The Advocate 12-15-2025

Impact Charter hires new leader

Astudy testsvegetable growth undersolar panels, whichcould help balanceclean energy andagriculture

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Hundreds of solar panels generate clean energy at theUniversityof Louisiana at Lafayette’sLouisiana Solar Energy Laboratory,but it’swhat’sinbetweenthose panelsthatone researcher hopeswill revolutionize Louisianaagriculture.

Vegetable crops have been planted in the shady areas between panels, withthe hope that they can produce a strong yield.It’sa relativelynew idea called agrivoltaics.

Agrivoltaics, or AV,isthe science of raising crops —whether livestock or rowcrops —alongside solar production. In states such as Texas and Arkansas, “solar grazing” hastakenoff in recent years, partly because livestock can use solar panelsfor shade while keeping vegetation under control.

Just last month, RWEClean Energy completed building asolar farm outside Monroe that will generateenough electricity to power 17,000 homes.A flock of about 600 sheep will soon be grazing around the solar panels to keep the vegetation undercontrol.

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

Caitlin deNux, avisiting professor at UL, is leading the university’srecent research into AV.She formerly worked with the LSU AgCenter at its Crowley research station.

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

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

CAITLIN DENUX, professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

“We’re looking to seeifagrivoltaics is viable for Louisiana’sclimateand whether the specialty crops are as nutritious when growninthe shade,”

deNux said. ButAVisn’temerging in avacuum.

Attack on Sydney Hanukkah eventkills 15

Australianauthorities sayfather, son opened fire at beach

BY KRISTEN GELINEAU,

Associated Press

SYDNEY Twogunmen opened fire during aHanukkah celebration on Sydney’sBondi Beach, killing 15 people, including achild,officials said Monday,inwhat Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck

at theheart of thenation. Theshooters were father andson,authorities said The massacre at one of Australia’smost popular beaches followed awave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year,although the authorities didn’tsuggest thoseand the shooting Sunday wereconnected. It was thedeadliestshooting in almost three decades in acountrywith strictgun controllaws.

One gunman, a50-year-old man, wasfatally shot by police.The other shooter, his 24-year-old son,

ä See ATTACK, page 4A

Bakerschooltries to move on from controversialpast

BY CHARLESLUSSIER Staff writer

Nine months after the ouster of its old management, Impact Charter School in Baker has selected new leadership and is trying to moveonfrom itscontroversial past. “I am excitedand lookingforward to continuing the work here at Impact,working with the parents, the students and the staff,”Kim Germany, the school’snew CEO, told The Advocate. The past, however,is not quietly going away The prior management of the school, led by founderand former CEO Chakesha Scott, continues to pursue multiple courtcases that seek to turn back the clock and restore them to poweratthe K-8 school thatopened in 2014.

Thecharter school’sboard hired educationveteranGermany on Nov.12. She is replacing Michelle Clayton, a former deputysuperintendentofEast Baton Rouge Parish schools, who was hiredinlateFebruarytorun Impact until apermanent leader wasselected. Clayton is continuing at Impact until the end of December,after which Germanywill take over forgood.

BYJAMESFINN Staff writer

Like their predecessors in Chicago and North Carolina, the federal government’ssouth Louisiana immigration sweeps set out to arrest violent criminals. Sincethe operationstarted, officialshavetouted arrests of “murderers, rapists and pedophiles.”

But by the government’s own count, fewer than 10% of people captured in the sweeps launched the first weekof December around NewOrleans have criminal histories of any kind. On Thursday,eight days into the operation, the Department of Homeland

STAFF PHOTOSByLESLIEWESTBROOK

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK BAKER Shenna McClean lays flowers Monday at amemorial at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. At least 15 people were killed in an attack on aHanukkah celebrationonSunday,authorities say.

China warns against Japanese militarism

China warned against a return of Japanese militarism at a memorial ceremony Saturday honoring victims of a wartime massacre, while refraining from directly criticizing Japan’s leader amid escalating tensions between the two nations

Speaking at a ceremony in Nanjing, Politburo member Shi Taifeng recounted the violence of the Japanese capture of the city in December 1937. He said that under the leadership of the Communist Party, China had then beaten the invaders and become a great nation.

Shi, who heads the party’s powerful organization department, also said that any attempt to revive “militarism” and undermine the postwar order would fail. While he didn’t mention Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by name, that’s likely a reference to the view in China that her push for stronger national defense reflects a desire to revive the country’s past militarist policies

“History has proven and will continue to prove that any attempt to revive militarism, challenge the postwar international order and undermine world peace and stability is doomed to failure,” said Shi at the gathering of about 8,000 people.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with Beijing hosting a mass military parade in September to celebrate Japan’s defeat and exit from the continent.

China claims that 300,000 people were killed after the fall of Nanjing, which was the capital of the Republic of China. That claim for the number of dead is disputed by some historians.

Flight near Venezuela avoids ‘midair collision’

WASHINGTON A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They passed directly in our flight path. They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112 from Curaçao which is just off the coast of Venezuela, en route to New York City It comes as the U.S. military has stepped up its drug interdiction activities in the Caribbean and is also seeking to increase pressure on Venezuela’s government.

“We just had traffic pass directly in front of us within 5 miles of us — maybe 2 or 3 miles — but it was an air-to airrefueler from the United States Air Force and he was at our altitude,” the pilot said. “We had to stop our climb.” The pilot said the Air Force plane then headed into Venezuelan air space.

The Pentagon referred The Associated Press to the Air Force for comment. The Air Force didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Schumer announces split with husband

BROWN

Person of interest detained in shooting

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, AMANDA SWINHART and HOLLY RAMER

Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A person of interest was in custody Sunday after a shooting during final exams at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, though key questions remained unanswered nearly 24 hours after the attack

The attack Saturday afternoon set off hours of chaos across the Ivy League campus and surrounding Providence neighborhoods as hundreds of officers searched for the shooter and urged students and staff to shelter in place.

The lockdown, which stretched into the night, was lifted early Sunday, but authorities had not yet released information about a potential motive.

Col. Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said Sunday afternoon that the person in custody was in their 20s and that no one has been charged yet Perez, who previously said the person was in their 30s and that no one else was being sought, declined to say whether the detained person had any connection to Brown.

The person was taken into custody at a Hampton Inn hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, about 20 miles from Providence, where police officers and FBI agents remained Sunday, blocking off a hallway with crime scene tape as they searched the area.

The shooting occurred as final exams were underway Brown canceled all remaining classes, exams, papers and projects for the semester and told students they could leave campus, underscoring the scale of the disruption and the gravity of the attack.

As police scoured the area for the shooter, many students remained barricaded in rooms while others hid behind furniture and bookshelves. One video showed students in a library shaking and wincing as they heard loud bangs just before police entered the room to clear the building.

College President Christina Paxson teared up while describing her conversations with students both on campus and in the hospital.

“They are amazing and they’re supporting each other,” she said at a news conference. “There’s just a

lot of gratitude.”

The gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building, firing more than 40 rounds from a 9 mm handgun, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Two handguns were recovered when the person of interest was taken into custody and authorities also found two loaded 30-round magazines, the official said. One of the firearms was equipped with a laser sight that projects a dot to aid in targeting, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity

One student of the nine wounded students had been released from the hospital, said Paxson. Seven others were in critical but stable condition, and one was in critical condition.

Durham Academy, a private K-12 school in Durham, North Carolina, confirmed that a recent graduate, Kendall Turner was critically wounded. The school said her parents were with her Providence leaders said residents would notice a heavier police presence, and many area businesses announced Sunday that they would remain closed. A scheduled 5K run was postponed for a week.

Mayor Brett Smiley said he visited some wounded students and was inspired by their courage, hope and gratitude. One told him that active shooting drills done in

high school proved helpful.

“The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me, is frankly pretty overwhelming,” he said. “We’re all saddened, scared, tired, but what they’ve been through is something different entirely.”

Investigators were not immediately sure how the shooter got inside the first-floor classroom at the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the School of Engineering and physics department. The building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices, according to the university’s website.

Emma Ferraro, a chemical engineering student, was in the lobby working on a final project when she heard loud pops. Once she realized they were gunshots, she darted for the door and into a nearby building where she waited for hours.

Eva Erickson, a doctoral candidate who was the runner-up earlier this year on the CBS reality competition show “Survivor,” said she left her lab in the engineering building 15 minutes before shots rang out.

The engineering and thermal science student shared candid moments on “Survivor” as the show’s first openly autistic contestant. She was locked down in the campus gym following the shooting and shared on social media that the only other member of her lab who was present was safely evacuated.

Hamas confirms death of top commander

By The Associated Press

JERUSALEM Hamas on Sunday confirmed the death of a top commander in Gaza, a day after Israel said it had killed Raed Saad in a strike outside Gaza City

The Hamas statement described Saad as the commander of its military manufacturing unit. Israel had described him as an architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in Gaza, and asserted that he had been “engaged in rebuilding the terrorist organization” in a violation of the ceasefire that took effect two months ago.

Israel said it killed Saad after an explosive device detonated and wounded two soldiers in the territory’s south.

Hamas also said it had named a new commander but did not give details, adding that it had the right to “respond to the occupation’s aggression.”

The strike on Saturday west of Gaza City killed four people, according to an Associated Press journalist who saw their bodies arrive at Shifa Hospital. Another three were wounded, according to Al-Awda hospital. Hamas in its initial statement described the vehicle struck as a civilian one. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of truce violations.

Israeli airstrikes and shootings in Gaza have killed at least 391 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

On Sunday, Israel’s military said it had killed a “terrorist” who crossed the line and approached troops in Gaza.

Israel has demanded that militants return the remains of the final hostage 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

Comedian Amy Schumer says she and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, have decided to end their marriage Schumer, an actress, author and writer, announced the planned split in a social media post on Friday

Storm drops heavy snow in Northeast

Schumer By The Associated Press

“Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage after 7 years,” Schumer wrote. “We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son. We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time. Amicable and all love and respect! Family forever.” Schumer and Fischer were married in February 2018 in Malibu, California. Their son was born in May 2019.

The two starred together in the Food Network show “Amy Schumer Learns to Cook” and the HBO miniseries “Expecting Amy” that documented her difficult pregnancy

A weekend storm sent temperatures plunging well below zero in the Midwest and dumped heavy snow on parts of the Northeast on Sunday, creating many airport delays and slick roads as the Pacific Northwest braced for more rain after days of flooding and mudslides.

The storm began Saturday and brought up to several inches of snow in the New York-New Jersey metro area, the region’s first significant snowfall of the season. Light snow fell over parts of New England. The storm was expected to weaken by Sunday night, followed by arctic conditions with overnight windchill temperatures at or plummeting below zero degrees.

Crews and contractors were out plowing and treating roads in New Jersey, where the state Department of Transportation advised people to avoid unnecessary travel. Salt spreaders and plows

worked overnight to clear snow from roads and bike lanes, the New York City Department of Sanitation posted online. Pennsylvania temporarily reduced speed limits on interstates to 45 mph. There were over 1,000 flights delayed and more than 100 cancellations at U.S. airports due to the weather, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.

Meanwhile, a blast of arctic air swept south from Canada and into parts of the northern U.S The National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota, said Sunday was the coldest morning of the season so far It was minus 10 at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, with temperatures as low as minus 22 in some communities.

In the Pacific Northwest, which has seen catastrophic flooding that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, more rain and wind was expected in the region as early as late Sunday forecasters said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEVEN SENNE

A bouquet of flowers rests on snow Sunday on the campus of Brown University in Providence, R.I., not far from where a shooting took place Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM GRAy

A father pulls his children on

Sunday in the Brooklyn borough of New york City

BY ISABEL DEBRE and NAYARA BATSCHKE Associated Press

SANTIAGO,Chile Ultra-conserva-

tive José Antonio Kast secureda thumping victory in Chile’spresidential runoff election Sunday,defeating the candidate of theleftist governing coalition and setting the stage for the country’smostrightwing government in 35 years of democracy

With over 95% of the vote counted, Kast won more than 58%ofthe votes as Chilean voters overwhelmingly embraced his pledge to crack down on increased crime, deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status and revive the sluggish economyofone of Latin America’smost stable and prosperous nations.

His challenger,communist candidateJeannette Jara who served as leftist PresidentGabriel Boric’s popularlabor minister,had just over 41% support.

“Democracy spoke loud and clear,” Jara wrote on social media,

saying that shecalled Kast to concede defeat and congratulate him on his successfulcampaign.

Kast’ssupporters erupted into cheers in the street, shouting his name andhonking car horns.

His campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory from the party headquarters in Chile’scapital of Santiago.

“Weare very proud of thework we’vedone,” he told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”

Kast’selection represents the latest in astring of votes that have turfed out incumbentgovernmentsacrossLatinAmerica,vaultingmainly right-wing leadersto

power from Argentina to Bolivia.

On the surface,the two candidates in this tense presidential runoff could nothavebeen more different, fundamentally disagreeing on weighty matters of

theeconomy,social issues and the very purpose of government. Alifelong memberofChile’s CommunistParty who pioneered significant social welfare measuresinBoric’sgovernment and

hails from aworking-class family that protested against the 1973-90 military dictatorship, Jara was a dramatic foil to her rival. Kast, in contrast, is adevout Catholic andfather of nine whoseGerman-born father was aregistered member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party and whose brother served in the dictatorship. He hadpreviously struggled to winover moderate votersintwo failed presidentialbids. His moral conservatism, including fierceopposition to same-sex marriage and abortion without exception, had been rejected by many in the increasingly socially liberal country.The admiration he has expressed for the bloody military dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet also sparked widespread condemnation in his campaign against President Boric four years ago. But in the past fewyears,fears about uncontrolled migration and organized crimehave roiled the country.Enthusiasm for ahardline approach to crime spread, dominating the election and boosting Kast’slaw-and-order platform.

BY ABBY SEWELL Associated Press

BEIRUT Aman who carried out an attack in Syria that killed three U.S. citizens hadjoinedSyria’s internal security forces as abase security guard two months earlier and was recently reassignedamid suspicions that he might be affiliated with the Islamic State group, aSyrian official told The Associated Press Sunday The attack Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic cityof Palmyra killed two U.S. service members and one Americancivilian and woundedthree others. It also wounded three members of the Syrian security forceswho

clashed with the gunman, interior ministry spokesperson Nour alDin al-Babasaid Al-Baba said that Syria’s new authorities had faced shortages in security personnel and had to recruit rapidly after the unexpected success of arebel offensivelast year thatintended to capture the northern city of Aleppo but ended up overthrowing the government of former President BasharAssad.

“Wewereshocked that in 11 days we took all of Syriaand that put a huge responsibility in frontofus from thesecurity and administration sides,” hesaid

The attacker was among5,000 memberswho recently joined a newdivision in theinternalsecu-

rity forces formed in the desert regionknown as the Badiya,one of the places where remnants of theIslamic State extremist group have remained active.

Al-Baba saidthe internal security forces’leadership hadrecently become suspicious that there was an infiltrator leaking information to IS and began evaluating all membersinthe Badiya area.

The probe raised suspicions last week about the man who later carried outthe attack,but officials decided to continuemonitoring him fora few days to try to determine if he was an activemember of IS and to identify the network he was communicating with if so, al-Baba said. He did not namethe attacker

At thesame time,asa“precautionary measure,” he said, the man was reassigned to guard equipment at the base at alocation where he would be farther from the leadership and from any patrols by U.S.-led coalition forces.

On Saturday, the manstormed a meetingbetween U.S. andSyrian securityofficials whowere having lunchtogether and opened fire after clashing with Syrianguards, alBaba said. The attacker wasshot and killed at the scene.

Al-Baba acknowledged thatthe incident was “a major security breach” but said that in the year since Assad’sfall“therehave been many more successesthan failures” by security forces.

In the wake of the shooting, he said, the Syrian army and internal security forces “launched wideranging sweepsofthe Badiya region” and broke up anumber of alleged IS cells. The interior ministry said in astatement later that five suspects were arrestedinthe city of Palmyra.

TheU.S. hashad forces on the ground in Syria forover adecade, with astatedmissionoffighting IS, with about 900 troops there today Before Assad’souster, Washingtonhad no diplomaticrelations with Damascus and the U.S. military did not work directly with the Syrian army.Its mainpartner at the time was the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

ZelenskyyofferstodropNATObid butrefuses to cede territory

BY STEFANIE DAZIO and CLAUDIA CIOBANU Associated Press

BERLIN Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday voiced readiness to drop his country’sbid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, but rejected the U.S. push for ceding territory to Russia as he held talks with U.S. envoys on ending the war Zelenskyy sat down with U.S. President Donald Trump’sspecial envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law JaredKushner

The Ukrainian leader posted pictures of the negotiating table with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sitting next to him facing the U.S. delegation.

Respondingtojournalists’ questions in audio clips on aWhatsApp group chat before the talks, Zelenskyy said that since the U.S. and some European nations had rejected Ukraine’spush to join NATO, Kyiv expects the West to offer aset of guarantees similar to those offered to the alliance members

“These security guarantees are an opportunityto prevent another wave of

Russian aggression,” he said. “And this is already a compromise on our part.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast Ukraine’s bidtojoin NATO as amajor threat to Moscow’ssecurity and areason forlaunching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. TheKremlin hasdemandedthatUkraine renounce the bid for the alliance membership as part of any prospective peace settlement.

Zelenskyyemphasized thatany security assurances would need to belegally binding andsupported by theU.S.Congress, adding that he expected an update from histeam following a meetingbetween Ukrainian and U.S.military officials in Stuttgart, Germany

TheU.S. government said in asocial media postonWitkoff’s account after the fivehour meeting that“alot of progress wasmade.”

Washingtonhas tried for months to navigate thedemands ofeach side as Trump pressesfor aswiftend to Russia’swar and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possiblecompromises hasrun into major obstacles, includingcontrol of Ukraine’seast-

ern Donetsk region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

Putin wants Ukraine to withdrawits forces from the partofthe Donetsk region still under itscontrol among the keyconditions for peace, ademand rejected by Kyiv Zelenskyy saidthatthe U.S.had floated an idea for Ukraine to withdrawfrom theDonetsk and create ademilitarizedfree economic zone there, aproposal he rejected as unworkable.

“I do notconsiderthis fair,because who will manage this economic zone?” he said. “If Ukrainian troops withdraw 5-10 kilometers then whydoRussian troops not withdraw deeper intothe occupied territoriesbythe samedistance?”

Zelenskyy describedthe issue as “very sensitive” and insisted on afreezealong the line of contact,sayingthat “today afairpossibleoption is we stand where we stand.”

Putin’sforeign affairs

adviser Yuri Ushakov told thebusiness daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guardwould stay in parts of the Donetskregioneveniftheybecome a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan.

Ushakov warned thata search for compromise could take along time, not-

ing that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russiandemands hadbeen “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

Jara

was wounded and was being treated at ahospital, said Mal Lanyon, NewSouth Wales police commissioner Police saidone gunman was known to security services, butLanyonsaidauthorities had no indication of aplanned attack.

Those killed were between 10 and 87 yearsold, New South Wales Premier Chris Minnstoldreporters.At least 42 others were being treated at hospitals on Monday morning, several of them in acritical condition.

“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an actofantisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy,associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations,” Albanese said Monday

“It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”

The violence erupted at the end of asummer day when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach, an icon of Australia’scultural life.They included hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival. Thefestivitiesincluded facepainting and apetting zoo. Then mayhem erupted. Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement that runs out-

SCHOOL

Continued from page1A

Germany,who has worked extensively in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, beat out afield of fourother finalists to land the job.

“I’ve been meeting one-onone withour staff to learn about our strengths and our next steps moving forward,” Germany said.

Scott’smanagement of the charter school came under scrutiny in 2023 when the Legislative Auditor’sOffice began investigating Impact. That investigation culminated in adamning audit that the state agency released in early February with findings that Scott wrongfully diverted funds from school accounts and later used them for personal expenses.

Eleven daysafter that audit, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education replaced Impact’s board of directors. The new board moved quickly to put Scott on paid leave and soon after fired her for allegedly violating the terms of her leave.

Ongoingissues

Germany takes over a school showing signs of the tumult it has gone through.

Its official enrollment for this fall is 351 students, a decline of 79 compared with ayear earlier.And its stateissued school letter grade slipped from aBtoaC It recently replaced two of theseven members of its board of directors, andTorrence Williams has stepped down as president but re-

daughters, was grazed in the head by abullet. Ostrovsky said he moved from Israel to Australia two weeks ago to work for aJewish advocacy group.

“WhatIsaw today was pureevil, just an absolute bloodbath. Bodies strewn everywhere,” he toldThe Associated Pressinanemail from the hospital. “I never thoughtwould be possible here in Australia.”

Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told theAPhe was waiting for his family when he heardshots.

launched awar on Hamasin Gazainresponse, the government’sSpecial Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal reported in July

Last year,the country was rocked by antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.Synagoguesand cars were torched, businesses and homes graffitied and Jews attacked in those cities, where 85% of the nation’sJewish population lives.

Albanese in August blamed Iran for two of the attacks and cut diplomatic tiesto Tehran.

reach worldwide and sponsors events during major Jewish holidays, identified one of thedead as Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at ChabadofBondi and an organizerofthe event

Israel’sForeign Ministry confirmedthe death of an Israeli citizen, butgaveno further details. French President Emmanuel Macron announced aFrench citizen, identified as Dan Elkayam, was among those killed. None of the victimshave beenpublicly namedbyAustralianauthorities. The gunmen haven’tbeenofficially namedeither Butstories of thevictims began to emergeinlocal news outlets on Monday Larisa Kleytman toldreportersoutside St.Vincent’sHospitalthather husband, Alexander Kleytman, was among the dead, according to The Australian newspaper.

mainsonthe board. Its vice president,Perry Daniel, is nowboard president.

Board members learned at their monthly meeting Tuesdaythat Impacthas an operating surplus, but itwill need totrim its monthly expenses to stay in theblack. The main reason is that state funding will decline starting in Marchdue to the dropin student enrollment.

“Weare going to rightsize that by the next meeting,” said Melissa Fox, chief financial officer for4th Sector Solutions,which is under contract to handlemostbackofficefunctions for Impact.

In April, Impact moved a few blocks from itshistoric home onLavey Lane to the vacant campus of Baker Heights Elementary after the landlord —a school booster group called Friends of Impact Charter and representedbyScott —sentthe newmanagement an eviction notice

Thenew building is much cheaper —$20,000 amonth versus $130,000 amonthfor theLavey Lane campus but it is old and has upkeep costs that the Lavey campus, which was built in the past decade,does not.

“We’re really concerned aboutthe repairs andmaintenance of the building,” Fox told the board

The Friends organizationis suingImpact’s newmanagement, saying they illegally broke the lease; Impact attorneys claimthe leasewas fraudulent and exorbitant and shouldbedeclared null andvoid.

Battle forcontrol

Foxalsotoldthe Impact

The couple were both Holocaustsurvivors.

Police said emergency services were calledabout 6:45 p.m.,respondingtoreports of shots being fired. Video by onlookers showed people in bathing suits running from thewater as shots rang out

Separate footageshowed two men in black shirts firing with long guns from a footbridge leading to the beach.One dramaticclip broadcastonAustralian television showed aman appearing to tackle and disarm one gunman, before pointing the man’s weapon at him, then setting the gun on theground.

Minns called theman,identifiedbyrelatives to Australian media as fruit shop ownerAhmed al Ahmed, a “genuine hero.”

Arsen Ostrovsky,alawyerattending the Hanukkah ceremony with his wife and

board that the school’s continued inabilitytoaccess financial and operational records from before the management shift makes it impossible for hertoprovidea full financial picture.

School leadersare hoping to getsomeofthe records soon as well as accessmoney in frozen bank accounts.

BatonRouge JudgeRon Johnson on Nov.24ruled from the bench, granting theschool’srequest to take greater financial control from Scott. Plaintiffs estimate thatScottcontinues to control$1.5 million to $3 million in school assets.

It is not clear whenorifthe new managementwill get what it wants. Thetwo sides are still arguing about what Johnson’swritten ruling will say,including howmuchadditionalfinancial control it will actually give Impact’s newmanagement. Also, Johnson ruledthat thenew managementfirst has to obtain a$500,000 bondrequired for preliminary injunctions. Leadership competition

TwoofGermany’sfour unsuccessfulcompetitors forthe jobofCEO —Derek Morganand CliffordWallace —already work at Impact. The other two finalists were Marquez Elam, aschool turnaround director in Memphis, andCamille Darden,aregional director of operations forRocketshipDCPublic Schools basedinWashington, D.C.

The Advocateobtained the résumés of the five finalists, including Germany,via a public recordsrequest. The Advocateisalso seeking, but has yet to receive, acopy of

“I sprinted as quickly as I could,”Moransaid. He said he heard shooting off and on forabout five minutes.“Everyone just dropped all their possessions andeverything and were running and people were crying anditwas just horrible.”

Albanese vowed theviolence would be met with“a moment of national unity where Australians across the board will embrace their fellow Australians of Jewish faith.”Someofhis political opponentsand Israel’sgovernment accused him of not having done enough to prevent such ahorror.

Australia, acountry of 28 million people, is hometo about 117,000 Jews, according to official figures.Antisemiticincidents, including assaults, vandalism, threats andintimidation, surged more thanthreefold in the country during the year after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel

Germany’semployment contract

Morgan, Impact’sdirector of operations,spent 13 years as aprincipal in Wilkinson County,Mississippi,before being hiredbyImpactin 2022. Morgan was previously principal of Southern Lab School and Scotlandville High. Wallace, whoisleader of Impact’smiddle school, previously served as principal of nearby Advantage Charter Academy in Bakerfrom 2014 to 2018 andasexecutive director of IDEA Public

Israel urged Australia’s government to address crimes targeting Jews.

PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu saidhewarned Australia’sleaders months ago about the dangers of failing to take actionagainst antisemitism. He claimed Australia’sdecision —inline with scores of other countries— to recognize aPalestinian state “pours fuelonthe antisemitic fire.”

“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia and the resultisthe horrific attacks on Jewswesaw today,” Netanyahu said.

Authorities were not looking for anyone else in connectionwith the massacre, said Lanyon. Police pledged a“thorough” investigation, he added.

Further inquiries are likely to be announced.

Twoimprovised explosive devices were found at the scene. Bomb disposal ex-

Schools from2022 to 2024 before IDEA closed itstwo schools in Baton Rouge. Wallace, who was hired by Clayton in August, listed Clayton as areference. Before coming to Impact, Germany served as director of curriculum and instructioninShelbyville, Tennessee, from 2022 to 2024. She served in asimilar rolefor Vicksburg, Mississippi, public schools from 2017 to 2021. She also has extensive experience in Louisiana with stintsasprincipal of laterclosed Pointe Coupee Cen-

perts rendered them safe. Lanyon described them as “rudimentary”devices that would have been detonated by awick rather than aphone or electronically Minns said therewould “almost certainly” be gunlaw changesafter themassacre. The 50-year-old gunman who wasshot dead was found to have six firearms when law enforcementraided the property wherehe’dbeen staying, police said. Questions about how he was able to acquire them gathered pace on Monday,in part because mass shootings in Australia are extremely rare. A1996 massacre in the Tasmaniantown of Port Arthur,where alonegunman killed 35 people, prompted the government to drastically tighten gun laws, making it much more difficult to acquire firearms. Afterthe massacre,messages flooded in from leaders around the world.

King CharlesIII saidhe and Queen Camilla were“appalled and saddened by the mostdreadfulantisemitic terrorist attack.” UnitedNationsSecretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres said on Xhe was horrified, and his “heart is with theJewish community worldwide.”

U.S. Secretary of State MarcoRubio said in apost on X: “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting aJewishcelebration Antisemitism has no place in this world.”

tral High School, assistant principal at Zachary High, andexecutive director of school improvement and instructional services in East Feliciana Parish from 2015 to 2017. Germany is also thewife of Chad Germany,astar football playeratCapitolHigh and later its head coach, who went to become an offensive coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge. He currently works as an administrative director of facilitiesfor the East Baton Rouge Parish school system.

Security issued the first comprehensive tally of people the sweeps have captured, saying 250 people had been arrested across Louisiana Some details—including the geographic spread of where arrests were made —remain unclear.But so far,the operation’stargets appear to be grouped in two main categories

Thesmallest,but most visible, group includes the 23 people who DHSsays have criminal records —less than atenth of the overall number of detainees, based on theagency’sarrestfigures.

Those with criminal histories have convictions or arrests on charges that range from armed robbery to aggravated kidnapping, along withless severe offenses like driving under the influence and publicurination

The other group comprises far more detainees —dozens,according to immigration attorneys representing them —who are accused of no violations aside from living in the country without permanentauthorization to do so,such as agreen card or U.S. citizenship.

Federal officials have sought to highlight detainees with violent criminal histories in media releases, social media postsand video snippets promoted by conservative activists who have embeddedwith BorderPatrol agents. “Operation CatahoulaCrunch arrestseven more criminal illegalalien rapists, thieves, gang members,human smugglers, and abusers,” one news release headline blared.

Among the most notorious with criminal records:a Vietnamese man convicted of aslew of crimes in Dallas in 1989, including aggravated robbery and kidnapping, court records show He was released on parole after servingtime in prison.

DHS said the man, Binh Van To,had been convicted of homicide, but Texas court records indicate that charge was dismissed.

Far larger than the numberofdetaineeswith criminal records is the number who have been accused of no wrongdoing, had applied for permanent legal residency andheldpapersauthorizing them to live and work in the country while that process played out. Some people with no authorization also appear to have been detained.

Business owners, immigration attorneys andfamily members ofdetainees last week recounted multiplecases of loved ones or employees being taken into custody despite holding work permits.

Homero López, an immigration attorney whose Immigration Servicesand LegalAdvocacy organization is representing dozens of people detained in the raids, saida number of them held work permits or other protections granting them permission to liveinthe United Stateswhile awaiting the outcome of green card or asylum applications

Many of those detainees had been granted deferred action —a discretionary protectionwhere thefederal government agrees not to deport victims of parental abuse, crime, workplace mistreatment or otherinjustices while they complete the permanent residency process. As President Donald Trump’sadministration expands its deportation agenda

with shock-and-awe sweeps in Chicago, North Carolina and now Louisiana, the resultsofthe operation officials arecallingCatahoula Crunchhighlight how the administration is increasinglyfocused on jailingand deporting people once seen as safe fromimmigration enforcement. Those include people who hadtemporary permission to live and work in thecountry because the federal government had granted it to them.

“Policywise, it just doesn’t make sense —wedon’t want to be lockinganyoneup who doesn’tpose threats to the community,”López said. “This administration has decidedtonot exercise that discretion.”

ADHS spokespersondisputed the idea that the operation is fallingshortofits target of detaining criminals

“DHS is targetingthe worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens —including murderers,rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists,” said DHS AssistantSecretaryTricia McLaughlin.

Permit holdersdetained

Before Border Patrol agentsarrived in New Orleans, the agency gained notoriety in Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, for targetingbusinessesand neighborhoods known as hubs forHispanicresidents. Violentprotests erupted.

Louisiana has so far seen only peaceful demonstrations againstBorder Patrol’s presence, but the agency’s tacticshavebeensimilar:

Through targeting home improvement store parking lots andworksites, agents have netted people with work permits, as wellas some with U.S. citizenship or permanent legal resident status who have been held for questioning, then released.

Louisiana employers recounted numerous cases of people with work permits being detained. One man from Guatemala, 21-yearold Baltazar Jax Macario, had awork permitand has livedinthe country since 2021, according to aperson familiar with his case who asked to remain anonymous because they feared retaliation.Macariowas detained along Williams Boulevard in Kenner on the operation’s first day.

In aviral Facebookpost this week, Kenner roofing contractor Shane Mulkey said his company lost four employees who had work permits. He suggested that people who complain about Hispanicimmigrantstaking American jobsshould apply for those openings.

“Our loss is yourgain,” Mulkey said. “I see all the posts about Hispanics takingAmerican jobs. Here is your chance,the moment you have been waiting for.” McLaughlin in astatement

to The Times-Picayune | The Advocate last week acknowledged thatpeople who hold work permits are targetsofthe administration’s deportation agenda.

“Employmentauthorization does notconferlegal status,” McLaughlin said.

It remains unclear exactly how manypeople with work permits and other forms of authorization have been picked up in sweeps, which recently expandedwest to Baton Rouge.

Organizers withlocal advocacy group Mision Migrante estimated that between 60 and 75 people have been detained since Tuesday.Inthe townof Walker, agents smashed a car window and physically restrained two men, according to eyewitnesses, leaving glass shards and blood on theground in aparking lot. Their legal records were unclear,but they did not appear on DHS’ listsofpeople with criminal records.

Media outlets reportedon two other cases last week of detained permit-holders. One, 38-year-old Kenner mother Vilma Cruz, had her carwindowsmashed as BorderPatrol agents moved to detain her,according to an interviewwithher son. Another,aKenner auto shop worker,Rosell Callejas, was swarmed by agentsand taken away after arriving for a workshift, according to his boss.

Another man with awork permit and pending green card application,Darwin Padilla,inaninterview described being followed home by Border Patrol agents in Kenner.After he spoke to the agentsfrom inside his home and explained that he had documents, theagents left, according to interviews with Padillaand hiswife, Leslie Padilla.

Later,agentsreturned to thehouse and posted aform on the door ordering Darwin Padilla to show up for an appointmentFriday morning with documents to prove his status, Leslie Padilla said.

The family’sattorney went to the address listed on theform, shesaid, but theagents hadgiven them the site of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement’sold Central BusinessDistrict field office, whichhas relocated. No one was there to receive them.

Leslie Padillasaidthe demands for her husband’s documents feel like an intimidation tactic.

“Thisisdefinitely alow blow,”Leslie Padilla said. “Weare doing everything that we need to.Wehave been diligent when it comes to his case —wehavefiled every form they’veasked for, we have provided them with everything that we have been advised to.” Whocan be deported?

Of 23 people detained in theoperation whom DHS said had criminal records

Cmdr Gregory Bovino, center,walks withBorder Patrol agents on Dec.5 througha neighborhood in Kenner

rearrested by BorderPatrol agents on the first day of the south Louisiana operation.

To told reporters after his arrest that he welcomed the ideaofbeing deported to Vietnam,though he had little connection to the country

without providing specifics on the men’scases.

—22men and one woman the agency identified 14 with arrests or convictions for violent acts or sexcrimes.

The remaining nine were accused of violationssuch as drug possession, vehicle theft,driving underthe influence, reentering the country after having been deported and atraffic offense.

Oneman had been arrested for public urination and disturbing the peace.

To,who DHS described as aVietnamesenational with convictions for aggravated robbery with adeadly weapon,kidnapping andaggravated assault,had been living in Westwego after his release from aTexas state prison on parole years earlier, according to public records. He was

“I’d be grateful to go to Vietnam,even though Idon’t knownothing,”hesaid. “I came over here when Iwas so young.” ADHS newsrelease said To hadaprevious homicide conviction.ADallasCounty, Texascourt docket, however, says that his 1989 homicide charge was droppedaround the time he was convicted of othercounts. DallasCounty court officialsdid not immediatelyrespond to requests for detailed records of the case. To andpeople who know him could not be reached.

It wasunclear whether U.S. officials would seek to deport To and anotherVietnamese man detainedinLouisiana, Hung Ngoc Tran, back to Vietnam.Vietnamese nationals areamong those the administration hasdeported to “third” countries to which they have no connection as it seeks to accelerate deportations.

McLaughlin, theDHS spokesperson, did not respond to an inquiry about the inconsistencies in To’s criminal record. Askedabout the agency’splans to deport To and Tran, she defendedthe administration’spracticeof third-country deportations

“Ifanillegalalien’shome countryisnot taking them, they’re not taking them for areason: they are dangerous criminals. Thatdoesn’t mean they get to stay in the United States,” McLaughlin said. “That is why these third-country agreements, which ensure dueprocess under the U.S. Constitution, are so essential to thesafety of our homeland and the American people.” One mantouted by DHS as adetainee of the Border Patrol-led operation was swept up by adifferent agency,records show Aspecial agentfrom Homeland Security Investigations investigated Carlos Roberto Guardado-Ramirez and ICE arrested him, the records say. In an affidavit charging GuardadoRamirez, of Honduras, with felony illegal reentry last week, an HSI agentwrote that Guardado-Ramirez had reentered thecountry after being deported in 2006. He wasarrested Dec.3— the same dayBorder Patrol launched itsoperation —by ICE Enforcement and RemovalOperationsofficers in LaPlace, according to the affidavit. His mugshotappeared the next dayina DHS news release touting BorderPatrol arrests. Staff writers Sophie Kasakove and Quinn Coffman contributed to this report.

Cheerful Chanukah

Suspected gang member stays in jail

Man was part of plot to kill witness, prosecutors say

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A suspected gang member accused of trying to arrange the killing of a key witness in his murder case will remain behind bars as he awaits trial, a 19th Judicial District Court judge has ruled.

Six alleged members of a Baton Rouge gang accused in the plot made their bids for release last week. Chief Judge Donald Johnson set bail for five of the defendants at $500,000, according to officials. But Johnson ordered Khalil Amir Henderson to remain jailed until at least March 3, when the six defendants are set to return to court

“I’m not going to expose the community at risk with this young man right now because of what, allegedly, he’s been up to,” the judge said.

Audubon Aquarium takes in sea turtles

35 being rehabbed from ‘cold stunning’ event

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is caring for 35 critically endangered

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that were injured by the cold in New England last month.

The turtles were part of a large “cold stunning” event in which frigid air and water affected their ability to swim and eat and caused them to wash ashore. The New England Aquarium initially treated and stabilized the turtles, some of them suffering from dehydration and pneumonia.

They were then flown to New Orleans by a plane chartered by Greater Good Charities, and Audubon Aquarium Rescue workers gave each one a physical. Some are still not eating as they should.

“Some of these turtles arrived in

rough shape; they will need more extensive rehabilitation than others,” said Gabriella Harlamert, Audubon Aquarium Rescue Stranding and Rehab Coordinator “We are monitoring each of them constantly and are hopeful all 35 of these turtles will heal and return to the Gulf in the spring.”

It’s not the first time this has happened. Last year, 15 cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were flown in from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for rehabilitation. In the meantime, the rescue team has given the turtles names corresponding to rocks and minerals, including Jade, Mica, Opalite, Pebble, Aquamarine, Onyx, Quartz and Coal.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the most endangered in the world.

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is authorized to rehabilitate sea turtles by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and marine mammals by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is the only entity in Louisiana responsible for the rehabilitation of live marine mammals and sea turtles.

Audubon Aquarium Rescue asks that if anyone sees a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle, live or dead, report it to (877) 942-5343.

Police and court records allege Henderson, 22, shot and killed 17-year-old Terron Fobb the afternoon of June 6, 2022. Fueled by a social media beef, Henderson and another teen pulled up on Fobb as he was emptying the trash outside his home in the 3000 block of Oswego Street and shot him multiple times, prosecutors said. When Fobb’s sister, who was sitting on the porch, tried to run into the house, Henderson fired two shots at her that hit the side of the residence, according to charging affidavits.

The shooter then fled in his car and left Fobb lying dead in the road, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.

The slain teen’s sister identified Henderson as the gunman who killed Fobb and took aim at her He was indicted for seconddegree murder and attempted second-degree murder and faces a possible life sentence. He is yet to be tried in Fobb’s killing, and no trial date is currently set

Investigators allege Henderson was an active member of the 60 Gang, a street crew centered in the Dixie neighborhood. District court records show BRPD has classified the 60 Gang as a “violent group” affiliated with other notorious Baton Rouge gangs known to sell drugs and use pistols and rifles modified with Glock switches to carry out acts of violence.

According to arrest reports, Henderson offered $10,000 to kill Fobb’s sister and instructed other members of the 60 Gang to “find her” and “eliminate” the woman as a way to dismantle his murder prosecution.

BRPD investigators reviewed

jail calls, Instagram messages and cellphone data to unravel the murder plot, according to records.

Henderson was charged with witness intimidation and criminal conspiracy to commit seconddegree murder along with Dedric White, 31; Lance White, 27; David Malik Hastings, 22; Robert King Lewis II, 20; and Michael Veal, 21.

During a hearing last week inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse, Johnson kept the bail amounts for Dedric White, Hastings, Lewis, Veal and Lance White at $500,000. He instructed those defendants’ respective attorneys to formulate any arguments for why those bails should be reduced by the March 3 court date. Baton Rouge attorney Brady Skinner argued that a reasonable bail should be set for Henderson’s release. He said Henderson has remained in jail since his arrest in November 2022. Prosecutors said he has a combined bail of $700,000 between the murder and criminal conspiracy cases. But a magistrate placed a hold on him days after his arrest that prevents him from bailing out of jail. Skinner petitioned for the hold to be removed.

Henderson previously had a different public defender, and Skinner inherited the case in July But there was never a preliminary hearing that would force prosecutors to lay out to a judge the details of the state’s allegations against Henderson, he said. “If there was no hearing, then bail is a constitutional right and it must be set,” Skinner told Johnson. “Except for capital cases, a person is entitled to a bond. He’s not facing the death penalty in any of the charges.”

Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Carter pointed to the seriousness of the charges and the weight of the evidence against Henderson in objecting to any of his holds being lifted

“He is truly, truly a threat to the community, judge. This individual has demonstrated that he is a very violent person, based on these charges. And the state would contend that if he’s brazen enough to try to kill a witness on his second-degree murder case, if let out, he will complete what he started.”

Johnson initially vacated the bail amount and planned to keep Henderson in jail without bail after listening to the allegations against him. He balked at removing the bail completely after he learned a preliminary hearing has not been held yet, but he maintained the hold and set the March 3 court date for a preliminary examination of the case. “Right now I’m going to further detain him without bond until I learn more about what’s going on,” he said.

Convicted killer gets second life sentence at Angola

Former BREC commissioner was shot in his front yard

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

Standing inside a Baton Rouge courtroom on Friday morning, the oldest daughter of former BREC Commissioner Carroll Glynn Breeden Sr turned to her father’s killer and looked through him.

Angie Davis Breeden referred to Ryan Joseph Sharpe by his prisoner ID number at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and told him, “your name is worthless.”

“My father, Carroll Breeden’s name will be spoken with love for generations. A man who was loved beyond words and his life mattered,” she said. “We will continue to live in the shadow of his absence every single day But knowing that you will spend the rest of your days behind bars, only known by the DOC number 752086, brings us some type of gratitude.”

Three weeks after an East Baton Rouge Parish jury made short order in finding Sharpe guilty of second-degree murder, 19th Judicial District Judge Colette Greggs tacked on a second life sentence for Sharpe during a hearing inside the Baton Rouge courthouse

Sharpe shot Breeden in the chest as he was doing yard work on his multi-acre property along Port Hudson-Pride Road in September 2017

Last year, an East Feliciana jury unanimously convicted Sharpe of killing 48-year-old Boy Scout leader Brad DeFranceschi in a similar fashion three weeks after he fatally shot Breeden.

Sharpe, as he did during much of his November trial, sat quietly at the defendant’s table, looking straight ahead with his shackled hands clasped on his lap The slain BREC commissioner’s family took umbrage at his detached disposition.

“Ryan Sharpe your charades are over,” Angie Davis Breeden said with anguish and contempt in her eyes. “You can stop the court-acting performance of staring into space like you’re in a daze. Mumbling to yourself and pretending to lack social skills while carrying on your obnoxious outbursts and displaying your evil grin. We never bought your performance, and neither did the jury.”

The killings were part of a murder spree Sharpe unleashed on rural territories of East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana, according to authorities in the two parishes.

Over the span of three months in 2017, he randomly shot and killed people outside their homes as they

performed daily chores outdoors.

Authorities say Sharpe shot and killed 62-year-old Tommy Bass as he worked on his car outside his East Feliciana Parish home on La 960 in July 2017. He was also charged with wounding a man named Scott “Buck” Hornsby as Hornsby exercised outside his residence near La. 63 a week before Breeden’s death. In October of that year, Sharpe shot DeFranceschi multiple times as the father of two was trimming weeds outside his East Feliciana Parish house on the Avondale Scout Reservation along La. 63. DeFranceschi died at the scene.

A jury found Sharpe guilty of murder by an 11-1 vote in 2019, but that conviction was tossed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled nonunanimous verdicts unconstitutional in 2020.

At a retrial in August 2024, a unanimous group of East Feliciana Parish jurors found Sharpe guilty of first-degree murder A judge sentenced him to life in prison last October for DeFranceschi’s killing. Sharpe was never tried for killing Bass and wounding Hornsby, but East Feliciana prosecutors used evidence from those shootings to secure the first-degree murder conviction in DeFranceschi’s trial.

Sam D’Aquilla, district attorney for the Feliciana parishes, said his office could consider trying Sharpe

in the future on the Hornsby and Bass shootings.

Despite the conviction in East Feliciana, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore stressed the importance of holding Sharpe accountable for killing Breeden as well.

“Carroll Breeden’s family needed justice for his murder,” Moore said.

“Even though Sharpe was previously sentenced to life in another murder in the same series, the family could not rest until he was held legally responsible for killing Carroll. This conviction and sentence can’t make the family whole, but it did end the turmoil caused by having to relive this through the court system.”

Sharpe told investigators the motive for his killings was to fill government-issued hunting “tags” by killing people or deer If he didn’t, he said “federal police” would capture his family and friends and detain them in a “federal hotel.” Sharpe pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and at his trial in Breeden’s slaying, his attorney told jurors that Sharpe was having delusions at the time that prevented him from distinguishing right from wrong.

The jury deliberated just 40 minutes before rendering a guilty verdict at the end of a five-day trial on Nov 21. Carroll Breeden was a 66-year-

old retiree from ExxonMobil. At Friday’s hearing, his loved ones said Breeden was happy after decades of working at the Baton Rouge plant and planned to spend his days traveling and enjoying time with his 11 grandchildren.

“You took my dad’s life in the most senseless, cruel and heartless way imaginable,” Marcie Flotte said. “He was simply out spraying weeds something he had done a thousand times before — when you decided to take everything from us. Your actions were random, but the devastation you caused is permanent.”

Some of the victim’s other children bristled at the length of time it took for them to get a conviction. In the eight years since Carroll Breeden’s death, family members withstood three separate trials in two different courts, a pandemic, multiple judge swaps, dozens of competency hearings and hundreds of court dates in the two parishes. Laurie Hancock, Breeden’s daughter, said each unnecessary delay caused frustration, anger and anxiety, and she likened it to “ripping a Band-Aid off an infected wound.”

“There was a tremendous lack of accountability, compassion, consideration and respect for the victims’ families the past eight years,” Hancock said. “It should not have taken this long to get justice.”

PHOTO PROVIDED By AUDUBON AQUARIUM RESCUE Staff of Audubon Aquarium Rescue work on Kemp’s ridley sea turtles injured by the cold in the Northeast.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Rabbis Peretz Kazen and Barry Weinstein light the menorah Sunday at the State Capitol during the 11th annual Chanukah celebration, hosted by the Chad at LSU and Greater Baton Rouge

PHOTOSByLESLIEWESTBROOK

Asign explains the researchunderway in the agrivoltaics testbed at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’sLouisiana Solar EnergyLaboratoryinLafayette.

CROPPING UP

Continued from page1A

Land-use tension

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

That growth has collided with longstandingagricultural traditions —particularly in the state’ssugar cane belt —creating anew wave of land-use tension in rural communities.

Plans for solar farms in Iberville and St. James parishes were scrapped following local pushback, in particular from sugar cane farmers whoview theinitiatives as an encroachment on their own economic viability.InOctober,members of the Sunset community expressed similar frustrations at atown hall discussing aproposedsolar farm on Hippolite Miller Road

It’shappening nationwide:Farmland is disappearing, and solar development is expanding. The United States loses 2,000 acres of farmlanda day to nonagricultural development, andby2050, solar farms alone are expected to occupy more than10million acres —roughly 0.5% of the contiguous United States, according to American Farmland Trust.

With farmland disappearing and solar panels spreadingacrossrural Louisiana, agrivoltaicscouldoffer farmers away to maintain production while alsogenerating energy

“The whole premiseis really looking at sustainability and dual sources of revenue for producers, which comes from the energy they can sell back to the grid,” deNux said. Some researchers counter that the expansion of agrivoltaics into Louisiana agriculture should be limited and would require a long-term investment for what is likely to be asmall initial return.

“I don’tsee being able to convert 500 acres of sugar cane into 500 acres of vegetable crops under solar panels,atleast not without

ness researcher atthe LSU AgCenter.“You, as aproducer,would need to get in touch with abuyer willing to purchase at that scale.

I’m skeptical of it. It would likely need tobeata much smaller scale.”

Guidry has conducted previousresearch into the economic consequences of transitioning sugarcane fields intosolar farms, warning of possible losses in revenue for thestate’s economy

Due to the size of the plants, sugar cane is not a viablecrop for AV,and thus any transition of sugar cane farms into AV farms will require produce to comein theform of differentcrops.

“Most sugarcanefarmers in Louisiana renttheir land, andmostofour farmers aren’t trained for vegetable crops. So when alandowner decides to transfer land from sugar cane into asolar farm,even if they are growing crops underthe panels, unless we’respecifically trainingthose farmers for growingthose crops, it’s putting people out of ajob,” Guidry said.

‘Bothsides canbehappy’

At UL’s solarfarmon Eraste Landry Road, researchers and students underdeNux’sguidancehave planted 434 broccoli plants in between thesolar panels alreadylocated there.

While not amajor crop in the Louisiana agricultural industry, AV studies have shown broccoli to have a particular propensity for growth using the procedure, which deNux said influenced her decision in choosingthe crop for the study.

The study also aims to determine if membersof the public preferthe look

sample.

“There’s aSouthKorean study that showed that broccoligrown in AV plots were amore vibrant green. It’svery fresh-looking when compared with the more dullishgreenofconventionally grown plants. Customers there preferred thevisual appeal and taste of AV-grown broccoli. That could increase consumer demand,”deNux said.

The additional source of revenueisn’t the only benefitoftransitioninga traditional solar farm into an AV farm, either.The presence of crops themselvescan benefit energy production, according to deNux.

“These plantstake water from their roots and release it as vapor,which in turn creates acooling effect under thepanels. Solar panels don’tdoaswell when they’reoverheated,sothe plants also make the energy production moreefficient.”

While still in its infancy, deNuxishopefulUL’s research willleadtoincreased exposure andviability for the emerging approach to farming andoffer Louisiana’seconomy apath towardreduced reliance on fossil fuels.

“It wouldn’tbethe first time we’ve made massive changes in agriculture. I think this provides away that both sides canbehappy.When I’ve presented research, I’vegotten alot of interest from people who want to know how they can implement this on their land. Idobelieve in sustainable energy,and with climatechange getting more unpredictable here in the Gulf South, having reliable energy sources is important. If we train people, if we do it theright way,this will hopefully be away of

Funerals Today

Allen,Amy

St.Jude Catholic Church at 11am

Boudreaux, Marie

St.Frances CabriniCatholic Church in Livoniaat11a.m

Cothern, Kerry Zoar BaptistChurch at noon.

Minor,Leon Magnolia Full Gospel Church at 11 a.m.

Monceret,Audrey

Immaculate ConceptionCatholic Church,865 Hatchell Lane in Denham Springs,at11:30 a.m.

Penn Jr., Claude Abundant Life Church,206 Edgewood DriveinDenhamSprings,at 1p.m

Obituaries

Albert, Charles Anthony'Chuckie'

CharlesA.Albert, "Chuckie", devotedhusband, father, "B", and mentor, passed away peacefully on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 after abrief battle with cancer. He was 61 years oldand aresident of Zachary. Visitation willbe at St.John theBaptist Catholic Church on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 from 9am until Mass of Christian Burial at 12pm. Burial will be in Redwood Cemetery in Slaughter. He is survived by his devoted wife of 35 years, Lee AnnMcIntyre Albert, 2daughters,Morgan Albert Bryant and husband, Haydn and Mallory Albert Mack and husband, Jon. His favorite grandson, Theo Charles Mack. Mother-in-law, FloraMcIntyre. Siblings, Joey Albert (Vickie), Kiki Brown (David), Carole Wilkins (Marty)and TeresaTaylor. He is preceded in death by his parents, Georgeand Gloria Albert,siblings, George"Tuba"Albert,Jr.,and Ruthie Charles. Father-in-law, RogerMcIntyre. Pallbearers will be Shane Nicholas, Pokey Anders,Ben Allen, Chief Gerard Tarleton, David "Fud"Ferguson MattArd,BoydWestbrook and Shane Moss. Honorary pallbearers willbeTheo Charles Mack, Joey Albert, EPRFireworks Staff, St. GeorgeFire Department, WestMonroeFireDepartment,ZacharyFire Department and LFCABoardofDirectors. Chuckiedevoted more than 40 years of his life to thefire service, pouring his passion into education and training. He played amajorrolein helping countless firefighters earn theirassociate degreesinfire science, and he spent much of his careerfocusedonPIALratingsand reporting software. His worktook him to hundreds of full-timeand volunteerdepartments acrossthe country, leaving alasting markoneach one.His impact is immeasurable.Chuckie is oneof theunsung heroes of his profession. His hard work behind thescenesand consistent dedication to theoverallmission of preventionand readiness saved livesinwaysthat we may never knowbecause of apreparedness that keptbad things from happeninginthe first place. Chuckiebegan his

time firefighter, through 1994. Hisjourney then led himtoserve as FireChief in West Monroe, andeventually to theSt. George Fire Department, whereheretiredasChief of Administration.Upon retirement from St.George,hecontinuedhis dedication to education by working as aSr. Customer Experience Specialist at EPR Fireworks. Chuckie wasa respected andinfluential leader within theLouisiana FireChiefs Association.Heservedas LFCA Presidentin2012 and as alongtime Secretary. He also represented the Association on theBoard of Commissionersofthe Property Insurance Association of Louisiana, (PIAL) Advisory Committee,and theLouisiana Department of Insurance Board of Review for fireratings.His kindness, hissteady presence,and hisdedication to others defined everypart of hislife. Hislegacylives on in thefirefighters he taught, thedepartments he strengthened,and the familyand friends who lovedhim dearly. Memorial donationsmay be made to Louisiana Fallen Firefighter's Memorial, The Walkof Honor Foundation,8181 Independence Blvd Baton Rouge,LA70806. The family wouldliketoextend sincere gratitude to friend andcardiologist, Charles Thompson,M.D., for the exceptional cardiac care over thelast 16 years. Share sympathies, condolences, andmemories at www.CharletFuneralHome com.

Joseph "T-Boy"Ardoin Jr.passed away at his home on October31, 2025. He wasbornFebruary 9th, 1952, to Joseph andIlla Mae(Rushing)Ardoin.He grew up in Krotz Springs, LA, the5th of 14 siblings. T-Boy joined theCarpenters Local 1098 in 1973. In 1986, he became theAssistant Business Agent,was electedBusiness Agent andservedfrom1989 to 2002. He wasthe BenefitFund Administrator from 2002 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 ActBoard, the Louisiana State Re/Entry Counciland theGovernor's State Coordinating Council on JobTraining T-Boy leaves behinda legacythat reachesfar andwide.Heloved an adventureand wasfull of colorfulstories of hisescapades. But thebest of TBoy will always be hisgivingheart,the untold stories of those in need and himstepping up without expectation of anythingin return.Fromhis familyto strangers, he will be missed by all He is survivedbypartner, Janice Ardoin, son

great-grandson Jeremiah Coley, step-grandchildren Skyler,Hunter andBella. Also,survivedbysiblings, Bradford (Monica), Charles (Barbara), Michael,Sheryl Leblancand Liz Barker (Mike).

Preceded in death by his parents, hisbrothers, Calvin, Ulyn, Edwin, Delbert,Dewayne, Chad and hissistersSheila Crouch andConnieSue. ACelebrationofLife will be held on December 16, 2025, 11am to 1pm. at Local 198 UnionHall 5888 Airline Hwy. Baton Rouge,LA70805

Patin, Joseph D.

Joseph D. Patin passed away at Lakeview Manor in NewRoads, LA on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. He was 78 years old. He wasa gentleman wholoved animals, especially hiscats, he enjoyed reading,eating agoodmeal,drinking cokes, andthe companyof familyand friends. He was agraduate of Catholic High of Pointe Coupeeand retiredemployee of East Feliciana Hospital. He is survivedbycousins Joanne Pennison, Gary David, Brenda David, aspecial friend, HillaryLanglois, and numerousrelatives. He is preceded in death by his mother, GertiePatin, grandmother,AlmaDavid, uncle, Harry David, aunt, VerdaGuidrozand aspecial friend, Johnny Hornsby. Agravesideservice will be held Tuesday, December16, at 11 am by Rev. Amrit Raj at Chenal Cemetery, Jarreau, LA.

STAFF

Broccoli plantsgrowbetween rows of solar panels in the agrivoltaics testbed in Lafayette.

ArdoinJr., Joseph 'T-Boy'

It’s time to putsome limitson political parties

Iwas impressed with Philip Frady’sNov.17letter in which he succinctly summarized Republicans as destroying parts of government, whether or not vital, and Democrats as maintaining the status quo, no matter how outdated or calcified. It is unfortunate that the parties have retreated into their ideological corners,makingitdifficult,if not impossible, to reach common ground. Trust is hard to find. The blood sport of one party’swin is only possible when the other loses.

The U.S. Constitution leads off with the phrase “Wethe People.” We have lost asense of renewal in that legislative power has, over time, accumulated to party leaders, neutralizing regular representatives through appointments, seniority,rules and procedures.

Our recent and currenthistory of leaders looks like agerontocracy where it is not unusual for elected officials to lack full mentalabilities or to die in office. This rot must be cutout,like cancer

To correct this state ofaffairs, we must break the grip on power to encourage new ideas and enforce turnover of representation and leadership. Ipropose anew Amendment 28 to the U.S. Constitution relating to longevity of service.

1. No person is eligible for federal elective office who will have attained their 75th birthday as of the date they are elected.

2. No legislative electedofficial may serve for more than 18 consecutive years in their respective chamber

3. No SupremeCourt appointee may serve for more than 20 years or serve past their 80th birthday

4. Congressmay make such rules regarding this amendment as it deems appropriate.

Politicians will not willingly give up power.The above may not correct everything,but it’sa start. TERRI SANTACOLOMA NewOrleans

Take semi-pro sports leaguesout of colleges

Let’sface it, college sports today is not the collegesports of yesterday.With NIL and the open transfer portal, it has become a “semi-professional” occupation. Some“student”athletes are worth millionsand switch universities faster than professional athletes swap teams. With that said, Iwould like to see “the big three” (college football, baseball and basketball) taken out of college leagues and made into farm teams for professional organizations. These professional organizations would have to use the college stadiums and retain thecollegemascots and names. They would paycoachesand staff. It is not fair to regular universitystudents to have to compete with thecurrent college athlete. Astudent studying chemistry,biologyoragriculture does not have thesame monetary opportunity as someone who can possiblythrow, catch or dribble aball in a

game. Butthat chemistry,biologyoragriculture student might go on to cure diabetes, develop anew system to save wetlands or develop anew variety of grains to feed the world.

Iknow all the funds for the sports foundationsare supposed to be separated from the “general” funds, but Ireally do not believe that is the fact. When LSU or any other universityhas to pay out millions to afired coach and then hires anew coach formillions more, Iknow theuniversity and state taxpayers are on the hook for the payout.

So what Ineed from my state is not awinning football team but better civil infrastructure (likestreets and bridges) that is rated at least a“B” level. Ineed the public schools fixed so all statechildren can read, write and do basic math.Ifwecan accomplish that, then we could attract new industry

CLAUDETTE

OSTER Baton Rouge

Enforcing immigrationlaws makesour communitiessafer

Imoved to Louisiana acouple of years ago and as amother of two, Icouldn’tbehappier with the“Catahoula Crunch.”The federal government stepping up and enforcing our laws in apartnership with Louisiana’slaw enforcement agencies is exactly what we needtobring order to southeastern Louisiana.

Gov.Jeff Landry has been calling for this kind ofoperation since President Donald Trumpwas elected about ayear ago, making thecase that both state action and federal assistance is necessary in cases where local cooperation is limited or public safetyconcernspersist.

The White House recently ramped up the federal supportthat we so desperately need, includinganupcoming National Guard deployment to assist with state requests, as well as Border Patrol operations. While we

don’thave all the details yet, Trumpseems eager to work with agovernor whoisserious about removing criminal elements from our communities. I’m so sick of symbolic gestures and empty promises. Law enforcementtargeting individuals withdangerous criminal records who are in this country illegally is ano-brainer if we want safe neighborhoods and high-trust communities. Ifully support the federal government enforcing our laws. It’s actually the whole purpose of its existence. By removing those who live here unlawfully,especially those with criminal backgrounds, we uphold therule of law,protect thepublic and send aclear message to would-be lawbreakers. Anything less is an attack on those of us who are still playing by therules.

ANNA CHAPMAN Baton Rouge

Attack on nursing profession couldcome back to hauntus

The Trumpadministration’sdecision that nursing, physical therapy, public health, social work and many other skilled positions are no longer considered professions is as ludicrous as it is insulting. This means that people pursuing these degrees will have extremely limited access to federal loans; formany,this meansthey will not enter these training programs. It is curious what the Trumpadministration thinks is professional. The Oxford dictionary definition of profession is atype of job that needs special training or skills, especially one that needs ahigh level of education. All of these attributes are true of these professions.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, whohas adegree in French and ran the WWE, is considered trained enough to run this very important department. Pete Hegseth, whoholds abachelor of arts and wasatalk show host, runs the Department of War.

Ihave abachelor of science in nursing, amasters in public health and adoctorate in epidemiology and 40 years of experience serving the public. Without loans, which I paid back in full, Iwould not have had this opportunity Ifind this decision supremely insulting. Since the overwhelming majority of these professions are held by women,Ifind this to be a blatant attack on women. Iurge our representatives to reject this political maneuver and remind Congress, where the average age is 58 years, that they may regret this decision when they seek health care and the workforce is not there to help them

PATRICIA KISSINGER NewOrleans

Fewwereoutraged

when Obama targeted U.S. citizens deemed threats

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Lawmakersconspired on closed primaries

Louisiana’s closed primarysystem for 2026 is apernicious assault on voters. Why should partyaffiliation on thevoter registration form dictate the slateofcandidates I’m allowed to votefor?

Worse, this dictateisa pre-votelimitation even before the slate of candidates is known. Sure,one can make aspecial effort to change theregistration before theelection, but why should voters have to jump through this needless hoop,potentially every election? Whyare choices of candidates across party lines notallowed?

Free and fair?Hardly Party affiliation on the registration form maybeinformative for statistical purposes, but otherwise should merely be relegated to

afootnote.

In this state, Republican affiliation is just over 35%, but Republicans are 70% in the House and 72% in the Senate. It is not hard to believe that something is very wrong.

Both Republicans and Democrats are complicit in their stranglehold of party politics to thegeneral disadvantage of voters. Gov. Jeff Landry and acompliant Legislature madethis change because, at this momentin power,they can, without voter input. Their quest for power knows no bounds as their foot is firmly on thenecks of voters. This is thestuff of authoritarian regimes, like Iran. Shameonthe governor and theLegislature.

JILL KAPLAN NewOrleans

Regardless of how you feel about the administration targeting suspected drug runner boats in the Caribbean, please consider this. The outrage coming predominantly from the leftisfocusing on these attacks as illegal and potentially warcrimes. However,during the Obamayears, the U.S. governmentconducted drone strikes that resulted in the deaths of Al Qaedasupporting U.S. citizens, notably Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son and two others. Calling him an “imminent threat” to the U.S., al-Awlaki was targeted; the other three, while not specifically targeted, were“collateral damage” of drone strikes.

The ACLU called it an “extrajudicial execution” that violated the constitutional rights to due process of U.S. citizens. The ObamaDepartment of Justice argued it was lawfulacts of war. Do you recall the samelevel of outrage?

Iwould argue the case forthe legality of attacking these drug runners is stronger than the targeted killing of U.S. citizens, regardless of their support for terrorists.

JOHN POULOS Baton Rouge

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

The north video board welcomes newLSU head football coach Lane KiffinonDec. 1atTiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

COMMENTARY

WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST

GIFT GIVING TIME!

What agift! We received758 entries in this final Cartoon Caption Contest.These were just what we were looking for… hilarious,off-the-wall and incredibly creative! Our winner brought home thetop prizewith aquirky, laugh-out-loud takeonthe drawing.Well played, everyone! As always, when we have duplicate entries,and we always do, we pick theearliestsent in.

On apersonal note,asmanyofyou know, Iwill be retiring at the end of December.I started this contest in 2014. Since then, therehavebeen 232 contest winners, almost 7,000 finalistsand literally tensof thousands of punchlines emailedin.

Ihaveread each one of themmyself.With the help of my phenomenal wife, Jodie, we have selected the finalists and winners youultimately read in thepaper

Theentries have come from all overLouisiana, the United States and other countries.Theyhavebeen sent in by young children, students,people of every profession and retired folks, all with aterrificsense of humorand adesire to share their creativity. It has been such apleasure connecting withall of youthrough this contest.With that said, forone lasttime, great job! Happy holidays —Walt

SIDHEBERT,SLIDELL: “WhenIasked for a cubicle, Ididn’t expect this!”

JIM FLOCK, HARAHAN: “I expect everyone to be back at their desk working in the next 15 minutes.And, Julie, see me in my office.

DAVID DELGADO,NEW ORLEANS: “I bet you neverknewshe was aventriloquist!”

CINDY MANSFIELD,PRAIRIEVILLE: “OK! OK! y’all can have Christmas off! Just let me out of here!”

JAMES R. SILVERSTEIN, NEW ORLEANS: “If this doesn’t getmea promotion, nothing will.

BRYANRUIZ(5TH GRADE), PHILLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL, NEW ORLEANS: “Atleast put some holes in the box!”

CHARLES THEAUX, PONCHATOULA: “This is definitely going on your performance appraisal.”

RICHARD MILLER, BATONROUGE: “Hey, it’s Brian Kelly.I’ll giveback half the buyout if you letmeout of here.”

BRUCETAMPLAIN, LAPLACE: “I’vetold youa thousand times, my nameisnot Jack.

RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “you cannot simply swap me!!! If youwant a divorce, youare going to have to paya lawyer!!!”

JAYDARDENNE, BATONROUGE: “Here’sa hint: I’m bigger than abreadbox and smaller than Lane Kiffin’scontract.”

SHELBYROTOLO, METAIRIE: “I hope HR has a sense of humor thisyear!”

D. SABRIO, METAIRIE: “This’ll teach me not to take long naps at my desk!”

DON RANDON, GRETNA: “OK …let me out and I’ll increase your bonuses!”

MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “Help! She’s trying to swap me for ascented candle!”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: “OK, youcan have the office withthe window!”

RORY STEEN, LITTLE ROCK,ARK.: “This is why we can’t have nice traditions.”

BRUCEBLANCHARD, COVINGTON: “OK,OK, Ipromise nevertosay,‘Think outside thebox!’ again. Just getmeout of here.”

STEPHEN R. BARRY,NEW ORLEANS: “Relax… It’snot abonus.Those aremuch smaller!”

DAVID TRIPP HANEMAN, METAIRIE: “Whoever opens thispresent gets araise!”

TIM PUJOL, MAUREPAS: “Dammit, Gladys! youcan’t swap your manager!”

SHERILINDSEY, BATONROUGE: “Whycouldn’t youjust buy afruit cakelikenormalpeople?”

GINA VILLAVASO,NEW ORLEANS: “Well, you knowI’m not another coffee mug.

KAREN POIRRIER, LUTCHER: “Point me to the employeebreak room!”

GISELEPRADOS,METAIRIE: “I promise to quit singing ‘Grandma Got Run Over By AReindeer.’”

RICH WOLF,WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND: “I only microwaved fish in the office one time!”

ZORA WHITE (AGE 10), NEWROADS: “Well, that wraps up everything!”

Trump’sobsession with Somali immigrants is sinister

Sometimes one crisisseemstoleadto another for President Donald Trump and he’sgot plenty of trouble brewing.

For months now,Trump’sapproval ratinghas taken abeating for theknock-on effects of the government shutdownand the ongoing Epstein files fiasco In November,his administration came under fire over newly reported details about the airstrikes on purported drug traffickersin the Caribbean, which seemtoindicatethat wounded people were deliberately killed in violation of the conventions of war.Trump also responded to the shooting of two NationalGuard soldiers in Washington by an Afghani refugee(who had formerly worked with American intelligence in Afghanistan)bysuspending all Afghani immigration cases, leading many critics to decry the move ascollective punishment. Amid all this anguish, Trump took the opportunity at acabinetmeeting to double down on collective punishment against another immigrant group that he doesn’tlike: Somali Americans.

On Nov.21, Trump postedonsocial media that he was revoking Temporary Protected Status for Somalis living in Minnesota.

“They contribute nothing,” Trump told reporters in aramblingtirade in the Tuesday cabinet meeting. “I don’twant them in our country.”

Trump further averred thatthe wartorn East African country from which they fled “stinks” and thatthey are “garbage.” Even for Trump, who onceinfamously dismissed African nations as “shithole countries,” the malevolence and vulgarity of his anti-Somali outbursts was stunning. And whatend did he imagine was being served?

Casting abroad shadowofsuspicion on immigrants, especially from nonWhite and Islamic nations, has been a yearslong patternfor Trump andhis deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller But the Somali angle likely hasmuch to do with the recent Trump administration tack of punishing blue states and Democraticpolitical leaders. The largest Somali expatriate community in the U.S. residesin Minnesota,home to Rep. Ilhan Omar and Gov.Tim Walz, two favorite objects of Trump invective.

Some 80,000people of Somali birth or ancestry reside in thestate, andthe vast majority are U.S. citizens.Omar emigratedfrom Somalia in 1995 as achild. Minnesota’s Somali communityhas takenapublic relations hit recently following reports of the U.S. Department of Justice’sprosecution of individuals involvedinawide-ranging scheme to defraud Minnesota and federal government programs during and after the COVID-19pandemic.

As muchas$250 million was bilked by upwardof75defendants,and theDOJ investigation, started during theBiden administration, centersona nonprofit group called Feeding Our Future, which worked with the MinnesotaDepartment of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture to distributemeals to children.

The defendants, who aremostly but notall members of the Somali community,submitted false invoices and meal count sheets, setupbogus programs for autistic childrenand took or gave kick-

backs for participation in the fraud. It’s disgraceful behavior,and it’s good thatthe fraudsters are being prosecuted. However,Trumpcould not help himself from taking theoutrage across theline of collective calumny

Picking up on allegations by Christopher Rufo, asenior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute, and Ryan Thorpe, areporter for the institute’sCity Journal, thatmoney stolen from Minnesota programs has gone to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia, Trump branded the MinnesotaSomali community “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and vowed to send them “back to wherethey came from.”

Rufo’sclaims, you won’tbesurprised to learn, are unsubstantiated. Aformer U.S. attorneyfor Minnesota told the Minnesota Star Tribune that thedefendants his officeprosecuted “werelooking to get rich, not fund overseas terrorism.”

But Trump and the MAGA faithful never let facts —or, to be charitable,the absence of evidence —get in the way of agood conspiracy theoryabout immigrants.

“Wecan go one way or the other,and we’regoing to go the wrong way,ifwe keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said. “IlhanOmar is garbage. She’sgarbage! Her friends aregarbage!”

In response to thepresident,Omar fortunately kept her cool. “I hope,” she said graciously,“he getsthe help he desperately needs.”

From your lips to God’s ear,Congresswoman.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47 page@gmail.com.

Is the economy abouttoturn in Trump’s favor?

President Donald Trump gotwhat might be considered some good news recently, though most of the major American media ignoredit. According to aUKDaily Mail/J.L. Partners survey,the president’s approval rating increased from 45% to 47% between Nov.21and Dec.4.The poll included1,000 registered voters who participatedin online surveys; the margin of erroris3.1%, so it could be awash, but at this point anygood news is aplus for the administration.

Cal Thomas

The administrationalso took credit for lowergas prices,whichitsaidhad fallen to under$3agallon nationwide, except in California,where the average price for agallonofregularis$4.36 as of Dec. 6. State andfederal excise taxesincrease the costtoanaverage of $4.50 for regular, the highest in the nation. Even in California,gas prices arelower than they have been in recentyears.

Democrats areconspiring to make “affordability” their only issue ahead of the midterm elections. Theymay be setting atrapfor themselves, not only because it hasbeen the policies of the previous Republican administrations that have experienced delayedpricedrops, but because what’shappening in the current economy bearsa strong resemblance to another scenario 40 yearsago.

Remember the “misery index?” That was the labelappliedtothe economic policiesofJimmy Carter, who presided over double-digit inflation, double-digit mortgage ratesand double-digit unemployment. Ronald Reagan faced these economicchallenges as he entered office in 1981.

Democrats won 26 seats in the House in the 1982 midterms, padding their majority,largely because prices for everything remained high. Reagan and members of his administrationsaid what is nowbeing said by Trump —thatthings would get betterand thatittook timetorepairthe damage causedbyCarter’sfour years in office. The repairs would come, but it took nearly allofReagan’sfirst term before voters could feel it. Reagan wasalso confronted with the twin monsters of inflationand stagflation. He cut taxes, eliminated unnecessary regulations and spurredinvestment. By 1984, whenhe ranfor reelection and won in alandslide, it was“Morning in America,”the theme of ahighly effective political ad

President Trump is emulating Reagan by cutting taxes, deregulating and shrinking the size andcost of government. He says his tariffs arebringing in trillions of dollars andhas promised “rebate checks” for the poor andmiddle class.

The UK Daily Mail poll credits the twopoint uptickinTrump’sapproval rating to stabilizing prices,resulting in “spending records over the Thanksgiving holiday, despite concerns over an affordability crisis whichTrump hasbranded a‘Democrat scam.’Black Friday and Cyber Mondaybroke online spending records. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, $44.2 billion was spent online alone,” according to an Adobe Analyticsreport.

In addition, the stock market’supward trend continues, fattening the 401(k) and othermutualfund accounts forretirees andthose still working.

The president hashit the road to “sell” his economicplan, as Reagan did. He should remind voters how we have seen this playout before and the results. He might aska question that should be more thanrhetorical: “Why would you consider returning to power those Democrats and their policiesthatcausedthe economic problems, instead of voting for Republicanswho arestarting to make headway in solving them?” Democrats andtheir media allieswill try to closevoters’ eyes and urge them to rely exclusively on “feelings.” Trump andcongressional Republicans should askvotersiftheywish to return to the Carterand Bidenpast, or move forward with Reagan-like policiesthat produced abrighter economic future. Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub. com. He is on X, @CalThomas.

WINNER: Charles Smith, St. Rose

Clarence Page

‘UNSTOPPABLE

LSUjuniorguard Williams becoming ‘moreand more dominant,’ Page 2B

Tulane-Ole Miss series hasdeeprootedhistory

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

The biggest football game in Tulane history is by far the most significant in its oftplayedseries withOle Miss.

Even though the GreenWave (11-2) has faced the Rebels (11-1) 74 timesbeforeSaturday’sfirst-roundCollege FootballPlayoff at Vaught Hemingway Stadium —secondin number only to its 98 meetings with LSU and including afirst meeting all the way backin 1893 —the matchups rarely contained any nationalimport

Only once, in 1948, haveboth teamsbeen ranked in the final AssociatedPress pollduringyears they played each other.Tulane beat the No. 10 Rebels 20-7 at home in October, climbed into the top 20 the followingweek and ended up No. 13 after crushing LSU 46-0 at TigerStadium to complete a9-1 season. The Rebels did not lose again, finishing 15th at 8-1. Ole Miss leads the series 46-28, or 45-29 if you credit Tulane with a27-23 win in 1983

ä College Football Playoff First round Tulane vs:

it laterforfeited because quarterback Jon Englishwas ruledineligible. The Wave is 3-18 in Mississippi, withthe first 31 games occurringinNew Orleans. Here is ahistorical tour of theseries: Ranked on ranked Theirfirst24meetingscamebefore the advent of the AP poll in 1936, but both teams have been rankedonly three times in their 50 subsequent games. In 1939, No. 9Tulanebeat No. 14 Ole Miss 18-6athome on its way to theSugar Bowl, where it lost14-13 to top-ranked TexasA&M. In 1956, No. 19 Tulanebeat No. 6Ole Miss 10-3 in Jackson, Mississippi, for itsfirst road win against theRebels.The Wave lost 40-0 to GeorgiaTechthe followingweekand never

ä See TULANE, page 3B

COMEBACK KIDS

after

Saints kicker Charlie

20-17toupset the CarolinaPanthers.

BYMATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

agame-winning

Tyler Shough emerged from the medical blue tent

lateinSunday’sgame against the Carolina Panthers with his helmet in hand.The quarterback —and the New Orleans Saints —had avoided adisaster.After taking aknee to the hip on fourth down, the quarterback was shaken up and had to be evaluated bythe team’straining staff. But Shough was cleared to return. He had aballgame to win “It definitely was hurting, but IknewIwas good,” Shough said, “as long as Icould throw.”

fi

The rookie quarterback led back-to-back scoring drives to pull off a20-17 victory over theCarolina Panthers, again crushing an NFC South rival’shopes in agame they needed to create separation in the division. Shough finished with 272yardson24-of-32 passing, but it was his fourth-quarter comeback thatpropelled the Saints to their second straight win. The Saints(4-10) have won back-to-back games for the first time all year How did he do it? Well, there’s his arm.But Charlie Smythdoesn’tmake a47-yard, game-winning field goal without Shough again taking another bonecrushing hit on aslide that got New Orleans into

range forthe go-ahead kick.

With 12 seconds left, Shough took off on aquarterback draw for 4yards, but after he got to the ground, Panthers safety Lathan Ransom committed alate hit that instantly drew a15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.The hit even forced Shough to leave the field, leading backup Spencer Rattler to quickly replace him for atime-wasting throwaway that set up Smyth’skick. But Shough was fine.Hehad done his job,getting the Saints into aposition to steal the victory.After all, the Saints rallied from aseven-point deficit in the

NFCSouth rivalCarolina ä See SAINTS, page 4B

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Smythreacts

kicking

47-yard

eld goal against theCarolina Panthers on Sundayatthe Caesars Superdome The Saints won

FILE PHOTOByA.J.SISCO

Tulane quarterback Kai Horton scrambles away fromOle Miss defenders during the first half of agameonSept. 10,2023, at yulmanStadium. Tulane and Ole Miss will faceoff in the first round of the CollegeFootballPlayoff.

Rookie QB Shough takeshits, Smythkicks game-winnertoupset

Versatile Williams makes strides

LSU junior guard hitting tough shots, improving defense

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Opposing teams can take space away from Mikaylah Williams. But that kind of tight defense probably isn’t preventing her from draining a difficult shot or hitting an open teammate anymore.

Louisiana Tech learned that lesson Saturday when Williams helped the LSU women’s basketball team find its offensive groove in the Compete 4 Cause Classic and pick up its latest nonconference win Coach Brooke Stoehr liked the way her team defended. Williams was just a step ahead.

“She’s one of the most versatile players in the country,” Stoehr said Williams was last season, too The difference, now is that the star junior has become an even more efficient shooter, an even more active defender and an even more productive playmaker than she was as a sophomore — as she showed when she tallied a season-high 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Lady Techsters. The strides Williams has made won’t show up in her per-game averages. This season she is scoring four fewer points per night than last year But that’s because coach Kim Mulkey hasn’t needed to put her on the floor as often as she did a season ago. Through 11 games, Williams is averaging more than 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per 40 minutes More than a dozen Division I players have those averages this season, but none of them are shooting as efficiently as Williams, who’s draining 56% of her field-goal tries and 46% of her 3-point attempts. Williams on Saturday shot 6 of 10 from the field and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. She either scored or assisted on more than a third

of all the shots LSU made.

“I just feel like once she gets in her groove,” Flau’jae Johnson said, “she’s an unstoppable player

“We all know what she can do on the offensive side of the floor, but it’s also her defense. Tonight, she was getting over screens, she was doing the little things, getting down the floor and stuff like that, and so I just feel like her overall game is becoming more and more dominant.”

Before the season, Williams said she wants to improve how she plays defense. Whatever she did has worked so far The guard already has 21 steals a mark she didn’t hit last year until the Tigers’ 15th and final nonconference game. Williams forced two of those turnovers on Dec. 4 in LSU’s come-from-behind road win over Duke, a game that shook out like the one the No. 5 Tigers (11-0)

played on Saturday against Louisiana Tech LSU got off to a slow start, then corrected course and raced to a double-digit win.

Each night, Williams took over the third quarter Against the Blue Devils, she buried a series of isolation jump shots. Then, two games later against the Lady Techsters, she stepped into a left-wing 3-pointer curled into a baseline jumper and set up two layups for center Kate Koval — each time on a perfectly thrown lob pass down to the rim.

“She’s sharing the ball,” Mulkey said. “She’s really working hard to get better on the defensive end. She just has a presence about her right now that’s better than it’s ever been.”

And that’s only one of the reasons why LSU is playing as well as it ever has since Mulkey’s tenure began. The Tigers will begin the last three-game stretch of their nonconference slate with

the nation’s highest scoring average (109.3 ppg), field-goal percentage (56%), 3-point field-goal percentage (43%), average margin of victory (53.1 ppg) and rebounding rate (65%).

The win over Louisiana Tech was LSU’s worst statistical offensive showing of the season

The Tigers still scored 87 points on 48% shooting.

Few teams across the country will be able to match that kind of offensive firepower, especially if Williams keeps improving the way she already has between her sophomore and junior years.

“She’s got great strength.”

Stoehr said. “I mean, her midrange game is really, really nice She can shoot the 3 with great consistency She sees the floor, passes. I just think her versatility is really tough to defend.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

LSU men rediscover identity in SMU win

Tigers dominate in the paint against Mustangs

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Marquel Sutton retrieved a pass at the left elbow of the free-throw line.

The 6-foot-9 LSU forward drove to the right block, pivoted, shot with his non-dominant left hand and finished an and-one through SMU’s 7-2 defender

The bucket gave LSU a 28-25 lead after the free throw and symbolized a return to the team’s identity: dominance in the paint.

“How could we not?” said Dedan Thomas, who had 16 points and a career-high 12 assists.

The Tigers’ 89-77 victory over SMU on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center was unlike its previous 24-point loss to a ranked Texas Tech team.

“I thought we played more to our identity, who we’ve become as a team,” coach Matt McMahon said “I love the 50 points in the paint.” His star point guard agreed and explained how it lacked that consistent force against Texas Tech

“We just knew that’s not us,” Thomas said. “Didn’t hit shots, weren’t guarding, weren’t talking. And so Coach was really hard on us this week, and we just got better So yeah, it feels great, especially being in our home state.” LSU (9-1) shot 62%, its thirdhighest field-goal percentage of the season, and made 7 of 15 3-pointers in its first Quad One win. Its leading scorer was Sutton with 23 points and 12 rebounds. McMahon said his team’s disappointment was a major motivating factor ahead of the game against SMU (9-2), which he viewed as a

top-25 caliber team.

“What was really important to us was how we were going to respond coming off the performance we were disappointed in,” McMahon said. “(We) challenged our team all week. Think they understood the urgency of the game. They had watched a lot of SMU film just as the staff did, so we had great respect for their team.”

One of the players who had the biggest resurgence was Max Mackinnon. Coming off an 0-of-9 shooting performance, the 6-6 senior proved why he is tasked with being the team’s primary shooter He made 8 of 9 shots for 22 points and made 6 of 7 shots from the

3-point line.

“I thought he showed just phenomenal maturity tonight,” McMahon said. “For those who’ve watched our last two games, you know, we struggled to shoot the 3, so for him to come out with six of seven really helped us space the floor.”

Helping Sutton dominate around the basket was graduate student Pablo Tamba, who had his best performance of the season with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds. The 6-7 forward from Spain battled fouls in the previous contest, limiting him to 20 minutes. On Saturday he earned 38 minutes and played like a “junk-

yard dog,” said Sutton. McMahon was asked how the team was able to play at such a high level following a poor outing. The fourth-year coach was straightforward. “Simple answer would be, our offense didn’t stink,” McMahon said. “Tonight, we executed better on the offensive end. We were able to set our defense. We did a much better job of being organized with our defensive schemes there So our offense really helped us there, and then we have really good players. I mean, they’re about the right things.

“I thought they really responded.”

Royals trade lefty reliever to Brewers for OF, pitcher

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals traded left-handed reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for versatile outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears on Sunday

The 28-year-old Collins hit .263 with nine homers and 54 RBIs in 130 games last year, his first full season in the big leagues He made 100 starts in left field, six in right field and two at designated hitter along with a start at second base.

The 29-year-old Mears had a career-best 3.49 ERA for Milwaukee last season. He also has pitched for the Pirates and Rockies.

The 26-year-old Zerpa made a career-high 69 appearances for the Royals last season, when he had a 4.18 ERA. He has proven to be a dependable middle reliever for Kansas City

Veteran pitcher Kelly returns to Diamondbacks

PHOENIX Veteran starting pitcher Merrill Kelly agreed Sunday to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $40 million, two-year deal, according to a person familiar with the move.

The right-hander spent the first 6 1/2 years of his career with the Diamondbacks before the pending free agent was dealt to the Texas Rangers at this year’s trade deadline in July Kelly, 37, was good for both teams, finishing with a combined 12-9 record and 3.52 ERA. Kelly’s return to the desert isn’t a huge surprise considering he’s a Scottsdale native and played in college at Arizona State.

The fan favorite was a key piece of the team that went to the World Series in 2023. He had a 12-8 record and a 3.29 ERA that season.

Germans sweep two World Cup bobsled races

LILLEHAMMER, Norway — Johannes Lochner’s retirement season is shaping up to be his best. Lochner, who will end his career after the Olympics in February, won a World Cup four-man bobsled race for the second consecutive day on Sunday, leading another German sweep. Lochner’s team was first, Adam Ammour drove to second and Francesco Friedrich crossed the line in third.

The Germans have finished 1-23 in four of the six men’s bobsled races this season and have collected 16 of a possible 18 medals to this point.

Kris Horn was the top U.S. fourman driver Sunday, finishing sixth. Germany also swept the medals in a two-woman race, with Laura Nolte winning, Kim Kalicki second and Lisa Buckwitz third Kaysha Love was fourth for the U.S.

Novak, Coughlin team up, win Thornton Invitational

NAPLES Fla.— Andrew Novak made three straight birdies on the back nine and Lauren Coughlin finished off their 9-under 63 in modified fourballs for a three-shot victory Sunday in the Grant Thornton Invitational, the second team title this year for Novak. They were challenged primarily by Chris Gotterup and Jennifer Kupcho until the par-5 17th at Tiburon Golf Club.

Gotterup and Kupcho both missed the green in tough spots and had to work hard for par Coughlin and Novak finished three ahead of Gotterup and Kupcho (63), Denny McCarthy and Nelly Korda (63), and Michael Brennan and Charley Hull (65).

Novak also won the Zurich Classic with Ben Griffin.

Porzingis to miss two weeks; Young nears return

ATLANTA The Atlanta Hawks will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the next two weeks, the team announced Sunday The center has missed seven of the past eight games with an illness and will undergo further evaluations.

Porzingis last played Dec. 5, scoring 25 points in Atlanta’s 134133 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Hawks acquired Porzingis on June 24 in a three-team trade involving the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. Porzingis played for the Celtics for two years. The Hawks will be losing one star and gaining another Trae Young is set to return to action this week after sustaining a right MCL sprain in a late October contest in Brooklyn.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU players cheer after a teammate hits a 3-point shot against SMU on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center The Tigers made 7 of 15 3-pointers in the 89-77 win.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams, right, and Louisiana Tech guard Kaleigh Thompson run back down the court after Williams scored on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center

Tulane’s CFP run led by 5 difference makers

BY SPENCER URQUHART

Staff writer

Tulane has reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, and there are several Green Wave players who have had strong 2025 seasons. Transfer quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been among the top standouts for Tulane (11-2) this season. The Green Wave is currently riding a five-game win streak, most recently winning the American Conference championship game over North Texas at Yulman Stadium to secure a CFP berth

Listed below are five players who have been the most important difference makers heading into Tulane’s first-round playoff matchup, which is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Ole Miss at VaughtHemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

Jake Retzlaff, Quarterback (R-Sr.)

Tulane was tasked with replacing last season’s starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke, and the Green Wave landed an experienced starter in Retzlaff. A dual-threat quarterback, Retzlaff transferred from BYU in July and has shined in his first season as Tulane’s starting quarterback. Born in Corona, California, Retzlaff was a junior college standout as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to the

game on Dec. 5 against North Texas at yulman Stadium The ByU transfer set Tulane’s single-season record for most rushing touchdowns by

FBS level. He spent two years at BYU before transferring to Tulane as a redshirt senior and has started all 13 games this season, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,862 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions along with a team-high 610 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 118 carries. He set Tulane’s single-season record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.

Derrick Graham, Left tackle (R-Sr.)

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, Graham has started at

left tackle for Tulane the past two years after transferring from Troy A redshirt senior, Graham was at Troy for four years prior to Tulane, and he played for current Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall beginning in 2022. Graham entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and initially committed to Texas A&M, but he ended up following Sumrall to Tulane instead for the 2024 season. Born in Lake Minneola, Florida, Graham saw playing time as a true freshman at Troy and is now an anchor at left tackle for Tulane, earning all-conference honors the past two years. Sumrall recently said there’s no

Mendoza’s high school, alumni celebrate QB’s Heisman win

BY JORDAN MCPHERSON Miami Herald (TNS)

MIAMI The raucous crowd at Vice Pizza in South Miami fell to a hush as the announcement was prepared to be made.

Nearly 200 people with ties to Christopher Columbus High School — alumni, faculty, administrators, families and friends — were on site to watch one of their own hopefully win one of college football’s most prestigious honors.

And then came the news they were waiting to hear. Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

The silence turned into euphoria.

“What a day,” said a jubilant Thomas Kruczek, Columbus’ president.

Mendoza, a redshirt junior quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers, is not only the first Columbus alumnus

TULANE

Continued from page 1B

re-entered the poll In 2023, the No. 20 Rebels beat the No. 24 Wave 37-20 at Yulman Stadium in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. With Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt sitting out due to injury, backup Kai Horton stepped out of bounds just shy of a first down at the Ole Miss 30 on a fourth-down scramble while trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter The Rebels clinched it with a 56-yard field goal at the 1:53 mark for a 30-20 lead, then scored on a fumble return.

Minus the Mannings

The first football family of New Orleans had very little interaction with Tulane in its time at Ole Miss. Archie Manning never faced the Wave in his three playing years at Ole Miss from 1968-70. Tulane had left the Southeastern Conference in 1966, and the subsequent nine-year gap in the series was its longest until the 21st century Eli Manning redshirted in 1999 when Ole Miss beat Tulane 20-13 in Oxford. A year later, he came off the bench in the fourth quarter of a 49-20 Rebels win at home, going 1 of 5 for 4 yards in his first career appearance. As you would expect, it was his lowest completion percentage and his fewest yards in any college or NFL game.

to win the Heisman. He is also the first Miami native and the first Cuban-American to take home the award, which has been given out annually since 1935 He received 643 first-place votes to clear the field and finish well ahead of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who had 189 first-place votes. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin were the other finalists.

“Everybody is so proud of him,” Kruczek said before the watch party started Saturday night, adding that Monday will be “HeisMendoza Day” at the school. Mendoza has completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards and a nationleading 33 touchdown passes with just six interceptions. He led the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and their first Big Ten championship

Bowled over Tulane’s most memorable moments against Ole Miss have come in bowl seasons. In 1979, the Roch Hontasled Wave crushed the Rebels 49-15 on Nov 10 at the Superdome in front of a crowd of 45,667 and a regional audience on ABC when televised games were a huge deal. The Wave rolled up 536 yards, scoring its most points since its 1953 opener against The Citadel, and intercepted Gretna-born quarterback John Fourcade twice. Tulane jumped into the AP poll at No. 20 and beat LSU 24-13 at the Dome the following week before losing to Penn State 9-6 in the Liberty Bowl. In 1980, Tulane Hall of Fame tight end Rodney Holman broke several tackles after catching a short pass and rambled 40 yards to the Ole Miss setting up a 29-yard Vince Manalla field goal for a 26-24 victory as time ran out in Oxford — beating Fourcade again. It was a spectacular moment for Holman, who went on to 14 years in the NFL Tulane finished 7-5, playing in the Hall of Fame Bowl.

In 1987, Tulane beat Ole Miss 31-24 at home along the way to the Independence Bowl for its first postseason appearance since 1980. The Wave nearly went undefeated against SEC teams, beating the Rebels, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State before losing 41-36 to LSU on a lastminute touchdown.

Dry spell

A major reason Tulane and Ole Miss do not have

since 1967. They are the No. 1 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Indiana has a first-round bye in the playoff and will face No. 8 seed Oklahoma or No. 9 seed Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 for its quarterfinal game. Should the Hoosiers win their next two games — the Rose Bowl and then their semifinal, which would be at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta Mendoza and Indiana will play for a national championship on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium.

“If you told me as a kid in Miami that I’d be here on stage holding this prestigious trophy, I probably would have laughed, cried — like I’m doing now — or both, because this moment, it’s an honor It’s bigger than me,” Mendoza said during the ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York.

more memorable history is the Rebels’ glory years corresponded to Tulane’s deemphasis of the program in the 1950s and 60s. The Wave won the school’s first four SEC meetings and six of the first eight but finished 7-18 against the Rebels as league members as the programs went in opposite directions.

Tulane managed to win 10-3 in 1956. Otherwise, the Rebels outscored the Wave 337-72 from 1953 to 1963, when Ole Miss captured five SEC titles and claimed three national championships.

Ole Miss won 97 games in those 11 years. Tulane won 27, failing to score against the Rebels four times from 1957 to 1963.

Tulane last won at Vaught HemingwayStadiumin1988, edging the Rebels 14-9 when both teams finished 5-6. Since then, the Wave has lost seven in a row and the two most recent ones were ugly In 2021, the Rebels gained 707 yards and picked up an SEC-record-tying 41 first downs in a rain-delayed 6121rompattheendofTulane’s nearly monthlong forced evacuation to Memphis because of Hurricane Ida.

This September the Rebels outgained the Wave 548282 in a 45-10 victory that was 45-3 until a late Tulane touchdown. No other team has beaten the Wave as badly at home or on the road since 2018, when fourth-ranked Ohio State won 49-6 in Columbus. Reversing that trend will be paramount if Tulane wants to truly make history in its 75th meeting with Ole Miss.

better tackle in the American Conference than Graham.

Sam Howard, Linebacker (Sr.)

A key defensive leader at Tulane the past two years, Howard suffered a fractured fibula this season on Oct. 9 against East Carolina but was able to return to the field against Memphis less than a month later He missed just two games and picked up where he left off as an anchor at linebacker, recording three sacks in four games since returning to Tulane’s lineup. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Howard’s college football career began at Austin Peay before transferring to Tulane prior to the 2024 season. He had a breakout season in 2023 and was an all-conference selection at linebacker his final year at Austin Peay before transferring. Howard has recorded 44 tackles and four sacks in 10 games this season for the Green Wave.

Harvey Dyson, Defensive end (R-Jr.)

Dyson has been an impact transfer this season for Tulane, emerging as the top playmaker on a deep Green Wave defensive line. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound redshirt junior spent the past three years at Texas Tech in a rotational role but has experienced a new level of success in his first year at Tulane having established himself as a full-time

starter Dyson is among the leaders for Tulane in several key defensive metrics, and he leads the Green Wave in both sacks (7) and tackles for loss (10.5) Born in Cedar Hill, Texas, Dyson is playing football for a team outside of his home state for the first time and is one of two Tulane players with six or more sacks, along with South Alabama transfer Jordan Norman. Patrick Durkin, Kicker (R-Fr.)

Tulane’s special teams have been a huge strength in 2025, with Durkin named as the American Conference’s special teams player of the year as a redshirt freshman. Born in Plainfield, Illinois, Durkin’s outstanding season as Tulane’s kicker has resulted in him making 24 of 27 field goals (88.9 percent), four of which were from 50-plus yards. He’s also had 66 touchbacks in 77 kickoffs this season, earning freshman All-American honors. Punter Alec Clark has also had a strong season as a redshirt sophomore who transferred to Southern Miss from Marshall last year but flipped to Tulane before the 2025 season. Hailing from Swan View, Australia, Clark is averaging 46.8 yards per punt, which isn’t far off from current Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright’s Tulane record of 47.5 yards per punt in 2021. Guerry Smith contributed to this report.

Michigan search includes ASU’s Dillingham, Mizzou’s Drinkwitz

By The Associated Press

The firm hired by Michigan to search for a football coach to replace Sherrone Moore has contacted representatives for Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, according to a person familiar with the situation. MoorewasfiredonWednesday, when the school said an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Two days later, Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors said he “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.

College football’s winningest program suddenly needs a coach. After the 35-year-old Dillingham was linked to numerous open jobs last month, he said he was not leaving his alma mater

Two weeks ago, Drinkwitz agreed to a six-year contract that increases his average compensation to $10.75 million annually

Michigan is hoping to hire a coach this month, helping its chances of retaining recruits and keeping key players out of the transfer portal in January

Dillingham, who is from Scottsdale, Arizona, graduated from Arizona State in 2013 and started his coaching career as an assistant for the Sun Devils. After coaching at Memphis, he was the

offensive coordinator for Auburn, Florida State and Oregon before returning to Arizona State.

Dillingham orchestrated a quick turnaround, leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff for the first time last year Arizona State was 8-4 this season, improving Dillingham’s record to 22-16 over three seasons. The 42-year-old Drinkwitz is 46-28 in six seasons at Missouri after going 12-1 in a year at Appalachian State. He has built the Tigers into a steady Southeastern Conference program, earning five straight bowl bids.

DeBoer dispels rumors Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is “very happy in Tuscaloosa” and has no interest in pursuing other jobs, he said in a statement Sunday

With the sudden opening at Michigan, the secondyear coach has stated he will stay at Alabama as the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide prepare for a playoff game at No. 8 Oklahoma.

“I have not spoken and have no interest in speaking with anyone else about any other job,” he said in a statement released through Yea Alabama, the school’s NIL collective. “I am fully committed to this program and look forward to continuing as head football coach at the University of Alabama.”

DeBoer has a 19-7 record in two seasons at Alabama after going 10-3 this season. The Crimson Tide was the top team in the SEC during the regular season with a 7-1 conference record, and were selected to the College Football Playoff after missing the 12-team field a season ago.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff tries to hype up fans during the American Conference championship

a quarterback.

AP FILE PHOTO

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham cheers on his players against West Virginia on Nov. 15 in Tempe, Ariz.

SAINTS 20, PANTHERS 17

RB Neal leaves game with injury

BY LUKE JOHNSON AND ROD WALKER Staff writers

Devin Neal scored a touchdown for the second consecutive week and then he didn’t play another down against the Carolina Panthers.

goal line for a game-tying touchdown, they’d gone 95 yards in 17 plays, eating up more than 11 minutes of game time.

It was the longest drive by a Saints team in terms of time of possession (11:22) since at least the 2000 season, and the longest in terms of the number of plays run since 2013.

is responsible for one of the biggest plays in franchise history

The Port Allen native recorded 227 tackles and seven interceptions. He picked off a Peyton Manning pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl VLIV to help deliver the Saints their first championship.

absence. Kamara (knee/ankle), offensive tackle Asim Richards (ankle), tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden, defensive back Rejzohn Wright and defensive tackles Khristian Boyd and John Ridgeway joined Reid on the Saints’ inactives list.

RUSHING—Carolina, Young 7-49, Dowdle 1649, Hubbard 8-29. New Orleans, Shough 8-32, Neal 7-28, Hull 4-12, Estime 3-11, Hill 2-2, Tipton 1-(minus 4). PASSING—Carolina, Young 15-24-0-174. New Orleans, Shough 24-32-0-272, Rattler 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING—Carolina, Coker 4-71, Legette

2-39, McMillan 2-25, Tremble 2-13, Sanders 2-5, Hubbard 1-9, Ji.Horn 1-7, Dowdle 1-5. New Orleans, Olave 6-85, Vele 5-69, Johnson

4-30, Estime 3-39, Austin 3-33, Stoll 1-7, Tipton 1-5, Neal 1-4. PUNT RETURNS—Carolina, Etienne 1-16. New Orleans, None.

KICKOFF RETURNS—Carolina, Hubbard 2-50, Etienne 1-25, Dowdle 1-23. New Orleans, Hull

3-72, Tipton 1-19.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—Carolina, Scott

6-4-0, Ja.Horn 6-1-0, M.Jackson 5-1-0, Rozeboom 3-3-1, B.Brown 3-3-.5, Smith-Wade

3-3-0, Moehrig 3-2-0, Wonnum 2-2-2, D.Brown

1-3-0, Robinson 1-3-0, Ransom 1-1-0, Gipson

1-0-1, Wallace 0-3-0, Scourton 0-1-.5. New Orleans, C.Young 4-2-1, D.Davis 4-1-0, Sanker

3-3-0, Howden 3-2-0, McKinstry 3-1-0, Jordan

3-0-0, Werner 3-0-0, Bullard 2-4-0, Riley 2-1-0, Taylor 2-1-0, Bresee 1-2-0, Godchaux 1-1-0, Rumph 1-1-0, Shepherd 1-1-0, Williams 0-2-0. INTERCEPTIONS—Carolina, None. New Orleans, None.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.

OFFICIALS—Referee Alex Moore, Ump Terry Killens, HL Dana McKenzie, LJ Tom Eaton, FJ Mearl Robinson, SJ Anthony Jeffries, BJ Terrence Miles, Replay Tyler Cerimeli.

Continued from page 1B

fourth quarter and trailed for most of the afternoon And Shough met the moment. He engineered the goahead drive with 57 seconds left, and perhaps even more impressive than that, he tied the game by leading a seven-play, 83-yard series that saw Shough find Chris Olave in the end zone for a 12-yard score.

The touchdown to Olave was the kind of big-time throw in a moment when teams typically count on their quarterback.

This was why the Saints drafted Shough with the 40th overall pick This was what they saw

“Just a phenomenal performance,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “When your best is needed, he showed up.”

But Shough didn’t do it alone. He had help from nearly everywhere.

There was third-string running back Audric Estimé and the offensive line fooling the Panthers defense on a 19-yard screen pass that gave the final drive life. There was the defense that as they have practically all season, kept New Orleans in a game that looked like it could have gone off the rails at any moment. And there was defensive end Chase Young, whose huge first-down

Neal, the New Orleans Saints rookie running back, finished off a 17-play, 95-yard drive in the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Shortly after that, the Saints announced he was dealing with a hamstring injury and was questionable to return. Neal did not play in the second half.

The sixth-round pick out of the University of Kansas was already serving as an injury fill-in for Alvin Kamara, who missed his third consecutive game with ankle and knee injuries.

Neal rushed for 28 yards and the touchdown on seven carries and he added a 4-yard reception.

With Neal sidelined, Audric Estime and Evan Hull handled running back duties for the Saints in the second half.

Long drive

The Saints had amassed just 21 net yards of offense and one first down by the time they took over at their own 5-yard line on the second play of the second quarter By the time Neal crossed the

New Orleans made several big plays to keep the drive alive. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough connected with Devaughn Vele for 16 yards to convert a third and 13, then found him again later in the drive for 17 yards on second and 18.

Shough also converted a fourth and 1 from the Carolina 6-yard line with a quarterback sneak to set up Neal’s touchdown.

Porter, Maxie honored

The 2025 Saints Hall of Fame class was introduced before kickoff.

This year’s class was safety Brett Maxie and cornerback Tracy Porter

Maxie played for the Saints from 1985-93, recording 438 tackles and 15 interceptions. His fourth-down tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1987 season helped seal the Saints’ first-ever winning season.

“This is one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been a part of,” Maxie said. “And the greatest fans ever.”

Porter, meanwhile, played in New Orleans from 2008-2011 and

sack on quarterback Bryce Young effectively set up the punt that gave the Saints the chance to steal the game. But the difference between Sunday’s win and past Saints games was that, previously, the quarterback did not usually come through in moments when his teammates had played well. Not since Drew Brees retired, anyway Derek Carr had only two game-winning drives with the Saints. Rattler has none. Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill combined for three in their starts as Saints quarterback. Shough, six starts into his career, now has two game-winning drives — each in the last two games. The quality of opponent in these games matters. The Panthers, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the

Maxie and Porter led the Who Dat chant after the coin toss.

Maxie has ties to both teams that played Sunday He spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, including their inaugural season in 1995. His son Adam Maxie, is a pro scout for Carolina.

Reid inactive

Justin Reid will need at least one more week before he’s ready to return to the lineup.

The Saints’ safety was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Panthers. He was questionable coming into the game after practicing in a limited capacity Thursday and Friday

Reid initially suffered the injury on the first play from scrimmage against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. He returned to play later in that series, but missed the remainder of the game as well as the following week’s win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Safeties Jordan Howden and Terrell Burgess have split the defensive snaps at safety in Reid’s

week prior, were in sole possession of first place in the NFC South and badly needed a win to shore up their chances. Carolina, too, was playing good football of late, having beaten the Los Angeles Rams before its bye week and won two of three since losing last month to the Saints.

But oddly enough, it’s the Saints who are the lone team that hold a winning record in the division. The Saints are 3-2 in the NFC South, while Tampa Bay (2-2), Carolina (2-2) and Atlanta (2-3) would be below them.

All three of those wins have come with Shough at quarterback.

“He’s growing at a rapid pace,” defensive end Cam Jordan said, later adding, “We’re catching our stride.”

Those two things — the Saints catching their stride amid Shough’s growth — aren’t likely a coincidence. While the defense has made plenty of improvements under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, the Saints’ ability to turn these close games into wins has arguably been driven by Shough becoming more comfortable under center It isn’t always pretty but there are plays and drives that show progress. The 17-play, 95-yard drive that led to New Orleans’ first touchdown? That’s New Orleans showing it can grind a game away, something Shough said the

Odds and ends

Vele also left the game with a shoulder injury in the second half. There was no official update on his status after the game, but he was in the locker room in a sling. After Panthers receiver Jalen Coker made an athletic toe-tapping catch on the sideline for 15 yards in the first quarter Saints coach Kellen Moore challenged the ruling. The play was upheld after replay, making Moore 0-for-4 on challenges this season But he successfully overturned a completed pass late in the fourth quarter, his first successful challenge as a head coach For the seventh time in 14 games, the Saints did not pick up a first down on their opening drive. And for the ninth time this season, the defense gave up a touchdown on its opening drive the most in the NFL Juwan Johnson made a bobbling circus catch in the first quarter, and joined an exclusive group in the process: Johnson became the third Saints tight end ever to record at least 60 receptions in a season, joining Ben Watson and Jimmy Graham.

Saints felt they needed to do, given how Carolina can control the ball. Shough getting up from hit after hit? That shows his teammates that he can be counted on.

Quincy Riley has seen what it’s like for Shough to win people over Last year before they were drafted by the Saints, the two spent the year at Louisville. The rookie cornerback knows what his quarterback is capable of.

“I was telling someone on the sideline, I think Kool-Aid (McKinstry), ‘I’ve seen Tyler in these moments, so it really don’t surprise me,’ ” Riley said. “I like him in these moments. I bet bank on it.” Winning over teammates is why Shough says he plays the game. Since being drafted he has largely shrugged off the narratives surrounding his entry into the league, such as the concerns about his age or injury history But the 26-yearold wants to win over those in the locker room, so that they have the same belief in him that he has in himself.

In the fourth quarter, Shough exited the medical tent, knowing he was good as long as he could throw His teammates now know, too. “Tyler Shough, man,” Chase Young said. “He’s building, man. He’s just starting to look like that guy.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs the ball during the first half of a game against the Carolina Panthers at the Caesars Superdome.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints running back Devin Neal runs for a first down against the Carolina Panthers in the first half on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Neal left the game with a hamstring injury.

SAINTS 20,PANTHERS17

THREEAND OUT: RODWALKER’STOP THREETAKEAWAyS FROM SAINTS’UPSET VICTORyOVERCAROLINA

SHOUGH’S THE GUY

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yeah, IknowI said this after TylerShough’s first game against the Panthers back in November when he completed 19 of 27 passes for 282 yards and twotouchdowns in a17-7 victory. Well, I’m evenmoreconvinced nowand youprobably should be too after Sunday. Especially after watching Shough drivethe Saints 78 yards in sevenplays late in the fourth quarter to tie the game 17-17. Shough showed plenty of poise and accuracy on the drive, completing six of sevenpasses.Then he used his arms and legs to setupthe game-winning field goal. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards anda touchdown—and wasohsoclutch late.

GRITTY EFFORT

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One thing youcan sayabout the Saints is they haven’t quit on Kellen Mooredespite thestruggles of this season.The Panthers came into the Dome withplenty to playfor,clinging to ahalf-game leadinthe NFC Southoverthe Tampa BayBuccaneers.The Saints didn’t have much to playfor other than tryingtoplayspoiler fora second consecutiveweek.Theyknockedoff the Bucs last week. Nowtheyhavebeaten thePanthers fora second time this season.Theyare 3-1 this season against the two teams jockeying to win the division.That’sasign of progress.And theystill have three winnable games remaining againstthe Jets,Titans and Falcons.

DEFENSE COMES UP

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The defense continues to step up. The Saints’ defense has held Panthers’ quarterback Bryce young to under171 passing yards everytime it has facedhim.young finishedwith 163 yardsinthis one. But it wasthe Saints’young (defensiveend Chase young) whocameupbig.Chase young sacked Bryce young on first down on Carolina’snext-to-last driveof the game.Thentwo plays later,Chase young chased down Bryceyoung to forcea fourth down.The Saints took advantageand scoredonaCharlie Smyth field goal.The Saints defense,much likeShough, cameup big when it wasneeded.

‘ALWAYSDIALEDIN’

Saints kicker Smythaddsto hislegendwithagame-winner in thirdNFL appearance

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Charlie Smyth didn’t needtowait for his 47-yard field goal to clear the uprights.

Thekickcameoff hisright foot true and the distance didn’tmatter.Assoon as he saw his game-winner was on the right trajectory,heturned to his left —toward the sideline of the team with playoff hopes whom he just saddled with aloss —and raised his arms in celebration.

New Orleans Saints 20, Carolina Panthers 17.

“I think Imight’ve looked at their sideline,” Smyth said. “I probably shouldn’thave done that.”

Informed that he definitely looked at their sideline, Smyth just grinned

“I know Idid,” he said.

Who can blame him? In his third professional football game, alittle more than two years after he kickedan American football for thefirst time in hislife, Smythnow hasa game-winner on his résumé.

And, if he wasreally being honest, he was almostwishing the Saints would have made things alittle more difficult on him. Forty-seven yardsis well within his range. Had it not been for an unnecessary roughness penalty afew plays earlier,Smyth waslooking at a62-yard attempt.

“I’ve hit alot of the longer ones in pre-gamerecently,and Isuppose when you get in those moments you get more adrenaline, and for me that means Iget more power in my kicks; that’sthe way Ilike to channel it,” Smyth said. “Forty-seven (yards), we’ll take it alittle easier,but Iwas ready to hit that one if we needed it.” This is the latest entry in what has been amagical story. Smyth came to the United States from Northern Ireland to play American football.He grew up admiring the game from his nativeland, with hisfathersometimes shutting off the WiFi in the house so Smyth could not stay up lateand watch games. He always thought he could do it, thinking aboutthe wayhis Gaelic football skills would translate But dreaming about it and thinking about it anddoing it aretwo different things, especially when the “it”in questioninvolvesmakingkicks like the one he did Sunday

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Saints kickerCharlie Smythkicks a47-yard game-winning field goal against the CarolinaPanthers on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. The Saints defeated their NFCSouth rival 20-17.

The snap from Zach Wood and hold from KaiKroeger were perfect. And Smyth juststepped up and drilled the kick. “I know the outside worldwould say there’salot of pressure on you,” Smythsaid, “but Ilike to think Iembrace those moments.”

It’shard to overstate how unlikely this allis. Offthe topofhis head Smyth said it was about 27 months agothat he was teaching the Irish language to students as arecentgraduate. He’d signed up to takea master’s course in Belfast. But then he learned aboutthisAmerican footballtryout thatwould get him achancetokick at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.And here he is now,doingthis.

“The way things panned out,it’s beena dream scenario,”Smyth said “... To even look at me in the first place when Ihad nofootballexperience,I’m just so grateful to everybody in this organizationtohavemedevelop.I think we’re going to reap the rewards of that now.”

Three gamesinto hiscareer,Smyth has successfully converted four of his five field goal attempts and each of his five extra points. The miss, which came last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from about the same distance as hisgame-winner,was instructive.

Smyth didn’tblame the downpour he was kicking in last week. He went back and watched it and found atechnical issue that he could correct. And as it happens, he wasabletodoso withformer Saintskicker John Carney,who was in town this week for an alumni event.

There’sa bit of serendipityatplay: Oneofthe peopleresponsible for Smyth’sarrival is his kicking coach, Tadhg Leader,who first got theidea aboutsending Irishmen to thestates to kick after attending one of Carney’s kicking camps in San Diego. That forged arelationship, and Smyth has worked with Carney before.

“Itwas just aperfect week to get working with John and look at the film andeven analyze some of themakes

I’ve had in practice and in games, like, ‘What’sthe ball doing? What way am Ilined up?’”Smyth said. “Just little, small technical things.”

All of that adds up to moments like the one he found himself in Sunday Smyth said he didn’tfeelany nerves going into it. He calls it the “evidence wall,” and he thought back to the first NFLgame he ever played in, apreseason contest against the Arizona Cardinals in which he hit agame-winner. He’d seen evidencethathecould do it. And his teammates had complete faith, too.

“Charlie, man,hewas ready forthat moment,” Chase Young said. “He’salways dialed in.”

“I knew he was gonna knock that down,”Chris Olave said. “That’smy boy right there.”

“Just seeing it on his face, you’ve got to have alittle level of cold-bloodedness to play that position,” Tyler Shough said. “I hadfull confidencein him.Ialmost, you’re willing to see it go in, but Ithink everyone knew what the result wasgoing to be.”

When Smythwas preparingfor thekick, coach Kellen Mooresaidhe never talked to him.Hedidn’twant to botherthe young kickerand intrude on his thoughts. And it didn’tsurprise himatall to seehis teammatesmobbing him in the post-game locker room after Moore delivered agame ball.

“This team loves that guy,” Moore said. “Itwas awesome.”

Smyth, technically,isstill amember of the Saints practice squad. But he is now out of roster elevations, meaning if he is going to continue to playon Sundays, theSaints aregoing to have to sign him to the active roster

At thatpoint, he’llbea full-fledged NFLplayer,who not long ago had never played the game. That it has all happened here in NewOrleans means something to him

“I want to be apart of thisteam, I want to play here,” Smyth said. “I love it here.Itfeels like home here.Ifeel like Ihavetwo homes, NewOrleans and Mayobridge, (Northern Ireland).”

He doesn’twant to count on anything that hasn’thappened yet. But it feels safetosay he’searned that spot.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

QB Shough is making believersout of everyone

Tyler Shough is him. If you didn’tknow it before Sunday, you know it now The New Orleans Saintshavetheir quarterback. Shough is the guy —for the present,the future and everything in between.

If anyone doubtedShough’s credentials as the team’sfranchise quarterback, they were eliminated once and for all after the rookie quarterback authored another dramatic, come-from-behind victory on Sunday One week after upsetting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shough stuck the dagger in another division leader,the Carolina Panthers, who entered their game against theSaints at the Superdome on Sunday with momentum and motivation

RESULTS

showed up.”

Jeff Duncan

If Shoughcontinues to play theway he has thepast two weeks, he’sgoing to win alot more games for Moore. Sunday’svictory was extra special because ofthe way it transpired. The Saints never led until Smyth’s game-winner with two seconds left. They were forced to play catch-upfor most of the game, butthey refused to go away Just as they did in aWeek 10 victory over Carolina five weeks ago, the defense held thePanthersatbay and set the stagefor Shough’sheroics.

Playing with the confidence and composure of aveteran, Shoughled the Saints to two late scoring drives as they stunned the Panthers 20-17 on Charlie Smyth’sgame-winning 46-yard field goal before adeliriously happy home crowd. “Just aphenomenal performance,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore said. “When your best is needed,he

In thefourth quarter,Shough completed13of18passes for 162 yards andatouchdown, while adding 24 yards onfour timely runs. Hispasser rating in the final period was astellar 118.3. On thefinal two drives, he was 9of11for 106 yards and atouchdown. Overall, hecompleted 75% of his passes (24 of 32) for 272 yards and atouchdown as he thoroughly outplayed Carolina’sBryce Young. And Shough did all of this while playing without starting running backDevin Neal, starting right guardCesar Ruiz and No. 2receiver

Devaughn Vele, who has quickly developed intoShough’sfavorite target All left the game at various times because of injuries.

Andyet, Shough didn’tbat an eye. He surgically dissected the Panthers’ defense withcompletions all over thefield, delivering dimes to four different receivers: Chris Olave, Kevin Austin, Juwan Johnson and backup running back Audric Estimé.

“I was prepared, and we were confident,” Shough said. “Wewere all on the same page, knowing we were going to drive down and score. Everybody was clicking. It was agreat finish.”

Shough has recorded two consecutivegame-winning drives to lead the Saintstocomeback wins. That’stwo morethan Spencer Rattler had in his 14 starts and as many as Derek Carr had in his two seasons as the Saints starter “Tyler Shough, man,” veteran defensive end Chase Young said. “All power to Shough. Whatever he’sdoing, we’ve got to get him to keep doing (it). He’sjust starting tolook like theguy.” Young is thesecond veteran defender to sing Shough’spraises in as manyweeks. Last week, it was De-

mario Davis, saying Shough had the “it” factor.This week, it wasYoung saying he is making believers out of everyone in the locker room,coaches, teammates and support staffincluded. When veteran defenders like Davis and Young endorse your work, you know you’re doing something right.

“Itwas alot of fun,” Shough said. “Wehad played well on the road, and we wanted to show the fans what we could do here. The Panthers are a really good team.That’stwo playoff teamsback to back. It feels like we’re just gearing up.”

The winwas just the second for the Saints at home. Going back to last season, they’ve only won twoof their last 10 games in the Superdome. Thanks to Shough’sperformance, the fans whostuck around until the end in the announced crowd of 70,070 went homehappy

“His steadiness is really special,” Moore said of Shough. “He made somebig-timeplays in this game. As the gamewent on, we got alittle bit of confidence and the crowd got into it and the Dome came to life. It was agood example of what our team is building. Ithought it was big-time.”

Baton Rouge Weather

battles ChicagoBulls’

Murphy,Fears lead Pels past Bullsfor second straight win

BYMATTCARLSON Associated Press

CHICAGO Trey Murphy III scored 20 points with 10 rebounds,

Zion Williamson scored 18 points, including seven down the the stretch, in his return to the lineup to help the Pelicanspull away late. Jordan Poole had 16 for New Orleans, who outrebounded

Chicago53-43 and outscored the Bulls 60-46 in thepaint CobyWhiteled Chicago with 20 points, and Kevin Huerterconnectedfor 16off the bench in his return from left adductorstrain as theBulls lostfor theeighthtimein nine games. New Orleans led 76-75 after three quarters. The Pelicans had opened a13-point lead 5:14 into thethird, but Whitestarted connecting and the Bulls useda 16-2 run to get back into thegame. Chicago took athree-point lead earlyinthe fourth. Then thePelicansmuscled back ahead to take control,punctuated by Williamson’sdunkwith 37 seconds left. Williamson, the NBA’s top draft

pick in 2019, most recently missed five games witharight hip adductor strain. Four separate injuries have limited the two-time All-Star to just 11 games this season for the Pelicans. He didn’tstart thisone,but enteredthe game off the bench 4:35 into thefirst quarterand played 26:37 Both teams struggled offensively in achoppy game; New Orleans shot 45.7% and Chicago 41.3% New Orleans led52-47 at halftimeafter opening anine-point lead late in the second quarter Williamson gotrolling late in the secondquarter, scoring eight of his11first-half points in the final four minutes

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP basketball writer

LAS VEGAS The New York Knicksmight get atrophy.Tyler Kolek’sdad might get acar

The NBA Cup final will have San Antonioagainst the Knicks on Tuesdaynight in LasVegas

The game won’t count in the standings, and the stats won’tbe added to any official totals. But there is atrophy,bragging rights and money at stake. By making it to the final, the Knicks and Spurs already have secured $212,373 perplayer from the NBACup prize money pool. Thelosing team on Tuesday gets nothingextra.Players on the winning team getanadditional $308,560 —pushingtheir Cup winnings to $530,933 each. Twoway players get half of whatplayers on standard contracts get.

“It meansalot to some,” Kolek said. “Maybe not as much to others, obviously.”

He’sinthe “some” group.

Kolek, abackup guard for the Knicks, is making $2.2 million this season. In thereal world, that’salot of money.Inthe NBA world, not so much. Take alook at some otherKnicks players’ salaries: Karl-Anthony Towns is making$53.1 million this season,OG Anunoby is making $39.6 million, Jalen Brunsonismaking $34.9 million, Mikal Bridges is making just under $25 millionand Josh Hart around $19.5 million.

Those guys —and plenty of the Spurs players, too —are used to seeing checks exceeding $500,000. Kolek surely isn’t. But he’searned his shottowin big in Vegas, by being abig reason why theKnicks got to the final.

New York outscored Orlando by 18 points in Kolek’s16minutesinSaturday’ssemifinals.

WhenKolek wasn’tonthe floor, theMagic outscored the Knicks by six. He finished with four points and four assists; thestats might notseemimpressive, but his energy wasa huge plus for New York.

“Tyler did afantastic job today, our young fella, of impacting winning,” Townssaidafter the game.

“And he did that on abig stage.

Oneofhis

finest games as an NBAplayer was tonight,and it maynot show up on thestats sheet, but everybody in our locker room knowshow important he was to us.”

Kolek took his NBA Cup quarterfinalbonus fromlast season, alittle over $50,000, and bought his mother acar.Thisyear,he has said it could be his father’s turn for anew vehicle. The question is, will the bigger bonus this year lead to abetter car for his dad.

Knicks coach Mike Brown who raves about Kolek’scompetitive juices and has rewarded him with abigger role in recent weeks —can’twait to find out. “I just want to know if his dad’s going to get abettercar than his mom or vice versa, because we’ll find out soon which parent he likesmore,” Brownsaid, laughing. “Better be his mom. Hey, I’mnot causing trouble. I’ve just got twoeyes open. Wait to see what he’sgoing to do. Just take care of your mom. Just remember that. Take care of your mom.” It’sanice problem to have, for sure.

“That’sa big amount of money for aguy like myself,” Kolek said. “It’snot only about the money.We want to win this to hold up the trophy and forthe fans.” Forplayers like

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PAUL BEATy

NewOrleans Pelicans’ forwardZionWilliamson

Zach Collins for the ball during the first half of agame on Sunday in Chicago.

AP PHOTO By RONDACHURCHILL

Is it therapeutic forsomeonewith Alzheimer’sordementia to listen to alot of Christmas carols or musicaround the holidays?

you’re in the market for a new vehicle the remaining

If yourein themarketfor anew vehicle, theremaining weeksofDecembercould be agreat time to buy

BY JOSH JACQUOT Edmunds

If you’re in the market for anew vehicle, the remaining weeks of December could very well be agreat time to buy.Several recurring industry trends converge at year-end, creating favorableconditionsthat can help you save money. The auto experts at Edmundshavecome up withthree keyreasons why December often delivers the opportunity forbetter deals —and what to know to ensure youget the best one Salesquotas, dealerincentives Manufacturers anddealers operate under annual targets, and December is when they make theirmostconcertedeffort to meet them. According to Edmunds transaction data, December has historically delivered the highest averagediscountsoff the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for both newand used cars.The pandem-

ic somewhat upendedthat, sending new car prices skyrocketing year-round as demand exceeded supply,but that blip haslargely stabilizedsince 2022. Typically,asthe calendar year draws to aclose,automakers

andtheir dealer networks shift intohigh gear,deploying cashback incentives,financing specials andprice cuts to help them meet sales goalsand finish the

ä See CAR, page 2C

Music has often been described as auniversal language, and studies have shown that music can affect brain waves, brain circulation and stress hormones. Though there are no claims that music can cure adisease, research has shownmusic benefits in anumber of ways: reduces stress and anxiety, helps people sleep better,often helps alleviate pain, improves communication, is away to express feelings, promotes physical rehabilitation and also enhances memory. (American Music Therapy Organization, 2011). It has been showntoassist in memoryand language skills, can curb aggressive or agitated behaviors, and even spark aresponse from anonverbal, late stage Alzheimer’s patient. Music motivates and inspires and is apowerful and nonthreatening medium and therefore, people with Alzheimer’s react positively,while their moodsare uplifted, and their emotional states are raised. Even the rhythm and structure of the music —with toes tapping and hands clapping —can itself provide aform of exercise.

Christmas music spurs memories in people with Alzheimer’sordementia. Because the brain has music organized through rhythm and melody,it helps those affected remember different aspects and times in their lives. The music during the Christmas season can be joyful and spiritually powerful as well as uplifting and affirming. Alzheimer’sand dementia patients seemingly reconnect with memories triggered by music, and reminiscing with traditional Christmas tunes is very therapeutic, as it can spark much dialogue and interaction with the person. Keepinmind, however,that there’sanappropriate amount of balance attached to listening to Christmas music. Toomuch can be overwhelming and can cause bouts of anxiety,depression or sadness. Toolittle can rob the person of the joy of the season and opportunities to reminisce about the past and draw out retained memories with others.

NEWYORK— Melanie Moore, who runs the Ohiobased Cincy Book Bus, is oneofhundredsofbooksellers who received a pleasant surprise for the holidays: acheckfor $500 from author James Patterson. “I’ve never takena salary.All profits from the bookstore go to

buybooks for kids in need,” Moore saidin astatement released through Patterson’s publisher,Little, Brown &Company,whichannounced the bonuses Wednesday.“This gift from JamesPatterson will be my very first paycheck!” Over the past 20 years, Patterson has donated millions of dollars to schools, libraries,literacyprograms and others in the book community.For the past several years, he hasmadeatradition outofsending $500 checksto600 independent booksellers who have been recommended by peersorpatrons. The list for 2025 ranges from Katie Gabriello, social media coordinator for WhitelamBooksinReading, Massachusetts, to store manager KateCzyzewski of Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, New Jersey

“I’ve said this before, but Ican’t

say it enough —booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in astatement. “What they do is crucial, especially right now.I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them andtheir hardworkthisholiday season.” Oneofthe world’smost popular and prolific authors, Patterson received an honorary National Book Awardmedal in 2015 for his “Outstanding Service to the American LiteraryCommunity.”

Anew study by the British AcademyofSound Therapy suggests that listening to just 78 minutes of music every day is good formental health and quality of life. The Academy even recommends aspecific “formula” needed forapositive outcome: 14 minutes of “uplifting” music to feel happy; 16 minutes of “calming” music to feel relaxed; 16 minutes of whatever you choose to overcome sadness; 15 minutes of “motivating” music to aid concentration; and another 17 minutes of whatever you choose to help manage your anger.Though this formula

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI Unsold 2024 F-150 pickups sit in along rowata Ford dealership in Broomfield, Colo.

GETTYIMAGES ILLUSTRATION

Congestiveheart failurestartschain reaction in body

Dear Doctors: My husbandis74 and has congestive heart failure. He has what look like burns on his left leg. There is alot of swelling, and his leg is leaking blood and fluid.Hesees acardiologist and has been told he should see avascular surgeon. Why asurgeon? How would that help?

Dr.Elizabeth Ko Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Dear reader: Congestive heart failure is acondition wherethe heart is no longer able to pump blood efficiently.Itstruggles to send enough oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of the body.Thismay be due to mechanicalissues, such as malfunctions in the chambers or valves of the heart. It could also be that the muscle itself is weak. Either way,the result is arange of symptoms. These caninclude shortnessofbreath, weakness and fatigue, irregular heartbeat,wheezing,a persistent cough and swellinginthe ankles, feet and legs.

The swelling that you described is acommon effect of heart failure. Known asedema, it is part of achain reaction that begins with the heart’sdecreased pumpingstrength. As blood lingers in the veins, pressure builds up. This, in turn,forces fluid into the surrounding tissues, acondi-

tion known as peripheral edema. This swelling stretches the skin and causes inflammation. It can makethe skin fragile enough to break open and form theburnlike wounds you’ve observed. This type of weeping wound indicates acritical problem below the surfaceofthe skin. More specifically,itsignals serious circulatory issues. That’swhy your husband is being referred to a vascular surgeon. This specialty focuses on theveins and arteries that carry blood throughout thebody.Avascular surgeon can determine the tests needed to pinpoint thecause of theextreme edema your husband is experiencing. These tests can map and measure blood flow,detect blockages, evaluate valve function and assess how well circulation is

Nestingdishesand silverware

Dear Heloise: Thank you for the time-saving, informative and interesting hints that you and your faithful readershave been providing us with for years. Recently,there have been acouple of suggestions regarding loading the dishwasher,and I would like to add my two cents. As afamily of two, we rinse our silverware and dishes before placing them in the dishwasher as we may not run it for acouple of days. Thanks to my days as amotion and time study analyst, Ilearned how to save time whenever possible, which leads me to my hint: It takes the same amount of time to place an item in the dishwasher regardless of where you place it. If you “nest” the silverware, as well as your dinner plates, breadplates, bowls, etc.,

CAR

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you canquicklyunloadthe dishwasher with less motion and use up less time Very rarely is something notthoroughly cleaned

reaching thelower limbs. Although the title of this specialty includes the word “surgeon,”itdoesn’tnecessarily mean apatient is being referred fora surgical procedure. Treatment options for this type of edema may include medication to reduce fluid buildup. Compression therapy can be used to improve circulation. There are also minimally invasive procedures designed to restore normal blood flow.Major surgery is considered only when there is severe blockage or when structural problemsinthe veins or arteries cannot be managed in any other way. There is hope if your husband undergoes athorough evaluation by avascular surgeon and then follows up with appropriate treatment.Circulation in his legs and

the edemaand skin wounds can improve. He’ll likely work with additional specialists to manage his congestive heart failure. These mayinclude awound care specialist, acardiologist to monitor heart function and adjust medications, anutritionist or physical therapist to support appropriate lifestyle changes and aprimary care physician to coordinate overall care. This maysound daunting, but congestive heart failure is asystemic condition that benefits from ateam-based approach.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, Dec. 15, the 349th day of 2025. There are 16 days left in the year

Ihave used this techniquefor years, andnow thehabit of doingsoenables my recently blinded husband to easily unload the dishwasher This helpshim feel useful,whichispriceless. Kathleen, in Foster,Rhode Island

Berrystorage

Dear Heloise: Iwash my berries and store themin therefrigerator in glass jars. They seem to keepfor much longer this way than with other methods. —Nelly B.,via email

Scareawayscamcalls

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the hint fromLoisR., in St. Paul, Minnesota, about stringing along an obvious phone

scam. I’ve done something similar, but what I’ve said is, “Oh, I’m so glad someone called me. I’m so lonely.” It usually resultsinthe caller quickly hanging up! And come to think of it,Ihaven’t had any scam calls since. Jane L., in Rutland,Vermont

Jamonit

Dear Heloise: When fruits are in season, Ipurchase them. We eat some, then Iput them in my blender and pulverize them. Next, Imeasure how manycups Ineed to make jam. Iput them in bags or containers and put them in the freezer Ionly makeone batch at atime. When I’m ready to makemore, Ithaw thepulp and make another batch. It’sbetter when it’smade fresh instead of having several batches on hand. —Edna H., in Prattville,Alabama

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights, thefirst 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, went into effect following ratification by Virginia.

Also on this date:

In 1890, Hunkpapa LakotaChief SittingBull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, SouthDakota, during a confrontation with Indian agency police.

In 1939, theCivil War motion picture epic “Gone with the Wind,” starring Vivien Leighand Clark Gable, had itsworld premiere in Atlanta.

In 1944, asingle-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller,amajor in theU.S. Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris

In 2011, theflag used by U.S. forces in Iraq was

lowered in aBaghdad airport ceremony,marking the formal end of the American military mission in that country.The war left110,000 Iraqis and 4,500 Americans dead.

In 2013, Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in astate funeral, ending a10-day mourning period forSouth Africa’sfirst Black president. Mandela died on Dec. 5ofthat year at the age of 95.

In 2016, afederal jury in Charleston, South Carolina, convicted Dylann Roof of the racist killings of nine Black church members whohad welcomed him into their Bible study gathering. The following year he would becomethe first person in the U.S. sentenced to death forafederal hate crime, asentence upheld in 2021.

Today’sbirthdays: Singer Cindy Birdsong (The Supremes) is 86. Rock musician Dave Clark (The Dave Clark Five) is 86. Baseball Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is 81. Actor Don Johnson is 76. Film and

year strong. As acar shopper,you can take advantage of this year-end push. By choosing to buy avehicle in December,you are more likely to encounter adealership willing to make adeal, even if it’sless profitable. It canget evensweeter for you if you canwait until the final week of the month.

Edmunds data shows that the last few days of December —when dealerships are truly up against the wall of bothmonthly and annual deadlines —tend to produce the deepest discounts of the year.Think of it as the auto industry’sversion of aclearance countdown when every sale counts alittle extra Outgoing models,clearance

As new-model-year vehicles begin to arrive, many dealerships find themselves with previous model-year vehicles still on the lot. These outgoing models become ripe for discounts because they’re taking up spaceand declining in value. In ahandful of states, dealerships are also required to pay atax on the value of their inventory on thelot as of Jan. 1. This is amassive hidden motivator that drives desperation on Dec. 31, specifically for vehicles that have been on the lot for 90 days or more.

Edmunds highlights that vehicles from the outgoing model year or those un-

MUSIC

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can be practiced by anyone, Alzheimer’scaregivers can create aplaylist of Christmas music following this structure to improve mood and behaviors in their loved ones’ day Additionally,the caregiver can integrate accompanying Christmas music with familiar and/ or favorite activities of the season. When pairing activities with music, the affected personcan develop

dergoing minimal changes often getsteeperincentives. While newmodels are launched year-round these days,Decemberiswhen current-year modelsstill on thelot aretargeted by sales managers as “must-move” inventory.Currently, that means 2025 vehicles will receivethe largest discounts. Accordingly,you can also maximize your savings if youcan be flexible on features, trim or color,sothe deals on carry-over modelscan be substantial.If the vehicle youwant hasn’t changed dramatically from yeartoyear,you may be able to purchase acar that’s essentially the same asa newmodel at alower price. More financingleverage

Beyond pricereductions, December offers an advantageousbackdrop for better financing termsonnew vehicles.Edmunds’research shows thatautomakers and their financing arms often bundle lower interest rates, longer promotional terms or enhanced lease offers at year-end in tandem with their clearance efforts. For example, an automaker might offer special 0% financing oncertain vehicles for well-qualified buyers. Getting0%financing, or even 2%, is abig savings over thestandard financing rate of 6%-7% currently. Dealers eagertoclearout theirnew vehicle inventory before theend ofthe year maybeopentonegotiation on specific vehicles —especially thosethat have been

arhythm that helps them perhaps recall the memory of the activity, which could improve cognitive ability overtime.Musical aptitude and appreciationare twoabilities that remain in peoplewith Alzheimer’s long after other abilities have passed; thus, music can have away of reaching the person beyond the disease.

Though theholiday season may be challenging at times, caregivers can aspire to embrace the season, encouragingtheir loved ones to share all their Christmas memories avail-

on thelot forawhile.You can check the days on the lot when youbrowse Edmunds inventory.

For shoppers who have done their homework —secured preapproval, identified the trims they’re willing to consider,and are ready to sign —this timingcan offer bothalower purchase price and alower cost of borrowing. Buyers can gain even more leverage by being strategic: adealer may have several examples of the same model, some of which have been in inventory for an extended period. Each daya car sits unsold costs thedealership more. That creates extramotivationto discount older inventoryor specific vehicles In short, it’snot just about when youbuy,but which specific car you target.The right combination of timing, financingand flexibility can make December dealseven morerewarding.

Edmundssays December packstogether three powerful forces for buyers seeking the best deals: dealer urgency to hit quotas,clearance of outgoing-model stock and enhanced financing leverage. Make sure to get an early start on the shopping so that youhaveabetter selection and don’tfeel pressured to makeahasty decision.

This story wasprovided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. JoshJacquot is acontributor at Edmunds

able to them through the remnantsoftheir inner dwelling of personal memories. Christmas carols and music are giftsthat can tap into and unlock emotions in that still passionate and loving person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

theater director Julie Taymor is 73. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia is 71. Rock musician Paul Simonon (The Clash) is 70. Actor and filmmaker Lee

Hints from Heloise

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Focus on change that makes you feel good and encourages you to add to your skills and your aspirations. Take charge; your future is yours to complete.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Emotional excitement will surface, causing confusion and the need to revisit and revamp your plans. Put a timeline together, set your intentions and perfect what you want to reiterate to ensure success.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Think before you speak. A little charm will get you where you want to go, but if you use emotional manipulation, you will face rejection. Know your target and act accordingly.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Set guidelines and know your limitations, your attributes and what to share and what to keep secret. Play the long game, and you'll make your way to the winner's circle.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don't waste time. Running about and taking care of year-end obligations will put your mind at ease and make your life less stressful.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Leave nothing to chance, and you'll enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with the festive season. Strive to be joyful and uplifting.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Pay attention to detail when dealing with personal and professional partners. Consider how

WonderWord

you can grab attention and gain interest in what you propose to do or what you can offer others.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Put one foot in front of the other and take care of business. Make yourself aware of what others are doing and how it will influence the choices you make. Take control.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Get out and mingle. The conversations you have and the people you meet will offer a unique perspective that may not fit your budget or skills, but can be adapted to suit your needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Discuss matters openly and follow through with your plans. Don't waste time arguing when compromise is necessary. Timing will be essential to success.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Do whatever it takes to keep up. Don't trust anyone with your responsibilities. Take on or promise only what's feasible. Simplify your surroundings and focus on ways to excel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Analyze what you face before forging ahead. Acting in haste will turn into an expensive lesson. Patience is a virtue, and doable plans are a necessity if you want to get ahead.

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

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

TODAy'S CLUE: R EQUALS D

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

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

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER

As we approach the holidayseason, let’slookatsomebooksthatmightappeal to the bridge players on your gift list. Some whodunits with abridge theme havebeenwritten.Thebestsofar,inmy opinion, is “Death in Duplicate” by CaroleCoplea(Master Point Press).

Twodeathsoccurduringaduplicateat Kensington Collegeinthe Adirondacks, andthe book coversthe investigation. Today’sdiagram shows theonly bridge deal in the book If this layout occurredduring, say, an 11-table duplicate, there would no doubt be11differentauctions.Here,inparticular,East’sdoublewasbizarreafterhearingherpartnerraisediamonds.Notethat East would havemade five diamonds if shehad guessed spades correctly.

AfterWestledalowheart,South,astudent at thecollege,calledfor dummy’s 10, and East ruffed. She then cashed the spade ace: six, three, five. East, not guessing that thethree was West’s top spadespot,shifted to adiamond.

Declarer wonwithhis aceand ranall of his trumps, bringing everyone down to three cards. North had theheart acequeen-jack and South the spade queennine and heartthree.But what could West keep? He was squeezed. Seeing the need to retain three hearts, West was forced to discard thespade king, hoping his partner had the queen. South now produced that cardand claimed his contract for plus 550 and atop. MasterPointPressbooksareavailable fromthepublisherinprintedande-book editions ©2025

today’s thought “Professing themselves to be wise,they becamefools,” Romans 1:22

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y other parties including but notlimited to anyof‐ficial statement, bond purchaseagreement and opinions 4) Renderingopinionsas tothe legality andtaxexemptstatusofthe bonds 5) Servingasthe primary legal closingcoordinator among allparties includ‐ing coordinating docu‐mentexecution/delivery and preparationoftran‐scripts 6) Preparingapplication materials andtestifying beforeany regulatory, administrativeand leg‐islativebodyand attend‐ing regularlyscheduled and specialmeetings of the BoardofDirectors of the Corporationand the Board of Supervisorsof the LCTCSinconnection withthe issuance of the bonds 7) Assistinginthe rating process andproviding in‐teraction with therating agencies. 8) Reviewingand approv‐ing proposed donations tobemadeinsatisfac‐tionofthe privatematch requirementsofAct 35. 9) Furnishing such other typical bond counsel functionsasrequested Digitalcopiesfor down‐loading of theRFQ canbe found on theLCTCS web‐siteat: http://www.lctcs.edu/rfp and at theOffice of State Procurement websiteLA PAC Online Solicitations & AwardInformation Section: https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/OSP/ LaPAC/pubMain.cfm Additionally,interested parties mayobtain a copyofthisRFQ docu‐mentbyemailinga re‐quest to: FC-RFQ@lctcs.edu Allbidsmustbereceived by LCTCSnolater than January12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. 170290