for prescriptions, checkups and anything else that arises.

Roof saidhis family is already living cheaply andhas nottaken avacation together since 2021. As it is, they do not save money or add it to theirretirementaccounts. So even though forgoing insuranceisstressful,itis what they must do.

“The fear and anxietythat it’s goingtoput on my wife and Iisreally hard to measure,”Roof said. “But we can’t payfor what we can’t pay for.”

Single momstrains budget

If you ask Katelin Provost, theAmerican middle class has gone from experiencing asqueeze to a“full suffocation.”

The 37-year-old social worker in Henderson, Nevada, countsherselfinthat

‘100 yearsisnot enough’for VanDyke

By The Associated Press

Comedy icon Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 100th birthday Saturday,hitting thecentury mark somesix 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,” VanDyke said in an interview with ABC News at his Malibu, California home. “A hundred years is not enough. Youwant to live more, which Iplan to.”

As part of the celebration of VanDyke’sbirthday this weekend, theaters around the country are showinga newdocumentary abouthis life, “Dick VanDyke: 100th Celebration.”

VanDyke became one of thebiggest actors of his era with “The Dick VanDyke Show,” which ranfrom 1961-66 on CBS; appeared with Andrews as achimney sweep in the 1964 Disney classic “Mary Poppins” and, in his 70s, played aphysician-sleuthon“Diagnosis: Murder.”

Also aBroadway star,Van Dyke won aTony Award for “Bye Bye Birdie” to go with aGrammy and four Primetime Emmys. In 1963, he starred in the filmversion of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Just lastyear, he became the oldest winner of aDaytime Emmy,for aguest role on the soap “Days of Our Lives.” In the 1970s, he found sobriety after battling alcoholism, and spoke out about it at atime when that was uncommon to do. Now that he has hit triple digits, VanDyke said he’s gotten some perspective on howheusedtoplayolder

INVISIONFILE PHOTO By CHRISPIZZELLO

DickVan Dykeacceptsthe awardfor outstandingguest performance in adaytime drama series for‘Days of Our Lives’ during the 51st Daytime Emmy Awards on June 7, 2024,atthe Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles.

characters.

“You know,Iplayed old men alot,and Ialways played them as angry and cantankerous,” he told ABC News. “It’snot really that way.I don’tknowany other 100-year-olds, but Ican speak for myself.”

He recently imparted wisdomabout reachingthe centurymark in his book, “100 Rules for Livingto100: An Optimist’sGuide to aHappy Life.” He credited his wife, 54-year-old makeupartist and producer Arlene Silver, with keepinghim young “She givesmeenergy She givesmehumor, andall kinds of support,” he told ABC News.

VanDyke was born in West Plains, Missouri, in 1925,and grew up “the class clown” in Danville, Illinois,while admiringand imitating the silent film comedians.

He told ABC News he started acting when he was about4or5 yearsold in a

category.Asasingle mom, she already keeps atight budget to cover housing, groceries andday care for her 4-year-old daughter

Next year,that is going to be even tougher

The monthly feeonher planisgoing up from $85 to nearly$750. She decidedshe is going to paythathigher cost forJanuary 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 insuranceand keep it only for her daughter because she cannot afford the higher feefor thetwo of them over the long term The strain of one month aloneisenoughtohavean impact. “I’m going to have to reprioritize the next couple of months to rebalance that budget,” Provost said. “Christmas will be much smaller.”

Christmaspageant.Hesaid he was the baby Jesus.

“I madesome kind of crack, Idon’tknow what Isaid, but it brokethe congregation up,”hesaid. “And Ilikedthe sound of that laughter.”

And what’s hard aboutbeing 100?

“I miss movement,” he toldABC News. “I’ve got one game leg from Idon’tknow what.

“I stilltry to dance,” he said withalaugh.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

DickVan Dyke, left, and MaryTyler Moore, co-stars of ‘The DickVan Dyke Show,’ appearwith their Emmysfor best actor and actress in a series May25, 1964, in Los Angeles.

Hard-won health gains unravel

Scientists race to study spread of measles in U.S

BY AMY MAXMEN KFF Health News (TNS)

The United States is poised to lose its measles-free status next year If that happens, the country will enter an era in which outbreaks are common again.

More children would be hospitalized because of this preventable disease. Some would lose their hearing. Some would die. Measles is also expensive. A new study — not yet published in a scientific journal — estimates that the public health response to outbreaks with only a couple of cases costs about $244,000. When a patient requires hospital care, costs average $58,600 per case. The study’s estimates suggest that an outbreak the size of the one in West Texas earlier this year, with 762 cases and 99 hospitalizations, costs about $12.6 million.

America’s status hinges on whether the country’s main outbreaks this year stemmed from the big one in West Texas that officially began Jan. 20 If these outbreaks are linked, and go on through Jan. 20 of next year, the U.S. will no longer be among nations that have banished the disease.

“A lot of people worked very hard for a very long time to achieve elimination years of figuring out how to make vaccines available, get good vaccine coverage, and have a rapid response to outbreaks to limit their spread,” said Paul Rota, a microbiologist who recently retired from a nearly 40-year career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead of acting fast to prevent a measles comeback, Robert F. Kennedy Jr a lawyer who founded an anti-vaccine organization before taking the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services, has undermined the ability of public health officials to prevent and contain outbreaks by eroding trust in vaccines. The measles vaccine is safe and effective: Only 4% of more than 1,800 confirmed U.S cases of measles this year have been in people who had received two doses Kennedy has fired experts on the vaccine advisory committee to the CDC and has said, without evidence, that vaccines may cause autism, brain swelling, and death. On Nov 19, scientific information on a CDC webpage about vaccines and autism was replaced with false claims. Kennedy told The New York Times that he ordered the change.

“Do we want to go back into a prevaccine era where 500 kids die of measles each year?” asked Demetre Daskalakis, a former director of the CDC’s national immunization center, who resigned in protest of Kennedy’s actions in August. He and other scientists said the Trump administration appears to be occupied more with down-

in a household had a rash and other measles symptoms,” Pavia said, “but the same issues that make it difficult to get people to quarantine and vaccinate make this hard.”

Instead, Pavia and other researchers are analyzing genomes. A lot of variation suggests an outbreak spread for weeks or months before it was detected, infecting many more people than known.

S.C. measles quarantine soars beyond 300 people

The State (TNS)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Fifteen new cases of measles have been reported, more schools have had infected students, 303 people are in quarantine and 13 in isolation, the South Carolina Department of Public Health reported Friday

playing the resurgence of measles than with curbing the disease.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement that vaccination remains the most effective tool for preventing measles and that the “CDC and state and local health agencies continue to work together to assess transmission patterns and ensure an effective public health response.”

Looking for links

CDC scientists are indeed tracking measles, alongside researchers at health departments and universities. To learn whether outbreaks are linked, they’re looking at the genomes of measles viruses, which contain all their genetic information. Genomic analyses could help reveal the origin of outbreaks and their true size, and alert officials to undetected spread.

Scientists have conducted genomic analyses of HIV, the flu, and COVID for years, but it’s new for measles because the virus hasn’t been much of a problem in the U.S. for decades, said Samuel Scarpino, a public health specialist at Northeastern University in Boston. “It’s important to get a surveillance network into place so that we could scale up rapidly if and when we need it,” he said.

“We are working with the CDC and other states to determine whether what we’re seeing is one large outbreak with continued spread from state to state,” said Kelly Oakeson, a genomics researcher at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

At first glance, the ongoing outbreak in Utah and Arizona, with 258 cases as of Dec. 1, seems linked to the one in Texas because they’re caused by the same strain of measles, D8-9171. But this strain is also spreading throughout Canada and Mexico, which means the outbreaks could have been sparked separately from people infected abroad. If that happened, this technicality could spare the U.S. from losing its status, Rota said. Being measles-free means the virus isn’t circulating in a country continuously year-round Canada lost its measleselimination status in November because authorities couldn’t prove that various outbreaks from the D89171 strain were unrelated, said Daniel Salas, executive manager of the comprehen-

sive immunization program at the Pan American Health Organization. The group, which works with the World Health Organization, includes health officials from countries in North, South, and Central America, and the Caribbean.

Early next year, PAHO will hear from U.S. scientists. If their analyses suggest that measles has spread continuously for a year within the U.S., the organization’s director may revoke the country’s status as measles-free.

“We expect countries to be transparent about the information they have,” Salas said. “We will ask questions, like, ‘How did you determine your findings, and did you consider other angles?’”

Although the Texas and Utah outbreaks are caused by the same strain, Oakeson said, “more fine-grained details are leading us to believe they aren’t super closely related.” To learn just how different they are from each other, scientists are comparing them with measles virus genomes from other states and countries.

Ideally scientists could pair genetic studies with shoe-leather investigations into how each outbreak started. However, many investigations have come up dry because the first people infected haven’t sought care or contacted health departments. As in West Texas, the outbreak in Utah and Arizona is concentrated in close-knit, undervaccinated communities that are leery of government authorities and mainstream medicine.

Researchers are also trying to learn how many measles cases have gone undetected. “Confirmed cases require testing, and in some communities, there’s a cost to going to the hospital to get tested: a tank of gas, finding a babysitter, missing work,” Andrew Pavia, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Utah, said. “If your kid has a measles rash but isn’t very sick, why would you bother?”

Subtle surveillance

Pavia is part of a nationwide outbreak surveillance network led by the CDC A straightforward way to figure out how large an outbreak is would be through surveys, but that’s complicated when communities don’t trust public health workers.

“In a collaborative setting, we could administer questionnaires asking if anyone

A less intrusive mode of surveillance is through wastewater This year, the CDC and state health departments have launched efforts to test sewage from households and buildings for measles viruses that infected people shed. A study in Texas found that this could function as an early warning system, alerting public health authorities to an outbreak before people show up in hospitals.

The quiet research of CDC scientists stands in stark contrast to its dearth of public-facing actions. The CDC hasn’t held a single press briefing on measles since President Donald Trump took office, and its last publication on measles in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was in April.

Rather than act fast to limit the size of the Texas outbreak, the Trump administration impeded the CDC’s ability to communicate quickly with Texas officials and slowed the release of federal emergency funds, according to investigations by KFF Health News. Meanwhile Kennedy broadcast mixed messages on vaccines and touted unproven treatments.

Daskalakis said that as the outbreak in Texas worsened, his CDC team was met by silence when they asked to brief Kennedy and other HHS officials.

Nixon, the HHS spokesperson, said Kennedy responded strongly to the Texas outbreak by directing the CDC to help provide measles vaccines and medications to communities, expediting measles testing, and advising doctors and health officials.

The total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak is 126 and 129 this year

Quarantine involves staying home 21 days after a known exposure to monitor symptom development. Isolation is indicated when an individual has the measles and is infectious, which is four days after the rash appears. Six of the 11 schools affected reported immunization levels in the low 80s. The Department of Health said 95% offers herd immunity

AFP FILE PHOTO By GEOFF ROBINS

If

Hunger, makeshift shelters persist after Hurricane Melissa

2 months later, misery remains in north Caribbean

BY PIERRE-RICHARD LUXAMA and DÁNICA COTO

Associated Press

PETIT GOÂVE, Haiti Amizia

Renotte sat on a broken piece of concrete and pointed to a large pile of dirt where her house once stood before the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa crumpled it as the storm lashed Haiti’s southern region.

The Atlantic hurricane season may be over, but thousands of people like Renotte in this Caribbean country and beyond are still looking for food and struggling to rebuild their lives nearly two months after the Category 5 storm pummeled the northern Caribbean region as one of the strongest Atlantic storms in recorded history

“We ran. We had nothing to save,” Renotte said as she recalled waking up in the middle of the night surrounded by floodwaters.

Melissa killed at least 43 people across Haiti, many of them in Petit-Goâve, where residents are still digging out from under the storm that unleased deadly flooding. Huge piles of dirt and mud now smother this southern coastal town, which once bustled with farmers and street vendors.

The groan of heavy machinery fills the air as crews slowly clear debris scattered by La Digue River, which swept away children, cars and homes in late October

“People lost everything,” resident Clermont Wood Mandy said. “They lost their homes They lost their children.” Petit-Goâve held a mass funeral in mid-November to say its goodbyes to loved ones, but hunger and frustration remain.

reconstruction efforts over three years from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean; the Caribbean Development Bank; the Inter-American Development Bank Group; the International Monetary Fund; and the World Bank Group.

In Cuba, hundreds of people remain in makeshift shelters nearly two months after the hurricane made landfall in the eastern region

of the island hours after it hit Jamaica.

No storm-related deaths were reported in Cuba, where authorities evacuated more than 700,000 people from coastal areas.

Nearly a month after the storm, the U.N. said that about 53,000 people in Cuba had been unable to return to their homes, including 7,500 living in official shelters.

Castro, of the WFP said that Hurricane Melissa af-

fected 6 million people overall in the Caribbean, including 1.2 million in Haiti. Around 1.3 million people in the region now need food, security or other type of support, with WFP so far helping 725,000 of them, Castro said. She said she hopes that number will grow, noting that the agency’s $83 million appeal is only 50% funded.

reported from

On a recent morning, people crowded around a small convenience store stocked with pasta, butter, rice and other basic items produced locally after receiving cash donations.

In line to buy something was 37-year-old Joceline Antoine, who lost five relatives in the storm.

“My house is destroyed,” she said.

Lola Castro, a regional director with the U.N.’s World Food Program, or WFP, who recently traveled to PetitGoâve, said in a phone interview Friday that Melissa has deepened Haiti’s crises.

“Around 5.3 million people don’t have enough to eat every day in Haiti,” she said.

“That’s a huge challenge.”

Castro noted that PetitGoâve was an agricultural community that depended heavily on crops, including plantain, corn and beans.

“They have lost their income. They have lost their means of living,” she said.

Jamaica also is struggling to recover from Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in the western part of the neighboring island in late October causing an estimated $8.8 billion in damage. The storm killed at least

45 people, and 13 others remain missing, with an additional 32 deaths under investigation, according to Alvin Gayle, director-general of Jamaica’s emergency management office.

Authorities have reported 30 confirmed cases of leptospirosis — an infection transmitted from animals — and another 84 unconfirmed ones, with 12 related deaths. There were also two cases of tetanus, one of them fatal.

“These figures underscore the scale of the human impact and the seriousness with which the ministries, departments and agencies of government continue to approach the recovery effort,” Gayle said.

More than 100 shelters remain open in seven of Jamaica’s parishes, housing more than 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, some 160 schools remain closed.

“No community will be forgotten,” Gayle said.

Jamaica recently announced that it obtained a $150 million loan to help restore electricity as quickly as possible, with officials saying they expect power to fully be restored by the end of January Jamaica also has obtained a $6.7 billion package for

Tucked into thehistoriccharm of Beauregard Town December’s Garden of theMonth belongstolongtime BatonRouge resident andlifelongplant enthusiast ChuckBooksh—agardener whosepassion hasbeen nurtured throughout themanyseasons of hislife. Booksh proudlyhails from adeeplyrootedfamilyin thesmall Louisianavillage of Grosse Tete,where he first discovered hisloveofgardeningashewatched hisgrandmother care for herflowers. “Mygrandmother always hadabig jasminevine. Whenever Ismell ahintofjasmine,I cansee her again, outsidewateringher flowers,”saidBooksh. “It’ssweet,how memories aretransmitted through fragrance.” In hisurban garden,Bookshembraces the Englishgardenstyle,which emphasizes anatural more informalaesthetic than itsFrenchorItalian counterparts.His garden—nestled under astately magnolia—overflowswitharoma,burstsofcolor andthe kind of dailysurprises only agardenercan appreciate “I’m surprisedalmostevery day. It’s like arelationship youhavewithyourgarden,” Booksh said “It’schangingall thetime, anditsurprises you. Severaltimes aweekInoticesomething doingwell or I’ll recognizesomething Ineedtofix. Idon’t let it disappoint me—I just either go with it or make adjustments. It’s like adearfriend.” What initiallyinspiredyou to startgardening? Ireallygot involved in gardeningwhenIlived in MelrosePlacefrom1993to2009.Ihadahugehalf-acre garden Icalled“Clouds End.”Wewereapartofthe Friends of LSUHilltop Arboretum’sSpringGarden Tour in 2000 or 2001.Theydobenefitgardentours in thespringwhere youcan buytickets,and local gardenersopentheir gardenstothe public In spring of 2024,wewereonthe Hilltoptouragain when they hosted atourofgardens in Beauregard Town andSpanish Town.About 150peoplewalked throughour garden last spring

It’s enjoyabletonurture theplantsand care for them,and then to have otherpeoplewho enjoy gardeningappreciateitaswell. Howdoyou decide what youwanttoplant?

It’s really fragranceand flowers—and more flowers—that draw my interest.I love foliagetoo,but I really like to have alot of differentcolors blooming especially in thespring. What aresome of theplantsyou have in your garden?

I’ve really gotten into gerberadaisies in thelast

fewyears becausetheydosowellinmygarden. They’rebeautiful flowers that bloomfor months on end, andtheysurvive freezesand droughts as long as Ikeepthemwatered Ihaveafew roses, hydrangeas,camellias,chenille, clematis vines, hostas,ferns,and an assortment of potted plants on my deck andporch.I also have a nice satsumaand lemontreethatproduce fruit, and my neighbor hasa beautifulbananatreethatstands about25feettallbetween ourhouses, shading a portionofmyyard. What challenges do youcomeacross? Compensating foraging is themainchallenge Ihavenow.I stoppedbuyingterracottapotsafew yearsago andinstead useresin or plasticpots becauseterracottaissoheavy.It’snot abig garden even though it encompassesour entire property.I cantakecareofitwellfor yearstocome, butI do have to thinkabout alater agewhenI won’tbeable to do some of thethingsIcan do now. Anyadvice? Gettoknowyourgarden. Gettobefriends with your garden.Appreciatewhat’sgoing on in it every day. Things change allthe time—it’sa living creation Itellmyselfthateverythingisanexperiment.

Dánica Coto

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ODELyN JOSEPH

Residents attend the Nov 15 funeral for people killed in a landslide triggered by Hurricane Melissa in Petit-Goave, Haiti.

Arctic airsweepsacrossmuchofU.S.

Washingtonstate begins recovery from flooding

BY MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press

MONROE, Wash. Ablastof

arctic air swept south from Canada and spread into parts of the northern U.S., while residents of the Pacific Northwest braced for possible mudslidesand levee failures from floodwaters that are expected to be slow to recede.

The catastrophic flooding forced thousands of people to evacuate, including Eddie Wicks and his wife, who live amid sunflowers and Christmas trees on aWashington state farm next to the SnoqualmieRiver.Asthey moved their two donkeysto higher ground and their eight goats to their outdoor kitchen, the water began to risemuch quicker than anything they had experienced before.

As the water engulfed their home Thursday afternoon, deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office marine rescue dive unit were able to rescue them and their dog, taking them on aboat the half-mile acrosstheir

field, which had been transformed into alake. The rescue was captured on video.

Another round of rain and wind is in store for the region as early as late Sunday, forecasters said.

“Bottom line at this point in time is we’re not done despite the sunny conditions that we have across western Washington at this point,” said Reid Wolcott, ameteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“There is yet more still to come in terms of in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms in terms of flooding,” he said.

High winds expected at the end of the weekend and into the first part of week are aconcern because the ground is extremely satu-

rated, putting trees at risk of toppling,hesaid In Snohomish County, Washington,north of Seattle, emergency officials on Saturday led federal,state andlocal officials on atour of thedevastation

“It’sobvious that thousands andthousands of Washingtoniansand communities all across our state are in the process of digging out, andthat’sgoingtobea challenging process,” Washington Gov.Bob Ferguson said.

“It’s goingtobeexpensive,” he said. “It’sgoing to be time consuming, andit’s going to be potentially dangerous attimes.”

As the Pacific Northwest begins to recover from the deluge, aseparateweather system already brought dangerouswind-chill values— thecombination of cold air temperaturesand wind —to partsofthe Upper Midwest

Shortly before noon Saturday, it was minus12degrees FahrenheitinGrand Forks, North Dakota, where the wind-chill value meant that it felt like minus 33,the National Weather Service said. For big cities like Minneapolis and Chicago,the coldest temperatures were expected late Saturday nightinto Sun-

day morning. In theMinneapolis area, low temperatures wereexpectedtodrop to around minus15byearly Sunday morning. Lows in the Chicago area are projected to be around 1byearly Sunday, the weather service said.

Thearcticair masswas expected to continue pushing south andeastoverthe weekend, expanding into Southern states by Sunday

The National Weather Service on Saturday issued cold weather advisories that stretched as farsouth as the Alabama state capital city of Montgomery,where temperatures late Sunday night into Monday morning were expected to plummet toaround 22.Tothe east,lowsinSavannah, Georgia, were expected to droptoaround 24 during the same time period.

The cold weather freezing much of thecountry comes as residents in the Pacific Northwest endure more misery after several days of flooding. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate townsinthe region as an unusually strong atmospheric river dumped afoot or moreofraininparts of westernand central Washingtonoverseveral days and swelled rivers, inundating

Clintons threatenedwithcontempt of Congress in Epsteininquiry

BY STEPHENGROVES

Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Republican chairofthe House OversightCommittee threatened Fridaytobegin contempt of Congress proceedings against formerPresident Bill Clinton and former Secretary of StateHillaryClinton if they refuse to appear for depositions as part of the committee’sinvestigationinto Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. JamesComer,R-Ky ,saidinastatement late Friday that the Clintons had “delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the Committee staff’s efforts to scheduletheir testimony” for several months and said the committee wouldbegin proceedings to try to forcethem to testify if they don’tappear next week or schedule an appearanceinJanuary Comer’sstatement came just hoursafter Democratsonthe committee hadreleased dozens of photos they had receivedfrom Epstein’sestate,including images of Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump. Contemptisone of U.S.lawmakers’ politically messiest and, until recent years, leastused powers. But the wayCongress has

handleddemands for disclosure in theinvestigationinto Epstein hastaken on newpolitical significance as theTrumpadministration faces adeadline to release the Departmentof Justice’scasefiles on thelate financier

Bill Clinton was amonga number of highpowered people connected toEpstein before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. Clinton hasnever been accused of wrongdoing.

One of Epstein’svictims, Virginia Giuffre, once gave anewspaperinterview in which she described riding in ahelicopter with Clinton and flirting with Trump, but she latersaid in adepositionthatthose things hadn’tactually happened and weremistakes by the reporter.Clinton has previously said through aspokesperson that whilehetraveled on Epstein’sjet, he never visited his homesand had no knowledge of his crimes.

Multipleformerpresidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none hasbeen compelledtodoso. Thathistory wasinvoked by Trumpin2022, when he faced asubpoena by theHousecommittee investigating thedeadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot by amob of his supporters at theU.S. Capitol.

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communities and prompting dramatic rescues from rooftops and vehicles

Many animals were also evacuated as waters raged over horse pastures, barns and farmland. At the peak of evacuations, roughly 170 horses, 140 chickens and 90

goatssaved fromthe floodwaters were being cared for at acounty park north of Seattle, said Kara Underwood, division manager of Snohomish County Parks.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHEN BRASHEAR

Homes are surrounded by floodwaters ThursdayinSnohomish, Wash.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByCRAIG PESSMAN

Members of the Illinois OrangeKrush work to stayout of the snowbefore acollegebasketball game between Nebraska and IllinoisonSaturdayinChampaign, Ill

WhiteHouse says ASL services aretoo intrusive

Claims it doesn’t allowcontrol of public image

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House news briefings “would severely intrude on the President’sprerogative to control theimage he presents to the public,” part of alawsuit seeking to require the White House to provide the services.

Department of Justice attorneys haven’telaborated on how doing so might hamper the portrayal President Donald Trump seeks to present to the public. But overturning policiesencompassing diversity, equity and inclusion have become ahallmark of his second administration, starting with his very first week back in the White House.

The National Association for the Deaf sued the Trump administration in May,arguing that the cessationof American SignLanguage interpretation —which the Biden administration had used regularly —represented “denying hundreds of thousandsofdeaf Americans meaningful access to the White House’sreal-time communicationsonvarious issues of national and internationalimport.” The group also sued during Trump’s first administration, seeking ASL interpretation for briefings related to the COVID-19

Department argued that being requiredtoprovide sign language interpretationfor news conferences “would severelyintrudeonthe President’sprerogative to control theimage he presents to the public,” also writing that the president has “the prerogative to shape his Administration’simage andmessaging as he sees fit.”

Government attorneys also argued that it provides the hard of hearingorDeaf communitywith other ways to accessthe president’s statements,likeonline transcripts of events, or closed captioning. The administration has also argued that it would be difficult to wrangle such services in theevent that Trump spontaneously took questions from the press, rather than at aformal briefing.

AWhite Housespokesperson did notimmediately commentFridayonthe ongoing lawsuit or answer questions about the administration’sargument regarding thedamage of interpretation services to Trump’s“image.”

In theirJune filing, governmentattorneys questioned if otherbranches of government were being held to asimilarstandard if theydidn’tprovide thesame interpretativeservicesas sought by theassociation. As home to Gallaudet University,the world’spremier college for the deaf and hard of hearing, Washington likely has an ample pool of trained ASL interpretersinto which the White House could tap. Mayor MurielBowser has made ASL interpretation amainstay of her appearances, including apair

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order requiring the White House to provide American Sign Language interpreting for Trump andLeavitt’s remarks in real time.The WhiteHousehas appealed theruling, andwhile theadministration hasbegun providing American Sign Language interpreting at some events, there’s disagreement over what services it has to supply On his first week back in office, Trump signed asweeping executive order putting a stop to diversity,equityand inclusion programs across theU.S.government. In puttinghis ownimprintonthe Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January issued an order stating that DEI policies were“incompatible” with the department’smission, This week,Secretary of StateMarco Rubio ordered diplomatic correspondence to return to the moretraditional Times New Roman font, arguing that theBiden administration’s2023shift to the sans serif Calibri font had emerged from misguided diversity,equity and inclusion policies pursued by his predecessor

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Greatworkplacesdon’thappenby accident.Leaders buildthem, teams fuel them andemployees feel when they aresupported to do theirbest. If youknowofanorganizationthat trulyshines,now is thetimetoput it in thespotlight with anomination for thefirst-ever BatonRouge Top Workplaces awards NominationswillcloseonFriday, December 19.Anyonecan submit a nomination,and it costsnothing to participate. To qualifyasa Baton RougeTop Workplace, employees will evaluate theirorganization usinga brief survey.Companies willbesurveyedthrough January. TheAdvocate, in partnership

with Energage,willrecognize theregion’sstrongest workplace cultures in 2026.Any organization with at least35local employees canbenominated,including public or privatecompanies,nonprofits, schoolsand government agencies. If it’s exceptional, it qualifies

“Earninga TopWorkplaces awardisacelebrationofexcellence,” said Eric Rubino,CEO of Energage “Itservesasa reminder of thevital role apeople-first workplaceexperience playsinachieving success.” Nominate adeserving organization by Friday,Dec. 19 at www theadvocate.com/nominate.

PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

Students upsetbyimmigration sweeps canget help

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

For three decades, Tulane

University psychologyprofessor Stacy Overstreet has studied the impact of chronic stress and trauma on New Orleans children —from community violenceand 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 aperson’ssense 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 childrenwho immigrated to the U.S. Trauma can leave young people with a“profound and persistent senseofdanger” and trigger “survival brain,” which makes it exceedingly difficulttolearn, she added. In astate of hypervigilance, students might respond impulsively or aggressively to perceived threats at school.

Now,asU.S. Border Patrol agents conduct immigration sweeps in the New Orleans area, Overstreet said she’sconcerned some students could face mental health and academicchallenges similar to the fallout from past traumatic events she’sstudied.

It’slikely some children’sparents were among the dozens of immigrants that federal agents have

arrestedinthe NewOrleans area over the pastweek,while other young people areworriedthat their loved oneswill be detained next. Agents do notappear to have entered anyschools, but some families areopting to keep their childrenhome outoffear,cutting students off from the social support and counseling they might get at school.

“Weknow fromKatrinaand from COVID, the more kids are outofschool themore impact this is goingtohave,” Overstreet said. “These impacts can be long-lastingunless schoolshave supports in placetohelpkids navigate it.”

In arecent interview with The Times-Picayune |The Advocate, Overstreet discussed how trauma canplayout in students’ lives and how teachers and school staff can mitigatethe negative impacts.

This interview has been condensedand edited for clarity

How does trauma affect young people?

It canhave wide-ranging impacts on learning and on mental health, but also oninterpersonal relationships.If you don’tfeel like you’re avaluedmember of acommunity,then youmay retreatand withdraw or havedifficultytrusting others.

It impactsall the domains of development —cognition, socialemotionalwell-being, interper-

Q&A WITH STACyOVERSTREET

rights and continue to makesure that schools themselves are safe places forstudents. That means understanding that unless there are proper warrants in place, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn’thave aright to enter Schools need to clearly communicate that to parents and educators so that everyone has avery clear and transparent understanding of school as asafe place. Couldthis also takeatoll on educators?

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

During COVID, wheneducators became very worriedabout their students and aware of all the challenges their students were facing, that took ahit 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’sa really heavy load to put on educators.

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

But Iwant to acknowledge that our kids arealso incredibly resilient and mostare able to find their way through thesechallenges to their safety, agency,dignityand belonging. Often times it just takes asingle caring adult to make thatresiliencehappen.

Howmight 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 safetyand signs of danger.This massenforcement is turning on the alarmfor all of our kids, not just kids who arefrom immigrant families, who are seeing it on social media or thenews

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THESTATEHOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACINGLOUISIANA

When that fear takes over,itcan interferewith both engagement in academics as well as our ability to controlour emotions and our behaviors and be fully present and engaged.

What impact couldthis have on classrooms and learning?

The lack of attendance due to fear is one of the biggest, most immediateimpacts. If you’re not in school, then you can’tlearn.

For alot of kids, if you’re not in school thenyou don’thave the social connections where youget alot of your resiliencefrom. You don’thave those connections with your teachers or your friends. And some kids aren’tgetting the nutritionthat you might get from the school meal program.

What are some ways teachers and schools can supportstudents?

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’sspace for them to get support from each other

What elsecan schoolsdointhis moment?

Schools are struggling —we can see from the attendance data —with actually getting kids into the building. They could create carpool structures or asystem where community members walk kids to school whose parents may not feel safe enough to comeout of their home. Then schools should be thinking about when kids comeback to school. What kind of supports do they

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

WASHINGTON —Congress enters itsfinal 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 ACA subsidies wereadded when Democrats held power during the COVID pandemic. The creditsare designed 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 millionpeople 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 adozen Republicans. If the 213House Democrats sign on to either one —218 signaturesare necessary —then the discharge petitions will succeed. But the Democrats have their own discharge petitionfor abill thatextends the subsidies for threeyears.

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.

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.

Mark

Sanders

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.

Rare fresco of Jesusasthe ‘GoodShepherd’ uncovered

Pope hadrecently visitedTurkish town

BY MEHMET GUZEL and ANDREWWILKS Associated Press

IZNIK, Turkey Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered one of the most important finds from Anatolia’searly Christian era: afresco of aRoman-looking Jesusasthe “GoodShepherd.”

The painting was discovered in August in an underground tomb near Iznik, atown in northwestern Turkey that secured its place in Christian history as the place where the Nicene Creedwas adoptedinA.D.325.PopeLeo XIV recentlyvisited thetownaspart of his first overseas trip.

At the time, the region was part of the Roman Empire, and the tomb in the village of Hisardere is believed to date to the third century,atime when Christians still faced widespread persecution.

An archaeologist cleans and restores

tomb where arareearly

The Good Shepherd fresco depicts ayouthful,clean-shaven Jesusdressedina toga andcarrying agoat across his shoulders. Researchers say it is one of the

rare instances in Anatolia where Jesus is portrayed with distinctly Roman attributes.

Before thecross was widely adopted as Christianity ’s universal

symbol, the Good Shepherd motif played akey role in expressing faith, indicating protection, salvation anddivine guidance. Despiteits central roleinearly Christianity,however,only afew examples of the Good Shepherd have beenfoundinAnatolia and the one in Hisardere is the best preserved.

The Associated Press was the first international media organization granted access to the tomb.Lead archaeologist Gulsen Kutbay described the artwork as possibly the“only example of its kind in Anatolia.”

The walls and ceiling of the cramped tombare decorated with birdand plant motifs. Portraits of noble menand women, accompanied by slave attendants, also decoratethe walls.

Eren Erten Ertem,anarchaeologist from Iznik Museum, said thefrescoesshowed“atransition from late paganism to early Christianity,depicting the deceased being sent offtothe afterlife in a positive and fitting manner.”

Theexcavationuncovered the skeletonsoffive individuals, anthropologist Ruken Zeynep Kose said. Because of poor preservation, it was impossible to determine the ages of two of them, but the othersweretwo young adultsand a 6-month-old infant.

Pope Leo XIV visited Iznik last monthtomarkthe 1,700th anniversaryofthe CouncilofNicaea that produced acreed, or statementoffaith, that is still recited by millions of Christians today Joined by patriarchsand priests fromthe Eastern and Western churches, Leo prayed that Christians might once again be united. Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan, presented atile painting of theGoodShepherd discovery to Leoduring his visit.

Anatolia witnessedpivotal moments in Christian history: St. Paul was born in Tarsus, St. John spent hisfinalyearsinEphesus andthe Virgin Mary may have lived her last days near the same city

BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

JERUSALEM Archaeologists have finished uncovering thelongest continuous remains of an ancient wall that encircled Jerusalem, including possible evidence of a2,100-year-old ceasefire between warring kingdoms.

Last week,archaeologists finished excavating the most complete part ever discovered of the foundationsof the walls, which surrounded Jerusalem during the time of the Hasmonean Kingdom, when the story of Hanukkah took place.

In Hebrew,Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century B.C., after asmall group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces, and the Hasmonean Kingdom that followed.

Jews celebratethe eightday holiday,which this year begins Sunday,with the ritual of lighting anightlycandle, in honor of the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple that lastedfor eight nights instead of just one.Many also eat fried foods such as potato pancakes, called latkes, to memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.

The Hasmonean wall foundation, whose excavation was finished last week in Jerusalem, was likely built afew decades after the story of Hanukkah by the same rulers. It’salmost 164 feet long, around half the length of afootball field, and around 16 feet wide. It held walls, which according to estimations and some historical writings, were taller than the current walls surrounding Jerusalem’sOld City Much of thecurrent walls surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City date back hundreds of years to the Ottoman Era. The Hasmoneanwalls en-

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA

Dr.Amit Re’em, one of the leadarchaeologistsfor theproject from the Israel Antiquities Authority,walks in asectionofthe ancientexcavation site in the Old City of Jerusalem.

circled an area much larger than the current Old City of Jerusalem, with 60 watchtowers along thewallthat were more than 33 feet tall, according to ancient writings. The part recentlyuncovered is one of thelongest sections found intact from thefoundationofthe Hasmonean walls.

Oneofthe most interesting aspects of the foundation was that the wall above it seems to have been purposefully and uniformlydismantled to auniform height, notchaotically destroyedby the ravages of time or war, said Dr.Amit Re’em,one of the lead archaeologists for theproject from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Experts wondered why any leader would take apart a perfectly goodsecurity wall in an area that was constantly threatenedbyinvasion.

In 132or133 B.C.,HellenisticKingAntiochus theSeventh,anheirtothe Antiochusthe Fourth from the story of Hanukkah, laid siege to Jerusalem andthe Judean Kingdom, according to ancientJewish historian Flavius Josephus. As theJudean army struggled, Jewishking John Hyrcanus Idecidedto strike adeal with Antiochus. He raided KingDavid’s tomb for

3,000 talentsofsilver and offered 500 hostages, including hisown brother,according to the writings of Josephus “Antiochus Sidetes (the Seventh) reached aceasefire agreement with John Hyrcanus,saying, if youwantmeto removemyarmy,you yourself, the Jewishking, must raze to the ground the Hasmonean fortification thatyou andyourfather built,”Re’em said Monday. Josephus’writings state thatafter Antiochus accepted Hyrcanus’ deal, they “pulled down the walls encircling the city.”

“Wejustthink that we found thearchaeological prooffor it, so it’spretty amazing, the archaeology and the ancient stories combining together,thisisthe magic of Jerusalem,” Re’em said.

Another hypothesis Re’em posits is thatKing Herod built his palace over the Hasmonean wall foundations, during his reign in the first century B.C.,asaclear message of his sovereignty over Jewish Jerusalem.

Orit Peleg-Barkat, the head of classical archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, believes it likely had moretodowith King Herod’spalace than theceasefire deal with Antiochus.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KHALIL HAMRA

frescoes inside athird-century

Christian depictionofJesus as the ‘Good Shepherd’ was discovered in Iznik, Turkey

Birds less protected as more offshore drilling looms

BY EMILY L. MAHONEY and MAX CHESNES Tampa Bay Times (TNS)

TAMPA, Fla. — Richard Baker

remembers the feathers: bright white and striking.

Just 20 days earlier, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig had exploded, killing 11 people and igniting one of the worst environmental disasters in modern history

A pelican and a Northern gannet were the first two birds plucked by wildlife rescuers from the oily waters near the disaster zone. Once-regal feathers had been doused with dark, sticky oil. After days of cleaning and rehabilitation, the avian duo was released into Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge on Florida’s east coast. Baker recalls the oil-free feathers as a vivid streak in the sky as the birds flew away

“It was very impressive to me that we could do this,” said Baker, who as a local Audubon society leader released the pelican and gannet alongside federal veterinarians. “The birds seemed thankful for us.”

But not all birds were as lucky By some estimates, more than a million were killed by the spill. Their deaths added up to an enormous fine for BP: $100 million of its whopping $4 billion penalty was for killing birds protected by one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

But now, the Trump administration has weakened that law’s protections, just as it proposes bringing oil drilling closer to Florida’s coasts.

The result: Gulf Coast birds could be more vulnerable than ever to the offshore oil industry

“We cannot let this happen again,” Baker said “It was awful.”

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act passed in 1918 — a time when species were

disappearing because of demand for feathers in fashion and hunting for sport. It prohibits the unauthorized harming of birds.

Regulators have used the law to penalize oil companies after spills, including Exxon after the 1989 spill in Valdez, Alaska, as well as BP. Members of more than 100 species were hurt by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, including black skimmers, brown pelicans, laughing gulls and terns.

But regulators don’t just use the law after the worst happens on a rig. The act also requires oil companies to get federal permits for the birds they will unintentionally hurt and kill through normal, day-to-day operations.

Scientists estimate hundreds of thousands of birds are burned, poisoned by oil or otherwise killed each year near drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. The birds will strike equipment, for example, after being attracted to lights or the prospect of human food.

The law’s power, said Tara Zuardo, a senior advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, comes from

its emphasis on prevention:

The permit process encourages companies to improve practices and reduce bird deaths.

But earlier this year, the Trump administration announced it would change the way the federal government interprets the law so that oil companies won’t be penalized for birds they harm unintentionally

The change was a victory for the oil industry, which says bird protections remain strong.

“Our industry is committed to safe, responsible energy development in the Gulf of America and has taken significant steps to protect wildlife,” said the American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobbying group, in an emailed statement. “Operators are already subject to robust federal laws and oversight that hold companies accountable and ensure strong environmental protections remain in place.”

The administration is taking the opposite approach to renewable wind energy

In July, the U.S. Department of Interior announced the agency would review

violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, running counter to its softened stance on the law for the oil industry

Zuardo said it’s unlikely the administration’s watering down of the law would hold up in court, pointing to a 2020 legal decision.

“But at the same time, what matters here is enforcement,” she added, noting that the administration could try to weaken actions against fossil fuel companies.

This isn’t the first time the administration has taken this position on the bedrock bird protection law — it launched a similar rollback during President Donald Trump’s first term.

But this time, the move is coinciding with the federal government’s proposed expansion of offshore drilling into waters closer to Florida, despite heavy opposition from the state’s Republican

U.S. senators, all its members of Congress and Gov Ron DeSantis. Opposing offshore oil drilling has long been a point of bipartisan agreement in a state with an economy that depends on tourism and pristine beaches. Florida officials like DeSantis have also said offshore rigs would hamper military training efforts for bases in the Panhandle Ann Paul, president of the Tampa Audubon Society, remembers the images of birds covered in oil, and the ones

bird death rates from wind energy projects to determine whether those deaths

-J.Morris

THE GULF COAST

PopularMississippi road becoming adeadlydetour

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Sun Herald

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

The toll of fatal collisions on the two-lane route, often used by Louisiana drivers as an alternate route when Interstate 10 trafficisheavy near the stateline, is raising new safety questions amongcounty leaders and grieving families. The accident on Friday was the second deadly crash on Texas Flat Road this year.Those wrecks killedfour people, includingtwo 14-year-olds.

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

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

The road’sdangers are just one example of the problem in Mississippi, where the rate of fatal car crasheshas long been among the nation’shighest.

HancockCounty SheriffRicky 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 speedingdrivers accountable.

“It’svirtually impossible,” Adam said.

Tragediesonroad

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

als, onepedestrianand at leastfive teenagers.

Last week, authorities said a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler dumptruckkilled 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 Fosterand 14-year-old Rowdy LiamFoster Michael-David Foster was a hardworkingand selfless older brother to Rowdy Foster, atalented golfer,according to their obituaries

TexasFlatRoad has several dangers. Drivers passother carsby accelerating into the opposite lane County Supervisor Greg Shaw said distracted driving is also aproblem. Herecalled ahalf-foot drop-

off on theroad’s shoulders before the county beganfixing them and resurfacing the asphalt this year

Drivers on Texas Flat Road also veer outside theirlanes so often that aGulf Regional Planning Commission analysis marked three spots on the road as among theCoast’sintersections with the highestrates of lane departure crashes.

Others saythe road needs far better lawenforcementpatrolsto at least deter speeding.

Bouchard’sgrandson, 14-yearold Ayden Stockstill, died on Texas Flat Road last May. His family said he was buckled up in thebackseat on his way to soccer tryouts when aspeeding driver hit his parents’ car

The driver and Stockstill both died, and Stockstill’sparents were injured.

Bouchard and his family are now leading apush to change state law

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

Sheriff’s agencies across the statehave long asked foraccess to thetechnology,which Mississippi lawonly allowsthe Highway Patroland some police departments to use. The push has failed foryears becausesomelawmakers say deputies would abuse it and collect profits from barely speeding drivers.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol does notpoliceTexas Flat Road which is maintained by the county.Troopers headed to Hancock or

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

The responsibility of enforcement fallsonthe sheriff’sdepartment, which says deputies ride the road but can do littleelsetoensure 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’sthe problem.”

‘Justhorrible’

The issue grows when acrash snarls traffic on Interstate 10. Facing backups, many carsand 18-wheelers take Texas Flat Road instead.

“When you have oversized loads andyou have big trucks that weigh 50,000 pounds or more, those roads usually aren’tequipped for that,” said state Sen. Philman Ladner

He said he wouldlikethe 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 moredrivers across Texas Flat.

“That’sjust apossibility,” 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 threeteenagersfromDiamondhead.

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’sstory and asking state leaders to help change the law

But he paused to consider the road’s13recent fatalities.

“Thatisworse than Ithought,” he said. “That is just horrible, just horrible that we do that to ourselves.”

Politicians’ language

Editor’snote:This story contains graphic language.

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON As he shook PresidentBarack Obama’s hand and pulled him in for what he thought was aprivate aside, Vice President Joe Biden delivered an explicit message: “This is abig f****** deal.” The remark, overheard on live microphones at a2010 ceremony for the Affordable Care Act, caused asensation because open profanity from anational leader was unusual at the time.

More than 15 years later, vulgarity is now in vogue

During apolitical rally Tuesday night in Pennsylvania that was intendedto focus on tackling inflation, President Donald Trump used profanity at least four times.Atone point, he even admittedtodisparaging Haiti and African nations as “s***hole countries” during a private 2018 meeting,acomment he denied at the time. And before abank of cameras during alengthy Cabinet meeting last week, the Republican president referred to alleged drug smugglers as “sons of b******.”

For some, it is just adistraction.

“It’s not necessary,” said GOP Rep. Don Baconof Nebraska, who is retiring next year after winning five electionsinone of themost competitiveHouse districts. “Ifthat’s what it takes to get your point across, you’re not agood communicator.”

Risksofoveruse

terview on the WTF podcast with fellow comedian Marc Maron. “You didn’tfind the gold.”

WhiteHouse spokesperson LizHuston saidTrump “doesn’tcare about being politically correct, he cares aboutMaking America Great Again. The American people love how authentic, transparent, and effective the President is.”

Vice PresidentKamalaHarris earned aroar of approval fromher audienceinSeptember when she condemned the Trump administration by saying “these motherf****** are crazy.”

rose after calling for civility in thewakeofconservative activist Charlie Kirk’sassassination in his state, approved an overhaul of social media laws meant to protect children. Afederal judge hastemporarily blocked the state law.

Therealso is arisk that if such language becomes overused, its utility as a way to shock andconnect with audiences could be dulled.Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has talked about this problem, noting that he usedswear wordsinhis earlyroutinesbut dropped them as his career progressed because he felt profanityyielded only cheap laughs.

But for Trump, the words that have generated the most controversy are often less centered in traditional profanity than slurs that can be interpreted as hurtful. The final weeks of his 2016 campaign wererocked when atape emerged of him discussing grabbing women by their genitals, language he minimized as “locker roomtalk.”His “s***hole” remark in 2018 was widely condemned as racist.

AfterTrump calledfor the executionofseveral Democratic members of Congress last month,Sen. Chris Murphy,D-Conn., said it wastime for people with influence to “picka f******side.”Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the administration cannot “f*** arou nd” with the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who on Monday announced her Senate campaign in Texas, didnot hold back earlier this year when asked whatshe would tell Elon Musk if giventhe chance: “F***off.”

Toughtalkisnothing new

Tough talk is nothingnew in politics, but leaders long avoided flaunting it.

“I felt like well Ijust got a laugh because Isaid f*** in there,”hesaidina 2020 in-

More recently,Trump called afemale journalist

“piggy,” comments thathis press secretary,Karoline Leavitt, defended as evidence of apresident who is “very frank and honest.” Trump’suse of aslur about disabled people prompted an Indiana Republican whose child has Down syndrometo comeout in opposition to the president’spush to redraw the state’scongressional districts. On rare occasions, politiciansexpress contrition for theirchoice of words.Inan interview with TheAtlantic published last week, Gov. JoshShapiro,D-Pa., dismissed Harris’ depiction of him in herbook aboutlast year’spresidential campaign by saying she was “tryingtosellbooks and cover her ass.” He seemed to catch himself quickly “I shouldn’tsay ‘cover her ass,’” he said. “I think that’s not appropriate.”

While the Biden incident was accidental, the frequency,sharpness and publicnature of Trump’scomments are intentional. They build on hisproject to combat what he sees as pervasive political correctness. Leaders in both parties are seemingly in a racenow to the verbal gutter Vice PresidentJDVance called apodcast host a “dips***” in September.In Thanksgiving remarks before troops, Vance joked that anyone who said they liked turkey was “full of s***.” After one National Guard member was killed in ashooting in Washington last month and asecond was critically injured, top Trump aide Steven Cheung told areporter on social media to “shut the f*** up” when she wrote that the deployment of troops in the nation’scapital was “for political show.” Among Democrats, former

Thevolley of vulgarities underscore an ever-coarsening political environment that often plays out on social mediaorother digital platformswherethe posts or video clips thatevoke the strongest emotions are rewarded with themostengagement

“If you want to be angryat someone, be angry at the social media companies,”Utah Gov.Spencer Cox,a Republican, saidTuesday night at Washington National Cathedral,where he spokeatan eventfocused on political civility. “It’snot afairfight. They’ve hijacked our brains. They understand these dopamine hits. Outrage sells.” Cox, whosenationalprofile

RecordingsfromDemocrat Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, for instance, revealed acrude,profane side of hispersonality that was largely kept private. RepublicanRichard Nixon bemoaned the fact that the foul language he used in the Oval Office was captured on tape.

“Since neitherI nor most other Presidentshad ever used profanity in public, millions were shocked,” Nixon wrote in his book “In theArena.”

“Politicians have always sworn, just behindclosed doors,” said Benjamin Bergen,aprofessor at the University of CaliforniaSan Diego’s Department of Cognitive Science and the author of “What theF:What swearing reveals about our language, our brains, and ourselves.” “The big change is in the past 10 years or so, it’sbeen muchmorepublic.”

As both parties prepare for the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential campaign, thequestion is whether this language will become increasingly mainstream. Republicans who simplytry to imitate Trump’s brash style do not always succeed with voters. Democratswho turn to vulgarities risk appearing inauthentic if their words feel forced.

Report highlights cuts at state DEQ

Staff reductions among

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Louisiana’s environmental agen-

cy 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

School Board attorneys jettison old map

Registrar urged to reinstate voting districts from 2022

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

The prospects for drawing new maps for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board in time for fall elections have dimmed as the board has yet to schedule a date to consider a set of proposals — the second batch

diately challenged in court. In October, Raborn told The Advocate that as it stood, his office was set to run for a fourth time with a nine-member map approved in 2014. That map, which relied on

ä See

page

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.

See DEALS, page 3B

nation’s highest, part of larger trend, group says

the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project.

The state has also slashed funding 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

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. 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 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

ABOVE: Gabriel Marulanda plays in a snow globe bounce house on Saturday at BREC’s Let It Sneaux! at the Perkins Road Community Park in Baton Rouge.

LEFT: Children play in foam from the Louisiana Foam Factory

Crashes along new Amtrak route cause concerns

Mississippi plans to install more lights, gates at crossings

POET WOLFE

BY

and MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff

and

writers Geneva Ellegant sat outside her Alabama home on a Tuesday morning, remembering her daughter’s witty humor, gift for painting and beautiful singing voice. “She was my easy child,” Elle-

gant said of Tavianna, who went by Tavi. Nearly three months earlier, Tavi Ellegant had left work with her boyfriend, Chase Craddock, to return to their home in Long Beach, Mississippi, where the couple cared for his father and grandmother. As they crossed the tracks in Pass Christian, Mississippi, an Amtrak train on the

service since: One in Gautier, Mississippi, in November that killed a 40-yearold man, and another in Irvington, Alabama, last week, in which the driver survived Both of those crossings had gates and caution lights. The rising number of collisions since the line began op-

erating in August has raised concerns among some residents about whether existing safety measures are sufficient to prevent more crashes. Some transportation leaders say the recent incidents may be coincidental and urge drivers along the route to be vigilant as train traffic increases. Now the safety measures along the Mississippi coast are beginning to shift. The state’s Department of Transportation plans to install lights and gates at

ä See CRASHES, page 3B

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ä See DEQ, page 2B

MAP,

3B

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH

‘Desperate forsolutions’

Protesters at

Capitol, in Gonzales rail againstBorder Patrol sweeps

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Twoprotests Saturday drew out hundreds in the capital area to opposethe Operation Catahoula Crunch immigration sweep, which has seen Border Patrol agents detain peoplearound Baton Rouge.

First, dozens of protesters gathered around 11 a.m.at the base of the Huey P. Long statue on the State Capitol grounds to hold signs and shout chants criticizing the sweep.

“A mean goal for today was pushing back against this climate of fear,” said Jade Woods, aspokesperson for Mision Migrante, the coalition of citizen volunteers, community leadersand attorneys that hostedthe Capitol protest.

“With all of the raids happening andthe fact that there’ssolittle transparent informationaboutit, it’s easy to see how that climate can brew fear when there are, you know,masked agents and unmarked vehicles around town, pulling people off the street and, in some cases, brutalizing them,” Woods said.

DavidOzuna, 47, of Denham Springs, said he felt he needed to attendthe protest becausefriends of his have been too fearful of federal immigrationagents to go to work or take theirchildren to school.

“We’re desperate for solutions,” Ozuna said. “I don’t like to see the people living the way they’reliving right now,being prisonersintheir own home.”

He said heeven witnessed awoman bedetained by Border Patrol agents at a Walmart gas station in Denham Springs on Saturday morning.

In additiontoseeking an end toCatahoula Crunch, Wood said Mision Migrante

She added that the protest was meant to show Hispanic communities being targeted that “lotsofpeople in Baton Rouge oppose thesepolicies.” Those gathered waved signs with messages including: “Immigrants are welcome here,” “Stop the raids,”“Iamthe voice of my parents,”“Leviticus 19:34” and“Don’tbite the hand that feedsyou.”

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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 thefederal pollution copnolonger be on the beat, state authorities may not show up either,” the watchdog reportstates.

Louisiana has been directly impacted by anumberof Trump’senergy and environmental policies. In July,the administration exempted a dozenindustrial plants from following apollution rule aimed at reducing health risks in the area called“Cancer Alley” by advocates. Top Trump officials touted their goals of removing red tape for industry during avisit to one of Louisiana’sbiggest liquefied natural gas terminals in Plaquemines Parish in March.

Meagan Molter,presssecretary for DEQ, said that the

agency “continued to meet all federal grant requirementsand performance expectations” by theEPA

“Under the leadership of Gov.Jeff Landry,the administration remains fully committed to robust environmental protection effortsthat promote the health, safety and welfare of thepeopleofLouisiana,” Moltersaid

‘Low staffing levels’

Over the last 15 years, Louisiana cut 222 positions fromthe state environmental agency outofaprevious total of933, according to state recordscited in the report.Louisianaranked fourth in the nation forstaffing cuts, following North Carolina, Connecticutand Arizona.

Most of thesecuts came under theadministration of Republican Gov.Bobby Jindal,who laudedhis deregulationefforts in the state as akey accomplishment during his failed 2015 presidentialcampaign

During Jindal’sadministration, staffing at the department decreased by roughly athirdand funding shrank by $92 million, when adjusted for inflation. Staffingand funding atLDEQ rose marginally under his

hasother more immediate demandsthatwouldn’trequire huge overhauls of federal policy

The first is clarification on theparental rightsofthose detained. Wood said that there have been acouple instances over thepast week where parents have been detained and the community was left to carefor their children.

Anotherdemand is for more clarityfromthe Department of Homeland Security on howmany people have been detained, who they are and where they are being held.

Operationinaction

In aThursday statement, DHS said that more than250 immigration arrests have been madesinceDec. 3as partofCatahoula Crunch.

successor, Democratic Gov JohnBel Edwards, but not to pre-2008 levels.

The watchdoggroup points to a2021 report fromthe Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office that found DEQ “does notissue enforcement actionsinatimely manner” to facilities that violate their pollution permits.

Louisiana hadthe highest toxic air emissionsper square mile of anystate, according to a2014 EPAassessment,according to the audit. Butjobs at DEQ related to air qualityregulation decreased by around 15% between 2010 and 2019.

“Wefound as well that DEQ faces challenges related to low staffing levels, high workloads, frequent turnover of staff, and ineffective data systems that makeitmoredifficult to perform its regulatory work,” DarylG.Purpera,the auditor,wrote.

LNGexpansion

TheEnvironmentalIntegrityProject notes the system of “shared responsibility” between the EPAand state departments. Thefederal agency setsthe standard and provides oversight for pollution laws like theClean AirAct, while state departments like LDEQimplement

An organizer with Mision Migrante estimated that between 60 and 75 people in EastBaton Rouge, Livingston andAscension parishes have been detained since Tuesday Woodsalso said the organization wantstotrain more volunteers to be on “ICE watch,” meaningtobeable to respond to reports of adetainment and to film arrests madebyfederal agents.

The second protest Saturday featured amarch down Burnside Avenue in Gonzales. It kicked off at 3p.m. at the Ideal MarketonLa. 30 and was attended by around 200 people. The business was thesite of aconfirmed Border Patrol detainment on

and enforce these rules on a routine basis.

“If both linesofdefense fail, through harsh cuts to federal and state environmental agencies, public health, our natural ecosystems and the global climate will suffer serious and lasting harm,” said Jen Duggan, theexecutive director of the watchdog group.

She saidLouisiana “providesaclear example”of state-level rollbacks in the midst of rapid industrial expansion. The number of industrialfacilities that require airpollution control permits rose in the state by almost 30% between 2016 and 2024.

The liquefied natural gas industry is acenterpiece of Louisiana’s industrial growth —and controversy. The export industry has boomed in southwest Louisiana in the last decade and transformed thestate into theglobal epicenter of LNG.

The technology at the massive LNGterminals converts naturalgas into liquid form by supercoolingit, allowing it to be loaded and exported around the world. ProponentsofLNG tout jobcreation,revenue andthe importance of supplying U.S. allies with fuel long seen as burning cleaner than coal

Tuesday evening. Themarch wasboisterous, withdrums, speakers, chants, noisemakers and honking horns allblaring together.Inaddition to signs, Mexican, Honduran and American flags were wrapped around theshoulders of marchers or flown on the back of passing pickups.

Mirlay Bailon, 19, wasone of the Gonzales residents who organized the march, which stayedtothe sidewalk along Burnside but still slowed traffic on theavenue She said she was happily surprised with the turnout andthe amount of shares the march’sflyer got online.

Bailonalso said she and

Butmaking LNGismore energy-intensive than burning gas alone, leading to moreemissions. An October report fromthe Environmental Integrity Project found that all operating LNG terminals in the country violated air pollution rules, and multiple Louisiana facilities were the top polluters.

Duggan said some of the on-the-ground impacts of a hobbled state agency dealing with this growing industry are fewer inspectors, fewer people to respond to communitycomplaintsand longertime periods resolving aviolation.

Anne Rolfes, director of theenvironmentaladvocacy group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, also critiqued in the report DEQ’s Expedited PermitProgram,where companies can pay theagency for costs incurred from employees working overtime to expedite apermit.

“Whenindustry 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 a permit.”

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

the other planners have no larger organization but came together because they felt like they needed to show support for immigrants in Gonzales.

“Wewere born here, we were raised here, we went to school here, we work here,” Bailonsaid. “Our family is here, our people, ourfriends arehere. This is our home. So for these people thatdon’t knowus, that don’tknow anything aboutus, to come here and just treat us as if we’re garbage, as if we don’tmatter, it’sheartbreaking.”

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.

Staff report

Aman wasarrested on acount of second-degree murder in afatal shooting that happened in Baton Rouge in November,police said.

RaydrickSterling, 39,of Baton Rouge, was arrested Friday in theshooting death of Darrell McBride, 37, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department. McBride was found shot and beaten on Nov.14in the 2700 block of Lorraine Street, according to police. He was transported to ahospital,where he died from his gunshot injury

Cecilia Paz, aLouisiana Partyfor Socialismand Liberation member and organizer,leads achant on Saturdayatthe State Capitol during arally against the Catahoula Crunch immigration crackdown.

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON

Protesters hold up signs Saturdayatthe State Capitol during arally against the Catahoula Crunch immigration crackdown.

Drones help Jefferson Parish fight crime

Sheriff’s Office has 19 on the streets

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish Sher-

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

Sheriff Joseph Lopinto on Wednesday unveiled the Drone as First Responder program, a fleet of drones equipped with cameras and stationed throughout the parish, ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

“This new technology allows our eyes in the sky to arrive on the crime scene in seconds,” Lopinto said.

The drones quickly provide authorities with critical information before deputies arrive on scene: descriptions of assailants or the vehicles being used, the direction an assailant may have fled, a bird’s-eye view of the scene or the hiding locations of perpetrators and even victims.

“This is a game changer for us,” Lopinto said, adding that the drones can increase apprehensions, improve officer safety and provide evidence, such as on-scene video that can be used in court. Traditional drones require

MAP

Continued from page 1B

data from the 2010 U.S. census, was used in 2022 due to litigation that year for what was supposed to be its final run. Using it again in 2026 would likely prompt a court challenge, since many individual districts are out of whack in terms of size because of population shifts since the census data was collected.

However, Raborn said he would replace that 2014 map with a new one if and when he heard from the school system. That has happened.

On Friday, Raborn said he received a letter Wednes-

DEALS

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The two groups are asking a state district judge to force the parish entities to produce the documents.

Those include any “cooperative endeavor agreements” between the parish’s economic 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

CRASHES

Continued from page 1B

all crossings along the coast and intends to add more gates in Pass Christian in the coming months, according to Josh Stubbs, director of aeronautics and rails at MDOT

The addition of Amtrak in a region already busy with freight operations means “more chances each day for something to happen,” Stubbs said. Louisiana and Alabama were among the top 10 states for highwayrail grade crossing collisions in 2024, with 176 collisions, 76 injuries and nine deaths combined, according to data provided by Operation Lifesaver Still, Stubbs said it remained unclear whether the crashes involving the Mardi Gras service pointed to broader safety issues, noting there are no comparable routes in the region to analyze the collision numbers.

“Hopefully,” he added, “it’s

line-of-sight operation. But the department’s first responder drones are operated remotely by a crew of six licensed pilots working out of a control center in Harvey

The Sheriff’s Office received a special waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to pilot them remotely, according to Sgt. David Lago, commander of the Drone as First Responder program.

As of Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office had 19 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 the parish, including government buildings, according to Lopinto. Each docked drone has a 2-mile radius staged to cover almost the entirety of unincorporated Jefferson Parish as well as the cities of Gretna, Westwego and Harahan.

Kenner’s proximity to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and aircraft means the city isn’t covered by the drones. Neither Jean Lafitte nor Grand Isle have docks because of the low volume of calls for service there, Lopinto said.

Since Nov 3, the first responder drones have taken

day from Nathan Long, an attorney representing the school system, telling him to replace the 2014 maps with Plan 22. Raborn said the letter was prompted by a phone call he made the week before to the board’s General Counsel Gwynn Shamlin seeking clarity on the matter. Long, with the Hammonds Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins law firm, told Raborn that Plan 22 had ultimately cleared the litigation brought against it.

“As a result, Plan 22 is the controlling plan for purposes of administering the forthcoming School Board elections,” Long wrote. Shamlin justified that letter to Raborn as consistent with law and said he informed the entire board

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 discussed openly, not behind closed doors.” Officials don’t dispute the existence of the documents, but have insisted state law protects them from public disclosure.

A parish government spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday, citing government policy regarding active litigation The parish has been developing the RiverPlex for over a decade. The cane fields and sparsely populated area,

just some sad coincidences.”

Safety efforts

Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast has been popular More than 420 people, on average, ride the trains between New Orleans and Mobile each day The Southern Rail Commission last week called the route “one of the most successful service launches in Amtrak’s history.”

Transportation leaders say Amtrak’s return also carries several risks The Gulf Coast is a populous area with dozens of railroad crossings. Kimbler Sloan, the executive director of a nonprofit rail safety group called Mississippi Operation Lifesaver, said younger residents across the region may still be getting used to more frequent Amtrak trains.

“We try our best to push safety,” said Sloan, who often reminds drivers that trains cannot stop quickly

“But there’s only so much that we can do to spread the message.”

On the Mississippi coast,

1,475 flights, assisted in 62 suspect apprehensions, helped recover nine stolen vehicles and assisted in cases involving eight firearms, according to the department.

They’ve been deployed to a variety of calls, including reports of vehicle burglaries, suspicious persons and shoplifting.

“The stores usually call before the suspects have left the building,” Lopinto said. “We’re able to make a stop before they get away.”

The Sheriff’s Office handles about 500 calls for service every day, according to Lopinto. In the first month of use, the first responder drones handled an average of 40 calls per day, and they were the first on scene about 46% of the time, Lopinto said.

Jefferson Parish’s first responder drone program is the third largest in the country behind New York and Las Vegas, according to Lopinto. Other cities using the technology include Miami and Oklahoma City

“Drones certainly don’t replace our men and women on the street. It supplements their response and makes their job significantly more efficient,” Lopinto said.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

when it was sent. The May 2022 vote approving Plan 22, he noted, was the last time the board officially approved district maps.

“It was the last action taken by the board,” Shamlin said. He said the board is free to replace Plan 22 with a new map later if it chooses to. Plan 22, if it had gone into effect in 2022, likely would have preserved the 5-4 White-Black balance on the board and could have even expanded it to a 6-3 WhiteBlack margin. Opponents of the plan have pressed for maps that better reflect the increasing racial diversification of East Baton Rouge Parish as evident in the 2020 U.S. census.

The fall 2022 election, run with the 2014 map, ended up

once proposed for an international cargo airport, have been the target of multiple industrial announcements since late 2022.

They total nearly $18 billion in capital investment that’s projected to generate nearly 1,770 direct jobs and 5,600 indirect jobs for the Baton Rouge region.

The projects include the Hyundai Steel plant, a lowcarbon ammonia plant by CF Industries and other partners, and a startup lowcarbon hydrogen plant.

Though the projects would rely on “carbon capture” — storing greenhouse gases underground — to be more environmentally friendly, federal data shows some toxic emissions would increase in an area already bearing a high pollution burden from existing industries

state and nonprofit leaders have sought to improve safety at railroad crossings. Mississippi Operation Lifesaver placed billboards near railroad crossings in Gulfport and Biloxi asking drivers to be cautious near the tracks. The nonprofit has also targeted railroad crossing safety advertisements that pop up on cellphones when people are near train tracks.

MDOT finished leveling inclines around railroad crossings this year in Long Beach in an attempt to stop semi trucks from getting stuck on the tracks, and there are plans to expand the project to Pass Christian, Gulfport and Biloxi.

The safety equipment at each crossing is installed and maintained by CSX, the large freight railroad that owns much of the track, after consultation with state and local highway officials, who determine the type of equipment required, according to a CSX spokesperson. Regulations for railroad crossings vary by state,

preserving the board’s 5-4 White-Black racial balance, though just barely. Incumbent Mark Bellue who is White, won reelection by only 21 votes against a heavily outspent Black opponent. Only three incumbents won reelection. Six new board members took office in January 2023, none of whom participated in the creation of Plan 22.

The plaintiffs who brought the 2022 court case struck a deal in November 2023 with the School Board. They agreed to drop the case, which they did the following June, and the board for its part agreed to seek new remapping proposals.

The hunt for a redistricting firm only got underway this spring and the board

along the Mississippi River

The area includes zones of elevated long-term cancer risk that the U.S. Environmental Protection 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 some residents in the area as a way to lift up a historically poor part of the parish.

But others are resisting that push due to the use of carbon capture, possible health impacts from air pollution and potential displacement of another small, but historic Louisiana Black community

Anne Rolfes, founder of the Bucket Brigade, says

and Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama do not require gates or flashing warning signs at every crossing, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The only minimum requirement is a crossbuck sign.

Even at crossing gates, drivers sometimes go around them, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said. In Gautier and Irvington, the trains hit drivers who maneuvered past the lowered gates.

“The gates are an enhancement of a warning device,” Magliari said. “It’s not a force field.”

The three crashes along the Gulf Coast corridor, he added, are “not necessarily some factor of percentages more than somewhere else.”

Magliari said Amtrak prepares for situations like the one in Irvington by providing educational materials on railroad safety, including guidance on what to do if your vehicle is on the tracks as a train approaches. He said the company plans to

voted in August to toss out the applications and try again. Three firms submitted applications in time for a Nov 5 deadline. The firms that applied before — Kenner-based Data Center and Virginia-based CensusChannel applied again. The third proposal was submitted by LA Government Strategies, a Baton Rouge entity led by local attorney Dannie Garrett. Garrett has worked under contract in the past with Strategic Demographics, the firm that drew the 2014 map. The board has yet to consider the three proposals. The earliest opportunity is a special meeting scheduled for Jan. 8.

Qualifying for the Nov 3 board elections begins July

the failure of parish officials to produce the sought-after documents is “part of an ongoing pattern of secrecy” involving the Hyundai project intended to keep residents in the dark.

State economic development officials have long argued that nondisclosure agreements are a standard part of recruiting industry Such deals typically, but not always, end once projects are publicly announced.

The groups allege they learned about the possibility of the nondisclosure agreements from a prior records request to the state economic development department. That request turned up a nondisclosure agreement between Ascension Parish Council member Chase Melancon and the department regarding Hyundai Steel.

continue those efforts along the Gulf Coast, where there had been no Amtrak service for more than 20 years.

“We’re going to keep up the efforts,” Magliari said.

“We’re certainly not letting up.”

‘It hurts’

Geneva Ellegant doesn’t have a solution to prevent crashes like the one that took her daughter’s life, but she believes there should be stronger safety measures along the Gulf Coast corridor

“These trains are coming through residential areas,” she said, “and there needs to be better indicators because this is going to happen more frequently especially now that Amtrak is back.”

She spent Tuesday morning remembering her daughter’s loving nature and her close relationship with Craddock, her boyfriend of more than two years. Ellegant showed a photograph of the couple smiling.

“If you look at her face in this picture,” she said,

29, about eight months from now Of the nine current members only Bellue, who is finishing his third term, is barred from running again. St. George is another complicating factor A proposed constitutional amendment to create a new St. George school district with the same boundaries as the city is on the May 16 ballot. If approved, that new district would not go into effect until July 2027, eight months after the fall East Baton Rouge Parish School Board elections. Shamlin told The Advocate in July said the board is weighing whether to pursue redistricting right away or to wait until voters have spoken on St. George.

To justify withholding nondisclosure agreements, the lawsuit alleges, parish officials at one point said the documents would fall under a new state public records exemption.

Adopted in 2024, it allows governments to hold secret talks and keep documents confidential if they are part of active negotiations for “a proposed project involving the retention, expansion, or attraction of further economic development within the local government’s jurisdictional boundaries.”

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

“that’s genuine happiness.” She also described her daughter’s creative streak — her sketchbook filled with drawings she had made for her little brother, her Gothic fashion style and her love for sewing. The crash reopened a wound for Ellegant, who lost her son years ago. She said she is trying to push through the grief, adding, “You don’t get over this, but you do get through it.”

“It just, it hurts,” she said. “It really hurts.”

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHELLE HUNTER

A Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office first responder drone hovers Wednesday near the department’s headquarters in Harvey.

Aguillard, James

James "Putt" Aguillard, age 78 of Ventress, passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2025. Putt graduated from Rougon High School and got his business degree from Draughon Business College. He also was amember of the Louisiana National Guard. He retired from Crown Zellerbach in St. Francisville. After retirement, he worked for Fire Equipment Maintenance then went on to be apart-time sheriff's deputy for the Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Department. He was alover of the outdoors and took any chance he could to be outside. He especiallyenjoyed gardening, working on his property with his tractor and taking his dogs to hunt rabbits. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn Aguillard; children, Todd Aguillard (Patti) and Jamie Jarreau (David); grandchildren, Leslie Aguillard and Jordan Aguillard; two great grandchildren; sister, Stacie Aguillard; sister-in-law, Gay Aguillard; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by parents, Lulieand Davis Aguillard; and brother, Charles Aguillard. Visiting will be held Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lakeland from 10 AM until the mass of Christian burial at 12 noon. Entombment will follow in Chenal Cemetery.

Charles A. Albert, "Chuckie", devoted husband, father, "B", and mentor, passed awaypeacefully on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 after abrief battle with cancer. He was 61 years old and aresident of Zachary. Visitation will be at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 from 9am until Mass of Christian Burial at 12pm. Burialwill be in Redwood Cemetery in Slaughter. He is survived by his devoted wife of 35 years, Lee Ann McIntyre Albert, 2daughters, Morgan Albert Bryant and husband, Haydn and Mallory Albert Mack and husband, Jon. His favorite grandson, Theo Charles Mack. Mother-in-law, Flora McIntyre Siblings, Joey Albert (Vickie), Kiki Brown (David), Carole Wilkins (Marty) and Teresa Taylor. He is preceded in death by his parents, George andGloria Albert, siblings, George"Tuba" Albert, Jr., and Ruthie Charles. Father-in-law, Roger McIntyre. Pallbearers will be Shane Nicholas, Pokey Anders, Ben Allen, Chief Gerard Tarleton, David "Fud" Ferguson, Matt Ard, Boyd Westbrook and Shane Moss. Honorary pallbearers willbeTheo Charles Mack, Joey Albert, EPR Fireworks Staff, St. George Fire Department, West Monroe Fire Department, Zachary Fire Department and LFCA Board of Directors. Chuckie devoted more than 40 years of his life to the fire service, pouring his passion into education and training. He played amajor role in helping countless firefighters earn their associate degrees in fire science and he spent much of his career focused on PIAL ratings and reporting software. His work took him to hundreds of full-time and volunteer departments across the country, leaving alasting mark on each one. His impact is immeasurable. Chuckie is one of the unsung heroes of his profession. His hard work behind the scenes and consistent dedication to the overall mission of prevention and readiness saved lives in ways that we may never know because of apreparedness that kept bad things from happening in the first place. Chuckiebegan his career at the Zachary Fire Department, as avolunteer in 1979 and later as afulltime firefighter, through

ough 1994. His journey then led him to serve as Fire Chief in West Monroe,and eventually to the St. George Fire Department, where he retired as Chief of Administration. Upon retirement from St. George, he continued his dedication to education by working as aSr. CustomerExperience Specialist at EPR Fireworks. Chuckie was arespected and influential leader within the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association. He served as LFCA Presidentin2012 and as alongtime Secretary. He also representedthe Association on the Board of Commissioners of the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana, (PIAL) Advisory Committee,and the Louisiana Department of Insurance Board of Review for fireratings. His kindness, his steady presence,and his dedication to others defined every part of his life. His legacy lives on in the firefighters he taught, the departments he strengthened, and the family and friends who lovedhim dearly. Memorial donations may be made to Louisiana FallenFirefighter's Memorial, The Walkof Honor Foundation, 8181 Independence Blvd.,Baton Rouge,LA70806. The family would like to extend sincere gratitude to friend and cardiologist, Charles Thompson, M.D., forthe exceptional cardiac care over the last 16 years. Share sympathies, condolences, and memoriesat www.CharletFuneralHome com.

Amy Marie Allen, aresident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passedaway Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the age of 47. She was born October9,1978, to Jimmy B. and Mary R. Allen. Amy attended St Jude Elementary, St Joseph's Academy, and Louisiana State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English. She was amember of the Catholic Church andthe Home School Club. Amy was adedicated andloving mother,profoundly committed to her children, Alexa and Evan. Her devotion to her familywas unparalleled, and she took great pride in nurturing and supporting her children's journeys through life.Throughout her life, Amy embracedher creativity with fervor. She was passionate about writing, photography, and artwork, skillfully expressing herself through these mediums. Her artistic endeavors brought joy not only to her but also to those who were fortunate enough to experience her work. Amy is preceded in death by her grandparents, James Rayford and Ina Mae Allen, and John Sr. and Tina Ricca. She is survivedbyher parents, Jimmy B. and Mary R. Allen; daughter, Alexa Leigh LaPlace; son, Evan James Allen; brother, Jeffrey J. Allen; niece, Victoria Allen; and nephew, Bailey Allen. Visitation will take place at St. Jude Catholic Church on Monday, December 15, 2025, beginning at 9:00 AM until aMass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Burial to follow at ResthavenGardens of Memory. In lieu of flowers, the family asks friends and family to donate in memory of Amy to St. Jude Catholic Church or an Education Fund for her son, Evan Allen. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonroug e.com.

Joseph 'T-Boy'

Joseph "T-Boy" Ardoin Jr. passed awayathis

passed away home on October 31, 2025. He was born February 9th, 1952, to Joseph and Illa Mae (Rushing) Ardoin. He grew up in KrotzSprings, LA, the 5th of 14 siblings.

T-Boy joined theCarpenters Local 1098 in 1973. In 1986, he became the Assistant Business Agent, was elected Business Agent and served from 1989 to 2002. He was theBenefit Fund Administrator from2002 to 2018. He has served as the Business Manager of the Baton Rouge Building Trades from 2018 to 2025. He served as Chairman of the Prison Enterprises Board and as an active member of theWorkforce Investment Act Board,the Louisiana State Re/Entry Council and the Governor's State Coordinating Council on Job Training.

T-Boy leaves behind a legacy that reaches far and wide. He loved an adventure and was full of colorful stories of his escapades. But thebest of TBoy will always be his giving heart,the untold stories of those in need and him stepping up without expectation of anything in return. From his family to strangers, he will be missed by all.

He is survived by partner, Janice Ardoin, son Dalin Ardoin, his stepdaughter Dama Easterly (Dave), granddaughter Alyssa Coley (Dekotah), great-grandson Jeremiah Coley, step-grandchildren Skyler, Hunter and Bella. Also, survived by siblings, Bradford (Monica), Charles (Barbara), Michael, Sheryl Leblanc and LizBarker (Mike).

Preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Calvin, Ulyn, Edwin, Delbert, Dewayne, Chad and his sisters Sheila Crouch and Connie Sue.

ACelebration of Life will be held on December 16, 2025, 11am to 1pm. at Local 198 Union Hall 5888 Airline Hwy. Baton Rouge, LA 70805

Norris Joseph

Norris JosephBerthelot passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the ageof75. He was aretired journeyman valve mechanic, resident of Plaquemine and anative of Bayou Pigeon, LA.Visitation will be held at St.John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Plaquemine on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, from 8:30am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10am, celebrated by Father Martin Lawrence.Entombment will follow at Grace Memorial Park, Plaquemine. Norris is survived by his wife of 51 years, Bernadette Guidry Berthelot; children, Keri Grezaffi and husband Hunter, and Daniel Berthelotand wife Krystal; grandchildren, Briggs and Sutton Grezaffi, Noah, Isaac and Samuel Berthelot;sister, Beatrice Coupel and husband Edley; numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, Clarence "Pete" and Mary Solar Berthelot;sister, Dora Passantino; and brother Adam Berthelot,Sr. Norris enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was an avid LSUand Saintsfan. Please share memories online at www.wilbertservices.com.

Surrounded by her family, Marie Levone Boudreaux, 91, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 12:14 pm at her home following along illness with dementia. Levone was the only child born, January 28, 1934, to Wilfred and Evelyn Jarreau Aguillard.She was anative of Oscar, and a resident of Livonia. Levone was aloving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt,cousin, and friend. Levone dedicated

her life to her family and her greatest pleasure was spending time with them. She was loved deeply by her family and will be dearly missed. She loved her yard and flowers and was meticulous about its appearance. She was an excellent seamstress and very talented in the art of painting and crafts. Levone was abookkeeper at Alma Plantation for approximately 40 years. She was very knowledgeable about cane cultivation and harvesting for sugar and was extremely proud to be a member of the Alma Plantation family. On April 25, 1953, Levone married the love of her life, Donald Joseph Boudreaux. They were married 60 years until Donald passed away in 2013. Levone was a1952 graduate of Rougon High School. She was awoman of great faith. Levone was amember of St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Livonia where she attended mass weekly. She recited therosary daily and watched the rosary and mass on television. She is survived by one daughter, Donna Boudreaux Langlois and son-in-law Conrad Joseph Langlois, Jr. (C.J.), New Roads, and one son Tommy Dwayne Boudreaux and daughterin-law, BrandyLynn Henry Boudreaux, Livonia. She was theproud grandmother of four loving grandchildren. Ashleigh Marie Langlois-Stelly (Sean Paul Stelly), NewRoads, Andrew Thomas Boudreaux and Kristen Campbell, Livonia, Heather Elaine Boudreaux and Jesse Bizette, Torbert, and Abby Lynn Boudreaux (Colin Lorio), Fordoche. Fivegreatgrandsons, Kylan James Boudreaux, Parker Joseph, Zane James, Creed Michael, and Cayman Brees Bizette and agreatgrand dog, Honey Bee Stelly. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in deathby her husband,Donald, her parents, Wilfred and Evelyn Jarreau Aguillard,father and mother-in law Edmay and Evelyn Bueche Boudreaux and infant grandson, Tommy Dwayne Boudreaux, Jr. (T.J.). Pallbearers will be Andrew Boudreaux, Sean Stelly, Colin Lorio, John Fisher, II, Steve Boudreaux, and David Stewart.Visitation will be held at Niland's Funeral Home, 3508 La. Hwy 78, Livonia, La., Sunday, December 14, 2025 from 4pm to 7pmwith visitationto resume at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Livonia, from 9amto11 am followed by amass of Christian burial at 11:00 am in the church with entombment to followinSt. Frances Cabrini Mausoleum. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to her devoted caregivers, Misty, Angel, Rebecca, Carol, Sherry, Melissa, Ruby and Trish. A very special thanks to Dr. Donald Doucet and Staff, Dr. Venkat Surakanti and Staff of Baton RougeCardiology, PointeCoupee General Hospital Emergency Room Staff, Acadian Ambulance, Livonia Volunteer Fire Department, LaCour House Assisted Living Community, Personal Homecare Services, and Pointe Coupee Home Healthand Hospice.

Mamie Laura

Mamie Laura "Mimi"

Pendarvis Daniel, 82, of Walker, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at her home on December 3, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 17, 1942, and lived alife defined by generosity, strength, humor, and unwavering love. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband,BobbyRay Daniel; her parents, Floyd and Azalea Pendarvis; and her brother, Kenneth Pendarvis (Connie, late.) The thought of their joyful reunion brings comfort to all who loved her. Mimi leaves behind her cherished brother, Raymond Pendarvis (Margo); her sister, Betty Curtis (Darryl, late); her devoted children, Laura Hufstler (James) and Clifton Daniel (Ginger); and her beloved grandchildren, LaLaine Diaz (Abraham), Ella Daniel, Noah Daniel, and Preston Hufstetler. She also leaves her beautiful great-grandchildren, Adrian Diaz and Isabella Diaz, who brought her endless joy. Her family

joy. family was her greatest pride, and eachofthem carries a piece of her heart. Abeautician by trade, Mimi broughtbeauty not only through her work, but through herpresence -her kindness, hersteady support, andher incredible ability to make everyone feel cared for. She was known for hergenerosity, her big heart, andher willingness to go outofher way to help others.

Quick-witted, funny, and full of personality, Mimi had arare gift for making others laugh,even on the hardest days. Her warmth, humor, and comforting spirit created aspace where everyonefelt at home.

To know Mimi was to love her -and to be loved by her wasa blessingbeyond measure. Her legacy lives on in the strength of her family, thememories she leaves behind, and the countless ways she touched those around her.

Her family finds peace in knowing that she is no longer in pain and is reunited with herbeloved Bobby. Though herabsence leaves avoid that can never be filled, her love remains forever.

Aprivate memorial service will be held at alater date for both Bobby and Mamie Daniel, now together again.

ReecePerkins David was born October 30, 1941, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the first daughter of Verdie Reece Perkins and Peggy Moore Perkins. She passed peacefully on December 7, 2025, after a short illness, at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. She is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Donald Leon David, andthree daughters, L'ReeceDavid Butcher, Rebecca David Paradise, andRachael Blake David, andgrandchildren Sarah Levine, Melissa Easley, Marjorie Sanford, Leon Sanford, and Georgia Paradise, as well as many beloved great-grandchildren. Sheisalso survived by her sister Lauradel Perkins and very close cousins Eugene Overton "Osie" Moore III and Peggy Moore Eldridge. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Edward Overton Perkins. Peggy, or "Miss Peggy" as she was called by dozens of children,was devoted to teaching children how to swim and spent many summers making sure they were safe around thewater. She also worked at the YMCA for many years in adapted aquatics programs. Her first and never flagging love and devotion was to her husband Don, and to her family and friends. She was atalented decorator and creator of all things beautiful, and the magic she added to the world will be missed by all.

Visitation will be Wednesday, December 17, beginning at 9:00 a.m., with amemorial service at 11:00 a.m., at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Donationsinher memory may be made to The Shepherd's Market, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The family gives special thanks and much appreciation to her caregivers over the past years, Patricia Bearden, Virginia Ross, and Teressa Richardson.

Eva

Eva Marie Poche Evans, 78, of Baton Rouge, passed away on December 5, 2025, surrounded by herfamily. Born August 7, 1947, in New Orleans, she was agraduate of Mount Carmel Academy and the University of Louisianaat Lafayette. Eva dedicated 37 years to Farm Bureau Insurance, where she be-

Insurance, came the company's first female District Sales Manager. She loved traveling, especially cruisingwith her husband, Dave,and treasured every moment with hergrandchildren, whom shesupported in all aspects of their lives. In retirement, she served with joy at the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center. Eva is survived by her husband of 31 years, David T. Evans III; daughters, Stephanie Lanclos Mayeux (Lee) and Allyson Lanclos Vogt (Benjamin); and grandchildren,Landry, Margaux, Julia, Shawn, and Annemarie; as well as extended family members, Benjamin andMisty Evans, Shayla, Christian,Seth, Natalie and Olivia Watson, and Ashley Bell. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Lucille Brugier Poche; and brother, Leonard C. Poche. Visitation will be held December 20, 2025, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church beginning at 9:00 AM until Memorial Mass at 11:00 AM. Areception will follow the Memorial Mass. Interment will be held at alater date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center, St. Vincent de Paul, or St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Gaspard, Mark Shelby Mark Shelby Gaspard passed away unexpectedly on December 9, 2025 at his home in Baton Rouge, La at the age of 62. Mark was born on February 15, 1963 in Baton Rouge, La to Malcolm Joseph andRosemary Beth Gaspard. Mark earned his GED, then after receiving his education he joined the Civil Air Patrol. Years later he went to work on theriver boat as adeck hand. He was very lovingofhis family and enjoyed the outdoors. He also loved travelingand visiting new places. He is proceeded in death by his father (Malcolm Gaspard). He leaves behind to cherish his memories his mother Rosemary Gaspard, one daughter Virginia Strickland of Lexington Tn, oneson John (Samatha) Toms of Trinity Tx, two brothers, Micheal Gaspard Sr of Port Allen, La and Matthew Gaspard of Baton Rouge, La, along with six grandchildren, Brooklyn and Alison Strickland, Marcus Cheairs, Caleb Sanders of Lexington, Tn, Easton andAyden Toms of Trinity, Tx. Ahost of nieces and nephews, Micheal Gaspard Jr of Palmetto, La ,April (Justin) Gremillion of Ewinville, La, Christina (Dustin) Boudreauxof Lakeland, La, Ryan Gaspard of Port Allen, La. Great nieces and nephews are Landen Gremillion, Ethan andEmma Boudreaux. The family would like to thank everyone for all the calls, texts, prayers, and cards through this difficult time. May God bless each of you.

the University of Iowa, where she met her future husband, Larry Focht, and later finished her degree at LSU. After their marriage, Mary and Larry moved to Baton Rouge and started their family before settling in Akron, where they were active members of Woodland UMC. Mary returned to Baton Rouge when she married her second husband, Frank Groves, in 2001.

Mary enjoyed backpacking with her family in the mountains, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, collecting Belleek china, and wearing her matching rings, earrings, and necklaces of almost every known gemstone. An avid bridge player, her competitive streak extended beyond card games to board games, especially Scrabble. Sheloved watching sports, whether it was the LSU Tigers, the Iowa Hawkeyes, or her grandchildren competing.

David, Peggy Reece Perkins

Peggy

Allen, Amy Marie

Berthelot,

Albert, Charles Anthony 'Chuckie'

Groves, Mary Reed Focht

Anative of Iowa and longtime resident of Akron, Ohio, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mary Reed Focht Groves died in Baton Rouge on November 6, 2025, at the age of 88. She attended

Daniel,

Boudreaux, Marie Levone

Evans,

Marie Poche

ArdoinJr.,

Mary is survived by her three children, James (Nancy) Focht, Gary (Lisa) Focht, Kathleen (Mark) Fortney; six grandchildren, Christopher, Caroline, Michael, Stephen(Kara), Matthew, Jared; one greatgrandchild, Oliver; astepson, Frank D. Groves; two step-grandchildren, Sara andMark; six step greatgrandchildren, Greyson, Juliette, Nora, Adaline, Charlotteand Hudson. She is also survived by three sisters and abrother, Marilyn (Errol) McAlexander Linda (Ed) Binic, Vickie (Jim) Nicoll,Dick (Patsy) Reed.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Fern Reed; husband of 41 years, Lawrence G. Focht; and second husband, Frank R. Groves.

The family thanks the caregivers and nurses at St. James Place who were kind and attentive to "Ms. Mary."

Amemorial service will be held on Thursday, December 18, at St. John's United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge,with avisitation from 10:00 a.m. until the service at 11:00.

Dr.William Oliver "Bill" Hamilton III, Professor Emeritus of Physics, died on December 3, 2025, in the comfort of his home, as was his long-held wish.A beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and honored as the "father of gravitational physics at LSU", Bill was born September5,1933, in Lawrence, Kansas, to F.C. Hamilton and Bernraine (Winegar) Hamilton.

In the Depression the family moved to Los Angeles where his father found work with DouglasAircraft. At age14, Billwas awarded an academic scholarship to Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, an opportunity he later credited with shaping much of his life.

Bill attended Stanford University on aNaval ROTC scholarship, where he met hisfuture wife, Mary Helen Kelson, and formed many lifelong friendships. Bill graduated in 1955 and in 1956 he and Mary Helen married. They spent their honeymoon driving to Hutchinson, Kansas, for multi-engine flight training. Bill served three years flying P2V Neptune aircraft with Patrol Squadron 11

Uponcompleting his service, Bill and Mary Helen returned to Stanford forgraduate school and started their family. Vacations often took them to a family cabin in the Sierras near Mineral King. Bill earned his PhD in Physics in 1963 and remained at Stanford as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow and assistant professor until joining the LSU faculty in 1970.

At LSU, Bill built aworldclass research program, taught andmentored students at all levels, and—with Mary Helen—raised their familyin Baton Rouge. An avid runner, he was well known for his noon runs on the levee in all seasons.

In 2016, Bill was inducted into the LSU College of Science Hall of Distinction. He was honoredfor "seminal contributions to lowtemperature experimental physics", noting that his pioneering work helped attract the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) to Louisiana and that his leadership in cryogenic detector development and the ALLEGRO gravitational wave bardetector placed LSU at the forefront of gravitational research. He served on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, chaired the Graduate Council, and was associate dean of Academic Services. Bill was aFellow of theAmerican Physical Society.

Bill and Mary Helen were avid worldtravelers, often joined by Mary Helen's brother Richard and his wife Lynn, including on many Stanford Travel programs. They especially loved trips to the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, Africa, and walking tours in Europe, sharing and passing down that love of

exploration. They made ita priority to spend holidays with their children wherever they livedand took great joyintheir grandchildren. They delighted in hosting family forMardi Gras, including memorable rides in the Spanish Town parade

Bill is survivedbyhis children Eric (Mary), Chris (Susan), and Ann (Jeremy); his grandchildrenJeff (Mati), Laura (Andrew), Jennifer(Adam), Melissa, David, and Emma; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and theirfamilies.

Aservice in celebration of Bill's life willbeheldat University United MethodistChurch on January 10th at 11am.

BlakePaul Landry, 43, a former residentofBelle River, LA and current resident of PierrePart,LA, passed awayonWednesday, December10, 2025. Blake was aloving papa, son, brother, grandson,uncle,cousin, and friend. To know him was to love him. He was an extraordinary fathertohis two girls, Hudsyn and Drea, andhis most cherishedmoments were spent with them, whether it was coaching them and theirsoftball teams or tossing afootball in the backyard. Hisfamily was his life;heappreciated family gatherings and thetime he was ableto spend with them. Agifted craftsman, Blake had an incredible ability to restore, build,orfix anything he put his handson. Blake was proud to have fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams of havinghis own shop to pursue his hobbies. In his freetime, he enjoyedfishing,playing dartsand watching movies. He was a man of deepfaithand unwavering integrity. Blake was also adedicated and valuedemployee,serving as aplanner/scheduler at Chevron Renewable Energy Group. He took great pride in his work and was truly at the peak of hiscareer.His presence,talent, and heart made alasting impact on everyone who knew him, and he willbe forevermissed. He leaves behind to cherish hismemory, his twodaughters, Hudsyn and Drea"Deidra" Landry; former wife, mother to his childrenand special friend, Jesslyn Landry; parents, DennisLandry (Pat) and Cathy Settoon Breaux (Duane); brother, Ryan Landry (Stacey); grandmother, ShirleySettoon;nephew, Tyler Louviereand nieces, Lexiand Madison Landry. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Fred "Pappy" Settoon and Irvin Sr. "Black"and Judith "Judy"MabileLandry.Pallbearers willbeRyan Landry,TylerLouviere ScottSettoon Sr.,Michael MedineJr.,Seth Daigle, StevenComeaux, Kyle St Germain and Kristi Beeb Templet. Honorary pallbearers willbeCole Gravois and Luke Landry. Thefamilywouldlike to thank the entirestaff at Assumption Community Hospital, PierrePart/Belle RiverFire Department, AssumptionParish Sheriff s office,the first responders and Acadian Ambulance In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to the Pierre PartVeteran'sPark Recreation/BaseballAssociations. Avisitation will be held at Ourso Funeral Home in PierrePart, LA,on Wednesday,December 17, 2025, from 5pm until 10pm and willresumeonThursday, December 18, 2025, from 9amuntilMassof ChristianBurial at 11amat St.Joseph the Worker Catholic Church. Interment willfollow at Sacred Heart Mausoleum in BelleRiver LA

Manzullo,Thomas

Thomas "Tommy"Manzullo,beloved husband,fa‐ther, grandfather, and friend, passedawayonFri‐day,December5,2025, at the ageof83. Tommywas bornonJanuary 6, 1942, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, son of thelateAnthony JosephManzullo andJanie LiuzzaCangelosi.Hewas a devoutmemberofSt. GeorgeCatholicChurch, and aproud member of the ItalianMarchers. In hisfree time, Tommyenjoyed fish‐ing,golfing,and cheering onthe LSUTigers. Above all,hecherished time spent with hisfamily, never missinga Sunday Dinner. Tommyispreceded indeath by hisparents,An‐thony Joseph Manzullo and Janie Liuzza Cangelosi; his daughter, Tara Marie Manzullo;sister, Evelyn Corsentino, andShirley Pecoraro; andbrother Frank Cangelosi. He is sur‐vived by hisbeloved wife of62years,Marie "Mary" Montz Manzullo;his son, Michael Manzullo andwife FranMessina Manzullo; and grandchildren, Do‐minickMichael Manzullo, and Isabella Hope Manzullo.Srrvices were heldatSt. George Catholic Church,7808 St.George Drive in BatonRouge,on Wednesday,December10, 2025.

Minor, Leon D. 'Bug' Leon "Bug"Minorentered intoeternal rest at The Crossing on Sunday, December 7, 2025, He was a68-year oldnative of St Francisville,Louisiana and amember of Sherobee Baptist Church, Visitation at MagnoliaFull Gospel Church, Rev. Milton Coats, pastor, on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 9:00 am until CelebrationofLife Service at 11:00 am conducted by hispastor, Rev. Glasper; intermentatMinor Town Cemetery. Survivors includehis children, Michelle andCharisse Minor, Baker, Louisiana; Montrell(Chantel)and Ashley Minor, Miaranda Harrison, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and KennietaWalker, St. Francisville; 13 grandchildren;siblings, Joe E.(Cheryl) and Jack Minor, Jr.(Liddie), CarlaShepard, St.Francisville; Horace Minor(Patricia), Baker; and Emma Dunn, Ethel, Louisiana; other relatives and friendsincluding his best friend,Jimmy Ernest, St.Francisville; preceded in deathbyhis wife, Mary Minor; parents, Bobby CoatesSr. and Lucille Washington; twograndchildren; and his best friend, Al Lemoine.Arrangements entrusted to Miller &Daughter Mortuary.

Monceret,Audrey Gauthier

Audrey Gauthier "Gran" Monceret,she was anative of Ventress, LA,who resided in Walker, LA with her daughter Donna and son in law, Ricky Geter, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 8, 2025, at theage of 95. Audreywas averydevotedmotherand grandmother, whose greatest joy in life involvedtime spent with her daughter and grandchildren. She retired fromLouisiana National Bank of Baton Rouge as Vice President of Commercial Loans (nowChase Bank) after 33 years of service. She enjoyed traveling when she was younger and had thepleasureofvisiting many various statesand countries She is survivedbyher daughter, Donna and her husband Ricky Geter, granddaughter Danielle (James) and husband Scott Thames, greatgrandchildren Mikayla, Cameron and Kyndall Counce, Scotty, Presley and Kynslee Thames. Also,numerous nieces and nephews and theentireGeter family,all of whom held aspecial

place in her heart

She wasprecededin death by her husband, Nolan J. Monceret, her parentsEugeneand Eugenia Gauthier, siblings Kirby, Jake,and IvaGauthierand Rowena Gauthier Vince, granddaughter Audrilee James Counce and great granddaughter Kourtney Quinn Visitation willbeheldon Monday, December 15, 2025, from 10:00 am -11:30 am at ImmaculateConception CatholicChurch, 865 Hatchell Lane,Denham Springs, LA,witha Funeral Mass to begin at 11:30 am. Burial to be held at alater date at False RiverMemorial Park in NewRoads, LA Arrangementsincare of Church Funeral Services.

ClaudeM.PennJr.,affectionately known to most as "Papa,"passed away peacefully at his home in McComb,MississippionTuesday, December9,atthe age of 87, surrounded by thosewho lovedhim most. Arespected and influentialbusinessman, Claude's entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and unwavering work ethic madehim atrue self-made success. Aboveall his accomplishments, his deepest devotion was always to his family and thepeople he loved.

BornonDecember 30, 1937, in Shidler, Oklahoma, to ClaudeM.PennSr. and Millie Cross Penn, Claude grew up with strong Osage roots and an even stronger sense of purpose.Hegraduated fromIstrouma High School in 1956 and later attendedLouisiana State University, proudly earning hisBachelor of Arts degree fromthe LSUBusiness School as amember of the Class of 1961. Claude's business endeavors spanned decades and industries,but what remained constant was his belief in people.Beginning in the1960s, Claudeand his brotherfounded CM Penn &Sons, Inc.,aheavyequipment construction company that would grow to become oneofthe largestprivately owned transportationand remediationcompaniesinthe southern United States. In theearly1990s, he expanded his pursuits intothe Louisiana gaming industry, eventuallybecoming the largestindividualowner of video-poker truck stops in thestate His entrepreneurial visionled himfurther into commercial and residential real estatedevelopment.Heplayeda key role in shaping several communities through projectssuch as Paradise Lakes, Lakes at Bluebonnet, Shadowbrook Estates, Carter PlantationGolf Course—David Toms' signature course—and Chatsworth Plantation (L'Auberge Baton Rouge). Fromgaming to remediation, constructiontodevelopment,Claude's determinationand leadershipleft alasting mark on thecommunities and on the many people whose careers he guided Whether youknew him as ClaudeorPapa, you knew aman who took prideinhard work and whose charismatic presence had aremarkable way of bringing peopletogether. Hisability to form lasting bondsinbusiness, friendship,and family was unmatched.

Claudeissurvived by his devotedwife of 68 years, Janice MorrisPenn; his daughters, Tammy Lea Penn and Debra "LuAnn" White(Tony); and his grandchildren; LeaAnn Johnson(Blake),LainieA Penn (Barry),NicholasC Penn (Lauren), Jessica W. Ard(Toby), Karsyn W. Garon (Jackson), and Skylar White.Heisalso survivedbyeight great-grandchildren—Parker, Piper, Blakelea,Jaxen, AdaGrace, Jay, Miles,and Zora—as well as his nephew, Tanner Gahn. Claudewillalso be remembered by daughterin-law LindaA.Pennand his sisters,Patty Penn and Shirley Thompson. He was preceded in death by his parents, ClaudeM.PennSr.,Millie Cross Penn; hisdaughter, Marla P. Penn; his son, ClaudeM."Jay" Penn III; his sisters,Peggy P. Seale and Sally P. Gahn; and his brothers, JoeF.Pennand FreddieR.Penn. Claude"Papa" Penn will be remembered forhis vision, generosity, and the legacy he built withhis

own hands—but most of all,for thelove he poured into hisfamily. Hisinfluence will continuetolive on in themanylives he touched.

Relativesand friends are invited to join thefamily at Abundant Life Church, 206 Edgewood Dr, Denham Springs, Louisiana on Monday, December 15, 2025 for avisitation startingat9:00 AM untilthe funeral service at 1:00 PM. Graveside service will follow at EvergreenMemorialParkMausoleum. Areception will follow after gravesideat Carter Planation.

Robert Jr., Peyton Charles 'Charlie'

Peyton Charles Robert, Jr known as "Charlie," died on December 12, 2025 of congestive heartfailure. He waspreceded in death by hisparents Pat and Margaret Fort Robert;and by hisloving wife of 66 years, Mary Ellen Spiller Robert.Heissurvived by histhree childrenDana Robert Daneel of Somerville,Massachusetts; KevinRobert (Florestella) of Houston; andGregRobertofLeague City, Texas., six grandchildren,and fivegreat grandchildren. He is also survived by hisdear friend andbridge partnerSally Gerhold of Baton Rouge A1950 graduate of Baton Rouge High School, Charliecaptained the basketball team that wonthe Louisiana statechampionship. With most of his teammates, he proceeded to Louisiana State University, wherein1953 theybecame thefirst LSUbasketballteam to reachthe NCAAFinal Four.In1953-4, CharlieservedasCadet Colonel of theROTC at LSU. He served two years in the U.S. artilleryinHanau, Germany, andeventually retiredfromUSArmyReserves with therankof Captain.Hetaughtinthe East Baton Rouge Parish school system, both before andafter working for thirty years at theDow Chemical Company, as plantmanager.Charliewas Emerald Life Master in the ACBL andanactivemember of theBaton Rouge Bridge Club. He wasa memberof theInglesideUnited Methodist Church.IntermentisatResthaven Gardens of Memory. Special thanks go to hospicenurse Blake, andtoAllisonKelley andAllen Kinney,whose care helped him stay in his home to theend.

Larry MiltonWiesepape, belovedhusband, father,

andgrandfather,passed away on Thursday, November20, 2025, at the age of 86. Larry wasbornonApril 25, 1939, in Washington County, Texas, theson of thelateHerbert andElla Blase Wiesepape. Larry earnedhis PhDinWildlife SciencefromTexas A&M University and hada lifelong interest in fisheries andwaterfowl.Heserved ourcountry in the Texas NationalGuard from 1956 to 1961 and was later calledtoserve in the United States Army duringhis senioryear of college. He began hiscareerinfresh and salt water fisheriesin Galveston, Tx. After receivinghis PHDheaccepteda position with theLouisiana Department of Environmental Quality wherehe workedfor 22 years before retiring. Throughouthis life, Larry wasfaithful member of theLutheran Church.Larryispreceded in death by hisparents, Herbertand EllaWiesepape; andhis brother, JamesWiesepape (Dorothy SchulzeWiesepape). He is survived by his cherished wife of 58 years, Jean Wiesepape; his son, William Wiesepape (Nicole Stackhouse);his daughter, Regina Wiesepape; andhis belovedgranddaughter, Ashlyn Wiesepape. The familywould like to invite all whoknewand loved Larry to join them at St PaulLutheran Church,2021 TaraBlvd,inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, on December 19th, 2025. Visitation at 10:00 AM,Memorialservice at 11:00 AM with light luncheontofollow. In lieu of flowersthe familyasks that those whowish to remember LarryconsiderdonatingtoSt. Paul Lutheran Church in hismemory Familyand friends may sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamilyatwww.resthav enbatonrouge.com.

In Me ry Of MissionaryLydia Smith-Gyimah 1945-2008 HappyHeavenly80th Birthday! Ephesians4:11-13 &IITimothy 4:7 Seventeenyearshavepassedsince youwentontogloryandIstillcan’t describethelossIfeelaseachdaygoes by.Mother,youhadacompassionate heartandasteadfastcommitmentto servingthegreatergoodfortheglory ofGod’skingdom.Gracefully,youleda dynamicallypurposefullife.Although myheartremainssaddenedbyyour absence,Ifindpeaceinknowingthat youarenowpresentwiththeLord whichistrulythegreatestoflife’s manyrewards. Love Always,Bea

'Tommy'

Penn Jr., Claude

Landry, Blake Paul

Hamilton, William O. 'Bill'

Wiesepape,Larry Milton

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.”

OPINION

‘Catahoula Crunch’ questions deserve answers Judge’sremoval

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

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-Robertsreally 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-Robertswas 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.

Wecan’tprint all the letters we receive each week, but we generally get in about 25-30 of your letters on the five days aweek that letters appear in thenewspaper.Wedo not publish lettersonFriday, 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 youropinions. 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

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

please drop your creepy

Quin Hillyer

Will Sutton

Froma Harrop

FILEPHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

LSUtakes on Tulane on Nov. 26,1988.

LSU women shake off slow start

Mulkey, Tigers beat her alma mater

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSU women’s basketball team got off to an uncharacteristically cold start Saturday in the Smoothie King Center

But because Mikaylah Williams helped them shake off that rough first quarter, the No. 5 Tigers (110) found their offensive groove and beat Louisiana Tech 87-61 in the Compete 4 Cause Classic, winning only the second game Kim Mulkey has ever coached against her alma mater “Louisiana Tech is a good bas-

ketball team,” Mulkey said. “Louisiana Tech was picked to win that league. Louisiana Tech runs some good stuff offensively, and they make you work. So give credit to (coach) Brooke (Stoehr) and her team.”

Williams, a junior, finished with a season-high 19 points, five rebounds and four assists after shooting 6 of 10 from the field.

Flau’jae Johnson scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to post the 11th double-double of her career Kate Koval, the Notre Dame transfer center who returned to the starting lineup Saturday, scored 13 points and blocked four shots.

LSU did not score 100 points against the Lady Techsters (54) like it did in nine of its first

10 games of the season Or even 90 like it did on the road against Duke on Dec. 4.

But the Tigers still won by 26 points and shot an efficient 48% from the field. From the second through fourth quarters, they converted 22 of the 42 shots they took. They also earned 35 trips to the free-throw line and pulled down 16 offensive rebounds, which they used to score 21 second-chance points.

“I think we didn’t come out with the intensity that we needed to when the ball tipped off,” Williams said, “so I think once we picked up our intensity the game started to flow better, and we started to get those leak-outs. We started to get

Play is talking

Saints

QB

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Shough

is invalidating criticisms one game at a time

Let’s talk about some stuff that doesn’t matter

Let’s talk about the age. New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough turned 26 in September That makes him older than Ja’Marr Chase, Patrick Surtain Jr. and Penei Sewell, all of whom are in their fifth NFL season and have at least one All-Pro nod on their résumé Shough’s age has been an easy punchline for many zingers.

Let’s talk about that throw If that does not ring any bells, just type “Worst throw in NFL combine history” into an internet search engine. See it? The failed attempt at a trick-shot, off-platform throw to a receiver crossing over the middle, a flapping duck that fell incomplete when there was absolutely no pressure around him. That throw has lived a long life on social media whenever Shough’s name is brought up. For good measure, let’s bring up the draft status and history that goes along with it. Shough was good enough to be taken 40th overall, which meant the rebuilding Saints felt good enough about him to spend one of their premium assets. That decision was roundly questioned, because historically it meant he was probably not actually good enough to be a franchise quarterback. Since 2000, 175 quarterbacks have been selected after the first round. Far more of them never started a game (40) than threw for 4,000 yards in a season (11). He’s too old. He had a bad moment that

BY KOKI RILEY

Lane Kiffin became a master of the transfer portal during his time at Ole Miss, landing top-four portal classes nationally in each of the last four seasons, according to 247Sports. He’ll need to re-create that magic at LSU this offseason as the Tigers look to find new starters at almost every position on both sides of the ball. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the work ahead for Kiffin and his new staff at LSU.

Quarterback

Could return: Michael Van Buren (So.), Colin Hurley (R-Fr.)

Breakdown: Van Buren started in LSU’s last three games and Hurley was the last quarterback recruit to sign with LSU, but it’s hard to imagine either one leading Kiffin’s offense in 2026. Among all of LSU’s positional needs, this one will be the most important to get right. The Kiffin offense doesn’t work without an accurate quarterback who can consistently play on time and within its structure. Kiffin already has been aggressive at trying to bring in his own man at the position. He reportedly made a run at four-star recruit and top-10 quarterback prospect Landon Duckworth before he signed with South Carolina.

Running back

Could return: Harlem Berry (Fr.), Caden Durham (So.)

Breakdown: Running back is among LSU’s stronger position groups heading into next season, at least at the top. Berry showed a lot of promise once he got acclimated to the speed and physicality of Southeastern Conference defenses. Durham was a freshman starter who has been a solid producer when healthy Without a signee from the 2026 class, LSU likely will dip into the transfer portal to add depth. Having multiple options on the ground will be important for Kiffin. Georgia, Missouri and Mississippi State were the only schools in the SEC that ran the ball more often than Ole Miss during the regular season.

Wide receiver

Could return: Aaron Anderson (R-Jr.), Kyle Parker (R-So.), Nic Anderson (RJr.), Destyn Hill (R-So.), TaRon Francis

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

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

STAFF

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Fudd, No. 1 UConn rout No. 16 USC

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Azzi Fudd scored 17 points and No. 1 UConn routed 16th-ranked Southern California 79-51 on Saturday, snapping the Trojans’ 20-game home winning streak with their best player on the bench watching.

JuJu Watkins also didn’t play when UConn beat USC 78-64 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in March. She tore her ACL in the second round and is sitting out this season while rehabbing.

The Huskies (10-0) shut down USC star freshman Jazzy Davidson, who was held to 10 points on 3 of 13 shooting.

USC led 9-8 before UConn pulled away The reigning national champion Huskies ran off 15 straight points to end the first quarter as part of a 24-2 spurt that gave them a 32-11 lead early in the second quarter Davidson’s jumper her only one of the first half — was one of just seven field goals for the Trojans before halftime, when UConn led 39-17.

Watkins did her best to keep her teammates loose and confident during timeouts and as they came in and out of the game. But she couldn’t do anything about the Trojans’ poor shooting and UConn’s swarming defense.

USC had no answer defensively either As soon as the Trojans packed the paint, UConn would burn them by hitting a 3-pointer And the Huskies didn’t even have their usual great game from longrange, hitting 7 of 19. Kennedy Smith had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Trojans (7-3), who also lost to thenNo. 2 South Carolina 69-52 last month in Los Angeles. Their lone win against a Top 10 opponent so far was then-No. 9 N.C. State 69-68

in the second game of the season.

Ashlynn Shade added 15 points and Sarah Strong had 14 points and seven rebounds for UConn.

UConn alum Diana Taurasi and USC alum and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller shared a pre-game hug wearing their respective school clothing.

NO 6 MICHIGAN 85,AKRON 59: In Ann Arbor, Mich., Syla Swords and Ashley Sofilkanich both had 17 points to lead five Michigan players in double-digit scoring.

Sixth-ranked Michigan (9-1) pulled away for good early in the second quarter, fueled by its defense. In the first half, the Wolverines forced 16 turnovers and generated 17 points off them. Michigan’s average of forcing 25.4 turnovers per game ranks eighth nationally and first in the Big Ten.

Shaena Brew led the Zips (1-8) with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, adding four rebounds and five assists.

The Wolverines took a 48-30 halftime lead, shooting nearly 50% from the floor Kendall Dudley hit a 3-pointer from the corner late in the first half, pushing Michigan’s lead to 20 before the break.

NO 9 OKLAHOMA 92, NO. 23 OKLAHOMA

STATE 70: In Oklahoma City, Raegan Beers scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds in Oklahoma’s 10th straight win.

Sahara Williams scored 18 points and Aaliyah Chavez and Zya Vann added 15 each for the Sooners (11-1), who won their seventh straight in the series.

Oklahoma shot 51.3% from the field and scored at least 90 points for the eighth straight game. All five Sooners starters scored in double figures.

Micah Gray scored 22 points and Jadyn Wooten added 15 for the Cowgirls (10-2), who had won five straight. Oklahoma State shot just 37.8% from the field and 28.1% from 3-point range.

MEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP

NO 11 IOWA 102, LINDENWOOD 68: In Iowa City Iowa, Hannah Stuelke scored a season-high 29 points as Iowa took down Lindenwood. The Hawkeyes (10-1, 1-0 Big Ten) reached the century mark for the third time this season, and trailed for just over one minute of game time. They took the lead for good on Chazadi Wright’s 3-pointer 3:31 into regulation that started a 13-2 run.

Iowa led 50-34 at the half with Stuelke scoring 17 points. Ava Heiden (14 points), Layla Hays (11), and Journey Houston (10) each reched double digits for Iowa. Hays, Houston, and Stuelke each grabbed six rebounds, and Taylor McCabe led with seven assists.

NO 17 OLE MISS 86, WOFFORD 52: In Oxford, Miss., Cotie McMahon racked up 24 points and Latasha Lattimore added 18 as Ole Miss cruised past Wofford.

McMahon has scored 20 or more points in five of her first 10 games of the season and has reached double figures in every contest so far Lattimore and McMahon each grabbed 11 rebounds. Sira Thienou led with 12 rebounds as Ole Miss was dominant on the boards, 53-27.

The Rebels (9-1) took the lead 21 seconds into the game on a McMahon layup and didn’t trail the rest of the way They took a 41-24 lead into halftime.

NO 20 WASHINGTON 79, GREEN BAY 74: In Seattle, Sayvia Sellers matched her career-high with 30 points and Washington overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Green Bay Washington trailed 67-56 after Green Bay scored the first bucket of the fourth quarter but the Huskies outscored their visitors 23-7 the rest of the way Sellers scored 30 points for the fourth time in her career

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

By the 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 after 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.

Toppin had 30 points and 11 rebounds for the Red Raiders (7-3), while Christian Anderson had 26 points and 11 assists.

NO 2 MICHIGAN 101, MARYLAND 83: In College Park, Maryland, Yaxel Lendeborg had 29 points, a careerbest nine assists and eight rebounds as No. 2 Michigan rallied from a nine-point deficit.

Aday Mara scored 18 points for the Wolverines (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten), who overcame a halftime deficit for the second time this season.

NO 6 PURDUE 79, MARQUETTE 59: In Indianapolis, Oscar Cluff made all nine of his shots and finished with a season-high 22 points, and Braden Smith reached another milestone with 10 more assists.

It took Smith only 12 seconds to find Fletcher Loyer for a 3-pointer to become the second Division I men’s basketball player to join the 1,500-point, 850-assist, 550-rebound club. D.J. Cooper was the first to do it during his career at

Ohio from 2009-13.

Smith had seven points and five rebounds to increase his career numbers to 1,515 points, 859 assists and 759 rebounds. Cluff had 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double. Loyer scored 15 points.

NO 7 HOUSTON 99, NEW ORLEANS 57:

In Houston, Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac, Chase McCarty and Mercy Miller each scored 15 points, and Houston won its fourth straight.

Flemings and Cenac, both freshmen, combined to shoot 11 of 19 from the field for Houston (101), which won its tenth straight at home and has won 22 straight nonconference home games.

NO 9 MICHIGAN ST. 76, PENN ST 72: In University Park, Pennsylvania, Divine Ugochukwu scored a career-high 23 points and Michigan State overcame a sloppy performance to beat Penn State.

Jaxon Kohler posted his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds while Carson Cooper added 10 points for the Spartans (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten), who committed a season-high 17 turnovers and trailed for long stretches in both halves.

NO 11 LOUISVILLE 99, MEMPHIS 73: In Louisville, Kentucky, Ryan Conwell had 17 points and reserve Adrian Wooley scored 15 as he and Kasean Pryor alternated making six of Louisville’s seven consecutive 3-pointers during a first-half surge that rocketed the Cardinals past Memphis.

The Cardinals (9-1) converted 18 of 35 attempts from long range, second to their 20 made 3s against NJIT on Nov 26. Their total in-

cluded 12 of 22 from deep before halftime, during which Wooley (5 of 8) and Pryor (3 of 3, 11 points) took turns knocking down shots to break the game open.

NO 23 NEBRASKA 83, NO. 13 ILLINOIS 80: In Champaign, Illinois, Jamarques Lawrence hit a 3-point shot with less than a second remaining Saturday to give Nebraska the win.

The Huskers (11-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are off to the best start in program history. They won 10 in a row to start the 1977-78 season. Lawrence finished with 14 points Bryce Sandfort scored a career-high 32 points and Rienk Mast had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskers.

NO 14 NORTH CAROLINA 80,SC-UPSTATE

62: In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Caleb Wilson had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead North Carolina to a win against USC Upstate. Wilson shot 6 of 7 from the floor and didn’t miss a field-goal attempt until there was less than a minute to play The Tar Heels (91) also got a boost from Jonathan Powell’s 17 points, which tied a career high. Luka Bogavac added 15 points and five assists, and Henri Veesaar scored 14.

NO 15 VANDERBILT 83, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 72: In Nashville, Tennessee, Tyler Nickel scored a career-high 30 points in Vanderbilt’s win.

Tyler Tanner had 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Commodores, and Jalen Washington added 12 points and seven rebounds. Devin McGlockton had a team-high 10 rebounds.

The Commodores (10-0) remained the only undefeated team in the Southeastern Conference

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

with their best start since opening the 2007-08 season 16-0.

NO 18 FLORIDA 80, GEORGE WASHINGTON 70: In Sunrise, Florida, Xaivian Lee scored 24 points to lead Florida to a victory over George Washington in the second game of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. Thomas Haugh had 19 points and seven rebounds. Boogie Fland finished with 12 points and five assists for the Gators (6-4).

NO 19 KANSAS 77, NC STATE 76, OT: In Raleigh, North Carolina, Melvin Council had career highs of 36 points and nine 3-pointers to help Kansas win in overtime. Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. But he abruptly checked out with 2:15 left and didn’t return, watching from the bench in an exit coming after he missed seven games with a hamstring strain.

NO 21 AUBURN 92, CHATTANOOGA 78: In Atlanta, Keyshawn Hall scored 22 points and No. 21 Auburn took advantage of a respite in its brutal schedule to beat Chattanooga. Tahaad Pettiford overcame early foul trouble to finish with 20 points knocking down five shots from beyond the 3-point stripe. Elyjah Freeman chipped in with 19 points. Hall also had 11 rebounds and six assists. Auburn dominated on the boards, finishing with a 42-20 rebounding edge.

NO 22 ST JOHN’S 91, IONA 64: In New York, Oziyah Sellers scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, Zuby Ejiofor tied a career-high by blocking eight shots for the second straight game and St. John’s survived a difficult start.

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 yesterday, there was a lot of emotion,” Vonn told Swiss broadcaster RTS.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ETHAN SWOPE

Southern California guard Kennedy Smith, right, drives the ball against UConn guard Azzi Fudd during their game on Saturday in Los Angeles.

LSUhandles SMUfor resume-buildingwin

LSU forward Pablo Tamba reactstoaplayagainst SMUduring the first halfofagame at the Smoothie King Center on Saturday.LSU prevailed 89-77.

BY TOYLOY BROWNIII Staff writer

LSU’sgame against SMU was its finalchancetoplaya high-major foebeforeSoutheastern Conference play

After a24-point drubbing against No. 16 Texas Tech lastweekend, theTigerswantedtoget at least one Quad 1win on theirresume before conference play

That mission was completed as LSUtook down SMU 89-77 on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans SMU entered the gameranked No. 39 on KenPom, aspot ahead of LSU, and had won two of three games against SEC opponents.

Dedan Thomas had 16 pointsand acareer-high 12 assistsand only one turnover for LSU. Max Mackinnon had 22 points andmade 6of 73-pointers. Marquel Sutton had aseason-high 23 pointsand 12 rebounds.

Mike Nwoko’spresenceinthe post was an early emphasis.The 6-foot-10, 261-pound junior made apair of post shots over7-2 SMU center Samet Yigitoglu to score four of theteam’sfirst six points.

ButNwoko wassubstitutedout of the game early after he picked up asecond foul at the 17:27 mark of the first half while fighting for a defensive rebound.Robert Miller, asophomore, replaced Nwoko.

McGowens’playsuggests Pelicans unearthedagem

Bryce McGowens played a total of 31 minutes all of last seasonwith the Portland Trail Blazers. He spent more of that season with the Rip City Remix, the Blazers’ G-League affiliate.

Poor 3-point shooting had plagued LSU early this season as it entered the game13th in the SEC in 3-pointpercentage (31.6%)and last in made 3s at 6.7per game LSUwent 4of24from beyond the arc in its mostrecent loss to Texas Tech and was 3of19the gamebefore in anine-point overtime winat Boston College. Mackinnon wasamongthose struggling as he was2 of 11 from the 3-point line in his last two games. The senior from Australia didn’thave athird straight offshooting night, though. He drained his first two3-pointers that came off of good ball movement. Mackinnon’smarksmanship never relentedand helped stretch the SMU defense away from the paint.

PabloTamba, agraduate student transfer from UC Davis, wasthe next player to make his presence felt for LSU. The 6-7 forward from Spainhad back-to-back scores thanks to tireless energy On the next possession, Tamba was therecipient of an alley-oop passfrom Thomas that he finished witha reverse layup. Thatscore gave the Tigers a20-16 advantage with 13:24 remaining in the half.

Miller pickeduphis second foul with 10:15 left in the first half. The contact came afterheblocked Yigitoglu’sshot. With foul trouble mounting, LSU coach Matt McMahonplayed Tamba andthe 6-9Sut-

LSUWOMEN

Continuedfrom page1C

those transition buckets, and it kind of opened up the gamefor us.”

ton as the only bigs foranextended stretch. With the smaller group, LSU was faster and remained sound guarding the paint. Sutton’soffense also flourishedafter having just seven points against Texas Tech last week.AsLSU’s tallest player on the court, he was amismatch for SMU.

The Mustangs playedsome zone defense in the first half.The Tigers, even without Thomas on the floor,were able to diagnose the weak point at the free-throw line.

Aftera 14-2 run, LSUled by 12 points with 6:48 left in the first half. SMUdidn’tlet up as Jaron Pierre, aNew Orleans native, got hot. The 6-5 senior drained three 3-pointers in the final 2:23 of the first half and finished the game with 16 points. LSU led 47-44 at halftime.

With the exception of Pierre’s late-scoringspree, the Tigers didn’tfalter in theirexecution SMU’s largest deficitwas 17 with 10:42 left in the game. When the Mustangs trailed 83-74 with 3:47 left, LSU remained composed as Thomas calmlyorchestrated the offense.

The Tigers made 62% of their field goalsand held SMU to 49% shooting.

LSU’snextgame is against Southeastern Louisiana at 7:30 p.m Friday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Williamsthen either scored or assistedonalmosthalfofthe buckets LSU made in the third the period in which its lead grew from amodestnine-point margin to the more commanding 17-point advantage it rode to the lopsided win.

So no one will blame you ifyou didn’teven notice when the Pelicans signed McGowens toatwoway contract in late July But now the 6-foot-6 guard is starting to make people takenotice. He’snow contributing big minutes for the struggling Pelicans. He tied acareerhigh with 23 points in Thursday’svictoryoverthe Blazers, showing his old team whattheyare missing outon.

“It wasdefinitelyhuge beatingmy former team,” McGowenssaid

“Being with those group of guys forayear and coaching staff was definitely huge for me.” McGowens went 5for 5on 3-pointers Thursday,anew career-high for 3-pointers. He also hadseven rebounds, two assists and twosteals. He played 30 minutes, almost matching what he played all of last season. His biggest contributions came in the second half when he started in place of Herb Jones, who picked up two quick technical foulsand was ejected at the end of thefirst half. The Pels led 70-68 at the break but outscored the Blazers 73-52inthe second half to pull awayfor an easy 143120 victory

“You lose Herb and you’re not sure where to go,” Pelicans interimcoach James Borregosaid “But Bryce has been steady all year.He’searned these minutes. He’s not been given this time. He’searned it. Every timehe’s on the floor,good things happen.” McGowens’splus/minus was ateam-best plus-19 against the Blazers. Not bad for aguy nobody was talking about when the seasonbegan.

being defended by San Antonio Spurs centerLukeKornet during the first half at the Smoothie King Center on Monday.

He’s started five games and is averaging8.8 points and 2.1 rebounds.Over thelast six games, he’s averaging15.2 points,3.5 rebounds and2.8 assists.

“Defensively,onthe boards and in transition,you can just see his numbers are significant when he’sonthe floor for us, Borrego said. “Transition offense takes asignificant turn. I’mjust proud ofhim. He just shows up every day and works anddoes his job.Hestaysready Great competitor.”

McGowens wasn’tsure what hisrole would bewhen he got to New Orleans, his thirdteam in four years. But he appreciates the opportunity he’s been given.

“I’m super blessed to be in this position of being in an organization that believes and trusts and puts me in situations,” McGowens said. “It feels good. Iwork hard. The coaches knowme. My job is to get after it anddo whatever theteamneedsmeto do so we can win.”

McGowenswas a5-star recruit coming outofhigh school. He originally committedtoFlorida State, but he changed hismind and went to Nebraska so he could play with his brother. McGowens wasdrafted in the second roundofthe 2022 draft.

He got to Charlotte right after Borrego was fired by the Hornets, so Borrego never had worked with him beforethis season. Borrego has been pleas-

antlysurprised.

“I don’tthink anybody saw him playing these minutes,” Borrego said. “… I’ve always likedhim from afar. But give ourfront office credit. They found this kid andbelievedin him, andhe’smadethe most of hisopportunity.”

His teammates like what they have seen thus far “Bryce has been playing amazing,”guard Jordan Poole said. “He hassuch acalmdemeanor and just plays the right way.Extremelytalented.You can trust him to go outthere anddohis thing andnot have to do too much but be aggressive enough to make an impact. That’shard to teach.”

McGowensisthe latest gem in what hasbeen apromising core of newcomers brought in by Joe Dumars andTroy Weaver.Theyhit on allthree draft picks in Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen andMicah Peavy. The trade that brought in Poole and Saddiq Bey haslooked like awin as well.

Now addMcGowenstothe mix. Less than 30 games in, he’s been better than most people would have guessed.

“My expectations were to come in here and work and let thechips fall wherethey fall,” McGowens said. “Compete every day and givethem a reason to put you on the floor

That’sbeen my mindset since I stepped foot here.”

Mulkey last coached against Louisiana Tech in December 2009. That night in Waco,Texas, oneof her Baylorteams that eventually reached the Final Four built a 24-point lead over the Lady Techsters, then coastedtoa 77-67win.

On Saturday,LSU’s lead climbed as high as 33. But the Tigers first hadtobattlethrough some early defensive lapses before they could start building thatadvantage.

LSU allowed Louisiana Tech to findopenlooksfrombeyondthe 3-point arc throughout thefirst quarter.Fourofthe Lady Techsters’ first sevenfield-goal makes were 3-pointers —afactthat made it difficultfor theTigers to take control of the game as quickly as they have against most of theirnonconference opponents this year In the first quarter,LSU scored only 19 points —aseason lowfor aquarter The Tigers playedsharper defenseinthe second quarter,which allowed them to create more open shotsatthe other endand take a 39-30 lead into halftime

“I’m notleaving here by any means disappointed,” Mulkey said, “but I’m gonna always leave ballgames where we coulddo things better —always. I’ve never coached aperfect game. I’ve never had ateam play aperfect game, so we’ll be off, andwe’llget in the filmroom Monday, and90% of it will be,‘This is whatwecan do better.’”

Louisiana Tech’s leading scorer was sophomore guard Paris Bradley. She finishedwith 19 points after shooting 4of8from beyond the 3-point line. TheLady Techsters shot only 31% fromthe field, but 10 of their 18 fieldgoals were 3s —a keyreason why they kept pace withLSU fora large chunk of thegame.

The Tigers next will return to thePeteMaravich Assembly Centertoface MorganState at 11 a.m.Tuesday.After that matchup, the annual field-trip game that LSUplays forschoolchildren from the Baton Rouge metro area, theTigers will have only two contests left before they open SEC play at homeonJan. 1 against Kentucky

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSUcoach KimMulkey yells from the sidelines during agameagainst Louisiana Tech at the Smoothie King CenteronSaturday. LSU won 87-61.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Pelicans guardBryce McGowens scores twopoints while

Rod Walker

ä Pelicans at Bulls, 6P.M. SUNDAy WAFB

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

Saints quietlystarting

sideration such factorsasdown 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 we have what

went viral. Hisdraftpositioning 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 againstthe Carolina Panthers, and the one thing thatdoesmatter —his play on the field —has been driving the talk lately.Thatisexactly the wayShough likes it.

“What Iput on tape, Iwant that to do the talking,” he said. Those whostill want to buy into the stuff that doesn’tmatter will point to the statistics. Shough has not lit the box scores on fireinhis first five starts. Since he took over as the starter in Week 9, he ranks 14th among NFL quarterbacks (minimum:75attempts) in passerrating (88.3) and 19th 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-round success stories. His career began long enough agothathewas selected in the eighth round.Hewas 27 years old by thetimeheactually saw the field in an NFL game and made two Pro Bowls after turning33. Andhewas in the boothlastweek, broadcasting the game for CBS when Shough made magic happen in the fourth quarter against the Buccaneers. Green didn’tknow much about Shough going into last week’sgame and didn’twatch aton of himatLouisville last year,either.Hecan’tspeak on why Shough was available for the Saints in the second round, but after watching him in personlastweek, he thinksthe Saints “got the right one.”

“I was impressed,” Green said. “Everybody jokedabout his age before the draft,but thatisanadvantage for him. He talked to us (duringproduction meetings)about allthe different systems he played in in college and how it and Louisville’ssystem and coaches prepared him so well for the NFL. That’sarealthing, and it’sshowing right now.”

The age neverfactored into the Saints’ decision, at least not in anegative way.Like Green, they saw the advantages of bringing in aplayer who had experienced alot in his extended college career Shough played at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, gainingexposure to different stylesand schemes. He also navigatedpersonalhardship, experiencing multiple seasonending injuries. They sawthis all as anet positive—especially considering the position

he plays

The current NFLleaderin passing efficiency and touchdowns is 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. The leader in passing yards is 32-year-old Dak Prescott. AaronRodgers, at 42, ranks just outside thetop 10 in passer rating. TomBradyis theultimate quarterback outlierand is not fair to usefor comparison, but he did throw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns at 44.

“Quarterbacks in thisleague, there’s amaturity that goes much furtherthan other positionsjust because there’s such a mentalcomponentofit,” Saints coach KellenMoore said. “You look at alot of quarterbacks that areplaying 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,especiallywhen mixed with afew other confounding clips from his college days. But it’salsowillfully ignoring thescores of high-level throws Shough made in game settings —throwsthathave carried over to the NFL. Take the touchdownhethrew to Devaughn Vele while nearly completing afourth-quarter comeback againstMiami two weeksago

Shough surveyed the field, looking right, then looking left, then swinging hishead back aroundtothe right. As he faded toward hisarm side, he chucked theballtothe back of the end zone forVele whereonly the 6-foot-5 receiver couldget it.

Former Saints quarterback Luke McCown saw everything he needed to seeonthat play

“There’snot five, six guys in theNFL thatcan make that throw,” McCownsaid.“There’s guys that would attempt it, but not many that would complete it.Tobeabletohave that ve-

locity to getitthere andget it up and down and over the defender in aspacewhere Vele can get his feet down in the end zone —that’sa Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford type of throw

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

Shough still hasalongway to go to prove he’s an exception to thehistoricalruleabout a franchise quarterbackselected outside of thefirst round. But the early signs have been encouraging on severallevels

It’snot just the maturity,the highlight-reel playsortwo impressive wins. Thosesigns are visible in themob of teammatesrushing overtocelebrate the way they did after his 34-yard touchdown run in Tampa last week.

“Itlets youknowthatthe team has bought intothis rookie quarterback,” McCown said. “That tells you they believe this kid is bringing something to the table thatthey want to eat.”

This is thestuff that matters.

Shough won’t lie.There is partofhim that usesthe other stuff as motivation. He is ahumanbeing who relishesthe chance to prove people wrong, but that doesn’t make up the whole of it. Therehave been moments in his career when he’s leaned too far into proving himself,and he said it is nota healthy place to be.

So,his advice for college prospects 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’t listentoanythingthat anyone is saying,”Shough said.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com

TEAM STATS

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

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

TOPTOPICS FORWEEK15

Pats looktowin AFCEast

TheNew EnglandPatriotscan clinch

theAFC East division titleand earn their firstplayoff berthsince the2021season when they host the BuffaloBills. The Patriots have won10 straight gamesand arecomingoff their byeweek. Buffalo comesinwinners of theirlasttwo gamesand havewon thelast five AFCEastdivisioncrowns. TheBills arealsotryingtoavoid beingswept by adivisionopponentfor the first time sincethe 2019 season.That wasTom Brady’slastseasoninNew England, when theBills lost both gamestothe Patriots

5 2 1 3

Rams,Lions used to scoring TheLos AngelesRamshostthe DetroitLions on Sunday in a showdown of twoofthe NFL’stop four scoringoffenses. TheRamsbounced back from asurprising loss in Carolina by pummelingthe Arizona Cardinals45-17 last weekend. TheLions overpoweredthe Dallas Cowboys 44-30topullwithinone game of an NFCwild-card spot,but they still have plenty of work to do to reach thepostseasonfor thethird straight year.Thiswillbethe fourth meeting betweenthe Rams andLions since theirblockbuster 2021 swap of quarterbacks Matthe

Chargers battle struggling Chiefs

TheLos AngelesChargersare settofacethe Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.The Chargers havea 9-4recordwhile theChiefsare at 6-7. TheChiefsare favoreddespite struggling mightily recently.Last week,the Chargers beat the Eagles andthe Chiefs lost to the Texans.Chargersquarterback Justin Herbertisclose to a majormilestone,needing just 19 yardspassing to pass Peyton Manningfor themostyards in a quarterback’s firstsix seasons. Chiefs quarterback PatrickMahomes is lookingtobouncebackafter a toughgame. TheChargerssnapped alosingstreak againstthe Chiefs in theseasonopenerinBrazil.

Cowboys, Vikingstoclash

TheDallasCowboys areset fora prime-time home matchupSunday night againstthe MinnesotaVikings with Dallas still clinging to playoff hopes. TheVikingsare playingfor next year in quarterbackJ.J McCarthy’s firstseason as thestarter.The Cowboysare agameand ahalfbehind NFCEast-leadingPhiladelphia. Dallas just hada three-game winning streak stoppedbyDetroit whilethe Eagles havelostthree in arow.Cowboys quarterbackDak Prescott is theNFL’s leadingpasserand goingfor afourth consecutive300-yardgame. McCarthy is coming offhis best game

Ravens seek revengevs. Bengals

TheBaltimore Ravens face theCincinnatiBengals for thesecondtimeinthree weekswithbothteams still havingplayoff hopes. TheRavens havedropped twostraightand are onegamebehindPittsburghin theAFC North, whilethe Bengals need to winout andlotsofhelpto avoidmissing thepostseasonfor thethirdstraightyear. Baltimore quarterbackLamar Jacksonhas been somewhat quietlately. Alleyesremainonhim afterhis poor performanceagainst theBengals on Thanksgiving night. Cincinnati quarterbackJoe Burrowlooks to bounce back aftertwo costly interceptionsinlast week’s loss at Buffalo. 5 4

StreakingBroncos underdog at home againstPackers

BYARNIE STAPLETON AP pro football writer

DENVER For the first time in a decade, the Denver Broncos (112) stand atop the AFC playoff race heading into the holidays. They’re the league’s only unbeaten team at home. They’vewon 10 consecutive games, andthey’ve saddled their last 11 visitors witha loss going back 14 months. And they are still21/2-pointunderdogs at home against theGreen Bay Packers (9-3-1) on Sunday.

It’sthe NFL’s marquee Week 15 matchup, atussle featuring Micah Parsons and Nik Bonitto, Jordan Love and Bo Nix, and pittingteams withdevastatingdefenses and opportunistic offenses that could very well serve as aSuperBowl appetizer

Oddsmakers, though,havejoined the legions of NFL fans who view the Broncos’ longest winning streak in the post-PeytonManning

era with equal doses of criticism andskepticism “I love it. It fuelsme, honestly,” Bonitto said. “I like when people doubt us. They can stay on that side. We’ll go outand prove what we’ve got to prove.”

Just likethey’ve been doing ever since theirlast-second loss at the Los Angeles ChargersinWeek 3, which followed awalk-off lossat Indianapolis. Sincethen, the Broncoshave setanNFL record with nine consecutive comebacks —a streak that ended lastweek with acomfortable win at Las Vegas andtied another markwith four straight wins by afield goal or less.

The Broncos havegrownaccustomed to all thedoubters who view their pile of close victories with more suspicion than admiration, andwho keep suggesting their liveon-the-edgehabitsdon’tmake for a sustainable winning recipe. “Personally,Icouldn’tcare less,” All-Prokickreturner Marvin Mims

said. “But Imean some guys feel disrespected by it.”

Nixisn’tamong those who feel offendedbythe national suspicion of the Broncos’ championship bona fides —orthose who install themas home underdogs.

“My mom thinks we’ll win,” the second-year quarterback said with alaugh. “So that’sall that matters.”

Packerswide receiver Christian Watson didn’tstart playing until Oct. 26 as he returned from atorn ACL, but the 2022 second-round pick still could end up having his best season.

Watsonhas scored five touchdowns, all in his last four games. He has 25 catches for 452 yards in sevengames.The TD totalishis highestsince hisrookieseason, when he had nine.

“He’s making plays, it feelslike, everytimethe ball comes his way,” Lovesaid. “I think he keeps elevating and getting better and better.”

NFLBRIEFS FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Colts activate Rivers for Sunday’sgame

INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis Colts promoted 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to theactiveroster Saturday making him eligible to play —and perhaps start —inSunday’scrucial gameatSeattle.

Indy (8-5) brought the Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist out of retirement Tuesday when it signed himtothe practice squad. Rivers practicedall week, but he hasn’ttaken asnap since what appeared to be the end of his career after the 2020 season.

Tworunning backs for Packers in doubt

The Green Bay Packers are unsure about the availability of either of theirtop two running backs for Sunday’sgame at Denver Green Bay added Emanuel Wilson to its injury report Saturday because of an illness and labeled him questionable. Josh Jacobs already had been listed as questionable Friday with a knee issue.

Jacobsdidn’tpractice Wednesday or Thursday though he did practice on alimited basis Friday The NFCNorth-leading Packers (9-3-1) areseeking theirfifth straight victory Sunday when they visit the Broncos (11-2).

Ninersreceiver Aiyuk

won’t returnthis season

TheSan Francisco 49ers placed receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squadlist, making him ineligible to return from aknee injury this season. The move comes after the Niners had voided $27 million guaranteed in his contract for next season forfailingtoparticipate in meetings and other team activities. It likely marks the end of his tenure in San Francisco. Aiyuk signeda four-year, $120 millionextension last year that included guaranteed money for 2026. The 49ers are expected to cut ties with him Raidersset to start Pickett at quarterback Kenny Pickett will start at quarterback forthe Raiders against his former team when Las Vegas visits Philadelphia on Sunday with Geno Smith out becauseofbackand shoulder injuries.

Smith injured his right shoulder and hand in the third quarter of last Sunday’s24-17 loss to Denver Pickettplayedwellinhis briefappearance against the Broncos, completing 8of11 passes for 97 yards. He led two fourth-quarter scoring drives totaling10pointsas theRaiders triedtorally down 24-7.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGM.COOPER

NewEngland Patriots quarterback DrakeMayeprepares to make apass during the first half of agame against theNew york Giants on Dec. 1inFoxborough, Mass.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By ADRIAN KRAUS Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers throws apass during the first halfofawild-card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 9, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.y.

OUTDOORS

The Young King

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Nathaniel Watts used this catch from the North Pass area in the Junior Southwest Bassmasters’ November tournament to take the club’s 2025 King Fisherman honor in the 7-10 age group. Others taking the club’s same title were Branson Sheraton in the 15-18 age group and Landin Sholty in the 11-14 age group. Rydge Hurd had the club’s big bass for the year, a 5.93-pounder For more about this Denham Springs-based youth fishing club, contact Jim Breaux at (225) 772-3026.

OUTDOORS CALENDAR

Jan. 18; South Zone, through Jan. 11.

DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Second segment, Dec. 20-Jan. 25, includes coots & mergansers.

DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Second segment, Dec. 20-Jan. 31, includes coots & mergansers.

MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854 Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7 p.m., Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Avenue, Baton Rouge. Fly tying. Open to public. Spare tools, materials for novices. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PRO-

GRAM: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders

org HUNTING SEASONS

GEESE/CONSERVATION

ORDER: East & West zones, through Dec. 19; Limited to take of blue, snow and Ross’ geese only. No daily nor possession limits. Hunters allowed to use electronic calls and shotguns capable of holding more than three shells.

WOODCOCK: Dec. 18-Jan. 31, statewide.

DOVES: North Zone, Dec. 20-

GEESE/WEST ZONE: Second segment, Dec. 20-Feb. 1. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes.

GEESE/EAST ZONE: Second segment, Dec. 20-Feb. 7. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies

SNIPE: Dec. 20-Feb. 28, statewide.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 4, State Deer Areas 1, 3, 4, 7 & 8, with/without dogs

RAILS/GALLINULES: Through Jan. 7, statewide.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 11, State Deer Area 2, with/without dogs.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 18, State Deer Areas 5 & 9, with/without dogs, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Dec. 7 & Dec. 13-14.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Jan. 18, State Deer Areas 6, with/without dogs

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2 & 4

Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, either-sex take allowed.

QUAIL, RABBITS & SQUIRRELS: Through Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only FISHING/SHRIMPING SHRIMP: Outside waters open statewide; fall inshore season closed in Zone 3 (Freshwater Bayou west to Louisiana/Texas line) & portions of Zones 1 & 2. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: For-hire red snapper season; flounder; gray triggerfish; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters

CLOSED SEASONS: Red snapper (recreational & state charters); greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/ boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction).

ROAD CLOSURE: Section of La. 975 through Sherburne WMA closed through June 12, 2026 (replace bridge) access from U.S. 190 and I-10 open.

DRAWDOWNS: Underway on Henderson Lake, Lake Bistineau, Saline, Kepler, Iatt, Black & Clear lakes, Clear-Smithport Lake & Lake Martin.

Mendoza wins Heisman Trophy

BY EVERETT MERRILL Associated Press

NEW YORK Fernando Mendoza, the enthusiastic quarte rback of No. 1 Indiana, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s most prestigious award since its inception in 1935. Mendoza claimed 2,362 points, including 643 firstplace votes. He beat Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 points), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 points) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 points) Mendoza’s Heisman win was emphatic. He finished first in all six Heisman regions, the first to do so since Caleb Williams in 2022. He was named on 95.16% of all ballots, tying him with Marcus Mariota in 2014 for the second highest in the award’s history and he received 84.6% of total possible points, which is the seventh highest in Heisman history

“I haven’t seen the numbers yet,” said Mendoza, “but it’s such an honor to be mentioned with these guys (Pavia, Love and Sayin). It’s

really a credit to our team. It’s a team award.” Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a nationalbest 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl on Jan 1. Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP. A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top-10 finish in Heisman balloting and it marks another first in program history having back-to-back players in the top 10. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year With his teammates chanting “HeismanDoza” as he addressed the media, he said there felt like a realistic chance of winning the Heisman when the Hoosiers routed then No. 19

Fishermen should give duck hunters their space

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

Fishermen love this time of year mostly because the folks who fish and hunt are hunting, which cuts down on the competition in both freshwater and saltwater

While there weren’t many complaints,thatmightchange this coming weekend when the second segment of the duck season opens Saturday Cold fronts and frigid conditions up north and through the Midwest have given Louisiana hunters the chance to have a first-rate waterfowl season.

Now, it’s up to the fishermen wanting to work the coastal marshes to give our wild waterfowl hunting friends the chance to enjoy this rare opportunity Let’s make an effort to avoid invading a duck hunter’s space. Give them time to take their best shots without having the added annoyance of someone coming into their hunting area.

Besides, with much colder December mornings than any in the last three years, the fish will be in the water long after sunrise — and long after duck hunters have had their chance to add to a duck gumbo.

There are also reports coming in about speckled trout catches showing up best in the midday hours

While it’s common that tides moving water provides the top coastal fish-catching times, there’s been an uncommon uptick in topwater action after the sun warms shallow-water areas.

True, the old patterns are working. Any number of

2026

OUTDOORS CALENDAR

Louisiana-Texas line).

Closures happen when Wildlife and Fisheries staff members determine the white shrimp are too small in these waters. The move allows the shrimp to grow to marketable sizes.

Areas remaining open in Zone 1 include Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets passes, Lake Borgne, Mississippi Sound, Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Orleans Parish, and the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds Zone 2’s closed areas include waters from Atchafalaya River Ship Channel to western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal.

State “outside” waters also remain open.

Red snapper

soft-plastic colors worked slowly and deeply on jigheads, and VuDu Shrimp worked under poppin’ corks continue to produce trout, redfish and, on occasion, largemouth bass. Just bundle up and wear life jackets.

Shrimp

The end of the fall inshore shrimp season comes with a final day Monday in portions of waters of Zones 1 and 2 (the Louisiana-Mississippi line west to Freshwater Bayou) and all of Zone 3 (Freshwater Bayou to the

Federal fisheries managers announced the reopening of the red snapper season for federally permitted charter operations through the end of the year The move came after an estimate determined this sector had not reached its annual quota after a 107-day season.

Illinois 63-10 on Sept. 20.

“At that point my boys (teammates) said we might make it to New York (for the award ceremony),” he said. “It was lighthearted at the time, but that’s when it started. “

Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years, with twoway player Travis Hunter of Colorado ending the run last season.

Mendoza is the 43rd quarterback to win the Heisman and the second winner of Latin American descent to claim the trophy Stanford’s Jim Plunkett was the first in 1970.

“Although I grew up in America, my four grandparents are all from Cuba,” he said. “I had the opportunity to go there and that was important to me. I credit the love to my grandparents and the Hispanic community.”

The Heisman Trophy presentation came after a number of accolades were already awarded. Mendoza was named The Associated Press player of the year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night while Love won the Doak Walker Award. Mendoza and Pavia clearly exemplify the changing landscape of using the transfer portal in college football. Mendoza is the seventh transfer to win the award in the last nine years.

Mendoza

Tulane,James Madisonfacescrutiny

GroupofFiveteams

trytojustify their inclusioninCFP

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

On ESPN’sCollege Football Playoff selection show last Sunday, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said his team would be playingwith house money in its first-roundmatchup with Ole Miss after losing 45-10to the Rebels in September He was right in one sense —almost no one outsideofthe program expects the Green Wave to win in Oxford, Mississippi—but fundamentally wronginanother If Tulane and James Madisonfare poorly as heavy underdogs on the road in thefirstroundofthe CFP, the opportunity for Group of Five conference schools in future playoff formats figures to be curtailed.

Theselectionshow featured intense criticism of aformat that allowed two teams outside of the Power Four leagues to qualify for the 12-team field while Notre Dame, and to alesser degreeTexas and Vanderbilt, were left out. Former Alabamacoach Nick Saban, who repeatedly has bashed the Group of Five schools,started the carping.

“You are going to have two teams in the playoff —no disrespect to the Group of Five —that are nowherenear ranked as highly as some other teamsthatare much better than them,” Saban said.

“This has got to be devastating for Notre Dame’steam not to get an opportunity to play inthe playoffs, andmaybe we canlearn something from this thatwill help us come up with alittle bettercriteria of trying to make sure we can get the best 12 teamsinthe playoff.”

Tulane (11-2), which was 20th in the final CFP ranking,qualified as the fourth-highest-ratedconference champion outofthe Ameri-

Tulane coach JonSumrall reacts to aplayduring the American Conference championship game on Dec. 5 against North Texasatyulman Stadium.There has been adebate since the CollegeFootballPlayoff teams were announced over whether Group of Five teams such as Tulane deservedbids.

ä Tulane at Ole Miss. 2:30P.M. SATURDAy,TNT

can.James Madison (12-1), ranked 24th out of the SunBelt, gotinas the fifth-highest-rated league winner Notre Dame (10-2), ranked11th won its final 10 games by an average of 30 pointsafter losing by threeatplayoff-bound Miami on a late field goal and by one at home to playoff-bound TexasA&M.

It is highly doubtful theGroup of Five leagues will be excluded entirelyfrom futureplayoffs —a move thatalmost certainly would lead to antitrust lawsuits— but it is increasingly likely they willget exactly one spot while the power conferences plusNotre Dame are guaranteed the rest,even if the

field expands to 16 teams in 2026.

“This is abracket that’sgoing to be talked aboutforever,and not just because Notre Dame got excludedbut because of theframework that created the choices the committeehad to make,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler said. “There’sgoingtobemorethana tweak going forward.Inclusivity sounds good until teamslike Notre Dameand Texas and Vanderbilt get squeezed out. Then people have aserious problem with it.”

Fowler noted even SECcommissioner Greg Sankey wasinfavor of Group of Five teams receiving onebid to the playoffs, but the criticism will mount if Tulane andJames Madisonget blown out. Schools outside the power conferences are 0-2 all-time in the playoffs. Cincinnati reached the four-team field in 2021 from the

American and lost 27-6 to Alabama while beingoutgained482-218.

Boise State had abye as the No. 3 seed from the Mountain West last season and lost 31-14 to No.6 seed Penn State. No. 6seed Ole Miss is favored by 171/2 points against No.11seed Tulane on Dec. 20 (2:30 p.m., TNT).

Fifth-seeded Oregon is a211/2-point favoriteagainst James Madison later that day(6:30 p.m., TNT)

“I don’tthink anybody has a problem with Group of Five teams gettingin,”ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said. “I do think it would be great if therewas some type of barometer for them to have to getupto be able to qualify to getin.”

Tulane dominated bowl-bound Northwestern of the Big Tenand wasone of five teams to beat ACC champion Duke, which allowed JamesMadison to make the field

instead of theBlueDevils.Still, the Wave’sschedule strength of 77 according to the College Football Power Indexcauseddivision, while James Madison’s 123rd-rated schedule created derision.

“Wetriedtocreateanexception to include theGroup of Five,” ESPN’s Booger McFarland said. “We have teams on the sideline that absolutely could win achampionship right now. No oneinAmerica asidefrom JMUand Tulane think JMU and Tulane can win achampionship. They are in it because we had to include them based on the parameters that we were given, andIthink that’sgoing to rub alot of people thewrong way.”

It is notjust theESPN commentators with that viewpoint. Yahoo Sports’ JoshTateand Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt offered similar takes amongmanyothers.

Fair or not, the nation will be watching and waiting to pounce on Tulane andJames Madisonif theystruggle

James Madison coach Bob Chesney,who is leaving forUCLA, pointed outthe Dukes were tied with Louisville in the fourth quarteroftheir only loss andtook care of the rest of their schedule in dominant fashion.

“I thinkitwould be really hard to look at agroup like us in the eye and say that you’re not deserving after all the workand things we’ve done,” he said. “Wecan’tcontrol ourschedule.Wecan only control what we do on game day,and we handledour business properly.”

Sumrall, who is headed to Florida,was notworried aboutany ramifications that comefromTulane’s performance. He just wanted the Wave to relish thechallenge

“You only get one shot at this,” he said. “Have no regrets, letitall hang out and enjoy the opportunity,takeitall in, give everything you’ve got, play as ateam and have fun going through this experience. There’snothing we’re going to do other than give ourabsolute best effort.”

Clutch fourth-down TD helpsNo. 22 Navy beat Army

Navy defeatsArmy fora second consecutiveseason

BY NOAH TRISTER Associated Press

BALTIMORE Blake Horvath to Eli Heidenreich.

That’sthe connection that led Navy to such amemorable season—and the twoofthemcame through again on the biggest play of the biggest game.

Horvath threw an 8-yard touchdownpass to Heidenreich with 6:32 remaining —onfourth-andgoal —and No. 22 Navy rallied to beat Army 17-16 on Saturday Heidenreich, thecareerand single-season leader in yardsreceivingfor the Midshipmen, caught six of Horvath’sseven completions. “Who wouldn’tgotohim?”Horvath said. “Talk about an all-time Navy legend. You’re goingtobe

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(Fr.), Phillip Wright (Fr.)

Incoming freshmen: Corey Barber (4-star), BraydenAllen (4-star), Jabari Mack(4-star)

Breakdown: Astrong 2026recruitingclass has tamped down LSU’s need at the position in the long term, but expect the Tigers to add multiple wideouts in the portal next month,especiallyifAaron Anderson leaves for the NFL. Parker had some promising moments, but the rest of the room either underperformed or didn’tplaymuch at all this season.

Kiffin isn’tastranger to adding immediate contributors at receiver.Ole Miss’ top three pass catchersall transferredintothe program last offseason.

Tightend

Could return: Trey’Dez Green (So.), JD LaFleur (Fr.), Donovan Green (R-Jr.)

Incoming freshman: JC Anderson (4star)

Breakdown: Trey’Dez Green is likely to be afocal point in Kiffin’sfirst offense at LSU. His size and athleticism will give Kiffinadimension that he never had at Ole Miss. With LaFleur and Anderson, LSU has two prospects who provide depth. Tight end may be one of thefew positions on offense where Kiffin

talking about Eli Heidenreichfor years and years and years.”

Althoughitwas clearly apassing situation, and Heidenreich was Navy’s top target, he wassingle covered over themiddle.

“Triedtobringsome pressure on them,” Armycoach Jeff Monken said. “Good throwand good catch.”

With President DonaldTrump in attendance, Navy (10-2) got its second straight victoryoverArmy (6-6), andthe Midshipmen won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for asecond straight season.The Black Knights have not beaten a Navy team ranked by theAPsince 1955.

Horvath was fortunate to have thechancetothrow that decisive touchdownpass. On second-andgoal from the 1, he lost the ball while attempting atush push. Armylinebacker Eric Ford had achance to scoop it up, but Navy running back Alex Tecza lunged over to prevent that, and Heidenreich eventually fell on theball

won’ttweak this offseason.

Offensiveline

Could return: Braelin Moore (R-Jr.), CariusCurne (Fr.), Weston Davis(R-Fr.),Paul Mubenga (R-So.), TyreeAdams (R-So.), DJ Chester (R-So.), Coen Echols (R-Fr.), Ory Williams (R-Fr.), Solomon Thomas (Fr.), Tyler Miller (Fr.), Ethan Calloway (R-Fr.), KhayreeLee (R-Fr.), Bo Bordelon (R-Jr.),Brett Bordelon (Fr.)

Incoming freshmen: Brysten Martinez(4-star), Ryan Miret (3-star)

Breakdown: LSU likelywill replace most of itsstarters on the offensive line even if Mooredecides not to head to the NFL. That’show porous the Tigerswere upfront this season. LSU doesn’tlack young contributors witha chance to return under Kiffin. The question is, how many of themwillactually stick aroundwith big roles in 2026?

Kiffin started two portaladditionsonthe line at Ole Miss this yearbut hadfour newstarters overall. An evengreater rebuild maybeinstore in Baton Rouge, with offensive line coach Brad Davis almost certainly heading out the door

Defensivetackle

Could return: Dominick McKinley (So.), Walter Mathis (Fr.), Shone Washington (R-Jr.), Brandon Brown (Fr.), Zion Williams (Fr.)

Incoming freshmen: Richard Ander-

back at the 8.

“That’sprobablythe last thing you want to seeonthe 1-yard line is youturnaround and the ball is just bouncing behind you,” Heidenreich said. “I was blocking down.Ithought he hadpushedin, and kind of out of my peripheral I saw it going behind me.”

On thenext play,Horvath was nearly sacked, but he was able to throw the ball towardTecza as he went down. The ball fell incomplete instead of being caught around the 15, which was just as well for Navy because it madegoingfor it on fourth down amore viable option.

“I kind of feltlikewehad to,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “The nature of what they do offensively,despite how well we played in the second half, you may not get theball back.

Navykneeled outthe clock,and Horvath appeared to wave goodbye at theArmy sideline. There was abit of aruckus near midfield after thefinalkneel-down before

son(5-star), Deuce Geralds (4star), Breakdown: HowKiffin treats this positionmay come down to whether LSU coaches believe in Anderson andGeralds as immediate contributors.Ifbothtop-60 recruits are ready on Day 1, LSU may not add more thana player or two from theportal, as long as McKinley and Mathis stick around. But if Kiffin wants to give the incoming freshmen more time to marinate, he’ll need to rebuild much of the position through the portal.

Edge rusher

Could return: Gabriel Reliford (So.), Dylan Carpenter (R-So.), CJ Jackson(R-Fr.), Damien Shanklin(Fr.), Kolaj Cobbins (R-Fr.)

Incomingfreshmen: Lamar Brown (5star), Trenton Henderson(4-star)

Breakdown: LSU hastalentbut little experience returning at edge rusherheading into next year Kiffin may not need to reshape theroom if Reliford returns,and if he believesBrowncan make an immediate impact. Thereturn of edge rushers coach Kevin Peoples could signala willingness to stick with theyoung guns,especiallyif theycan providemoreexplosiveness off theedge thanwhat LSU gotout of its portaladditionsfrom last offseason Linebacker

Could return: Whit Weeks (Jr.), Davhon Keys (So.),Tylen Singleton

Navy quarterbackBlake Horvath runs with the ballduring agame against Army on SaturdayinBaltimore.

thingseventually calmed down.

“Theywant to talkall their crap during thegame andact like they’re so tough,”Horvath said.

(R-Fr.), Charles Ross (Fr.), Jaiden Braker (Fr.), Keylan Moses (Fr.), Zach Weeks (Fr.), CJ Jimcoily (Fr.)

Breakdown: LSU’sloaded 2025 linebacker class could go alongway in shaping what the room looks likein2026. The Tigers already have speed andexplosiveness, but they lack experience outside of Keysand WhitWeeks.Weeks’ future may determine what Kiffin does with this position. If he comes back,LSU might add only one veteran.Ifhedoesn’t, Kiffinwill probably get aggressive in adding experienced starters.

Safety

Could return: TamarcusCooley (RSo.), Dashawn Spears (So.), Jardin Gilbert (Sr.),Joel Rogers(R-Fr.), Javien Toviano (Jr.), Jacob Bradford (Fr.), Austin Ausberry (R-Jr.), JhaseThomas (Fr.)

Incoming freshmen: Aiden Hall (4star), Isaiah Washington (4-star)

Breakdown: How LSU acts in the portalwiththis position rests on the staff’s beliefinSpears. The sophomore mostly played in just third-and-long situations this season, but he hasa clear chance to start in 2026. If Cooley decidesto stay anotheryear instead of headingtothe draft, the Tigers may have their starters set already Cornerback

Couldreturn: DJ Pickett (Fr.), PJ Woodland (So.), Ja’Keem Jackson (R-So.), Michael Turner (R-Fr.),

“The excuse last year was that theyplayed aconference championship game before us. This year we’ll see what it is.”

Aidan Anding (Fr.)

Incoming freshmen: Havon Finney (4star), Dez Ellis (4-star)

Breakdown: Despite losing thebest cornerback in the country in Mansoor Delane, the position maybean immediate strength next season. Pickett and Woodland excelled alongside Delane andhave thetalent to step into even bigger roles. The return of secondary coach Corey Raymond also means that both contributors likely will stay in Baton Rouge.

LSUcouldadd another player from the portal, but with so much young depth, that may not be necessary

Kickinggame

Could return: Aeron Burrell(So.), Grant Chadwick (So.)

Breakdown: Chadwick had an upand-downfirst season in Baton Rouge. His average net yards per punt decreased fromhis freshman year at Middle Tennessee, but his average hang timeand yards per attempt increased. If Kiffin fixes the offense as expected,LSU won’tneed Chadwickas much.

Burrelltook astep back as the kickoff specialist after shining in theroleasa freshman. Don’t be surprised if Kiffin adds a veteran from the portal to push Burrell for the open spot at kicker.Burrell has the leg strength to hit60-yard field goals, but his accuracy still needs to improve.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTOByDANIELKUCIN

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

Louisiana Tech on Sept. 6 at Tiger Stadium.

BLOCKBUSTERHIRE

LSUgot its man when it hiredLane Kiffin.

The enigmatic offensiveguru topped the Tigers’ Most Wanted Listfrom Day 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 school officials priedhim fromthe clutchesofa longtime conferencerival and outmaneuvered fellow bluebloodslike 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 catalystf LSU’s1958 national championship se son. McClendon’steamswent137-59andmade 13 bowl appearances in his seasons. He was also NationalCoach the Year in 1970.

7. Charles ‘Bo’ Rein Ohio State coach Woody Hayes called Rein “probably the bestyoung coach in the country” when LSU hired himaway from N.C. State in 1980. Ar kansas coach Frank Broylescalled th precocious 34-year-old “ahighly edu cated overachiever.” Rein hadcomp

a27-18-1 recordinfour seasons at N.C. State, andDietzel,then the LSU AD, wasconvinced he had hired LSU’snext great young coach. But the story 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

Obviously,itdidn’twork out, but in moment, this wasahomerun hire the Tigers, one that spoke to the eand lore of the LSU program. To xKelly away from Notre Dame, the st of blueblood programs, required ie, cunning and, of course, anow ous 10-year,$100 millioncontract went 34-14 but ultimately failed use of complacency and afaltering se, but the hire was widely herat the timeitwas 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

expectations of

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.

UNAPOLOGETIC

Newcoach

Kiffin, LSUbrass don’thavetoapologize to anyone foranything

It’s impossibletobe neutral about Lane Kiffin.

He’seither asavior or asinner,dependingonwhether you’repro-LSU or sympathetic to Ole Miss. Thefirst coach in the 12-team College Football Playoff era to leavehis program beforethe playoffs begin, he’sspawnedendless 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 longtime.”

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 Miss in, but wasrebuffed.

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 the best for LSU.”

Yes, Kiffinleft OleMiss at aparticularlyfraught time,inthe midst of aCFP runand its best seasonsince1963, when the Rebels won their last Southeastern Conference championship.

ButhegaveOle Miss six successful seasons.And he built 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, OleMisswould have long ago thrown himout on his ear.Noremorse. None of therampantsentimentality now being used as aweapon against Kiffin. Former ESPN broadcaster andNew Orleans native StanVerrett said it as well

as anyone:

“Mississippihad acoach thatloved 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,who was then,whathe is now, acoach looking for the best opportunity for hisown career “It’sacold game. Can’t be upsetwhen youfeel the chill.”

Kiffincritics may be proven right. Maybe he won’twin as bigasTigerfans hope or that he willleavefor another opportunity oneday,like another crack at the NFL. Iwrote the same thing about Nick Saban when he wenttoAlabama in 2007, noting the fact that he hadn’t coached anywhere— includingLSU more than five years. But Saban gottoa pointinhis career wherehedidn’twant to move anymore andstayed until he retired in 2023. Here is the real issuewith 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 whoeverKiffin 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 when it playedbadly.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 newseasonticketrequests 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

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 in a45-40

HEAD COACHING RETURN (2017-19)

K

fin’sthird and final season at FAU, with the Owls finishing 11-3 and winning both the conference championship game and the Boca Raton Bowl forthe second time in three years. Kiffin’ssuccess at FAUled to him getting anotherheadcoaching opportunity in the SEC, this time at OleMiss. OLEMISSCOACH (2020-25)

Ole Misshired Kiffinasits head coach before the2020 season. It was Kiffin’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

Dec.1 at 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

When, wheredid WWI monuments go in N.O.?

BY RACHEL MIPRO

Contributing writer

After fighting ended in World WarI,temporary structures lined the downtown side of Canal StreetinNew Orleans to stir support fora last round of United Stateswar bonds. Algiers Point resident and retired veteran Ron Hill found an intriguing picture in the Louisiana Digital Library In the image, structures stand tall over Canal Street, complete with wreaths and plaques near the bottom that listed the names of New Orleanians who lost their lives in the war

“Being aveteranofthe warinAfghanistan, Ihave an interest in howwe remember our veterans from past wars, and am particularlyinterested inhow we honor Gold Star mothers —those who have suffered and given up so much for our country,” Hill said.“We often focus news stories of thosewho died, while rarely giving much media coverage to those who are left behind

ä See CURIOUS, page 5E

Thecelebrations continue forthe King of Zydeco CliftonChenier

With 2026 knocking on the door,we’re about to wrap up the Year of Chenier, the centennialbirthdaycelebrationofthe King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier. Well, notquite Accolades and achievements continuefor the Grammy Hall of Fame accordionist born June 25, 1925, near Opelousas. The recognition stretches into the New Year.The King of Zydeco’scrown will not be put away with theChristmas decorations. Happy Year of Chenier— the 2026 edition. Here are some recent andupcoming accolades.

ä See CHENIER, page 5E

BAKER’S DELIGHT

The holidaysbringout thebest in home kitchens —simple ingredients, bigflavors and acombination of recipes passed down through generations alongsidenew ones taking theinternet 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 something completelynew 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

ä See HOLIDAY CAKES, pages 4E,5E

Herman Fuselier

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Toprow,from left: Hummingbird Cake, Mississippi Pound Cake, Red Velvet Pound Cake. Bottomrow,from left: Brown Sugar Chai Cake, Pistachio Coffee Cakeand Satsuma OliveOil Cake

Steinway adds BR’s Delony to Hall of Fame

Baton Rouge performer and piano teacher Willis Delony has been inducted into the Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano educators. Delony was nominated by Steinway Piano Gallery of New Orleans.

In a performing career spanning more than four decades, Delony has earned acclaim as one of America’s leading classical-jazz crossover artists His innovative approach to blending the two styles is featured in his Classical and Jazz Connections recording series on the Centaur label, including “A New World A’ Comin’,” “Double Dance” and “Out of Character.” His most recent solo release, “Butterfly Room — Connections for Solo Piano,” continues this artistic exploration. Additional credits include “Civilized Conversations” with bassist Bill Grimes, “Rhapsody in Bassoon” with William Ludwig, and “Orion Nocturne” with oboist Johanna Cox Pennington.

Delony has appeared as soloist, guest pianist, arranger and conductor with orchestras throughout the United States, Canada, China, and the former Soviet Union. He has presented recitals across North and South America and Europe, including a solo recital at Carnegie Hall and has collaborated with many of the nation’s foremost jazz artists.

His orchestral and pops arrangements have been widely performed in the U.S. and Canada, including more than 50 works written for the jazz vocal quintet Five by Design. Delony has premiered works by contemporary composers Stephen Dankner Joseph Makholm, Les Hooper and Greg Yasinitsky, whose “Jazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” won The American Prize in composition.

A dedicated educator Delony is Boyd Professor of Piano and Jazz Studies in the School of Music at LSU.

A former faculty member at Southeastern Louisiana University and Delta State University, he is a recipient of the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award,

an artist fellowship from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and the Edith Kirkpatrick Arts Leadership Award from the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Delony studied with Jack Guerry at LSU and with Ann Schein at the Peabody Conservatory

BRAF announces impact grant recipients

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation issued grant funding to 19 nonprofits working locally in the early childhood education and community safety sectors.

This competitive funding opportunity was issued in response to recent findings from BRAF’s opportunity data project and seeks to support local organizations addressing some of the challenges and areas for greatest impact highlighted within those briefings.

Awardees include the following organizations in the Capital Region:

n 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Baton Rouge, Ltd.

n Baton Rouge Early Childhood Education Collaborative, Inc.

n Big Buddy Program

n Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

n Community in Schools

Gulf South

n Exceptional Lives Inc.

n Gardere Community Christian School

n Gardere Initiative

n Generation Upward Foundation

n Knock Knock Children’s Museum

n LAUNCH

n Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights

n Mary’s Hands Network

n Pointe Coupée Early Childhood Coalition Inc

n Someone Always Cares Foundation

n Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

n Southern University Child Development Laboratory

n The Walls Project

n YMCA of the Capital Area

Funding for these grants was made possible through donations to BRAF’s impact funds. These funds focus on specific areas and allow anyone in the community to donate to a cause they care about like education, safety or the environment.

Krewe of Orion

Fais Do Do

Brookhollow Glen Pokeno Group

Members of the Brookhollow Glen Pokeno Group held their 43rd Christmas party on Dec. 2 at Linda Mason’s home in Brookhollow Glen subdivision. Shown are, from left, seated, Sheree Hernandez, Linda Montagnino, Joanne Mancina, Jackie Lauve and Karin Simmons; standing, Pat

Faye

PROVIDED PHOTO

Teacher Hall of Fame

Willis Delony, right, inducted into the Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame on Nov. 20, stands with Gavin English president of Steinway Americas.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Committee members attended the Fais Do Do Christmas cocktail buffet at the Baton Rouge Country Club Shown are, from left, Sarabeth Rountree, Lou Hudson Coulter, Chairwoman Linda MacMorran, President Becky Ellis, Ann Conway, Patty Newton and Julie Hubbell.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Members of the Krewe of Orion held their annual king and queen party at Ruffino’s on Nov. 1

Gathered are, from left, front row, Crystal Coppola, Kris Cangelosi, Rachel Blythe, Elizabeth Blythe, Brittany Lipoma, Angie Coates, Laura Dunlap, Sonya Morris and Shawn Hodges; back row, Danny Paline, Thad Foreman, Chad Coppola, Rick Osborne, Robert Hodges and Guy Blanchard.

Stadolnik,

Bott, Janet Gremillion, Cindy Twiner and Mason. PROVIDED PHOTO

TRAVEL

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-

approximately one and onehalf milesand takes about twohours,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

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

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

6

1

1

3

sifted Swans Down Cake Flour

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

3

2

1

1. Preheat oven to 350 F 2. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

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.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1E

when we lose a warrior, and how families of warriors sacrifice for all of us.”

His question: What happened to this pair of WWI monuments that previously occupied Canal Street? Were they relocated?

Clues about these mysterious structures lie in a series of newspaper filings from 1919, provided 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 Chair 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

CHENIER

Continued from page 1E

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 a memorial scholarship at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The album is also part of another banner year for Louisiana in the Regional Roots category 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.

‘At Sunset’ 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 Rubboard Capital of the World.

“Tee Don” Landry makes and globally ships his Key of Z Rubboards from his home in Sunset. Landry’s father Willie, along with the Chenier brothers, designed the first metal, vest-styled rubboard in 1946.

Lifetime Achievement encore Folklife Alliance International will present a Lifetime Achievement Award in 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

of the most impressive features of the Victory Liberty Loan declaration.”

Drumming up public enthusiasm

Four days later, the newspaper described these impressive features: a display on Canal Street consisting of eight three-sided pylons, each between 18 and 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.

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 recordings 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.

‘I Don’tWishYou Well’tackles

homophobia,secrets in smalltown

young adultthrillerhas lead investigating aseriesofmurders

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-

PROVIDED PHOTO By LANCE yOUNG

Jumata Emill, author of ‘I Don’t Wish youWell,’will be at Red Stick Readsin Baton RougeonJan. 20 to discuss his newbook.

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

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?

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.

La.bookclub keepsmother’s reading passionalive

Kitty Day

9. “The Right Move”byLiz Tomforde 10. “Mate” by Ali Hazelwood BETWEEN THEPAGES WITHJUMATAEMILL

Da an nny Heitm Danny Heitman

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.

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

Christmas, YouFilthy Animal” by Meghan Quinn

7. “Housemaid” by Freida McFadden

8. “Quicksilver”byCallie Hart

PHOTO By DANNy HEITMAN.

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 presidentofthe United 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, endingthe 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 Hartis 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 the headofaline to vote; the precinct wasn’tcrowded, and no one’swait was long. The precinct volunteer encountered a problem that prompted her to seek help, and Ispent my wait looking at the floor rather thanstaring in her direction, notwanting her to misinterpret my gaze as annoyance (thewait was nobig deal) After about 30 seconds, the personbehind me jabbed my left shoulder five times,HARD, to alert me to the volunteer’s availability.

Miss Manners, Iamill, weak, meekand small (5 feet tall, 90 pounds); thestranger behind me was at least 6inches taller at least 20 yearsyounger 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, it maybe 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. Now we have learned from our daughterthat 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?

Gentle Reader: 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 what to bring. Ihave one relative who insists on doing preparation in my kitchen immediately before the meal instead of bringing acompleted dish. Iswear,ifIasked 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.

Cook frozen pizzas withoutthe messycleanup

oven or oven racks.) Thanks for your wonderful hints!

D.R.C., in Manhattan Beach, California

Termsfor generations

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

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

Judith Martin

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

La.-shot ‘Sinners’ tops Golden Globenominations

Leslie Cardé

The awards season is officially in full swing with this week’s Golden Globe nominations, and the Louisiana-shot film “Sinners” has risen to the top of the heap. With seven separate nods, director Ryan Coogler’s musical film about twin brothers who confrontthe supernatural is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in aMotion Picture,Best Director,Best Screenplay,Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Cinematic Box Office Achievement. (And, the Critics Choice Awardsjust announced 17 nominationsfor “Sinners.”)

Only two films received more Globe nominations than “Sinners.”

“One Battle After Another,” from Academy-Award nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson, is the Leonardo DiCaprio/Benicio Del Toro vehicle about awashedup revolutionary who goesback into action when his daughter turns up missing. It received nine nominations, includingactornoms for both DiCaprio and Del Toro

With eight nominations is “Sentimental Value,” the story of two sisters who reunite with their estranged father,aonce-renowned director who offers his daughter arole in his comeback film. Critics have heapedpraise on this film, starring Elle Fanning and Stellan Skarsgard. The competition is stiff this year in the one awards ceremony that honors both film and television. With so many film actors now crossing over intotelevision series, and so many new films going straight to streaming, it’s often hard to distinguish between atheatrical release and aseries that comes straight to your home screen. Still in theaters is the muchtalked-about “Hamnet,” receiving six nominations,including picture,actress, supportingactor, director, screenplay,and original

score. For director and screenwriter Chloé Zhao, she joinsthe rarefied air surrounding Barbra Streisand,JaneCampion and Kathryn Bigelow who were the only female directors ever toearn two Golden Globenominations. Themovie’splotline is unique, tellingthe behind-the-scenes story of William Shakespeare and thedeath of oneofhis twins, a boy namedHamnet. This event wasthe impetus behind one of Shakespeare’smost famous works, Hamlet. Twelve-year-old actor JacobiJupeasHamnet steals the show.Bring your Kleenex for this one!

Tied with fivenominations are theGuillermoDel Toro version

of the classic “Frankenstein,” starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, both nominated along with their director,and Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good.” While omitted in thebest film category,it did garner another nomination for Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in this film and its predecessor,last year’s“Wicked,” along with ArianaGrande (also nominated) playing oppositeher as Glinda the Good Witch Twofan favorites at the recent New OrleansFilm Festival were George Clooney as atroubled movie star in “Jay Kelly,” and Tessa Thompson as the lively lead character in “Hedda,” areimaging of the Henrik Ibsen work, “Hedda Gabler.” Both actors are nominated for Golden Globes for their absorbing portrayals of outof-the-ordinary characters. Both filmsare now streaming —“Jay Kelly” on Netflix, and “Hedda” on Prime Video. Interestingly,actors Amanda Seyfried, Jacob Elordi and Jeremy Allen White are all double acting nominees. Seyfried stars in “The Testament of AnnLee,” a musical about the Shaker move-

ment, as well as “Long Bright River,” in which she portrays a police officer in Philadelphia during the opioid crisis.

Elordi is not only nominated for co-starring in “Frankenstein,” but he’supfor Best Actor in the limited series, “The Narrow Road to theDeep North,” where he plays thelead, Dr.Dorrigo Evans whois haunted by his past in aJapanese slave labor camp

Whiteisbest knowntoaudiences for his starring role in the popular series “The Bear,” where he’s been nominated repeatedly,but he is also aphenomenal presence as rock legendBruce Springsteen in “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.”

In thetelevision categories, longtime favorites led the way, with HBO’s“The White Lotus” scoring six nominations and Apple TV’s “Severance” along with “Only Murders in the Building” at four nominations apiece. Newcomer “Adolescence” on Netflix raked in an impressive five nominationsand delves into thestorybehind a13-year-old boy who is accused of stabbing to deathone of his female class-

mates. Teenager Owen Cooper, whoplays Jacob, is nominated for Best Supporting Actor in atelevision role. Up against “Adolescence” in the Best Television Limited Series category are abevy of psychological thrillers including Peacock’s “All Her Fault” about the devious tale behind achild gone missing, Netflix’s“The Beast in Me” concerning aPulitzer Prize-winning author whose lifebegins to unravel when anew neighbor inserts himself into her life, Netflix’s long-running “Black Mirror,” the British anthology series inspired by “The Twilight Zone” and Prime Video’s“The Girlfriend” about the troubled relationship between amother and her son’sgirlfriend. Then, there’s“Dying forSex” with Michelle Williamsasawoman dying of terminal breast cancer wholeaves her husband and sets out on ajourney of sexual self-discovery Nominees forBest Television Series in both the Drama and Comedy categories are a list of perpetual favorites like “Severance,” “The White Lotus,” “The Diplomat” and “The Pitt.” The just-released and alreadynominated Apple TV’s“Pluribus,” the post-apocalyptic science fiction series from Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) seemstobean immediate hit already An interesting factoid here twomarried couples are all up forawards in different vehicles. Kristen Bell, nominated for“Nobody Wants This” is married to DaxShepard, whoisnominated forBest Podcast with “Armchair Expert with DaxShepard.” Meanwhile, Matthew Rhys whoisnominated forplaying the diabolical Nile Jarvis in “The Beast in Me” is married to Keri Russell, who as the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain is defusing one international crisis after another in “The Diplomat.” It will be astar-studded red carpet when the 83rd GoldenGlobes take place at 7p.m.Jan. 11 on CBS. For acomplete list of nominees, go to www.goldenglobes.com.

PROVIDED By WARNER BROTHERS

Ryan Coogler directs DelroyLindo and Michael B. Jordan in ‘Sinners.

Frederic Remington’s painting ‘Argument with the Town Marshall’is one of the pieces up for sale in the Jan. 20 auction.

CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD.

Koch brother’sWestern artpiecesheadtoauction

Worksinclude images of cowboys, landscapes

BY COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press

Some of the most recognizable artwork depicting the American West is heading to auction at Christie’s, where dozens of pieces from billionaire Bill Koch’scollection are expected to fetchat least $50 million.

The in-person “Visions of the West” sale will take place in New York over two sessions beginning Jan. 20, with the final lots offered —appropriately —athigh noon the following day Koch’sholdings include major works by FredericRemington, Charles Marion Russell and Albert Bierstadt, artists whose images of cowboys, Native Americans andsweeping landscapes helped define how generationscametopicture the American frontier.

Tylee Abbott, headof Christie’s American Art Department, said interest in Western subjects has remained strong as new audiences discover the culture and mythology of the region. “What is out West? What

is over the horizon?” he mused. “It goes on to embody theAmerican spirit.”

Bill Koch’s brothers David and CharlesKochwere major donors to conservative causes. Althoughhehas pursueddifferent ventures since a1980s business disputewith his brothers, Bill Koch traces his longtime love of Western art to their childhood

“I was born andraised in Kansas and spent childhood summers workingonmy father’sranches in Montana andTexas,” Koch saidina statementtoThe Associated Press.Hedescribed himself as “a child ofthe American Plains,” shaped by the Western art that hung in his home and the stories of the region’spast.

Theauctionwillinclude 16 sculptures by Remington, along with his painting“Comingtothe Call,” which is expected to sell for $6 million to $8 million,according to Christie’s.There will alsobebothasmall and large version of Remington’s “Bronco Buster” bronze sculpture.Russell’s “The Sun Worshippers”is projectedtosell for $4 million to $6 million. Bierstadt’s bright vistasofmountains and plains are alsoamong thefeatured works.

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Michael Clawson, executive editor of Western Art Collector magazine, said the aesthetics of the region continue to surprise people who see them for thefirst time.

“When you comehere, there is something about thelight,the atmosphere, thecolors,”saidClawson, who grew up in Phoenix.He saidthe Western art genre has existed since theearly 1800s and remains vibrant today,asyounger collectors discover thegenre and new artists keep it alive.

Andinthe current century,population and wealth have surged across severalWestern states, with Arizona,Utahand Nevada each gaining well over a million residentssince 2000. In thelast decade,the medianhousehold incomein the West rose from $58,000 in 2014 to almost $93,000 in 2024, according to theU.S. Census Bureau’sAmerican Community Survey

The sale at Christie’s could attract collectors from across thenation,and the scale of the auction likely makes it one of the most significantWestern art offerings in years. Christie’shas not said why Koch is selling, with thebillionaire saying, “It is time to passalong these pieces.”

Many Americans arefortunate to have dentalcoverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-providedbenefits. Whenthose benefits end with retirement, payingdental billsout-of-pocketcan come as ashock, leading people to put off or even go without care.

Simply put—without dental insurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage

When you’re comparingplans.

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services.Some plans may limit thenumber of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles.Some plans may require you to payhundredsout of pocket beforebenefits are paid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits.Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1 That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meanttocover everything.That means if you wantprotection, you need to purchaseindividualinsurance.

Early detection canprevent small problems

Treatmentisexpensive— especially the servicespeopleover 50 often need. Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup $190 fora filling $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be areal burden, especially if you’re on afixed income.

BY AUDREY MCAVOY Associated Press

The painting thatintroduced ”Star Wars”tothe world nearly 50 yearsago —and was reproduced in an iconic movie poster —sold at auction on Wednesdayfor $3.875 million.

The acrylic andairbrush painting by theartist and movieposter designer TomJung first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, alittle less thantwo weeks before the space epic created by George Lucas opened. It also adorned billboards, magazine ads and theater programs.

“For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse of the galaxy far, far away,” said CharlesEpting, the director of popculture andhistorical consignments at Heritage Auctions.

“StarWars” producer Gary Kurtz kept theoriginal painting andhung it on his office wall before passing it down to his daughter

The Kurtz family later put the work up for sale at the Dallas headquarters of HeritageAuctions, where bidding started at $1 million.

Priortothis, the highest price for franchisememorabilia was Darth Vader’s lightsaber,whichsold at auction for $3.6 million.

The saleset records for the highest-selling piece of memorabilia from the film franchise, andingeneral for any movie poster artwork, Epting said. The buyer,whose winning bid came in through the website,has chosen to keep his identity private.

PROVIDED By HERITAGE AUCTIONS

TomJung created for the artwork for the 1977 movie ‘Star Wars.

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

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.

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.

The followingpromotions and new hires have recently been announced by south Louisiana businesses.

BatonRouge

Dr.Ralph Corsetti hasbecome the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’snewest surgical oncologist. He will work closely with the center’sbreast specialty program andpractice at its surgery clinic in Covington.

Nick D’Aquilla has been promoted to president of Counsel Financial. D’Aquilla, aBaton Rouge-based attorneyand former civildefense litigator for the Louisiana Department of Justice, joined the Buffalobased litigation finance firmas amanagingdirector in 2024.

Jones Walker announced three new associates at its Baton Rouge office. Blaine Jacob joined the corporate practicegroup, while Erin Alpandinar and Camille Webre joined the litigation practice group.

Al James hasbeen hired as director ofthe Keep Louisiana Beautiful Foundation.James, a Ruston native, has more than a quarter century of experience in the nonprofit sector,most re-

Fool’sTake: The Vanguard Growth ETF

public accounting and advisory firm Mauldin &Jenkins, which has 19 offices following the merger

centlyaseventsand sponsorship director for Philanthropy Southwest. NewOrleans

Deirdre McGlinchey hasjoined JonesWalker as apartner after spending three decades at McGlinchey Stafford, her father’snamesake firm. Special counsel Rob Denny and associates Gillian Miculek McCarroll and Ryan Lavelle joined McGlinchey on the commercial disputes team.

Jones Walker also announced seven new associates at its New Orleans office. Harrison Bond, Stephen Capella, Ahn Do and DillonKnight

joined the corporateteam Claire Dinwiddie hasbeen addedtothe laborand employment team, Madelyn Graves to litigation team and AliOdermann to themaritime team.

Kristi App has been named the chiefcommercial officer of thePort of New Orleans. App was previously chief operating officer of the freight forwarding, customs brokerage and global logistics provider J.W. Allen &Co.

Eric Bosch,president of LaPorte CPAs &BusinessAdvisors, has becomeregional market leader of the Atlanta-based certified

RIVER

Continuedfrom page 1F

Many of us would love to have gobs of growth stocks in our portfolios, but it takes some skill and time to study the universe of stocks to determine which companies seem most promising.Soconsider simply investing in an exchange-traded fund that’sfocused on companies growing faster than average. (An ETF is afund that trades like astock, making it easy to get into and out of.)

Afine example is the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG). The past 15 years have featured higher-than-average growthrates for the overall market, with the S&P 500 averaging 14.2% per year (as of Dec. 5). Over the same period, the Vanguard Growth ETFaveraged 16.2% annually

The fund’sexpense ratio (annual fee) is just 0.04%, meaningyou’ll be charged $4 per year for every $10,000 youhave invested in it.

As of the end of October,the ETF owned 160 different stocks. Its top holdings were Nvidia,Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Broadcom, Google parent Alphabet, Tesla, Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Eli Lilly.Much of the fund’sassets are in these leading tech-heavy stocks, especially the top three, so be sure you’re bullish on their futures if you decide to invest. Also be aware that if and when the market pulls back, so will the ETF—though it has always bounced back after such drops. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends the Vanguard Growth ETF.)

Fool’sSchool: Credit reports and credit scores

As we go about our financial lives, it’simportant to build and maintain a strong credit report and ahigh 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 for a$400,000 home with a30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your monthly payment might be around $1,920 with a6%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 the 30-yearperiod. Your credit report is generally a multipage document featuring your birth date and Social Security number, the status of your credit accounts, your credit limits and how often you’ve made loan repayments on time (or otherwise). It can also include loans sent to collections, overduechild 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 fromeach of the main credit-reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.It’sbest 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 site even allows you to view your reports online once each week.

Many credit card issuers, banks and credit unions also offer free access to your credit score —what you get when much of the information above is consolidated into asingle number Youcan improve your report and/ or score by paying bills on timeand avoiding excessive use of your credit limit. Learn more about credit reports and how to disputeany errors at consumer.ftc.gov

Ask the Fool:High dividend yields in context

Is it smarttofocus only on stockswith highdividend yields and low price-to-earnings ratios? —T.P., Youngsville Not necessarily.Some dividend yields are steep simply because the stock price has fallen —perhaps due to troubles at the company.After all, a dividend yield is the result of dividing theannual dividend amount by the current stock price, so alower share price will result in ahigher yield. Yields of, say,2%to4%(or even more) can be solid, especially if the payout has been growing well, but dig deeper into any company sportinganoutsized dividend yield. Remember,too, thata fast-growing 2% dividendyield can be preferable to aslow-growing 3% yield. Meanwhile, plentyofgreat and growing companiesdon’tpay dividends, so don’texclude nonpayers, unless you’re really looking for income. (Current non-dividend-payers 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 aprofit won’thave P/E figures at all (because you can’t divide by zero).

Compareacompany’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 many other valuation measures at sites such as fool.com and finance. yahoo.com. When astock is said to be up $1.65 or down $4.22,from what price has it risenorfallen? —F.S., Westwood,New Jersey

The gainorloss is generally measured from where the stock traded at the end of the last trading session.

My Smartest Investment: Hertz vs. Greyhound

My smartest investment?Well,in the mid-1950s, when Iwas ateenager mowinglawns in awealthy suburb of Chicago,my father recommended investing the money I’dsaved.He suggestedI invest in a companycalled Hertz thatspecialized in car rentals,as he thought that more and moreAmericans would want to rent cars.Itook my father’s advice

The mainnegative in doingsowas that by thetime Igot to college in the late 1950s,I expectedall stocks to tripletheir valueormore every year! Fortunately,I wasalso investedinthe Greyhound bus companywith $100 from my grandfather.(My parentsmade that choice,reasoning that people would alwaysneed to ride buses.) So watching Greyhound slowly grow in the 1950s didgive me a reality check for my Hertz stock.— P.R.,San Jose, California

Youwere fortunate indeed to own shares of afast-growing company and also to realize that skyrocketing growth is not the norm.This is why it’s smart to spread your dollars across abunch of companies. Hertz now includes the Dollar,Thrifty and Firefly car-rental chains. Greyhound ended up filing for bankruptcy and is now owned by the German travel company Flix.

Do youhave asmart or regrettable investment move to sharewith us? Email it to tmfshare@fool.com.

Best option

The Safe Navigation Committee did notrecommend daylightonly restrictions or requiring escort tugs for these ships,Bopp added, making asecond pilot the appropriate tool to enhance safety withoutsignificantlyincreasing operational burdens

By contrast, he said, having two pilotson the bridge improves situational awareness, strengthens communication andprovides alayer of redundancy during the river’smost challenging segment. That,hesaid, better protects“Louisiana’s people,environment andeconomy” alonga route that has grown more complex and congested over time.

Theassociation alsoemphasizedthat the financial impact of thechangeislimited. Pilotage fees constitute one of avessel’ssmallest routine operating costs,Bopp said, and the two-pilot requirement applies to only about3%oftotal rivertraffic. Because thedecision was rooted in safety andnavigation,itdid notrequire action by the Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commission, whichhas no jurisdiction over suchmatters.

“This is aboutensuring the safe anduninterruptedflow of commerce on oneofthe country’smost vitalwaterways,” Bopp said, adding that River Port Pilots looks“forward to continuing to honor that responsibility.”

Still, the shift has unsettled some maritime operators, many of whom view it as another example of the highly autonomous power that Louisiana’s river pilots wield in shaping the rules governing ship transits. Several shippers contacted for this story declined to speak on the record, saying they didnot want to publicly criticize the influential andpolitically well-connected pilot groupsthat control various stretches of the Mississippi from the Gulf to Baton Rouge

Aspokespersonfor the Port of New Orleans alsodeclined to comment

Privately,however,several industry executivessaid theJuly change reignitedlongstanding concerns about alack of consultation andoversight in major operational decisions.They argue that decisions affecting navigation, costsand port competitiveness should be made only after broad engagement withcarriers, terminal operators, port officials and exporters—something theysay did not occurin this case.

An independentoverseer

“The issue is that there is no oversight of decisions like these outside of the pilots themselves, no consultation with industryor the ports,” said one seniorexecutive,who requestedanonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.“That could become areal costissue

McGlinchey Stafford announced the hiring of Ryan Ginn as an associate at the firm’senterprise litigation and investigations team.

EliLarriviere hasjoined Blue Williams to work as an associate.

Danita BeckWickwire hasbeen named theinauguralexecutive director of development for the Xavier OchsnerCollege of Medicine. Wickwire, who previouslyworked as vice president of strategic andprincipalgiving for the National AudubonSociety,will lead philanthropic for the college.

Acadiana

Rose Miller,apastboardmember of the Louisiana Bankers Association withmorethanfour decades of banking industry experience, has been promoted executivechairofthe board of First National Bank of Louisiana. The Lafayette-based bank also

when we have the downriver terminal built and more of the larger vessels.”

The reference was to the proposed Louisiana International Terminal, amultibillion-dollar containerfacilitythe Port of New Orleansisdeveloping in Violet, in St. BernardParish,alongside private-sector partners Ports America anda subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Co. The terminal is designed to handle the ultra-large

promoted Jim Lyons,aJennings native and Louisiana Economic Development board member, to chief executive officer

SarahDavenport hasbeen appointed thehead of school for AscensionEpiscopal School.

Davenport, who waspreviously the upper school division head at theLafayette school, hadbeen serving as interim head for the prior six months. Around Louisiana

The River Parishes Tourist Commission announced theappointment of three newofficers: Chair Garrett Monti, of St. Charles Parish; Vice Chair Camella Landry, of St. James Parish;and Secretary/Treasurer Noble Benoit of St. Charles Parish.

Do you have personnel changes to shareorother ideasfor ourbusiness coverage? Drop us alineat biztips@theadvocate.com.

By contrast, Capt.E.Michael Bopp, president of the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association, said, having twopilots on the bridgeimprovessituational awareness, strengthens communication and provides a layer of redundancy during theriver’s most challenging segment. That, he said, better protects “Louisiana’speople, environment and economy” along aroutethat has grown more complex and congested over time

container ships that currently bypass New Orleans for fastergrowing Gulf ports such as Mobile and Houston. Industry critics worry that if pilotage requirements continue to expand without broader stakeholder input, carriers could face higher operating costs that undermine the competitive advantages the new terminalismeant to deliver.While the two-pilot rule applies to a small numberofships today, theynote that the share of large vesselscalling on New Orleans is expected to grow substantially once the Violet terminal is complete.

Forthose shippers, the concern is not solely about the cost of an additionalpilot but about the structure of decision-making.Louisiana’s system —divided among four autonomous pilot groups, eachwith its own boardand statutoryauthorities —has long been apoint of frictionfor carriers who say they lack meaningful avenuesto weigh in on navigational policy or fee-setting.

Pilotage is ahighly specialized and safety-critical function, they acknowledge, but they argue that the state’scurrent governanceframework gives pilots near-exclusive control over decisionsthatcan significantly affectport competitiveness and the cost of doing business on the lower Mississippi. In thepast, shippers have clashed withpilots over fee adjustments, staffing levels and trafficmanagement protocols, often arguing thatsuch decisions should be made by a broader commission or state agency.The LouisianaPilotage Fee Commission provides oversightonthe cost side, but its authority does not extend to safety or navigationpolicy—precisely the areas underwhichthe July change falls.

Deeper questions

Pilotgroups counter that their independence is essential to ensuring safety on ariver that is both economically vital and uniquely challenging. They pointout that pilots areonthe water every day and possess the firsthand experience needed to identify emerging risks. They

also note that many major ports around the country andthe world operate with similarly insulated pilotage systems. The tension between those positions is likely to sharpen as the Louisiana International Terminal project advances. The Port of New Orleans has pitched theterminalasthe state’smost important infrastructure investment in generations, one that could reassert the region’s relevanceinglobalshipping andallowittocompete more effectively for trans-Gulf trade. But achieving thatambition, port officials have repeatedly said, will require close coordination among pilots, carriers, exporters, and state regulators to ensure the lower Mississippi remains both safe and cost-competitive. For now,the two-pilot requirementremains in place, affecting only asliver of the ships that move 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 aleading critic of some of the riverpilots’ past actions, challenging rate increases through the courts as well as legislative efforts to changethe oversight system.

Core issues include the high salaries and expense reimbursements for pilots, someearning over $700,000 ayear,which shippers payfor.There have also been criticismsofalack of transparencyover rate-setting and internal operations of pilots.

David Cresson, CEO of the LCA, said members recognize theneedfor safety andthe additional pilot costs haven’tyet affected chemical vessels.

“That said, we will monitor the situation and work with the pilot associationstoensure safeand competitive shipping conditions forchemical manufacturers in Louisiana,” he said.

EmailAnthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

McGlinchey

Denny

Odermann

Corsetti

McCarroll

Lavelle

Motley Fool

Lyons Miller

Davenport

Ginn

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.”

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.

Politz

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

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.

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, but it still has more than 100 employees, according to Grady Fitzpatrick, an executive at Greater New Orleans Inc. who has worked for years to grow the industry in the state.

Both High Voltage and inXile, meanwhile, have stuck around in New Orleans for a decade, albeit with smaller teams than expected. For Carlson, the reasons for staying go beyond business.

“After living in New Orleans, I don’t know where else I could live,” she said. “Where would you go after being here?”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Jessa Carlson, New Orleans studio head for High Voltage Software, pulls up a picture of a Fortnite skin on

By

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 quality 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.

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-

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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.

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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

An article from Gallagher

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Ln,Baton Rouge, LA 70810, is re‐questing sealed bids for thelease,delivery, in‐stallation,optionalpur‐chase, andfuturere‐movalofmodular build‐ings Work includes:one (1) approx.2,870 SF adminis‐trative/dining building; six(6) approx.730 SF classroom buildingswith gang restrooms(delivery by 6/1/26);and four (4) approx.730 SF classroom buildingswithrestrooms (deliveryby6/1/27).Re‐movalpricing forSum‐mer2029 andpurchase optionsrequired. BidPackage maybere‐questedbyemail: bhutchins@bhope.org. Bids accepted until Janu‐ary7,2026, 5:00 PM CST, andmustbesubmitted electronically to bhutchins@bhope.org with subjectline“Kenil‐worthModular Bid– DO NOTOPEN.”Bid opening will occurafter thedead‐line Questionsmustbesub‐mitted by January1 2026, 5:00 PM CSTto bhutchins@bhope.org. Addendawillbeissued

as required Publishedonceper week forthree consecutive weeks, firstpublication at least25daysprior to biddeadline, perR.S 38:2212. Ownerreserves theright to reject any andall bids

ansinBaton Rougeand the surroundingcommu‐nitiesina modern,stateof-the artfacility. The ProposedActionsiteis approximately 15 acres and is locatedat83008400 PecueLane, Baton Rouge,LA. VA prepared theFinal EA and FONSIaccording to the National Environmen‐tal Policy Act(NEPA)of 1969 (42U.S.Code§ 4321 etseq.).The FinalEAex‐aminesthe potentialen‐vironmental effectsfrom implementingthe Pro‐posed Action andthe No ActionAlternative.VA concluded that imple‐menting theProposed Actionwillnot have a significant adverseenvi‐ronmental impact;there‐fore, an environmental impactstatement is not required. TheFinal EA andFONSI are availableonthe VA website at https://www.cfm.va.gov/ environmental/.Hard copiesare availableat the East BatonRouge ParishLibrary –Bluebon‐net Regional Branch,9200 BluebonnetBlvd, Baton Rouge,LA70810. 170142 Dec. 14, 16, 2t $439.30

following: V-25-0021: Variance at theNorthwest Corner of Hooper Road andBridle‐wood Drive. Requestto reduce theminimum lot widthto100 feet where 125 feet is required (App. 1, Sec. 3.3.A.1) forsix pro‐posednew lots (concur‐rent subdivisionrequest S-25-0029).OnLot A(pro‐posedLotsA-1,A-2,A-3 A-4, A-5, andA-6), Bridle‐wood Subdivision, in the R-1(Single-FamilyResi‐dence) zoning district (Applicant/Owner:Nick FaKouri, JJN Holdings LLC) 168710-dec8-14-18-3t $60.52

following: S-25-0027: Subdivisionat 9640 Arleen Avenue.Re‐questfor aprelimi‐nary/finalplattosubdi‐vide onelot (7-B)into two, Fiesta HomesSubdi‐vision,and dedicate a newprivate access servi‐tude,witha public sewer waiver,comprising1.212 acresinthe R-1(SingleFamily Residence) zoning district.(Applicant: Cur‐tisChaney, Louisiana Land Surveying, forDena Davis) S-25-0028: Exchange of Propertyat14430 Brown Road.Request to ex‐change propertybe‐tween TractF-1-A,Evans WhiteEstate, andanUnDesignated 145.63 acre PettitTract,located be‐tween andwithfrontage on BrownRdand Carey Rd,comprising148.3 acresinthe R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zon‐ingdistrict. (Applicant: Theodule Hebert,III, on behalf of himselfand RandallC.Wagley) S-25-0029: Subdivisionat theNorthwest Corner of Hooper Road andBridle‐wood Drive. Requestfor apreliminary plat to sub‐divide onelot (A)into six, Bridlewood Subdivi‐sion,withnew public sewerline, comprising 5.3acres in theR-1 (Sin‐gle-Family Residence) zoning district,with a separate concurrent re‐quest fora variance to l id h ( )

q lot width (V-25-0021) (Applicant/Owner: Nick FaKouri, JJN Holdings, LLC) S-25-0030: Subdivisionat 9804 Blackwater Road Requestfor aprelimi‐nary/finalplattosubdi‐vide onetract (G-1-A) into two, H.O. Denham Estate,and dedicate a newprivate servitudeof passage, comprising 13.855 acresinthe R/A (Rural/Agricultural)

A-1-Aand B-1-A, RayD.Pearce Property,comprising 4.575 acresinthe R-2 (Single-Family Resi‐dence) zoning district (Applicant:Jeffrey Dean DiamondofProfessional Land Surveyorsof Louisiana, LLC, on behalf of RandallWagley) 168716-dec8-14-18-3t $129.25

REDESIGNING HEALTH CARE

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.

“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.”

Expert: Hydration important for La. athletes

Early attention can prevent problems before muscle cramps appear

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

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.”

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

Two months after their initial conversation, Laperouse proposed that Elliott work with her students at LSU to design the space.

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

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

Molly Kimball

PHOTO PROVIDED By LSU COLLEGE

Boudreaux

LADy

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 with

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.

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.

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.

“It’s rewarding to see students grow,” Elliott said. “It’s very meaningful work. You’re building a place to help people get better.”

Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more. WE

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.

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.

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.

EatFit LiveFit

Ifyou’veeverbeenthenon-drinker ataholidayparty,youknowhow easyitistofeeloutofstepwiththe celebration.Everyoneelseisswirling gorgeouscocktailsorsippingbubbly champagne,andyou’reholdingabasic cupoftapwater,orworse,acrinkly plasticwaterbottle.Wecandobetter. Anditmattersmorethanwemay realize.Moreandmorepeopleare dialingbackonalcoholthesedaysfor theirhealth,sleep,mentalwell-being, recoveryorsimplybecausetheydon’t feellikedrinking.Thereasonsvary,and they’repersonal.Whattheyhavein commonisthatitcanfeelawkwardto betheonlyonewithoutsomethingfun inhand.

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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;

n Setting simplecheckpoints, suchas after waking or before outdoor play;

n Offering lightly flavored options for longer sessions; n Using timers during outdoor activities to encourage regular sips. Shortpractices on mild days usually only require water.Extended practices, back-to-back games, travel tournaments and summer campslead to higher sweat rates that demand more support “For sessions longer than 60 to 90 minutes, extremely hot and humid environmentsorwhen excessive sweating occurs, an electrolyte drink becomes important,” Boudreaux said. Toomuchplain water can alsobecome dangerous. Drinking large amounts without replacing sodium can dilute blood sodium and cause exercise-associated hyponatremia, alow-risk condition overall,but asignificantrisk for certain athletes. Hyponatremia can lead to headaches, nausea, confusion or,inrare cases, seizures or even death.

OrangeFlowerWater Traditionallyusedinaromatherapy, orangeflowerisdistilledfrombitterorange blossoms.Finditatnaturalfoodsstores, Mediterraneanmarketsororderonline.

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STAFFFILE PHOTOBySOPHIAGERMER

Runners takeoff in the boys 3-mile runonOct. 30 during the CatholicLeague cross country championshipsinCity Park in NewOrleans. JD Boudreaux, aphysical therapistand director of sports performanceatOchsner Lafayette General,saysearly attention to hydration canprevent problems long before the first muscle cramp appears.

BROUGH TT OY OU BY Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Theteam behind your triumph

AttheOchsnerAndrewsOrthopedicsandSportsMedicineInstitute,every decisionwemakeisfocusedonhelpingourpatientsmoveforward.From thelatesttechnologytothedepthofourexpertise,ourteambringselite care,cutting-edgeresearchandadvancedtrainingtothecommunitieswe serve.Yourrecovery,goalsandqualityoflifedriveeverythingwedo—and wemoveforwardwithyou,everystepoftheway.Learnmoreorschedule anappointmentatochsner.org/BRortho

JeremyBurnham,MD OrthopedicSurgery

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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 Louisiana classrooms with the promise of atwo-year commitment. Butthe 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.

Teach for 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 for America 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 setshighstandards for candidates, with annual admissions rates as lowas12%, accordingtoEducation Next

The interview process is designed to identify talented individuals whowill make the two-year commitmentto teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to ensure educational excellence for all 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

ä See BEYOND, page 2Y

Mappingthe geography of grief

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.

Vinsant

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Lucas Spielfogel, right,CEO of Baton Rougeyouth Coalition, and Myeisha Anderson, deputy chief of staff and aformer student of Spielfogel, help lead the organization to serve nearly 500 eighth through 12th graders.

ASK THEEXPERTS

Communityleaderkeeps handsinmanybaskets

Lafayettenative

thriveswith involved lifestyle

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Josh Edmond, theassistantmanager 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 and educational guidance. Edmond is also aboard member for Habitat for Humanity, thevice presidentfor 100 Black MenofLafayette, 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

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 theorganization 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 our students 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 theorganization’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 going to

Canyou describethe mission of your All4One Foundationand the community needs it aims to address in Lafayette?

OursloganatAll4One is “Answeringthe CALL.” CALL is an acronym for community,awareness, love andliteracy

We arefocusedonmakingsure our communityisbeing served the wayitshouldbe, understanding theneeds of our communityand understanding that every resident of our communityhas adifferent need —not assumingeveryone has the same needs.

Theawareness part of it is to make sure that people know what we have forseniors,for elections andfor kids

The love piece,wefeed our community.Every year, we host acommunity feeding, whether it’s barbecue with all the trimmings, po-boys, red beans and rice or hot dogs,wefeed our community.

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 belongedto. So I took that as inspiration to help our whole community get out and meet their neighbors.

What has yourcommunity 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 you three nuggets 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 1,300+ alumni who currentlyliveand work across more than 30 parishes in Louisiana.

Source:Laura Vinsant, the executive director of TeachFor AmericaGreater BatonRouge School leaders andschool systemleaders: 22%ofthe 67%

applythat across multiple sectors, across communities.”

For those corps members whoexiteducation completely,Tatum says they continue to carry that classroom experience into every single area that they move into Building resilience

Teach for America alumna, Alicia Carelus Fairbrother,a NewYorker, has carried her classroom experienceinto being a managing director of leadership developmentfor Teach for America in Baton Rouge.

Fairbrother came to Louisiana in 2018 with Teach for America andtaught Spanish at East Feliciana High Schoolin Jackson. She met her husband here, also a Teach For America corps member. She completeda master’sdegreeatLouisiana StateUniversity —for free. With this LSU partnership, corps members who stayand teachfor two

more years in Louisiana can earn amaster’sdegree forfree.

Fairbrother says Teach For America develops leadership through shaping the corps members from the inside out.

Many alumni saythat teaching was the hardest jobthey ever had.

“I always tell them,‘Every morning, before you get out of your car,recite your why before you go intothe building, because it’salways just going to reground you,’ ”she said.

“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

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.

Teach For America alumni per parish

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.

© 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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